Afua Ampomah

Senior Program Officer

Afua leads activities in Ghana for the Water Testing, Research, and Capacity Strengthening (WaterTRACS) program, funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. She is responsible for executing all related program activities in Ghana, including water quality monitoring and research to translate data into action. She also contributes to the Africa Water Quality Testing Fellowship, which involves collaboration with Makerere University and Bahir Dar University to train and support undergraduates into experienced water quality testing practitioners. In her role, she actively engages with key stakeholders such as national and local government representatives.

Before joining Aquaya, Afua worked as an associate engineer at Desolenator BV in the Netherlands, where she developed environmental monitoring protocols, supported scientific papers, and prepared research and development reports to promote knowledge sharing within the team. She led all water quality, transport, and distribution tasks to ensure the best possible produced water quality and oversaw the certifications and compliance processes for the company.

Afua holds an MSc in Urban Water and Sanitation with a specialization in Water Supply Engineering from IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Delft, Netherlands, and a BSc in Environmental Engineering from the University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, Ghana.

Allan Mutegeki

Senior Program Associate

Allan oversees the implementation of the Hilton Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLAs) program activities in Kabarole District, Uganda. Allan coordinates fieldwork and data collection, which supports Aquaya’s research aimed at improving the financial health of rural water systems. This involves evaluating Village Savings and Loans Associations as a mechanism for pooling and managing community funds to support water safety management.

Prior to joining Aquaya in 2020, Allan worked as a loans officer at Hofokam Limited, a Ugandan microfinance institution, where he focused on group lending. There, he established and supported village banks in managing loans and operating micro-credit schemes.

Allan holds a BS in quantitative economics from Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, as well as a certificate in data management and statistical analysis from Uganda’s Center for Action and Applied Research for Development.

Amanda Yahaya

Senior Program Officer

Amanda oversees field research, program implementation, and stakeholder engagement in Ghana for both a water safety plan evaluation and a targeted water subsidy project, in partnership with the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and Safe Water Network. She also supports the expansion of the Water Quality Assurance Fund program, sponsored by the Hilton Foundation and the Helmsley Charitable Trust.

Before joining Aquaya, Amanda worked with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Rwanda. There, she supported government and development partners in planning and implementing environment and natural resources, disaster risk management, climate change, and green growth programs. She is a fellow of the inaugural cohort of the African Union Commission and UNDP African Young Women Leaders Fellowship Program. Amanda has studied natural and human influences on water resources in European and African settings. Her master’s thesis assessed how water quality in sand dams and small surface reservoirs is affected by land use, human activities, and catchment characteristics in rural Mozambique.

Amanda holds an MSc in environmental science, specializing in water quality management, from IHE-Delft Institute for Water Education in the Netherlands and a BSc in biochemistry from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana.

Anna Murray

Deputy Director of Research

Anna manages the Water Testing, Research, and Capacity Strengthening (WaterTRACS) program, funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. This program includes water quality monitoring in Ghana, Uganda, and Ethiopia; research to translate data into action; and capacity-strengthening activities, including a fellowship program to train undergraduate students about drinking water quality.

Anna has conducted WASH research and evaluations across sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Prior to joining Aquaya, Anna established and managed a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation framework at charity: water, a funder of more than 40 WASH programs across more than 20 countries. Her doctoral research focused on evaluating and regulating household water treatment technologies, including field evaluations, laboratory studies, and policy work. Earlier in her career, she worked as a mechanical engineer, designing rural water supply systems in Nicaragua and working in the building services industry in the US.

Anna holds a PhD in environmental engineering from Tufts University and MEng and BS degrees in mechanical engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Bashiru Yachori

SENIOR PROGRAM OFFICER

Bashiru Yachori coordinates Aquaya’s research initiatives focused on advancing safe, equitable, and sustainable water access in rural Ghana. He designs and implements community engagement strategies, develops rigorous research protocols, and creates data collection tools tailored to local contexts. He plays a major role in analyzing data and co-authoring peer-reviewed publications that inform global WASH practice and policy.

