Meet the Team
Meet the Kaleidoscope 2024 team comprised of undergraduate and graduate students!
Jordan le roux / Co-chair
Jordan is a fourth-year History student at Toronto Metropolitan University and is thrilled to be returning as a Co-Chair of Kaleidoscope! As a part of her role on SASSH in 2023, Jordan was tasked with the responsibility of reviving the conference which was formerly known as the Arteries Undergraduate Research Conference, and she is excited to build upon the foundation of last year’s hard work.
Jordan’s research interests include international relations and modern Southeast Asia. In summer of 2024 she completed a major historical paper on democracy in Myanmar funded by an Undergraduate Research Opportunity (URO). She has also presented her work at several conferences and symposiums at TMU and Trinity College, focused on history, global affairs and intelligence and security. She hopes to bring her passion for historical research to Kaleidoscope and increase professional opportunities for Humanities students within the Faculty of Arts.
Jordan has gained leadership experience through involvement with two other student groups, as President of the Metropolitan History Society (MHS) and a Student Co-Leader of the International Issues Discussion Series (IID).
HALA SUKHON / Co-chair
Hala is a second-year psychology student at Toronto Metropolitan University and is excited to be part of the Kaleidoscope Conference for another year. She is currently a research assistant for the SMART Lab and CAL Lab at TMU, and her research interests focus on anxiety, hormones, and mood disorders. Her passion for research drives her to uncover new insights and contribute to effective treatment strategies.
Hala chose to return to Kaleidoscope as a Co-Chair because she believes in the power of collaboration and knowledge exchange to advance our understanding of important topics within the Faculty of Arts. She is eager to help shape the success of this event and make a positive impact in the community!
In her free time, Hala enjoys watching reality shows and reading thriller novels.
KALEE kiluu-ngila / graduate advisor
Kalee Kiluu-Ngila graduated with a BA in Psychology (Hons) from TMU in June 2024. She forever cherishes her time at TMU due to the incredible support from her peers, mentors, faculty, and the community as a whole.
When Kalee began her undergraduate studies, she had no idea she would achieve what she did in five years. Working in various labs across several departments helped me discover her passion for learning and research. She won several awards, spoke at her first conference hosted by TMU Kaleidoscope, completed an undergraduate thesis, and, most excitingly, was admitted into a graduate program.
As a low-income, first-generation student, Kalee initially struggled to navigate academia, especially under significant financial pressure. With the help of the amazing TMU community, she found guidance and was awarded opportunities that brought her to where she is today. She is now a SSHRC-funded Master of Social Work Candidate at the University of Toronto, engaged in research areas including child welfare, advocacy, mental health, and public health. Her goal is to become a psychotherapist and a lifelong clinical researcher. Along the way, she hopes to help empower other students to reach success in their academic journeys, no matter the barriers that may be present.
MISHIKA KHURANA / graduate advisor
Mishika Khurana is a Masters of Spatial Analysis candidate and a graduate of the Geographic Analysis program. Born and raised in Toronto, Mishika has always been interested in how cities are shaped and the various factors that contribute to that, such as the wellbeing of community members.
Over the last few years, she has worked within multiple healthcare organizations, which shaped her ideas on the connections to wellbeing and the urban environment you’re in. She is currently a research fellow at Metrolinx, conducting a study on transit equity through one-on-one interviews, focus groups and community mapping workshops. Mishika presented at the 2023 Kaleidoscope Conference and is excited to be acting as a graduate advisor for 2024!
Grace van vliet / graduate advisor
Grace van Vliet is a PhD student in History at the University of Toronto, specializing in 20th century history. She completed her MA in European, Russian, and Eurasian Affairs, and her BA in History from TMU.
During her time as an undergraduate student at TMU, Grace was passionate about student life, and volunteered with the International Issues Discussions Series, and participated actively in the History Council. Equally dedicated to teaching, Grace took a two-year gap between her MA and PhD and taught at an elementary school in her hometown.
Grace hopes to go on to become a Professor, but thoroughly enjoys her time as a graduate TA. Grace also loves movies, learning languages, and video games.