Graduate Students

CSSCF Vancouver Graduate Students

CSSCF Vancouver Graduate StudentNameResearch Interests
Connie BirdPhD Student, UBC-V Social Work
Supervisor: Dr. Barbara Lee
Committee Members: Dr. Monty Montgomery

Connie Bird (she/her) is a doctoral student at UBC-Vancouver School of Social Work. After 20 years of professional practice she decided to pursue doctoral studies to follow her passion for improving the outcomes of children and youth in government care.
Shabnam MilaniMSc Student, UBC-V School of Dentistry
Supervisor: Dr. Barbara Lee

Shabnam Milani is a graduate student of pediatric dentistry at UBC. Currently as a part of her studies, Shabnam is engaged in a master's project focused on financial barriers to accessing pediatric dental care in British Columbia under the supervision of Dr. Barbara Lee. Her research aims to shed light on the financial challenges faced by families in obtaining essential dental services for their children.
Kristi PinderiMSW Student, UBC-V Social Work
Supervisor: Dr. Barbara Lee

Kristi is a registered social worker, a child welfare practitioner, and a former pioneer activist for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community in Albania and queer refugees in Canada. He is completing his MSW at UBC in Vancouver. Kristi is a co-founder of Tirana Pride, and of STREHA, the first residential shelter for LGBTQ+ unhoused youths in all the Southeast Europe.

His research areas of interest, highly influenced by his own lived and professional experience, include queer migration, the experience of queer youths in the child welfare system, the role of social workers in relation to surrogacy, and the experience of queer families with surrogacy.

(Last update: January 2, 2024)