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Meet the Team—Staff

On this Page:  Staff & Research Assistants   |    Research Assistant Alumni

Staff & Research Assistants

Ms. Elizabeth Katana Babirye

Data coordinator and analyst
ebabirye@ualberta.ca

Elizabeth is an Epidemiologist and Biostatistician with specialized training from the Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) at the Uganda National Institute of Public Health (UNIPH), cohort 2020. She holds a BSc in Medical Radiography and a Master’s in Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Makerere University, Kampala. With over 10 years of experience, Elizabeth has been deeply involved in research coordination, data management, and advanced statistical analysis across multiple research initiatives, including multicenter studies, large-scale surveys, and epidemic response systems. Her professional experience includes roles as a research scientist and data analyst at the Uganda National Institute of Public Health, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), Doctors with Africa (CUAMM), and Aga Khan Health Services Uganda.

Shari Jadoolal

Research Associate 
jadoolal@ualberta.ca

Shari is a research associate at PRAN, having joined the organization in 2024. She is involved in multiple projects, with her current research focusing on entrepreneurship and visible minorities. Shari completed her undergraduate studies in Psychology and Health Policy at the University of Toronto, and earned her MSc in Global Health Policy at The London School of Economics & Political Science. 

Anne McKinnon-Yeomans

Research/Project Coordinator
akmckinn@ualberta.ca

Passionate about equity, transformative justice, and anti-violence praxis and research, Anne is an anti-violence advocate with experience in frontline harm reduction work. She has an MA in Gender and Social Justice from the University of Alberta, a BA in Political Science and History from the University of Victoria, and a BA in Women’s and Gender Studies from the University of Alberta. 

Mary Akuamoah-Boateng

Community Outreach
boateng.mfa@gmail.com

Mary Akuamoah-Boateng is an accomplished leader with a track record of working in the education and healthcare sectors. She is dedicated to the academic, professional, and personal development of individuals and promoting diversity in post-secondary environments. With a Master’s in Health Service Administration, Mary has over 10 years of experience in geriatric care and has served as an adjunct lecturer at the University of Toronto. Currently, she is the Vice President of the Ghanaian-Canadian Association of Ontario, where she manages the Special Projects department and grants. She is also a certified Mental Health First Aid Facilitator and has developed various support programs for the Ghanaian community in Canada. Mary lives by the motto ‘to whom much is given, much is required,’ and is committed to helping others lead fulfilling lives.

Loveness Mabhunu

Community Outreach
lovenessmabhunu@gmail.com

Dr. Loveness Mabhunu is a self-motivated and passionate Freelancer/Consultant, an educator, author, motivational speaker, and coach. She coaches teams and organizations, helping them adapt and excel in professional project practices. Her strong interpersonal skills and background allow her to communicate effectively at all levels. She is always ready to learn, adapt, and contribute to successful project outcomes. Loveness holds a Ph.D in Humanities and Women’s Studies from Clark Atlanta University, Georgia (USA), and an MA in Religious Studies from the University of Zimbabwe. She is a recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship, Delta Kappa Gamma World Fellowship, and an IPS Scholarship. She has been an assistant professor in the Department of Religious Studies, Classics, and Philosophy at the University of Zimbabwe and at Georgia Piedmont Technical College, Georgia (USA). She has worked with various Community Organizations in Zimbabwe, the USA, and Canada. Her passion is to educate, motivate, and empower people throughout the world.

Uchenna Okereafor, PhD

Community Outreach
transformationworldinfo@gmail.com

Dr. Uche has a diverse background, having served as a Math and Science teacher in Johannesburg and as a University Lecturer in Metallurgical Engineering. His research contributions in environmental conservation and innovation are notable. Dr. Uche is deeply involved in community service, volunteering at the Edmonton Food Bank and Africa Center. He is the current President of the Igbo Cultural Association of Edmonton (ICAE); he serves as a grant application reviewer for the Foundation for Black Communities (FFBC) and mentors newly landed skilled professionals through the Career Mentorship Program of the ICAE. Dr. Okereafor has led initiatives like the Youth Empowerment Support (YES) program of the Resilience Immigrant Foundation (TRIF) and helped establish the Black Student Union at Ecole McTavish High School. His advocacy efforts during Black History Month 2024 were recognized by the Alberta Teachers’ Association Local 48 Diversity, Equity, Human Rights Committee.

Hermela Tekie

Community Outreach
hermeladt@gmail.com

Hermela Tekie is a dedicated advocate for immigrants, working closely with newcomers as an interpreter at the Immigrant Services Association for Immigrants and Access Language Services. Currently a second-year student at Saint Mary’s University, Hermela is pursuing a degree in International Relations. With a strong background in debate and public speaking, Hermela has a deep love and appreciation for research work and its impacts in tailoring effective solutions and continuously striving to support and empower immigrant communities.

