Team Page - Bamboo For Good

Jonathan Scherch, Ph.D.

Jonathan leads PBR collaborations building on 25+ years of international bamboo development across social, economic, ecological, and technological contexts. His personal, professional, and service / volunteer experience spans 20 countries, reflecting a track record of successful collaborations with individuals, teams, and organizations. Formerly a professor and Dean, his interdisciplinary academic service spanned multiple US and international appointments. In complement to bamboo interests, his research and field work intersect with innovations of sustainable agriculture and food systems, climate-smart technologies and vanguard engineering applications, and ecological design tactics for advancing resilient communities and economies. Among his credentials, Jonathan holds International Training Certification on Bamboo Industrial Processing Technologies and Machines. In 2016, he was the recipient of a Fulbright Scholar Specialist award in Social Work at Makerere University, in Kampala, Uganda. His collaborative work focused on new social work graduate program and regional professional development initiatives. And, he introduced new conversations about practical bamboo resources to address critical issues of poverty, unemployment, refugee relief, environmental protection, and social welfare across Uganda and Africa, South of the Sahara. Subsequently, the programs of Bamboo for Good (B4G) emerged. A returned U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer (Jamaica, 1991-93), his diverse personal and professional experiences have resulted in numerous opportunities for teaching and presenting. In 2007, following an academic sabbatical in China, he offered a Foreign Expert Keynote Address for the International Bamboo Workshop at Zhejiang Agricultural & Forestry University in Lin’an, China. In the USA, Jonathan co-presented “Bamboo and Opportunities in the State of Alabama” for the 2012 National Science Foundation Workshop on Emerging Technologies for Sustainable Green Materials & Products, hosted by the University of Alabama – Birmingham and Tuskegee University. He regularly meets and consults with executive leadership and diverse teams in the interest of performance innovations and inclusive, sustainable results. Offering leadership to vanguard for-profit and non-profit ventures, he is a co-founder of Resource Fiber, LLC, a founding Board Member of Climate Solutions, and served as Program Vice President for the Northwest Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration, among many others. He is a member of the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW). Reflecting his deep interests in connecting technological innovations for social benefit, Jonathan has been an avid amateur radio operator and educator for over 25 years, holding an Amateur Extra Class license. He regularly communicates with people around the world, and takes his portable radio station with him for use and demonstration as he travels. He holds licensed call signs of KK7PW in the USA; 5X1O in Uganda; 9X0SS in Rwanda; and JO4FND in Japan. He volunteers with the Disaster Communications Team of the American Red Cross serving King, Kitsap & North Mason Counties (USA), and with the Auxiliary Communications Service within the City of Seattle’s Department of Emergency Management. His home station and household electrical loads are powered by a solar photovoltaic energy system which he designed and installed in 2006.

Founder & Executive Director jscherch@pacificbamboo.org

Janestic Twikirize

Dr. Janestic M. Twikirize is a senior Lecturer at Makerere University Department of Social Work. She is a founding co-director of the Bamboo4Good project and has been coordinating project efforts in Uganda since 2016. Dr. Twikirize is also social development specialist with rich experience in development research. She has provided consultancy services to a number of government and nongovernmental organizations working in different sectors both in and outside Uganda. She has been at the forefront of promoting professional social work in East Africa to more effectively contribute towards sustainable development. Her research and published works revolve around indigenization of social work and social development, social, economic and environmental justice and gender. She has published over 20 journalarticles and book chapters, edited two books and made more than 30 international conference presentations in the last 6 years. She is internationally recognized as a developmental social work scholar, with particular expertise in social service workforce development. Since 2012, she has served as Vice President of the Association of Schools of Social Work in Africa and also represents the Africa region on the International Association of Schools of Social Work and co-coordinates the global agenda for social work, Africa observatory, which among others collects, analyses and reports of the contribution of the social service workforce towards social development in Africa.

