Meet the Team

Principal Investigators

Principal Investigator

Zach Conrad, PhD, MPH

Zach Conrad is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Sciences at William & Mary, and a Faculty Affiliate at the Global Research Institute. His research combines methods from data science, nutritional epidemiology, and food systems science to examine the complex interactions between diet quality, environmental sustainability, and affordability. Specifically, his research focuses on how population-level dietary changes affect cardiometabolic disease, greenhouse gas emissions, natural resource use, sustainable food production, and diet cost. He is the primary investigator for several research projects that address these issues at the local, regional, and national levels. Click here to go to his personal webpage.

Co-Principal Investigator

Troy Wiipongwii, PhD, MPP

Troy Wiipongwii is the Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Conservation at the Institute for Integrative Conservation at William & Mary. His research focuses on decentralized technologies, Web3.0, machine learning, Indigenous food systems, sustainable hospitality, and tourism. He explores the impact of "Web 3.0" technologies on food systems and the politics influencing them, with a focus on designing software to support data sovereignty, sustainable food practices, and Indigenous rights. Troy was recognized by Virginia Business as one of the top 100 people to meet in 2023.

Co-Investigator

Matthias Leu, PhD

Matthias Leu is a Professor and Chair of the Biology Department at William & Mary. He is a conservation biologist with a broad interest in how human actions coupled with variability in weather influence ecological processes, biodiversity, species distributions, and population dynamics. His research investigates how land-cover change and annual fluctuations in temperature and precipitation relate to the distribution of birds, pond-breeding frogs, butterflies, and tick-borne diseases. Recently, they focused on new research investigating how human actions and variability in weather relate to the movement ecology of frogs and birds. Click here to go to his personal webpage.

Indigenous Advisory Council

Juan Boston, MS

Eastern Cherokee, born and raised in Baltimore, MD. Currently resides in Sykesville, MD with lifetime partner Debbie Swanson, has three children and three grandchildren. Juan has a BS in Biology, Loyola College Baltimore, 1980 and a MS in Environmental Engineering, Univ. of MD, 1987. Juan worked as an environmental engineer for the US Dept. of Defense from 1987-2004. In 1997, he founded and currently runs B.S. Environmental Inc., a full-service environmental remediation firm dedicated to preserving the indigenous lands of North America. Since 2001, Juan has served as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Baltimore American Indian Center, which is the community hub for the regional Native population.

Jessica Phillips, BS

Jessica “Sokanon” Phillips is a citizen of the Eastern Chickahominy Tribe located in New Kent County, Virginia. She works as the Tribal government's Environmental Director and has been in her position since 2020 when the department was first implemented, shortly after the Tribe’s federal recognition. She has her bachelor's in environmental policy and management and is a Virginia Natural Resources Leadership Institute alumnus. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the EPA Region 3 Regional Tribal Operations Committee (RTOC) and is an EPA Region 3 representative for the National Tribal Caucus. She also represents the Eastern Chickahominy Tribe as a member of the Virginia Code of Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of Virginia Tribes. She is an active member of the National Association of Wetland Managers and the Lower Chickahominy Watershed Project collaborative. She is passionate about the health of the Earth’s natural resources with a focus on conservation and ecosystem restoration. She is a mother of 6, an herbalist, avid reader and artist, and enjoys spending time among the trees.

Other Members

Tomalita Peterson
Beth Roach
Tommy Topponce

Research Associates, Assistants, and Program Managers

Research Assistant

Catherine Brady, BS

Catherine graduated from William & Mary with a double major in Kinesiology (with a concentration in Public Health) and Public Policy. She is currently working in environmental public health consulting for the EPA in DC and is hoping to continue to pursue a career (and potentially a master’s degree) in public health.

Research Assistant

Ashley Cyril, BS

Ashley is a newly graduated cardiac surgery nurse at Johns Hopkins Hospital, with an undergraduate background in nutrition research focused on how food choices impact both health and the environment. This interdisciplinary approach informs her nursing practice and emphasizes the vital connection between nutrition and well-being. She is committed to advancing holistic health by continually exploring the latest research in nutrition and environmental science. My goal is to promote healthier lifestyles and sustainable practices within nursing care.

Research Assistant

Chloe Distaso

Chloe is a senior double majoring in Integrative Conservation and Environmental Science & Policy. Her research focuses on environmental database management and Indigenous food systems. She is a Geographic Information System (GIS) assistant at William and Mary's Institute for Integrative Conservation and has had several additional laboratory assistant roles with other research teams. She is also involved with Citizens’ Climate Lobby environmental group on campus.

Research Assistant

Brenna Keam

Brenna is a senior on the pre-medical track, majoring in Neuroscience and minoring in Public Health. She joined the lab in the fall of 2024 as part of the Indigenous Food Systems (IFS) project. On campus, she is a member of a social sorority and serves as a peer advisor. Brenna hopes to combine her interests in public health, nutrition, and clinical medicine in her future career.

