PhD Student Association
About the PhD Student Association
What We Do
The PhD Student Association (PhDSA) represents and advocates for doctoral students’ interests at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. The PhDSA promotes links between social work doctoral students and the faculty. The PhDSA is the formal link to the Graduate Student Union (GSU). A part of this communication includes attending GSU Council meetings, where the PhDSA voices FIFSW PhD student concerns, such as funding, academic and equity issues. We also provide support and service to individual students. If you have any questions or concerns about life as a doctoral student, the PhDSA is here to support you! In person, by phone, or by e-mail – whatever suits you best. If we cannot help you directly, we will guide you to someone who can.
How We Are Organized
PhDSA council members volunteer for their positions and are responsible to students in the faculty. The PhDSA is funded by the GSU, based on the number of students in the faculty. The PhDSA Co-Chairs have ultimate decision-making authority and charge over PhDSA general affairs, but encourage student involvement.
Get Involved!
Becoming involved in the PhDSA is important. It helps to ensure we, as students, have a voice in departmental affairs and a vehicle through which we can express our concerns and opinions. Additionally, supporting the local and international community through outreach is an important goal for the PhDSA. Social advocacy and other work carried out by the PhDSA cannot happen without the involvement of its members — of which we are grateful for any and all help and support! If you want to become more active within the FIFSW community, drop by the PhDSA office during office hours, or send us an email.
Contact Information
fifsw.phdsa@utoronto.ca
Email for an appointment
PhDSA Council Members (Fall, 2019 – present)
Aeshah Anani
Aeshah Anani (she/her) is a 2nd Year PhD student at the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto, and a clinical social worker based in Qatar. As a clinical social worker, she worked primarily with adolescents, where she developed an interest in areas related to anxiety, anger, self-harm, and suicidality. She completed her MSW from the Columbia University, School of Social Work with a concentration in health, mental health, and disabilities. Through her doctoral research, she aspires to examine how suicidality is addressed in school-based settings and what role of social workers play.
Yahan Yang
Yahan Yang (she/her), MSW, is a PhD Student at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto. Before becoming a PhD student, she worked as a project manager at the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) where she managed/participated over twenty projects related to immigration, education, and social policies. She currently works as a research assistant for the “My Script, my Voice” project on how parents and youths talk or not talk about anti-Asian discrimination in Canada.
Yahan’s research interests encompass anti-racism and anti-oppressive research concerning Asians and immigrant families and children. Her current PhD research centers on the critical consciousness and actions of Chinese youths when facing racism and systematic oppression.
Ali Pearson
Ali Pearson (they/them) is a fourth-year PhD Social Work Student at the University of Toronto. They earned their Master of Social Work at the Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto, in Social Justice and Diversity with a collaborative study in Sexual Diversity.
Ali’s research Neuro-Queeriosity is grounded in Social Justice and Diversity and focuses on the intersection of Gender Minority Identity and Neuro Minority Identity. Utilizing a mixed method, transformative-emancipation approach, they seek to expand understanding through intersectional and affirmative social approaches of how non-affirmation of identity is related to community connectedness, pride and camouflaging and how it impacts mental wellness outcomes for GNM individuals.
Ali is an active advocate for 2SLGBTQ+ and disability rights and is engaged in the FIFSW EDI Committee, PhD Student Association and Faculty Council. They are a course instructor in the Social Justice and Diversity Stream teaching Diversity, Access and Equity in Social Work Practice.
Ali is a committed community member providing training sessions and workshops through their grass roots organization, The Pride Project, in 2SLGBTQ+ inclusivity, queer consent, queer sex education and Neurodiversity
Kaitrin Doll
Kaitrin Doll (they/them) is a fifth-year doctoral candidate with a focused research interest in sexual and gender diverse (SGD) populations. Their work explores the complex relationships between community membership, social support, connectedness, and mental wellness. Kaitrin’s doctoral research delves into the impact of sport participation in affirming environments, with a particular emphasis on roller derby, to understand its role in stress-coping, identity affirmation, community building, joy, and mental wellness for SGD individuals.
With a diverse background in social work, Kaitrin brings hands-on experience in inner city social work, community development, social innovation, and 2SLGBTQIA+ health and policy.
They are currently a course instructor in social work and social policy at the University of Toronto, where they are dedicated to advancing knowledge, destabilizing the status quo, and actively supporting and uplifting student voices and learning experiences.