Executive Chair

Dheeraj Bandaru (He/Him), originally from Centreville, VA, is an incoming Masters student at the University of Chicago and is majoring in Computer Science. Dheeraj was an active member of Georgia Tech’s Campus Kitchens Project for the past 3 years and was the President of the organization. He has previously interned for the City of Atlanta and helped support the AgLanta program. He is excited to lead SAAB for this upcoming year and help make an impact!

Executive Vice Chair

Gal Yovel is a Senior at the University of Pittsburgh majoring in Biological Sciences with a minor in Chemistry, a certificate of Conceptual Foundations of Medicine with a distinction in Sustainability. Gal was the president of Food Recovery Heroes, Pitt’s chapter of Food Recovery Network, for his sophomore and junior year. He received the University of Pittsburgh Student Sustainability Award for his leadership as president of Food Recovery Heroes and his impact on the local Pittsburgh community. He has been with SAAB for a year and is excited to take the role of Executive Vice Chair.

Kelsey Rogers (She/Her) is a 2017 graduate of Roger Williams University, where she studied Graphic Design, Film, and American Studies. She was the founding president of FRN at RWU and one of seven inaugural Hassenfeld Fellows, a cohort of civically engaged students selected for leadership training and mentorship. While at RWU, she organized a forum in partnership with the Providence Public Library and À La Rhody, bringing together community agencies, local government, and Rhode Island colleges and universities to develop strategies for a more coordinated statewide food recovery response. Now a Creative Strategist at Boston Globe Media, she continues to champion the movement by integrating FRN into event planning, strategy, and by providing freelance design services to organizations committed to reducing food waste.

Izzy Fuller (she/her) is a 2022 graduate of the University of Utah where she studied Urban Ecology and Environmental and Sustainability Studies. She was co-president of her campus chapter of the Food Recovery Network and the partnership liaison with the Lowell Bennion Center for Community Engagement. She currently works as a technical editor for energy project finance reports. She enjoys cooking and baking using local and sustainable ingredients.

Sophia Samantaroy (she/her) is a public health research fellow with an international development NGO. Originally from the DC area, she recently graduated from University of Rochester, where she received a double major in Environmental Health and History, and a master's in Epidemiology. As her school's FRN chapter president, Sophia expanded the chapter post-pandemic by launching new community and campus partnerships--and helping Rochester students break out of the campus bubble. Sophia is passionate about the intersection of health and the environment and is currently researching the health effects of air pollution and nutrition. Sophia is also a journalism fellow with Health Policy Watch, where she reports on environmental, humanitarian, and health issues. She is excited to continue supporting FRN's mission on a national level.

Jane Guglielmo (she/her) is a sophomore at Cornell University studying biomedical engineering. She joined her school’s chapter of FRN in the fall of her freshman year, then trained to become a recovery officer, and this upcoming semester will take on the role of Logistics Coordinator on the executive board. Growing up, she volunteered at the community food bank and held soup drives throughout middle and high school. She wanted to continue the service of giving back to people and thought that FRN would be the perfect opportunity to do so. Jane is really excited to be an active member of SAAB and wants to help the organization make as much of a positive impact as possible.

Selina Chiang (she/her) is an alumna of the University of Pittsburgh, where she dedicated all years of her undergraduate studies to the Food Recovery Heroes chapter. As Vice President of Partnerships, she managed community outreach, connecting local restaurants and food banks with the organization. Her efforts strengthened ties between the chapter and the broader Pittsburgh community. Currently pursuing her dental degree at New York University, Selina continues her active involvement in Food Recovery Network through SAAB.

Charlotte Cai (she/her) graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 2024 with a major in Economics and a minor in Psychology. During her time there, she co-founded the school's FRN chapter with a focus on policy and education, since Mount Holyoke does not produce enough recoverable food scraps to qualify for physical food recovery. This challenged her chapter's team to adapt to the contexts and needs of her school and understand the community's collective food experience through sustained relationships. She was also a lead organizer for Growing Vines, a food justice collective centering BIPOC spaces in environmentalism.

