Assistant Director

Mimi Sperl, LMSW-Macro (she/her/hers) is the Assistant Director of the Center for Women and Gender Equity. Mimi holds a master’s degree in Social Work from Boston College with advanced certificates in Financial Management of Non-Profit Organizations and Child Welfare Systems. She brings experience in higher education, community engagement, and domestic violence services to the CWGE team.

In her role as Assistant Director, Mimi oversees CWGE’s Replenish food pantry, NIARA, and the Girls of Color Summit. Other areas of professional interest include violence-prevention programming, disability advocacy, and fair hiring practices.

Mimi is a proud Midwesterner and excited to be back after 10 years in New England. On the weekends, you can catch her out hiking, training her dog, or nerding out about plants.

The Center for Women & Gender Equity Graduate Assistant (CWGE GA)

Benjamin Ohene (He/Him/His) is a graduate student in the school of community leadership and development pursuing a Master program in Public Administration. He is passionate about social justice and advocacy. Ohene coordinates Replenish, the on- campus basic needs resource center, and assists with programming at the Center for Women and Gender Equity.

Ohene received his bachelor's degree in political science with a minor in English from the University of Ghana, Legon, in Ghana, West Africa. He has great passion for planning, coordinating, and organizing programs and events for the purpose of advocacy. In his home country, he has led various fundraiser and donation activities for the benefit of some disadvantaged members of his local community in his time served as Vice President of the National Union of Presbyterian students Ghana (NUPS-G) at the University of Ghana.

As a Public Administration student and graduate assistant, Ohene is ready to use the experiences he would gain to support projects and meaningful interventions geared toward curbing food insecurities and helping people in need. He hopes create a space which helps the equitable distribution of food resources at GVSU to ensure that students, faculty and staff of the GVSU campus community have a sense of belonging.

Replenish Student Assistant

Akhila Muppala is a graduate student in the Health and Bioinformatics program at Grand Valley State University. She has been part of Replenish since the beginning of the Fall 2025 semester and enjoys helping students access campus resources while spreading awareness about the support available to them. Through her work with Replenish, Akhila is able to serve others and contribute to a positive, caring campus environment. With a background in Health Informatics, she hopes to use her skills to support wellness initiatives and improve access to health and basic needs resources within the GVSU community.

Replenish Student Assistant

Elinor Edlund is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Early Childhood Education at Grand Valley State University. She is passionate about helping others and strives to make people’s days brighter in any way she can. As a student staff member at Replenish, Elinor supports fellow GVSU students in accessing essential resources and connecting them to emergency assistance. Her daily responsibilities include restocking shelves, taking inventory, assisting students at checkout, and contributing to creative projects such as designing bulletin boards and making signs.

Elinor is especially passionate about seeing the tangible impact Replenish has on the campus community. She enjoys having genuine conversations with students, hearing their stories, and witnessing how these resources make a meaningful difference in their lives. She also values the sense of community and kindness that exists within Replenish and the CWGE, finding it rewarding to be part of an organization that brings people together through care and compassion.

Replenish Student Assistant

CJ Jones is an undergraduate student majoring in Occupational Safety and Health at Grand Valley State University. As a student assistant with Replenish, he helps restock shelves and supports students in accessing food and healthcare items. CJ enjoys building meaningful connections through his work and values the opportunity to make a positive impact on the GVSU community each day. Outside of work and academics, he plays football, enjoys car and video games, and is deeply family-oriented.

Replenish Student Assistant

Ivan Williams is an undergraduate student majoring in Sport Management at Grand Valley State University. As a student assistant with Replenish, he helps restock shelves and assists students in accessing food and healthcare items. Ivan enjoys the meaningful connections he makes through his work and values the opportunity to help members of the GVSU community every day.

Replenish Student Intern

Amanda Diaz is currently pursuing a combined degree in Applied Food & Nutrition and Clinical Dietetics at Grand Valley State University. As a student intern with Replenish, she helps restock inventory, assists students at checkout, and supports her preceptors in day-to-day operations. Amanda’s favorite part of working at Replenish is when new inventory arrives—she enjoys seeing all the new products that will be available to students. She is also inspired by her preceptor, Mimi Sperl, whose dedication to helping students and continually improving Replenish motivates her to give her best every day

Replenish Student Intern

Paige Hannum is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Food & Nutrition and a Master’s degree in Clinical Dietetics at Grand Valley State University. As a student intern at Replenish, she helps restock inventory in the mornings before the center opens each day, assists students at checkout, and answers questions about available resources. Paige enjoys being part of a team that ensures students have access to the food and essentials they need. She finds it rewarding to know that Replenish provides meaningful support to those who may not have easy access to these resources.