Our People

Elizabeth Bertone-Johnson
ScD, Epidemiology and Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, 1999
SM, Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, 1996
ABmcl, Biological Anthropology, Harvard College,  1994
Director of Center for Program Evaluation
Professor of Epidemiology and Chair, Department of Health Promotion and Policy
Research interests: Epidemiology and etiology of premenstrual syndrome, women’s mental health in adolescence and young adulthood, epidemiology and etiology of reproductive decline and early menopause, intersection of reproductive and cardiovascular health in women 

Gloria DiFulvio
PhD, Public Health, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2004
MEd, Counseling Psychology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 1993
BA, Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 1988 
Senior Lecturer and Undergraduate Program Director, Public Health Sciences
Co-Director of Center for Program Evaluation
Research interests: Mixed methods community-based prevention and intervention research with focus on substance abuse, suicide, and violence prevention; mental health promotion; LGBT health.

Airín Denise Martínez
W.K. Kellogg Health Postdoctoral Fellow, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
PhD, Sociology, University of California-San Francisco
BS, Biology and Sociology, Barry University
Lead, Behavioral Science Team, MDPH CDC-funded Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Grant
Research interests: Biobehavioral effects of racism; community-based participatory research; health policy; institutional racism; Latina/o/x health; mixed methods; social determinants

Jennifer Whitehill
PhD, Johns Hopkins University, 2011
BS, Tufts University, 2004
Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management
Research interests: Injury prevention; substance use; cannabis policy; social media; mobile technology and health (mHealth)

Nora Finnerty
BS, Public Health, UMass Amherst, 2020
MPH, Community Health Education, UMass Amherst, 2022
Graduate Student Research Assistant, UMass Amherst Center for Program Evaluation
Evaluation Manager, UMass Amherst Center for Program Evaluation

Valerie Evans
MSc, Public Health Research, University of Edinburgh, 2009
MA, Biology, Harvard University, 2000
BA, Biology/English, Boston University, 1996
Evaluator, UMass Amherst Center for Program Evaluation 
Biostatistician/project manager, biostatistics and epidemiology
data manager, health promotion and policy

Thupten D. Phuntsog
PhD student, Community Health Education, UMass Amherst, 2021 - Present
MPH, Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 2015
BA, Public Health Policy, University of California, Irvine, 2011
Graduate Student Research Assistant, Center for Program Evaluation, UMass Amherst 
Research interests: immigrant/refugee health disparities and inequities, sexual/reproductive health, maternal/child health, health literacy, qualitative research methods, CBPR

Bushra Islam
PhD student, Health Policy and Management, UMass Amherst, 2022 - Present
MPH, Public Health, BRAC University, Bangladesh, 2016
MBBS (MD), Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Bangladesh, 2009
Graduate Student Research Assistant, UMass Amherst Center for Program Evaluation

Fiona Jamal Almeida
PhD student, Community Health Education, UMass Amherst, 2022 - Present
MPP, Global Health and Food Insecurity, Tufts University, 2018
BA, Anthropology and Africana Studies, Wellesley College, 2015
AS, Liberal Arts, Middlesex Community College, 2012
Graduate Student Research Assistant, Center for Program Evaluation, UMass Amherst 
Research Interest: Women’s reproductive health, menstruation, endometriosis, global health care, education, gender equality and the intersection of culture and identity.

Aparna Tiwari
PhD student, Epidemiology, UMass Amherst, 2022 - Present
MPH, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Drexel University, 2017
MS, Cell and Molecular Biology, Missouri State University, 2014
Graduate Research Assistant, UMass Amherst Center for Program Evaluation

Genesis Medina
Student research assistant
Undergraduate student, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Member of the Commonwealth Honors College
Double majoring in public health sciences and psychology
Expected graduation date: 2023

Emilia Zaentz
BS, Public Health and Psychology, UMass Amherst, 2023
Research interests: Suicide prevention, mental health promotion, and school-based mental health promotion and curriculum