Bashiru also spearheads the expansion of Aquaya’s Water Quality Assurance Fund in Ghana, a groundbreaking financial mechanism that empowers existing water quality laboratories to extend critical testing services to underserved small-town water systems. His expertise is further leveraged in Kenya, where he advises on both research and implementation aspects of the program.

With over twelve years of experience in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) and solid waste management, Bashiru has worked closely with development partners and local governments across Ghana. Before joining Aquaya, he served as a senior development planning officer. His professional strengths span project design and implementation, monitoring and evaluation, climate change advocacy, gender empowerment, and governance, all within the context of WASH and environmental health services.

Bashiru holds an MPhil degree in development planning and management and a BA in integrated community development from the University for Development Studies, Ghana.

Bessy Ewoenam Odame-Boafo

PROGRAM OFFICER

Bessy provides high-level support for the Enhancing Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (En-WASH) research program activities. Sponsored by USAID, this work aims to increase access to sustainable WASH services in districts across six regions of Ghana. It includes a baseline evaluation using a mixed-methods approach, wherein Bessy oversees qualitative and quantitative data collection while conducting quality control checks. Similarly, she supports stakeholder engagement, field research, and program implementation for an URBAN WASH study supporting the USAID Ghana Mission, the USAID Rural Evidence and Learning for Water (REAL-Water) program, and a REAL-Water study for the Ghana Mission dealing with on-premises service connections.

Prior to joining Aquaya, Bessy worked as a WASH advisor and consultant for the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV). Working on a sustainable sanitation and hygiene program, she led the Nandom District to become the first to attain open-defecation -free status. Bessy also served as an independent consultant for IMC Worldwide (UK), Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP), UNICEF, and HOPin Academy, where she led work on WASH governance and behavior change to ensure scalable and sustainable sanitation and hygiene service delivery. She led and supported baseline, midline, and endline surveys as well as other evaluations.

Bessy holds an MSc in water and environmental management from the Water, Engineering, and Development Centre (WEDC) at Loughborough University (UK). She also holds a BSc in natural resources management from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana, with a specialization in water and fisheries management.

Caroline Delaire

Director of Research and Programs

Caroline leads the research & programs team at Aquaya, composed of over twenty staff members based in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, and the United States. She is responsible for ensuring the quality of research protocols and deliverables across the organization; overseeing staffing, timelines, and budgets; and championing new opportunities. She joined Aquaya in 2016, working for two years from the Nairobi, Kenya, office before returning to Europe.

Caroline has experience conducting applied research in the water and sanitation sector in sub-Saharan Africa, India, and Haiti. Her doctoral research focused on a low-cost technology to remediate arsenic and microbiological contamination from groundwater. It also analyzed drivers of water consumption behaviors in arsenic-affected communities of West Bengal, India. She has published 28 peer-reviewed manuscripts in a range of disciplines including engineering, data science, impact evaluations, social sciences, and economics.

Caroline has a PhD and MS in civil and environmental engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and an engineering diploma (BS and MS level) from the Ecole Polytechnique in France. She is a native French speaker. 

Daniel Kwaah

Program Associate

Daniel oversees and supports the implementation of the Monitoring for Safe Water II program activities and the WaterTRACS program in Asutifi North District, Ghana. He coordinates logistics, fieldwork, data collection, and laboratory activities that support Aquaya’s research aimed at improving WASH and developing a new Water Quality Testing Fellowship program at the district level and for the country at large.

Prior to joining Aquaya in 2020, Daniel served in roles such as health, safety, and environment officer and site supervisor/engineer at various construction and mining sites. His areas of expertise include research, the built environment, environmental monitoring, auditing and reporting, environmental management, water and wastewater treatment, and infrastructure.