Director / B4G East Africa Uganda jtwikirize@pacificbamboo.org

Fred Yikii

Fred Yikii is an Assistant Lecturer (since 2011) in the Department of Environmental Management – School of Forestry, Environmental and Geographical Sciences, Makerere University. He holds a Bachelor of Community Forestry and a MSc. in Agroforestry of Makerere University. He was a fellow of Land Restoration and Sustainable Land management at the Agricultural University of Iceland in 2009. Fred has over 10 years of teaching experience spanning fields like Environmental Communication, Landscaping and Urban Forestry, Conflict Resolution in Natural Resources Management, and Food Security. He has participated in several exhibitions showcasing forestry innovations and products to various audiences on behalf of the school and as part of his role in community outreach. His current research activities are on food security and wetland policy. Fred also has an interest in Landcare activities for sustainable land management and community development.

Forestry Education / Field Research Uganda fyikii@pacificbamboo.org

Lance Rasmussen

Lance has spent his career working in a niche field where software and technology meet the world of sports and currently serves as President for CDE Software, a Seattle based company. Lance grew up in the Pacific Northwest in a small town of Port Angeles, WA. The area is known for its views of the Olympic Mountains and rich with hiking and diverse beauty. He began working with computers just prior to Apple and IBM releasing their first personal computers and self studied to began creating various programs on those platforms. Later on, he helped bring a pre-Internet means of email communication called FIDO-NET to the Olympic Peninsula, which led to building websites and then joining the company that he’s now become President. During this time Lance also attended graduate school to earn his MBA and also has served as an adjunct professor teaching computer sciences. One of Lance’s passion is photography, which the Pacific Northwest provides unlimited opportunities for subject matter. He also greatly enjoys cooking and is involved in various cooking groups around the area. He also is a certified BBQ judge through the nation’s two largest BBQ associations and serves as a volunteer for their technology needs. Another more recent passion is amateur radio operations, where he holds an Extra Class license (call sign K7LER). Lance met Jonathan at the West Seattle Amateur Radio Club and have served together as board members for the group. He also volunteers with the Auxiliary Communications Service within the City of Seattle’s Department of Emergency Management. He is an ARRL-accredited Volunteer Examiner as part of testing teams administering FCC amateur radio tests as well as an ARRL Volunteer Examiner Test Coordinator supervising testing sessions to new radio operators as well as operators seeking higher class levels. He’s always been fascinated with bamboo in his younger days and even more so, with the expansion and recognition of bamboo having a great future and what it provides in its sustainability and diverse usage.

Technology USA lrasmussen@pacificbamboo.org

Sarah Stuttaford

Sarah Stuttaford is an Undergraduate Student at the University of British Columbia, Canada. She brings diverse expertise in Political Science, History, and Economics through her major in International Relations. Since April 2020, Sarah has been working as Proposal Development and Research Assistant at Pacific Bamboo Resources. As such, she has been pursuing topical research, exploring funding opportunities, and developing competitive proposals. Sarah enjoys serving others in every way she can. Accordingly, she is also working as an Advisor for the Children of Universe Fund in South Africa, through which they provide scholarships for kids to continue their education. She has also worked as a Management and Marketing Intern at GAO Tek, Canada. She brings this and other experiences to bear on the humanitarian causes of PBR programs. She is determined to continue learning from others’ experiences and stories.

Proposal Development/Research Assistant Canada

Sara Hamann

Sara brings an interdisciplinary background in environmental science, conservation governance, research and education. She has 5 years of experience working in non-for-profit organizations in Mexico, England and the USA. Sara has an MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management from the University of Oxford, with a specialization in religion and conservation. In the Biodiversity Institute at the University of Oxford, she researched Eastern Orthodox church forests in the Northern Gondor region of Ethiopia to measure their ecological importance in an agricultural landscape. She also studied the effects of habit fragmentation on endangered hedgehogs in England and their resilience in different agricultural settings. Sara began working with PBR in 2017 directing their social media outreach. She is particularly interested in sustainable development, human-wildlife conflict, illegal wildlife trade, responsible sourcing and climate change adaptation.

