Meet the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Research Consultants
Adrian Williams, MS
(they/them)
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Manager
The DEI RC is supervised and managed by Adrian Williams, M.S. (they/them). Adrian earned their B.A. in Sociology and M.S. in Counseling Psychology. In addition to their role in the BATLab, Adrian, owns a small business, Cabrera-Williams Consulting Inc. Adrian is in the process of becoming a licensed therapist and received hours towards licensure by counseling at the LGBTQ Center OC in Orange County, California, and in the Val Verde Unified School District in Perris, California. Additionally, Adrian has worked in a Womxn’s Center and as a Title IX administrator. Adrian has expertise in the following subjects: diversity, equity, and inclusion, counseling, LGBTQ+ populations, womxn, project management, and workplace harassment and discrimination.
Adrian’s professional and educational background demonstrate their commitment to creating positive societal change. They have earned certificates in Diversity and Inclusion, Inclusive Excellence, Women’s Leadership, and Interprofessional Education and have training in mental health, trauma-informed practices, and racial equity. Adrian has public speaking experience and has spoken at many prestigious conferences and universities. In whatever capacity they serve, they aim to make everyone around them better and inspire folx to pursue the evolution of their best self holistically.
Sawyer Adams
(they/them)
Sawyer Adams (they/them) is a graduate of Georgia State University with a Bachelors in Psychology. They hope to become a lifelong academic and researcher, with a focus on intersectional LGBTQ+ and BIPOC identities. Overall, they hope to use community participation to shape research and create sustainable intervention/prevention programs that better the wellbeing of marginalized groups. Additionally, they hope to encourage popular media (books, news, film, etc.) to portray LGBTQ+ and BIPOC identities in positive and scientifically informed ways.
In their free time, Sawyer is a fantasy author with hopes of one day being published.
Sandra Agola
(she/her)
My name is Sandra Agola, and my pronouns are she/her/hers. I currently reside in Houston, Texas, although originally born in Nairobi, Kenya. I am a member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Research Consultants team, Adolescence Trail Network-Youth Experts and Advocates of Health (YEAH), and part of the YAB here in Houston.
I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Healthcare Wellness and Navigation to help adolescents living with HIV/AIDS and promote education to minimize the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS. In my leisure time, I enjoy listening to true crime podcasts, DIY projects, and enjoying time with people that I love. I am excited to be part of this team and look forward to the impact that we will have.
Joselyne Campos, MA
(she/they)
Joselyne Campos, MA (they/them) is a graduate of Florida International University with a B.A. in English with a focus in Queer studies and Women and Gender studies. They received an M.A. in English with a concentration in Pedagogy from Northern Michigan University, where they explored how language establishes and perpetuates varying forms of inequity. Joselyne is an educator at heart and, in the future, hopes to use education and knowledge as a tool to empower and support QTBIPOC communities.
Daisy Cruz
(she/they)
Daisy Cruz (she/they) is a graduate of the University of California Irvine with a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning with a focus on affordable housing. Daisy has worked with nonprofit affordable housing organizations, community leaders, and coalitions to advocate for low-income, immigrant communities of color that feel the impacts of housing inequities most in Orange County, CA. Daisy’s work centered around housing element analysis, inclusionary housing ordinances, statewide policy, and eviction prevention programs. Her role included community organizing efforts to ensure that the local communities’ expertise is centered in policy advocacy.
In her free time, Daisy loves to spend time in nature, with family and friends. Daisy has volunteered in urban gardens and mutual aid efforts centered on harm reduction and access to hot meals. She finds joy in adventure, trying new foods, and watching thriller movies/shows! She hopes to continue learning Nahuatl, identifying medicinal plants, and finding ways to take better care of herself.
Joshua Espada
(they/them)
Hello there! My name is Joshua Espada, and I am a Queer Rican living in New York City. I use they/them pronouns. My background has been centered around public health research and policy in NYC and abroad, specifically in Cairo, Egypt, and Amman, Jordan. Abroad, I researched public health policy concerning migrants/refugees within the Middle East and how to make health care units more equitable and better tailored for women and children in rural areas.
Here at home, I’ve also done more on-the-ground work like tenant and housing rights and even helping out in needle exchanges to increase harm reduction in underserved populations. Currently, I am a Case Manager at a queer health clinic helping queer and or low-income patients navigate HIV prevention/treatment, gender-affirming surgery, and other health-related services.
