Our members have received training for their role on this committee, and identify these specific skills in their bios. Here is a brief description of the courses that they may have completed:
Identify, Assist, Refer (IAR): This training helps participants recognise key indicators that a person may be struggling with a mental health issue, how to begin a supportive conversation with them, and how to make the most appropriate referral to campus and/or community resources.
SafeTALK: Suicide Alertness for Everyone: This training is designed to increase comfort and awareness when initiating or participating in conversations with someone who is having suicidal thoughts or tendencies, and ensure that they are connected to people that offer specialised intervention care and relevant resources.
Sexual Violence Disclosure Skills: A Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Centre workshop that provides participants with an interactive and practice-based virtual training for student leaders on how to supportively respond to a disclosure of sexual violence. This workshop touches on the link between systemic oppression and sexual violence that can impact and create barriers for those impacted by sexual violence.
Wanzhang Wang (she/her), Rollinson Lab
What do you study? I study the ecology and evolution of reptiles with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), especially in fresh-water turtles.
What does this mean you do day to day? I study the regulators of sex ratios in reptilian populations worldwide via meta-analysis of sex determination mechanisms, sex ratio, mortality, maturation age and environmental data of published reptilian populations. I also do heat stress experiments on snapping turtle eggs collected from the Algonquin Park to investigate the correlation between embryonic heat tolerance and TSD traits. I explore SNPs in the genomes of painted turtles as well.
When you aren’t doing research, how do you spend your time? Mostly spending time cuddling with my cat Mei. I also love doing a lot of handcrafts, like making jewellery and clothes, crocheting, drawing, etc. Collecting old stuff is my hobby too; I spent too much time and money in thrift stores and antique markets.
Why did you take on this committee work? I attended previous events hosted by the MHC and found it very fun to participate in. So I’d love to be a part of the committee and participate even more.
How would I find you if I need to? My office is in ESC 3047. You may reach out to me via email at wanzhang.wang@mail.utoronto.ca as well.
Yash Kumar Singhal (he/him), Stinchcombe Lab
What do you study? I’m broadly interested in plant evolution and local adaptation! I work with Ivy-leaf Morning Glories and will be exploring how leaf shape affects the plant’s thermoregulation and water use. Currently though, I’m working on using gene expression data and whole genome sequencing to detect genes under selection.
What does this mean you do day to day? For now, I work mostly in the office, wrangling data sets with thousands of genes looking for patterns of selection. I’m reading papers, writing scholarship applications, and also often up at the Koffler Scientific Reserve to survey our morning glory fields!
When you aren’t doing research, how do you spend your time? A valuable trait for a PhD student; I love to read, and can often be found in bookstores near campus or roaming the Robarts stacks hunting for a new book to add to my pile of want-to-reads. Please send over your best sci-fi or fantasy-fiction recos (I’ll read anything that has a happy ending). My other great love is food, whether that be cooking, eating, or wandering through Kensington, taking in the smells. Hmu, always down to go grab a little treat 😀
Why did you take on this committee work? Grad-school is hard and the MHC helped me a lot in my first year, offering a space where I could talk to peers or step away and take a coffee break. I wanted to stay involved and hopefully help others in the department feel as supported as I did!
How would I find you if I need to? Come say hi at ESC2046. Or shoot me an email at yash.singhal@mail.utoronto.ca
Jessie Wang (she/her), Frederickson Lab
What do you study? I study host-microbiome interactions using tiny floating aquatic plants, duckweeds!
What does this mean day to day? Most of my time in the lab is spent on culturing or assaying microbes. On occasion, my plants will be escorted from one mason jar to another. Otherwise, you’ll find me staring at well plate images and lines of code. Once a month, I venture into the pond (or giant well plate) for microbial field work.
When you’re not tending to tiny creatures, how do you spend your time? I enjoy going on walks around the city and catching Pokémon, as well as trying out the latest cafes and eats! At home, I’ll cozy up and re-watch the same movies and shows for the nth time (or a YouTube video essay).
Why did you take on this committee work? Like many others before me, I have greatly benefited from the programming and support provided by the MHC, and I wanted to be a part of sharing that with the rest of the EEB community.
How do I find you if I need you? Come to the Sardine Can (ESC 3043) or send me an email at jae.wang@mail.utoronto.ca
As a member of this committee, what relevant training have you received? Identify, Assist, Refer (IAR), and Sexual Violence Disclosure Skills
Zifang Xiong (she/her), Mahler Lab
What do you study? I study the evolution of sexual dimorphism in cranial morphology in Anolis lizards, and I also have projects investigating differences in predation pressure between island and mainland Anolis communities.
What does this mean you do day to day? Most of the time I’ll be sitting in front of a lab computer clicking away to gather, process, and analyse morphological data. In the summer, I conduct fieldwork in Central and South America, which involves, during the day, hiking through trails (sometimes with a machete) to put up lizard models to measure predation rates; during the night, looking for lizards, capturing, marking, and releasing them.
When you’re not staring at equations, how do you spend your time? I love walking around the city and trying out new bubble tea places; staying at home and gaming (although less time to do that now). I also love going away from the city from time to time to enjoy camping and hiking, I love photographing things of nature, plants, fungi, vertebrates, and invertebrates. I may have taken way too many photos for my processing speed… Recently, my free time has mostly been occupied by my dog Bubble; I take her to work sometimes 😉
Why did you take on this committee work? I’ve benefited from the programs arranged by the MHC in the past and would love to contribute to building a supportive and inclusive community.
How would I find you if I need to? My office is ESC2035. If I’m not on campus, I can be reached at zifang.xiong@mail.utoronto.ca
As a member of this committee, what relevant training have you received? Identify, Assist, Refer