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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, email her at RShahEmPOWER@claremont.edu or call her at (909) 607-2689
Sally Gaskell,
EmPOWER Center Student Intern
Sally (she, her, hers) is a second-year student at Scripps College studying Psychology and Law. She is deeply passionate about advocacy for survivors of gender-based violence, with a particular focus on creating trauma-informed support systems, developing comprehensive consent education, and exploring restorative justice practices. At Scripps, she serves as an advocate with Scripps Advocates, where she works directly to support survivors, raise awareness, and foster a campus culture grounded in accountability, prevention and care. She is eager to continue building survivor-centered programs, engaging in restorative practices, and collaborate with her peers to prevent gender-based violence. Sally is also a member of the CMS Scripps Athletes Leadership Board where she advocates for the needs of Scripps athletes and their representation within CMS Athletics. She is excited to learn about and continue fostering a safe, supportive, and empowering environment where survivors feel heard and valued.
Self-care: long walks, grabbing meals with friends, watching Law & Order, playing basketball with her intramural team, and spending time outside.
To contact Sally, email her at sgaskell2233@scrippscollege.edu
Angelina (Angie) Liu,
EmPOWER Center Student Intern
Angie (she, her, hers) is a third-year student at Pitzer College studying Sociology and Political Studies. She is very passionate about global sexual violence prevention and elevating an intersectional perspective to examine sexual violence, and hopes to focus on creating programming that encourages students to connect their relationships and experiences to broader contexts of cultural norms and stigmas. At Pitzer, she works as a program intern for the Center for Asian Pacific American Students, where she helps design and facilitate political education programming for the Claremont Colleges community. Angie is also a Writing Fellow at the Pitzer College Writing Center and a member of Student Senate, where she serves on the Teaching, Learning, and Campus Life Committee. She is excited to approach sexual violence prevention and education in creative and engaging ways, particularly to elevate conversations and topics that are underrepresented and marginalized.
Self-care: watching films, playing mahjong with friends, cooking, and relaxing by the pool.
To contact Angie, email her at aliu@students.pitzer.edu