Contacts

Thinh is a master's student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. His research focuses on constructing a machine-learning model used to predict the adsorption behaviour of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances with activated carbon. Outside of school, he enjoys participating in sports and resistance training.

As the GSEF Coordinator, Thinh acts as an ambassador for the fund and assists various GSEF operations.

My name is Hannah Brunelle, and I am a first-year Master's student in Social and Ecological Sustainability in the School of Environment, Resources, and Sustainability. I completed my undergraduate degree here at the University of Waterloo in Environment, Resources, and Sustainability, with a minor in Global Affairs and a diploma in Environmental Assessment. I spent more than a year of my undergrad working for the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association as part of the Promo Team, and enjoyed connecting with students over events that we hosted. 

Outside of school, I enjoy the outdoors and spend my free time hiking or paddleboarding. Indoors, I enjoy watching movies and TV shows, as well as crocheting new projects. I love coffee and am always looking for new cafes to try. 

My name is Marjana Chowdhury, and I am a second-year PhD candidate in Sustainability Management at the School of Environment, Enterprise & Development (SEED). With a background in Civil & Environmental Engineering, my current research explores the economic value and environmental benefits of Nature-Based Solutions for enhancing urban resilience in Canadian cities. Before pursuing my graduate studies, I held various roles with the United Nations and Multilateral Development Banks, gaining extensive experience in international development. Beyond academics, I enjoy traveling, photography, and spending time watching movies with my son. As the Treasurer for GSEF, I am excited to contribute to supporting graduate students at the University of Waterloo and fostering a thriving academic community.

Anastasia is a PhD candidate in the School of Public Health Sciences. Her research focuses on patterns of cannabis consumption and related cannabis policies in Canada and internationally.

Candice Rubie is a master’s student in the Social Psychology Program. Her research seeks to develop and test new ways to deliver failure feedback that increase the receivers’ engagement and motivation, and reduce the emotional consequences associated with receiving failure feedback. As a Student Representative on the GSEF Project Review Committee, Candice reviews and makes funding recommendations for project applications aimed at improving the overall graduate student experience.

Jisoo is a graduate student in cognitive psychology, with a background in social psychology, psychophysiology of stress, and biology. Her interests lie in the fields of morality, legality, decision making, and biometrics. Throughout her time here, she hopes to study the relationship between morality and the creation and upholding of criminal laws. In her free time, Jisoo enjoys reading, writing, horseback riding, sailing, and talking about her dogs. In her role as a Student Representative on the GSEF Project Review Committee, Jisoo reviews project applications and provides funding recommendations. 

Kaxit is a Master’s student in Electrical and Computer Engineering with a specialization in AI and Business Leadership. With a background in Computer Engineering, Kaxit has gained valuable research experience at institutions like IIT Gandhinagar, ISRO, and NCCU - Taiwan, focusing on deep learning and federated learning. As the GSEF Engineering Representative, he brings a strong technical foundation and a passion for advancing innovative engineering solutions.

Dongzhuyuan is a Master's student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. His research interests include multi-modal large language models and reinforcement learning from human feedback. In his role as a Student Representative on the GSEF Project Review Committee, he is committed to reviewing project applications with a practical and robust perspective and providing funding recommendations.

Khatoon is a graduate student in the Faculty of Earth and Environmental Science. She is a driven hydrogeologist with over 5 years of experience in groundwater flow modelling and expertise in numerical modelling for water supply assessments and contaminant transport. She is eager to contribute knowledge of sustainability and environmental issues to the review process and funding recommendations.

Geetam is a Ph.D. student at the School of Environment, Enterprise, and Development. He completed his Bachelor of Engineering in Construction Engineering from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, and later completed a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech.
His current research explores the pathways through which innovations diffuse within socioeconomic networks. With an educational and research background in infrastructure and energy systems, his focus now centers on sustainability. In his capacity as the Student Representative for the Faculty of Environment on the GSF Project Review Committee, Geetam evaluates project proposals and offers funding recommendations.

Amber is a Master’s Student in the Department of Computer Science, working with Prof. Pengyu Nie. She is part of SWAG lab, and her research interest is improving productivity of Software Engineering with Machine Learning. Amber’s role as a Student Representative on the GSEF Project Review Committee is to review and recommend appropriate funding for graduate project applications.

Charlotte is a Master’s student in the Department of Data Science. She studied Computer Science and Data Science in her undergraduate career, and is now a Data Science and Artificial Intelligence - MDSAI student. In her role as a Student Representative on the GSEF Project Review Committee, Chalotte reviews project applications and provides funding recommendations.

Pavithra (she/her) is an international graduate student in the Faculty of Science, since Winter 2025. Her current research in the Radovanovic group explores the magneto-optical properties of hybrid semiconductors. Alongside her academic pursuits, she is passionate about science communication and outreach, working to make scientific research more accessible to the wider community. As a representative of the Faculty of Science on the Project Review Committee, Pavithra collaborates with the GSEF team to enhance the graduate student experience at the University of Waterloo.

Simran is a PhD student in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Life Physics at the University of Waterloo, followed by the completion of a Master of Science in Biomedical Physics at Toronto Metropolitan University. Her research focuses on the application of optical coherence tomography to simultaneously acquire structural and neurovascular coupling data from healthy and retinal neurodegenerative diseases to determine biomarkers for earlier disease detection. Simran’s role as a Student Representative on the GSEF Project Review Committee is to review and recommend appropriate funding for graduate project applications.

Tamara is an MSc student in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences. Her research involves the piloting and evaluation of new engagement programs for persons living with dementia, care partners, and community members. Her general interests involve improving the health and wellbeing of others through education, knowledge translation, and community building. 

Maria (she/her) is a PhD student in the Department of Sociology and Legal Studies. Broadly, her research interests lie in K-12 education investigating student discipline issues such as educators’ approaches and use of discipline interventions, and students’ experiences with suspensions. Outside of her research, Maria is actively involved in the community through peer mentorship and participation on a school board’s equity advisory committee.

Umar Ali is a PhD student in the Department of Systems Design Engineering. His research focuses on leveraging the rich source of data from photon absorption remote sensing (PARS) to create better systems around medical imaging.
As a Faculty of Engineering representative on the GSEF Board of Directors, Umar helps review/approve recommendations of funding from the Project Review Committee.

Isabel is a PhD candidate in the School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability. She is primarily interested in competition for shared water resources and how conflict and cooperation can yield sustainable and equitable outcomes. She has a track record of leadership and helping out in her community, particularly on environmental initiatives.

Lucas (he/him) is a PhD Student in the Department of Computer Science who started in Fall 2021. He is part of the CrySP lab where he works on Security & Privacy related to Machine Learning with Professor Florian Kerschbaum.

Max (he/him) is a PhD student in the Department of Chemistry. His research focuses on developing nanoparticles and peptides for the detection and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. Max serves as a Faculty of Science representative on the GSEF Board of Directors, reviewing and evaluating project applications.

During Matthew’s time at the University of Waterloo, he was extensively involved with graduate student advocacy through both the Graduate Student Association and Graduate Studies Endowment Fund. As a former Coordinator of GSEF, Matthew is excited to continue serving on the Board of Directors in the role of alumni representative.

With over 20 years’ experience, Heidi is the Associate Director, Graduate Financial Aid & Awards in Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs. She oversees the administration and decision-making of internal and external award programs for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows that may or may not require University evaluation and adjudication, as well as graduate bursary and loan programs.