Waliu Alaka is a second-year PhD student in the Department of Biology at Western University. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from the University of Lagos in Nigeria and his Master’s degree in Nanoscience from the University of Kassel in Germany. With a keen interest in molecular biology, his research focuses on elucidating the function of the Autism-related gene Neuroligin, utilizing the in vivo system in Drosophila melanogaster. Beyond his academic pursuits, Waliu enjoys participating in team sports such as soccer and enjoys gaming on the PlayStation 5. In his free time, he values spending quality time with his family and friends. Get in touch: president[at]sogs[dot]ca Cherin Chung is a second-year PhD student in the French department at Western University specializing in 19th century French literature. She has completed her Master of Arts in 2022 and her Honours Specialization in English Language and Literature in 2021. Cherin has been an active member of SOGS as the French Councillor, the Equity Committee chair, and the Racial Equity & Inclusivity Commissioner. Cherin is currently serving as the VP Advocacy at the Society of Graduate students and is passionate about amplifying all graduate student voices to ensure an equitable education for all at Western University. Outside of campus life, Cherin enjoys reading, traveling and hiking. Get in touch: advocacy[at]sogs[dot]ca Sairam Gajavelli is a first-year Masters Student in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at Western University. He has graduated with a Bachelor of Medical Science from Western University in 2022, with an Honours Specialization in Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences. Currently he is working on studying Alzheimer’s Disease, and more closely working to modulate Microglia cells to better understand how they incorporate into disease pathology. Sairam was a member of the Finance Committee before deciding to take on more responsibility and running for the VP finance role. Sairam is a large proponent of EDI-D work and currently also a part of the Anatomy and Cell Biology EDI-D committee that is launching this year! Outside of school, Sairam enjoys spending his free time playing sports, and trying new experiences with friends. Get in touch: finance[at]sogs[dot]ca Get in touch: services[at]sogs[dot]ca For matters pertaining to SOGS Council, governance, unified documents, appeals, and elections, please see: Get in touch: speaker[at]sogs[dot]ca Get in touch: deputy.speaker[at]sogs[dot]ca For matters pertaining to issues surrounding academic, professional, and interpersonal conflict, please see: Get in touch: ombudsperson[at]sogs[dot]ca For matters, issues, and conflicts pertaining to academics, please see: Get in touch: advisor.academic[at]sogs[dot]ca For matters pertaining to elections, please see: Get in touch: cro[at]sogs[dot]ca Get in touch: deputy.speaker[at]sogs[dot]ca For matters pertaining to SOGS advocacy and community outreach, please see our Commissioners. Learn more about the roles of each SOGS commissioner here. Get in touch: accessibility[at]sogs[dot]ca Get in touch: gender.concerns[at]sogs[dot]ca About our Pride Commissioner: Get in touch: pride[at]sogs[dot]ca About our Racial Equity & Inclusivity Commissioner: Beyond her professional pursuits, Hannah has an immense passion for social justice, nutrition, wellness, mental health advocacy, and mentorship. For the past five years, she has actively engaged as a public speaker with esteemed organizations such as the Canadian Mental Health Association and Jack.org. Moreover, Hannah finds great fulfillment in actively participating in programs that foster community engagement, such as United Way of London and Area, as well as Big Brothers, Big Sisters, where she can work closely with and connect to the local community. Get in touch: racial[dot]equity[at]sogs[dot]ca SAGE Coordinator (Indigenous Initiatives) | AMANDA MORIN About the SAGE Coordinator: Aanii, boozhoo! Amanda indizhinikaaz, Wikwemkoong indoonjibaa, migizi indoodem. Hi everyone, my name is Amanda Morin, I am Anishinaabekwe from Wikwemkoong Unceded Reserve on Manitoulin Island, though I grew up with my mother who is of European descent in a small town called New Hamburg. Eagle is my clan. I have been at Western and a part of the Indigenous community since 2013. I am now doing my Master’s at Schulich in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine researching the role of mitochondrial DNA in health and disease. I am this year’s Supporting Aboriginal Graduate Enhancement (SAGE) Coordinator working under the supervision of both the Office of Indigenous