Jonelle Reynolds
Ariana Bahavar
Mahsa Attaran
Nooshin Farashaei
Jonelle Reynolds (pronouns: she/her/hers)
Director of Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives – jonelle.reynolds@uconn.edu
Education: Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Human Development and Family Studies, University of Connecticut
I am the Director for Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives and I am passionate about diversity and inclusion initiatives for faculty, staff and students. I believe that cultural intelligence is key to navigating cross-cultural settings and being effective in those interactions.
Ariana Bahavar (pronouns: she/her/hers)
Student Coordinator– ariana.bahavar@uconn.edu
Major: Political Science (Pre-Law) Ethnicity: Persian/Azeri
I was born in Toronto, Canada and moved to Connecticut during my childhood; my parents are immigrants from Iran. I am majoring in political science, minoring in history, and on the pre-law track. I am also a member of the Law Society and the Special Program in Law, well as the 5th BOLD Women’s Leadership cohort. Moreover, I am involved with cultural clubs/ organizations on campus, including the Iranian Student Association, and work with the UConn American English Language Institute. I hope to become an immigration lawyer and help other immigrants who would like to call America home.
Mahsa Attaran (pronouns: she/her/hers)
Graduate Assistant– mahsa.attaran@uconn.edu
Major: Fine Art – Ethnicity: Persian
I am a master of Fine Arts in Studio Arts candidate at UConn. I’m a Persian visual artist, photographer, and fashion designer passionate about the rich culture of the Middle East where I was born and grew up.
I aim to familiarize the UConn community with the beauties, traditions, art, and history of the wonderful Middle East by holding cultural events and other activities.
Nooshin Farashaei (pronouns: she/her/hers)
Graduate Assistant– nooshin.farashaei@uconn.edu
Major: Fine Art in Digital Media and Design – Ethnicity: Persian
I am a visual artist specializing in UI/UX, graphic design, motion graphics, and offset printing. I work as a designer at MECP and I have 15 years of experience in graphic design, which has been my passion for a long time. Since 2014, I’ve been teaching graphic design at various higher education institutions. I joined the Digital Media and Design MFA program at the University of Connecticut in 2022.