Gelila Tilahun

Community Outreach
gelila.tilahun.k@gmail.com

Gelila Tilahun is a statistician/data scientist and is currently living in Toronto. In her spare time, she enjoys cycling.

Daniel Ayimah

Research Assistant
daniel.ayimah@mail.mcgill.ca

Daniel is a recent McGill University MSW (Thesis) graduate and an affiliated researcher with the Center for Research on Children and Families (CRCF). His professional experience is centered on community-based research to improve services for marginalized populations. Daniel has actively contributed to projects on cultural competence within Montreal’s child welfare system and the mental health perspectives of sub-Saharan African immigrant men. He also conducted a comprehensive scoping review on child maltreatment prevention in Canada. Danial is always seeking to leverage these analytical and research skills in roles that enable him to dedicate his passion towards the most vulnerable in our society.

Oluwadamilola Babatunde

Research Assistant
babsoluwadamilola12@gmail.com

Oluwadamilola Babatunde is a researcher, educator, and communications professional. Her work spans modern African literature and film, postcolonial theory, migration studies, new media cultures, and she is currently exploring medical humanities. Dams recently completed an MA in Cultural Studies and Critical Theory at McMaster University, where she also serves as a Teaching Assistant in the Department of English and Cultural Studies.

Dams is currently the Canadian Union of Public Employees 3906 President. She holds research positions with the Human Rights Cluster at Participedia and the Partnership for Research with African Newcomers at the University of Alberta.

Stephen Baffoe

Research Assistant
sbaffoe@ualberta.ca

Stephen Baffoe is a Graduate Research Assistant with the Partnership for Research with African Newcomers (PRAN), where he contributes to a Mitacs-funded project under the Building Transformative Black Entrepreneurship Capacity Alliance (BT-BEC), exploring Financial Literacy challenges faced by Black entrepreneurs in Canada. He is currently completing a master’s degree in urban and Regional Planning at the University of Alberta. He works as a Research Assistant with the Bridging Divides Research Program, which focuses on immigrant integration in Canada and across borders. With a background in Development Planning and professional experience in Ghana and Canada, Stephen’s interests and research also explore urban design, land-use planning, and people-centred communities.

Constance Paidarufaro Ruvimbo Chivanga

Research Assistant
chivanga@ualberta.ca

Constance Paidarufaro Ruvimbo Chivanga (Paida) is a third-year BSc in Agricultural Business Management student at the University of Alberta and a passionate changemaker from Zimbabwe. She is a published author, student leader, podcaster, and co-founder of initiatives that support youth mentorship and access to scholarships. Her work bridges business, sustainability, and community development with a growing focus on impact consulting and agricultural entrepreneurship.

Chloe Devereux

Research Assistant
cdevereu@ualberta.ca

Chloe is a registered provisional psychologist and research assistant with a passion for bridging community-grounded research, clinical practice, and advocacy with communities facing marginalization. In her work as a therapist, she blends liberation, person-centered, culturally-sensitive, and trauma-informed approaches to healing. She has research experience in mental health with children and families, and is currently involved with projects exploring mental health practices and resilience within diverse Black and newcomer communities. Chloe received her BSc in Psychology from the University of Calgary and completed her MEd in Counselling Psychology at the University of Alberta.

Vanessa Brenda François

Research Assistant
vanessa.francois@mail.mcgill.ca

Vanessa Brenda François, born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, is a social worker specializing in psychiatry and pursuing her master’s thesis at McGill University. Her research focuses on psychological violence and mental health recovery within the Afro-Caribbean community. Proud of her Haitian roots, Vanessa is driven by a mission to create spaces of healing and inclusion. Since 2024, she has worked as a Community Outreacher for PRAN, supporting projects on the integration of Sub-Saharan African immigrants in Quebec. Her commitment extends globally through humanitarian work in West Africa, helping children with autism and orphaned youth. Vanessa’s ultimate goal is to found a non-profit organization that empowers vulnerable children to discover their purpose and thrive.

Fatima Karidio

Research Assistant
fkaridio@ualberta.ca

Fatima is a master’s student in Counselling Psychology at the University of Alberta. Her undergraduate research explored themes such as depictions of Islam in Canadian news, migration trends of French-speaking immigrants, and African immigrants’ experiences with the healthcare system. She has been actively involved in supporting refugee students, Black youth initiatives, and mentorship programs. Currently, her graduate work focuses on traditional African approaches to healing, and her master’s thesis examines the role of faith in the well-being of Muslim African immigrants. In the future, Fatima hopes to specialize in faith-based and multicultural counselling.

