People

Postdoctoral Scholar

Lauren Broyles (lmt56@psu.edu)

Lauren Broyles is a postdoctoral scholar with the Population Research Institute (PRI) funded by a T-32 training grant with NICHD on Social Environments and Population Health, working primarily with Dr. Rosinger and the Water, Health, and Nutrition Lab. In her role with PRI, Lauren investigates the effects of climate variables on household water resources and associated social and health outcomes. Lauren graduated in August 2023 from Penn State with a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering and a focus on water resources. During her time as a doctoral student, Lauren studied the effects of environmental seasonality and extreme weather events on household water insecurity, with a particular focus on monsoon seasonality in Bangladesh. Lauren also studied at Purdue University, where she earned her M.S. in Civil Engineering in 2015 and B.S. in Agriculture Engineering in 2013. In addition to academic pursuits, Lauren has worked with various Kenyan NGOs to help develop clean drinking water initiatives among rural pastoralist communities in Western Kenya.

Kedir Teji Roba (kxr5611@psu.edu)

Kedir Teji Roba is a postdoctoral scholar at the Water, Health, and Nutrition Laboratory, funded by Penn State University. He works primarily under the guidance of Dr. Asher Rosinger. In his role, Kedir manages a large database for the longitudinal study on the Daasanach community in Kenya, where he investigates the effects of climate variables, food insecurity, and water insecurity on health outcomes. In addition to data management, he is also involved in fieldwork data collection and supervision. Furthermore, he supports undergraduate students working with the dataset.

Kedir earned his Ph.D. in Public Health Nutrition, focusing on maternal and child health and nutrition, from University College Cork (UCC). During his doctoral studies, he examined the impacts of household food insecurity and maternal nutrition on child health, with particular attention to seasonal variation and agroecological zones in the eastern and northern parts of Ethiopia.

He also holds an MPH in Epidemiology, a BSc in Nursing, and a Diploma in Public Health Nursing from Haramaya University. Additionally, Kedir earned a diploma in Management from Alpha University.

Beyond his academic work, Kedir has held various government positions, including serving as an advisor for food and nutrition systems to the Oromia Regional President, and as a member of the National Food and Nutrition Research Monitoring and Steering Committee at the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI). He has also worked with and advised international NGOs. Furthermore, Kedir has been awarded multiple grants as both Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-PI for research related to food, nutrition, health, and air pollution, from organizations such as European Horizon, Wellcome Trust, WFP, USAID, Nutrition International, and the Gates Foundation.

Alfredo Rojas (ajr8028@psu.edu)

Alfredo is a postdoctoral scholar in the Water, Health, and Nutrition Lab working with Dr. Rosinger on the NIEHS-funded Daasanach Human Biology Project (R01ES035402). His research examines how climate change influences human health outcomes. Before coming to Penn State, he was a postdoctoral trainee at the Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill funded by a T-32 training grant. Alfredo graduated from UNC-Chapel with a PhD in Anthropology. His graduate research focused on agricultural change and household labor in Ivory Coast, West Africa. Before studying anthropology, Alfredo obtained his B.A. in religion from Florida State University and a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School.

Graduate Students

Leslie Ford (lbf5170@psu.edu)

Leslie Ford joins the Water, Health, and Nutrition Lab as a PhD student in the department of Biobehavioral Health. Leslie has a background in public health and water management with an MPH in Environmental Health from Western Kentucky University and an MSc in Water Management from UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education in Delft the Netherlands. Leslie’s research interests focus on the relationship between water and health looking primarily at how environmental and social factors influence water distributions and water procuring behaviors in marginalized and underrepresented communities.

Undergraduate Research Assistants

Lilly Garrison (lgg5189@psu.edu) 

Lilly is a junior majoring in Biobehavioral Health with minors in Biology and Diversity and Inclusion in Health and Human Development. In the lab, she is interested in how social relationships influence water access across rural and urban areas. Outside of the lab, she is involved in Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED), Pre-PA club, HealthWorks, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and is an undergraduate teaching intern. After graduating, she hopes to attend physician assistant school.

Nabelle Keita (nqk5471@psu.edu) 

Nabelle is a sophomore majoring in Biobehavioral Health. In the lab, she is passionate about exploring health disparities driven by climate change, particularly how water insecurity affects women’s health. Outside of the lab, she is involved in the HHD Honor Society, the Fashion Society of Penn State, and Schreyer’s for Women. Nabelle aspires to pursue a minor in Global Health, continue on to earn a master’s degree in public health, and ultimately achieve a Ph.D. in Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

Natalie Kitts (nck5152@psu.edu)

Natalie is a senior majoring in Community, Environment, & Development with a minor in Sustainability Leadership and a certificate in International Studies. Her interests in the lab include the intersection of drinking water quality and human health outcomes. Outside of the lab, she is involved in UPUA, CED club, and Book Club. For future plans, she hopes to pursue an MPH in Environmental Health and a master's in environmental science.

Kiera Papa (kap6347@psu.edu) 

Kiera is a senior studying Biobehavioral Health with minors in Human Development and Family Studies and Biology. In the lab, she is interested in how climatic events like drought affect child health. She is currently working on her honors thesis to study how malnutrition in children may be associated with increased disease risk and worsened health perception. Outside of the lab, she is involved in Camp Kesem, HHD Ambassadors, and Schreyer Medical Team. After Penn State, she hopes to attend medical school with plans on becoming a pediatrician. 

Rachel Schmidt (rjs7411@psu.edu) 

Rachel is a sophomore studying Biobehavioral Health and on the Pre-Med track. In the lab, she is interested in how mental health factors, such as stress, anxiety, and depression are affected by people’s level of water insecurity. Outside of the lab she is involved in Penn State Global Medical Brigades, Phi Sigma Sigma, and THON.  In the future she hopes to pursue an MD and plans on becoming a pediatric psychiatrist.

Kyla Spence (kqs6268@psu.edu)

Kyla is a second-year Biobehavioral Health major with a keen interest in the connections between waterborne diseases and the impacts of malnutrition. Outside the lab, she is actively involved in Project PAWS and enjoys taking part in campus events. In her free time, she loves snowboarding and studying with friends. Kyla aspires to join Penn State’s integrated undergraduate/graduate program and earn her master’s degree in public health.

Ava Utain (apu5084@psu.edu) 

Ava is a junior majoring in Biobehavioral Health with a minor in Biology. In the lab, her interests center on maternal and neonatal health, particularly the impacts of drought. Outside of the lab, Ava works at University Health Services and is actively involved in several organizations, including Pre-Physician Assistant Club, the Biobehavioral Health Society, and Gamma Phi Beta. After graduation, she plans to pursue an Accelerated Nursing program and ultimately practice as a Nurse Practitioner.

Rebecca Wofsy (rmw6083@psu.edu) 

Rebecca is a sophomore majoring in Biobehavioral Health. In the lab, she is specifically interested in the correlation between lead contamination in public school water systems and its impact on neurodevelopment and academic achievement. Outside the lab, she is an active member of Phi Sigma Sigma, works as an Emergency Medical Technician, serves as a Teaching Assistant for the Anatomy and Physiology Lab, and participates in THON. After graduating from Penn State, Rebecca plans to attend medical school and pursue a career as a Gastroenterologist.

Lab Alums

• Dr. Hilary Bethancourt

• Kaitlyn Barnhart

• Sara Caldana

• Siddhi Deshpande

• Zoe Farrar

• Tate Hamilton

• Jason John

• Alysha Kelyman

• Robert Kerner

• Celine Latona

• Erica Morse

• Carey Musumeci

• Zee Nguyen

• Alexandra Tingley

• Maddie Todd