Initiatives (OII) and VP Advocacy at SOGS. In previous years, OII supervised the SAGE Coordinator position, and SOGS oversaw the Indigenous Commissioner role. This year, these roles are combined to enhance the synergy between Indigenous graduate students and the larger graduate student population. I will be working hard to support Indigenous students throughout their graduate studies, and also to advocate for Indigenous students by planning engaging events that foster awareness and education. I’m looking forward to a great year! Ehsan is extremely passionate about serving others in his community and beyond. He recently chaired the largest student research conference at the University of Windsor. He has also volunteered at various organizations in Canada and India. Ehsan has been advocating for not only students in his department but for international students as well, as he held various representative positions at his department, faculty and institution. Sustainability hits back home for Ehsan, as he comes from India. Having observed and lived through some of the negative impacts of climate change, he believes he has more energy and reasons to do something about sustainability. He is an avid reader and a connoisseur of Hindustani music, the classical music genre of India. Get in touch: sustainability[dot]coordinator[at]sogs[dot]ca Get in touch with Heidi if you need: Get in touch with Caroline if you need: Get in touch with Raquel if you need: * Although SOGS determines some graduate student fees (e.g., those related to SOGS services and dues), the Office of the Registrar determines billings. SOGS does not have access to student accounts. For clarification on how to view your account, review the WesternU Student Centre , Access Guide HERE. Login to review your student account HERE. Get in touch with Chris or Kayla if you need: Get in touch with Nick if you need: Contact: Get in touch with Lola if you need: Get in touch with Marc if you need: Get in touch with Mark if you need:Meet the SOGS Executive!
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
President | WALIU ALAKA
VP Academic | ELIZABETH MOHLER
In addition to her role as VP Academic, Elizabeth Mohler currently works part-time as a Research Consultant for the National Educational Association of Disabled Students. She previously worked at Ryerson Magnet as their Inclusive Hiring Project Coordinator. Elizabeth sits on the Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR) Advisory Committee on Accessibility and Systemic Ableism, and is an experienced presenter, keynote speaker, lecturer, and published writer. Elizabeth is currently conducting Doctoral research at Western University, where she explores how discourses and practices within Direct Funding shape how disabled persons access care, and in what ways service users resist and negotiate these discourses. When Elizabeth is not working,
you can find her singing in one of her 2 choirs; running in High Park; or, doing triathlons with her guide, David.
VP Advocacy | CHERIN CHUNG
VP Finance | SAIRAM GAJAVELLI
VP Student Services | KESAVI KANAGASABAI
About our VP Student Services: Kesavi Kanagasabai (she/her) is an 2nd year PhD in the department of Medical Biophysics. Her research focuses on pulse-programming in magnetic resonance spectroscopy with applications in mental illness and neurocognitive disorders such as schizophrenia. Kesavi was first exposed to SOGS through Equity Committee in 2020 where she learned about advocacy-related initiatives run by SOGS and has been drawn towards the organization since then. Outside of research, Kesavi enjoys drawings, attempting to cook, adding a never-ending list of books on GoodReads and go for runs as well spending time with friends and family (the key).
Meet the SOGS Non-Executive Officers!
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
Speaker | ANEMILY MACHINA
About our Speaker: Anemily Machina (she/her they/them) is a 4th year PhD Candidate in Computer Science. Her research focuses on improving the quality of explanations for the decisions for Artificial Intelligences (AIs) trained on text data, such as chatGPT. Her hope is that such improvements will help protect people from unfair and biased AI decisions. In her personal time, she enjoys baking vegan treats, bike riding, and binge watching tv-shows.
Deputy Speaker | JILLIAN WARMAN
About our Deputy Speaker: Jillian Warman (Sher/Her) is a first year MA student in the Department of Linguistics. Her research focuses primarily on Russian phonology and phonetics. When she’s not studying linguistics or practicing Russian, you can find her taking her pups Sasha and Maverick to the dog park.
CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Ombudsperson | CHIRANTAN MUKHERJEE
About our Ombudsperson: Chirantan Mukherjee (he / him / his) is a Mathematics master’s graduate from Europe, published poet, and former swimmer. Fascinated by the application of Computer Science to Mathematics, he is pursuing M.Sc. program in Computer Algebra. His research will focus on theoretical aspects of polynomial equations, algorithmic solutions, and real-world applications. He is particularly driven by determining optimal solutions and computational efficiency using modern computer implementations.
ACADEMIC SUPPORT
Peer Advisor for Academic Matters | KEVIN MOORE
ELECTIONS
Chief Returning Officer | MICHAEL FEAGAN
About our CRO: Michael Feagan is a fourth year History PhD student. His research focuses primarily on Canadian telegraph operators in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He is interested in exploring the connections between technology and labour in telecommunications and the connections between past and present communication workers. He has also served as CRO for PSAC 610 in 2022 and again in 2023.
Deputy Chief Returning Officer | JILLIAN WARMAN
Meet the SOGS Commissioners & Coordinators!
ADVOCACY AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Accessibility Commissioner | CHLOEE GODIN-JACQUES
About our Accessibility Commissioner: Chloée Catherine (she/they) is a white settler disabled queer person. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D in Education at Western University. Chloée is an activist and strives to generate awareness about accessibility, disability, and intersectionality and dismantle preconceived notions by sharing her own diverse lived experiences through the means of blog posts and social media posts. She is also a Lead Consultant at Chloée Catherine Consulting, where she supports businesses and other organizations to further foster inclusive spaces for disabled persons. Chloée’s personal and professional interests lie within the realms of accessibility, activism, community-building, disability, higher education, intersectionality, and sexuality.
Gender Concerns Commissioner | LAURA MURRAY
About our Gender Concerns Commissioner: Laura is currently working on her Master’s in Research for Policy and Evaluation. She is an empathic, trauma-informed advocate dedicated to advancing gender justice and equity. In the past, Laura has worked and volunteered at community organizations supporting people who were subjected to gender-based violence. She’s passionate about creating safer and inclusive communities, where people thrive in healthy relationships built on connection, vulnerability, and growth.
Pride Commissioner | VACANT
Racial Equity & Inclusivity Commissioner | HANNAH LITCHFIELD
Hannah is a graduate of Health Sciences (BHSc.) and Master of Management of Applied Sciences (MMASc.) programs at Western University and is currently pursuing a PhD in Health Promotion under the guidance of Dr. Shauna Burke in the School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences. She is a fervent advocate for racial equity and inclusivity, social justice, and community connectedness. Her passion lies in promoting upstream approaches to health and employing systems thinking to ensure equitable access to care. She has a keen interest in researching topics such as belonging, social connectedness, secondary and post-secondary education, mental health, the 7 Dimensions of Wellness, social determinants of health and disease, as well as Indigenous health and public policy.
Sustainability Coordinator | EHSAN UR RAHMAN MOHAMMED
About our Sustainability Coordinator: Ehsan is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Computer Science, at Western University. He is working on making artificial intelligence models more robust. He completed his MSc. in Computer Science from the University of Windsor, where he received the Governor General’s Gold medal for academic excellence. He has other academic interests apart from computer science which include social justice, teaching & learning and equity, diversity, inclusion and decolonization.
Meet the SOGS and Grad Club staff!
STAFF
Communications & Promotions Manager | HEIDI KELLETT
Digital Media Assistant | CAROLINE DIEZYN
Finance Manager | RAQUEL RODRIGUES
Front Office Support Staff | CHRIS KOWALSKI & KAYLA DAVIES
Governance & Policy Manager | NICK DESUMMA
Membership Services Manager | LOLA WONG
Grad Club Manager | MARC LALONDE
Grad Club Operations Manager | MARK BRIGHAM
OUR TEAM
Get in touch: academic[at]sogs[dot]ca
In addition to her academic achievements, Hannah holds a Professional Certificate in Project Management and has experience as an Entrepreneur, having founded her own healthy meal preparation business called “Homemade by Hannah.” In February 2023, she obtained her Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI). Hannah currently serves as Director of the Professional Development Team at the Project Management Institute (PMI) Southwestern Ontario Chapter (SWOC) and is a member of the Board of Directors at Family Services Thames Valley in London, Ontario.