Work Experience

Projects Intern

Aga Khan Foundation, East Africa – Dar es Salam, Tanzania / May 2022 - September 2022

• Applied R programming and data analysis skills to manipulate datasets, create data visualisations and analyse provincial election survey data to compile five publicly · Researched pressing climate-change-related issues impacting the livelihoods of smallholder farmers across East Africa and ran environmental scans on non-profit industry-related food security and sustainable agriculture projects to identify policy gaps within the projects implemented by other non-profit organisations within the industry

• Co-developed six project proposals with experts in the field, projected to be implemented East Africa-wide, focusing on youth socio-economic empowerment through micro-entrepreneurship and new practices to encourage urban farming to increase food security in East Africa

Academic Orientation Coordinator

Western University Student Experience / May 2021 - December 2021

• Coordinated guest speakers, contracted vendors, created budgets and implemented detailed event and volunteer schedules in a virtual setting to plan large-scale academic orientation events for over 6,500 students attending Western’s 2021 orientation week

• Hired, trained, managed, and coordinated over 350 Student Experience and Western Housing student leaders in the facilitation and execution of academic-based, off-campus student and second-year student orientation programming

• Addressed low-level incidents on sight and performed the duties of one of the main correspondents connecting students in need to Paramedics, Emergency Medical Services, and Campus Constables in higher-level emergencies

Residence Don/RA

Western University Student Experience / Aug 2019 - 2021

• As an on-call Don, I performed the duties of the acting manager such as liaising between Western Campus Police, and Emergency services, being the onsite representative of Western Housing, responding to housing policy violations and addressing emergencies as they arise.

• As an Off-Call Don, I fostered a community atmosphere to support student transition into university life by carrying out needs assessments and organising building-wide events, weekly floor events, scheduling individual meetings with students on the floor and addressing concerns regarding one’s mental, physical, and financial well-being.

• Successfully advocated for increased anti-racist and group Emotional Intelligence (EI) training for student leaders, and increased BIPOC and international student support in residences.

Graduate Teaching Assistant

Department of Political Science at Western University / September 2022 - April 2023

• Completed the Teaching Assistant Training Program offered by Western University’s Center for Teaching and Learning,

• Ran 10-15 tutorials for about 160 students throughout the academic year, graded over 100 assignments, ran writing workshops, and offered mentorship to interested students.

Community projects

Department of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies at Western University - London, Ontario

Student voice and advocate for the Black Studies Program at Western (March 2021 – Present)

• Collaborated with Western’s Associate Vice Presidents – Academics and Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Decolonisation (EDID), various deans, department chairs, faculty, and students under the Black Studies Organizing Committee (BSOC) to establish the Black and African Studies program across all Western and affiliate campuses

• Actively participated in the BSOC meetings to design and approve course modules to launch the Black Studies Minor starting January 2022, and Black studies Major starting 2023

• Spearheaded over 20 focus-group style community consultations with students at Western to gather student opinion on the design of the Black and African Major and Minor Program at Western and compiled policy reports for BSOC and the Western Senate

Care to join me for a coffee (or tea) chat?

Office:
Social Science Center
Room 4110

Email:
isavani2@uwo.ca