diff --git a/src/main/java/org/wise/portal/domain/user/User.java b/src/main/java/org/wise/portal/domain/user/User.java
index 7126aebd9..016fd85d6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/wise/portal/domain/user/User.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/wise/portal/domain/user/User.java
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
  */
 package org.wise.portal.domain.user;
 
+import java.util.List;
+
 import org.wise.portal.domain.Persistable;
 import org.wise.portal.domain.authentication.MutableUserDetails;
 
@@ -49,4 +51,6 @@ public interface User extends Persistable, Comparable<User> {
   boolean isTeacher();
 
   boolean isTrustedAuthor();
+
+  List<String> getRoles();
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/wise/portal/domain/user/impl/UserImpl.java b/src/main/java/org/wise/portal/domain/user/impl/UserImpl.java
index e2e0f47c7..83a164a63 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/wise/portal/domain/user/impl/UserImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/wise/portal/domain/user/impl/UserImpl.java
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@
  */
 package org.wise.portal.domain.user.impl;
 
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.List;
+
 import javax.persistence.CascadeType;
 import javax.persistence.Column;
 import javax.persistence.Entity;
@@ -91,13 +94,31 @@ public boolean isTrustedAuthor() {
     return userDetails.hasGrantedAuthority(UserDetailsService.TRUSTED_AUTHOR_ROLE);
   }
 
+  public List<String> getRoles() {
+    List<String> roles = new ArrayList<String>();
+    if (this.isAdmin()) {
+      roles.add("admin");
+    }
+    if (this.isResearcher()) {
+      roles.add("researcher");
+    }
+    if (this.isTrustedAuthor()) {
+      roles.add("trustedAuthor");
+    }
+    if (this.isTeacher()) {
+      roles.add("teacher");
+    }
+    if (this.isStudent()) {
+      roles.add("student");
+    }
+    return roles;
+  }
+
   @Override
   public int hashCode() {
     final int PRIME = 31;
     int result = 1;
-    result = PRIME
-      * result
-      + ((userDetails == null) ? 0 : userDetails.hashCode());
+    result = PRIME * result + ((userDetails == null) ? 0 : userDetails.hashCode());
     return result;
   }
 
@@ -108,7 +129,8 @@ public boolean equals(Object obj) {
     if (obj == null)
       return false;
     if (obj instanceof HibernateProxy) {
-      if (getClass() != (( HibernateProxy) obj).getHibernateLazyInitializer().getImplementation().getClass()) {
+      if (getClass() != ((HibernateProxy) obj).getHibernateLazyInitializer().getImplementation()
+          .getClass()) {
         return false;
       }
     } else if (getClass() != obj.getClass())
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/wise/portal/presentation/web/controllers/user/UserAPIController.java b/src/main/java/org/wise/portal/presentation/web/controllers/user/UserAPIController.java
index 3416d6efe..f3937d222 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/wise/portal/presentation/web/controllers/user/UserAPIController.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/wise/portal/presentation/web/controllers/user/UserAPIController.java
@@ -106,17 +106,8 @@ HashMap<String, Object> getUserInfo(Authentication auth,
       info.put("isPreviousAdmin", isPreviousAdmin(auth));
       info.put("language", ud.getLanguage());
       info.put("isGoogleUser", ud.isGoogleUser());
-
-      if (user.isStudent()) {
-        info.put("role", "student");
-      } else {
-        if (user.isAdmin()) {
-          info.put("role", "admin");
-        } else if (user.isResearcher()) {
-          info.put("role", "researcher");
-        } else if (user.isTeacher()) {
-          info.put("role", "teacher");
-        }
+      info.put("roles", user.getRoles());
+      if (user.isTeacher()) {
         TeacherUserDetails tud = (TeacherUserDetails) ud;
         info.put("displayName", tud.getDisplayname());
         info.put("email", tud.getEmailAddress());