Social Media USA shamann@pacificbamboo.org

Arthur Lindhjem

Arthur Lindhjem is currently based in Seattle, Washington, USA. He is an experienced Freelance Designer with a demonstrated history of working in the graphic design industry. He is skilled in Digital Illustration, Digital Communication, 3D Design, Graphics, Image Editing, and Drawing. Strong arts and design professional with a Digital Communication Arts (BFA) focused on New Media Communications from Oregon State University. Arthur has worked and volunteered for various non-profit organizations, including as a member of the board of directors for the Arc of Benton Country (an organization that works for people with developmental disabilities where he worked as a web content designer. He has also served as a youth volunteer for the Seattle Aquarium through which he had the opportunity to participate in local environment conservation activities including numerous beach cleanings. As a Youth Ocean Advocate in the Seattle community, he participated in public speaking events and other conservation events that promoted sustainability. Arthur works as a graphic designer and web manager at PBR. He is responsible for refreshing the website with infographics, graphic content, and blog management. He is passionate about photography and committed to working for sustainable initiatives like the promotion and conservation of bamboo.

Graphic Design/Web Manager USA alindhjem@pacificbamboo.org

Apsana Kafle

Apsana Kafle is a graduate student from Nepal who pursued her undergraduate degree in Forestry from Tribhuvan University, Institute of Forestry in 2020. Currently, she is serving as a volunteer at Pacific Bamboo Resources (PBR). She is also working as an intern at RECOFTC - The Center for People and Forests. Apsana brings extraordinary academic excellence and has been awarded prestigious awards such as the Nepal Conservation Memorial Scholarship provided by WWF Nepal, University batch topper, etc. Throughout her university life, she had participated and led multiple conservation campaigns, outreach, and research activities. She is among the core members of Female Foresters Network, Nepal (FFN), through which she is advocating for equality and inclusion in the forestry landscapes. Her participation in International Conferences such as SCCS- Bangalore, national training events such as Wildlife Research Training, Research Design, and Study, etc. extends her confidence and expertise. Apsana is very passionate about writing, having published Op-Ed pieces for national newspapers and various international Book Chapters. She has also made voluntary contributions as a researcher towards different national and international projects. She is currently leading her urban greenery project in Kathmandu, where she wants to promote bamboo for urban resilience and greenery. Apsana wants to promote research and conservation of the bamboo sector in Nepal, a country where bamboo has a significant role as a natural resource and cultural resource. In Nepal, especially in Hinduism, bamboo is needed from cradle to grave. She believes that bamboo sector promotion is absolutely necessary to upscale the economy and resilience of the country. Apsana brings energy and enthusiasm to the PBR team, contributing as a researcher and content writer for project and grant proposal writing. She is also working to strengthen the network and visibility of PBR to a wider audience through social media outreach and extension activities.

Program Support/Research Assistant Nepal akafle@pacificbamboo.org

Steven Boldt

Steven holds bachelor’s degrees in Finance and Marketing from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee and brings more than a decade of experience in various business management roles to Pacific Bamboo Resources. His skills include project management, branding, user experience, content creation, and relationship building. Steven grew up in northern Wisconsin with a dairy farmer as a grandfather and has always enjoyed the outdoors and agriculture. He built upon these early experiences by working with multiple nonprofits that focus on increasing food security through urban agriculture and sustainable food systems development and education. These professional and personal experiences brought Steven to his role as a Grant & Partnership Developer at Pacific Bamboo Resources. He hopes to bring more attention to the viability of bamboo as a sustainable resource and community builder while increasing his own capacity to fundraise and position nonprofits for success.

