Past Contributors

Marim Adel (she/her) is a Ph.D. student. Their research interests include personality and identity development, radical hope, relationships, and land education. More specifically, Marim is interested in understanding how ethnic, sexual, and gender identity may motivate people to self-expansion and how relationships may contribute to this process. She appreciates working within an intentional and collaborative space. 

Hania Amir (she/her) recently graduated from the University of Toronto, Mississauga with a specialist in forensic psychology, and is currently working with the Chung Lab through the UTEA program. She is interested in social determinants of health in relation to culture, migration, and racialized populations. Her hobbies include graphic design and videogames.

Ruth Alemayehu (she/her) graduated with an HBSc from the University of Toronto Mississauga. She is deeply committed to supporting and creating accessible events for underrepresented students, evident in her various roles such as Co-President for UTM Black Students' Association, the Racialized Students' Coordinator at the UTMSU, Black Access to Educational Excellence (BAEE) Ambassador, student/peer mentor, and now in her current role as VP Equity at the UTMSU.

Jennifer Danahy (she/her) is the Supervisor of Pre-Arrival Engagement at the University of Toronto Mississauga's Centre for Student Engagement. In this role, she spearheads initiatives to support new students, overseeing programming, orientation efforts, team development, and academic program planning.

Kwame Diko (he/him) provides solutions for complex culture, engagement, recruitment, admissions and access initiatives within education. He also welcomes and responds to challenges with focus, skill and creative solutions to achieve operational excellence.

Jerry Flores (he/him) serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at University of Toronto Mississauga, also affiliated with the Sociology tri-campus graduate department at the University of Toronto-St. George. His interdisciplinary research delves into the intersections of institutions such as and law enforcement and schools, exploring their collective influence on the experiences of at-risk Latinas and Indigenous women and girls across North America.

Hema Ganapathy-Coleman (she/her) is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto Mississauga, specializing in developmental and cultural psychology. Her current research project focuses on exploring various aspects of cultural maintenance, cultural hybridity, and participation in Canadian society within the Asian Indian diaspora in the Greater Toronto Area.

Kamadchi Karunanandan (she/her) has worked in Student Affairs at the UTM Residence for nearly 8 years. She finds immense satisfaction in connecting with racialized students to identify individualized support plans that work best for them. In addition to her work with students, Kamadchi is passionate about fostering community and promoting a sense of connection within the residence.

Marigrace Noronha (she/her) is the  Undergraduate Examinations Coordinator at University of Toronto Mississauga. She also has a background in providing comprehensive support within the psychology department, namely assisting academic advisers and faculty with undergraduate technician duties, coordinating first-year psychology test assignments, and fostering communication between students, staff, and faculty.

David Pereira (he/they) serves as the Acting Director of the Sexual & Gender Diversity Office at the University of Toronto. Their research employs an intersectional and queer theoretical framework, prioritizing the voices of students and young people to critically examine and unveil systemic discrimination and inequities within educational systems.

Vi Phan (she/her) is a registered social worker with a certificate in diversity, equity and inclusion from Cornell University and a Master of Social Work from the University of Toronto. She has been practicing for over a decade as a social worker, providing direct service and policy system change work. Her passion and experience in the field has focused on increasing access and providing destigmatizing mental health services along with a focus on advancing equity, inclusion and diversity efforts to ensure compassionate, trauma-informed and person-centered care.

Simone Walker (she/her) is a Sessional Lecturer at the University of Toronto Mississauga, specializing in social and personality psychology. In particular, topics such as well-being, emotion and relationships.