REEU Program Directors

Dr. Tuininga is the Director of the PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies at Montclair State University and Professor in Earth and Environmental Studies, co-created NSF and USDA-funded programs, engaging diverse students in STEM. She collaborates with various organizations, including Fortune 500 companies. Formerly Chief Research Officer at Fordham University, she promoted faculty research and led the Clare Boothe Luce Women in STEM program. Her research examines human impacts on ecosystems.

Mei Yu is an Associate Professor in the Environmental Science Department at UPR-RP. Her research is on GIS, spatial statistics, and modeling applications in terrestrial ecosystems at multiple spatial and temporal scales; species distribution modeling; biodiversity analysis; ecosystem mapping.

Haley Rosson is an Assistant Professor of Agricultural and Extension Education. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University, and her Ph.D. in agricultural education at Oklahoma State University, where she organized educational programs in agriculture and youth development, including innovative 4-H initiatives like a LEGO robotics competition.

Veera Gnaneswar Gude is NiSource-Meyer Charitable Foundation Professor of Energy and the Environment and Director of Purdue-Northwest University. He is a professional engineer and a board-certified environmental engineer. His research focuses on the water-energy-environment nexus, particularly in areas like water desalination, energy-positive wastewater treatment, and waste-to-energy technologies. He holds two U.S. patents and is developing sustainable, resilient energy systems for remote communities, particularly those affected by extreme events and disasters.

Dr. Das is an Associate Professor in Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering & Civil and Environmental Engineering. Dr. Das specializes in hydrology, microwave remote sensing, and crop modeling. He leads the Remote Sensing for Agriculture and Hydrology Lab (RSHAL) and collaborates with NASA satellite missions. As a Science Team Member for NASA’s SMAP and NISAR missions, he develops high-resolution global soil moisture data. He also serves as PI for NASA’s SERVIR Program, implementing drought and crop forecasting for East Africa and the Lower Mekong Basin, and for the NASA Terrestrial Hydrology Program.

Dr. Edgar Cahoon is a University Professor and Director of the Center for Plant Science Innovation at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. His research focuses on plant lipid metabolism, with the aim of improving the nutritional and industrial value of crops. The Cahoon Lab combines basic and applied research to enhance crop biofortification and agronomic performance through the study of bioactive lipids. Dr. Cahoon’s work contributes to advancements in biotechnology, nutrition, and sustainable agriculture.

Dr. Carrie Hammer is the Interim Associate Dean for the College of Agriculture, Food Systems and Natural Resources and a Professor of Animal Health. She is a veterinarian and educator whose research is focused on improving health and performance of livestock, with an emphasis on horses. Dr. Hammer has a special interest in educating others about agriculture, especially finding innovative ways to reach those with urban backgrounds.

Dr. Chastity Bradford is the Head of Biology and Associate Professor at Tuskegee University, holds a Ph.D. from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a B.S. from Spelman College. With a focus on community health and STEM diversity, her research targets blood pressure control in rural areas. She directs a USDA/NIFA-funded GIS training program.

Jeanette Andrade is an assistant professor and director of the masters in Dietetic Internship Program. Jeanette has a long-term goal to create valid nutrition education tools to improve renal outcomes and delay the initiation of dialysis or increase longevity on dialysis. Jeanette’s current research interests focus on designing effective nutrition educational strategies while addressing the nutritional requirements of adults with certain chronic diseases.

Jason is an associate professor of Community Forestry. Jason’s work is broadly defined as human dimensions of natural resources with an applied focus on issues emerging across the urban to exurban gradient. Dr. Gordon’s teaching concerns urban and community natural resources management.

Dr. Tsai is a Professor and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar. As a plant biologist focused on trees, her research explores their longevity, gene family evolution, and functional diversification. Using diverse methods, including CRISPR and metabolomics, his work has industrial and ecological significance. She also trains visiting scholars in advanced technical techniques.

Dr. Baohong Zhang is a THCAS Distinguished Professor at East Carolina University. His research encompasses advanced plant transformation and genome editing technologies for improving crop yield and quality. He also investigates the toxicological impacts of environmental pollutants and develops biomarkers for health assessments. Additionally, Dr. Zhang explores epigenetics, particularly DNA methylation, and focuses on creating genetically modified organisms for biotechnology applications, including drug production and biofuels.