Rachel MacLeod

Research Assistant
rc422347@dal.ca

Rachel MacLeod is a PRAN research assistant. Her research interests include health & well-being, stigma, isolation, and entrepreneurship. She completed her undergraduate studies in Sociology at Dalhousie University.

Nyasha Maganga

Research Assistant
Nyasha.Maganga@smu.ca

Nyasha Maganga is an analytical finance professional and a PhD student in Global Development studies. She has over 9 years of experience in research administration, data analysis, and financial reporting. Passionate about community-focused research, she volunteers as a community bridge, helping connect diverse groups through dialogue, support, and advocacy.

Elisabetta Mazzullo

Research Assistant
mazzullo@ualberta.ca

Elisabetta is a Doctoral student in Measurement, Evaluation, and Data Science at the University of Alberta. Her research focuses on understanding and improving educational systems. As a research assistant, she is committed to supporting studies that advance equity and strengthen evidence-informed practices for underrepresented populations.

Sarah Mugeni

Research Assistant
sarah.mugeni@mcgill.ca

Sarah is a life enthusiast and third-year social work student at McGill University, dedicated to empowering Black and other marginalized communities. Committed to social justice, Sarah actively supports programs centered on employment preparation, literacy, and social integration for immigrants. At McGill, she advocates for Black students as a member of Black Access McGill (BAM) and the Black Students Network (BSN), striving to break structural and institutional barriers to Black students by amplifying their voices. Sarah also collaborates with community partners, co-developed a simulation class to enhance cultural safety and trauma-informed care in racialized contexts, and has extensive volunteer experience in schools and underserved neighbourhoods. LinkedIn. 

Sarah Amina Nday-Yenga

Research Assistant
sarah.nday-yenga@mail.mcgill.ca

Sarah Amina is a social work technician and third-year BSW student specializing in gender-based violence. Grounded in trauma-informed, intersectional feminist, and anti-oppressive approaches, she is committed to engaging the realities of Black communities. She has extensive experience supporting youth, refugees, asylum seekers, and people without status, and contributes to community-based initiatives that promote culturally relevant, survivor-centered, and equity-driven responses. Through practice, awareness, advocacy, and public engagement, Sarah works to strengthen services and advance equity for marginalized folks.

Amondi Okumu

Research Assistant
okumu@ualberta.ca

Amondi Okumu is a Graduate Research Assistant with PRAN and an MBA candidate at the University of Alberta.
She has worked across operations management, strategic planning, and community-focused initiatives, leading administrative and operational functions, strengthening cross-sector partnerships, and supporting monitoring and evaluation efforts that strengthen organizational performance and outcomes.
With a background in agribusiness and development studies, she brings experience in data collection, qualitative and quantitative research, monitoring, and evaluation.
Her broader interests lie in sustainable business strategy, social impact, organizational design, and inclusive economic development, with a focus on how organizations integrate sustainability into core operations while building resilient, people-centred systems that create lasting impact.

Tosin Okunjemiruwa

Research Assistant
ocokunje@ualberta.ca

Tosin is a second-year master’s student in Counselling Psychology at the University of Alberta. She completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of Calgary, where she conducted her honors thesis under the supervision of Dr. Susan Graham at the Language and Cognitive Development Lab. She also gained valuable experience working as a research assistant in the same lab. Tosin is deeply committed to promoting mental health and actively engaged in efforts that support underserved populations. She is particularly interested in exploring mental health within immigrant families and among youth.

Jeffrey Sanda

Research Assistant
jf349862@dal.ca

Jeffrey Sanda is a Master of Social Work student at Dalhousie University whose journey has been shaped by lived experiences as a Sub-Saharan African immigrant navigating settlement, cultural adaptation, and systemic inequities in Canada. As a Research Assistant, Jeffrey brings not only academic and professional training, but also personal lived experience, cultural humility and insight, and a commitment to ethical, strengths-based, and relational approaches to research. He joins PRAN as someone passionate about contributing to projects that advance equity, improve service access, and honour the knowledge, resilience, and leadership within African and immigrant communities in Nova Scotia. Jeffrey holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Ghana. His professional and community work, including with the Ghana Youth Employment Agency, strengthened his understanding of how policy, social structures, and lived realities intersect to shape the well-being of marginalized populations.

