Office of Multicultural Student Affairs at The University of Chicago

Jillian Ojeda: Jillian is a second year at the College. She plans to study Public Policy and Spanish. She currently lives in New Jersey. Jillian is a member of the Cross Country and Track and Field teams at the University. She is also serves on the International Student Admissions Committee and is a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority. She is excited for her second year as a member of the board and the University of Chicago community.

Jasmine Fryer: Jasmine is a second-year M.P.P. graduate student at the Harris School of Public Policy. She was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. Prior to enrolling at Harris, Jasmine served as a Fulbright Scholar in Jordan and a Teach for America Corps Member in New York City. She holds a BA in Political Science and Urban, Practice, and Policy. She also obtained a MA in Secondary Social Studies Education. She has studied, lived, and worked in Thailand, China, Morocco, Jordan, and Israel. Currently, she serves on the Chicago Policy Review, and the Committee on International Affairs and Public Policy.

Marcus Moore: Marcus is a second year graduate student at the School of Social Service Administration.  He is studying school-based social work, as a Community Schools Fellow.  His educational interest and career goals are centered on educational equality, social justice, and issues of diversity in education.  Marcus is honored to serve on the OMSA Student Advisory Board.  He was born and raised in Urbana, Illinois.  He holds a BA in Inner City Studies from Northeastern Illinois University.

Karim Pirani: Karim Pirani is a second-year student in the College, who is interested in History, Political Science, and Comparative Race and Ethnic Studies. He is a native of Chicago. In addition to his student-organization involvement and participation in the Neighborhood Schools Program, Karim also engages heavily with OMSA through its Emerging Minds Project. Having learned from these diverse experiences, Karim is eager to tackle bigger, multicultural issues that affect a wider array of students. He sees the opportunity to serve on the Advisory Board as an excellent opportunity to accomplish these goals.

Muhammad Shareef: Muhammad Shareef is a fourth year Biological Chemistry, Biology, and Chemistry major at the College and is currently in the process of applying to Medical Schools. He has an interest in pursuing a Physician Career as a Cardiologist but is further interested in helping improve the delivery of Medicine in Underserved, Urban Communities. Currently, Muhammad is the Treasurer for the South Asian Students Association and a Harper Biology Tutor.

Alex Halladay: Alex is a second-year in the College studying Statistics. Originally from Detroit, MI, she spends much of her time working with the college Admissions offices and PSAC, and is a dedicated member of her house.

Jamie Huang: Jamie is a third-year joint degree Harris School of Public Policy Studies and Center for Middle Eastern Studies graduate student. Her academic interests include international affairs (public diplomacy) and international security policy (conflict resolution). She holds BS degrees in Journalism and History of Science. Prior to starting her graduate studies, she not only worked in the private sector but also in the public sector as an Assistant Language Teacher and Coordinator of International Relations on the JET Programme in Toyama, Japan. She spent this past summer in Washington D.C. as an intern at the U.S. Department of State, Office of the Under Secretary of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.

Mikaela Brown: Mikaela is a third year student in the College studying Biology. She is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In addition, she is a member of Alpha Omicron Pi and is involved in the University Ballet.

Vida Kuang: Vida was born in San Francisco’s Chinatown and is a fourth year in the College studying Art History and Anthropology. Having been raised surrounded by a wealth of neighborhood murals and histories, she is particularly drawn towards visual storytelling as a form of inter-cultural communication. Since coming to Chicago, she has volunteered for the Chicago’s Chinese American Museum exhibition committee and worked at the Smart Museum of Art as a docent. During the school year, she is an illustrator for the Chicago Weekly. On any day, you will find her dancing Bhangra around campus or riding her bike through Hyde Park.

Wujun Ke: Wujun is a fourth-year in the College studying Comparative Literature with a focus on gender. Wujun was born in China but has lived most of her life in the United States. She is an avid photographer and enjoys art, poetry, and exploring Chicago. She is also a former member of OMSA’s Emerging Minds Project and vice pres for Asian Students Union.

Christian Sanchez: Christian is a second-year at the College, and she will major in either Political Science or Comparative Race and Ethnic Studies with a minor in Human Rights. Although she is a Chicagoan, her family’s roots are in Michoacán, Mexico.

Jacqueline M. Newsome: Jacqueline is a first-year law student here at the University of Chicago interested in specializing in critical race studies/criminal law. Jackie was born and raised in Evanston Illinois and studied politics and religious studies at New York University as an undergraduate. In addition to being on the OMSA Advisory Board Jackie is also an active member of the Black Law Student's Association and hopes to bridge the gap between the various University of Chicago graduate schools.

Ben Yu: Ben is currently a second year in the college and a tentative HIPSS major, with a minor in English and Creative Writing. On campus, other than being heavily involved with OMSA, he is active in the Student Government, I-House Residency Council, and the Spiritual Life Council. As an activist in the Asian-American community, Ben works with the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community in Cermak-Chinatown. Besides participating in a large number of RSOs events, Ben spends his free time reading and blogging about literature and art.

Desmond Jones: Desmond is a fourth-year student majoring in Mathematics. Desmond was born on an army base in Georgia but was raised in Northwest Indiana. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and is currently the president of the Multicultural Greek Council.