Team
Meet Our Team Members & Collaborators
The Healthy Children, Healthy Communities research program is led by a multidisciplinary team that includes experts in early childhood nutrition and other fields, trained Extension professionals and collaborators from child care licensing, community organizations and academic institutions.
Leadership
Dipti Dev, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Betti and Richard Robinson Associate Professor, Child, Youth and Family Studies
Specialist in Child Health Behaviors, Nebraska Extension
Carly Applegarth, MS, RD, LMNT
Extension Educator
Food, Nutrition and Health
Nebraska Extension
Rayni Thomas, Ph.D.
Project Manager
Healthy Children, Healthy Communities
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Statewide Collaborators
David A. Dzewaltowski, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Health Promotions
Professor, Buffett Early Childhood Institute
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Lisa Franzen-Castle, Ph.D., RD
Professor, Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences
Extension Nutrition Specialist
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Holly Hatton, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Child, Youth and Family Studies
Early Childhood Extension Specialist
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Lisa Knoche, Ph.D.
Director, NAECR
Co-Director & Research Professor, CYFS
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Anne Rogers, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Health Promotion
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Paula Thompson, Ed.D.
Associate Professor, Teacher Education
University of Nebraska at Kearney
Lorey Wheeler, Ph.D.
Director, MAP Academy
Research Professor, CYFS
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Changmin Yan, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Advertising & Public Relations
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Student Collaborators
Rachel Nicole Augustine
Graduate Research Assistant
Aya Abu Alrub
Graduate Research Assistant
Rebecca Blay
Graduate Research Assistant
Ashna Chauhan
Graduate Research Assistant
Stephanie Diaz
Graduate Research Assistant
Roopan Miriam George
Graduate Research Assistant
Rikhil Jasti
Summer Intern
Charlene Pereira
Graduate Research Assistant
Rhea Poda
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Tirna Purkait
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Nebraska Extension Partners
Community Partners
Lauri Cimino
Director
Step Up to Quality and QRIS, Nebraska
Alexandra Dillon
Early Learning Connection Coordinator
Nebraska Department of Education
Erika Fink
Early Learning Connection Coordinator
Nebraska Department of Education
Jennifer Haggart
Early Learning Connection Coordinator
Nebraska Department of Education
Brandee Lengel
Vice President of Quality Child Care Partnership
NECC
Angel Mayberry
Early Learning Connection Coordinator
Nebraska Department of Education
Dee Mueller
Early Childhood Coach
Step Up to Quality
Nora Robinson
Early Learning Connection Coordinator
Nebraska Department of Education
Cheryl Roche
Early Learning Connection Coordinator
Nebraska Department of Education
Cara Small
Early Learning Connection Coordinator
Nebraska Department of Education
Lisa Smith
Director
Child and Adult Care Food Program, Nebraska
Carrie Sullivan
Executive Director
Provider’s Network Inc
National & International Partners
Benjamin Bayly, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Penn State Better Kid Care
Luisa Barros, Ph.D.
Professor
University of Lisbon, Portugal
Jocelyn Dixon, MS, MPH, RDN, LDN
Assistant Director, Food-based Early Education Lab
North Carolina State University
Ana Isabel Fernandes Gomes, Ph.D.
Invited Assistant Professor
University of Lisbon, Portugal
Saima Hasin, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Corby Martin, Ph.D., FTOS
Professor
Louisiana State University
Cara Ruggiero, Ph.D., MS, RD, LDN
Research Associate
University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, England
Madeline Sigman-Grant, Ph.D.
Emeritus Professor
University of Nevada
Susan Sisson, Ph.D., RDN, CHES, FACSM
Associate Professor
University of Oklahoma
Virginia Stage, Ph.D., RDN
Associate Professor
North Carolina State University
Alison Tovar, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Brown University