The Loka Team

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A woman kneeling in a grassy field, smiling at the camera with a mountain landscape in the background.

Dekila Chungyalpa
DIRECTOR

Pilar Gauthier
RESEARCH POSTDOC

A woman with long curly brown hair, wearing black glasses, a black shirt, and a gray cardigan, smiling in an indoor setting.
Young man standing on a cliffside overlooking the ocean during sunset, wearing a black T-shirt with a design, gray shorts, and sneakers.

Kristin Klingman
PROGRAM ASSISTANT

Jakob Moe
STUDENT ASSISTANT

Nyagam Simon Wal
STUDENT ASSISTANT

Christy Wilson-Mendenhall
RESEARCH SCIENTIST

A young man smiling in an outdoor wetland with dried plants and leafless trees in the background.
Young woman smiling and gesturing with her hand at the beach with cliffs and buildings in the background

Liam O’Connor
RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Iris Ding
RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Young woman hiking in mountains with forested slopes, wearing an orange jacket, black hat, and green neck gaiter, smiling at the camera.
A man with a dark beard and short curly hair smiling while holding a young girl with a pink knit hat and a patterned jacket.
A smiling woman with shoulder-length brown hair wearing a blue patterned top.
A woman with long, black hair taking a selfie indoors, smiling, wearing a black shirt and a silver necklace.

Mirtha Sosa Pacheco
OUTREACH COORDINATOR

Nisch Neupane
PROGRAM MANAGER

Project Leads

Smiling man in yellow sleeveless shirt, sitting in front of a photo display on a wall.
Headshot of a man in a navy blazer and white shirt outdoors with green trees in the background.
Man with a beard and glasses holding a professional video camera outdoors, smiling, wearing a white shirt, a black cap, and a wristwatch.
A smiling elderly man with white hair and a beard, wearing a light blue dress shirt, outdoors with green foliage in the background.

Alejandro Miranda
Documentary Director - Sacred Wisdom Sacred Earth

Rev Ed Brown
Facilitator- Creation at the Crossroads

Brian McInnes
Producer - Sacred Wisdom Sacred Earth

Khenpo Chheke Gurung
Coordinator - Khoryug

Loka Faculty

Richard Davidson
Founder & Director, Center for Healthy Minds

Rick Lindroth
Distinguished Fellow, Lumen Center

Jonathan Patz
Inaugural Director, Global Health Institute

Paul Robbins
Dean of Nelson Institute of Environmental Studies

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Steve Vavrus
Senior scientist, Nelson Institute Center for Climatic Research

A middle-aged man with white hair, glasses, and a beard, wearing a light-colored, collared, button-up shirt, standing outdoors with blurred green foliage in the background.
Portrait of a smiling man with curly gray hair and glasses, wearing a green jacket and black turtleneck against a dark background.
A man with gray hair and a beard smiling outdoors, wearing a light blue striped button-up shirt, with green leafy plants in the background.
A man with a beard and mustache smiling outdoors, wearing a white checkered shirt, a dark vest, and a green tie, with blurred greenery in the background.

Loka’s Indigenous Advisory Council

Gary Besaw
Director of Agriculture & Food Systems, Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin

Juanita Cabrera Lopez
Executive Director of the International Mayan League

Janice Rice
Elder of the Ho Chunk Nation

Carla Vigue
Director of Tribal Relations - UW Madison

A man smiling in front of a plain gray background wearing a black jacket with a logo that says 'Bad River AODA' and a web address.

Mike Wiggins Jr.
Director of Madeline Island Museum

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A man wearing glasses, a pink shirt, and a colorful, patterned vest with a large, round beaded necklace, speaking at a podium during a formal event, flanked by blurred audience members in the foreground.
A woman with long black hair wearing a patterned pink and purple top standing outdoors in a lush green garden.
A smiling woman with shoulder-length brown hair and glasses, wearing a blue scarf with black shamrocks, a black top, and a necklace, standing in front of a geometric-patterned woven wall hanging.

Loka Alumni

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Lois De Piesse
Program Administrator

Abstract blue watercolor background with gold wavy lines.

Julia De La Cruz
Student Asisstant

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Ella Quainton
Student Asisstant

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Salima Seale
Outreach Coordinator

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Woman smiling outdoors, wearing a pink bucket hat, white cardigan, and red shirt, standing in a wooded area with trees and sunlight filtering through.

Roxanne Hoks
Researcher II

Kristina Fiedler
Student Asisstant

A woman with long dark hair smiling, wearing a black blazer and maroon top, standing indoors with large windows in the background.
A man with long dark hair and a beard sitting on a couch, leaning close to and looking at a beagle dog wearing a blue harness, in a cozy indoor setting.

Paul Franz
Education Specialist

Sonakshi Garr
Student Asisstant

Man holding a gray kitten, wearing sunglasses and a red jacket, indoors with a red and beige wall in the background.
Person holding a large, fluffy white cat that has a small unicorn horn attached to its head, indoors with a window and some balloons in the background.

M Vikas
Environmental Specialist

Teddy Zhang
Student Asisstant