Dr. Francesco Acciai obtained his PhD in Sociology and Demography from Penn State and is now a Research Scholar in the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University. His research has mostly focused on the social dimensions of health; in particular, how health systematically differs across socioeconomic status, sex, as well as racial and ethnic groups. As part of the Food Policy and Environment Research Group (https://asufoodpolicy.org/), he has worked on several NIH-funded projects examining food policy, community and school food environment, in relation to children’s health behaviors and weight outcomes.

Dr. Tom Evans is a professor in the School of Geography, Development and Environment at the University of Arizona - his research focuses on social-ecological analysis, governance and food security with an emphasis on household-level decision-making and adaptation.

Dr. Anna Josephson, PhD is an assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Arizona. She is an applied economist, with research in areas of risk, economic development, food security, and agriculture. Her research explores the relationships between individuals and their risky environments and investigates how households and small firms make decisions to ensure survival under challenging conditions.

Punam Ohri-Vachaspati, PhD, RD, is a professor of nutrition at the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University, where she leads the ASU Food Environment and Policy research group. Her research, funded by the National Institutes of Health, the United States Department of Agriculture, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and local organizations, examines social determinants of health, specifically in low-income minority communities. She studies the impact of federal, state, and local policies in shaping environments in school settings and in communities. Her work assesses the influence of access to healthy food and opportunities for physical activity on health outcomes and associated behaviors. She teaches graduate-level courses and mentors students interested in exploring public health approaches for improving healthy food access, eating behaviors, and health outcomes.