Community Engagement Advisory Board

To provide a sounding board for our planned activities, expand our network of personal connections, and increase our awareness of opportunities and resources, we have assembled a group of community leaders to serve as an Advisory Board. These individuals strengthen our connections with our communities and community-serving organizations.

Barbara Duncan is Director of the Catamount Earth Institute, an organization dedicated to informing and inspiring the residents of the Upper Connecticut River Valley. Among its activities it organizes the “Healthy People, Healthy Planet” reading and discussion series exploring the connection between human health, diet, and the environment. Ms. Duncan has also served as the Executive Director of Vermont Earth Institute, where she coordinated over 500 community multi-session group discussions on environment and health topics.

Julia Griffin, M.B.A., has been the Town Manager of Hanover, NH for fifteen years. She previously served as Assistant City Manager and City Manager of Concord, NH. Ms. Griffin also previously oversaw the budget for the New York City foster care system as a Budget Analyst for the NYC Office of Management and Budget. She is a member of the Friends of the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth (CHaD) and serves on the Board of the Grafton County Economic Development Council.

Kurt Nelson, M.Div., is Assistant Chaplain at the Tucker Foundation, Dartmouth's Center for Service, Social Justice and Spirituality. In this capacity, the foundation serves as the primary coordinating body for community service opportunities, off-campus service-related fellowships and internships, leadership and reflection opportunities, cross-cultural programs, and inspirational speakers. Many of Tucker's programs are led jointly by students and staff.

Catherine F. Pipas, M.D., M.P.H., is the Assistant Dean for Medical Education at Dartmouth Medical School and the Medical Director for the Dartmouth Office of Community-Based Education and Research. She is also Associate Professor and Vice Chair, Chief Clinical Officer for the Dept. of Community and Family Medicine. Dr. Pipas's professional interests include: medical student education, educational research, community-based teaching and research, and family medicine career mentoring.

Pierce Rigrod, M.R.P., has been an environmental analyst for New Hampshire DES's Drinking Water Source Protection Program for the last six years. He is the program manager for the state's Groundwater Reclassification Program, organizes statewide conferences and contributes to strategies, policies and rules related to source water. He leads, or is involved with, a variety of projects associated with academic, governmental or stakeholder entities to implement actions protecting NH's drinking water resources.

Mary Saucier Choate, M.S., R.D., L.D., is the Food and Nutrition Educator at the Co-op Food Stores in Hanover and Lebanon, NH. She is a registered dietitian in the state of NH. Ms. Choate writes and teaches about food, nutrition, and health at the Co-op and throughout the Upper Valley. She responds daily to questions about food and nutrition from customers and employees. She also serves as NH Dietetic Association delegate to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Barry Smith, M.D., OBGYN, is Chairman Emeritus of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC), and Professor Emeritus, Dartmouth Medical School. Dr. Smith participated in the initial planning and organization of the Northern New England Perinatal Quality Improvement Network (NNEPQIN). Now retired, Dr. Smith serves on the NH PRAMS (Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System) committee, the ACOG MOMS (Making Obstetric Maternity Care Safe) Task Force, the Trustees of The Hitchcock Foundation, and is President of the New England OB/GYN Society.

Jennifer Stainton, M.Ed., is the Science Department Chair and teaches Integrated Environmental Science, AP Environmental Science, and Chemistry at Woodstock Union High School in Woodstock, VT. At Woodstock Union, she is implementing authentic science experiences for ninth graders through the Twin State Mercury Project. Ms. Stainton spent the first two years of her career at The Lab School of Washington, DC, where she learned how to reach students with learning disabilities through science.

Hannah Webber is the Education Research Manager at the Schoodic Education and Research Center (SERC) Institute. Her main role is to manage the “Mercury in Watersheds” project. Project management includes developing teacher workshops and interviewing project teachers. She uses interview responses, workshop feedback, teacher requests for information, and student artifacts to refine project materials and processes. Ms. Webber has taught kindergarteners to adults in a variety of formal and informal programs, including a term as Director of an Audubon Field Center.