Officers
William N. Ryerson – Ryerson serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors at the Population Institute. He is the founder of the Population Media Center and has served as President and CEO of the organization for more than two decades. In total, he has worked in the areas of population and reproductive health for more than four decades. During much of that time, he has worked in the fields of entertainment education and behavior change communication, promoting and refining the Sabido methodology and adapting it for use in over three dozen countries. He has also been involved in the design of research to measure the effects of such projects in a number of countries, one of which has led to a series of publications regarding a serialized radio drama in Tanzania and its effects on HIV/AIDS avoidance and family planning use. He received a B.A. from Amherst College and an M.Phil. from Yale University. He served as Director of the Population Institute’s Youth and Student Division, Development Director of Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania, Associate Director of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England and Executive Vice President of Population Communications International before founding Population Media Center in 1998. In 2006, he was awarded the Nafis Sadik Prize for Courage from the Rotarian Action Group on Population and Development.
Itang H. Young, MDiv. – Young serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors at the Population Institute. She is the Executive Director of The Abyssinian Fund, Inc, a nonprofit committed to reducing poverty in Ethiopia with innovative partnerships and support for Ethiopian coffee farming communities. Young provides the program direction, leadership, and management for domestic and Ethiopian-based staff. She is also the Assistant Minister for Youth at The Abyssinian Baptist Church in the City of New York, overseeing the planning, development, and implementation of a youth ministry. She serves as a board member for Sister to Sister: One in the Spirit; Blue Nile Passage, Inc.; Court Appointed Special Advocates for Youth; World Day of Prayer, USA; and The American Baptist Churches of Metropolitan New York. She holds a certificate in Eastern European Business, Law & Diplomacy from Moscow State University; a BS from Texas A&M University; and a Masters from the Union Theological Seminary at Columbia University.
Earl Babbie, Ph.D. – In addition to his service on the Board of Directors, Babbie serves as the Secretary. An emeritus professor of Behavioral Sciences at Chapman University, he is the author of The Practice of Social Research and The Basics of Social Research, among other textbooks and scholarly works. He serves as a pro-bono research advisor to PMC. He received an A.B. from Harvard College and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.
Jill Chanley – Chanley is a global health communications and advocacy leader who drives evidence-based strategies that advance public health policy worldwide. Passionate about ensuring that all people—especially women and girls—can exercise their sexual and reproductive health and rights, she has dedicated her career to empowering communities to shape the policies that affect their health, dignity, and futures. Currently, associate director of communications at the Global Health Advocacy Incubator, Chanley leads strategic communications, media, and digital advocacy efforts in partnership with civil society organizations advancing food and nutrition policies across Africa and Asia. Her work strengthens local advocacy capacity, amplifies country-led storytelling, and supports data-driven communication strategies that influence policy and systems change. Chanley has deep technical expertise in sexual and reproductive health and rights, family planning, safe abortion, youth-friendly services, early childhood development, and gender equality. She has held positions at the Population Reference Bureau and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Chanley holds a Master’s in Global Health from Georgetown University, where her thesis examined young female migrants’ access to contraception in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, and a Bachelor’s in Psychobiology from the University of California, Los Angeles. A native Californian, she speaks intermediate French and brings a lifelong commitment to equity, women’s empowerment, and health justice to her work and leadership.
Zoe Costomiris, MPH – Costomiris is a partnerships specialist at UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, where she supports resource mobilization, innovation, and advocacy efforts for women and girls across humanitarian and development contexts. She has experience engaging public and private sector partners to fund sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence programs globally with a particular focus on the Middle East, having previously worked in UNFPA’s Regional Office in Cairo, Egypt. Before joining the UN, Costomiris worked as a community engagement specialist with the City of New York’s COVID-19 Pandemic Response Program, connecting communities facing barriers to care to equitable health services. She also has a strong background in research and advocacy in sexual and reproductive health, having conducted research at an International Planned Parenthood Federation funded health clinic in Buenos Aires, Argentina and the Minority HIV/AIDS Research Initiative in New York. Costomiris holds a Bachelor of Science in Applied Psychology and Global Public Health, as well as a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology, both from New York University.
Asha Dahya – Dahya is an Emmy-nominated producer, writer, TEDx speaker, and storyteller. She was born in the UK, raised in Australia, and resides in Los Angeles, California. She has spent the last 18 years creating, producing, and hosting projects for networks and organizations such as MTV, MSN.com, Disney, ABC, Nickelodeon, Fox, the ACLU, Supermajority, Snapchat, Nine Network Australia and more. Dahya was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2024 for her work producing the short film “My Name Is Siri,” featuring the story of an immigrant Indian family helping their daughter with non-verbal autism find independence and support in order to thrive. Dahya is the director and producer of an award-winning short documentary about later abortion called “Someone You Know,” which premiered at the Athena Film Festival in 2024. She is the creator, executive producer, and co-host of an audio and video series about Latin America’s Green Wave abortion rights movement called “Green Tide Rising.” Dahya is board chair of the national non-profit Religious Community for Reproductive Choice and has been involved with the organization since 2021. She founded a daily feminist blog site called GirlTalkHQ.com, and is the author of “Today’s Wonder Women: Everyday Superheroes Who Are Changing The World,” featuring inspirational stories of 50 women and girls.
