The Team

Chloë G. K. Atkins, PhD – Co-Executive Director, The PROUD ProjectAssociate Professor (status-only), Department of Political Science, University of Toronto

Dr. Atkins (she/her) has research interests in disability, bioethics, vulnerable minority identities, human rights, phenomenological research and narrative scholarship. She has held grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Department of National Defense Research Council, the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, TechNation and other foundations. Atkins holds a PhD in Political Science (Political Theory) and a postdoctorate from Cornell University Law School in feminist legal jurisprudence. She has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in law, political science, bioethics, feminist theory, communications, cultures studies and disability studies. Atkins is the author of My Imaginary Illness (Cornell 2010), awarded 3 prizes including The American Journal of Nursing’s Book of The Year (2011). Has held Killam, Clarke, Fulbright and SSHRC Fellowships.

Aruna L. Mitra, BScOT, MEd – Co-Executive Director, The PROUD Project 

Ms. Mitra (she/her) has extensive professional experience administering and delivering healthcare for people with disabilities and those requiring long-term care In Ontario and Alberta. She has worked in private enterprise, government and nonprofit sectors focused on clinical and professional development and education, health care services for the elderly, the disabled, people with brain-injuries and vulnerable populations. Mitra has taught, carried out research and, has volunteered in policy development and the expansion of the ethical capacities and practices of health care professionals in across Canada.

A. Atticus Hawk, PhD (ABD) – Research Project Manager, The PROUD Project 

A. Atticus Hawk (he/they) is in the final year of their doctorate at the Faculty of Information, University of Toronto. Their interdisciplinary dissertation explores networks of care and sexual harm reduction practices within the Toronto-based disabled, genderqueer and non-white communities. His research investigates Toronto’s history of queer disabled population control and community self-image through oral histories with queer elders, analyses of urban development policy, crip architectural critique and place-based information mapping practices. Pulling from his identity as a mixed race, transmasculine part-time cane user, Atticus’ recent writing focuses on bathhouses for disabled people, the history of Toronto’s Glad Day Bookshop and the accessibility of Toronto’s Gay Village. Outside his academic work, Atticus is involved in harm reduction for vulnerable and houseless communities and provides health care navigation and advocacy services for queer and trans people with chronic and complex health conditions. He also holds an MMus in cello performance and an MA in performance studies. 

Isabelle Avakumovic-Pointon, MA – Research Associate, The PROUD Project

1st yr PhD student, Department of History University of British Columbia

Isabelle is an incoming History PhD student at the University of British Columbia. Her research examines the experiences of disabled people in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century Balkans. Isabelle completed an MA European and Russian Affairs at the University of Toronto in 2023, and she also has a BA in History and International Relations from the University of British Columbia (2021) and a Diplôme du college universitaire from Sciences Po Paris (2021). Isabelle’s lived experiences with mental illness and ADHD led her to a deep interest in disability history and disability justice. In her free time, Isabelle enjoys swing dancing, reading fantasy novels, and playing board games.

Zephyr Mitra – Secretary of the Board, The PROUD Project

Zephyr Mitra (she/they) is a 4th year student at The University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia. A voracious reader, Zephyr’s main research interests are in Classics, early modern studies, and daily life in ancient Rome. Dedicated to community wellness and support, Zephyr was the 2022 student patrol supervisor. They will continue their studies at the graduate level and are currently on The University of King’s College President’s List for outstanding academic achievement.  

Lark Huska – Social Media Administrator, The PROUD Project

Lark Huska (she/her) is a 4th year student at the University of Toronto, majoring in Diasporas and Transnational Studies and double minoring in Political Science and Visual Studies. Lark’s main interests are Indigenous reconciliation in Canada and alternative forms of governance. Outside of her studies, Lark is high school rowing coach and member of her local community centre’s Community Health Concerns Committee.