Grant & Partnership Development USA sboldt@pacificbamboo.org

Philippe Rumenera

Philippe Rumenera is a qualified researcher and agribusiness manager based in Rwanda and holds a Masters Degree in Agriculture Economics from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya. He currently serves PBR as the Director of Business and Network Development and works with SNV within the project “Strengthening Education for Agriculture Development” (SEAD). Philippe has more than 20 years of experience in implementing activities under different domains including baseline survey, mid-term evaluation, final evaluation, feasibility studies, survey techniques, etc. He has worked for various Government Agencies such as (MINICOM, MINAGRI, NAEB) more specifically towards the value chain development of different agriculture commodities. He has conducted successful consultancy assignments for local and international institutions such as SNV, FAO, USAID funded projects including CRS, ACDI VOCA, USAID CARANA, CHF, Global communities, PSDAG; World Vision Rwanda, IFAD, EU funded project; PSF, AGRI- TAF, PASP/MINAGRI, Palladium, ACCORD. He is a certified agriculture practitioner and trainer. He holds a rich base of experience in the development of course notes, teaching materials, and training modules, preparing training sessions, reports, conducting participatory planning, developing strategic and business plans. Some of the important training and outreach activities that he has led include Training of Trainers (ToT) on Climate-Smart Agriculture, Good Agriculture Practices to farmers, Value Addition, and Value Chain Development of Agriculture Crops. During his long professional career as an agriculture expert, he has had numerous opportunities to work with farmers in bamboo promotion and development. He wants to use his agricultural background and economic knowledge to strengthen the business promotion and upscale menu of bamboo in Rwanda and across the region. Along with the dynamic team of PBR, Phillippe is committed to providing his input and expertise for bamboo-based business development, employment generation, and promoting food security.

Forestry Education / Field Research Rwanda prumenera@pacificbamboo.org

Eva Otto

Eva brings to PBR over 20 years of experience and passion in the fields of community and economic development, biomass resources, sustainable agriculture, and green building. Currently, Eva is the Owner/Broker of Infiniti Real Estate & Development, a green real estate company in Seattle WA, that specializes in sales and marketing for residential and commercial properties. Eva received her Master’s degree in Environmental Studies at the Evergreen State College during which time Eva spent six months working with the United Nations preparing a policy agenda for the World Summit on Sustainable Development. During her undergraduate and graduate education, Eva spent seven years studying and working internationally on using biomass energy and materials for community and rural economic development in almost a dozen countries, including Costa Rica, Japan, India, and Brazil. Eva is a member of the International Living Futures Institute, Cascadia Green Building Council, Eco-Building Guild, and the Global Interdependence Center. She is deeply engaged in helping to promote bamboo as a rapidly renewable building resource and how it can serve to promote rural economic development worldwide.

Board President USA eotto@pacificbamboo.org

Shyam Paudel, Ph.D.

Shyam, a forester by profession, has over 20 years of international experience in natural resources management and sustainable development. He has PhD in Forest Ecology and Management from University of British Columbia, Canada and M.Sc. in Natural Resources Planning from University of Twente (ITC), The Netherlands. Shyam is also a Registered Professional Biologist (RP Bio) of British Columbia, Canada. Shyam started his career in 1990 working as a community forestry facilitator with Food and Agricultural Organization to implement newly emerged community forestry policy in Nepal. Since then, Shyam has worked with several organizations including Government, international organizations and United Nations in various capacities. Currently, Shyam is working with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as a Chief Technical Adviser for Climate Resilient Communities. Shyam has a long experience in bamboo development. He served as a Senior Programme Officer and Regional Programme Manager (Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda) of International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) based in Beijing, PR China from 2002 to 2011. During his tenure with INBAR, he developed and managed bamboo projects more than 15 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. He played a key role to promote bamboo as a sustainable and green building material around the world and established a global programme on bamboo housing. Shyam is always passionate about helping local communities by engaging them in the value chain system of locally available commodities, such as bamboo and has continued his contribution to improve bamboo sectors around the world.

