Accessibility Commissioner | ASHTON FORREST
Contact: accessibility@sogs.ca
The Accessibility Commissioner advocates on behalf of SOGS members with disabilities and those that face accessibility challenges. Their primary role is to work towards greater accessibility and inclusivity for those with a wide range of disabilities (including but not limited to physical disabilities, mental disabilities/disorders and learning disabilities) and accessibility challenges (including but not limited to parents of children with disabilities) that have historically been insufficiently accounted for within society.
Accessibility resources here.
Learn more about Ashton HERE!
Ashton Forrest is a Master’s candidate in the Department of Philosophy at Western University. Her areas of scholarly focus are justice and human rights as they pertain to moral, legal, and political philosophy.
As a person with a debilitating chronic condition called scleroderma, she has spent nearly two decades advocating for and raising awareness about accessibility and disability issues on the local, provincial, and national stage.
She has served on the City of London’s Accessibility Advisory Committee, Cheshire London’s Cultural Competency Committee, and was the former Student Accessibility Consultant with the Academic Support and Engagement Office at Western. As a former member of the Post-Secondary Education Standards Committee for the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) she worked with other accessibility experts and advocates to create an Accessible Education Standard for the AODA. She currently advises on accessibility and the intersectional nature of disability on the Safe Cities London project as a member of the advisory and action committees.
Ashton’s main goal is to ensure the voices of people with disabilities are reflected in policy, programming, and the built environment throughout society, especially in the healthcare and education sectors. She lives by the phrase “Nothing about us without us!”
Gender Concerns Commissioner | CATHY HUANG
Contact: gender.concerns@sogs.ca
The Gender Concerns Commissioner advocates on behalf of female, non-binary and trans identifying SOGS members. The Gender Concerns Commissioner connects students to campus or community resources, voices any concerns or interests at SOGS council meetings and is a member of the Sexual Violence Prevention and Education Committee. The Commissioner works with other graduate students to bring activities/events/campaigns to create a safe and inclusive space to share concerns or opinions and work together to improve the graduate student experience at Western.
Learn more about Cathy HERE!
About our Gender Concerns Commissioner:
Pride Commissioner | HANNA BARNETT
Contact: pride@sogs.ca
The Pride Commissioner advocates on behalf of the LGBTQIA+ SOGS members. In addition to representing the community’s interests at SOGS Council meetings, the Pride Commissioner helps connect students to resources, supports local LGBTQIA+ events, and seeks out ways to support LGBTQIA+ individuals.
Learn more about Hannah HERE!
About our Pride Commissioner:
Hanna Barnett (she/her) is a 2nd year PhD student in Hispanic Studies. She completed a BA in Political Science from King’s University College in 2020 before completing an MA in Hispanic Studies at Western.
LGBTQ Resources here.
Racial Equity & Inclusivity Commissioner | Cherin Chung
Contact: racial.equity@sogs.ca
The SOGS Racial Equity and Inclusivity Commissioner advocates for racialized graduate students on issues and concerns affecting them at Western University. The commissioner will work with campus partners and community members to enhance the quality of student experience for racialized SOGS members.
Learn more about Cherin HERE!
Cherin Chung is a Ph.D. student in the French department at Western University. She has completed her Master of Arts in French literature with a dissertation entitled « Le rôle du « frénétique » dans la littérature française du XIXe siècle ». Throughout her studies in the Arts and Humanities faculty, Cherin has taken numerous courses surrounding inequity including critical race theory, feminist literary theory, and queer theory. As a part of the visible minority, she is passionate about dismantling racism and ensuring an equitable education for all graduate students at Western University.
During her time at Western University, Cherin was an active member of SOGS as the French Councillor, the Equity Committee chair, and a member of the Graduate Student Issues Committee. In this role as Commissioner, Cherin hopes to create a more inclusive and equitable future at Western University by actively listening and amplifying the voices of racialized graduate students.
Read the CFS Anti-Racism Toolkit.
Past Commissioners
Accessibility
- Ashton-Nicola Forrest (2019-20)
- Elizabeth Mohler (2020-202
Indigenous
- Danica Pawlick Potts (2019-20)
- Victoria Bomberry (2020-21)
Gender Concerns
- Jaclyn Siegel (2019-20)
- Ana Moyer (2020-21)
- Zara Diab (2021-22)
Pride
- Brody Clement-Thorne (2019-20)
- Shannon “Thomas” Carnahan (2020-21)
- Alessia Servin (2021-22)
Racial Equity and Inclusivity
- Mohammad Sharifi (2019-20)
- Denise Kamyuka (2020-21)
- Jessica Omorodion (2021-22)