Validity of the Food Insecurity Experience Scale and prevalence of food insecurity in The Bahamas

Dr Allison Karpyn

qualifications: PhD

contribution: Study conception and design, Acquisition of data, Analysis and interpretation of data, Drafting of manuscript, Critical revision

position: Senior Associate Director

Dr. Karpyn is co-director of the Center for Research in Education and Social Policy (CRESP) and associate professor of Human Development and Family Sciences at the University of Delaware. She also is an associate fellow for the Center for Public Health Initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining UD, Dr. Karpyn served as the director of research and evaluation at The Food Trust in Philadelphia for 11 years, where her research focused on understanding healthy food purchasing and consumption behavior, especially among children. Dr. Karpyn is committed to informing policy and practice with rigorous mixed-method research designs. Her current research efforts include the study of food deserts, corner store programs in urban areas and in-store marketing approaches in supermarkets to promote purchase and consumption of healthier options. She is also conducting research to understand the impact a new supermarket has on residents in the surrounding community. She has published widely on topics related to school food, supermarket access, healthy corner stores, and strategies to develop and maintain farmers markets in low income areas.

Dr M Headley

qualifications: PhD

contribution: Analysis and interpretation of data, Drafting of manuscript, Critical revision

position: Research Associate

Marcia “Gail” Headley, Ph.D. is a Research Associate III at the Center for Research in Education and Social Policy (CRESP) at the University of Delaware. She earned a doctoral degree in Educational Studies at the University of Cincinnati where she specialized in the development of mixed methods research designs and strategies for integrating quantitative and qualitative research approaches. In 2017, the American Education Research Association (AERA) Mixed Methods SIG honored her with the prestigious Outstanding Dissertation Award. Her work has been published in the Journal of Mixed Method Research. Dr. Headley uses her methodological expertise to support a variety of CRESP projects. She is involved with a study of food insecurity that employs methods recommended by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization. She collaborates with continuing-track faculty members on an NSF-funded study of self-efficacy development among undergraduate engineering majors at UD. Dr. Headley also leads quantitative and statistical analyses of longitudinal administrative data from the Delaware DOE’s State Longitudinal Data System. Years of volunteering, tutoring, and teaching in public schools—working with students of all ages— inspire her interest in research. Dr. Headley is devoted to designing effective research studies to generate well-justified answers to complex questions about how students learn given variations in their health, homes, classrooms, and schools. Ultimately, her goal as a researcher is to become a more able and influential advocate for others.

Ms Zeleka Knowles

qualifications: MIA (Master of International Affairs)

contribution: Study conception and design, Acquisition of data, Analysis and interpretation of data, Drafting of manuscript, Critical revision

position: Program Associate

Zeleka Knowles is a Program Associate with Templeton World Charity Foundation, where she supports the Global Innovations for Character Development and Big Questions in Classrooms initiatives. Additionally, she contributes to the Foundation’s communications and storytelling, particularly through social media. Prior to joining the Templeton World Charity Foundation, Zeleka served as the Executive Director of Hands For Hunger, an organization dedicated to the elimination of unnecessary hunger and food waste in The Bahamas. She has also worked with The Bahamas Ministry of Health and The United Nations - World Health Organization. Zeleka has a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Tufts University.

Dr Erecia Hepburn

qualifications: PhD

contribution: Study conception and design, Acquisition of data, Analysis and interpretation of data, Drafting of manuscript, Critical revision

position: Assistant Professor

Ms Nicole Kennedy

qualifications: BA

contribution: Drafting of manuscript, Critical revision

position: Research Assistant

Mr Henry Wolgast

qualifications: BA

contribution: Drafting of manuscript, Critical revision

position: Research Assistant

Dr Danielle Riser

qualifications: PhD

contribution: Analysis and interpretation of data, Drafting of manuscript, Critical revision

position: Graduate Assistant

Danielle Riser supports data collection, organization, and early data analysis efforts under the guidance and support of senior staff for a variety of evaluation efforts.

Asst Prof Akisha Osei Sarfo

qualifications: PhD

contribution: Analysis and interpretation of data, Drafting of manuscript, Critical revision

position: Assistant Professor

Dr. Osei Sarfo leads the Accountability, Research and Planning Division for Guilford County Schools. Her division is in charge of assessments, research and evaluation, accountability, data analytics and reporting, student information, and planning. Her team’s work focuses on providing research and analysis in support of policy and programmatic decisions in the district. They work collaboratively with other divisions to provide data and research that drives improvements in student learning with a specific focus on reducing inequities in student outcomes and improving student experiences and life outcomes of their most impacted students. Under COVID-19, they have led efforts to distribute devices to students without access to technology, track student logins into their remote learning system, provide grading guidance, and are now working to understand student and parent engagement during this period as well as the impact of the transition to remote learning on learning loss.