Daniel holds an MSc in Environmental Engineering Management from the University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, Ghana, a Ghana Minerals Commission Competency Certificate in Health, Safety, and Environment, and a BTech in Building Technology and a BSc in Petroleum Engineering, both from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.

Dayna Hansberger

Senior Research and Program Manager

Dayna manages Aquaya’s Project W, an online platform that centralizes searches of WASH data and offers custom data analytics services. She also provides data analysis and project management across Aquaya’s research programs.

Dayna recently managed research activities under the USAID-funded Rural Evidence and Learning for Water (REAL-Water) project, which concluded in early 2025. Prior to its closure, Dayna oversaw the $19 million REAL-Water cooperative agreement (2021–2025), which included 14 research activities across 15 countries and collaboration with more than 12 global partners to strengthen the evidence base for rural water services.

Before joining Aquaya, Dayna managed large international development projects focused on organizational capacity strengthening, knowledge management, communications, and global health. She brings expertise in project management, contract administration, and program design. Her technical experience includes data analysis, global health, human-centered design for sustainable development, and WASH research, with a regional focus on sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and South America.

Dayna holds an MPH from The George Washington University, an MA in Global Studies from the University of Oregon, and BAs in International Development and Economics from American University.

Diane Kabanyana

Senior Research Officer

Diane coordinates the development and implementation of various research projects at Aquaya. She focuses on Village Savings and Loan Association research, exploring innovative approaches to enhance the financial viability of rural water points in Uganda.

As an Aquaya intern, Diane previously contributed to the USAID Urban Resilience by Building Partnerships and Applying New Evidence in WASH (URBAN WASH) project, examining targeted subsidies for improving water and sanitation access among the urban poor in Ghana. Before joining Aquaya, she gained experience in quantitative financial analysis at Haynes and Company. Her master’s thesis focused on evaluating the impact and sustainability of passive in-line chlorination using Venturi Dosers in Kenyan healthcare facilities. She also analyzed go-to-market strategies for the Venturi devices in other community settings in Kenya.

Diane holds an MS in development engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and a BS in business and economics from Birmingham-Southern College in Alabama, USA.

Faith Chepngeno

Research Officer

Faith Chepngeno oversees and supports the implementation of the Water Quality Assurance Fund (WQAF) in both Kenya and Ghana, with responsibilities spanning data management, stakeholder coordination, community engagement, and timely programmatic reporting.

She previously supported the advancement of Aquaya’s Project W data platform by collecting, curating, and analyzing water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) data; conducting systematic literature reviews; and applying rigorous quality assurance and control (QAQC) checks.

Before joining Aquaya in 2021, Faith was a Research Assistant at the JASSA Centre, where she supported multi-sector initiatives spanning education, WASH, healthcare, and mental health. Her work emphasized stakeholder engagement, report writing, and both qualitative and quantitative analysis.

Faith holds a Bachelor of Science in Statistics and Programming and a Certificate in Leadership and Project Management from Kenyatta University. She is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Statistics at the same institution.

Gilbert Kiprop

Assistant Accounting Manager

Gilbert supports Aquaya’s financial operations by reviewing payments for compliance, reconciling staff cash advances, and performing month-end close procedures. He also supports the annual company audits and plays a key role in ensuring statutory compliance.

Prior to joining Aquaya, Gilbert was a finance lead at Access Afya, a social enterprise delivering affordable and effective primary healthcare to low-income markets in Kenya. He was responsible for managing company finance and accounting operations, including budgeting, financial reporting, and statutory compliance. Previously, he worked at GEMS Cambridge International School in Nairobi and Kenya’s Bridge International Academies, where he supported finance and accounting operations.

Gilbert holds a BCom in accounting from the University of Nairobi, Kenya. He is a certified public accountant and a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya.

Gloria Magut

Research Associate

Gloria focuses on field research, data analysis, and report writing for the Water Quality Assurance Fund study in Kenya, sponsored by the USAID Rural Evidence and Learning for Water (REAL-Water) program, Hilton Foundation, and Helmsley Charitable Trust.

