BIOGRAPHIES

Victoria H. Jennings, Ph.D
Director, Principal Investigator of the Fertility Awareness-Based Methods (FAM) Project, and Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Georgetown University Medical Center
Dr. Jennings, an anthropologist whose academic interests focus on health behavior and culture change, has 25 years experience in the international family planning and reproductive health field. She is a recognized leader in fertility awareness as well as in research, capacity building, and scaling up health interventions.  She is responsible for overall direction of the Institute and serves on numerous boards and task forces on international health issues.
jenningv@georgetown.edu

Rebecka I. Lundgren, MPH
Deputy Director, Director of Operations and Behavioral Research, Research Instructor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Georgetown University Medical Center
Ms. Lundgren joined the Institute in 1997. She has worked for over 20 years in program implementation, research and evaluation, 12 of which were served in Latin America. During this time she worked in the area of youth, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS and child survival. Her current research focuses on expanding contraceptive choice by integrating FAM into family planning services. Ms. Lundgren has a particular interest in diffusion of innovation and scale up, addressing couple issues and engaging men in reproductive health and family planning. She received an MPH from UCLA's School of Public Health in the Department of Population and Family Health in 1987. She is currently working on a doctorate in applied anthropology at the University of Maryland.
lundgrer@georgetown.edu

Susan M. Igras, MPH
Director of Field Programs, Research Instructor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Georgetown University Medical Center
Ms. Igras has a unique mix of research-to-practice health programming and results-oriented management expertise. With over 20 years experience in international health, Ms. Igras has extensive overseas experience, having lived and worked for over 17 years in Africa, the Caribbean and Asia. Her technical skills include program evaluation, operations research, strategic planning and use of participatory approaches in developing and evaluating community-centered reproductive health interventions. Her particular interests are understanding social determinants of family planning us and translating these concepts into practice. Ms. Igras is currently responsible for overseeing, supporting and contributing to the evaluation of field programs as they move from research to scaling up the integration of FAM into national family planning programs. She is also responsible for helping develop IRH's youth-focused programs that integrate body literacy, gender and fertility awareness concepts.
smi6@georgetown.edu

Franccesca Cesti-Browne, MPA
Director of Finance and Operations
Ms. Cesti-Browne has seven years of experience in finance, operations and contract management. She also has five years of experience in program management, grant writing and development.  Ms. Cesti-Browne holds a Master’s in Public Administration from Florida International University.  As the Director of Finance and Operations, she manages the Institute's annual budget and provides leadership and strategic management to all administrative, financial and operational functions of IRH.
fc451@georgetown.edu

Jeannette A. Cachan, MA
Director of Training and IEC, Research Instructor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Georgetown University Medical Center

Ms. Cachan is a Research Instructor and Director of Training at the Georgetown Institute for Reproductive Health (IRH) with 20 years of experience working in family planning programs. As an instructional designer and trainer, she is responsible for developing, testing and evaluating training curricula for fertility awareness methods of family planning. At IRH she has developed and implemented training strategies for youth and HIV/AIDS. Ms. Cachan also oversees the development and production of communication and educational materials at the Institute.She is a native Spanish speaker.
cachanj@georgetown.edu

Irit Sinai, Ph.D
Senior Research Officer, Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Georgetown University Medical Center
Dr. Sinai adds her expertise in research design and data analysis to a number of the Institute's research projects. She is involved in all stages of study development and implementation, including study design, tool development, data collection and management, data analysis, and dissemination of study results through professional publications and presentations. She is leading the Institute's monitoring and evaluation team and publication team, and is the Institute's data manager.
sinaii@georgetown.edu

Melissa Adams, MPH
Program Officer for Research
Ms. Adams holds a MPH from Emory University in Behavioral Sciences and Health Education and has nine years of research and programmatic experience in HIV prevention, gender‐based violence (GBV), and gender mainstreaming with a focus on participatory methodologies. As a Program Officer at IRH, Ms. Adams leads the Gender and Youth team and supports several research initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa including the GREAT Project in Uganda and the Terikunda Jekulu project in Mali.
mka46@georgetown.edu  

