GSA Standing Committees

Composition & Current Membership

The work of the GSA is supported by the efforts of eight Standing Committees. Committee composition and mandate are provided below, with further information available in GSA Policy.

The eight Standing Committees are:

Get Involved

If you are interested in committee service, please watch for advertisements from the GSA Nominating Committee in the GSA newsletter.

You may also e-mail gsa.nomcomm@ualberta.ca for additional information.

GSA Appeals and Complaints Board (GSA ACB)

GSA Appeals and Complaints Board Mandate Summary:

The GSA Appeals and Complaints Board is responsible for hearing and deciding appeals of GSA Chief Returning Officer (CRO) decisions and complaints about GSA Officers as allowed by Section 94(3) of the Post-Secondary Learning Act.


Click here to see the COMPOSITION and MANDATE of the GSA Appeals and Complaints Board (Section H: Performance, Conduct, Responsibilities, and Attendance, and the GSA Appeals and Complaints Board, GSA Policy, GSA Standing Committees, GSA Appeals and Complaints Board).

GSA Appeals and Complaints Board Hearing Committees, Sample Procedures for Hearings: FOR INFORMATION - NOT PART OF GSA POLICY

GSA Appeals and Complaints Board Hearing Summary Template Elements: FOR INFORMATION - NOT PART OF GSA POLICY

GSA Appeals and Complaints Board Membership:

Chair of the GSA ACB & GSA Councillor Nicholas Ruel (Pharmacology)
Vice-Chair of the GSA ACB & Member of the GSA Benjamin Decardi-Nelson (Chemical and Materials Engineering)
Member of the GSA Danielle Littlefair (Business - MBA)
Member of the GSA Alexandra Loverock (Public Health)
Member of the GSA Emmanuel Marfo (Nursing)
Member of the GSA Alexandra Ouellette Zuk (Neuroscience)
Member of the GSA Mariam Mohamed (Occupational Therapy)
Member of the GSA Janine Tine (Elementary Education)
Member of the GSA To be filled
GSA Councillor Jessica Kennedy (Human Ecology)
GSA Councillor Kenzie Gordon (Digital Humanities)
GSA Councillor To be filled
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GSA Awards Selection Committee (GSA ASC)

GSA Awards Selection Committee Mandate Summary:

The GSA Awards Selection Committee selects the recipients of the GSA Council-approved GSA Recognition Awards and reviews GSA Bylaw and Policy on GSA Recognition Awards annually and makes any recommendations to GSA Council.

Click here to see the COMPOSITION and MANDATE of the GSA Awards Selection Committee (Section O: GSA Recognition Awards, GSA Policy, GSA Standing Committees, GSA Awards Selection Committee).

GSA Awards Selection Committee Membership:

Vice-President External and Chair of the GSA ASC Anas Fassih (Political Science)
Vice-President Student Services and Vice-Chair of the GSA ASC Sridhar Parasharamatham (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
Member of the GSA Thomas Cam (Electrical Engineering)
Member of the GSA Brent Constantin (Earth and Atmospheric Sciences)
Member of the GSA Dhruvesh Patel (Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science)
Member of the GSA Mukt Patel (Surgery)
Member of the GSA Wojciech Pietrasik (Biomedical Engineering)
Member of the GSA Uchechukwu Peter Umezurike (English and Film Studies)
Member of the GSA Kun Xu (Renewable Resources)
Member of the GSA To be filled
Member of the GSA To be filled
Member of the GSA To be filled
Member of the GSA To be filled
Member of the GSA To be filled
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GSA Board (GSAB)

GSA Board Mandate Summary:

The GSA Board is the senior administrative authority of the GSA and the discussion forum for the GSA Officers and Directors.

Click here to see the COMPOSITION and MANDATE of the GSA Board (Section F: GSA Standing Committees, GSA Policy, GSA Standing Committees, GSA Board).

GSA Board Membership:

President and Chair of the GSAB Marc Waddingham (Biological Sciences)
Vice-President Academic Sachiketha Reddy (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
Vice-President External Anas Fassih (Political Science)
Vice-President Labour Umesh Nimmathi (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
Vice-President Student Services Sridhar Parasharamatham (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
GSA Councillor (non-voting) Shahed Taghian Dehaghani (Mechanical Engineering)
GSA Councillor (non-voting) To be filled
GSA Councillor (non-voting) To be filled
Senator (non-voting) Marla Palakkamanil (Public Health)
Speaker (non-voting) Pranidhi Baddam (Medical Sciences)
Executive Director (non-voting) Courtney Thomas
Associate Director (non-voting) Erika Heiberg
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GSA Budget and Finance Committee (GSA BFC)

GSA Budget and Finance Committee Mandate Summary:

The GSA Budget and Finance Committee advises on the financial affairs of the GSA and on the provision of the long-term financial health of the GSA. Members are expected, by GSA Council, to rise above any local/departmental views or issues and to take into account the needs of the GSA as a whole.


Click here to see the COMPOSITION and MANDATE of the GSA Budget and Finance Committee (Section K: Finances, GSA Policy, GSA Standing Committees, GSA Budget and Finance Committee).