Prior to working at Aquaya, Gloria interned with the International Water and Sanitation Centre (IRC), American Institutes for Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), and Voluntary Service Overseas. While a fellow at Eawag (the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology), she took part in the Ban Ki-Moon Centre for Global Citizens program, the United Nations Geneva Graduate Study Programme, and the Local Pathways Fellowship through the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. This involved implementing community projects focused on school-aged childhood education on water quality, proper hand washing, menstrual hygiene, and environmental conservation.

Gloria is pursuing an MSc in public health from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology KEMRI Graduate School and holds a BSc in environmental health from Moi University in Kenya.

Haleemah Qureshi

Senior Research Manager

Based in Washington DC, Haleemah manages multiple Aquaya research programs, leading research design, stakeholder engagement, fieldwork oversight, analysis, and writing. Her work includes analysis of WASH regulatory and policy environments, as well as pilot intervention studies with local partner organizations, particularly around pro-poor subsidies, informal urban water provision, and climate resilience.

Haleemah’s prior work spanned the public and private sectors. She has managed the design and delivery of infrastructure projects and evaluated systems that create enabling environments for improvements to water and sanitation access. Prior to joining Aquaya, Haleemah managed water and sewer capital planning improvements for a city government in the US. Her master’s thesis investigated the crisis of water affordability in Baltimore, Maryland, through a financial and operational analysis of the city’s public utility and an evaluation of resulting policies that excluded or harmed residents who were unable to pay.

Haleemah holds a master’s degree in city planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a BSc in civil and environmental engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

Irene Atieno

Research Officer

Irene works on research programs at the Aquaya Institute, focusing on advancing water and sanitation services in Sub-Saharan Africa. Her responsibilities include oversee field research, coordinating field activities, data analysis, creates data collection and assist with report writing.

She previously contributed to the development of Aquaya’s Project W data platform by identifying and describing WASH data from both domestic and international sources, conducting literature reviews, and supporting the establishment of methods to enhance data analysis through rigorous quality assurance and control measures.

Before joining Aquaya in 2021, Irene volunteered with the Kenya Red Cross Society, a humanitarian agency that focuses on alleviating human suffering and saving lives. There, she focused on empowering and sensitizing communities in urban slums in Nairobi. She participated in projects on community-led total sanitation, WASH beneficiary data entry, community education, outreach training, and blood drive coordination.

Irene holds a BS in population health and a certificate in leadership and project management from Kenyatta University.

Jeff Albert

Senior Scientist and Co-Founder

Jeff co-lead the Rural Evidence and Learning for Water (REAL-Water) program, a 5-year, $19 million grant to Aquaya from the US Agency for International Development (USAID). REAL-Water strived to improve the evidence base for policies and interventions that will increase access to safe, affordable, and sustainable rural water services across the developing world. He previously led efforts on the USAID-funded Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Partnerships for Learning and Sustainability (WASHPaLS) project, overseeing the design and execution of Aquaya’s research outputs and coordination with partners. 

Jeff has extensive research experience spanning water, sanitation, and hygiene service delivery and water resources management. Prior to co-founding Aquaya with Ranjiv Khush in 2005, he was a science and technology policy fellow (sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science) at the United States Environmental Protection Agency. He held joint appointments as a lecturer in the Geological Sciences and Environmental Studies departments at Brown University between 2002 and 2004.

Jeff holds PhD and MS degrees from Yale University and a BA from Brown University.

Julia Borovinskiy

Senior Accounting Manager

Julia oversees financial grant reporting compliance at Aquaya, ensuring the accuracy and integrity of financial records for a diverse portfolio of funders, including private donors and foundations. She also plays a key role in managing the day-to-day accounting operations of the finance department, contributing to strong financial oversight across all programs.

Prior to joining Aquaya, Julia worked as a financial analyst. In that capacity, she ensured compliance with OMB Uniform Guidance, conducted sub-recipient monitoring of grant contracts, supported audit processes, and prepared financial reports for various funding partners.

