Graduate Students

Elizabeth Acquah
Email: EFACQUAH@uncg.edu

Brief Bio

Elizabeth earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Midwifery from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana. She obtained her master’s in food and Nutritional Science from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. She is currently pursuing her doctorate degree in the Department of Nutrition at University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is working in Dr. Dharod’s lab. Her research interests are in maternal and infant nutrition, food insecurity and Global Nutrition

Zac Agbala
Email: zlfisher@uncg.edu

Brief Bio

In May of 2023, Zac received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Nutrition with a minor in Spanish from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Currently working towards his Doctoral degree, he enjoys learning about Nutrition and applying what he learns to himself and others. 

Nour Alsakhita
Graduate Assistant
Email: nmalsakhita@uncg.edu

Brief Bio

Nour received her Bachelor of Science degree from Winston-Salem State University with a major in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. She is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and working toward becoming a Registered Dietitian (RD). Nour serves as a Graduate Assistant in the Department of Nutrition and as Secretary of the Nutrition Graduate Student Association (NGSA) leadership team. Her research interests focus on the nutrition transition among immigrant and refugee populations, with particular attention to food insecurity, dietary acculturation, and the associated risk of obesity and metabolic disorders. She is supervised by Dr. Haldeman.

Christanie Alston
Email: caalston2@uncg.edu

Brief Bio

Christanie graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a Bachelor of Science with a concentration in Human Nutrition and Dietetics. She is currently pursuing her Masters of Science in Dietetics with the goal to become a registered dietitian. She is interested in getting experience working with women and children, as well as working with underserved communities. 

Clarice Andoh
Email: dcandoh@uncg.edu

Brief Bio

Clarice Andoh earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in the Department of Nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). At UNCG, she is working in Dr. Jigna M. Dharod lab, focusing on the impact of food insecurity in the first 1,000 days of life. Her research interests include the influence of food insecurity on infants, chronic diseases, and metabolic health. 

Morgan Ashley, M.S., RDN
Graduate Assistant
Email: mtashley@uncg.edu

Brief Bio

Morgan is earning her Ph.D. under the mentorship of Dr. Lauren Haldeman. Her dissertation project investigates the influence of youth sports on family mealtime practices. Morgan came to UNCG as an Registered Dietitian (RD) with a bachelor’s degree in nutrition from Russell Sage College and a master’s degree in nutrition from Stony Brook University. Prior to coming to UNCG, she worked in SNAP-Ed and WIC. She looks forward to bringing the skills learned at UNCG back into the workforce to help support families with children in their efforts to eat well.

Jaala Baker
Email: JJBAKER3@uncg.edu

Brief Bio

Jaala earned a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition with a concentration in Human Nutrition and  Dietetics from UNCG. She is continuing her studies at UNCG in the MS/DI program, to become a registered clinical dietitian. She is looking forward to gaining experience in a variety of settings during the supervised practiced. Her area of interests for future practice include the relationship between autoimmune disease symptom management and dietary patterns, women’s health and gut health. 

Danielle Baldizzi, MS
Email: dtbaldizzi@uncg.edu

Brief Bio

Danielle received her Bachelor of Science in Food and Nutrition from the University of Alabama and her Master of Science in Nutrition with a concentration in Sports Nutrition from Nova Southeastern University. She has experience in providing nutrition counseling for the maternal and pediatric population at WIC and has led community nutrition education classes and contributed to nutrition initiatives with SNAP-Ed. Her goal is to become a clinical Registered Dietitian.

Siddique Bawa
Graduate Teaching Associate
Email: sgbawa@uncg.edu

Brief Bio

Siddique earned his B.S. in Community Nutrition, and M.Phil. in Community Health and Development from the University for Development Studies in Ghana. He is currently with the Department of Nutrition here at UNCG, pursuing his Doctorate in Nutrition. He works with Dr. Lauren Haldeman, focusing on diet-related chronic diseases.

Zachary Bomstein, M.S., RDN
Graduate Assistant
Email: zsbomstein@uncg.edu

Brief Bio

Having joined Dr. Allred’s lab in August of 2021, Zach is conducting research into cancer biology and the nutrients/environmental toxins which govern the disease’s progression and prevention.  Zach is a 2021 graduate of East Carolina University, where he received his M.S in Nutrition Science as well as his Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) credential.  He received his B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics from Appalachian State University in 2019.  Zach’s past research has been centered around the relationship between micronutrients and disease prevention. At Appalachian State, he worked in the lab of Dr. Martin Root and analyzed chemicals concentrated in the skins of apples known as triterpenoids, compounds with known anti-inflammatory effects. At East Carolina University, he worked closely with Dr. Richard Baybutt and studied the relationship between vitamin A and lung cancer, as well as vitamin A and bone homeostasis.  In the future, he hopes to conduct research with the goal of integrating pre-clinical, food-based science into functional dietetics/medical practice.

Maria Campuzano Rodriguez
Email: MDCAMPUZANO@uncg.edu

Brief Bio

Maria received a Bachelor of Science with a concentration in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from UNC Greensboro. She is continuing her education at UNCG as a graduate student in the MS/DI program with the goal to become a registered dietitian. She is eager to continue building upon the skills she developed as an undergraduate student in the MS/DI program.

Jenna Clark
Email: JGCLARK3@uncg.edu

Jenna graduated with her Bachelor’s of Science in Nutrition with a concentration in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from UNCG. She is currently a student in UNCG’s MS/DI program pursuing a career as a registered dietitian. She is interested in sports nutrition, oncology nutrition, and nutrition education. She is excited to be furthering her education and learning more about nutrition. 

Lacie Clark
Email: LRCLARK2@uncg.edu

Brief Bio

Lacie graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition and Dietetics and is currently pursuing her Master’s degree through the MS/DI program. She has a strong interest in pediatric and maternal nutrition and plans to become a Registered Dietitian (RD) after completing her graduate studies.

Shane Dolphin 
Graduate Research Assistant 
Email: svdolphin@uncg.edu 

Brief Bio

Shane received his Bachelor of Science from UNC Greensboro and is currently pursuing a PhD in Nutrition Science. In the Allred lab he is currently investigating the impact of nutrients and environmental toxins on gut health.