Our Team

Timothy Bowles is an Associate Professor of Agroecology and Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management. His research focuses on how increasing reliance on biodiversity can create productive, healthy and resilient agricultural systems, drawing on agroecology, soil ecology, and biogeochemistry.

Charisma Acey is an Associate Professor of City and Regional Planning and a member of our Executive Committee. Her work focuses on local and regional environmental sustainability, with special attention to poverty reduction, urban governance, connections between food justice and environmental justice, urban agroecology, and access to basic services.

ab is a healer and a farmer. They graduated from UC Berkeley in 2016. They’re a deep advocate for complete self sustainability. Born in Oakland, they embody the heart of the Black Panthers and serve as a part of the central committee for People’s Programs, an organization in West Oakland that serves the people through a host of programming. They care about creating sovereignty from an intersectional stand point, pushing folks that are last to go first and letting love lead the way.

Scott Chang-Fleeman is a UC Santa Cruz Environmental Studies alum, vegetable farmer, and Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology alum. His farm, Shao Shan Farm, specializes in growing certified organic Asian vegetables for Bay Area AAPI chefs, grocers, and farmers markets. As a member of the farmer collaborative Second Generation Seeds, he also grows, saves, and distributes rare and climate adapted varieties of Asian vegetables. Prior to BFI, he worked at the Claremont Colleges managing operations, finances, education, and undergraduate employment at their educational farm and food waste recovery program. Outside of work, he volunteers time lobbying for increased resources for farmers of color and leads educational and cultural events around food, farming, and seed sovereignty for various community groups.

Jeanne Merrill is the Executive Director of the Berkeley Food Institute. She has more than 25 years of experience in food systems advocacy, policy analysis and development, and nonprofit leadership. She is a co-founder and former Policy Director with the California Climate and Agriculture Network (CalCAN). She has held several state and federal appointments, most recently to the U.S. EPA’s Farm, Ranch and Rural Communities Advisory Committee. Ms. Merrill holds a B.A. in political science from U.C. San Diego and an M.Sc. in Land Resources from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She began her career in community organizing, where she partnered with communities in California impacted by pesticides to win local and state protections. Her greatest passion lies in empowering people with the tools needed to affect democratic change and work together to achieve resilient and equitable food and farm systems.

Malaika Murphy-Sierra is the Communications Program Manager at Berkeley Food Institute, where she leads strategic communications and storytelling to amplify research, partnerships, and initiatives advancing a more just and sustainable food system. Prior to BFI, she worked at Stanford University’s Office of Sustainability, where she translated climate and sustainability initiatives for campus and public audiences, and at Impossible Foods, leading internal communications and employee engagement during a period of rapid growth. She has also served on the board of Meals on Wheels of Alameda County, supporting development and advocacy efforts to advance food access for older adults. Malaika holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Stanford University in psychology and environmental communication. Outside of work, she performs in improv shows, enjoys cooking plantain-based meals, and values building community through cooperative living.

Neha Sanghera’s professional background spans water resources, local government, and food systems. Neha joins BFI after completing her Master’s in Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School of Government. In graduate school, Neha was a clinical student at the Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic, where she collaborated with the Zero Food Waste Coalition to address food loss and waste. She also worked with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention on her capstone project, which examined state-level adoption and implementation of the Federal Food Service Guidelines. In addition, Neha completed a summer project with the Center for Good Food Purchasing to advance supplier diversification within the Good Food Purchasing Program. Neha has previously served board appointments with the Oregon Commission on Asian and Public Islander Affairs and the International Network for Asian Public Administrators. Neha holds a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard University and a B.S. in Hydrology from UC Santa Barbara.

Jezra Thompson is a food systems planner with over fifteen years of experience developing sustainable programs for healthy schools, environments, and communities; with ten years leading public education programs, creating curriculum, building and strengthening partnerships, and implementing instructional design initiatives and professional development. She has a master’s in urban planning from Columbia University and began her career at the Food and Nutrition Service, USDA as a Policy Analyst, where she participated in community food systems and healthy food access initiatives, such as Know Your Farmer Know Your Food and Peoples’ Garden, and was a lead author of the SNAP EBT How-to Handbook for market managers accepting nutrition assistance benefits during the food stamp transition. Before coming to BFI, she supported nonprofits advocating for healthy food access resources and policy, such as leading efforts in branding the California Farmers Market Market Match program and participating in national research projects on the Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program (FVRx). In addition to work, Jezra enjoys road biking, trail running, paddle boarding, and getting into nature as much as possible.