Martha Durdin – Durdin is a senior executive and board leader whose career spans corporate, crown-agency, cooperative, and nonprofit sectors. She has built a record at the intersection of governance, finance, public policy, and organizational transformation, known for disciplined board stewardship, strategic clarity, and an ability to steady organizations during complex transitions. Her leadership draws on both boardroom expertise and international field experience, including governance, financial literacy, and risk-management assignments in Ethiopia, Ghana, and Malawi focused on strengthening cooperatives that support women and girls. In addition to her corporate and crown-agency roles, she has held major positions across a wide range of nonprofit organizations. These appointments reflect deep engagement in governance reform, strategy oversight, philanthropic stewardship, and cultural-sector advocacy. Durdin played central roles in governance transitions and crisis navigation at institutions such as the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, Cooperatives and Mutuals Canada, the Royal Ontario Museum, and the Ontario Arts Council. She served as president and CEO of the Canadian Credit Union Association, where she modernized governance systems, strengthened member value, and led national advocacy to update the Bank Act in recognition of credit unions. Prior leadership roles include managing principal at Navigator Ltd., senior strategy and communications positions at BMO Financial Group, and earlier public-sector experience as chief of staff to federal cabinet ministers, media relations in the Prime Minister’s Office, and policy work at Status of Women Canada. Durdin holds a Master’s from the London School of Economics and a Bachelor’s from Western University. Her bilingual capacity and ongoing involvement with the International Women’s Forum complement a profile defined by governance discipline, strategic insight, nonprofit commitment, and international development experience.
Kristina Hare Lyons, MPH, MALD – Lyons is a humanitarian, filmmaker, consultant, entrepreneur, and mother. She started her own business in 2007, Portobello Road, a retail store that emphasizes fair trade and eco-friendly products. Previously, she worked at Physicians for Human Rights on a landmark study on war-related sexual violence in Sierra Leone, at Elle Magazine as West Coast Editor, as an Associate Producer at Frontline, and with filmmaker Oliver Stone on numerous projects. More recently, she consulted with the Ministry of Health in Liberia through the Harvard Ministerial Leadership program on efforts to address tragically high rates of maternal mortality there and is developing content at her film company, Lyonshare Pictures. Lyons currently sits on the board of Urban Improv in Boston and holds a Masters in Public Health and Population from Harvard, a Masters in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School, and a BA from Tufts.
Clarence K. Moniba, Ph.D. – Moniba is a trailblazing figure in Liberia, recognized for his transformative leadership that bridges global engagement with impactful national service. After acquiring his education and beginning his career abroad, Moniba joined the Liberian government during the crucial Ebola period of 2014. He quickly established himself as a force for change, becoming one of the youngest individuals in Liberia’s history to be appointed to the Cabinet as Minister of State without Portfolio. He also served as Chairman of the Liberia Electricity Corporation, making significant contributions that attracted hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure investments. In these roles, Moniba was instrumental in shaping the country’s development trajectory from 2014 to 2018. He led critical initiatives, including the Diaspora Engagement Unit, Philanthropy Secretariat, and President’s Delivery Unit, cultivating relationships that accelerated Liberia’s economic and infrastructure growth. Prior to his government service, he worked with the African Development Bank’s High-Level Panel on Post-Conflict and Fragile States, as well as the United Nations Post-2015 Development Agenda. Moniba holds two Master’s degrees: one in Government and another in Public Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School. He also earned a Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Professional Communications from New Mexico State University. His influence extends internationally. Currently, he serves on the CARE Global Leaders Network Advisory Board, one of the largest NGOs in the world, and is also a board member of the Population Institute, an organization with a broad multinational reach. In 2018, the Liberian government awarded Moniba the Knight Commander of the Most Venerable Order of Pioneers, one of Liberia’s highest civilian honors. In 2023, he expanded his impact, running for the Presidency of Liberia while advocating for A New Liberia based on his vision for the future. Today, as Chairman of the Board of the Moniba Foundation, he continues to drive transformative grassroots projects while leading a new generation of Liberian and African leaders.
Jotham Musinguzi, MD, MPH – Dr. Musinguzi is the Director General of the National Population Council of Uganda. Previously, he served as Regional Director of Partners in Population and Development (PPD) Africa Regional Office (ARO) based in Kampala, Uganda. Musinguzi is a Public Health Physician. He was the recipient of the 2013 United Nations Population Prize from the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the UN Headquarters in New York, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the implementation of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). He is also the recipient of the 2014 International Alumni Award for Exceptional Achievement from the University at Albany Alumni Association. He serves on a number of boards including Women Deliver of New York, Commonwealth Medical Trust of London, among others. In 2012, Musinguzi was actively involved in the successful and landmark London Family Planning Summit, which culminated in FP2020, supported by Gates Foundation, United Kingdom Government, and UNFPA.
Timothy R. Williams – Senior Evaluation Advisor to John Snow, Inc. (JSI) since 1998, Williams has over three decades of experience in monitoring and evaluation, applied research, and management of reproductive health and HIV/AIDS programs in developing countries. His focus areas of work have included adolescent sexual and reproductive health, quality of care of family planning programs, family planning supply chain logistics, and programmatic/financial sustainability, always with the aim of building host-country capacity in monitoring and evaluation approaches and use of information for program improvement. Before joining JSI, he held research and evaluation positions at the International Planned Parenthood Federation/Western Hemisphere Region, Association for Voluntary Surgical Contraception (now EngenderHealth), and PROFAMILIA (IPPF affiliate) in Colombia. He lived and worked for one year in Kenya and two years in Colombia, and has worked in 30 countries worldwide. He holds Masters degrees in Economics and Environmental Management from Yale University.