Dr. Lucie Guertault is an assistant professor at NC State University. She specializes in fluid mechanics and sediment transport. She holds an M.S. from the French National Institute (ENSEEIHT) and a Ph.D. from Claude Bernard University, Lyon, France. Her Ph.D. research focused on sediment transport in dam reservoirs. After a postdoctoral position at Oklahoma State University, Dr. Guertault joined NC State in 2017. Her current research explores nutrient transport in vegetative filter strips and sediment transport processes.

Dr. Paul Dawson is a professor at Clemson University. He completed his B.S. at Salisbury University, then worked at Perdue Farms. He earned a Master’s in Poultry Science from the University of Florida and a Ph.D. in Food Science from North Carolina State University. He joined Clemson in 1991, where he now coordinates the Graduate Program, teaches, and researches Food Safety and Quality.

Dr. Juan Carlos Melgar is an Associate Professor at Clemson University. He specializes in peach tree horticulture, focusing on nutrient and water management, soil health, and abiotic stress. With 20 years of experience in various climates, he aids growers and leads the USDA-funded FLORECE project, training students in agricultural sustainability. He has authored over 40 scientific papers and performed outreach in Haiti and Guatemala.

Kimberly Gwinn is a Professor in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her research focuses on plant-microorganism chemical interactions and developing biopesticides. She prepares underrepresented students for STEM careers and directs the Explore BiGG Data program to increase female participation in Bioinformatics and Genomics. She is also involved in a project translating agricultural concepts into a web-based game. She teaches graduate courses in Biopesticides and undergraduate courses in Medicines and Drugs from Plants and Microbes.

Georg Jander is a professor at the Boyce Thompson Institute, an independent plant research institute on the campus of Cornell University. His research is focused on investigating the genetic and biochemical mechanisms by which plants defend themselves against insect pests. Plants being investigated in the Jander lab include two important crops, maize and potatoes. Another current research interest is the biosynthesis of medically relevant compounds in milkweed and wallflowers.

Dr. Jaime Piñero is an extension professor in the university of UMASS. He has focused on mentoring the next generation of scientists. He co-leads a $730,000 grant with Elizabeth Garofalo to support the UMass REEU internship program. Additionally, he co-founded a student-led chapter of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS) with graduate student Mateo Rull-Garza, emphasizing his commitment to diversity and inclusion in agricultural sciences.

Tolani is a University of Rhode Island alumna with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. She teaches leadership and outreach at URI’s CELS department. She collaborates closely with the 4-H team and other extension programs, drawing on her postdoctoral fellowship experience at the Providence VA Medical Center to be a transformational educator. Tolani has been actively involved in mentoring youth for six years, and aims to cultivate resilient leaders in her community through her teaching and outreach efforts.

Dr. Ingrid Lofgren is a Professor and Department Chair of Nutrition at the University of Rhode Island. She earned her BS in Dietetics and PhD in Nutrition from the University of Connecticut and an MPH from the University of Massachusetts. Her research focuses on dietary factors that reduce cardiovascular disease risk and improve aging adults’ health. She also works on training students in science communication.

Julie Robinson is an Associate Professor and Leadership Specialist at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service. She focuses on leadership, employee development, program planning, and strategic planning. Julie directs the state-wide LeadAR leadership program and the Division of Agriculture’s internal leadership development program. She is certified in True Colors, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®), and Kirton’s Adaption Innovation.

Charles Fontanier is an Assistant Professor at Oklahoma State University, in the department of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture. He conducts applied physiology research investigating the umbrella theme of turf sustainability. Other research interests include water conservation, irrigation science, cultivar development, shade stress, interactions between multiple abiotic stresses, and sand-based rootzone management.

Audrey started working with the Rural Renewal Initiative in 2020 as Communications Coordinator and transitioned to Assistant Director in 2021. In 2022, Audrey began serving as an assistant professor of agricultural communications in the department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership and Digital Media State Extension Specialist. Audrey’s research interests include branding, rural community vitality, place-branding, internal communication, and the longevity of land-grant institutions.

Dr. Danhong Chen is an Associate Professor of Agribusiness in the School of Agricultural Sciences at Sam Houston State University. Dr. Chen’s research centers on food consumption, obesity, health disparities, and the scholarship of teaching. Her REEU program aims to cultivate future agriculture teachers or researchers in nutrition education and improve food security, reduce food waste, and decrease the risk of obesity for adolescents.

