SOGS Presidential Election

Wesam AbdElhamid Mohamed, 2nd Year M.E.Sc, Civil & Environmental Engineering

Are you tired of feeling unheard and neglected as a graduate student? My choice to run for SOGS president is part of my commitment to helping graduate students voice their concerns. I will do whatever it takes to ensure that graduate students’ experience at Western is remarkable and unforgettable in the best possible way.

It has been my pleasure and an honour to serve as Vice President Advocacy for SOGS since October 2018. I also have the pleasure of being elected to serve as the International Students Commissioner on the National Executive of the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), representing more than 500,000 students in the largest student movement in Canada. These positions have been an opportunity to learn about graduate student concerns, and I intend to address these needs and issues in next year.

My priorities for the next year include:

• Initiating an Emergency Bursary Program for Graduate Students
• Ensuring Western University is an inclusive space for graduate students with diverse perspectives and backgrounds
• Collaborating with SGPS (the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies) to propose a policy document governing the student-supervisor relationship
• Empowering women in graduate studies through creating and providing additional bursaries and awards to support their endeavours
• Collaborating with Indigenous Services to take tangible steps towards Reconciliation
• Working with CFS to lobby for graduate student rights provincially and federally
• Expanding the SOGS FoodBank program to meet the increasing needs for food security among graduate students

Through my experience working for graduate students in my elected positions and my personal experience as a graduate student in Engineering, I have become increasingly aware that no one will advocate for us but us. By uniting graduate students at Western, and across Canada, I know that it is possible to bring about change for ourselves! You have the power to start this change by electing me as SOGS President for 2019.

Jina Kum, 4th Year PhD, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

As SOGS Vice-President Academic for the past two years, I have been committed to advance academic advocacy for Western graduate students. My role has empowered me to engage in numerous discussions with the Western Administration regarding graduate education and academic policies, and to advise many students experiencing academic and administrative difficulties. Such involvements provided me with vast exposure to policy issues that have profound impacts on the graduate student body, as well as awareness of predicaments that graduate students experience at an individual level.

If elected as SOGS President, I am committed to formulating a strategic plan and enhancing the graduate student experience at Western. Taking this opportunity, I aim to broaden my portfolio to prioritize graduate students’ interests in four pillars: 1) Graduate Student Experience; 2) Health and Wellness; 3) Academic Advocacy; and 4) Campus and Civic Engagement. Within each area, I will continue to consult with members of SOGS, campus stakeholders, and Western administration to strengthen our partnerships. I am committed to making a positive change on campus and ensuring the best possible experience for graduate students at Western.