Our Team
University of Toronto
ADITI MEHTA // Professor
Aditi is an assistant professor, teaching stream, in the Urban Studies program at the University of Toronto. She earned her masters in city planning and her PhD at MIT. Her research interests include technology and civic engagement, participatory planning with youths, community development, and issues surrounding racial and ethnic diversity. She is committed to principles of knowledge justice, in which academics and community residents are collaborative partners in the process of designing an inquiry for social change.
MONA M. // Research Assistant (2025-2026)
Mona is a recent graduate from the Masters of Science in Planning program at the University of Toronto. She has a diverse background in project management, data analysis and operations. Mona has also explored social work, which informs her interest in designing communities that reduce vulnerability. Outside of school, Mona loves the performing arts and can be found taking a variety of related classes.
ROYA ASGHARZADEH // Research Assistant (2023- 2024)
Roya is currently a first-year Master of Science in Planning Candidate at the University of Toronto. She seeks to learn how to plan and create safe, sustainable and equitable spaces and policies. Understanding that people's identities shape their experience, Roya is interested in promoting inclusivity though collaboration and dialogue. When she's not in the classroom, she's all over the place! Roya loves to seek different opportunities to take on new challenges, learn new skills and meet new people.
NAZIHA NASRIN // Research Assistant (2022-2023)
Naziha is a recent graduate from the Masters of Science in Planning at the University of Toronto. She is passionate about community development, place making and multicultural planning for diverse communities. Her research looks at building inclusive public spaces such as prayer and multi-faith rooms and ablution stations in public places such as malls, parks and institutional buildings for the Muslim community in Toronto. Beyond her research interests, she is also a big coffee lover and an avid baker. Her favourite dessert to bake is tiramisu!
NIKKI MARY PAGALING // Research Assistant (2019-2022)
Nikki is a student at the University of Toronto studying Human Geography and Urban Studies. She is the 2019-2020 Co-Manager of Caffiends, a fair and direct-trade student cafe, and the 2019-2020 Urban Studies Students Union Co-President. As a critical urbanist, she is keen on learning about the complexities of identities in shaping the experience of the city, and interrogates city-processes of inclusion and exclusion. She loves having a good cup of coffee and hanging out with friends at Caffiends.
(Photo credit: Charu Sharma)
LENA SANZ TOVAR // Research Assistant (2019-2021)
Lena is a Master of Science in Planning Candidate at the University of Toronto. Her areas of interest include community development, participatory planning, citizenship and immigration, urban policy and decline, contested spaces, food security and justice, and environmental justice. When she’s not in class, studying, or working, she loves to develop recipes and style food for her Instagram, LenaTakesLife!
RON MA // Research Assistant (2019-2022)
Ron is a graduate of the University of Toronto, with a degree in Urban Studies and Cinema Studies. His academic and professional work is located at the intersections of visual culture and political geography. Outside of school, Ron programs for JAYU’s Human Rights Film Festival, the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival, and the Planet in Focus International Environmental Film Festival. He is pursuing an M.A. in Media Studies at the University of Amsterdam.
FOCUS Media Arts
ADONIS HUGGINS // Executive Director
Adonis serves as the Artistic Director for the Regent Park Focus hub, as well as the Executive Director for the FOCUS Media Arts Centre. After pursuing a BA in Theatre at Dalhousie University, Adonis returned to Toronto in 1991 to work with a newly formed resident group in Regent Park to develop arts-based interventions for hard-to-reach youth and deal with the stigmatization of Regent Park. When engagement through theatre proved challenging, Adonis turned to media production, which in time led to a 24-hour, closed circuit television station: Regent Park TV. Adonis continues to manage and coordinate video production programs at Regent Park Focus.
DAWAR NAEEM // Video and Photography Coordinator
Dawar is a filmmaker, videographer and published photographer who supports in video programs and volunteer training at Focus. Dawar serves as a community journalist at Focus under the Local Journalism Initiative focused on hyper local and civic news in Regent Park and surrounding areas.
Tyrone-Maclean-Wilson // New Media Coordinator
Tyrone was born and raised in Regent Park and supports in audio and video broadcasting, web development, podcast production and new media training within the community. Tyrone has been a long time staff member at the Focus Media Arts Centre providing continued multimedia education and technical support.