About Us
SJE provides students with information, skills, and opportunities to constructively and critically engage around Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice (DEIJ) issues.
Students can meet new people, develop marketable skills, and make positive change.
Informed. Engaged. Impactful.
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Rationale
As part of the 4D Experience, SJE creates spaces of learning, reflection, and connection where students can interrogate the relationship between social justice and their unique positionality in the world in order to advance the public good.
Rooted in intergroup relations theory and harm reduction practices, SJE provides trainings on a variety of DEIJ topics harnessing the power of preventive education in cultivating a safer, more inclusive AND efficient campus (e.g. reducing discrimination and increasing intervention, cultivating operational excellence via universal design)
SJE provides students with a foundational framework for critical thinking in DEIJ that can be readily applied to their current and future roles, contexts, and personal and professional spheres of influence.
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Our Approach
Having a demographically diverse campus community is educationally important (cf. Gurin for University of Michigan), and continues to be the focus of much quality scholarship and programming in US higher education, with similar applications in the workplace, marketplace, and civic involvement (eg, the legal professions [PDF]). Such compositional diversity, including a wide diversity of identities, is a necessary, but insufficient, element of equity and excellence.
Using the oft-cited food metaphor, it is not enough simply to have a range of individual ingredients present in the kitchen; they must also come together for their still-distinct colors, textures and flavors to create an engaging and nourishing dish. In fact, the critical-thinking, communication, collaboration skills and experience, strengthened when engaging constructively across difference are among those employers most seek (ref NACE). Thus having diverse individuals learning, living and working on campus is little more than cosmetic, if they do not interact across identities, or if their interaction is infrequent, superficial, or outright negative.
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History
2002
- Center for Multicultural Excellence (CME) established
2016
- Chancellor Chopp split CME and merged it with Student Life
- Inclusion & Equity Education (IEE) established alongside The Cultural Center and First@DU in Student Affairs
2022
- IEE, TCC, First@DU became part of Student Inclusion & Belonging (SIB) in the Dean of Students (DoS)
- IEE added Assistant Director position
2023
- Director since 2016 transitioned to new role
- IEE rebranded to Social Justice Education
- Launched Peer Educator Program
2024
- SJE led by AD repositioned under 4D Experience (Experiential Learning, Character) to elevate the work and better manage resources.
Our Staff
Dr Krystoff Kissoon (he/him/his)
Assistant Director, Social Justice Education
303.871.7442 | email
Dr Kissoon leads IEE student workshops and online resources, and will create our new peer educator program.
Krystoff earned his Bachelor of Political Science and International Studies in 2017, and his Master of Public Administration and Doctor of Arts in Political Science in 2022, at Idaho State University (ISU).
Throughout his time at ISU, he served in leadership positions including President of the International Students Association, President of the Political Science Club, and Senator in the Associated Students of Idaho State University Student Government for three terms. He worked in the Office of Marketing and Communications, the Office of Alumni Relations, and the Department of Political Science as a Graduate Teaching Assistant. He also hosted and produced his own award-winning public affairs program, Navigating Diversity, at KISU-FM, ISU’s NPR-affiliated public radio station.
His research interests include Identity Politics and International Relations, looking particularly at the intersection of race, gender and sexuality and their combined impact on government policies. He presented research at the Midwest Political Science Association Conference and Intermountain Gender & Sexuality Conference.
His hobbies include creative writing, taking walks in nature, listening to podcasts, watching foreign films and shows, and cooking. He is a proud national of Trinidad & Tobago, a twin-island country in the Southern Caribbean. He was born to a Hindu father and a Muslim mother--descended from Indian Indentured Laborers--and has four loving and supportive older siblings.
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Social Justice Peer Educators 2025-2026
Namugga Nakayiza
Pluto Hassan
Isabel Hernandez
Olivia Marker
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Social Justice Peer Educators 2024-2025
Jagger Livengood (he/him)
- Major(s): International Studies and Socio-Legal Studies
- Minor(s): Spanish and Leadership Studies
- Hometown: Lead, SD
- Interests: Being Outdoors, Mentorship, Social Justice Reform, Government and Law
Bridget Hogan (she/her)
Bridget is a fourth-year undergraduate student studying Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies at DU. She plans to earn a graduate degree in Counseling Psychology or Social Work. Bridget loves to hike, spend quality time with her friends, and bake!
Jacqui Walters (she/they)
Jacqui is a second-year master’s student at Josef Korbel School of International Studies. She earned her bachelor’s in modern Language & Culture in German at Kennesaw State University. She earned the Global Citizen Award at KSU in 2015 for her year-long community wok in Paderborn, Germany. She is studying International Human Rights at Korbel with a focus on the gendered nature and human rights of survivors of torture. She also has a passion for international disability justice. Jacqui enjoys watching movies, reading, and roller skating.
Maggie McKinney (she/her)
Maggie is a second year Master of Social Work student at DU’s Graduate School of Social Work. Maggie earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, where she double majored in Women’s & Gender Studies and Psychology. She believes that collective liberation is the answer, and is particularly passionate about educational equity. She hopes to use her MSW to support students in public schools, push forward more equitable school policy, and work on the development of critical, socially just, and accurate K-12 curriculum. Maggie enjoys exploring Denver with her friends and discovering the city's best parks and restaurants with her partner, Ryan.
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Social Justice Peer Educators 2023-2024
Catalina Palacios-Cisneros (she/her)
Passionate about social justice and equality, my journey merges the privilege of knowledge gained though scholarship with intentional community building. A foundation in Political Science and Economics, augmented by Computer Science from the University of Denver, has fueled my actions towards tangible community betterment. Recognition for academic achievements and leadership roles on campus underscores my commitment. Serving as a Diversity Senator, I aid in inclusivity, helping with initiatives that directly enhanced underrepresented students' experiences. This role exemplified my belief in collaborative policy-making for real-world change. Work with the Colorado Latino Leadership, Advocacy, and Research Organization (CLLARO) and State Senator Julie Gonzales deepened my legislative process understanding and advocacy power. Beyond institutional confines, I have committed to guiding the next generation. Mentoring high school students in Kansas and advising peers in Denver, I aimed to empower them to navigate their paths. I hope to My help bridge economics, law, and advocacy in Latin America as well as here in Denver. I envision shaping policies and programs addressing economic disparities and strengthening legal frameworks for marginalized communities. Dedicated effort and collaborative action drive my conviction to forge a future where justice and opportunity are universally accessible.
Caleb Bishop (he/him)
Caleb Bishop, as a social justice peer educator, is dedicated to crafting spaces that strengthen understandings of anti-oppression and collective liberation. As a graduate student of social work, Caleb enters this role with 3 years of climate & racial justice organizing on national, regional, and local levels. Currently, he is working with labor org Payments4Placements and prison education group Unbound Authors. He hopes to strengthen the organizing landscape of the campus community through intentional joy and truth-telling. He is available for deep conversations about community engagement, democratic organizing, and the potential of prison abolition.
Maia Weslar (she/they)
Maia Weslar (she/they) is a student, educator, and activist currently serving as a Social Justice Peer Educator at the University of Denver. Maia is graduating from the University of Denver in 2024 with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies, and a triple minor in History, Gender & Women's Studies, and Spanish. Maia specializes in queer studies/activism, menstrual equity, and radical feminist theory/praxis. After graduation, Maia plans to earn a Master of Arts in Teaching in Secondary Social Studies Education, after which she plans to work in national education policy in order to create change for young people. Maia is strongly passionate about social justice, music, clothing, the outdoors, and her dog, Bagel.
