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:
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GSA Appeals and Complaints Board
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GSA Awards Selection Committee
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GSA Board
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GSA Budget and Finance Committee
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GSA Elections and Referenda Committee
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GSA Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee
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GSA Governance Committee
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GSA Labour Relations Committee
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GSA Nominating Committee
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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.
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 & 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 | Christina Saed (Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences) |
| GSA Councillor | Jessica Kennedy (Human Ecology) |
| GSA Councillor | Kenzie Gordon (Media & Technology Studies) |
| 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.
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 & Computer Engineering) |
| Member of the GSA | Thomas Cam (Electrical Engineering) |
| Member of the GSA | Kun Xu (Renewable Resources) |
| Member of the GSA | Mukt Patel (Surgery) |
| Member of the GSA | Wojciech Pietrasik (Biomedical Engineering) |
| Member of the GSA | Uchechukwu Peter Umezurike (English & Film Studies) |
| Member of the GSA | Breanne Aylward (Public Health) |
| Member of the GSA | Nathalia Fagundes (Dentistry) |
| Member of the GSA | Matthias Lottmann (Mechanical Engineering) |
| Member of the GSA | Amber Ali (Pediatrics) |
| Member of the GSA | Donny Cheng (Electrical & Computer Engineering) |
| Member of the GSA | Charan Jirra (Mechanical Engineering) |
| Member of the GSA | Priscilla Luu (Educational Policy Studies) |
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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.
GSA Board Membership:
| President and Chair of the GSAB | Marc Waddingham (Biological Sciences) |
| Vice-President Academic | Sachiketha Reddy (Electrical & Computer Engineering) |
| Vice-President External | Anas Fassih (Political Science) |
| Vice-President Labour | Umesh Nimmathi (Electrical & Computer Engineering) |
| Vice-President Student Services | Sridhar Parasharamatham (Electrical & Computer Engineering) |
| GSA Councillor (non-voting) | Nadia Daniel (Medicine) |
| GSA Councillor (non-voting) | Erin O'Neil (Media & Technology Studies) |
| GSA Councillor (non-voting) | Maura Roberts (Political Science) |
| 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 & Computer Engineering) |
| GSA Councillor | Omnath Ekambaram (Chemical & 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 | Ramin Fathian (Mechanical Engineering) |
| Member of the GSA | Simran Pherwani (Pediatrics) |
| Member of the GSA | Shiyu Teng (Mechanical Engineering) |
| Member of the GSA | To be filled |
| GSA Councillor | To be filled |
| Chief Returning Officer (non-voting) | Michael Huang (Resource Economics & Environmental Sociology) |
| Deputy Returning Officer (non-voting) | Sophie Shi (Chemical & Materials Engineering) |
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GSA Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee (GSA EDIC)
GSA Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee Mandate Summary:
The GSA EDIC works to ensure that the GSA reflects the principles of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) for all its members in the interests of enhancing the graduate student experience and ensuring the existence of a welcoming environment and cohesive community for graduate students on campus.
Click here to see the COMPOSITION and MANDATE of the GSA Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee (Section F: GSA Standing Committees, GSA Policy, GSA Standing Committees, GSA Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee).GSA Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee Membership:
| President and Chair of the GSA EDIC | Marc Waddingham (Biological Sciences) |
| Vice-President Student Services and Vice-Chair of the GSA EDIC | Sridhar Parasharamatham (Electrical & Computer Engineering) |
| Member of the GSA | Claudia Althoen (Earth & Atmospheric Sciences) |
| Member of the GSA | Mashal Shoukat (Nursing) |
| Member of the GSA | Kallum McDonald (Agriculture, Food, & Nutritional Science) |
| Member of the GSA | Shalea Nichols (Political Science) |
| Member of the GSA | Ana Perdomo (Business - MBA) |
| Member of the GSA | Andrea Petryk (Business Administration - MBA) |
| Member of the GSA | Simran Pherwani (Medical Science) |
| Member of the GSA | Varshini Prakash (Computing Science) |
| Member of the GSA | Nicole Rodriguez (Pediatrics) |
| Member of the GSA | Danni Xu (Nursing) |
| Member of the GSA | Lisa Zhu (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.
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 & Computer Engineering) |
| GSA Councillor | Nicole Noel (Biological Sciences)*until new member elected |
| GSA Councillor |
Armin Norouzi Yengeje (Mechanical Engineering) *until new member elected |
| GSA Councillor | Harleen Kaur Dhaliwal (Agricultural, Food & Nutritional Science) *until new member elected |
| 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.
GSA Labour Relations Committee Membership:
| Vice-President Labour and Chair of the GSA LRC | Umesh Nimmathi (Electrical & Computer Engineering) |
| Vice-Chair of the GSA LRC | Nayiar Shahid (Pharmacology) |
| Member of the GSA and Academically-Employed Graduate Student | Alex Bunten-Walberg (English & Film Studies) |
| Member of the GSA and Academically-Employed Graduate Student | Kirsten Hawson (Drama) |
| 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) |
| Member of the GSA and Academically-Employed Graduate Student | Erin O'Neil (Media & Technology Studies) |
| Member of the GSA and Academically-Employed Graduate Student | Aminreza Khandan (Mechanical Engineering) |
| Member of the GSA and Academically-Employed Graduate Student | Jessica Grenke (Biological Sciences) |
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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.
GSA Nominating Committee Membership:
| Member of GSA Council and Chair of the GSA NoC | Kenzie Gordon (Media & Technology Studies) |
| Member of GSA Council and Vice-Chair of the GSA NoC | To be filled |
| Member of the GSA | Radim Barta (Oncology) |
| Member of the GSA | Wojciech Pietrasik (Biomedical Engineering) |
| Member of the GSA | Nadia Daniel (Medicine) |
| Member of the GSA | Maura Roberts (Political Science) |
| President (non-voting) | Marc Waddingham (Biological Sciences) |
| Executive Director (non-voting) | Courtney Thomas |