Julia holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.

Kara Stuart

Senior Technical Manager

Kara supports Aquaya’s projects by managing research programs, leading quantitative data analysis activities, and developing interactive data visualizations and web applications. Based in Kenya, she aids decision-makers in designing and planning sanitation programs. Her work includes cost-benefit modeling, technology evaluation, and poverty mapping.

Prior to joining Aquaya, Kara was a projects and membership manager with the Coalition for Urban Rural Environmental Stewardship and the Central Coast Groundwater Coalition. She worked on various projects to monitor and improve drinking water quality on irrigated lands in California and to facilitate growers’ compliance with the requirements of the California Regional Water Quality Control Boards. Her master’s research dealt with high-solids anaerobic digestion and life-cycle analysis of an innovative system for ammonium recovery from urine.

Kara holds an MS in civil and environmental engineering from the University of California, Davis and a BA in earth science and environmental studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Meseret Dessalegne

Research Manager

Meseret leads activities in Ethiopia for the Hilton Africa Water Quality Testing program. She is responsible for overseeing water quality data collection and collaborating with Bahir Dar University to develop a new Water Quality Testing Fellowship program.

Meseret has experience in university-level teaching and water-related research projects. Her doctoral work focused on synthesis, characterization, and testing of aluminum-based adsorbents for fluoride removal from drinking water. Part of this research took place at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), where she served as a Partnership Program for Developing Countries (EPP) fellow. She also served as a post-doctoral researcher on a collaborative research project entitled Water Infrastructure for Schistosomiasis-Endemic Regions (WISER) funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Meseret holds a PhD in water and health specializing in water and wastewater treatment from Addis Ababa University, as well as an MS in environmental science. She has her BSc in applied chemistry from University of Gondar.

Monicah Ngima

Operations Officer

Monicah supports operational activities for the Aquaya team. She combines her operational, projects, and information technology (IT) experience to provide staff support, focusing on IT, data security, program support, and organizational policies.

Prior to joining Aquaya, Monicah worked in the private, government, and humanitarian sectors in Kenya, focusing on IT, project and process implementation, and customer experience support. Her most recent assignment was at American International Group (AIG) Kenya Insurance Company Limited, where she served as a program coordinator handling systems and IT project implementation as well as contact center management.

Monicah holds a BSc in business and information technology from Strathmore University in Nairobi. She is undertaking an MSc in monitoring and evaluation at Daystar University.

Mwanarusi Mwatondo

RESEARCH MANAGER

Mwanarusi Mwatondo leads and supports applied research that strengthens water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) systems across sub-Saharan Africa. She currently directs research in Uganda for a Conrad N. Hilton Foundation-funded project evaluating how communities can improve access to safe water by financing handpump preventive maintenance through Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) and Area Service Providers in Kikuube District. Mwanarusi also contributes to the Hilton Foundation’s Water Testing, Research, and Capacity Strengthening (WaterTRACS) program, where she leads quantitative data analysis and visualization. The program supports water quality monitoring in Ghana, Uganda, and Ethiopia; translates research into actionable insights; and builds local capacity through initiatives such as a fellowship program for undergraduate students.

Previously at Aquaya, she managed research in Kenya for the Urban Resilience by Building Partnerships and Applying New Evidence in WASH (URBAN WASH) program, funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and led by Tetra Tech. Her work focused on improving water quality among small-scale water providers in Nairobi, contributing to evidence-based, climate-resilient WASH policy and programming in urban and peri-urban areas.

Before joining Aquaya, Mwanarusi conducted research at the nexus of environmental health and water quality. Her doctoral research at New York University focused on detecting waterborne pathogens and understanding their disinfection kinetics to support improved water quality monitoring, water and wastewater treatment, and sanitation process enhancement.

