Restorative Practices Advisors
Restorative Practices Advisors (RPAs) serve a resource on campus to students and student groups in the areas of mediation and restorative practices. RPAs proactively provide education and outreach to the Bates community, seeking to engage students, faculty, and staff in meaningful conversations that will strive to build community and establish mutual respect. These educational programs will have the overarching goal of helping individuals and communities develop the capacity to communicate effectively and work through conflicts as they arise. RPAs also serve as resources to students and student groups who may be experiencing conflict. RPAs facilitate mediations and restorative circles and conferences for student conflicts.
The Restorative Practices Advisors for Academic Year 2026-2027 are listed below:
Iffat Ikram ’27
Hi everyone, my name is Iffat! I’m a Classical and Medieval Studies and Religious Studies double major and an Art and Visual Culture minor. In addition to being an RPA, I also work as a LAMP fellow, and a WCAT at the Peer Learning Commons, and as a service assistant at the library desks. I love to write, sketch, work with clay and cook when I can. As an RPA, I hope to bring a collaborative and compassionate approach to restorative practice where people feel comfortable being themselves and engage in honest conversations.
James Foleno ’28
Hi! I am a politics major from Cambridge, Massachusetts. At Bates, in addition to this role, I am the president of the Brooks Quimby Debate Council (BQDC), a Junior Advisor, and a Bonner Leader. I was first introduced to restorative justice in middle school, where I observed identity-based inequities resulting in punitive actions that ultimately contributed to the school-to-prison pipeline. After restorative justice was incorporated into my school, I saw how the practice furthered effective harm reduction and community building. My experiences led me to get formally trained by Youth Led Justice (YLJ) in Cumberland County in circle mediation. This year, I bring experience across different settings and a commitment to putting my beliefs into practice. I look forward to solidifying bonds across this campus by bringing more people into this work.
Evangeline Kpetsey ’28
I am a Biochemistry major and love reading, crocheting, and playing chess. I am a Community Outreach fellow at the Harward Center and a Junior Advisor at ResLife. On the RPA team, I bring my ability to actively listen, which allows me to engage in different viewpoints by seeing all sides of an argument. This year, I am looking forward to growing as a new addition to the RPA team and trying my best to help students resolve conflicts with each other and themselves.
Josiah Lee Johnson ’29
Hi! I’m Josiah, a History and Politics major here at Bates. My work on campus; particularly through Student Government, is fueled by a passion for advocacy and student support. As an RPA, I’m excited to bring my experience in restorative justice and mediation to help my peers navigate conflict through open communication and empathy. I’m looking forward to building deeper connections across campus this year! When I’m not in meetings, you’ll likely find me writing, playing games in SCBC, or humming along to my favorite musical theatre soundtracks.
Jamie Shelton ’27
I am a senior raised in London, U.K., and Zurich, Switzerland. I am a double-major in Interdisciplinary Studies (Social Justice) and English (Creative Writing), with a minor in German. Restorative practices are a fundamental component of how I believe we can best facilitate community and humanity across complex conversations and conflicts. I approach RPA work at Bates with strong values for listening, compassion, and practicality in approaches to community building and conflict resolution.