Director At-Large Canada spaudel@pacificbamboo.org

Kamesh Salam

Kamesh is the founder of World Bamboo Day and is considered to be an authority on bamboo issues in India and South Asia. He is a skilled Bamboo management expert with more than 25 years experience in the bamboo sector. His interests include capacity building, skills, and community development of the communities. He has worked with INBAR, GIZ and accredited consultant with ADB funded project on bamboo in Bhutan. Kamesh has also contributed to the bamboo development programs of India as the Member of the Apex Committee of National Bamboo Mission of India. He is associated with various policies and planning activates of Government of India with Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change as Member of the first Bamboo Development Committee in 1999. He has been member of various committees with Ministry of Textiles on Handicrafts and Bio Diversity Board of Government of Manipur. He has also worked with PwC, India as external Consultant on bamboo resources in 2015 for India’s first Bamboo based Indo-Finnish Bio Refinery project planned in Assam. He has also served on Advisory Body of Trade Associations like FICCI on Skills of NE States of India and worked on bamboo policies and regulatory issues with think thank Institutes like Centre for Civil Society (CCS) New Delhi. Kamesh is the Founder and CEO of South Asia Bamboo Foundation (SABF) a non- profit organisation registered under Indian Trust Act in Guwahati, Assam and is working on bamboo based community and livelihood developments in South Asia. Currently he is consultant to Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram states of India on Bamboo. He has organised many events on bamboo in India and globally such as Bamtech & Bamfest in Guwahati, Agartala and Shillong , India, Bamtech in Accra, Ghana, Bamtech in Bangkok, Thailand, World Bamboo Congress in Bangkok, Global Bamboo Summits in Vietnam and South Korea to promote bamboo for various stakeholders of bamboo sector & networking. Currently he is promoting constructions of bamboo toilets among the communities in NE State of India for promoting hygiene and clean environment. His has been nominated a member of the Governing Council of Furniture and Fitting Skill Council (FFSC) of Skill Sector development in India for bamboo and rattan furniture. Kamesh has also co-founded the Bamboo Global Summit.

South Asia Bamboo Foundation India

Andry Widyowijatnoko

Andy is a lecturer, researcher, freelance architect, bamboo designer, and builder. Please see his LinkedIn page for more information.

Lecturer and Researcher Indonesia

Julia Washbourne

Over the last 15 years (having lived and worked in China, Taiwan, Japan and Hong Kong), I have gathered a vast and extensive knowledge in the areas of product design, quality assurance, ethical sourcing, project management, people management and manufacturing across categories including electronics, gifts, home wares, appliances, furniture and fabrics. Being passionate about sustainability and the environment, I discovered the incredible benefits and properties of bamboo, which is the fastest growing plant on the planet and at the same time can provide thousands of rural communities with a livelihood. Having done extensive research on bamboo and different processing methods, I have become a specialist in designing and developing bamboo products, knowing how to work with bamboo and how to transform this amazing material into beautiful and contemporary products. Through my passion for bamboo and its potential to help alleviate deforestation and poverty in rural areas, in 2008 I launched the brand BAMBOA. BAMBOA’s headquarters and new retail boutique are in the newly renovated PMQ building, located in the heart of Soho, Central, Hong Kong.

Owner, Bamboa Hong Kong

Analaura Antúnez Latorre

Founded in 2015, with two partners, ZHÚ · Innovación en Bambú, an initiative dedicated to promoting and disseminating the benefits of using bamboo through research and development, design services, training and consulting. At the end of the same year founded, along with three partners, Collective Grasses, an organization that promotes the use and appreciation of local plant fibers through various training activities. In 2011 I won a scholarship to participate for two months in China Bamboo Research Center (CBRC) in a training course on bamboo; culture, processes, technologies and applications, in Hangzhou, China. In 2013 I traveled to Panama City for a week to attend a seminar-workshop on how to build a house with bamboo. Since then I have had the opportunity to teach courses and conferences in various parts of Uruguay and Argentina, Costa Rica and El Salvador. With a degree in Industrial Design, work experience since 2007 includes various design studios, factories and private companies. Since 2009, served as a teacher and tutor of thesis at the University School Design Center (EUCD, Fadu, UdelaR).