She holds a PhD in Environmental Engineering and an MSc in Biomedical Engineering from New York University, and a BSc in Chemical Engineering from the United Arab Emirates University.

Patricia Nasike

Program Associate

Based in Fort Portal, Uganda, Patricia supports the WaterTRACS program funded by the Hilton Foundation, overseeing its implementation through water quality testing, qualitative data collection (e.g., surveys, interviews, focus groups), and information sharing. She coordinates research fieldwork as well as managing enumerators and laboratory assistants to ensure high-quality data. Additionally, she maintains local partnerships, engaging with the Kabarole District local government and other stakeholders. Patricia similarly supports Aquaya’s research related to leveraging Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) in Uganda to support water point fund collection and maintenance.

Prior to joining Aquaya, Patricia worked at World Vison Uganda as a research assistant, where she conducted data collection, cleaning, and analysis for both qualitative and quantitive research. She supported the strategy outcome monitoring and evaluation of the organization’s activities in WASH, nutrition, education, livelihoods, and development. She has experience in implementing WASH initiatives through community-led total sanitation (CLTS) and participatory hygiene and sanitation transformation (PHAST) approaches, collaborating with development partners and district local governments in Uganda. Her Master’s thesis explored the intersectional vulnerabilities experienced by women accessing WASH services in the informal settlements of Nairobi, Kenya.

Patricia holds a MSc in water and sanitation for development from Cranfield University, UK and a BSc in public health from Gulu University, Uganda.

Rabby Rono

Intermediate Accountant

Rabby supports accounting activities at Aquaya, including bills, cash advance requests, payments, and receipts. She works to reconcile staff accounts and prepare monthly reports, ensuring compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and assisting with monthly closeout processes.

Prior to joining Aquaya, Rabby worked as a Finance intern at Kenya Airways and as a Risk and Internal controls and oversight intern at UN-Habitat.

Rabby holds a BCom in finance from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. She is a certified financial modeling and valuation analyst and is enrolled in a Certified Public Accountant certification course.

Rachel Peletz

Executive Director

Rachel oversees Aquaya’s strategic direction, sustainable growth, and execution of its mission to build the evidence base for water, sanitation, and hygiene development. She joined Aquaya in 2012 and led the team in Nairobi, Kenya, for five years before returning to the United States. She has extensive water and sanitation experience, having collaborated with partners from more than 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.

Prior to joining Aquaya, Rachel was a research fellow at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and an international technical advisor for the Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology in Canada. Her doctoral research included a randomized, controlled trial of a safe water intervention to evaluate health impacts on young children born to HIV-positive mothers in Zambia. With more than 30 peer-reviewed publications, she brings an interdisciplinary research approach that combines engineering, public health, nutrition, microbiology, and economics.

Rachel holds a PhD from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, an MEng from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a BS in environmental engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

Rawlings Akamanya

Program Manager

Rawlings leads activities associated with the Water Testing, Research and Capacity Strengthening (WaterTRACS) program in Uganda to inform better decision-making for drinking water supply. As a program manager, his duties include: overseeing water quality data collection and analysis, ensuring that data quality is assured and controlled, working with Makerere University and central government laboratories to develop local capacity in water quality testing, disseminating water quality monitoring results to communities, non-profit organisations, local governments and ministries, evaluating the impact and use of these results among these stakeholders.

Prior to joining Aquaya, Rawlings worked as an engineer and program support lead at Acts for Water, a Canadian water, sanitation, and hygiene programs implementation charity in southwestern Uganda. His work ranged from designing and supervising the construction of gravity flow schemes to serving on the senior leadership team, offering strategic direction, program design, and management, including monitoring and evaluation.

Rawlings holds an MSc in water management for development from the Water Engineering and Development Centre (WEDC), Loughborough University, UK, a master’s degree in project management for international development and humanitarian aid from Social Change School, Spain, and a BSc in Civil Engineering from Makerere University, Uganda.

