Our People | Loka Initiative — Loka Initiative

Indigenous Advisory Council

The Loka Team

Dekila Chungyalpa
DIRECTOR

Jackie Chalghin
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

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

Rusal Ferus
GRADUATE PROJECT ASSISTANT

Pilar Gauthier
RESEARCH POSTDOC

Young man standing on a cliffside overlooking the ocean during sunset, wearing a black T-shirt with a design, gray shorts, and sneakers.

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.

Jakob Moe
STUDENT ASSISTANT

Nisch Neupane
PROGRAM MANAGER

A young man smiling in an outdoor wetland with dried plants and leafless trees in the background.

Young woman hiking in mountains with forested slopes, wearing an orange jacket, black hat, and green neck gaiter, smiling at the camera.

Mirtha Sosa Pacheco
OUTREACH COORDINATOR

Liam O’Connor
RESEARCH ASSISTANT

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.

Christy Wilson-Mendenhall
RESEARCH SCIENTIST

Nyagam Simon Wal
STUDENT ASSISTANT

Project Leads

A smiling elderly man with white hair and a beard, wearing a light blue dress shirt, outdoors with green foliage in the background.

Smiling man in yellow sleeveless shirt, sitting in front of a photo display on a wall.

Rev Ed Brown
Facilitator- Creation at the Crossroads

Khenpo Chheke Gurung
Coordinator - Khoryug

Brian McInnes
Producer - Sacred Wisdom Sacred Earth

Loka Faculty

Portrait of a smiling man with curly gray hair and glasses, wearing a green jacket and black turtleneck against a dark background.

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.

Trishna Gurung
Senior Director of Communications, TechnoServe

Rick Lindroth
Distinguished Fellow, Lumen Center

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.

Michael Notaro
Director, Scientist III, Center for Climatic Research

Jonathan Patz
Inaugural Director, Global Health Institute

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 smiling man wearing a light blue dress shirt in front of a window with closed blinds.

Susan Davidson
Physician in Maternal Fetal Medicine, Dean/SSM Health

Aaron Bird Bear
Professor Emeritus, American Indian Studies

Chantal Elkin
Head, World Wildlife Fund Belief and Values Programme

Richard Davidson
Founder & Director, Center for Healthy Minds

Steve Vavrus
Senior scientist, Nelson Institute Center for Climatic Research

Paul Robbins
Dean of Nelson Institute of Environmental Studies

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

Mike Wiggins Jr.
Director of Madeline Island Museum

A woman with dark hair smiling, wearing a white embroidered blouse with colorful beaded neckline, earrings, and a gray background.

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

Abstract blue watercolor background with gold wavy lines.

Julia De La Cruz
Student Assistant

Young woman with glasses smiling outdoors in front of green leafy bushes with purple flowers.

Kristina Fiedler
Student Assistant

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

A woman with long curly brown hair, wearing black glasses, a black shirt, and a gray cardigan, smiling in an indoor setting.

Kristin Klingman
Program Assistant

A young woman with shoulder-length light brown hair and blue eyes smiling, standing in front of a bookshelf filled with books.

Ella Quainton
Student Assistant

Smiling woman with braided hair wearing orange top and large earrings against gray background.

Salima Seale
Outreach Coordinator

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Young woman smiling and gesturing with her hand at the beach with cliffs and buildings in the background

Iris Ding
Research Assistant

Lois De Piesse
Program Administrator

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 Assistant

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 Assistant

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