• Meet Our 2022-23 Team

    Our multi-disciplinary team combines experience with passion, creativity, and dedication in order to take action on mental health at the University of Toronto.

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    Hania

    Event Team Lead

    Hi, I am currently a MSc candidate at the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology. My research focuses on a neurodegenerative disease called Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and I am situated at the Krembil Research Institute. I find myself preforming at my best when I am mentally and physically fit, thus, I thoroughly enjoy dedicating time to go to the gym. I am constantly looking for opportunities that can help me grow at a personal and professional level. I am quite outgoing; I enjoy interacting with a diverse group of people and find that growth stems from tackling challenging scenarios

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    Riddhita

    Event Team Lead

    Hi there! I am a 2nd year PhD student in the medical sciences program, and I work on a weight loss study in obese individuals with schizophrenia spectrum illness. Mental health has been a longstanding passion of mine, so I am super excited to be a part of this year's Grad Minds team. I want to be able to bring fun new initiatives to this team, while keeping the wellbeing of graduate students in mind. Outside of academia, I love to travel, hike, run and read mystery novels whenever I can! I am looking forward to making some impactful changes over the coming year with the team!

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    Yunfan

    Event Team Lead

    Hi everyone! I am a first-year Master’s student at the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology. Having gone through mental health struggles for a few years, I realized how important it is to advocate for mental well-beings in school. I am excited to join Grad Minds to help you build connections with your fellow students and to provide a safe pace for you to just talk. If you are going through something, please reach out to us and know that you are not alone. In my free time, I love playing badminton, rock climbing, and reading One Piece—shout out to fellow strawhat fans!

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    Elizabeth

    Treasurer

    Hi all! My name is Elizabeth, I am a PhD student in the Institute of Medical Science. I am passionate about mental health and I am excited to continue working within Grad Minds to promote well-being!

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    Serrina

    Policy and Advocacy Advisor

    Hello everyone! My name is Serrina, I am a first-year student in the Master of Public Health with a collaborative specialization in Aging, Palliative, and Supportive Care Across the Life Course at the University of Toronto.

    I am thrilled to be a Mental Health Policy Advisor for Grad Minds! I love being a part of something greater where an entire team shares one common goal of creating positive change for graduate students and advocating for mental health awareness. I hope to use the knowledge I learn in my public health courses into practice to promote and address the needs of graduate students. Please feel free to reach out to me anytime regarding changes you would like to see and for available mental health campus recourses.

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    Aqsa

    Policy and Advocacy Advisor

    Hi everyone! My name is Aqsa and I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) where I specialized in mental health studies. I’m currently a Master’s student in the Clinical Psychology program at UTSC. Through my research, I hope to underscore the importance of addressing stigma associated with psychosis in treatment interventions and to build an understanding of which individuals in this population may be more vulnerable to the effects of stigma. Apart from my studies and extracurricular activities, I really enjoy painting, exercising, cooking, and spending time with my pet cat! Feel free to reach out to me at aqsa.zahid@mail.utoronto.ca for anything I could possibly assist you with.

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    Felix

    Policy and Advocacy Advisor

    Hello! I’m a second-year MPH (Health Promotion) student at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. I am broadly interested in mental health policies and interventions that improve the health outcomes of equity-seeking groups both in Canada and abroad. As the Mental Health Policy Advisor, I’m excited to shape policies and programs so that they better reflect and address graduate students’ needs. If you would like your voice heard as a student or campus group, please reach out and connect with me! In my free time, I enjoy reading, hiking, and experimenting in the kitchen.

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    Jessica

    Policy and Advocacy Advisor

    Hi everyone! My name is Jessica and I am in my first year of the Masters of teaching program at OISE. I have always had an interest and passion for mental health, which led me to studying psychology in my undergraduate degree at Queen’s. Now, I strive to improve my understanding of mental health in order to best support my students and their diverse needs. Within the policy and advocacy team, we are determined to advocate for the graduate student population and the diverse needs among us. I am looking forward to working alongside the other brilliant minds at Grad Minds to spark change in how we, as a community, view mental health.