Susana Mendoza Birdsong, MA
Program Officer for IEC and Special Initiatives
Ms. Birdsong has 3 years of experience working with information, education and communication initiatives at IRH. As Program Officer, she supports IEC activities and the development of materials in IRH's focus countries and she responds to requests from non-focus countries. She also supports Capacity Building and Knowledge Management efforts and several country programs in the HIV/AIDS prevention project. Ms. Birdsong holds a Master's degree in Latin American Studies from Georgetown University and speaks French and Spanish.
smm56@georgetown.edu

Heather Buesseler, MPH
Program Officer for Research

Ms. Buesseler has over 7 years programmatic and research experience in the areas of family planning, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, and health systems strengthening, with a particular focus on sub-Saharan Africa and immigrant/refugee populations in the US. As a Program Officer at IRH, she provides research support to the Terikunda Jekulu project in Mali and the TwoDay Method community study in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Ms. Buesseler holds an MPH from the University of Washington School of Public Health in Social and Behavioral Sciences, and speaks French.
heatherb.irh@gmail.com

Nana Dagadu, MPH
Program Officer for Monitoring and Evaluation
Nana Dagadu obtained an MPH with a concentration in Reproductive Health and International Health and Development from Tulane University and has over five years experience in international health and development programming and research in the US and in Africa. As Program Officer for IRH, Nana is responsible for supporting M&E, research, and technical assistance efforts and as well as contributing to the dissemination of research results and the promotion of IRH initiatives. She has worked on a range of issues from sexual and reproductive health and HIV/AIDS, to emergency relief and assistance. Nana speaks French, Ga, Twi, and German.
nana.dagadu.irh@gmail.com

Meredith Puleio, MBA
Program Officer for Global Leadership
Ms. Puleio has over 6 years experience in global health. As Program Officer, she is responsible for developing and implementing IRH's communications strategy, which includes supporting field programs with their communications and advocacy efforts. Ms. Puleio is leading IRH's mHealth initiative, and is responsible for further exploring direct-to-consumer approaches for providing FAM. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in International Affairs with concentrations in Global Health and Latin America from The George Washington University, and an MBA from Georgetown University.
mp447@georgetown.edu

Elizabeth Salazar, MA
Program Officer
Ms. Salazar has 5 years of experience working in community health programs, both domestically and in Latin America. As Program Officer, Ms. Salazar provides program and technical support to family planning programs in Latin America, which includes guiding the scale-up of FAM. She also supports country programs within the Institute's HIV/AIDS prevention and youth projects. Previously, she has worked on domestic community health education programs. Ms. Salazar is fluent in Spanish and holds a Master's degree in International Affairs, with a concentration in International Development, from American University.
es336@georgetown.edu

Valerie Mahar, BA
Program Assistant for Research
Valerie Mahar holds a Bachelor's degree in International Studies with a focus in International Development from American University.  She has research and program experience in South Asia and has worked on projects that provide health education to underserved youth. Currently, Ms. Mahar provides programmatic and administrative support to the India country team and their FAM initiatives. She also provides backstop support to IRH's research team and the GREAT Uganda Project.
vjm27@georgetown.edu

Jennifer Keuler, BS
Program Assistant for Africa
Ms. Keuler holds a Bachelor's degree in International Politics with a focus in International Development from Georgetown University. She has program experience in both West and Southern Africa, and spent a year in Senegal working for an organization that provides health education for women and youth in rural communities. Currently, Ms. Keuler provides programmatic and administrative support to the Africa country teams and their FAM initiatives, as well as the Terikunda Jekulu program in Mali.
jk438@georgetown.edu

Mina Remole, BA
Program Assistant for Operations
Mina Remole earned a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies with a concentration in Globalization from Johns Hopkins University. As Program Assistant for Operations, Mina serves on the Operations and Knowledge Management teams and is responsible for providing support for contractual agreements, project management, and information technology. She is also responsible for providing administrative support to the Senior Management Team. Mina speaks French, and is learning Arabic.
mina.remole.irh@gmail.com