Specialist in bamboo design Co-Founder, · ZHÚ · Innovación en Bambú Uruguay

Smitha Rao

Smitha brings a multidisciplinary background of urban and rural community development as well as social science research and has spent more than a decade working in academic and not-for-profit sectors in India, and more recently in North America. In rural Maharashtra, India, she worked with communities on advancing women’s political empowerment and creation of livelihood programs for disenfranchised women. She led post disaster reconstruction and rehabilitation projects in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal focussed on rebuilding tribal leadership lost as a result of the Tsunami. As a member of Greenpeace India, she worked on strategy and design for international environmental campaigns ranging from climate change, lobbying with industry to phase out toxics, to promotion of sustainable agriculture practices. She has taught Geography at Portland State University and designed curricula at her alma mater, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, in Mumbai, India. Smitha began work on the PBR project, Morethana Farm, in 2012 and helped organize several on and off-farm workshops, classes and farming initiatives that led to connections in the Sammamish Valley Agricultural District and beyond. She served on the board of Seattle Biochar Working Group. Smitha continues to involve herself in socio-environmental research and has published several independent and collaborative pieces in international publications. She believes in a greener future and is particularly interested in the social justice aspects of agro-forestry and bamboo research, and in bamboo as a strategic crop for a sustainable world.

Research Liaison USA

Daniel Lumonya, Ph.D.

A citizen of Uganda, Dan completed a bachelor’s degree in social work and social administration at Makerere University in Uganda in 1991 and a master’s degree in social sector planning and management at the same university in 1999. Dan completed his PhD in development sociology at Cornell University. His dissertation research focused on the political economy of the maize market in rural eastern Uganda. More broadly, Dan’s research interests revolve around small farming systems and agrarian transitions, globalization, and state civil society relations. He taught at Makerere University in Kampala for fourteen years and was academic director with SIT on its Uganda and Rwanda semester and summer programs between 2001 and 2015. Dan has extensive experience with NGO and government program monitoring and evaluation in Uganda and has traveled extensively in the region. Dan is also the Founder and Executive Director of Washarika, a Ugandan organization that focuses on policy advocacy for small scale farms, community building projects, youth programs, and farm consultancy.

Board Vice-President Uganda dlumonya@pacificbamboo.org

Tani Cerron

Architect, Msc in Ecology and Environmental Management at Ricardo Palma University (Peru). Specialist in International Cooperation for the Development of San Buenaventura University of Cartagena (Colombia, Italy); training and specialization in Technology with bamboo in Colombia and China National Bamboo Research Center -CBRC (China) and International Center of Bamboo and Rattan -ICBR (China). President of the Peruvian Bamboo Society; Ambassador of the World Bamboo Organization, Deputy Manager at Cerron Architects S.A.C; Researcher in the Bamboo Research Circle (CIB – Perú), Professor of the Master of Architecture and Sustainability at Ricardo Palma University (Peru), Professor of Architecture at San Ignacio de Loyola University (Peru), Technological University of Peru (Perú), San Martin de Porres University (2013-2016); Academy coordinator (2009-2012) for the Institute of Sustainable Building at Ricardo Palma University (Peru). Consultant, designer and researcher on bamboo for NGOs (ACCA, YMCA, APDES), private and public institutions (SENCICO, MINCETUR, CENFOTUR) Speaker and participant in national and international workshops related to bamboo, China, Korea, Vietnam, Cameroon, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panamá, Perú. Full Member by the College of Architects of Peru, to the Technical Committee of Standardization for the development of NTE E-100-bambu. Has designed, supervised and builded different constructions with bamboo in Perú. Author of the handbook: “Construction of Bamboo Structures”, SENCICO, Perú.

Specialist in bamboo architecture Sub manager, Cerrón Arquitectos SAC President, Peruvian Bamboo Society (SPB) Peru

Stephen Gitonga

Stephen comes to our International Advisory Board from the United Nations Development Programme in Kenya where he specializes in the Monitoring and Evaluation side of development operations throughout Kenya. Stephen has also worked with UN-REDD and with the Kenya Organisation for Environmental Education, and we are very excited to have Stephen’s expertise in data analysis and local knowledge on our IAB.

