Dr. Bryan Hubain

Dr. Bryan Hubain hails from the Helen of the West Indies, Saint Lucia! He currently oversees the Women’s Resource Center, Veterans Success Center, LGBT Resource Center, Financial Wellness Center, and Basic Needs Collective.

His role with Basic Needs Collective is to provide strategic direction in collaboration with his colleagues for Basic Needs as a whole. He would like to find more ways of connecting with University of Utah students and find ways of supporting their success by creating access to University related services and resources. His research and practice mutually inform each other in hopes of dismantling systemic barriers that undermine the success of underrepresented students, and finding ways to promote the persistence and degree completion of underrepresented students in higher education.

Sarah Elizabeth Garza-Levitt

Director of Basic Needs

Sarah Elizabeth Garza-Levitt, MSW, CSW, E-RYT, C-IAYT is a first-generation college student who earned an Associate of Science at Salt Lake Community College, a Bachelor, and a Masters of Social Work at the University of Utah. Since joining the U in 2016, Sarah Elizabeth has been an active member of the campus community advocating for the importance of basic needs security as a key to academic success. Informed by her experience as a single working parent, taking many years to attain higher education, she believes basic needs such as the financial, food, and housing security among students directly impacts their health and well-being. In 2020 Sarah Elizabeth led efforts to found the health campus FEED U Pantry satellite in EHSEB, and partnered with University Hospital Nutrition Care Services on a food recovery project. Over 25,000 lbs. of food have been recovered and distributed through the pantry. Additionally, Sarah Elizabeth is pursuing a Ph.D. in Social Work at the University of Utah and is studying college student poverty and its impact on health, academic performance, and degree completion outcomes.

Jennifer Rodela

Basic Needs Programming Lead

Jennifer Rodela (She/Her/Ella) is attending The University of Utah as a sophomore student aiming to pursue her bachelor's degree as a first-generation student. She loves the social work profession and wishes to dedicate her career to it. She has been a part of the BNC team since the Fall of 2022 and hopes to be a part of it for a long time! As an underrepresented student, she understands the challenges and difficulties one can face, especially in a higher education environment where everything is different. She believes supporting students with their basic needs is important because it increases their overall well-being and their likelihood of graduating with a college degree. Her role is to support and provide resources to students from the university while at the same time coordinating events, activities, and collaborations with campus/community partners, and colleagues around campus.

Alastair Dunn

Basic Needs Programming Intern

Alastair Dunn (He/Him) is a first-generation student studying Economics and Physics at the University of Utah. He has chosen to work with the Basic Needs Collective because it is a great opportunity to make a positive impact on campus and create meaningful relationships with other individuals. He sees the Basic Needs Collective as a very powerful tool to improve the campus atmosphere and improve the lives of fellow students. Eventually, Alastair would like to get a master's degree in economics and wishes to study how good public transportation can be used to alleviate poverty and meet the universal basic need for means of transport as well as bridge the gap between rural and urban environments. Down the line, Alastair wishes to work in the field of public transportation in order to continue making a positive impact on the lives of everyday people as well as the environment. In his spare time, Alastair enjoys reading about political economy, philosophy, and sci-fi, watching movies, and learning other languages.

Elisa Diaz

Basic Needs Programming Intern

Elisa Diaz (She/Her) is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Sustainability Studies. She is involved in the University community and focuses on building connections with organizations on campus. Her volunteering focused on social justice issues has led her to the Basic Needs Collective. Elisa is a Basic Needs AmeriCorps Service Member, and her responsibilities concern the Pop-up Thrift Store and volunteer coordination. She hopes that through her work, she can make a positive impact by helping students get involved and engaged with our campus community.