Officers

Shaun Jones

Co-President

Shaun is a second-year doctoral student in the Cancer Epidemiology department in the Gillings School of Global Public Health. His primary research focuses on advancing health equity throughout the cancer care continuum for sexual and gender minority populations. He also plans to use epidemiological and biostatistical analysis to examine the relationship between smoking, nutrition access and neighborhood deprivation and cancer outcomes for marginalized populations. Shaun obtained a BA in Cultural Anthropology from Duke University and a Master’s in Public Health with a concentration in Applied Epidemiology from UNC Chapel Hill. Shaun is originally from Fayetteville, North Carolina.

shaun.jones@unc.edu

Simone Wilson

Co-President

Simone is a fourth-year doctoral student at the School of Education concentrating on Culture, Curriculum, and Teacher Education. Her research focuses on exposing white supremacists logics and undoing racism as they appear in spaces of higher education. Simone obtained a BA in psychology from Emory University and a Masters in Social Work from University of Michigan. Simone is a Flint/Detroit, MI native (yes, she’ll explain).

spwils@email.unc.edu

Maurryce Starks

Secretary

Maurryce is a fourth-year doctoral student in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience. By use of neuroimaging techniques, Maurryce studies how complex social interactions can affect a person’s brain activity. Maurryce is a Cleveland, Ohio native and received his bachelor’s degree in Cognitive-Behavioral Neuroscience from The College of Wooster.

mstarks@unc.edu

Tia Byers

Service Chair

Tia Byers (She/Her) is a third-year doctoral student in the Policy, Leadership, and School Improvement concentration at the School of Education. Tia’s research focuses on power dynamics and disparities in education policy, school assignment policy, and school choice. Tia is a soon-to-be double Tarheel, receiving her BA in Public Policy from UNC–Chapel Hill. Tia is a born and bred North Carolinian hailing from Charlotte, NC.

tdevonne@unc.edu

Asha Hinson

Social Media Chair

Asha Hinson is a second-year doctoral student in the Social Psychology program at UNC. She holds a BA in Psychology and Africana Studies from Smith College, where she developed a strong focus on the intersections of social identity, interpersonal dynamics, and racial inequality. Her research centers on the automation of inequality through algorithmic bias and discrimination, aiming to uncover strategies to mitigate these biases across diverse contexts—organizations, neighborhoods, and social networks—through collective action. Beyond her academic pursuits, Asha is passionate about photography, capturing the world through film. She is also a proud member of the illustrious Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

asha.hinson@unc.edu

Loren Caldwell

Treasurer

Loren Caldwell (She/her) is a second-year master’s student in the curriculum in Global Studies. Loren’s research focuses are immigration, environmentalism, and Black feminism. Loren obtained a B.A. in International Studies and Spanish with a minor in Women and Gender studies from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Loren is originally from Greensboro, North Carolina.

A’zure Latimer

Programming Chair

A’zure Latimer (she/her) is a second-year PhD student in Developmental Psychology. She studies how gendered ethnic-racial socialization and respectability politics impact Black girls’ positive development, as well as capacity building practices for Black families and community organizations. Further, she seeks to use her research to create systems-level change through policy and participatory methods. A’zure is a Hampton, VA native. She received her BA in Psychology from Georgia State University and her MA in Community Psychology from the University of Virginia. (Vegan) baking, (Christian) rap/R&B/indie/jazz, and good conversation are some of the things that bring A’zure joy. 

alatimer@unc.edu