I bring a theoretical perspective and survivor mindset shaped by intergenerational trauma, early life adversity, intersectional erasure, and cultural resilience. After doing my Ph.D. in philosophy at Queen’s University at Kingston, Ontario, I held a postdoctoral fellowship in bioethics at the University of Minnesota. I currently teach undergraduate and graduate interdisciplinary ethics courses at universities in the greater Vancouver area. I’m writing a book under contract with Bloomsbury Press on Lithuanian identity, epistemic resistance, mental health equity, and trauma-informed health care. My paternal grandfather shortened his Lithuanian surname, Nagrocki, to “Nicki” in an effort to assimilate in America. My full Lithuanian name, following traditional naming conventions, is Austėja Nagrodskė. As a member of the Lithuanian diaspora whose ancestors fled Soviet occupation, I carry both names to honor my bi-cultural identity—an act of cultural resistance and return—and to align with Ukraine, under Soviet siege. For fun I enjoy dance, weight lifting, and inclusive community building.