Sophie H. Savage, BA
Program Assistant for Communications and Capacity Building
Sophie Savage received a Bachelor's degree in Communications and International Development from Houghton College. At IRH, Sophie is responsible for providing support to both the Communications and Capacity Building teams, as well as communications support to the GREAT Project and Terikunda Jekulu Project in Uganda and Mali, respectively. Sophie came to IRH with communications and program experience from her time with Christian Connections for International Health (CCIH) in D.C. and Food for the Hungry, where she worked on health projects in N. Uganda IDP camps and agricultural projects in Rwanda.
SS3222@georgetown.edu

Danielle McCadden
Program Assistant for Operations
Danielle earned a Bachelor's degree in History, with concentrations in African and European History, from Georgetown University. She has substantial experience in international program administration.  She served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Namibia for two years, working as an Upper Primary Teacher in a rural school where she established the school's first library and was involved with the Peace Corps HIV/AIDS Committee.  Danielle is responsible for providing programmatic support to IRH technical teams and administrative support to the IRH Operations team.
dtm6@georgetown.edu

Lauren VanEnk, MPH
Program Officer
Ms. Van Enk holds a Master's degree in Global Public Health from George Washington University. Her past experiences involve research in reproductive health and HIV/AIDS with BRAC University in Bangladesh, advocacy in global maternal health, and nutrition education. Currently, she supports communications initiatives at IRH, with a focus on disseminating research and program results. Ms. VanEnk also backstops Global Leadership and LAM activities at IRH.
lev9@georgetown.edu

Magaly Penuela-Alonzo
Administrative Officer
Ms. Penuela-Alonzo has more than 20 years of administrative experience working in family planning programs. As Administrative Officer, she is responsible for the overall administration of the Institute's contractual, personnel, logistics and travel matters. She liaises with Georgetown University's Office of Sponsored Research and the Human Resources department to ensure compliance with Georgetown's regulations and policies. In addition to managing staff participation in conferences, she represents the Institute at domestic and international conferences and exhibits. Ms. Penuela-Alonzo is fluent in Spanish.
penuelam@georgetown.edu

Penny Reyes Mendoza, BSC
Financial Officer
Ms. Mendoza has 15 years of experience managing the financial and contractual activities of the Institute. She is experienced in handling the general ledger and accounts for financial and external audit purposes. Prior to immigrating to the United States, Ms. Mendoza was a licensed CPA working for an accounting firm in the Philippines, examining financial statements of both profit and not-for-profit organizations.
mendozap@georgetown.edu

Mercedes Valldeperas, BS
IT Specialist and Research Assistant
Ms. Valldeperas has over 16 years of experience in computer science. She designs and analyzes software applications and multi-relational databases for research in addition to managing study field data. She serves as the Institute liaison with Georgetown University's Information Systems as well as provides direct IT support to Institute staff. She also oversees the maintenance of all organizational systems and databases.
mms43@georgetown.edu

Elizabeth N. Kilwake
Officer Assistant
Ms. Kilwake has over 12 years of experience with office and staff assistance. She collaborates with all staff to ensure efficient daily functioning of the office. While her primary responsibilities are administrative, she also supports the Capacity Building and IEC teams with training and technical assistance. She received her AA degree in Early Childhood Education from Montgomery College.
ek53@georgetown.edu

Andronica Lewis, BA
Financial Assistant
Andronica earned her Bachelors degree in Psychology with an emphasis in Industrial Organization from Spelman College. Her Alma Mater encouraged her to consistently participate in the advancement of global awareness of women's issues. She has several years of Finance and Accounts Receivables experience. At IRH, Andronica provides support to the Operations team with financial reports, contracts and administrative tasks.
alewis.irh@gmail.com

Karina Arriaza, MPH
Country Representative, Guatemala
Karina Arriaza has worked in Public Health since 1998. Her work has focused on Maternal and Child Health, Reproductive Health and STIs, and HIV/AIDS within the national health system, civil society and cooperating agencies. Her experience lies in the design and implementation of public health strategies, specifically promotional activities, IEC and BCC. Ms. Arriaza has worked at the Guatemalan Ministry of Health, the National HIV/AIDS Program and USAID/Calidad en Salud.
irh.guatemala@gmail.com