Alivia Turner (she/they) is a Senior at Radford University, majoring in Sociology with a minor in Political Science. She has an interest in rural sociological issues and sustainability with a focus on food insecurity and related community-based solutions. Alivia is excited to see food recovery implemented on their campus, to not only improve sustainability efforts, but to aid in the fight against food insecurity in rural Southwest Virginia. She has worked with her executive board members to increase awareness of FRN's mission in their community through sustainability events and outreach, and they hope to see the club grow alongside campus recovery efforts.

Ana Neill (she/her) is a sophomore at Brown University majoring in philosophy, politics, and economics with interests in environmentalism. After volunteering for Brown’s FRN chapter in her freshman year, she joined the executive board where she planned events, met with administrators, and organized Brown FRN’s first attendance at the Rhode Island Food Policy Conference. Ana’s dedication to food recovery/hunger relief was partly sparked by her childhood experiences with the Brooklyn Quaker Meeting and its monthly community dinners.

Brandon Sia (he/him) is a University of Pittsburgh Mechanical Engineering Alumni and former president of its chapter. During my time as president I helped facilitate partnerships with various internal and external organizations that were previously overlooked due to logistical challenges. Ended my time having led the chapter to its most impactful year since founding and being awarded the university's 2025 Group Sustainability Award. I'm still engaged with food insecurity by volunteering at a local kitchen that serves meals. Otherwise, I'm training for marathons, going on food tours around the city, and enjoying nature.

Chloe Selby (she/her) is a 2025 graduate from the University of California, Irvine with a B.S. in Earth System Science specializing in Oceanography and a B.A. in Environmental Science and Policy specializing in Geographic Information Systems. In FRN at UC Irvine, Chloe served as the re-founding Vice President for one-and-a-half years and Chapter President for one year. Her favorite accomplishments were leading the 2024 move-out food drive, establishing weekly farmer’s market recoveries, and hosting free cooking labs for students. She is looking forward to assisting FRN students nationwide and sharing her passion for sustainability.

Cory Tompkins (he/him) is a Graduate student at Northern Arizona University studying Climate Science and Solutions with a Certificate in Greenhouse Gas Accounting. Cory was the President of NAU's Food Recovery Network chapter and helped reinstate the club on campus by sparking greater student interest and expanding the number of food recovery locations across campus. In his junior year, Cory was recognized as a recipient of the Sustainability Leadership Award and Henry O Hooper scholarship for his involvement in FRN and commitment to sustainability on campus.

Danijela Doncevic (she/her) is a 2025 graduate of Saint Louis University where she studied Biology and Spanish, and ran track as a Division I athlete. She currently is enrolled at Saint Louis University School of Medicine and is pursuing her MD. At SLU, she volunteered with the chapter of Campus Kitchen (the first national chapter of the organization), served on the Leadership Team as a Baking Shift Leader, was on the Executive Board as a VP of Food Administration and Operations, and her senior year, served as President of the chapter. During her time as President, she connected the SLU Campus Kitchen chapter to FRN - making it one of the largest chapters to be a part of the organization. She established further partnerships with community organizations, on top of many existing ones, such as local schools, grocery stores, and temporary housing locations to repurpose food and prevent food waste within St. Louis. As an aspiring physician, she hopes to use her background in aiding those who are food insecure to ensure that her future patients will have access to healthy and nutritious food.

Emmanuel Kraft (he/him) is a senior at Penn State University studying Political Science and Communication Arts and Sciences, as well as pursuing a Master of Public Policy. As a freshman, Emmanuel co-founded the Food Recovery Network at Penn State. By establishing partnerships with all five campus dining halls and the campus athletic facilities, the Penn State chapter recovered over 20,000 meals in two years. Emmanuel was recognized by the Pennsylvania Environmental Resource Consortium as a Pennsylvania Campus Sustainability Champion. He looks forward to contributing to the FRN SAAB!

