Dear Students,
I am pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s Social Justice Mini-Grant program. The program supports student projects that provide opportunities for the Columbia community to learn about racial, economic, accessibility, educational and other inequities.
I hope you’ll join me in congratulating the grant recipients:
- My Colorful Nana Podcast, Lauren Stockmon Brown
- The Black Experience through the Windshield, Robert Louis Brandon Edwards
- Equity in the Arts: From Curation to Development, Liz Peterson
- FGLI Voices Project, Emily (Em) Chmiel in collaboration with Cyra Paladini
- Birth Equity Project, Paige Sentino, Zaire Bartholomew, and Amaya Langaigne
- Disability Affinity Graduation, Leslie A. Zukor
- The World is My Oyster: Dismantling Stereotypes about Muslim Women in India through Storytelling, Sabah Usmani
- Understanding the Racial Biases in Smart Voice Technology, Tao Long
- Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity Chapter, Azmina Panjwani and Jennifer Margaret Puac
- Racism and Health: A Critical Appraisal and Shift toward Anti-racist Action, Spencer Dunleavy and Grace Pipes
- Neurodiversity Awareness Day @ Columbia, Maycee McClure in collaboration with Ara Bakhteyar and Juliette Gudknecht
- Caste and Policymaking, Prachi Shahare
You can learn more about all of these students and their projects on our website.
About the Social Justice Mini-Grant Program
The mini-grant program is one way student leaders can contribute to a culture of inclusion, belonging and social justice across the University. As this year’s grantees embark on their projects, they will receive funding, mentorship, communications and logistical support as they create opportunities for the Columbia community to engage meaningfully in conversations and programs centered on differing aspects of social justice.
University Life began the mini-grant program in the 2020-21 academic year to help students play a new role in advancing the University's renewed commitment to antiracism. After two successful years of funding 20 projects addressing racial justice, University Life and its funding partners have expanded the program to welcome projects about economic, accessibility, educational and other inequities.
We wish to thank the Institute for Religion, Culture and Public Life for their generous ongoing funding support and partnership with University Life for the Social Justice Mini Grants program.
You can learn more about the Social Justice Mini Grants program here.
If you’d like to stay updated on projects and events organized through the Social Justice Mini-Grants program, please check your weekly Events and Opportunities emails and follow us on Instagram and Facebook. We hope to see you at some of these great, student-led events this Spring!
Sincerely,
Dennis A. Mitchell, DDS, MPH (he/him/his)
Executive Vice President for University Life
Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement
Professor of Dental Medicine at CUMC
Ixchel Rosal (she/her/hers)
Senior Associate Vice President for Student Life
University Life
