Graduate Student Relations Committee

This Committee connects graduate student representatives with senior University officers on student life and engagement. It recommends incidental fees (excluding GSA-determined or contract-based fees), and advises on changes to TA/RA rates and PhD funding. It also reviews proposed tuition, co-op fees, and Class “Z” policies affecting graduate students.

The Secretary for the Graduate Student Relations Committee is Tanya Daniels.

Related Information

Resource Documents 

Membership 2025-2026

Name

Appointment Type

University Administration

Justin Wan [Co-Chair]

Interim Associate Vice-President, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs

Christine McWebb

Associate Vice-President, Faculty and Academic Life

Chris Read

Associate Provost, Students

Students

Meray Sadek [Co-Chair]

President, Graduate Student Association

Kaylee Biggart

Appointee, Graduate Student Association 

Dean Eaton

Appointee, Graduate Student Association

Abhishesh Homagain

Appointee, Graduate Student Association

Thabie Lechesa

Appointee, Graduate Student Association

Special Members*

 

Brad Pomeroy

Associate Dean, Graduate Studies, Faculty of Arts

Ian Rowlands

Associate Dean, Graduate Studies, Faculty of Environment

Non-Voting Members

Jana Carson

Director, Strategic Planning and Evaluation (delegate)

Marianne Simm

Director, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs

Julian Surdi

General Manager, Graduate Student Association

Vacancy

Graduate Student (Arts)

Gaurang Sharma

Graduate Student (Engineering)

Geetam Saha

Graduate Student (Environment)

Vacancy

Graduate Student (Health)

Vacancy

Graduate Student (Mathematics)

Urja Nandivada

Graduate Student (Science)

Special Non-Voting Members*

 

Allan Starr

Associate Provost, Institutional Data Analysis & Planning

Christopher Nielsen

Associate Dean, Graduate Studies (Engineering)

Brian Laird

Associate Dean, Graduate Studies (Health)

Brian Ingalls

Associate Dean, Graduate Studies (Mathematics)

Mike Beazley

 Associate Dean, Graduate Studies (Science)

*Note: Special Members and Special Non-Voting Members attend meetings and participate in discussions related to changes to the minimum PhD funding only.


This Committee meets monthly and minutes of these meetings are confidential to the Committee.

Chairs: Alternating between the Associate Vice-President, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs and the President, Graduate Student Association, University of Waterloo