Our Team
Drew Bonner
Senior Research Associate
Drew’s research engagements focus on the policies and practices of community health, education and food access.He supports uplifting equitable initiatives for underserved communities through his research on racial equity in food access, as well as collaborating with organizations and evaluation collaboratives focused on community-based food access and nutrition education. In addition to this work, Drew Bonner is a Sociology PhD Student at George Mason University (GMU) and serves as a Graduate Researcher within the Center for Social Science Research at GMU. His academic engagements interrogate how food insecurity and health disparities become reproduced and institutionalized, being motivated and inspired through his engagement with social justice, food justice and research seeking to promote community wellness.
Mia De Jesús-Martin
Research Consultant
Mia’s dual training in clinical social work and qualitative research methods allows her to take a multidisciplinary approach to engaging in social justice-oriented research with underrepresented populations. Her current research focuses on food access and equity, as well as best practices for youth and families involved in the criminal legal system. She has experience conducting needs assessments, mixed-methods program evaluations, and engaging in on-the-ground work with youth, families, and communities. Prior to her research work, she held multiple direct service roles focused on connecting youth and families to health and wellness-related resources and legal services. She holds a Master of Science in Social Work (MSSW) from Columbia University. She is originally from Washington, D.C. and currently resides in New York City.
Katie Kerstetter
Senior Research Associate
Katie’s research focuses on the intersections of food, education, social policy, and maternal and child health. She has a particular interest in amplifying marginalized voices and in identifying and addressing structural barriers to more equitable food, education, and healthcare access. She takes a collaborative and participatory approach to research and enjoys partnering with organizations that are working to more equitably distribute resources and involve those most directly affected by inequities in programming and policy decisions. She has expertise and experience in quantitative and mixed methods research and in conducting needs assessments and program evaluations. Katie holds a PhD in Sociology from George Mason University and a Masters in Public Policy from the University of Maryland College Park. She is the author of How Schools Meet Students’ Needs: Inequality, School Reform, and Caring Labor (Rutgers University Press, 2022).