Programme Assistant (Monitoring and Evaluation), United Nations Development Programme Kenya

Michelle Major

Michelle is a Marketing Manager in Seattle, Washington. She recently graduated from the University of Washington with a BA in Business Administration with a focus on Marketing. She joined Pacific Bamboo Resources to use her marketing background and creative skillset to help promote and support the PBR mission. As an avid nature lover and adventurer, Michelle is excited to be part of an organization that brings awareness to sustainable practices that have positive impacts on our natural environments.

Strategic Media Developer USA

Anne Deepak, Ph.D.

Anne Deepak is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at Monmouth University in New Jersey and coordinates the Global and Community Practice (GCP) Masters concentration. She teaches Environmental Justice and Sustainable Development in Social Work, Social Justice and Human Rights in Social Work Practice, Introduction to Social Work, and Global and Community Practice. Her scholarly work has been focused on developing and applying a postcolonial feminist social work perspective to issues such as food security, human trafficking, humanitarian initiatives for women’s economic empowerment, social work practice with refugees and immigrants, and sustainability and population growth. Her other interests are in globalization and international partnerships and diversity and anti-racism in social work education. She has published in International Social Work, Social Work Education: The International Journal, Affilia: Journal of Women and Social Work, and The Routledge Handbooks of Postcolonial Social Work and Critical Social Work. Her work has had a global and national impact. Sections of her article, Globalization, Power and Resistance: Postcolonial and Transnational Feminist Perspectives for Social Work Practice (2012) were translated to Cantonese and published by a post-graduate student from LanZhou University in Gansu Province China in order to introduce a social work feminist perspective in China. In 2015, she won the Best Qualitative Article for Volume 50, Journal of Social Work Education (2015) for the paper she co-authored with Mary Tijerina, Mexican American Social Workers’ Perceptions of Doctoral Education and Academia. In 2019, she was appointed to represent the International Federation of Social Workers at the UN in New York as part of a team. In this role, she collaborated in developing IFSW statements to the Commission on the Status of Women and the Commission on Social Development in 2019 and 2020. She also collaborated on creating a presentation on practice and education towards environment and climate featuring the work of Bamboo For Good held at the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development Learning, Practice and Education Sessions in July 2019.

Board Treasurer USA adeepak@pacificbamboo.org

Aubrey Baldwin, JD

Aubrey grew up in the foothills of the Southern Appalachian Mountains where she attended the University of Tennessee, at Knoxville. After earning her BSSW in Social Work, Aubrey was an activist, organic farmer, and social worker for several years. Her work focused on the intersection of environmental quality and human quality of life. In 2005, Aubrey graduated with honors from Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon, where she earned a Certificate in Natural Resources and Environmental Law and was awarded the Williamson Award for a promising graduate dedicated to public-interest environmental law. After law school, she returned to the South to represent public-interest organizations and citizens in their efforts to fight coal-fired power plants and other sources of air pollution across the country. More recently, Aubrey spent seven years as a Clinical Professor of Law at the Earthrise environmental litigation clinic at Lewis & Clark Law. Her practice focused on Clean Air Act permitting and enforcement, and national air quality and climate policy initiatives. Since leaving Earthrise in 2014, Aubrey has been an instructor and Chair of the Paralegal program at Portland Community College.

Board Secretary USA abaldwin@pacificbamboo.org

Eularie Mutamuliza, Ph.D.

