PhD Student Spotlights: Q&A with Ainslee Wong, Fabrice Ndayizeye and Karla Sanabria Véaz
As part of our ongoing series highlighting doctoral scholars, we’re sharing PhD students’ perspectives alongside a snapshot of their research and the ideas driving their work forward. In this installment, Ainslee Wong, Fabrice Ndayizeye and Karla Sanabria Véaz reflect on what brought them to the School of Social Work, the experiences that have shaped their academic journeys, and the questions guiding their inquiry. Together, their stories illustrate the depth, rigor, and sense of purpose that define the doctoral experience.
Ainslee Wong
Where are you from, and what is your academic or professional background?
I am from the Chicago suburbs. My academic background is multidisciplinary: I completed my Bachelor’s in Clinical/Community Psychology and my Master’s in Health Administration. Professionally, I have experience working in the Community Engagement departments of hospitals.
What inspired you to pursue a PhD in Social Work?
I was inspired to pursue a PhD in Social Work by my own negative experiences receiving women’s healthcare as well as the experiences of those close to me. In my experience, many of the solutions that we currently give patients are focused on the individual level, and we need to integrate a systems level approach in healthcare if we truly want to improve health equity. Social Work is well suited for that multi-level point of view.
What drew you to the University of Illinois School of Social Work?
Working as an undergraduate research assistant with Dr. Mai Hoang drew me to Social Work at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Specifically, the way that Dr. Mai Hoang cares for the community through research and collaboration made me feel like I could make a difference in healthcare by learning from her and the community.
What are your research interests, and what inspired you to pursue them?
My research interests include examining the effects of climate change on health inequities and exploring ways to improve access to reproductive healthcare for vulnerable communities.
What are you most excited about as you begin your PhD journey at Illinois?
As I begin my PhD journey at Illinois, I am the most excited to connect with my cohort. I know that the PhD journey is rigorous, so building close bonds will help us make it more enjoyable.
What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
One thing that I am looking forward to experiencing in Champaign-Urbana is the community events. So far, I’ve been to the Urbana and Champaign farmer’s markets and had a wonderful time connecting with people.
Fabrice Ndayizeye
Where are you from, and what is your academic or professional background?
I am from Burundi. I hold a BA in Peacebuilding and Development from Protestant University of Rwanda (PUR), and a Master of Global Affairs with a concentration in International Peace Studies from University of Notre Dame, Indiana. In 2019, I founded Enough Is Little (EIL), which helps connect refugees to higher education through application assistance and crowd fundraising. I have connected 20 refugees to higher education. As part of my master’s program, I have interned with Catholic Charities, providing case management services and accompaniment to refugees with minor dependent children. Upon graduating from my master’s program, I joined the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS), as child welfare social worker. I worked in assessment unit and responded to and investigated reports of child abuse and neglect to ensure the safety of children and, if necessary, reported to the court with recommendations and findings regarding child abuse and neglect.
What inspired you to pursue a PhD in Social Work?
I have been a refugee since 2015. I lived for 8 years in Mahama Refugee Camp in Rwanda. Due to this experience, I have always wanted a major that equips me with the knowledge and skills to address the practical issues refugees face. Also, when I was working as a child welfare social worker, I witnessed firsthand that social work embodies consistent concern and effort to improve the effectiveness of interventions for its intended beneficiaries. This concern inspired me to join the School of Social Work’s Joint MSW/PhD program with a specialization in Leadership and Social Change (LSC), with the intent to advocate for social justice for refugees, forcibly displaced families, and their children.
What drew you to the University of Illinois School of Social Work?
I was drawn to the School of Social Work because it has professors whose research seek to address social problems affecting refugees. I also found it helpful that the School of Social Work accommodates students like me without an MSW background to enroll in a joint MSW/PhD in social work. This is critical to me because I aspire to be a research practitioner in academia.
What are your research interests, and what inspired you to pursue them?
I am interested in research that addresses and provides solutions to the challenges refugees face. I am particularly interested in identifying the necessities required for refugees to be self-reliant after they have been forcibly displaced.
What are you most excited about as you begin your PhD journey at Illinois?
I am excited to be in the wonderful social work program, which has an inherent mission to promote social justice.
What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
My current hobby is social entrepreneurship, which I am exploring. I am interested in developing program design that addresses social problems faced by refugees through business and entrepreneurship.
Karla Sanabria Véaz
What drew you to the University of Illinois, and how has the program supported or shaped your research?
Well, I did my first master’s here at the University of Illinois in Applied Linguistics, specifically Teaching English as a Second Language. From there, I really wanted to stay
on campus. One thing that makes me a bit different from other peers is that I’m a scholar-activist. For me, it’s essential that my research responds to movement needs,
particularly organizers back home. I’m from Puerto Rico, which is a colony of the United States. People may call it an “unincorporated territory,” but that’s a euphemism that isn’t historically accurate.
As a scholar-activist, I was very involved in the Graduate Employees Organization—the union representing graduate instructors and researchers. I actually served as president during my bargaining year (2022–2023), which was my first year as a doctoral student. I wanted to stay at Illinois to continue organizing. Through that work, I noticed significant mental health needs among activists. Activism is a beautiful and self-emancipating process, but it can also take a toll on your well-being.
Originally, I wanted to pursue social work focused on the mental health of organizers, being a “people’s social worker,” especially for those without access to care. I began an MSW focused on mental health, but midway through, the gentrification crisis in Puerto Rico intensified.That led me to shift my research entirely, from micro-level social work to macro-level policy. Now, I study how language—specifically English—acts as a cultural indicator of gentrification in working-class communities in Puerto Rico.
Finally, my advisor, Kevin Tan, has been incredibly important. He’s been a constant source of support and belief in my potential. I honestly don’t think I would have completed my degree without him.
Where is your go-to place on campus for completing work or studying, and why?
The Main Library—specifically the Orange Room. I also attend graduate writing productivity groups, both online and in person. I prefer spaces with windows because our school building doesn’t have any. It makes a big difference, I need natural light instead of feeling like I’m in a shoebox all day.
What does your research consist of? What key questions are currently guiding your work, and how do you see this research contributing to the broader field of social work?
Puerto Rico is a predominantly Spanish-speaking country under U.S. rule, with a long history of resisting colonialism, including the imposition of English. Over the past decade, government policies granting 100% tax exemptions to foreign investors—many of whom are English-speaking—have significantly reshaped the island’s economy and demographics. These policies have resulted in minimal job growth of around 2%, nearly $3 billion in lost tax revenue, a population decline of 11.2% among native residents, and a notable rise in English-only speakers. Within this context, my research examines how English functions as a cultural indicator of gentrification, which I define as large-scale neighborhood change driven by capital that displaces working-class communities.
This process is especially visible in areas like Puerta de Tierra near Old San Juan, where public housing is being replaced with hotels and Airbnbs, and even community schools are being converted into tourist spaces. These changes directly affect residents who wish to remain and build their lives in Puerto Rico. In addition to displacement, I also focus on labor conditions, particularly in the tourism and food service industries. Over 60% of workers in these sectors are overqualified, holding degrees that exceed job requirements, yet are unable to find employment in their fields and instead serve the growing population of affluent newcomers.
Despite the scale of these issues, gentrification remains largely overlooked in U.S. social work research. A review of nearly 2,000 articles found that less than 1% addressed the topic. My work seeks to highlight the imperialist dimensions of U.S. colonialism while encouraging the field of social work to engage more deeply with structural issues rather than focusing solely on individual or psychological concerns. Ultimately, if social workers are committed to social justice, they must understand how global systems like colonialism shape migration, inequality, and displacement.