Dr. Kate Dickin (she/her)

Co-founder of the Tompkins Pollinator Pathway; Associate Professor, Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine

Kate Dickin teaches in the Food Systems and Health concentration of the Cornell Master of Public Health Program and researches community-based programs to improve nutrition among low-income families in the US and globally, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The seeds of her more recent passion for native plants and pollinators were planted while participating in a study on the impact of planting natives in suburban yards and in Master Naturalist training, and then blossomed when she joined a department that promotes biodiversity and sustainable food systems. As a conservation newbie, Kate is excited to engage with and learn from community members to support local ecosystems. She spends as much time as possible outdoors – hiking, biking, gardening, and chasing deer out of the front yard.

Kristi Sullivan (she/her)

Co-founder of the Tompkins Pollinator Pathway; Director, New York Master Naturalist Program; Co-Director, Conservation Education and Research Program

Kristi Sullivan is Co-Director of the Conservation Education and Research Program in the Dept. of Natural Resources and the Environment. Her goals are: to encourage and support practical approaches to conserving wildlife and biodiversity for current and future generations; to encourage conservation through engaged learning and hands-on participation via the NY Master Naturalist Volunteer Program; and to facilitate land conservation through strategic conservation planning. To complement her Extension program, her research focuses on developing practical methods for managing and restoring forest habitats, and determining effective means for sustaining and conserving native wildlife in the face of environmental change. In her free time, Kristi can be found hiking local trails, wildlife-watching, paddle boarding, or traveling in pursuit of outdoor adventure.

Brandon Hoak (he/him)

Research Aide and Community Outreach Partner for the Tompkins Pollinator Pathway; Founder of Busy Bee Ecological Designs; Co-Founder of Marshy Garden; Design Editor for Understory Magazine

Brandon serves as the general research aide and community outreach liaison to the Tompkins Pollinator Pathway. He employs his background in native plants and ecological gardening methods to determine methods of translation of scientific knowledge into community practice. He has founded his own small gardening practice that seeks to use these methods in restoring biodiversity. In his time outside of work he participates in many passion projects including an ecological restoration project located at the Soil Factory with colleague and friend Ash Ferlito; assisting in the design of Understory a magazine dedicated to artwork that reveals our relationship to land and place; and participating in the CU Botanics Wildflower Exploration program. He can often be found looking for seasonally migratory birds or in-bloom native wildflowers all around the trails in the county.

Avery Sirwatka (he/him)

Master of Public Health Alum, Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, Cornell University

Avery is a recent graduate of Cornell’s Master of Public Health program and a volunteer with the Tompkins County Pollinator Pathway. In this role, Avery assists in survey development, website design, and updating the Tompkins Pollinator Pathway map. Outside of the Pollinator Pathway work, Avery conducts research with Cornell’s College of Art, Architecture, and Planning on urban climate adaptation efforts. This summer, he is also working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to construct a database of extreme heat plans. Avery plans to continue pursuing his love for the environment this fall as a JD student at the University of Pittsburgh, where he plans to pursue a concentration in Environmental Law. Avery loves hiking, kayaking, and birdwatching in the Tompkins County area.

Justin Han (he/him)

Graduate Research Assistant and Masters of Public Health Student, Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, Cornell University

Justin is a Graduate Research Assistant for the Tompkins Pollinator Pathway project. He is experienced in nutritional-based research and has a background in dietetics, public health nutrition, and foodservice management. Using a One Health perspective, he is interested in understanding the connections between environmental conservation, pollinator health, and sustainable food systems to identify strategies to reduce food insecurity and achieve food justice. Outside of the project Justin conducts research in the Food Systems & Global Change department in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University focusing on gender equity with food systems in low and middle-income countries. After graduation, he hopes to complete the Dietetic Internship and become a registered dietitian in a community nutrition setting, combining disciplines such as nutrition education, environmental health, and nutritional epidemiology.

Rachel Kelty (she/her)

Graduate Research Assistant and Master of Science Student, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell University

Rachel is a Graduate Research Assistant for the Tompkins Pollinator Pathway project. Rachel’s research focuses on the ecology of native bees in National Wildlife Refuges in the eastern U.S., and how species diversity changes within various habitat types. She is hoping to pair her love and knowledge of native bees with volunteering for Pollinator Pathway to educate and inspire others to care for bees, while learning more about native plants and the community.

Dr. Anna Bartel (she/her)

Independent Consultant, Ecosystem Steward

Anna is an ecosystem steward, public humanist, poet, learning facilitator, and scholar-practitioner of community engagement. After twenty-ish years in higher education, Anna shifted to independent consulting; belonging to and nurturing a 72-acre patch of Northern Allegheny Plateau in Danby, NY. Devoted to the work of repair and relationship, Anna joined the Pollinator Pathways as a way of sharing her love and learning about native plants and building community.

Dr. Alistair Hayden (he/him)

Assistant Professor of Practice, Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, Cornell University

Alistair is the mapping specialist for the Tompkins Pollinator Pathway project. His expertise is in geospatial analysis, spanning geological to public-health applications. He teaches, researches, and conducts science-policy translation as an Assistant Professor of Practice in Cornell’s Department of Public and Ecosystem Health.