Tshibangu Kalala, PhD
Director of Operations
Dr. Tshibangu Kalala is a distinguished climate change adaptation and food security expert whose career exemplifies RICA’s commitment to addressing the root causes of displacement while empowering vulnerable communities. With a newly completed PhD in Climate Change Adaptation from Clark University and over 10 years of field experience across 11 African countries, Dr. Kalala bridges academic research with practical solutions for displaced populations.
As a former Food Security Analyst with USAID’s Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET), Dr. Kalala developed critical intelligence that informed humanitarian response decisions across Sub-Saharan Africa. His analytical work directly influenced funding decisions worth over $100 million annually, demonstrating RICA’s evidence-based approach to creating systemic change for vulnerable populations.
Dr. Kalala’s research portfolio reflects RICA’s holistic support framework through comprehensive vulnerability assessments that address the interconnected challenges facing climate-displaced communities. His coordination of multi-million dollar USAID research projects influenced major program designs, including a $50 million climate adaptation initiative in Mali, showing how research translates into tangible support for displaced populations.
His humanitarian leadership experience aligns with RICA’s trauma-informed approach through coordinating food security operations for over 50,000 displaced persons during conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As a liaison between UN agencies and local authorities, Dr. Kalala exemplified the culturally responsive methodology that RICA champions.
Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dr. Kalala brings a lived experience of displacement that informs RICA’s empowerment methodology. His multilingual capabilities—native fluency in Swahili, Lingala, and Tshiluba, plus professional proficiency in English and French—enable authentic cross-cultural communication essential to RICA’s community integration model.
A MacArthur Foundation research grant recipient, Dr. Kalala has authored numerous publications contributing to evidence-based programming across climate adaptation and food security. His work supports RICA’s vision of creating communities where refugees and immigrants can heal and thrive by addressing environmental factors that drive displacement while building pathways for sustainable integration.
Dr. Kalala’s unique positioning—combining PhD credentials, extensive field experience with displaced populations, and proven policy impact—makes him an invaluable asset to RICA’s mission of fostering environments where every refugee and immigrant can contribute to a more equitable society.