Erica Szymanski (she/her) is a 2023 graduate of the University of Virginia. She earned a B.S. in Commerce with an IT Concentration, Business Analytics Track, and Global Sustainability minor. She joined the Food Recovery Network during her first year at UVA. Erica served as Public Relations Chair, Vice President, and eventually President of UVA's FRN chapter during her third and final year at UVA. She organized the first annual Food Justice Panel at the University, which highlighted student organizations, faculty, and staff combating food insecurity within the community. She completed a Dean's Fellowship at the Darden School of Business, and she looks forward to starting her MBA program as a Darden Future Year Scholar.

Grace (she/her) is a medical student at the Medical College of Georgia. Building upon similar efforts during college, she co-founded her institution’s chapter in 2022 alongside another medical student to address the high prevalence of food insecurity in Augusta. Since then, she has been inspired by the organization’s impact and its role in tackling this social determinant of health. She is excited to join the Student and Alumni Board, where she looks forward to helping students start their own chapters and supporting them in their journey to become social justice advocates.

Francesca Bambara (she/her) is a rising senior at Providence College, where she is double majoring in Global Studies and Sociology with a minor in Spanish. This year, she will continue to develop PC’s newly established FRN chapter, working with dining hall staff to coordinate semiweekly food recoveries and establish a community fridge to broaden the reach of existing food access initiatives in Providence. Outside of FRN and her passions for advancing food justice, Francesca is involved in the college’s student congress, on-campus thrift store, environmental club, and programs encouraging collaborative dialogue between students and faculty. In her free time, she loves to attend concerts and spend time with family and friends, especially at the beach!

Gwen Casey (she/her) is a 2025 graduate of Carleton College where she studied biology. For three years, she worked as a program director with Carleton's chapter of the Food Recovery Network and helped to expand the program to divert over 35,000 lbs of food each year. She sees food recovery as one of the easiest ways to both address climate change and food insecurity and is excited to stay involved with this issue through the Student Alumni Advisory Board!

Hamilton (he/him) is a 4th year Public Health major at the University of California San Diego. With his work in the Food Recovery Network, he is dedicated to assisting underrepresented and underserved communities. He has worked in Food Recovery and other Basic Needs Assistance programs at his university for 2 years, with him heading into his third this year. With aspirations to work in the public health sector and continuing to help those in need, Hamilton is passionate about community building and accurate public representation in healthcare as well as understanding and improving the health behaviors of those in his community. In his free time, Hamilton loves to play instruments and watch films.

Ibraheem Qureshi (he/him) is a fourth year at the University of Virginia majoring in Applied Statistics and minoring in Biology. Originally from West Chester, PA, Ibraheem has served as both a volunteer and executive board member for Food Assist, UVA's chapter of the Food Recovery Network. Throughout his work as Treasurer, VP, and now President, he has helped to coordinate the movement of over 25,000 lbs of food to Charlottesville pantries and shelters. He is excited to serve on the SAAB, bringing his experience in both advocacy and logistics to further the FRN's mission.

J (they/them) graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2022, with a degree in Architecture and minors in Civil Engineering and Studio Arts. They joined the RPI chapter of FRN in 2018 and were chapter president from 2020-2022, becoming an alumni member post graduation. As a disabled person, J is passionate about working with SAAB to help encourage even those with physical limitations find ways to give back to their communities, combatting hopelessness with action.

Jenny Snyder (she/her) is a senior at the University of Pittsburgh with a major in Nutrition and Dietetics. Some of the things that drew her to the field of nutrition were food insecurity and nutrition education. She started with Food Recovery Heroes as a volunteer, then stepped into the Vice-President of Partnerships role in her sophomore year, where she established and maintained relationships with food donors and food recipients for the organization. She is now the President of the University of Pittsburgh’s chapter of Food Recovery Network, so she hopes in this role and in her role on SAAB, she can raise awareness and continue to fight food waste and food insecurity.

Jesse Van Maanen (she/her) is a cultural anthropologist specializing in the anthropology of food with a background in sustainability, education and food justice. Jesse received her BA in Anthropology, International Studies and Spanish, and a graduate certificate in Museum and Archive Studies from the University of South Dakota, and her MA in Anthropology from New Mexico State University. She became involved with the Food Recovery Network while researching food waste at educational institutions during her graduate program at NMSU, and has a passion for supporting equitable access to food and sustainable food systems. Jesse currently works for Roadrunner Food Bank of New Mexico and serves as their Director of Community Advocacy for Southern New Mexico and Mexico.