Dr. Eularie Mutamuliza is a PhD holder in Economics got from Mangalore University in India and Msc in Agricultural and Applied Economics from the of University of Nairobi, Kenya. She has an experience of 9 years in academic activities such as in teaching, doing research and consultancies. She is a Lecturer at the University of Rwanda and she is now serving as the Head of the Department of Rural Development and Agricultural Economics at the College of Agriculture, Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine. She served as a Visiting Lecturer at different public and private Universities of Rwanda. Her research interest is in the areas of Agricultural Economics, Institutional Economics, Statistical Data Analysis, Financial Management, Rural Development, Economic development, Agricultural Marketing, Women empowerment, Agricultural credit and Finance, Microfinance and Agricultural and Livestock Value Chain. She published several research papers at National and International Journals and presented numerous research papers at National and International Conferences. She attended several workshops and trainings. In addition, to the above, Dr. Eularie Mutamuliza is serving as a Member of Academic Advisory Committee of the African Economics Research Consortium (AERC) through the Collaborative Masters in Agricultural and Applied Economics (CMAAE). Dr. Eularie is a project investigator (PI) of 2 projects and Co-PI and She has been involved in local and international proposal writing.

Director At-Large Rwanda emutamuliza@pacificbamboo.org

Eularie Mutamuliza, Ph.D.

Dr. Eularie MUTAMULIZA is a PhD holder in Economics got from Mangalore University in India and Msc in Agricultural and Applied Economics from the of University of Nairobi, Kenya. She has an experience of 9 years in academic activities such as in teaching, doing research and consultancies. She is a Lecturer at the University of Rwanda and she is now serving as the Head of the Department of Rural Development and Agricultural Economics at the College of Agriculture, Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine. She served as a Visiting Lecturer at different public and private Universities of Rwanda. Her research interest is in the areas of Agricultural Economics, Institutional Economics, Statistical Data Analysis, Financial Management, Rural Development, Economic development, Agricultural Marketing, Women empowerment, Agricultural credit and Finance, Microfinance and Agricultural and Livestock Value Chain. She published several research papers at National and International Journals and presented numerous research papers at National and International Conferences. She attended several workshops and trainings. In addition, to the above, Dr Eularie MUTAMULIZA is serving as a Member of Academic Advisory Committee of the African Economics Research Consortium (AERC) through the Collaborative Masters in Agricultural and Applied Economics (CMAAE). Dr. Eularie is a project investigator (PI) of 2 projects and Co-PI and She has been involved in local and international proposal writing.

Director At-Large Rwanda emutamuliza@pacificbamboo.org

Jacqueline Murekasenge

Jacqueline Murekasenge is a lecturer and former head of the Department of Social Work and Community Development at Hope Africa University, Bujumbura. Murekasenge holds a Master’s degree of Educational Leadership and a Bachelor’s degree of Social Work and Community Development from the same university. She is presently nearing completion of her PhD at the University of Vienna, in the department of Development Studies. Her academic and research interest is in social development and policies.

Director At-Large Burundi jmurekasenge@pacificbamboo.org

Rachel Stein

Rachel is an undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada where she is majoring in Anthropology and minoring in Spanish. Her studies have also given her ample knowledge in history, geography, linguistics, literature, politics, forestry, archeology, and social justice. Rachel grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and comes from a family of almond farmers in Northern California, where she has experienced first-hand the consequences of climate change through severe droughts and forest fires. As such, environmental work and conservation are very important to Rachel. She been working with Pacific Bamboo Resources since March 2021 as a Partnership & Grant Research Assistant. Rachel has further experience in volunteering as she has been working with BOLT Safety Society, a Vancouver-based non-profit that works to promote women’s safety, since April 2020 as an Ambassador, Social Media Assistant, and Hub Writer.

Partnership & Grant Research Assistant Canada rstein@pacificbamboo.org

Who We Are

Our Team

Jonathan Scherch

Janestic Twikirze

Fred Yikii

Sara Hamann

Lance Rasmussen, MBA

Sarah Stuttaford

Arthur Lindhjem

Steven Boldt

Rachel Stein

Our Board of Directors

Eva Otto

Daniel Lumonya, Ph.D.

Aubrey Baldwin, JD

Anne Deepak, Ph.D.

Eularie Mutamuliza, Ph.D.

Jacqueline Murekasenge.

Shyam Paudel, Ph.D.

Our Partners