QTBIPOC and International Students are encouraged to reach out to one of our QTBIPOC and/or International Student Mentors to learn more about our programs, and about student life in Graduate Geography and Planning. Please see mentor bios and contact information following the program description.
Questions about application instructions, minimum qualifications, program requirements and funding eligibility can be directed to graduate.geography@utoronto.ca or graduate.planning@utoronto.ca.
Current students interested in joining the QTBIPOC & International Student Admissions Peer Support Program as a mentor, please contact Deb Cowen (deb.cowen@utoronto.ca), Beverley Mullings (beverley.mullings@utoronto.ca) or Hulya Arik (hulya.arik@utoronto.ca).
Program Description
Graduate Geography and Planning is piloting a QTBIPOC & International Student Admissions Peer Support initiative. The intention of this work is to build more equitable and supportive application processes for QTBIPOC and international applicants to graduate programs in the Department of Geography & Planning. Data gathered as part of this initiative will support the longer-term development of knowledge, resources, and infrastructure to support a larger and permanent outreach and mentoring initiative.
Mentors
Abdul-Salam Ibrahim
PhD Planning
as.ibrahim@mail.utoronto.ca
I’m a Ph.D. candidate in the Planning Program. I’m originally from Ghana, West Africa, and my academic journey has taken me across continents, with research spanning both Africa and North America. My research explores how community-based approaches can help us better understand gentrification, displacement, and community engagement in urban climate resilience, regeneration, land administration, and sustainability transitions. My dissertation addresses how participatory tools (PGIS) can support climate resilience in fair and inclusive ways, moving beyond typical top-down solutions. I’m also a Ph.D. fellow with the CERCNEST, where I work with Professor Romero-Lankao on equity and justice in sustainability transitions, linking research and community action across Toronto, Los Angeles, and Mexico City. Outside my studies, I love playing football (soccer) and cheering on my favourite EPL team. Please feel free to reach out with any questions about grad life, exams, TA work, or finding your community as an international student.
Nil Alt
PhD Candidate in Geography (she/her)
nil.altkecik@mail.utoronto.ca
I am a doctoral candidate in the Department of Geography & Planning. My research interests include critical political economy and ecology, uneven development, Global Production Networks (GPNs), racial capitalism, and critical labour studies. My doctoral dissertation is a multi-sited ethnography of Turkey's export-oriented sweet cherry sector. I examine how the “cherry frontier” is shaped by the intersecting processes of labour control, smallholder subordination, and ecological manipulation, analyzing how state ideologies manage a segmented workforce while chemical inputs realign natural cycles with market demands. I also hold a master’s degree in Geography, Planning and Environment from Concordia University.
Outside of my academic work, I have a long-standing commitment to community engagement and enjoy volunteering with organizations focused on food security, poverty and inequality.
Feel free to reach out if you have questions about graduate courses, working as a Teaching Assistant, applying for scholarships like SSHRC, integrating prior professional experience with your studies, or conducting ethnographic fieldwork.
Hamza Ali
MScPL (he/him)
hmza.ali@mail.utoronto.ca
My name is Hamza Ali, and I am a first-year MScPL student of Pakistani descent who was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. My research interests focus on social and policy planning, particularly how municipal development and policy initiatives influence daily life and shape our lived experiences. As a person of colour who has often felt lost navigating academic spaces and who has experienced imposter syndrome coming from a different background, I am passionate about supporting prospective graduate students who may face similar challenges. I understand how important it is to feel seen and supported in environments where representation can be limited, and I hope to help demystify the admissions and graduate school process while encouraging others to feel confident in their place here. Outside of geography and planning, I enjoy cooking and staying active. I grew up playing many sports, particularly soccer and basketball, and I also enjoy boxing, hiking, and weightlifting. Please feel free to reach out with any questions about adapting to graduate life, exploring the city, navigating graduate courses, or finding your footing in this new chapter.
Kai Abimelek
PhD student (they/he)
kai.abimelek@mail.utoronto.ca
I’m a PhD student in Human Geography at the University of Toronto and a recipient of the Faculty of Arts & Science Top Doctoral Fellowship (FAST). My research examines refugee placemaking, queer geographies, and the political imaginaries of “home,” grounded in critical Palestinian geography, diaspora studies, Indigenous geographies, and critical Black geographies. As a formerly stateless Palestinian, I employ autoethnography to examine the intersections of displacement, belonging, and the geographies of sleep.
Please feel free to reach out if you have questions about the admissions process, graduate student life, or navigating academia as a QTBIPOC or international student.
Notice of Collection
Our peer support initiative is part of a program wide quality improvement and mentoring development initiative. Student mentors may take notes during your conversations. None of this recorded information will include elements that would enable anyone to specifically identify you in the data. These notes could include information about the questions you’ve asked, concerns you might have, the program you are interested in, the date and method of contact, keywords used to summarize your correspondence, and a general description of the location (globally) where you have contacted us from. Our mentors will also record information about the programs, subdisciplines, or concentrations in geography or planning that you have expressed some interest in. It is our aim to better serve students interested in our programs, we thank you for reaching out and for sharing your time with us.
If you have any questions about this data collection initiative and how your information might be used, please contact Jasmine Kara (Event & Communications Coordinator) at media.geoplan@utoronto.ca.