Dr. Cochran is an Assocaite Professor & Extension Specialist plant pathologist with a focus on specialty crops.  She is located in Uvalde, TX where she works for the Dept. of Plant Pathology & Microbiology as an Associate Professor & Extension Specialist.  She is the PI of the SCARLET program. Dr. Cochran conducts applied research on specialty crops and both soilborne and foliar pathogens.

Dr. Won Bo Shim is a Professor and Head of Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology at TAMU. He specializes in fungal pathogens and mycotoxicology, focusing on crop diseases and plant-pathogen interactions. He leads research on pathogen biology and innovative projects like plastic waste remediation. An active educator, Dr. Shim is passionate about experiential learning and was honored with the 2021 Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Award for Educational Enrichment and Innovation..

Janie McClurkin Moore, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in the biological and agricultural engineering department at Texas A&M University, where she leads the successful, externally funded, Post-Harvest Engineering and EDucation (PHEED) research program focused on post-harvest engineering needs of the food and agricultural industries. The group focuses on research related to the treatment of grains and oilseeds using novel treatment technologies such as Atmospheric Cold Plasma, while assessing technology adoption factors from stakeholders in the US and abroad.

Dr. Yuxia (Lucy) Huang is a Professor of Geographic Information Science (GIS) and Director of CBI’s GeoCommunityLab. She holds a M.S. in Computer Science from South China Normal University and a Ph.D. in Geography/Geographic Information Science (GIScience) from University at Buffalo, State University of New York. Her research interests focus on GIScience, spatial analysis and modeling, spatial data mining and machine learning, spatial epidemiology and public health, and webGIS.

Dr. Natasha L Mast is an Associate Professor in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Texas A&M University Kingsville. Dr. Mast is a ruminant nutritionist who directs research in forage utilization seeking methods for improving forage use with supplements, additives and various management strategies. She also has an interest in teaching and learning, particularly with relation to underserved populations. She has developed and implemented multiple programs in collaboration with other Hispanic Serving Institutions, that are aimed at preparing and sustaining the next generation of underserved students for productive careers in agriculture.

Dr. Naïma Moustaïd-Moussa is a Horn Distinguished Professor in Nutrition, Associate Vice President for Research and Director of the Obesity Research Institute at Texas Tech University. Her research focuses on diet-gene interactions in metabolic diseases. She serves as the PD for the USDA REEU Nutrition Bench to Community Engaged Scholars in Texas (Nutrition BEST) program in collaboration with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and the University of Tennessee Extension. 

Dr. Kariyat is an Associate Professor of Entomology at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. His lab studies plant defenses against insect herbivores and their impacts on herbivore growth. He teaches Insect Pest Management, Insect Behavior, and Chemical Ecology, and advises seven students from diverse backgrounds. Previously, he taught at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. He holds degrees from Kerala, India, University of Wyoming, and Penn State. His research is funded by USDA, NSF, and other agencies.

Dr. In-Kyoung Kang is a Professor of Animal Science at Cal Poly, with a Ph.D. from Texas A&M. With extensive experience in academia and industry, he has received numerous awards, including the 2020 New Scholar Award. Dr. Kang has published widely and serves on multiple editorial boards.

Melawhy Garcia is an Associate Professor in Health Science at California State University, Long Beach, and directs the Center for Latino Community Health. Her research focuses on health disparities in underserved populations, particularly cardiometabolic risks and diabetes in Hispanics/Latinos. She has secured funding for chronic disease and HIV/AIDS prevention, tobacco education, and student learning programs.

Barry Hibbs teaches groundwater hydrology at Cal-State LA since ’98, with expertise in arid basin hydrogeology, stream/aquifer interactions, and urban hydrology. He holds degrees from ASU, UNL, and UT Austin, and is recognized for his teaching and research. He mentors students through USDA, NSF, and DOE grants.

Julie is a Professor of Biology at Gonzaga University. Her research centers on restoration ecology and plant invasion biology, focusing on plant-fungi interactions. She investigates how fungi support plant establishment and explore ways to control invasive species. Her work spans various ecosystems, aiming to improve restoration through microbial tools.

Dr. Xiaoxue “Rita” is an assistant professor in the department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology at the University of Idaho. She holds a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, and an M.S. from the University of Idaho. Her research focuses on crop insurance, applied risk analysis, and international trade. She teaches courses on agricultural markets and international trade policy. Fluent in Mandarin, Dr. Du brings a global perspective to her work.