Want to get involved with the BEACH Lab?
If you are interested in assisting with new or existing projects (as a research assistant, donor, partner, etc.), please do not hesitate to contact us. Read on to learn more about the current team members in the BEACH Lab or check out our student recruitment page. If you are a current team member looking for BEACH Lab Resources, please click here.
Andrew Kaczynski, PhD
Dr. Kaczynski is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior within the Arnold School of Public Health and is also affiliated with USC’s Prevention Research Center. Prior to joining the University of South Carolina in 2012, he was a faculty member in the Department of Kinesiology and Co-Director of the Physical Activity and Public Health Laboratory at Kansas State University. Andy’s research focuses on the impact of community environments and policies on physical activity and obesity, with a particular emphasis on the role of parks in promoting active living and health among children and adults. His educational and professional background is in the field of parks and recreation management and he has collaborated and consulted widely with agencies in Canada and the United States on projects related to planning and health. In his free time, Andy enjoys playing a wide variety of sports with his three daughters, traveling near and far, and exploring all of South Carolina’s craft breweries.
email: atkaczyn@mailbox.sc.edu
Shirelle Hallum, MPH
Shirelle is a fourth-year doctoral student in the Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior in the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Public Health at the University of Texas and Master of Public Health from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. While earning her masters, she focused her studies on active transportation, and studied how to collaborate with city planners and policy makers to create a built environment that encourages physical activity. She currently serves as a graduate research assistant for numerous projects within the BEACH Lab. Shirelle enjoys hiking, eating good food, and going on as many adventures as possible. On a day off, you’ll find her walking to a local coffee shop with her husband and perfect baby girl, Nora.
email: shallum@email.sc.edu
Anna Chupak, BS
Anna is a fourth-year doctoral candidate in the Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior at the Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience with a minor in Nutrition from the University of Vermont in 2019. Her research interests are rooted in her experience as a research assistant at the Yale School of Medicine, where she coordinated clinical treatment trials for patients with Alzheimer’s disease from 2019 to 2022. Anna is particularly passionate about exploring how the built environment influences physical activity, nutrition, and health behaviors among aging populations with neurodegenerative conditions, especially dementia. She currently works as a graduate research assistant on several projects within the BEACH Lab. Outside of her academic and research pursuits, Anna enjoys hiking, skiing, and spending time with family and friends.
email: alchupak@email.sc.edu
Farnaz Hesam Shariati, MEng
Farnaz is a second-year doctoral student in the Department of Health, Promotion, Education, and Behavior at the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina. She earned her Bachelor of Architectural Engineering at the University of Kurdistan and her Master’s at the Science and Research University. Farnaz’s research interests stem from her experience as a research assistant at the University of Georgia, College of Environment and Design, researching the effect of the built environment on Parkinson’s disease from 2022 to 2023. Farnaz is passionate about the role of the built environment in mental health and physical activity among people with neurodegenerative diseases. She currently serves as a graduate research assistant for various projects in the BEACH Lab. Outside of work and studies, Farnaz enjoys nearly all sports, like kickboxing, cycling, and free diving. She also loves cooking, sketching, and traveling with friends.
email: farnaz@email.sc.edu
Sarah King Given, MPH, CHES
Sarah is a second-year doctoral student in the Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior at the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health. In 2016, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Furman University in History and Health Sciences. She later graduated with her Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from the University of South Carolina in 2018. Her research centers around the implementation of nutrition and physical activity interventions within community-based settings. She has taken a particular interest in studying implementation science frameworks and mechanisms that help to implement validated health programs into various community populations. Sarah currently works with several public health organizations across the state on advancing policy, systems, and environmental changes to promote healthy eating and active living among underserved populations and communities. When she is not attending school or work, she enjoys running on the Swamp Rabbit Trail or traveling with her husband to other parts of the world.
email: sbking@email.sc.edu
Fatemeh Abavisani, MEng
Fatemeh is a volunteer researcher at the BEACH Lab. She earned her Bachelor’s in Architectural Engineering at the Azad University of Mashhad and her Master’s in Architectural Engineering at the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. Her research focuses on the relationship between architecture, housing, and mental health, particularly how the built environment influences well-being and social equity. Before joining the BEACH Lab in 2024, she contributed to several research projects exploring sustainable architecture, transit-oriented development (TOD) in urban design, and climate-responsive design. Fatemeh is passionate about designing spaces that promote health and community engagement. Outside of research, she enjoys sketching, hiking, spending time with her family, and volunteering with children’s charities.
email: fatemeh.abavisani@gmail.com
Jason Czerwinski, BA
Jason is a first year Master of Public Health student in the Environmental Health Sciences program at the University of South Carolina. He recently earned his Bachelor of Arts in Public Health at the University of South Carolina. Before arriving in Columbia, he served in the United States Marine Corps for seven years. He enlisted in Phoenix, Arizona in 2014 and served as a flight equipment maintainer and Quality Assurance for life support systems on various military aircraft platforms. In his free time, he enjoys riding his mountain bike through the city and on trails, hiking, swimming, reading, and staying hydrated. He also has a cat named Poseidon.
email: jasondc@email.sc.edu
Baylis Wright, BS
Baylis is a recent graduate of the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina, where she enjoyed courses on community health, health behavior, and global health. For her Honors Thesis, she conducted a content analysis of how children’s books communicate allergies and autoimmune conditions. She combined this analysis with her personal experience and wrote her own children’s book about a field mouse with Celiac Disease. Currently, Baylis is spending time abroad exploring Wales and the UK. Upon returning, she plans to gain experience in the field before pursuing a master’s degree in public health.
email: wrightmb@email.sc.edu
Nithin Bommareddy, Undergraduate
Nithin is a third-year undergraduate in the Baccalaureus Artium et Scientiae (“Bachelor of Arts and Sciences,” or “BARSC”) major offered through the South Carolina Honors College at the University of South Carolina. Nithin’s research interests stem from his interest in healthcare and the various factors impacting good health. Having a healthy population means much more than having a state-of-the-art healthcare system. Being able to impact an individual’s lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise can often be the best way to help a patient. Built environment plays a large role in these lifestyle factors, as the prevalence and quality of green spaces, sidewalks, etc. can impact many factors impacting health. He currently serves as a undergraduate research assistant for various projects in the BEACH Lab. Outside of work and studies, Nithin enjoys sports such as cricket, football, and badminton, competitive debate, and spending time with family and friends.
email: nithinb@email.sc.edu
Carina Burdick, Undergraduate
Carina is a senior exercise science student at the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina. She currently is an undergraduate research assistant for the Columbia Sidewalks Project in the BEACH lab in hopes of collecting information to create and publish her senior thesis for the honors college. Carina is passionate about the correlation between sidewalk infrastructure and pedestrian fatalities in Columbia, considering she strives to keep her club cross country team safe when they are running many miles in the city. In her free time, Carina enjoys running long distances, exploring several hidden gems in various cities across SC with her friends (especially coffee shops), reading suspenseful mystery books, and cheering on the women’s basketball team.
email: burdickz@email.sc.edu