Staff
Mirna Troncoso Sawyer, PhD, MPH
Director
Dr. Sawyer is an Associate Professor in California State University Northridge’s (CSUN) Public Health program, Department of Health Sciences. She currently serves as Director of the CSUN Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing. Her research has primarily been focused on Latino/a health and college student health—from nutritional knowledge among diabetes patients, to food decisions among families, to the role of food insecurity in student success.
Recognizing the role of stress in relation to many health behaviors and health outcomes, Dr. Sawyer is on a teacher training pathway to become certified to teach mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR). Since May 2024 she has been a qualified level 1 MBSR teacher via Brown University's School of Professional Studies. She has a PhD in Community Health Sciences from UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health; a Master of Public Health degree in Health Education from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health in Atlanta, GA; and a Bachelor's degree in history from Stanford University. She has published in peer reviewed journals such as the Diabetes Educator and the Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences.
Phone: 818-677-7709
Email: mirna.sawyer@csun.edu
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/mirna-troncoso-sawyer-4225732
Hema Kapil
Department Coordinator
Hema Kapil is the Department Coordinator for the Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing and also the Student Services Center/EOP, both within the College of Health and Human Development. She is a College of the Canyons alumna where she earned an AA in Philosophy, and is now currently enrolled as a CSUN student to earn a BA in Philosophy.
Phone: 818-677-7715
Email: hema.kapil@csun.edu
INTERNS
Anaisabel Saravia
BSPH Intern (Summer 2025)
About Anaisabel
Email Anaisabel.saravia.988@my.csun.edu
Breanna Delgado
BSPH Intern (Summer 2025)
About Bre
PAST INTERNS
Aneesah Ali
MPH Student (Fall 2024 - Spring 2025)
Aneesah Ali is the ICHWB’s Fall 2024 MPH intern. Her educational journey started with a Bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration. Currently, Aneesah is completing her second year in the Master’s in Public Health program, with a concentration in Community Health Education. At CSUN, she has been given the opportunity to be actively involved in various outreach programs focused on improving health literacy and tackling public health issues in the community. At the ICHWB, she hopes to further contribute to a team that enhances CSUN’s and the San Fernando Valley’s health outcomes by ensuring equitable access to resources for all. She is very excited to continue developing her skills and making a meaningful impact with the institute.
Erica Lopez
Undergraduate public health intern (Spring 2025)
Erica's main role at the Institute in her internship was on our emergency preparedness subcontract with Dignity Health--on the LISTOS initiative.
Nathalie Kustak
BSPH Student (Fall 2024)
Nathalie Kustak is currently doing her undergraduate internship at CSUN’s Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing. Nathalie is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Public Health and will be graduating in the Winter 2025. Nathalie’s specific interests involve mental health, which she hopes to pursue in the future. As an intern with the ICHWB, Nathalies looks forward to working with likeminded people while working to strengthen community partnerships and promote wellbeing among both CSUN and San Fernando Valley community members.