Caitlin French joined the Nutrition Policy Institute at the University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources on March 1, 2024 as an Assistant Project Scientist. Caitlin earned her PhD in Nutritional Biology with an emphasis in Global Nutrition from UC Davis. Her previous and current research endeavors focus on dietary analysis methods, dietary biomarkers, and evaluating the impacts of nutrition programs, such as produce prescriptions and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, commonly known as WIC. Her primary research interests center on informing policies and programs that aim to achieve equity in access to healthy foods and environments and to reduce diet-related chronic diseases. In her role at NPI, she will support the evaluation of California's Universal School Meals Program.

Julia Nguyen joined the Nutrition Policy Institute at the University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources on October 17, 2023 as a personnel coordinator. Her background includes project management and diversity, equity and inclusion-related work and she began her master's in business administration studies at UC Davis this fall. Julia was referred to apply to UCANR through her agricultural network and has always admired the work NPI has done for underserved communities. She will be working closely with the NPI operations team to ensure that NPI personnel are supported on an administrative front for the important work that they do. Julia is focusing on international business and diversity, equity and inclusion in graduate school and in the future hopes to help ensure that intersectional management practices become the norm for any type of project or organization. She also has experience in agricultural sciences, international development, and food service.

Brianna Aguayo has been selected as the student communications fellow for the Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources during the 2023-24 school year. Brianna is currently a second-year undergraduate student at UC Berkeley studying nutritional sciences with an emphasis on physiology and metabolism and a double minor in Chicanx studies and journalism. Through assisting NPI's communication efforts, Brianna hopes to work towards her goal of making nutrition more equitable. Her previous work includes volunteering at the Second Harvest Food Bank, working with a non-profit organization to teach youth how to cook nutritious meals, volunteering at the Berkeley Student Food Collective, and more forms of outreach regarding nutrition.

Ryan Williams joins the Nutrition Policy Institute at the University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources on October 2, 2023 as a new project policy analyst. Ryan completed his dietetic internship program at UC San Francisco Health where he developed in-depth knowledge of medical nutrition therapy, assessment, nutrition interventions, and evaluation of nutrition care. Ryan is also experienced in food service, food production, and food service management. His primary interest is in improving the health and well-being of Americans and is interested in projects that broadly can inform nutrition policies in the US. As a dietetic intern, he worked with NPI on a project to assess the barriers to and recommendations for increasing breastfeeding in five counties in California, among those with the lowest breastfeeding rates. Ryan will be working on two National Institutes of Health projects: the Childcare Water project and the Milk-Tot study.