Who is your Applied Psychology & Human Development (APHD) Student Association? Learn more about each member below! We sat down with each member and got to know each of them a little bit better. We will continue to share more information from your APHD Student Association on this page throughout the year, so keep an eye out here!
Meet your 2026-2027 APHD Student Association
Calandra (Cali) Brake, President, DPE PhD, Year 2
Cali is a second-year PhD student in the Developmental Psychology & Education program. After serving as Vice-President last year, she is excited to continue supporting the APHD community as President. She is committed to fostering a supportive, inclusive, and welcoming environment where all students feel heard, valued, and connected. She enjoys bringing people together through advocacy, collaboration, and community-building initiatives, and she is always happy to connect with fellow students.
Research focus: Moral judgments of plagiarism and AI use, children’s understanding of stealing and academic integrity, and judgments of authorship and research contributions.
After my degree, I want to: Build a career in academia that allows me to continue conducting research, teaching, mentoring students, and contributing to the broader scholarly community in many ways.
Remarks to APHD students: Welcome to APHD! Whether you’re starting a new program or returning for another year, I hope you’ll find this community to be supportive, engaging, and full of opportunities to connect. Graduate school can be challenging, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me, as I’m always happy to listen, answer questions, or help however I can. I’m looking forward to another great year together!
Meagan Muscat, Vice President, CP EdD, Year 3
Meagan is a 3rd year EdD Counselling Psychology student in the APHD department. She is a proud Metis and Ojibwe student with years of volunteer experience both in community and academic settings. Most recently, she has been involved with the UTGSU, OISE Council, Graduate Education Council, and OISE Graduate Student Association. Meagan has always believed that it is important to get involved in the academic community to increase representation, personal growth, and to build a stronger team.
Research focus: Indigenous Mental Health
After my degree, I want to: Become a Registered Psychotherapist and open a private practice.
Remarks to APHD students: I am truly excited to continue with the APHD team as your Vice-President. I hope that my past experience, cultural values, and positive teamwork will benefit the association and greater student population. Please always feel free to reach out!
Zein Abuosbeh, Finance Officer, DPE PhD, Year 5
Zein is a PhD Candidate in the Developmental Psychology & Education program. She’s returning to the APHD SA this year as Finance Officer. She served as Finance Officer last year and previously served as EDI Officer before that. Zein is passionate about supporting students and is excited to help keep the SA’s finances organized and transparent.
Research focus: Language Development, Bi/Multilingualism, Applied Psycholinguistics
After my degree, I want to: Explore post-doctoral opportunities and course instructor positions
Remarks to APHD students: Welcome to APHD! There is so much for you to learn. I know that it might be difficult sometimes, but that’s completely normal. Just trust the process and know that you have an amazing community that wants you to succeed. Never hesitate to reach out, we’re all ready to help!
Helena Syrianos, Communications Officer, DPE MEd, Year 2
Helena is a second-year master’s student in the Developmental Psychology and Education program at OISE. As Communications Officer, she hopes to strengthen the sense of community and belonging within APHD by creating spaces where students feel seen, heard, and part of something beyond their individual academic experience. Drawing on her experience in community engagement and marketing, Helena believes that meaningful connection goes beyond visibility—it is about giving people a voice and creating opportunities to engage with one another. She looks forward to bringing creativity and purpose to the role while helping make APHD feel like a community students can truly be a part of.
Research focus: I’m not in the research stream, but I am interested in emotional regulation, developmental psychology, executive functioning, and cognitive science, especially the intersection of disciplines in applied contexts.
After my degree, I want to: Explore opportunities that bring together my interdisciplinary interests in psychology, cognitive science, education, digital tools, and entrepreneurial ideas.
Remarks to APHD students: A warm welcome to all new and returning APHD students! I hope you make the most of your time here by connecting with the people around you, getting involved, and embracing the opportunities that come your way. Graduate school is about so much more than what happens in the classroom, and I hope APHD SA can be a place where you find both inspiration and a genuine sense of community. I’m looking forward to connecting with you throughout the year!
Kimberly Dsilva, Equity & Diversity Officer, SCCP, Year 2
Kimberly is a doctoral student in the School and Clinical Child Psychology program at OISE. She served as one of the SCCP program representatives last year, and is returning to the APHD SA as the EDI Officer this year. She is passionate about creating an inclusive, welcoming environment where students can form connections. She looks forward to fostering meaningful community building through organizing student events, and addressing any barriers students might be experiencing.
Research focus: Impact of racism on health, wellbeing, and self-concept within racialized communities, with a focus on the experiences of children and youth.
After my degree, I want to: Work in hospital/community settings as a child psychologist, and contribute to the development of clinical research-based interventions to support children, youth, and families from diverse backgrounds.
Remarks to APHD students: Welcome to our APHD community! Navigating a new school and program can be tricky and overwhelming, and we are here to ensure you have a positive experience within our department. Please reach out with any questions, concerns, or even for a quick chat; I am so excited to meet you all!
Student Program Representatives
| Program Reps | Program | Email Address |
| Kimberly Dsilva | SCCP | aphdsccp@gmail.com |
| Michelle Scully | SCCP | |
| Mika Cinco | CP | aphdcprep@gmail.com |
| Chidera Onyegbule | CP | |
| Simon Lefever | CSE | csestudentcouncil@gmail.com |
| Kelly Liu | CSE | |
| Casey Hon | CCP | aphdccp@gmail.com |
| Anisha Jahagirdar | CCP | |
| Han Lai | DPE | aphddpe@gmail.com |
| Jingran Peng | DPE |
Please note this is the 25/26 program representatives. The 26/27 program representatives will be updated.
