Knights Landing Environmental Health Project, Research | Advocacy | Collaboration
Meet the KL Promotora-Researchers
Promotora-Researchers are community members who have been trained to represent this research project effort in Knights Landing. It is only with their hard work and expert insight into the community that we are able to collaborate and sustain this project.
Academic Researchers
After arriving at Sacramento State in 2024, Dr. Aranda re-established and expanded the Knights Landing Environmental Health Project (KLEHP) to address research findings from his graduate work in the community. Specializing in qualitative methods and participatory approaches to environmental health and justice, his latest efforts focus on advancing pesticide monitoring to fill gaps in local and statewide efforts. His work involves training community health workers (promotoras) and students in environmental health research, directly measuring pesticide exposures, and translating findings into tangible community health improvements and well-being.
Natalia has worked with the Knights Landing community for nearly two decades and served as Dr. Aranda's mentor during his graduate studies.
Dr. Skye Kelty was a Co-Principal Investigator for the project (2016-2021). She is currently the Chemical Hygiene Officer at San Jose State University. She completed her PhD in Pharmacology and Toxicology at UC Davis in Dec 2019. Skye's expertise is in lung health and environmental toxicology. Skye is currently the co-chair for Integrity, Diversity, and Equity for the Citizen Science Association.
Read more about Skye
Skye presented KL environmental health research at the:
- Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Conference 2018 (poster) and 2020 (talk)
- American Geophysical Union Conference 2020 talk
- UC Davis Environmental Health Science Center Annual Retreat with Promotoras 2020 talk with promotoras and Natalia
- UCD Center for Comparative Respiratory Biology and Medicine Seminar 2019 talk
- Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety Monthly Symposium 2018 talk
Sevana Manukian: MPH student 2016-2017 - Original team member!
Author and lead on the 2017 Environmental Health Survey for the MPH prospectus.
Presented KL Envi Health research at:
- UC Global Health Day 2018 at UC San Diego -- poster link
- Albany Medical College Medical Student Investigation Day 2018
Ana Maria Guerrero: Landscape Architect undergrad, Garden Team Lead 2017-2018!
Senior thesis working on community-engaged design for the KL community garden.
Presented KL Envi Health research at:
- UC Davis Undergraduate Research Conference 2018
- Senior project -- link to final booklet and link to thesis
Tiffany Jow and Daniel Moher: undergrads in Neurobiology, Physiology, & Behavior and Environmental Toxicology, respectively, 2017-2019
Senior project analyzing pesticide application data (2011-2016) between Knights Landing and Capay Valley communities.
Presented KL Envi Health research at:
- UC Davis Environmental Health Sciences Center Annual Research Retreat 2018-- poster link
- UC Davis Undergraduate Research Conference 2018-- poster link
- UC Davis Undergraduate Multidisciplinary Sustainability Research Symposium 2018-- poster link
- UC Davis One Health Symposium 2017 (Poster About KL One Health Center)-- poster link
- Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Conference 2018-- poster link
Jason Tang and Eva Pardo: MPH students 2018-2019
Developed Clinic Survey 2018. Analyzed data from 2018 and 2013 Clinic Surveys. Eva additionally advanced our pesticide mapping methodology. Eva Pardo is also working on a community-based KL lights project that aims to improve lighting and safe spaces in KL.
Katie Rivas: Global Disease Biology undergrad 2018
Senior project creating an overview of Knights Landing access and utilization of Health Care including a literature review, data from the 2017 Environmental Health Survey, data from the 2013+2018 Clinic Surveys, and finally data from the Knights Landing One Health Center.
Mary Lee: MPH student 2018-2019
MPH practicum focused on connecting resources for the Knights Landing Family Resource Center.
Presented KL Envi Health research at:
- UC Davis Health Quality Forum 2019-- poster link
Juan Cruz Ruiz Malagon: Chicana/o Studies undergrad, Mental Health Team Lead 2017-2019!
Senior thesis and leader of the KL Wellbeing project. Special focus on interviews and developing a mental health program at the Knights Landing One Health Center.
Presented KL Envi Health research at:
- 13th Summer Institute on Migration and Global Health (2 posters)-- poster link
Sarina Rodriguez: 2018-2019 - Epidemiology / Access to Care Team Lead 2018-2019!
Presented KL Envi Health research at:
- UC Davis Health Quality Forum 2019-- poster link
- UC Davis Undergraduate Research Conference 2019-- poster link
- National McNair Conference @ UCLA 2019-- presentation link
Jonathan Ho: 2018-2019 - Garden Team Lead 2018-2020!
Transitioned into Garden Team leader after Ana Maria. Major victories include helping with community engaged design process, fundraising, building a student volunteer team, and helping to coordinate garden construction projects. Additionally, conducted temporal analysis of access to care survey data with Sahitha and Eva to establish changes after the clinic was opened.