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    Curtis

    Co-chair

    Hello! I am a second year PhD candidate in the Department of Nutritional Sciences. My research focuses on nutrition during infancy and feeding behaviours and health outcomes later in childhood. Given the unique set of circumstances this year presents, our mental well-being is as important as ever. I look forward to meeting with you this year through unique workshops, initiatives, and more to ensure we stay connected. Feel free to reach out to me or Grad minds at any time if you have a concern. In my spare time, I enjoy cooking, camping, and travelling!

  • We're recruiting Execs for 2021-2022!

    Co-Chair (1 position available)

    • The Co-Chairs are the overarching leadership for Grad Minds and main point of contact for all Grad Minds Team members
    • Sets goals for Grad Minds and acts as a mental health advocate
    • Collaborates with a multitude of other groups, clubs, initiatives, organizations and departments to spread mental health awareness, education and resources; often speaks at events and orientations, on panels and round table mental health discussions on behalf of Grad Minds
    • Designs, organizes, and runs Grad Minds events and initiatives
    • Facilitates the organization of the Grad Minds Annual Mental Health Conference
    • Delegates tasks and monitor the progress of the Grad Minds team
    • Organizes and runs Grad Minds meetings
    • Ensures the recruitment of new Grad Minds team members and supporters
    • Ensures sufficient advertising for Grad Minds events
    • Responsible for updating the Grad Minds website every week
    • Responsible for responding to all emails within 48 hours
    • This position will require a significant amount of responsibility and dedication, as well as weekly involvement with the committee

    Recreation Activities Coordinator (1 position available)

    • The Recreation Activities Coordinator organizes, plans, and executes monthly de-stressing activities, including Game Nights, Movie Nights, Trivia, Zoom Bake-Alongs, Arts & Crafts workshops, etc. 
    • Recruits, coordinates, and communicates with volunteers; has regular meetings and delegates tasks
    • Works closely with the Social Media and Marketing Manager to ensure sufficient advertising
    • This position will require a significant amount of responsibility and dedication, as well as weekly involvement with the committee

    Mental Health Policy Advisor (1 position available)

    • The Grad Minds Mental Health Policy Advisor will be responsible for becoming educated about the mental health resources on campus and spearheading initiatives to improve policies and access to resources 
    • Helps increase awareness about available on- and off-campus mental health resources
    • Works closely with volunteers to provide students with education and information about mental health resources available on campus, how to access those resources, and what to expect from them
    • Attends meetings as the Grad Minds representative for other mental health advocacy and working groups across UofT
    • Experience with Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Canva, or other design software is required

    Share Circle Facilitator (1 position available)

    • The Share Circle Facilitator supports graduate student wellbeing and builds community through planning and hosting monthly "Share Circles" or "Coffee Chats."
      • Share Circles are student-led learning environments where students can learn from each other through discussion about a particular topic (e.g., Imposter Syndrome, Mindfulness, Resilience, etc.)
      • Coffee Chats are casual meet-ups where graduate students can meet and get to know other graduate students across departments
    • Works closely with the Social Media and Marketing Manager to ensure sufficient advertising
    • Experience facilitating group discussions an asset, but not required

    Treasurer (1 position available)

    • Responsible for researching and applying to available internal and external grants and seeking out sponsorship opportunities for Grad Minds’ programming
    • Will communicate with the UTGSU Financial Coordinator, the Grad Minds Exec, and the Yoga Instructor, to ensure timely submission of all receipts for reimbursement and track expenditures

    In addition to their assigned roles, all Grad Minds Exec members will be expected to attend bi-weekly meetings.

     

    Please Note:

    • Applicants must be registered UofT graduate students 
    • Applicants may apply for more than one position

    To apply, please send a cover letter (one page) and a brief resumé (max. two pages) to mentalhealth@utgsu.ca by Friday, May 7th, 2021 @ 11:59 PM, EDT.

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