Staff
Doaa Dorgham, MA
South Asian, Southwest Asian, North African (SSWANA) Program Director
Phone: (510) 365-4549
Email: doaadorgham@berkeley.edu
Hi! My name is Doaa Dorgham. I am a first- generation Palestinian American. I grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina and obtained my B.A. in Psychology from North Carolina State University and received my M.A. in Postsecondary Educational Leadership with a Specialization in Student Affairs from San Diego State University. Previous to this role, I worked with the Student Retention and Success Department at UC San Diego, and at the Center for Intercultural Relations at San Diego State University.
I am so excited to be in this role and advocate for SSWANA students. My passions lie in co-creating with students and community to create a more just world. I am also a self-proclaimed foodie and love to go for runs, hikes, bike rides, and talk about the latest shows on Netflix! Don't hesitate to reach out to me if you want to chat or are needing additional support. I look forward to crossing paths with you soon!
Angel Halafihi
APASD Assistant Director, Pacific Islander Initiative
Email: halafihi@berkeley.edu
Hello! My name is Angel Halafihi (Hah-lah-fee-hee). I'm an APASD Assistant Director and I manage the Pacific Islander (PI) Initiative here at UC Berkeley. I'm a first-generation Tongan, born and raised in the Bay Area. Prior to this role, I attended UCLA where I organized through their Pacific Islander Student Association (PISA) and the Pacific Islander Education and Retention (PIER) program. I graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in Psychology and have been at Berkeley as a staff person ever since. In this role, I’m excited about working closely with our young people, advocating for PI students and communities, and supporting the visions they have for their villages on campus and beyond. I'm a visual artist, and love music! If you have any questions, need support, or would like to chat, please don’t hesitate to send me a message.
Miya Sommers, MA
APASD Assistant Director, Asian American Political Activation Program
Email: miyasommers@berkeley.edu
Hello ~ my name is Miya (they/she) and I am one of the Assistant Directors in APASD. I oversee the Asian American Political Activation (AAPA) Program which includes the AAPA internship, MOVE Fellowship, and BLOOM: Asian American Community Program.
I am a third generation settler in the territory of xučyun, the ancestral and unceded land of the Chochenyo-speaking Ohlone people, and have spent most of my life here. I am mixed gosei (fifth-generation Nikkei/Japanese-American) and have used this experience to inform my community organizing work.
Earning my BA at UCSB in Global Studies (with in emphasis on South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific) as a student organizer to more recently completing my Master's in Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University helped me cultivate (and continue to grown in) an educational praxis rooted in collective liberation. Outside of APASD, I engage in community organizing in Oakland and creative/dreaming work related to healing people and the land.
I look forward to getting to know you and am happy to set up a time to chat to learn more about you and how APASD can help you thrive! Feel free to reach out to me using the email above!
Sophia Perez
Graduate Mentor
Email: sophiaeperez@berkeley.edu
Sophia Perez is a Chamorro filmmaker working toward her PhD in Geography at UC Berkeley. With roots in the Mariana Islands and the California Bay Area, she experiments with film as a way of building bridges that cross cultural and political divides. Her interests include militarism in the Pacific, the political status of US territories, grassroots environmental justice movements, and indigenous language revitalization.
Ratu Orisi Lalabalavu
Graduate Mentor
Email: orisi@berkeley.edu
Bula all, My name is Ratu Orisi Lalabalavu, but I just go by Orisi. I was born in Fiji and grew up in different parts of California, but my hometown is Sacramento, CA. I am a UC Berkeley Master in Public Health Student.