Meet the Team

Rima Shah, EmPower Center Director

Rima (she, her, hers), has worked for the last 20 years on sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, stalking, and sexual health in the U.S. and India, in both university and non-profit settings. She started at the Claremont Colleges as the inaugural director of the EmPOWER Center in late 2015. Prior to coming to The Claremont Colleges, Rima spent three years at DePaul University in Chicago where she served as their first full-time staff member addressing interpersonal violence. She served as a confidential survivor advocate as well as implemented year-round programming on violence prevention and survivor support. Prior to that, Rima worked as a capacity building consultant for Family Health International in New Delhi, as a research associate for the World Institute on Disability in Oakland, and as a program development consultant and national trainer at the Asian and Pacific Islander Wellness Center in San Francisco. She also develops sports-based empowerment programs for girls in Indian orphanages on a voluntary basis. Rima holds a Masters in Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley and a Masters in Sociology from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She speaks English, Hindi, and Gujarati. Rima is also the Assistant Coach of the Claremont Nighthawks, a track club for kids. 

Self-care: Biking, walking, reading, teaching Bollywood dance at the local elementary schools, and time with her ten year old son

To contact Rima, e-mail her at RShahEmPOWER@claremont.edu or call her at (909) 607-2689

Cassidy Bensko, EmPower Center Student Intern

OVW Grant Project Coordinator Lauren (she, her, hers) brings a wealth of experience as a trainer and educator on topics related to sexual violence, dating/domestic violence, stalking, and harassment. Her interest in this field grew while she attended graduate school at USC. While pursuing a Ph.D. in English Literature and Gender Studies, she volunteered as a community violence prevention educator and crisis counselor on the Los Angeles Rape & Battering Hotline. Lauren recently served as a full-time confidential survivor advocate at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she provided direct support, education, and referrals to survivors of sexual- and gender-based violence and trained campus and community stakeholders on campus policies and best practices for responding to students impacted by violence.

Lauren holds bachelors degrees in English and Journalism from the University of Georgia and a masters degree in English Literature from the University of Southern California.

Self-care: Restorative yoga, cooking, watching the Dodgers and entirely too many TV dramas

To contact Cassidy, email her at cbensko4788@scrippscollege.edu 

Natalie Akins, EmPower Center Student Intern

Evelin Setaghian, (she, her, hers) Psy.D., is the Project Sister Counselor located at the EmPOWER Center. Evelin worked at the EmPOWER Center 20 hours per week and at Project Sister 20 hours a week in 2016-2017, but for the new academic year 2017-2018 we are excited to have her at the Center full-time! Evelin speaks English, Armenian, and Farsi.

To contact Natalie, email her at natalie.akins@cgu.edu 

Elita Kutaeli, EmPower Center Student Intern

Elita (she, her, hers) is a second-year student at Scripps College studying Philosophy. She has had a longstanding passion for reproductive justice, accessible sex education, and sexual violence prevention work. In highschool, Elita focused on preventative work by developing Oregon sex-ed curriculum as well as teaching it to students, in collaboration with SouthWestern Oregon Planned Parenthood and Respect(Ed). Entering college, Elita switched gears and is now focusing on both preventative work as well as restoration and healing for survivors. Elita is a Scripps Advocate and serves as their Social Media Head. Elita is a design editor for the Scripps Voice and is a member of the vibrant Scripps dance community. Elita aspires to learn more everyday and use her skills in hopes of achieving a safe, healing, and equitable environment for everyone. 

Self-care: yoga, journaling, cooking, talking to loved ones, painting, dancing, going on walks, and watching cartoons.

To contact Elita, email her at ekutatel9347@scrippscollege.edu