Our Team

Carrie B. Dolan, PhD

Dr. Carrie Dolan, is a spatial epidemiologist and associate professor in William & Mary's Kinesiology department. On top of that, she's an avid runner, scuba diver, and recently conquered the Haute Route hiking trail. Dr. Dolan also heads up Ignite, a research lab within the university's Global Research Institute. She holds a PhD in Healthcare Policy and Research from Virginia Commonwealth University and an MPH in Epidemiology from Tulane University. Before joining William & Mary, she worked as a Research Analyst at AidData.

Julius Nyerere Odhiambo, PhD

Dr. Julius Nyerere Odhiambo, is a spatial epidemiologist and assistant professor in William & Mary's Kinesiology department. He's all about understanding how diseases, health outcomes, and their causes come together, especially in places with limited resources. Julius is also an official collaborator with the Global Burden of Disease (GDB) Project at IHME, University of Washington. He earned his PhD in Public Health from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal and an MS in Applied Statistics from Jomo Kenyatta University.

Scott Ickes, PhD

Scott Ickes, Assistant Professor of Kinesiology, earned his Ph.D. in Nutrition with a minor in Epidemiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health. Professor Ickes’ research focuses on the socio-cultural, behavioral, and structural causes of poor nutrition and seeks to identify and evaluate strategies to improve nutrition and health in low-resource contexts. At William & Mary, Professor Ickes teaches courses in public health and nutrition. From 2018-2023, Dr. Ickes led an NIH-funded project in Kenya on drivers of lactation support among women employed in the commercial agriculture industry. He is a member of the American Society of Nutrition. Dr. Ickes enjoys mentoring students in reach projects, especially in East Africa. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, running, and gardening.

Jillian Harrison

Jillian Harrison is a Junior Program Manager for Ignite. In her capacity, she supports Ignite's research initiatives and manages and mentors Ignite’s team of students working on projects at the intersection of health and international development. A recent graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University with an undergraduate degree in Chemistry, She is interested in researching barriers to health literacy and access to healthcare in resource-limited settings, as well as immunology and the epidemiology of infectious diseases.

Evey Thompson

Evelyn Thompson is a Senior pursuing a double major in International Relations and Psychology. She is heavily involved with leadership in the International Relations Club, works at the Global Research Institute, and interns for the U.S. Army War College. She spends her free time exploring Colonial Williamsburg to see the lambs and foals that arrive each spring. While serving as a Summer Fellow under Ignite in Kenya, Evelyn is excited to strengthen her data analytics skills and learn more about the Community Health Partner’s work in local communities.

Amiyah Stukes

Amiyah is a junior double majoring in Data Science (Spatial Data Analytics Concentration) and Kinesiology (Public Health Concentration). She is also a WMSURE Scholar and a Wren Scholar here at W&M. Her academic interests include using GIS and other technologies to analyze Public Health Disparities and plans to become a Spatial Epidemiologist in the future. Currently, Amiyah is also a research assistant at the William and Mary Center for Geospatial Analysis where she is studying mosquitos and locations of West Nile Virus in Portsmouth, Virginia. While in Ignite Lab, Amiyah hopes to improve and gain more spatial analysis skills while simultaneously contributing to research. Outside of academics, Amiyah enjoys coloring, crocheting, and playing Nintendo Games. 

Rachel Malla

Rachel Malla is a senior pursuing a major in Data Science as well as a minor in Public Health. She has been a Research Assistant at the William & Mary Global Research Institute before and currently also interns for the William & Mary IT Department. Rachel is passionate about conducting research and using data to make evidence-based decisions to address pressing public health equity issues. In her free time, she enjoys going on walks in Colonial Williamsburg, cooking, and spending time with friends. As a Research Fellow with Ignite, she is excited to leverage and expand her Data Science skills and Public Health knowledge to assist in Ignite's long term commitment to conduct productive global health research.

Mina Aydin

Mina Aydin is a freshman who plans to major in international relations and/or psychology. Her journey from a STEM-focused high school education at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology to various international experiences (including studying in Rabat, Morocco through the NSLI-Y scholarship) sparked her interest in Ignite’s interdisciplinary approach to solving global problems. On campus, Mina is a part of Middle Eastern Students Association and WMFIRE. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, watching soccer, reading, and trying new restaurants. Mina is excited to contribute to transformative global health research and initiatives while at Ignite!

Imani Lee

Imani is a junior majoring in Kinesiology & Health Sciences, with a focus on Pre-Med. She is a participant in the WMSURE scholarship program. Imani's primary area of interest lies in examining the impact of public health on society and its role in creating global disparities. Through the Center for Global Development (CGD), she engaged in discussions with researchers specializing in establishing pandemic funds, decision support initiatives, and health economics and financing. She has also collaborated closely with a member of the CGD who is involved in developing advanced market commitments and implementing health economic programs. During her free time, Imani enjoys cheerleading, tending to her natural hair, traveling, exploring new food places, and shopping. She is eager to contribute to the team's efforts and expand her knowledge in various aspects related to global health.

Jimmy Bach

Jimmy is a sophomore pursuing a double major in Data Science and Kinesiology and Health Sciences (Public Health Concentration). Jimmy is passionate about finding quantitative solutions to a variety of issues in health. He hopes that his work with Ignite can help aid the development of these solutions around the world. Jimmy is also passionate about education, working as a Teacher’s Assistant for William & Mary’s Introduction to Data Science course as well as starting as a volunteer with the school’s Griffin School Partnerships. Jimmy is an avid participant in nearly every intramural sport offered at William & Mary, serving as captain of a flag football, basketball, soccer, and volleyball team. On weekends, you will likely find him passionately discussing the successes (or, more realistically, failures) of his favorite football team, the Detroit Lions.

Cate Pringle

Cate Pringle, is a sophomore from Annandale, Virginia. She is planning to major in Kinesiology with a concentration in Public Health. However, she also has academic interests in Biology and Economics. She is not yet completely sure what she wants to do in her career, but she currently leaning towards something related to hospital administration. In her free time she enjoys playing board games, doing crossword puzzles, and hiking. 

Aaron Tavel

Maria Anzola-Schnell

Ignite Alumni

Meeting the moment, together.