STAFF 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 an 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

Jeannette A. Cachan, MA
Director of Training and IEC, Research Instructor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Georgetown University Medical Center
Ms. Cachan has 18 years of experience working in family planning and reproductive health. As an instructional designer and trainer, she is responsible for the development of FAM and HIV/AIDS-related training curricula, using traditional and computer-based instructional approaches. She is skilled in the design and delivery of training in basic facilitation, team building and group dynamics for managers and trainers. At IRH, Ms. Cachan has led the development and production of communication and educational materials and used a variety of research methodologies to evaluate their comprehension, usability and acceptability. She provides technical assistance to USAID collaborating agencies and partners to help build local capacity on FAM methods training and supervision. Recently, she supported an HIV/AIDS initiative in Central America through the development of user-friendly job aids and a comprehensive strategy to strengthen VCT services for MSM and CSWs. 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

Justine A. Kavle, Ph.D, MPH
Senior Program Officer for Research and Scale-up
Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Georgetown University Medical Center
Dr. Kavle is an international public health nutritionist whose interests focus on generating, utilizing, and disseminating evidence-based health service delivery tools/technologies within the context of reproductive and maternal/child health initiatives in developing countries. She has 8 years of experience in international health research and programming on maternal/child health, nutrition and infectious diseases. She has worked as a consultant for UNICEF, HKI Africa Regional Office, USAID, Jhpiego and AED. Dr. Kavle is responsible for research study design and analyses, as well as providing technical guidance to operations and scale-up research endeavors in Africa, Latin America and Asia.
jak88@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 countires and she responds to requests from non-focus countries. She also supports Capacity Building and Knowledge Management effots and several country programs in the HIV/AIDS prevention project. Ms. Birdsong holds a MA in Latin American Studies from Georgetown University and speaks French and Spanish.
smm56@georgetown.edu

N. Kate Cho, MHS
Program Officer for Research
Ms. Cho has over 6 years of experience working in family planning, HIV, and reproductive health, with particular focus in behavior change communication, FP/HIV integration, and domestic and international population and family planning policy. She works on a variety of research initiatives at IRH, including expanding the TwoDay Method, scaling up SDM, and exploring youth collaborations. She received her BA from Yale University and her Masters in Health Science from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Katherine Lavoie, MPH
Program Officer
Ms. Lavoie has over 7 years of experience in public health. At the Institute, she provides programmatic and technical support to IRH's India program and manages a portfolio of domestic and international research projects. Prior to joining IRH in 2005, she worked on a USAID-funded breastfeeding project at AED, volunteered with Peace Corps in Turkmenistan and served on a presidential campaign.
ksl24@georgetown.edu

Meredith Puleio
Program Officer for Global Leadership
Ms. Puleio has over 3 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 George Washington University, and is currently working on an MBA at 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 MA in International Affairs, with a concentration in International Development, from American University.
es336@georgetown.edu

Sarah Terlouw, MSW, MPH
Program Officer
Sarah Terlouw has over 6 years of experience in the field of international public health. Her previous work experience focused on reproductive and primary health care services to populations impacted by conflict, particularly on the prevention and treatment of those impacted by gender-based violence. In her current role as Program Officer with IRH, Ms. Terlouw provides programmatic and technical support to several country programs in Africa and assists in the scale- up of FAM activities in those countries. She has a BA in Anthropology and an MSW and MPH from Columbia University. She has worked in the eastern DRC and speaks fleunt French and some Spanish.
st379@georgetown.edu

Lauren VanEnk, MPH
Program Assistant for Communications
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

Dina Abi-Rached, MPH
Program Assistant for Africa
Ms. Abi-Rached holds a Master's degree in Public Health with a concentration on health behavior and education. She has experience working in international health policy and research. Currently, she provides programmatic and administrative support to Africa country programs and technical teams at the headquarters. She is also fluent in Arabic, French and English.
da262@georgetown.edu

Miranda Beckman, MPH
Program Assistant for Research
Miranda Beckman holds a Master's degree in International Health and Development from Tulane University's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. She has over five years experience in the field of international health and development, with experience working in South Asia and Southern Africa.  At the Institute, Ms. Beckman provides programmatic and administrative support for the India country program as well as support to research activities.
msb98@georgetown.edu 

Long T. Nguyen, MBA
Director of Operations
Mr. Nguyen has more than 20 years of experience in financial and accounting management, internationally and domestically with both non-profit and for-profit organizations. He is familiar with rules and regulations with various US government agencies, foreign governments, European Union, United Nations, the World Bank and foundations. At IRH, Mr. Nguyen oversees finance, information technology and human resource activities. He has worked in several regions of the world and lived in West Africa. He holds an MBA degree from Marymount University and is fluent in French.
ln67@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

Begona Fernandez, BA
Administrative Assistant
Ms. Fernandez holds a bachelors degree in International Economics and International Development from American University. She supports the IRH Operations team, helping with contracts, subagreements, and financial accounts. She is also part of the Guatemala and Bolivia team, assisting with translations, field office contracts and general support of IRH's activities in those countries.
bf84@georgetown.edu  

Penny Reyes Mendoza, BSC
Financial Manager
Ms. Mendoza has over 13 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
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

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 the Standard Days Method in government and private sector programs. Ms. Jha has a Master's in Social Work.
pjha@irh.in

Maria Lorencikova, MD, MBA
Technical Advisor, Bolivia
As a family physician and public health specialist, Dr. Maria Lorencikova has experience in both offering primary health care services and leading efforts to integrate family planning and reproductive health services into national norms. Dr. Lorencikova has worked on the following technical areas: quality health services improvement across sectors; voluntary surgical contraception focused on a client-rights approach; informed choice and informed consent in FP/RH; involvement in men in family FP/RH; and integration of LAM into national norms and services. Maria is a native Slovak speaker, with advanced knowledge of Spanish, English, Czech, and basic skills in Russian and French.
mlarafa@hotmail.com

Marie Mukabatsinda, RN, BSN
Country Representative, Rwanda
Ms. Mukabatsinda, Country Representative for the FAM Project in Rwanda, is a nurse by training. She holds a Bachelor's in medical administration and is currently a candidate for a Master's in public health. Ms. Mukabatsinda has over 7 years experience in implementing family planning programs,  with a strong focus on social marketing management, communications and advocacy. Ms. Mukabatsinda has supervised numerous family planning and HIV/AIDS studies in Rwanda with an emphasis 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