Arsene Binanga, MD
Country Representative, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
Dr. Binanga is a medical doctor with over 8 years of experience working with reproductive health, STD, and HIV/AIDS programs in the DRC. Before becoming the Country Representative for IRH/DRC, Dr. Binanga worked as a HIV/AIDS program officer for Christian Aid and was the director of 3 "C", a HIV/AIDS project at the University of Kinshasa. Dr. Binanga is fluent in French, Swahili, Lingala and English.
binanga_arsene@yahoo.fr

Priya Jha, MA
Country Representative, India
Ms. Jha has over 13 years of experience working in family planning and reproductive health. She has worked with UNFPA and the Government of India's Ministry of Family Welfare in the design and implementation of public-private partnerships models that involve the private sector and NGOs into health service delivery for increasing access to and availability of quality services. In addition, she has worked with leading national and international organizations, including WHO, Marie Stopes International and PLAN International. As Country Representative, she is responsible for providing technical assistance and oversight to research and service delivery activities related to the introduction of SDM in government and private sector programs. Ms. Jha has a Master's in Social Work.
pjha@irh.in

Marie Mukabatsinda, RN, BSN
Country Representative, Rwanda

Ms. Mukabatsinda, Country Representative for the FAM Project in Rwanda, is a nurse by training. She holds Bachelors degrees in Public Health and Education Sciences, with specialization in health promotion. She is currently a candidate for a Master's degree in public health. Ms. Mukabatsinda has over seven years experience with increasing responsibilities in social marketing management in her different positions being marketing and communications managers. Prior to working in social marketing, Ms. Mukabatsinda has supervised numerous family planning and HIV/AIDS studies in Rwanda with a particular focus on information, education, and communication.
awarenessrda@rwanda1.com

Sékou Traoré, MD
Technical Coordinator, Mali
Dr. Sekou Traore has more than 15 years experience in community health programming including reproductive health, child survival, primary health care,  training, and M&E at the district, regional and national level in Mali.  He has worked closely with NGO partners, Ministry of Health personal, and Community Based Organizations (including many women's groups) to promote reproductive health and family planning activities. He has also been involved in quality of care and behaviour change communication programming at the community level.  He speaks fluent French and Bambara as well as proficient English.
sekoutraore57@yahoo.fr

CONSULTANT BIOS

Kimberly Aumack Yee
Ms. Aumack Yee has 25 years of experience making fertility awareness information and family planning more available to people worldwide. Working with the Institute in the USA, Latin America and Africa her areas of expertise include reproductive health training, operations research, curriculum and educational materials development and testing, and the design and evaluation of programs. A former Institute staff member and former department director of a large health management organization, she is now an independent consultant providing strategic planning and technical assistance to research and service delivery projects including those funded by USAID, NIH, DHHS, and other sources. Ms Aumack Yee is fluent in Spanish and has current bilingual California state teaching credentials for multiple and single-subject instruction. She also writes training manuals, reports and articles for publication.
kaumackyee@acninc.net

Katherine Lavoie Cain, MPH
Kathine Lavoie Cain has over 10 years of experience in public health research and programs. She was a staff member at IRH for over 5 years, providing programmatic and technical support to IRH's India program and managing a portfolio of domestic and international research projects. She is currently working as an independent consultant based in New Orleans and continues to provide support to a range of IRH initiatives. In addition to reproductive health, Katie has a strong interest in nutrition and is the founder of the vegetarian cooking website BistroKatie.com.
katherine.lavoie@gmail.com

Anne Wilson, MSN
Anne Wilson has extensive technical and leadership experience in the areas of global and women’s health. Most recently, she served as Director of the Capacity Project, IntraHealth International, a $250 million global cooperative agreement focusing on human resources for health and health systems strengthening; Vice President and Director of the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH); Director of Education and Training for Advances in Health Technology; and Senior Advisor to USAID in the Center for Population, Health and Nutrition. She has participated in a number of interagency working groups focusing on adolescent and women’s health issues as well as faith-based working groups. With IRH, Anne supports a number of faith-based partnerships and offers technical assistance on health systems strengthening strategies. She received her BA degree in anthropology and literature from the University of Pennsylvania and her MS degree in women’s health issues from the Catholic University of America.
wilsanne@gmail.com