Zalika Scott-Ugwuegbula

Research Assistant
scottugw@ualberta.ca

Zalika Scott-Ugwuegbula, BSc., M.Ed., (she/her) is a Doctoral Student in Psychological Studies of Education – Research at the University of Alberta. Her work explores the intersection of race, disability, and education, with a focus on Black autistic experiences. Zalika is committed to centering the voices and knowledge of marginalized communities through critical qualitative methods. Her interdisciplinary work draws on Black feminist thought, disability justice, and decolonial approaches to challenge dominant narratives in academia and education. Zalika is a research assistant with PRAN and is a passionate advocate for accessible and inclusive scholarship.

Sewordor Toklo

Research Assistant
stoklo@ualberta.ca

Sewordor is a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science at the University of Alberta, with academic backgrounds that include a Bachelor’s degree in Political Studies from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana and a Master’s in Politics, Economics, and Philosophy from the Higher School of Economics in Russia. His research interests include African studies, political behaviour, anti-corruption efforts, and decolonization. Committed to community engagement, social change, and empowering youth within the Black community, Sewordor is a Sinkunia Community Development Organization board member and the Director of Black Youth for Social Innovation at the University of Alberta.

Michelle Wang

Research Assistant
michelle.wang9@mail.mcgill.ca

Michelle is an MA student in Sociology at McGill University and a McCall MacBain scholar, conducting research at the intersection of migration & diaspora studies, as well as social stratification. As a research assistant, she has contributed to projects on international student food insecurity, entrepreneurship, and Asian masculinity. She is currently Editor-in-Chief of the McGill Journal of Refugee and Migration Studies and has volunteer experience in refugee resettlement and intersectional youth activism. She hopes to continue contributing to interdisciplinary and critical work that bridges academic and non-academic spheres. Michelle holds a Combined Honours BA in Social Anthropology and International Development Studies from Dalhousie University.  

PRAN Research Assistant Alumni

Dawn Abraham

Research Assistant
dabraham@ualberta.ca

Dawn Abraham, BSc (spec), is a MEd Counselling Psychology student at the University of Alberta. Between her current MEd and her BSc in Psychology specialization, she has over three years of research experience across several labs, primarily focusing on cultural psychology. On her own time, she completed a wide range of mental health certificates, including ASIST, MHFA, Trauma-Informed Care, and others. She volunteers for Alberta Health Services and several community organizations and works as a teaching assistant across several faculties at the University of Alberta. Her thesis focuses on hyposexuality as it relates to racialized peoples.

Chisom Chiobi

Research Assistant
chiobi@ualberta.ca

Chisom is a PRAN Research Assistant and a Computer Science and Mathematics student at the University of Alberta, with a focus on Software Engineering. His academic and professional experience includes roles as a teaching assistant, tutor, and team lead on several technology-focused projects. He is passionate about mentorship, education, and community engagement, with a particular interest in leveraging technology to support equitable access to learning and opportunities for immigrants and marginalized communities.

Olajide Salawu

Research Assistant
osalawu@ualberta.ca

Olajide Salawu is a PhD Candidate at the Department of English and Film Studies. Salawu is passionate about Black migrants and other underserved communities in Canada. Salawu’s interests include volunteering and community leadership. During his time at PRAN, Salawu worked as a Communication Strategist. 

Zara Sule

Research Assistant
zsule@ualberta.ca

Zara is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Alberta, majoring in Political Science with a minor in International Studies. She has experience as a tutor, writer, and administrative officer. Zara is passionate about volunteering and community engagement, and is particularly interested in creating policies related to women, education, and marginalized communities.

Bennett Kuwan Tchoh

Research Assistant
tchoh@ualberta.ca

Bennett Kuwan Tchoh holds a master’s degree in Humanities Computing from the University of Alberta, where his work explored the intersection of technology, data, and the humanities. He has experience in data analysis, visualization, and research support, with a focus on ethical data access and anonymization. During his time as a PRAN Research Assistant, Bennett contributed to projects that enhanced collaborative and transparent research practices. His academic background reflects a strong interest in how digital tools can support inclusive and data-driven approaches to social research.

Mohamed Yusuf

Research Assistant
18may@queensu.ca

Mohamed Yusuf is a current Ph.D. student in Education at Queen’s University. His doctoral research analyzes the experiences of Black Men in Graduate Studies (BMGSs) and the disparity in their graduate enrolment compared to the overall enrolment of BGSs. He is also interested in investigating the impact of mentorship on BMGS in relation to self-esteem and retention within higher education. More broadly, Mohamed’s research areas include Mentorship and the Experiences of Black Graduate Students. As a young researcher, Mohamed is starting to be involved in more longitudinal-based studies but says the magnitude and scope of PRAN’s multi-year plan have been truly remarkable to be a part of. He has supported PRAN through the Gender Institute and is under the mentorship and supervision of one of PRAN’s Research Team members.

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