Ryann Johnson

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Ryann oversees global operations at Aquaya, guiding core functions including human resources, technology, legal, travel, safety, and compliance. Drawing on her extensive background in nonprofit operations and the law, she develops organizational policies that strengthen infrastructure while also providing individualized support to our team. Her leadership fosters a positive, inclusive culture and ensures operational excellence across all facets of the organization.

Prior to joining Aquaya, Ryann spent over a decade working in operations and compliance for a financial company that serves American nonprofit organizations.

Ryann holds JD and MBA degrees from Campbell University in North Carolina and a BS in Business Management from Virginia Tech.

Suzzy Smith Mensah

Senior Communications Assistant

Suzzy supports dissemination efforts to make Aquaya’s research outputs accessible and engaging. She develops dissemination materials, including research briefs, infographics, and 508-compliant documents, ensuring brand consistency and accessibility across all outputs. Suzzy enhances Aquaya’s storytelling by capturing and editing photos and videos, providing visual documentation of field research activities, and promoting Aquaya’s impact through creative content. She supports digital campaigns and social media strategies to increase Aquaya’s visibility.

Prior to joining Aquaya, Suzzy specialized in product design and digital media. She worked with organizations like Ghandour Cosmetics and Nsano, where she managed social media campaigns, designed digital interfaces, and optimized user experiences for mobile and web applications.

Suzzy holds a Bachelor of Science in Water and Sanitation from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. She is skilled in tools like Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, and various content management systems.

Stanley Bortse Sam

RESEARCH MANAGER

Stanley Bortse Sam manages research under the Hilton Foundation-funded Financial Performance of Rural Water Systems project in Ghana. He is responsible for developing research protocols, overseeing data collection, conducting both qualitative and quantitative data analysis, and collaborating with partner organizations. He also supports implementing partners in translating research findings into practical, actionable solutions.

Stanley brings a strong background in water and wastewater treatment, as well as extensive experience in water and sanitation research. Before joining Aquaya, he was a doctoral researcher at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) and ETH Zurich, where his research focused on understanding the governing mechanisms of fecal sludge dewatering for improve global sanitation. His work explored key factors affecting solid-liquid separation in fecal sludge to develop high-throughput, low-footprint treatment technologies.

Stanley holds a PhD in Environmental Engineering from ETH Zurich, an MSc in Environmental Biotechnology from Istanbul Technical University, and a BSc in Biochemistry and Biotechnology from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana.

Sydney Hubbard

Senior Research Manager

Sydney oversees research for the Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) study and The Economics of Rural Water Supply project at Aquaya. Through a randomized controlled trial, the VSLA study evaluates the impact of self-supported community savings groups on community WASH behaviors and payments for handpump maintenance in Kabarole, Uganda. Sponsored by the Hilton Foundation, this program also supports Kabarole’s Handpump Mechanic Association in becoming a functional area service provider. The Economics Project, also funded by the Hilton Foundation, investigates strategies to improve the financial performance and long-term sustainability of rural water services in Ghana.

Before joining Aquaya, Sydney worked at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, managing an impact evaluation of a large, urban WASH infrastructure project in Lusaka, Zambia. Her doctoral research leveraged a similar urban piped water infrastructure upgrade in Beira, Mozambique, to examine the interplay between weather, water quality, and health in the context of these network improvements. Sydney was also a Senior Research Specialist at mWater, where she led data-driven initiatives in Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Indonesia, collaborating with water service providers to build data capacity and improve water resource management.

Sydney holds a PhD in environmental health sciences and an MPH in epidemiology from Emory University, as well as a BS in biology from the University of Dayton.

Tari Lewis

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Tari oversees financial plans, policies, and reporting, as well as human resources and treasury management.

Prior to working for Aquaya, Tari was the chief financial officer of the National Police Foundation in Washington, DC. She also worked for a top accounting firm, consulting with for-profit and nonprofit organizations on tax research, reporting, and transaction planning. There, she led numerous training sessions in the area of nonprofit taxation, as well as publications such as tax newsletters, articles, and IRS private letter rulings. Her interests include disruptive and innovative technologies for finance, enterprise, and social use cases.

