Meet the Giraffes
Meet the Giraffes
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Current GIRAFFES Members
For publications, click the Google Scholar icon beneath each person.
Dr. Peter Newton
Associate Professor
Research interests: tropical forests; agriculture; food systems; livelihoods; governance
Savannah Lehnert
PhD Student
Research interests: conservation biology; agroecology; tropical ecology; fire ecology; forest management
Nisha Koppa
PhD Student
Research interests: development economics, agriculture, adaptation, food security
Jasmine Coomber
PhD Student
Research interests: agroecology; food systems; human rights; environmental health; ecological economics
Sulley & Pula
Assistant Pawfessor & Postdogtoral Researcher
Research interests: food; naps; hikes; treats; swimming; snacks; snoozing
GIRAFFES Alumni
Dr. Waverly Eichhorst
PhD dissertation: 'Transforming global food systems: Evaluating pathways to more sustainable, just, and innovative food futures'
Graduated: May 2025
Dr. Margaret Hegwood
PhD dissertation: 'Tradeoffs and constraints in food systems transformations'
Graduated: May 2025
Sophie Kvaratskhelia
Undergraduate Student
Graduated: May 2025
Hilary Brumberg
MS thesis: 'Canopy to coral: Evaluating impacts of land use on coastal turbidity and coral reef health in the Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica'
Graduated: May 2024
Alexa Luger
GIRAFFES intern
Graduated: May 2024
Maya Pfeiler
Honors thesis: 'Sustainability of Beef Production: Farm Size, Inputs, and Impacts'
Graduated: May 2024
Dr. Sebastián Dueñas Ocampo
PhD dissertation: 'Pathways for food systems transformation: Technologies, business models, and narratives'
Graduated: December 2023
Dr. Rawinorn (Tip) Dulyakasem
PhD dissertation: 'Community-based natural resource management of mangrove forests: The case study of southern Thailand'
Graduated: December 2023
Dr. Rayna Benzeev
PhD dissertation: 'Tropical forest restoration and land rights in Brazil'
Graduated: December 2022
Dr. Lee Frankel-Goldwater
PhD dissertation: 'Practice to policy in social-ecological systems: Food rescue, regenerative agriculture, and environmental education'
Graduated: December 2022
Kaitlin Netel
Honors thesis: 'Consumer interest in and awareness of sustainable food: The case of the “Regenerative Organic Certified" eco-label'
Graduated: May 2021
Eva Aneshansley
Honors thesis: 'Impacts of food eco-labels on student consumer choices'
Graduated: December 2020
Dr. Bruno Perosa
Visiting Scholar
Semester: Spring 2020
Joey Filmanowicz
Honors thesis: 'Class V sustainability: An analysis of food waste on outfitted river rafting trips'
Graduated: May 2019
Ashley Dancer
MS thesis: 'What are the perceived opportunities for, and barriers to, the development of local food systems, and how can public policy respond? A case study from Boulder County, Colorado'
Graduated: May 2018
Panos Smyrnios
Honors thesis: 'Sustainable seafood: improving environmental attitudes, not increasing product information, can lead to greater willingness to pay'
Graduated: May 2018
Maddy Gaffigan
Honors thesis: 'Is insect protein a sustainable alternative to soy and fishmeal in poultry feed?'
Graduated: May 2017
Emilie Adamovic
Honors thesis: 'Food insecurity among college students: an assessment of prevalence and solutions'
Graduated: May 2017
Dr. Mauro Capelari
Visiting Scholar
Semester: Fall 2016
Zoë Sigle
Honors thesis: ‘Reducing animal product consumption in the United States with state interventions: possibilities, limitations, and recommendations’
Graduated: May 2016
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