Kahlil Mitchell-Smith (he/him) is a 2025 graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University, who majored in Environmental Studies and Philosophy. During his undergraduate career, he assisted in revitalizing the previously defunct Ohio Wesleyan Food Recovery Network chapter by helping with food recoveries and serving as its secretary for two years. He used his positions as student sustainability coordinator (July 2023-May 2024) and department co-manager (Spring 2025) to advertise and assist the local chapter in an administrative capacity. Additionally, he took a "Food Politics and Policy" course where he studied varying facets of food regulation and took a trip to London in order to compare allergen labeling in the U.S and U.K. He is passionate about the issue of food insecurity due to the paradox of more land being taken to grow food while massive amounts of good food often goes to waste. He hopes to continue to promote land conservation and preservation.

Lauren Klann (she/her) is a 2021 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she earned degrees in Community and Nonprofit Leadership, and Community and Environmental Sociology focusing on food systems. While in Madison, Lauren served with FRN all four years, first as a volunteer, then a shift leader, and finally spent her last two years as an Executive Board member. Now, Lauren lives in Kansas City where she serves as the Supportive Services Supervisor overseeing the food pantry partnership program that supports thirty-four food and toiletry pantries across three counties. Lauren is excited to be a part of SAAB and collaborate with dedicated individuals and student chapters, leveraging everyone’s talents, to create food secure communities.

Lydia Vulich (she/her) is in her final semester at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), majoring in Civil Engineering with a minor in Sustainable Cities. Lydia was president of the Food Recovery Network at UIC during her sophomore and junior years. She held the volunteer and donor coordinating position last year and will continue that work through her last semester, training new leaders for the FRN chapter at UIC. During her time, she has worked with her fellow executive board members to increase their recovery frequency from twice a week to five times per week. Her efforts as a leader for FRN at UIC led to a CBS Chicago story that featured the chapter's collaboration with their food donors and partner agency.

Mary Lazaris (she/her) is a Senior at the University of Pittsburgh, studying Biological Sciences with minors in Chemistry and Modern Greek. This is her third year involved with FRN, and her second year on the leadership team of Pitt’s chapter, where her role is to organize collaboration recoveries between Food Recovery Heroes and other on-campus organizations, as well as to promote food sustainability in different ways across campus. She became involved with FRN to do her part to reduce food waste on a larger scale, and later joined SAAB to further her exploration of food security as a key tenet of community health. Her long-term plans include going to dental school and continuing to contribute to food waste reduction wherever she attends school!

My name is Mike DeJoseph, and I am a Junior at Springfield College majoring in Physical Therapy. I've been involved in the Food Recovery Network since my Freshman year and served as President in the second semester of my Sophomore year! During my involvement with FRN, I helped initiate a second recovery date in the week, going from Tuesday recoveries to Tuesday and Thursday recoveries. The students were more than willing to help on this extra day, getting us to almost 2,000 lbs of food recovered this past semester! This year, my goal is to continue the momentum that we have and grow the impact of our chapter. I'm going to strive to build stronger connections with local nonprofits like Rachel's Table and the Springfield Rescue Mission, starting chapters at neighboring colleges like Western NE and American International College, and starting fundraisers on campus to get more people involved in FRN's mission! With this goal of growing the impact of the chapter we have at Springfield as well as to start new chapters, I hope to use my involvement in SAAB to further these advances!

Natalie Walton (she/her) graduated from the University of Michigan in 2025 with a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a minor in Sociology of Health and Medicine. She served as Director of Marketing and Communications and later as Co-President of the university’s Food Recovery Network chapter, where she helped rebuild low membership numbers, established new partnerships including with a local farm, and strengthened the chapter’s impact on campus. For her leadership in FRN and other sustainability initiatives, she received the University of Michigan’s Honors in Sustainability Award. Natalie is currently in a gap year while applying to medical school, with aspirations to become a geriatrician who integrates her passion for food, health, and community well-being, and in her free time she enjoys gardening and caring for her collection of more than 30 houseplants.