Current Members

MEMBERSHIP

Who we are and what we do

Committee Structure

In GEEC, we are passionate about facilitating discussions and workshops for and with our peers. We believe that even if we aren't experts, we can all benefit from teaching each other. Therefore, the event teams, which develop the content of our events and organize the logistics and promotion, are at the core of our committee. The committee coordinators support the members of the event teams in their fields of responsibility. Click on each position to learn more!

Communication

Media

Reporting

Operations

Communication

For full details, please refer to the most recent version of our committee guidelines:
2022 GEEC Committee Guidelines

Member Profiles

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As Operation & FInance Coordinator, I manage the finances of GEEC, including proposals for budgets, reimbursements, and keeping updated records of the money flow of the organization. I also oversee the Logistics team, whose responsibilities include booking rooms and purchasing supplies and refreshments for our events. This team is ideal for you if you like managing the practical details of event organisation.

Operation & Finance Coordinator

Laura Hernandez

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I am a Ph.D. candidate in the McGill Mining and Materials Engineering Department investigating sex-related differences in the calcification of heart valves. I joined GEEC in 2017 as a communications officer. Currently, I contribute as the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Liaison for the Mining and Materials Engineering Graduate Student Association (MMGESA) and, more recently, as the Internal Communications Coordinator. In these roles, I would like to help my department with the organization of inclusive events and work together with other PGSAs throughout the Faculty of Engineering to implement EDI positions in other departments.

Internal Communications Coordinator

Raphaela Allgayer

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External Communications Coordinator

Racchana Ramamurthy

Hello! I am Racchana, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Civil ENgineering strudying emerging contaminants such as PFAS and microplastics. I joined GEEC to learn about creating a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive educational environment for graduate students as they become tomorrow's leaders. As the External Communications Coordinator of GEEC, my primary responsibility is to maintain communications between GEEC and external organizations, such as the Postgraduate and Graduate Student Society and other equity-related groups at McGill. I am also responsible for recruiting new members and expanding GEEC's network by identifying potential collaborators. Besides my research and GEEC, I love to groove to the latest hits and learn new dance forms. If you want to collaborate with GEEC for your future events or wish to join GEEC as a member, please feel free to contact me at equity.geec@gmail.com.

I’m a Ph.D. student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering working with Prof. Jeffrey Bergthorson. My work focuses on quantifying NOx in metal combustion using laser diagnostics. This will enable to identify the pollutant that could potentially limit the use of metals as alternative fuels for clean energy. On personal side, I enjoy long bike rides on weekend, hanging out with my friends and try cooking something new. I also like to play badminton, swim or go hiking to keep myself physically active.

Finance & Reporting Coordinator

Kartik Mangalvedhe

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Hello there! My name is Aditya. I am a Ph.D. student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at McGill University. I am a huge geek and I love stories of every form. In my free time, I write poems and consume lots of stories. I wish to become a professor someday and work in a university. I once heard an interesting description of what a university should be. A university should reflect the universe (i.e., the surroundings) we wish to create as a society. This point of view seemed fascinating because most of the people who end up shaping our society come from universities. So, the values a university embodies are carried forward and etched into society by its shapers. Every day we strive for a just and equal society. We wish for our societies to be more inclusive, diverse, and equitable. I believe these values of equity, diversity, and inclusiveness should be embodied by the university in its practices so that they could be passed on to the students as well. I joined GEEC as a student to learn about these things and participate intimately in their execution so that I could create a classroom that is equitable, inclusive, and diverse in the future.

Member

Aditya Nemana

I am a 3rd year PhD student in the Department of Civil Engineering, and I study how the antimicrobial resistance genes from the environment interact with the human gut microbiota. I love volunteering to make a difference, and this has been my motivation mantra since college days. I have been fascinated by the activities of GEEC since my first year, and that's how I recently joined the team in 2022! Indeed, I believe that everyone owns a right to express themselves despite their socio-econo-cultural and gender differences, and maintaining this healthy balance is important in every sector. Juggeling to maintain a work-life balance, I love to travel and if not in the lab, you would see me reading novels most of the time. As a Karate black-belt holder I am also crazy about fitness and challenging myself to keep learning new activities.

Member

Fathima Afsal

I'm a Ph.D. student in the McGill Bioengineering Department working on development of biosensors for diagnostic applications. During my free time, I like to go hiking and watch movies, but my first priority is working out at the gym. As a member of GEEC, I try to generalize the concept of EDI among the engineering community of McGill University to help more people in this community place a high value on EDI idea.

Member

Hamed Shieh

I am a Ph.D. graduate of chemical engineering, and I am starting my second Ph.D. in biological and biomedical engineering at McGill University. I joined GEEC in August 2022 and this is an exciting and wonderful experience for me! I believe the significant role of equity, diversity, and inclusion in academic teaching and research is undeniable. I love discussing different topics and can quickly start from scratch and go back to the beginning of a process without being frustrated. I would like to help McGill students with the organization of inclusive and exciting events and work together to develop our lovely society at McGill University.

Member

Mohammad Mahdi Mardanpou

Greetings, I'm Roozbeh, a research associate and PhD student in the Department of Bioengineering. By being open to different perspectives and voices, I believe in fairness, justice, equity, and respect. I also believe in learning about different cultures, experiences, and communities and being open, helpful and respectful to everyone. I am committed to excellence in research and research training. Creating a more equitable, diverse and inclusive research environment is crucial to advancing knowledge and understanding, and responding to local, national and global problems. As a member of GEEC, I can make a significant contribution to McGill society and ultimately Canadian society.

Member

Roozbeh Siavash

I am a MSc student from the Chemical engineering department. I joined GEEC in the summer, 2022. After joining McGill as a graduate student, I experienced a diverse research and academic environment which made me notice the importance of equity, diversity and inclusivity within a community. I joined GEEC to further explore the EDI concepts in the aspect of gender, race, age, sexuality etc. As a member of GEEC I hope to contribute to the equity and inclusivity of the academic community that I am a part of.

Member

Shashini Rathnayaka

I am a Ph.D. student in the department of Mining and Materials Engineering at McGill University. I am working on the prevention of fracture related infection at the implant site through the modification of implant surfaces with titanium containing bioactive glasses. I joined GEEC because I believe a society where we can all be our true and best selves, while respecting and accommodating other people’s differences is possible. Asides from research, I enjoy reading, cooking and being a mum!

Member

Chisom Akunna

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Hello. I am a PhD candidate in Environmental Engineering. I joined GEEQ in July 2021 as the Community Outreach (ChangeMakers) Liaison. I believe Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion plays a prominent role in academic teaching and research, particularly in the mechanisms of ideation to implementation. The latter plays a crucial role in our graduate research; a sound understanding of which can help in driving an impactful research environment. For me, GEEQ represents a platform to engage in these areas, through various resources and activities.

CEGSS EDI Liaison & Change Makers Liaison

Graduate Engineering Equity Committee

of McGill University

MEMBERSHIP

Committee Structure

Member Profiles

Laura Hernandez

Raphaela Allgayer

Racchana Ramamurthy

Kartik Mangalvedhe

Aditya Nemana

Fathima Afsal

Hamed Shieh

Mohammad Mahdi Mardanpou

Roozbeh Siavash

Shashini Rathnayaka

Chisom Akunna

Anirban Kundu