2018-2019 Council

President: Andrea Velghe

Andrea Velghe is a second year MA student in Education & Society with a minor in Gender & Women’s Studies at McGill University. After graduating with a B.Ed in TESL, she went on to teach internationally in Hong Kong, Australia, and Switzerland. The experience truly changed her perspectives on education, and brought her to look further into alternative ways of learning. Combined with a passion for all questions surrounding gender and sexuality, she is now orienting her research towards sexualities education, especially through peer-led and community-based approaches. Community involvement is core to her work; she truly believe that education is a tool for social transformation. As an active community outreach educator and an elected member of her student association, she wishes to give back meaningfully whenever she can.

Vice President Academic: Vanessa Gold

Vanessa Gold graduated with a B.Ed from McGill in ’13 which lead to a position teaching in a local secondary school in Hong Kong for four years. There, she had the opportunity to design, furnish, and equip her own classroom in a way that supported a curriculum that she tailored to meet the needs of various stakeholders. The experience teaching in an international context inspired her current trajectory. Entering her second year of an MA in Educational Leadership, Vanessa continues to explore multiple interests including the effect of space on classroom habitants, alternative educational frameworks, and teacher education programmes. As VP academic, she is eager to represent student needs.

Vice President Communication: Jessica Wang

Jessica Wang is a second year student in the Educational Psychology program with a focus on bilingual education and its effect on cognitive functioning. She is interested in how the process of second language acquisition affect the cognitive abilities (such as working memory, attention control, etc) of different age groups.  She has previous experience working at international schools and immersion programs in the United States and China, and she hopes through studying and doing research at McGill would help her better understand these diverse experiences.

 

Vice President Diversity and Equity: Enoch Leung

Enoch Leung is a doctoral student in the Human Development program within the Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology. His areas of interest include working with students with disabilities and the LGBTQ+ youth population. In relation to issues with diversity and equity, he looks at teacher attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions towards the recent implementation of sex education in Quebec. In addition, he has worked in various educational institutions at the level of high schools, CEGEPs, and universities in creating a safer space for students through working in a collaborative relationship to overcome their barriers and creating positive learning experiences. He is passionate about providing a space to voice the concerns of those marginalized communities who are unheard and oppressed. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, concerns or complaints.

Department of Integrated Studies of Education Co-Representative: Chris Dietzel

Christopher Dietzelis is a doctoral student at McGill University, studying rape culture in LGBTQ+ communities and on dating apps. Chris works as a research assistant on a grant titled IMPACTS: Collaborations to Address Sexual Violence on Campus. Chris recently earned a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership; his thesis examined the intersections of undergraduate student leadership development and global citizenship. Previously, Chris spent four years facilitating a student leadership development course at a university in Singapore, and taught English to medical students at a university in France. Chris is pursuing a career in universities to create meaningful educational experiences for students and to advocate for safe and healthy relationships, particularly for members of LGBTQ+ communities.

Department of Integrated Studies of Education Co-Representative: Shannon Hutcheson

Shannon Hutcheson is a third-year doctoral student focusing on international education and international student experience (cultural transition/support services) in the Department of Integrated Studies in Education. Prior to her studies at McGill, she was a university educator in Lyon, France, and worked with first generation university students and marginalized youth in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is a research assistant with IMPACTS and The Arts Against Postracialism.

Shannon is happy to be serving a second year as DISE student co-rep with Chris Dietzel. Together, they act as liaisons between students, EGSS, the faculty, and sit on the DISE Graduate Program Committee advocating for student interests. They are excited to continue initiatives that build solidarity within DISE and EGSS. Thus far they have helped organize the first international student orientation, Global Social Hour, DISE social, welcome reception, focus groups, and writing group initiatives, with more to come!

Educational and Counselling Psychology Representative: Margarita Miseros

Margarita is a first year doctoral student in the School/Applied Child Psychology program at McGill. Her research as part of the Perceptual Neuroscience Lab for Autism and Development focuses on perceptual information processing in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. As the ECP representative, Margarita will ensure that students remain informed and she will work toward increasing EGSS involvement across all ECP programs. Should you have any questions, comments, or feedback you would like Margarita to address, do not hesitate to contact her.

Vice President Student Life: Yuri Aikawa

Yuri Aikawa is a second-year MA student in the Second Language Education program within DISE. During her first year at McGill, she identified that there were limited opportunities for students to decompress from the stressors of academic life. Through her role as EGSS Vice President Student Life, she has been able to organize social events to help graduate students not only feel more comfortable but also participate in events intended to give students a much-needed outlet for stress and support.

PGSS Counsellor: Narjes Sara Hashemi

Narjes Sara Hashemi is a second-year student in the Master of Arts in Education and Society program. She is passionate about community involvement and this is her second year in EGSS. For 2018-2019, she will serve as one of the PGSS Counsellors representing Education graduate students. If you have any suggestions, questions or comments about anything PGSS related, please contact her at narjes.hashemi@mail.mcgill.ca

 

PGSS Conference Chairs: So Yeon Lee & Emily Jonas

So Yeon is a master’s student in the Learning Sciences Program within the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology. She is also a member of Achievement Motivation and Emotion (AME) lab under the supervision of Dr. Nathan Hall, and her research focuses on academic procrastination and persistence in undergraduate students. So Yeon is dedicated to bring students within the Faculty of Education a wide variety of research that will enhance their educational experiences at McGill.

Emily is pursing her M.Ed. in Educational Psychology with a concentration on research. Her current research is focused on the motivational and emotional experiences of graduate students while writing and reading throughout their program. Emily wishes to provide her fellow graduate students with a conference that allows everyone to showcase their research and learn from the experiences of others.

Interested in joining EGSS? Check back in Spring for information on elections for the 2018-2019 school year!