Meet the team

Dr Alejandra González Campanella, Manager of Student Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 

Originally from Uruguay, Alejandra brings experience across higher education, research, and the humanitarian sector, with a strong focus on equity, accessibility, wellbeing, and belonging. Before joining the Student Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team, she worked in Student Hubs and led programmes supporting refugee-background communities through advocacy, accessible information, and service access. Alejandra is committed to fostering a university community where all students feel they belong and can be themselves. She is passionate about embedding equity, accessibility, and wellbeing into the way decisions are made, helping create an environment where diversity is valued, students are empowered, and everyone has the opportunity to succeed.

Shivani Kershaw, Health Promotion Adviser

Born and raised in the North Shore of Tāmaki Makaurau, Shivani also gets to call Fiji, India, and the United Kingdom her homes. Shivani comes from a Developmental Psychology and Population Health Nutrition background and has previously worked in the community with a focus on drug harm prevention, mental health research and advocacy. Shivani's primary goal is to bring lived experience into her mahi and wider tertiary health promotion initiatives.

Included in her Health Promotion Adviser mahi, Shivani is the Operational lead in supporting the University's accreditation of the Healthy Campus certification. Shivani coordinates the Steering Committee to set the strategic goals of the Healthy Campus Programme, implements events and activities within the Healthy Campus vision, and collaborates with different departments and cohorts of students to bring Healthy Campus to life. Visit the Healthy Campus page to to find out more and get involved.

Chanelle Clinton, Health Promotion Adviser

Chanelle grew up in West Auckland, Tāmaki Makaurau with a mixed cultural heritage. With qualifications in Sociology, Public Health and a Master of Indigenous Studies, Chanelle has a knowledge grounded in a range of disciplines. Having previously worked with some of the city’s most marginalised, Chanelle also brings a passion for reducing inequity, such as access to primary health care, healthy housing, food security and liveable incomes. 

As a Health Promotion Adviser, Chanelle works alongside the University community to design and implement health promotion initiatives which benefit students. The focus of these initiatives is on harm reduction and removing barriers to positive health outcomes. In their free time, they enjoy sewing, reading and spending time at their local coffee spot. 

The Wellbeing and Equity teams now employ a group of Wellbeing and Equity Student Ambassadors, more commonly known as WESA's. Our Student Ambassadors are passionate and engaged students who support our teams in the planning and implementation of our projects and initiatives, assist in delivering messages and trainings to the University community and are valued representatives of the student voice. You will often see their friendly faces at events and activations around campus throughout the year!