Kendrick Forte
(he/him)
Diagnosed as poz in 2012, Kendrick Forté has used his medical condition to participate in research opportunities with UNC since his diagnosis. From technology to trials, “The Forté” has considered research as a fundamental tool as a meaningful way to help the future generation. Kendrick is an HBCU graduate who works as a tax auditor full-time, still allowing his time to be dedicated to his family, friends, HIV research, and destigmatizing the disease and the ballroom scene.
Dionte Gill
(he/she)
Dionté Gill (he/she) is a recent University of the Arts graduate who studied film production and music business. With this background, Dionté participates on various community advisory boards to provide feedback & insight into how to market to & include queer youth in an inclusive and affirming way. He’s also a content creator whose music and videos aim to represent young Black queer creatives positively.
Abraham Johnson
(he/him)
Abraham Johnson is a public health educator and HIV/AIDS Advocate whose experience in the community health arena spans six years. Abraham currently works at Treatment Action Group as the HIV Community Engagement Officer, where he supports the community engagement efforts for the HIV project. He has a strong theoretical background in public health education and practical experience both inside and outside academic and rural settings. Abraham is passionate and committed to ending HIV/AIDS in marginalized communities, especially among Black gay men. He enjoys traveling, trying different restaurants, and listening to his favorite artists during his free time.
Christina Luke
(she/her)
Christina Luke graduated from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelors in Communications Studies and Sports Administration. While at Carolina she worked as a student manager for Carolina Volleyball, served as a resident and multicultural advisor for DHRE, and volunteered as a consultant with student affairs to address conflicts on campus surrounding the Unsung Founders Memorial. After graduation, Christina returned home to Florida and began working on community engagement with the Council on American Islamic Relations, in addition to working in emergency services. In these roles, she has led sensitivity training with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office on behalf of CAIR regarding the detention and treatment of Muslim inmates. She has helped create presentations and speeches to foster collaboration within the diverse interfaith community in Tampa, Fl. She has also volunteered with the University of South Florida’s Victim Advocacy Center to better understand the culture surrounding consent on college campuses and how the administration can best support victims that come forward. While working in emergency services she became passionate about creating inclusive environments for both patients and professionals. Through this experience, she hopes to become a lifelong academic who utilizes research to advance the quality of life of marginalized communities.
Christina is also a comedian and content creator whose motto is “if we can laugh together we can learn together” and whose mission is to “educate and entertain.” She uses social media to raise awareness surrounding issues she is most passionate about, particularly telling history through a more inclusive lens so that those who have been marginalized know that their history did not begin with their oppression but was interrupted by oppression.
In her free time, Christina enjoys writing, recording, and performing to turn her creative ideas into life.
Darien Megget
(he/him)
My name is Darien Meggett, I am a Photographer/Videographer and a new member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Research Consultants team. Through my work I have always addressed social, racial and health issues. I hope to use my talents in conjunction with BATLab to end the stigma around HIV and AIDS.
Zoe Njemanze, MPH
(she/her)
Zoë Njemanze, MPH is a consultant and design thinking specialist working to authentically present and address the needs of diverse communities. It was during her undergraduate studies at the University of Texas at Austin where she became familiar with the socio-cultural systems and factors that impact the health and mental well-being of communities of color. Zoë completed a capstone project entitled, Microaggressions: An Emerging Idea that Perpetuates Everyday Challenges, but an Understudied Risk Factor for Mental Health Outcomes in Black Americans (2018). Zoë takes specific interest in microaggressions and supporting one’s self-confidence and self-identity to combat the deleterious effects of racist experiences, a topic explored in her master’s thesis, A Case Study of Texas’ Universities Mental Health Professionals and Microaggressions of Black College Students Attending Predominantly White Institutions. Zoe has since worked with the Hiram Clarke Community Resiliency Project, UTHealth School of Public Health, MobilizeGreen in capacities including, but not limited to, the social determinants of health, project implementation, anti-racism and diversity, equity and inclusion.
Miles Perry, MPH
(he/they)
Miles Perry is an avid HIV activist. Miles recently graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with his Master of Public Health degree specializing in Global Health. Miles received his Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Public Health from the University of Rochester. Miles has worked at the BATLab since 2021 as a Research Assistant and will continue his efforts at the lab as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Research Consultant.