Get in touch: president@sogs.ca Maris previously served as the Managing Editor of GradCast, the official radio show and podcast of SOGS, where she worked to amplify graduate student research and foster interdisciplinary connections across campus. She is extremely passionate about interdisciplinary research and making sure research is accessible to all members of the Western and London community. In her free time, Maris enjoys playing beach volleyball and golf – and petting neighbourhood cats. Get in touch: academic@sogs.ca Get in touch: advocacy@sogs.ca Meet our VP Finance: Get in touch: finance@sogs.ca Get in touch: services@sogs.caEXECUTIVE OFFICERS
President | MATHEUS SANITA LIMA
Meet our President: Matheus is a 5th-year PhD candidate in Biology. His tortuous academic trajectory has equipped him with unique positionalities that now orient his journey through life. He is passionate about advocacy and allyship. He believes that true winning is a collective effort (i.e., not purely meritocratic), so he enjoys championing his peers’ talents and assets. He is enthusiastic about University & Student Governance, and he is confident that his previous roles have prepared him for the new challenges ahead. He is humbled with the opportunity of being the 53rd SOGS President, and he is eager to pave the way for the (continuing) success of our Society.
VP Academic | MARIS SCHNEIDER
Meet our VP Academic: Maris is a PhD student in the Department of Anthropology with a collaborative specialization in Musculoskeletal Health Research. She completed her Honours BA in Anthropology at Mount Royal University (2022) and her MA at Western University (2024). Her research focuses on how chronic malnutrition shapes childhood growth and its long-term impacts on health development, in populations past and present.
VP Advocacy |KAT NEWMAN-SEYMOUR
Meet our VP Advocacy: Kat (they/them) is a PhD Candidate in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies and completed the collaborative specialization program in Environment and Sustainability. Their PhD research investigates how climate change impacts transgender individuals in Houston, TX, and Toronto, ON. Originally from Houston, Kat earned their BA.H. in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality studies from the University of Houston in 2020, where they were awarded an Undergraduate Mellon Fellowship (2019-2020). Kat was formerly a Principal Investigator on a project that centers transgender, non-binary, intersex, and gender-diverse (GIaNT) youth and their puberty health and sex education needs based out of Centennial College in Toronto. They also work in the gender based sexual violence sector as a program facilitator for Western, and formerly facilitated a 12-hour sexual assault prevention program to teen girls in London. Kat is a founding member of Planets Aligned, a DIY drag collective that is funded by the London Arts Council. They are dedicated to support and advocacy efforts for graduate students at Western, as well as broader human and ecological rights on and off campus.
VP Finance | CHARLES DESCHENES
VP Student Services | RAWAN EL MOGHRABI
Meet our VP Student Services: Rawan is an MSc. student in the Computer Science Department with a focus on Artificial Intelligence, Ethics, and interdisciplinary research. She completed her Bachelor’s of Engineering Science in Software Engineering with a Minor in Creative Writing at Western University.
For matters pertaining to SOGS Council, governance, unified documents, appeals, and elections, please see: Anemily (she/her they/them) is a 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. Get in touch: speaker@sogs.ca Kirsty is a 4th-year Ph.D candidate in Chemistry. She was the SOGS Board Chair (2025-26) as well as the President of the Western Chemistry Graduate Student Association for two years (2023-2025). In the past, she was actively involved in SOGS as a member on three committees—the Academic Committee, the Graduate Peer Support Committee, and the Subsidies Committee. Kirsty is passionate about student governance, and she is excited to have a more active role in SOGS governance and policy development. Get in touch: deputy.speaker@sogs.ca For matters, issues, and conflicts pertaining to academics, please see: Get in touch: advisor.academic@sogs.ca For matters, issues, and conflicts pertaining to the SOGS Presidential and Board of Directors elections, elections appeals, and referenda, please see: Get in touch: cro@sogs.caSTUDENT GOVERNMENT
Speaker | ANEMILY MACHINA
About our Speaker:
Deputy Speaker | KIRSTY NG
About our Deputy Speaker:
ACADEMIC SUPPORT
Peer Advisor for Academic Matters | KAILEY CUTILLO
ELECTIONS
Chief Returning Officer | VACANT
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@sogs.ca About our Gender Equity Commissioner: Peyton is a PhD candidate in the department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies with a Collaborative Specialization in Environment and Sustainability. Her doctoral research draws on reproductive and environmental justice to explore the potential for intergenerational climate justice through the work of parent-led environmental activist groups in Canada and the United States. Peyton has several years experience working in the field of gender-based and sexual violence prevention education. She is a former facilitator with the Flip the script with EAAA® program and Bringing in the Bystander and currently works with Western’s Undressing Consent program to provide incoming Western students with consent-based sexual wellness education. Get in touch: gender.equity@sogs.ca About our Indigenous