Katie Hendel (formerly Arlinghaus) is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health in the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. She is a registered dietitian and has a PhD in Kinesiology. Katie is passionate about building the capacity of the public health nutrition workforce to reduce the nutrition-related chronic disease burden on low-income children and their families. As the principal investigator of the WIC POPS project, Katie is responsible for overseeing all project activities.

Dr. Abby Gold has extensive experience in community nutrition, federal nutrition programs, and Extension research and programming. She began her career in nutrition and public health as a WIC nutritionist in three local programs: Greenfield, MA; South Boston, MA; and St. Paul Ramsey County, MN. She is the former chair of the Department of Public Health at North Dakota State University and program leader in health and nutrition for the University of Minnesota Extension. As a community-engaged scholar and Extension specialist, Dr. Gold is actively involved in promoting access to healthy foods at national, state, and local levels. Dr. Gold is a key member of the team, bringing her expertise in mixed-method evaluation strategies and community-participatory research techniques.

Jamie Stang is a Professor in the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health at the University of Minnesota (UMN) where she serves as the Director of the Masters of Public Health (MPH) program in public health nutrition. She is also a faculty member for the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities program at the UMN. Jamie holds a BS in Community Dietetics from the University of North Dakota, a MPH degree in Public Health Nutrition from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill (UNC), and a PhD in Nutrition with a doctoral minor in Epidemiology from UMN. She completed a graduate traineeship in maternal and child health (MCH) nutrition at UNC and a predoctoral fellowship in Adolescent Health at the UMN Division of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, and a postdoctoral fellowship in MCH Nutrition Epidemiology at the UMN School of Public Health. Dr Stang is also a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist. Her research and teaching focuses on the prevention of

poor maternal-fetal outcomes through nutrition and weight management interventions in high-risk and underserved populations, utilizing a community-engaged, positive deviance framework. She has directed the National Maternal and Infant Nutrition Intensive Course and the UMN Leadership Education Training Program in MCH Nutrition for the past 25 years.

Mary Schroeder is an Extension Educator with the University of Minnesota Extension and a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. Mary's work focuses on setting young children up for a lifetime of healthy eating. She creates fun, hands-on trainings for child care providers and school nutrition staff that boost confidence in the kitchen and build awareness of vital programs like WIC, SNAP, and school meals. Her newest project, Rusty’s Cooking Club, brings the joy of cooking to life by helping adults and kids explore food together while learning practical tips for nutrition. Mary enjoys collaborating with others to design engaging trainings that meet the needs of the participants. Mary Schroeder is an Extension Educator with the University of Minnesota Extension and a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. Mary's work focuses on setting young children up for a lifetime of healthy eating. She creates fun, hands-on trainings for child care providers and school nutrition staff that boost confidence in the kitchen and build awareness of vital programs like WIC, SNAP, and school meals. Her newest project, Rusty’s Cooking Club, brings the joy of cooking to life by helping adults and kids explore food together while learning practical tips for nutrition. Mary enjoys collaborating with others to design engaging trainings that meet the needs of the participants.

Lee Vogler is registered dietitian who began her career as a WIC CPA in Indianapolis, IN. Her firsthand experience with WIC families has inspired her to engage in the optimization of WIC through various projects. Originally from small-town Michigan, Lee earned a BS in Dietetics from Eastern Michigan University. She is currently pursuing her Masters of Public Health Nutrition at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, where she is also a trainee in the Maternal Child Nutrition Traineeship. Lee is excited to contribute to WIC workforce innovations through her role as the WIC POPS project coordinator.

Olivia Riegert is a Graduate Research Assistant currently pursing a Masters of Public Health Nutrition from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. After graduating from the College of Saint Benedict with a BA in Nutrition and Global Health, Olivia is following her passion of becoming a Registered Dietitian. As a born and raised Minnesotan, Olivia is excited to see the change this project can make in her community and beyond.