GSA Budget and Finance Committee Membership:

President and Chair of the GSA BFC Marc Waddingham (Biological Sciences)
Vice-President Labour and Vice-Chair of the GSA BFC Umesh Nimmathi (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
GSA Councillor Omnath Ekambaram (Chemical and Materials Engineering)
Member of the GSA Maggie Cascadden (Business)
Member of the GSA Gary Grewal (Business)
Executive Director (non-voting) Courtney Thomas
Associate Director (non-voting) Erika Heiberg
Accountant (non-voting) Shirley Ball
Financial Manager (non-voting) Dorte Sheikh

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GSA Elections and Referenda Committee (GSA ERC)

GSA Elections and Referenda Committee Mandate Summary:

The GSA Elections and Referenda Committee advises the CRO on all matters pertaining to elections, referenda, and by-elections. The GSA ERC also reviews Elections and Referenda Bylaws and Policies and makes recommendations annually to GSA Council.

Click here to see the COMPOSITION and MANDATE of the GSA Elections and Referenda Committee (Section I: Elections, GSA Policy, GSA Standing Committees, GSA Elections and Referenda Committee).

GSA Elections and Referenda Committee Membership:

Chair of the GSA ERC & Member of the GSA Jennifer Bertrand (Kinesiology, Sports, and Recreation)
Vice-Chair of the GSA ERC To be filled
Member of the GSA Brent Constantin (Earth and Atmospheric Sciences)
Member of the GSA Ramin Fathian (Mechanical Engineering)
Member of the GSA Rehan Pradhan (Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science)
Member of the GSA To be filled
GSA Councillor To be filled
Chief Returning Officer (non-voting) Michael Huang (Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology)
Deputy Returning Officer (non-voting) Jacqueline Pelechytik (Business - MBA)
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GSA Governance Committee (GSA GC)

GSA Governance Committee Mandate Summary:

The GSA Governance Committee (GSA GC) advises GSA Council on GSA Bylaw and matters of GSA Policy not in the purview of any other Standing Committee and reports recommended changes to GSA Council. The GSA GC also makes any routine or editorial changes to the governance documents as deemed necessary by the Committee.

Click here to see the COMPOSITION and MANDATE of the GSA Governance Committee (Section F: GSA Standing Committees, GSA Policy, GSA Standing Committees, GSA Governance Committee).

GSA Governance Committee Membership:

President and Chair of the GSA GC Marc Waddingham (Biological Sciences)
Vice-President Labour and Vice-Chair of the GSA GC Umesh Nimmathi (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
GSA Councillor Nicole Noel (Biological Sciences)
GSA Councillor Armin Norouzi Yengeje (Mechanical Engineering)
GSA Councillor Harleen Kaur Dhaliwal (Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science)
Speaker (non-voting) Pranidhi Baddam (Medical Sciences)
Executive Director (non-voting) Courtney Thomas
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GSA Labour Relations Committee (GSA LRC)

GSA Labour Relations Committee Mandate Summary:

The GSA Labour Relations Committee discusses issues of concern regarding academically-employed graduate students and the Collective Agreement.

Click here to see the COMPOSITION and MANDATE of the GSA Labour Relations Committee (Section Q: Collective Bargaining, GSA Policy, GSA Standing Committees, GSA Labour Relations Committee).

GSA Labour Relations Committee Membership:

Vice-President Labour and Chair of the GSA LRC Umesh Nimmathi (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
Vice-Chair of the GSA LRC Nayiar Shahid (Pharmacology)
Member of the GSA and Academically-Employed Graduate Student Alex Bunten-Walberg (English and Film Studies)
Member of the GSA and Academically-Employed Graduate Student Kirsten Hawson (Drama)
Member of the GSA and Academically-Employed Graduate Student Noah Underwood (Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation)
Member of the GSA and Academically-Employed Graduate Student Ehsan Feizollahi (Agricultural, Food & Nutritional Science)
Member of the GSA and Academically-Employed Graduate Student Molly Swain (Native Studies)
Member of the GSA and Academically-Employed Graduate Student Heba Aref (Pharmacy)
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GSA Nominating Committee (GSA NoC)

GSA Nominating Committee Mandate Summary:

The GSA Nominating Committee selects and replenishes graduate student representatives to Councils, committees, and bodies requiring such representation other than ex-officio representation by the President, Vice-Presidents, or Directly-Elected Officers.

Click here to see the COMPOSITION and MANDATE of the GSA Nominating Committee (Section E: Nominating, GSA Policy, GSA Standing Committees, GSA Nominating Committee).

GSA Nominating Committee Membership:

Member of the GSA and Chair of the GSA NoC Radim Barta (Oncology)
Member of GSA Council and Vice-Chair of the GSA NoC Kenzie Gordon (Digital Humanities)
Member of GSA Council To be filled
Member of the GSA Wojciech Pietrasik (Biomedical Engineering)
Member of the GSA Shahed Taghian Dehaghani (Mechanical Engineering)
President (non-voting) Marc Waddingham (Biological Sciences)
Executive Director (non-voting) Courtney Thomas
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