Coordinator: Get in touch: sagecoordinator@uwo.ca Lucas is a Ph.D. candidate in Inorganic Chemistry at Western University, where he researches organometallic catalysts for small molecule activation — with potential applications in sustainable chemistry and pharmaceutical innovation. Originally from Brazil, he holds a B.Sc. in Chemistry and postgraduate specializations in Environmental Chemistry and People Management & Leadership. As International Commissioner, Lucas is passionate about supporting international students through both challenges and triumphs. He aims to foster belonging, celebrate achievements, and create spaces where everyone feels seen, valued, and at home. Get in touch: international@sogs.ca Malcolm has been an active member of the Pride Commission throughout his graduate journey at Western. As Pride Commissioner, he is excited to pour his event planning expertise and passion for 2SLGBTQIA+ activism into a role that will benefit his community. His goal for the 2026-2027 academic year is for the Pride Commission to be a space 2SLGBTQIA+ graduate students can rely on to feel seen, heard, and included. In his free time, you are sure to find Malcolm weightlifting at the campus recreation center or baking bread and pastries for his friends and family. Get in touch: pride@sogs.ca Get in touch: racial.equity@sogs.ca Get in touch: sustainability.coordinator@sogs.caADVOCACY AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Accessibility Commissioner | PAIGE REEKIE
Meet our Accessibility Commissioner:
Gender Equity Commissioner | PEYTON CAMPBELL
Indigenous Commissioner/SAGE Coordinator | VACANT
International Commissioner | LUCAS FERREIRA MARQUES DOS SANTOS
Meet our International Commissioner:
Pride Commissioner | MALCOLM MACDONALD
Meet our Pride Commissioner: Malcolm (he/him) is a trans PhD candidate within the Faculty of Education at Western University. His doctoral research centers the experiences of transgender and gender diverse university students, as well as the role EDI policies and staff members play in supporting trans-inclusion on Canadian university campuses. He holds a MA in Education Studies from Western University, as well as a BA (Hon.) in Philosophy with an Option in Applied Ethics from Trent University.
Racial Equity & Inclusivity Commissioner | TANIA AL-JILAWI
About our Racial Equity & Inclusivity Commissioner: Tania is a 2nd year PhD student in the Health and Rehabilitation Sciences program. Her research focuses on evaluating the clinical and cost-effectiveness of extended, enhanced postoperative rehabilitation compared to current standard postoperative care for patients with poor postoperative outcomes following total knee replacement. Her work focuses on health equity, patient advocacy, and inclusive healthcare. Prior to her PhD, Tania completed her MSc in Health Information Science and BSc Honours and Specialization in Health Sciences at Western. Tania is excited to serve as the Racial Equity and Inclusivity Commissioner to advocate for radicalized graduate students, promoting equity and inclusion to foster a supportive graduate student community.
Sustainability Coordinator | LIAM BOGUCKI
About our Sustainability Coordinator: Liam is a MSc Candidate in Biology. His research focuses on improving the simulation accuracy of the terrestrial component of the Canadian Earth System Model by developing a novel representation of biological soil crusts within the model. He hopes that his model developments will improve the accuracy of Canada’s future climate change predictions and provide a development template for other modelling groups around the globe. Prior to starting his MSc, Liam completed a BSc Honours Specialization in Synthetic Biology & Minor in Computer Science also at Western.
Board Chair | JANA BATAINEH Get in touch: board.chair@sogs.ca Board Vice Chair | ISAAC WITHERS Get in touch: board.vicechair@sogs.ca Director | ANTHONY CRUZ Director | ANTONIA YIP Director | BUSHRA KABBANI Director | ERFAN ZARENIA Director | KAYLA GAUTHIER Director | REZA ATAEIJALISEH Director | YASHVI PATEL
About our Board Chair: Jana Bataineh is a 3rd year PhD candidate in the Health and Rehabilitation Sciences program. Her research focuses on optimizing hearing care for older adults within primary care settings in order to support early intervention. Prior to joining Western, Jana completed her BSc and MPH at Brock University. Jana joined SOGS last year as a member of the inaugural board. She also serves as the Community Outreach Coordinator at Let’s Talk Science at Western and is a departmental steward for PSAC. Jana is excited to serve a second term on the Board to continue to promote graduate student excellence and wellbeing at Western while working alongside passionate student leaders!
About our Vice-Chair: Isaac is a 1st year MSc. student in the CDBS Psychology program. He is interested in a broad range of topics in cognitive psychology. He is currently focused on behavioural techniques to understand the cognitive processes underlying categorization and generalization of information across categories.
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 Kevin if you need: Contact: Get in touch with Jessica if you need: Get in touch with Marc if you need: Get in touch with Mark if you need:STAFF
Communications & Promotions Manager | HEIDI KELLETT
Digital Media Assistant | CAROLINE DIEZYN
Executive Director | OLIVIA GRIGGS
Finance Manager | RAQUEL RODRIGUES
Front Office Support Staff | EMMANUEL AKANBI & KEVIN MOORE
Membership Services Manager | JESSICA REILLY
Grad Club Manager | MARC LALONDE
Grad Club Operations Manager | MARK BRIGHAM