Tari is a certified public accountant and has a BS degree from The Ohio State University.

Valerie Bauza

Deputy Director of Research

Valerie oversees multiple research trials, including evaluations of the Water Quality Assurance Fund program in Ghana and Kenya, and an evaluation of water safety plans in Ghana. This includes work funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. She also manages a study working with SOIL to investigate subsidy targeting and willingness to pay for container-based sanitation in Haiti, and contributes to study design and research activities on other projects. 

Valerie has experience working on water and sanitation projects in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and the United States. Prior to joining Aquaya, she was a researcher at the Water Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a postdoctoral fellow in environmental health at Emory University, and a water/wastewater engineer at AECOM. Her research has spanned a wide range of WASH topics, including water quality, child-focused sanitation, WASH and health, fecal contamination exposure and transmission pathways, solid waste management, and sustainable service delivery for WASH in low- and middle-income countries.

Valerie earned a PhD in environmental engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, an MS in environmental engineering from Stanford University, and a BS in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Vanessa Guenther

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

Vanessa is instrumental in driving and executing Aquaya’s communication strategy. Her primary responsibilities include managing social media platforms, creating content, and promoting research through various channels. Vanessa ensures consistent messaging that is aligned with Aquaya’s mission and brand. Additionally, she collaborates closely with research teams to communicate complex findings clearly and effectively, often through visual design and media outreach. 

Prior to joining Aquaya, Vanessa was a Duke University Global Policy Fellow with international work experience (e.g., Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland). Her marketing experience ranges from American professional soccer clubs to small startup businesses. Vanessa’s master’s project analyzed the impacts of air quality on diabetes risk in California.

Vanessa has a MESM from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a BA in strategic communication from the Hubbard School of Journalism at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Vanessa is a native German speaker.

Frederick Goddard | Affiliated Expert

Senior Research Data Scientist

Fred supports Aquaya throughout the entire research study cycle, including study design, statistical analysis, and dissemination of findings. He works on controlled evaluations, including a stepped wedge randomized controlled trial evaluating the Water Quality Assurance Fund program in Ghana and Kenya, and on extracting meaningful insights from secondary data, for example from the Water Testing, Research, and Capacity Strengthening (WaterTRACS) program. 

Fred has over 10 years of experience conducting research in water, sanitation & hygiene, maternal and reproductive health, and child health. He has worked in Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Bangladesh and Fiji. Prior to joining Aquaya, he completed postdoctoral training at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where he built a data team to fulfil the data science needs of a maternal and child health research program in rural Ethiopia. 

Fred holds a PhD in Environmental Health Sciences from Emory University, an MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Stanford University, and a BEng in Engineering Design from the University of Bristol. 

Tom Mahin | Affiliated Expert

WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE CONSULTANT

Working with Aquaya and the World Health Organization, Tom has led an evaluation of national drinking water regulatory programs in Bhutan and Indonesia. Tom has also supported Aquaya’s work in evaluating chlorination systems in rural Ghana and completed lab assessments in Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda. 

Tom worked for many years as an environmental engineer at the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, including as regional drinking water section chief. In addition to drinking water, water pollution, and solid waste projects, his experience includes:

• Emergency WASH responses in Haiti, Nepal, and Zimbabwe (with Oxfam); 
• Arsenic filter research in Bangladesh and Cambodia (with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology); 
• HIV/WASH training in Zambia, Ethiopia, and Nepal (with the Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology); 
• Evaluation of a USAID-funded multi-year private-public project in Mozambique (with Catholic Relief Services); and 
• Supervision of UNICEF-funded rural drinking water system construction in Nepal. 

Tom holds a BS in environmental engineering/engineering science from the University of Texas at Austin and a graduate certificate in global nutrition programming from Tufts University.