- UCD Blum PATA grant and Strauss Foundation Grant Recipient - $17,000-- link to video summary
Sahitha Somepalle 2017-2020
Major contributor to pesticide research team along with Tiffany and Danny. Additionally, conducted temporal analysis of access to care survey data with Jonathan and Eva to establish changes after the clinic was opened.
Juan Zarate: Mental Health Team Lead 2018-2019!
Wellness team 2018-2019. Led collaborative efforts to establish a framework for community-led mental health resources and procured smoking cessation resources for the KL One Health Center.
Kukuli Banda: Global Disease Biology undergrad2018-2019
Senior project designed women's environmental health research idea for future research. Presented KL Envi Health research as part of Access to Care Team at:
- UC Davis Health Quality Forum 2019-- poster link
Andrew Sy Masters in Hydrology Student 2019
Designed irrigation water usage survey for future pesticide fate and transport modeling in irrigated agricultural-intensive communities.
Partnerships
- Sacramento Environmental Justice Coalition
- California Human Development
- Empower Yolo
- KL Family Resource Center (see link above)
- California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation
- SciTech School
- Robbins School
- KL Community Service District
- KL Methodist Church
- Yolo County Public Health Division
- Yolo County Environmental Health Division
- CSUS Environmental Studies
- UCD Knights Landing One Health Center
- UCD Chicana/o Studies
- UCD Center for Regional Change
- UCD Center for Health and the Environment
- UCD Environmental Health Science Center
- UCD Citizen Science Center
- UCD Student Farm
- UCD Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety
- Woodland Community College Ethnic Studies Department
Funding
| 2014 - 2017 | UC Davis Grad Studies Schwall Fellowship Awarded to: Skye Kelty Tuition, stipend, $4000 for research + $1000 for travel per year for 2 years |
|---|---|
| 2016 - 2017 | UC Davis Grad Studies Werner Fellowship Awarded to: Skye Kelty Tuition, stipend |
| 2017 - 2018 | UC Davis Environmental Health Science Center Idea Pitch, P30 ES023513 Awarded to: Alfonso Aranda and Skye Kelty $7,500 |
| 2017 | UC Davis Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety NIOSH 2U54OH007550 Community Outreach Funds Awarded to: Skye Kelty $1000 |
| 2017 | UC Davis Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety NIOSH 2U54OH007550 Graduate Student Fellowship Awarded to: Skye Kelty Tuition, stipend |
| 2017 | UC Davis Henry A. Jastro Endowment Program Awarded to: Alfonso Aranda $2,000 |
| 2017 | UC Davis Institute for Social Sciences Grant Awarded to: Alfonso Aranda $500 |
| 2017 | UC Davis Environmental Justice Student Award Program Awarded to: Alfonso Aranda $3,000 |
| 2017 - 2018 | UC Davis Grad Studies George Lee Fellowship Awarded to: Skye Kelty $1,200 |
| 2017 - 2018 | March for Science Sacramento Science Equity and Empowerment Community Grant Awarded to: Skye Kelty $1,350 |
| 2017 - 2018 | SeedMoney Crowd Source Fundraising for Garden Awarded to: Skye Kelty $1,256.15 |
| 2017 - 2018 | UC Davis Feminist Arts & Science Shop HATCH Grant Awarded to: Skye Kelty $1,750 |
| 2017 - 2019 | T32 HL007013 UC Davis Comparative Lung Biology and Medicine T32 Fellowship Awarded to: Skye Kelty Tuition, stipend, $1,200 annual travel fund, $4000 annual research fund |
| 2018 | UC Davis Environmental Health Science Center P30 ES023513 Exposure Core Seed Funding Awarded to: Skye Kelty $10,000 |
| 2018 | UC Davis Blum Center PATA Grant Awarded to: Juan Carlos Ruiz Malagon $2,000 |
| 2018 | UC Davis Center for Regional Change Faculty Award Awarded to: Dr. Natalia Deeb-Sossa $2,000 |
| 2018 | UC Davis Henry A. Jastro Endowment Program Awarded to: Alfonso Aranda $3,000 |
| 2018 - 2019 | Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Unrestricted Predoctoral Fellowship Awarded to: Skye Kelty $11,000 |
| 2019 | UC Davis Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety Rapid Response Grant NIOSH 2U54OH007550 Awarded to Skye Kelty $7,500 |
| 2019 | UC Davis Henry A. Jastro Endowment Program Awarded to: Alfonso Aranda $3,000 |
| 2019 | UC Davis Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety NIOSH 2U54OH007550 Graduate Student Fellowship Awarded to: Alfonso Aranda Tuition, stipend |
| 2019 | UC Davis Blum Fellows (PATA) Awarded to: Jonathan Ho $2,000 |
| 2019 | Strauss Foundation Fellowship Awarded to: Jonathan Ho $12,000 |
| 2020 - 2021 | Yolo County Community Health Branch Division Award Awarded to: Skye Kelty $20,000 |
| 2024 | Facaulty start-up funds to re-establish the KLHEP awarded to Dr. Alfonso Aranda ($15,000) |
| ALL | COMMUNITY FUNDRAISING AND DONATIONS |