Research Assistant

Bryan Kim

Bryan is a senior, majoring in Kinesiology & Health Sciences with a concentration in Public Health. He joined the lab in fall 2024, conducting research as part of the Indigenous Food Sovereignty (IFS) project. Outside of research, he takes an active role in nonprofit initiatives as an executive member of FIND, Inc. and the Korea Zero Foundation. After graduating, Bryan will pursue a career in healthcare consulting, where he plans to utilize insights on public health, sustainability, and policy from his research experience.

Research Assistant

Dakota Kinsel

Dakota is a junior on the pre-medical track, majoring in Chemistry and minoring in Music. She joined the lab in fall 2024, working on the Indigenous Food Systems (IFS) project. Outside of research, Dakota is a member of the William & Mary Symphony Orchestra, Gallery Players Chamber Orchestra, and serves as President of the American Indian Student Association at William & Mary.

Software Developer

Erin LaVaux Quarles

Erin LaVaux Quarles is a multifaceted leader, entrepreneur, and advocate for sustainability and cultural empowerment. With over 15 years of experience in cybersecurity, information technology, and executive leadership, Erin has

established herself as a driving force for innovation and positive change. She is particularly skilled at integrating sustainable and secure practices into technology solutions while championing the inclusion of underrepresented

communities. As the founder of UnifyLife.org and a leader of TNW Creations™ and Tawaci™ Media, Erin leverages her deep understanding of technology and cultural nuances to create impactful solutions. She has developed educational resources and curricula to bridge cultural and technological gaps and frequently speaks on topics related to sustainability,

leadership, and cybersecurity.

Research Assistant

Sarah Lozina

Sarah is a junior Monroe Scholar majoring in Neuroscience and Data Science. On campus, she is involved in neurological research, Tribe Innovation, her social sorority, and Best Buddies. With an interest in exploring the intersections of neuroscience, data science, and public health, she aims to pursue research opportunities in these areas.

Associate Program Manager

Andie Meddaugh, BS

Andie graduated from the University of Rochester in 2021 with a Bachelor's of Science in Brain and Cognitive Sciences and dual minors in Psychology and Bioethics. She brings a wealth of prior experience in science and administrative management.

Research Associate

Sarah Rowe, BS

Sarah graduated from William & Mary in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and psychology. Sarah Rowe joined Dr. Conrad’s lab in 2022 as a Glauber Fellow, working on projects that investigated health outcomes and nutrient intake among people in the United States who consume popular diets. She led the development of a manuscript for one facet of this research, which evaluated the effects of modeled dietary substitutions on intake of different food groups. After that work wrapped up, she joined the Indigenous Food Systems (IFS) project, where she has been leading on a narrative review of food production initiatives that promote IFS in the US.

Research Assistant

Rhea Sarang, BS

Rhea graduated from W&M in Winter 2023 with a bachelor’s in Neuroscience and a minor in Public Health. She joined the IFS lab as a junior in Fall 2022, working with the team to research Indigenous food systems through tracing supply chain networks among Indigenous owned food businesses in USA and Canada. As an aspiring pre-med, Rhea combined her passion for service with her sense of spirited inquiry through her work both inside and outside the classroom. She currently works as a certified clinical medical assistant at a large family medicine practice.

Research Associate

Wayne Wu, MS

Songze (Wayne) is a recent graduate from William & Mary’s Computational Operations Research (COR) master’s program, specializing in both operations research and data analysis. He is currently applying his data expertise to refine the Foodprint 2.0 biophysical model.

Research Associate

Eli Fulcher, BS

While Eli Fulcher was at William & Mary, he studied Environmental Science and GIS with an interest in how spatial data can be used to model ecological processes. He is now at Ducks Unlimited working on updating the National Wetlands Inventory and learning how his skills can be used to influence local and national policy.

Other Collaborators

Dominic Fornatora, BS
Sophie Pittaluga, BS
Erin Robbins, BS

Meet the Team

Principal Investigators

Zach Conrad, PhD, MPH

Troy Wiipongwii, PhD, MPP

Matthias Leu, PhD

Indigenous Advisory Council

Juan Boston, MS

Jessica Phillips, BS

Other Members

Tomalita Peterson

Beth Roach

Tommy Topponce

Research Associates, Assistants, and Program Managers

Catherine Brady, BS

Ashley Cyril, BS

​Chloe Distaso

Brenna Keam

Bryan Kim

Dakota Kinsel

Erin LaVaux Quarles

Sarah Lozina

Andie Meddaugh, BS

Sarah Rowe, BS

Rhea Sarang, BS

Wayne Wu, MS

Eli Fulcher, BS

Other Collaborators

Dominic Fornatora, BS

Sophie Pittaluga, BS

Erin Robbins, BS

Chloe Distaso