Monthly Archives: June 2020

GSA INTRODUCTION SERIES: VP-ADMIN

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GSA INTRODUCTION SERIES: VP-ADMIN

Hello everyone! My name is Anthony Quarshie and I am the GSA Vice-President Administration 2020-2021. In the capacity of VP Admin, I serve as the internal auditor of our operations. In this role, I provide oversight for the financial position of both The GSA and The Phoenix. I also attend to the various finance related policies of both the GSA and Phoenix. I am the Chair of The GSA Finance Committee where we monitor the financial progress of both the GSA and Phoenix. So, if you have an interest in learning about the financial review of the GSA or just to get a peek into how The Phoenix is run, I invite you to send me an email at gsavpadmin@mcmaster.ca.
 
Outside of the GSA, I do my research at the McMaster Advanced Control Consortium on the efficient operation of Air Separation Units under the supervision of Dr Chris L. E. Swartz in the Department of Chemical Engineering.
 
The GSA has had a wonderful journey so far in terms of its financial dealings and I am excited to play a part in sustaining that journey.

TAPS AND TALES GOES VIRTUAL!

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TAPS AND TALES GOES VIRTUAL!

The first Monday of each month at 5pm we have our online Taps and Tales event, starting Monday, June 1st!

Join us on our first virtual interdisciplinary research night to listen in other McMaster graduate research – ALL faculties in one room! 

Want to present at a future event? Email Sydney – GSA VP External. You can practice your knowledge communication with an awesome community of listeners, your fellow McMaster students! Presenters receive a small honorarium as a thank you.

Register in advance for this meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. 

LETTER FROM THE GSA

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LETTER FROM THE GSA

Dear graduate students of McMaster University,

The past 3 months have not been easy as we have transitioned our work online quickly and adapted to new roadblocks in our graduate careers. Whether you are starting, in the middle, or at the end of your degree, you have undoubtedly faced unexpected challenges and had to search for answers in a time of uncertainty. We hope that the announcement of a virtual semester can provide a framework for you to structure the months ahead, as the Administration has made the right decision for the Fall term classes to be online in a recent letter. As questions come up, they should not be left unanswered, please reach out so we can support you in navigating through your unique journey. We are all facing varying levels of distress and want you to know that we are here for you as a support network and will do our best to assist you.

The return to on-campus research is expected to happen no later than June 1st for Phase 1 of this process and your first point of contact regarding this manner is your supervisor. In short, this phase allows “a limited number of research personnel to access campus for research that cannot be undertaken in a remote manner“. More information about this process can be found here. 

Your GSA 

Do you have immediate questions?! JOIN A WEEKLY CALL with GSA President and Andrea Cole from the School of Graduate Studies! 

When?  Wednesdays between 1:00 PM until 2:00PM.
Where? Register for the Zoom link here.
What? Bring your coffee and come for a chat!
Questions? Andrea Cole coleand@mcmaster.ca

GSA INTRODUCTION SERIES: VP-SERVICES

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GSA INTRODUCTION SERIES: VP-SERVICES

Hello everyone! My name is Wei Zhao. I am the VP Services of the Graduate Students Association.

There are 2 main responsibilities of my role, that is “Health and Dental” and “Summer Leagues”. As for “Health and Dental”, I monitor the whole structure of our GSA Health & Dental Insurance Plan, such as insurance usage, enrolment, opt-out. Each term, I will hold a UHIP Workshop collaborated with International Student Services. As for “Summer Leagues”, there are 3 leagues each year: Curling League, Soccer League and Softball League! I will help each team to order parking passes, sign waivers and so on. Besides that, I am also the Chair of Clubs Committee. Thus, if you want to establish a new club, or if you have questions when running your current club, please feel free to contact me. I have many resources to help you!

At McMaster University, I am a third year PhD student in the Department of Computing & Software. My current research is about millimetre-wave radar localization and sensing. I am in the research group of Dr. Rong Zheng, and co-supervised with Dr. Jiankang Zhang.

Favourite Video: Japanese Anime
Favourite Activity: Swimming
Favourite Animal: Husky

GSA INTRODUCTION SERIES: VP-INTERNAL

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GSA INTRODUCTION SERIES: VP-INTERNAL

Hi everyone! My name is Caroline Seiler and I am the GSA Vice-President Internal 2020-2021. I represent the GSA for academic matters and plan academic & social events, especially Welcome Week! In my role, I organize the Academic Affairs Committee which meets monthly to talk about issues that affect the academic life of grad students, including departmental & faculty issues, career planning, and administration. We’re always looking for members, so email me if you want to join!

On campus, you can find me at McMaster University Medical Centre in the Department of Medical Sciences, researching the effects of different dietary components on individuals with irritable bowel syndrome, under Drs. Premysl Bercik and M. Ines Pinto-Sanchez. I’m excited to represent you all and I plan to organize events and services to help keep grad students connected and supported. 

If you have any questions, contact me at gsavpint@mcmaster.ca and I’d be happy to chat!