Who We Are
We are a dedicated team of educators, researchers, students, and food lovers, all focused on the goal of helping children, adults, and families lead healthier lives.
Lori Francis, Project Director
Dr. Francis received her Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from Penn State, and is a professor of Biobehavioral Health. Her research focuses on different factors that influence children’s eating behaviors and healthy growth and development. She is particularly passionate about working with families with limited resources and designing programs that increase opportunities for children and families to explore new and healthy foods and physical activities. In addition to her research and teaching at Penn State, she is works with community organizations that focus on improving community health, family wellness and access to affordable housing. She also enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 young boys, who keep her busy from “son up to son down!” Yes, pun intended.
Michele McCamley, Project Manager and Nutrition Educator
Michele McCamley has a Bachelors of Science in Nutrition from Penn State University. She spent 14 years as a Nutritionist for the WIC program, providing nutrition education for women and young children. She joins our team from our formerly-funded USDA Healthy Bodies Project where she assisted with curricula development and managed all aspects of data collection. She is passionate about low tox living and helping others to find health and wellness. In her free time, Michele enjoys reading books from a variety of genres and spending time with her husband and son.
Alli Filippini, Nutrition Educator and Project Coordinator
Alli Filippini has an M.S. in Sports Nutrition and Exercise Science and a B.S. in Nutrition and Human Performance. She joins our team with a wide array of health coaching experience ranging from nutrition and fitness coaching at a youth weight loss camp to providing weight and disease management education to adult patients in the Penn State Hershey Health System. She joins our team from our formerly-funded USDA Healthy Bodies Project where she provided teaching and classroom management support to enrolled preschool teachers. She is passionate about providing nutrition education in order to empower people with the knowledge to make healthy choices with the hopes of cultivating a healthier society. In her free time, Alli enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter, and extended family.
Jody Whipple, Nutrition Educator
Jody Whipple is a Registered Dietitian with 30+ years experience. Her areas of interest include disordered eating, general health and wellness and diabetes. She has worked in a variety of settings including hospitals, outpatient clinics, college health centers and as a private practitioner. She has a bachelors degree in Nutrition and Communications from Michigan State University. Outside of work, Jody enjoys being active, sewing and spending time with friends and family.
Gabrielle El-Adas, Nutrition Educator
Gabrielle El-Adas has a bachelors in science in Biobehavioral Health from Penn State University and is currently working towards a masters in public health. Before joining our team, she worked in childhood nutrition outreach with another SNAP-Ed project through the Centre for Childhood Obesity Research at Penn State. She is passionate about helping children discover new choices in order to have a healthy and fulfilling childhood as well as working to enrich her community. In her free time, she enjoys reading, finding new shows, and spending time with her family and friends.
Sawsan Salah, Graduate Student
Sawsan Salah is a third-year doctoral candidate in Biobehavioral Health and Clinical and Translational Science, training under Dr. Lori Francis. She is interested in understanding the biological and intergenerational embeddings of adversity on minoritized populations. In her free time, she enjoys going on walks, visiting new coffee spots, and video chatting with her niece and nephews.
Gabriela S. Revi, Graduate Student
Gabriela S. Revi is a fourth-year doctoral candidate supervised by Dr. Lori Francis, in the Biobehavioral Health department at The Pennsylvania State University. Gabriela’s research interest focus on elucidating patterns of exposure to interpersonal, and structural forms of racism and the subsequent implication these exposures have on Black mothers’ well-being. Sociocultural factors and coping strategies related to experiences of racial- and gendered-discrimination are focal points of her interests. In her free time, Gabriela loves to garden, play soccer, and cook. She especially loves to cook and share foods from her culture with colleagues and friends!