Current Team Members:
Dr. Gül Çalışkan (She/Her)
Sociology Professor at St. Thomas University (STU)
Research Lead
Gül is Professor of Global Sociology at St. Thomas University on unceded Wolastoqey Territory (Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada). She received her PhD in Sociology from York University, where her doctoral research focused on the diasporic citizenship practices of Turkish-background residents in Berlin, Germany. She joined the Department of Sociology at STU in 2013. Gül’s research and teaching are grounded in postcolonial studies, postcolonial feminism, and narrative inquiry. Her work explores the intersections of migration, citizenship, racial justice, and global social inequalities, with a focus on how global processes shape everyday lived realities. She is the author of Forging Diasporic Citizenship: Narratives from German-born Turkish Ausländer (UBC Press, 2023), editor of Gendering Globalization Globalizing Gender: A Postcolonial Approach (OUP, 2020), and co-editor of the forthcoming volume Writings from Elsewhere: Mapping Selective Compassion in Academia (UBC Press, under review). She also leads Promise of Home, a SSHRC-funded, community-based narrative research project focused on immigrant belonging and policy transformation in Fredericton. In recognition of her contributions to research and community engagement, she received the MCAF Excellence Award in 2024. She teaches a range of undergraduate courses including Sociology of Globalization; Globalization and Gender; Racialization and Indigeneity; Orientalism, Islamophobia, and Postcolonial Transgressions; Advanced Theory; Qualitative Methods; and Research for Social Change. Beyond academia, Gül is actively involved in community advocacy. She is a founding member of No One Is Illegal–Fredericton and a member of Fredericton Palestine Solidarity.
Dr. Sophie Lavoie (She/Her)
Professor of Culture and Media Studies at UNB.
Research Lead
Sophie is a Professor in the Department of Culture & Media Studies at the University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, where she teaches Spanish Latin American language, literature and culture, Women’s Studies and film. Her research publications are on women writers of Central America and social change, mostly in Nicaragua. She has also published on Latino-Canadian writers’ narratives of integration (Lady Rojas Benavente, Carmen Aguirre, Carmen Rodríguez). Along with editing two anthologies of Latino-Canadian women’s poetry, she is a literary translator with various books published in English, French, and Spanish. Notably, she translated Mi’kmaq poet Rita Joe and Ojibwa-Cree elder Ma-Nee Chacaby’s memoirs into French, recently published a translation of NB Anglophone poets in two volumes, and is finishing up a translation of NB LGBTQIA+ writers for Frog Hollow Books.
Felomena (Mina) Deogratsias
STU, Majors in Sociology and Women’s & Gender Studies
Research Assistant
June 2026 – Present
Felomena Deogratsias (Mina) is a Second- generation Rwandese Canadian, and fourth-year student at St. Thomas University. She was a recipient of the Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA) in 2025 and currently works as a Research Assistant under Dr. Gül Çalışkan, supporting a multi-campus initiative on racial justice, decolonial advocacy, and community-led research in higher education.
Beyond her academic work, Mina has been involved in anti-Black racism efforts in Fredericton since 2020 and continues to support youth, community groups, and student organizations in building safer and more equitable environments. With strong organizational skills, lived experience, and deep community ties, Mina is committed to empowering young people, strengthening networks, and advancing racial equity across campuses and the broader Fredericton community.
Tashina Hachey (She/Her)
STU, Bachelor of Social Work
Field Placement Student
January 2026 – Present
Hi, my name is Tashina Hachey, I’m from Elsipogtog First Nation and a proud Mi’kmaq woman. I graduated from St Thomas University with my Bachelor of Arts degree in 2024 with a major in Native Studies and a minor in criminology. I am now a third year Bachelor of Social Work student. I have a passion to advocate for my community and youth. I volunteered my time at my local youth center during covid.
Gabriel Prah (Kobby) (He/Him)
STU, Bachelor of Social Work
Field Placement Student
January 2026 – Present
Gabriel Prah (Kobby) is a Bachelor of Social Work student at St. Thomas University and an international student from Ghana, West Africa. He is actively involved in student leadership and community work, with a strong focus on supporting racialized and marginalized students. Gabriel is passionate about advocacy, mentorship, and creating welcoming spaces on campus. His work is shaped by his lived experience and his commitment to building inclusive and supportive communities.
Sarah Brewer (She/Her)
STU, Honours in English
Research Assistant
January 2026 – Present
Sarah was born and raised in Fredericton, New Brunswick. She is in her third year at STU, and she is interested in creative writing. Sarah plans to become an English professor on top of publishing her poetry. In fact, she recently published her poem, “Coping,” in Qwerty 50: Cornerstone. Sarah hopes to make a positive impact in her community through her contributions to R.A.C.E on Campus, as she loves Fredericton and wants to do her part in ensuring that Fredericton is supportive and safe for each community member.
Shamy Iliza Rukokora (She/Her)
STU, Majors in Criminology & Human Rights, Minor in Psychology
Research Assistant
January 2026 – Present
Shamy Iliza Rukokora is an international student from Rwanda in her fourth year studying Criminology and Human Rights with a minor in Psychology at STU. She has actively been involved in student leadership roles such as Secretary for the Black Student Association (2024–2025), African Ambassador for the St. Thomas University and STU International Student Association (2023–2024). She also worked for Promise of Home for two years, helping advance immigrant voices and strengthen community support for newcomers.Shamy is excited to be part of the RACE on Campus project and is committed to working with her team to create a welcoming space where international, Black, Indigenous, and racialized students feel safe to speak, share ideas, and be heard. She hopes this work will contribute to reimagining what a truly inclusive and race-free campus can look like.