Our People - Project Review Committee

Sana Shah is currently a PhD student in the Department of Sociology and Legal Studies. She completed her MA in Social Justice and Equity Studies at Brock University. Her research broadly focuses on gender-based violence, colonial violence, sex-trafficking, and anti-racist and feminist thought. Having served in various coordinating roles and serving on advisory committees previously, Sana looks forward to bringing that experience to GSEF and working alongside like-minded individuals to enhance student experience.

As the GSEF Coordinator, Sana is responsible for overseeing GSEF operations and chairs the Project Review Committee and the Board of Directors.

Ebosetale Hope Isabu is a Master of Sustainability Management student at the School of Environment, Enterprise, and Development (SEED) in the Faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in French from the University of Benin, Nigeria. Hope's research focuses on net-zero climate action plans in Canadian municipalities, emphasizing partnerships in implementing local climate plans. With over four years of managerial and communication experience and relevant certifications, she aims to enhance student engagement as GSEF Vice-Coordinator, focusing on communication, outreach, and administrative support.

Ahmed Niaz is a Master of Development Practice student in the Faculty of Environment. Prior to starting his graduate studies, he was working in the financial and sustainability consulting sectors. His areas of interest include implementing data analytics with M&E frameworks in the areas of organizational development and sustainability reporting.

Taronish Kotwall is a first-year MSc student in the School of Public Health Sciences. Her research involved treating the symptoms of post-COVID-19 condition using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Outside of school, she enjoys reading fiction, cycling, and swimming.

Liza is a PhD candidate in the School of Public Health Sciences where she is conducting research on nutrition policies implemented in Canada and abroad, with an emphasis on youth's health. In her role as a Health Representative on the GSEF Project Review Committee, Liza reviews project applications and provides funding recommendations.

Karmvir Padda is currently a Ph.D. student in the Sociology and Legal Studies department at the University of Waterloo. She completed her MA in Criminology from Simon Fraser University. Her research mainly focuses on radicalization, extremists' use of the internet, right-wing extremism, online foreign interference, research methods and methodology, and computational methods. Her research is generously supported by the Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Doctoral Scholarships (SSHRC CGS-D). In her role as a Student Representative on the GSEF Project Review Committee, Karmvir reviews project applications and provides funding recommendations. 

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.

Valerie is currently pursuing a Master of Applied Science in mechanical engineering. Her research focuses on modeling composite geometries under high-impact loading for automotive applications. Valerie holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Toronto in mechanical engineering. She is excited to be contributing to the graduate student experience at the University of Waterloo. 

Sanjana (she/her) completed a Bachelor of Science in chemistry and biochemistry from the University of Toronto and is now a MASc student at the IDEATION lab at the University of Waterloo. She is interested in using engineering tools in the healthcare space to foster rapid and early diagnosis of disease and develop personalized therapeutics to improve patient outcomes. As a student representative in GSEF, she hopes to encourage and increase students' participation in the vibrant graduate community at University of Waterloo.

Tara is a PhD Student in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management. Her research interests include international health systems, SDGs, planetary health, health literacy, and cross-sectoral collaborations. She is a strong advocate for amplifying young voices in dialogue, research and practice.

Cornelius is a PhD student in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management. His research interest focuses on ageing, healthcare accessibility, and environmental health. As a representative of the Faculty of Environment on the GSEF Project Review Committee, Cornelius reviews applications and makes recommendations for funding. 

Shirley is a Master’s student in the Department of Computer Science, working with Prof. Khuzaima Daudjee. She is part of the DSG lab, and her research interests are distributed systems and databases. In her role as a Student Representative on the GSEF Project Review Committee, Shirley reviews project applications and provides funding recommendations.

Christopher is a PhD student in the Department of Pure Mathematics, working with Dr Benoit Charbonneau. He studies magnetic monopoles, hypothetical elementary particles. As a member of the Project Review Committee, Christopher assesses projects that improve upon the graduate student experience and provides funding recommendations.

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.

Carolina is a PhD student in the School of Pharmacy, working with Dr Marianna Foldvari. Her research focuses on developing a non-invasive inhalable mRNA-nanoparticle vaccine to prevent respiratory infections. 

In her role as a Student Representative on the GSEF Project Review Committee, Carolina reviews project applications and provides funding recommendations.