Junior Deans
The Junior Deans help make sure everyone is able to enjoy their time at Mansfield as fully as possible. Their role has two main parts:
1) "Keeping the peace" i.e. making sure you as a community get along well, respect each other, and abide by the college rules. Everyone here has the right to live and study without being negatively impacted by others.
2) Providing pastoral support and helping you navigate other welfare resources as needed.
Junior Deans 2023-24
Main Site
Duty Phone (6pm - 2am): 07541 564050
Darshini Nadarajan (email)
Hello! I'm Darshini, and I'm reading for a DPhil in Education. I've been a Junior Dean with Mansfield since 2021 and I'm trained in Mental Health First Aid alongside Sexual Violence Awareness. I also provide pastoral care, including listening support as well as making referrals, signposting and guiding students to use resources within college, the university and beyond.
My research rests within the nexus of science and silence, drawing upon my 20-year experience in meditation and storytelling. Hailing from Malaysia, a veritable gastronomic paradise, I enjoy procrasti-cooking with vegan-ish/vegetarian food and have organised welfare activities such as Rant over Ramen, Chai and Chat, and other non-food related events such as Wander and Wonder: A Walk (I may have also taken my love for alliteration a little too far).
Questions, concerns or in need of some support? Feel free to come say hi!
Mohini Gupta (email)
Hello! My name is Mohini and I am a fourth-year DPhil candidate at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. My research focuses on language politics and education in India and Wales. I speak English, Hindi, Urdu, Welsh and Spanish, and am currently learning to speak Italian as well! I also enjoy writing and translating poetry, playing the piano, singing Hindustani classical music, playing board games and conducting Bollywood Zumba sessions in my free time.
I am always around if you need a chat, walk, venting session or just get a coffee together. Here for absolutely any support you might need!
Ablethorpe
Duty Phone (11pm - 7am): 07741 071 156
Aastha Prasad (email)
Hello! My name is Aastha. I am a DPhil student at the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, University of Oxford. My academic background is in law and anthropology. I am also passionate about visual art. I am happy to chat about any aspects of student life and welfare!
Macdonald Mutekwa (email)
Makadii (Shona for Hello!)!! My name is Mutekwa Macdonald. I am reading the DPhil in Engineering Science (Aerospace) at the Oxford Thermofluids Institute. I joined Mansfield as a Junior Dean in MT ’23 taking care of the Abelthorpe Site with Aastha. As Junior Deans, we have all received relevant training in welfare support to effectively respond to (health and fire) emergencies and provide informed direction for students to access the wealth of welfare resources within College, and the University. We are committed to making valuable contributions to the pastoral care of students towards ensuring that everyone enjoys and makes full use of their time at Mansfield. I am keen to chat about student life/welfare and look forward to meeting you around Mansfield!
Cowley Road Houses
Duty phone (6pm-2am) 07453 370 008
Despina Vasilaki (email)
Hello! I'm Despina, a second-year DPhil student in Law from Athens, Greece. My research looks at how the law of parental recognition and the regulation of ARTs can serve as sites for resistance to gender and sexual-orientation equality. When I'm not in the Law Bod, you can find me playing the piano, (enthusiastically) losing at chess, or steadily chipping away at the ever-growing pile of books I've bought but have yet to finish.
As your Junior Dean, I'm here to offer support, a listening ear, and practical advice on a range of challenges you might face during your time at Oxford.
Merve Bilici (email)
The Junior Deans are postgraduate students who live in College accommodation and are trained in listening support. They also help resolve noise complaints, provide first aid and respond to emergencies on their site.