SWIGS executive committee members!
VOTE
HEREWe
are
excited
to
launch
the
elections
for
thee
oncoming
2021-2022
SWIGS
executive
committee.
Please
check
out
the
candidates
and
their
bios
below
and
vote
before
the
election
closes
July
12th
2021.
Candidates
Blessing
Medon
PhD
Candidate,
Department
of
Civil
and
Environmental
Engineering
Roles: Vice-Chair Operations
and
Vice-Chair
Academics
Hello! My name is Blessing Medon. I am a third-year PhD student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and a member of cohort 7 of the collaborative water program. Like you, I am intrigued by water-related matters and research, and I am committed to making meaningful contributions to the way we address the water challenges of our world. This commitment is why it would be my honour to serve you as a member of the SWIGS executive team. My experience organizing volunteer work and corporate events will be an asset for the VP of operations role. I understand that community is vital for fostering solutions and is a fundamental commitment of the Water Institute and SWIGS. As the VP of operations, my focus will be to ensure that you are plugged into the SWIGS network and that you are connected to all the resources SWIGS provides to support you. Likewise, a chance to serve as the VP of academics will allow me to translate my passion for water research into the development of productive and enlightening platforms. I invite you to vote for me in one or both roles of VP Operations and VP Academics for the SWIGS 2021/2022 school year. I am counting on your mandate to provide me with the opportunities to contribute fresh perspectives to SWIGS.
Narasimman
Lakshminarasimman
PhD
Candidate,
Department
of
Civil
and
Environmental
Engineering
Role:
Chair
I’m
Narasimman,
a
second-year
PhD
candidate
in
the
Department
of
Civil
and
Environmental
Engineering.
I’m
applying
for
the
Chair
position
in
SWIGS
for
the
upcoming
school
year
2021-22.
As
the
liaison
between
the
Water
Institute
and
the
larger
student
community,
my
motivation
is
to
leverage
the
various
resources
available
to
support
the
academic
and
professional
development
of
our
grad
students.
As
we
all
transition
from
the
virtual
mode
of
life
to
the
much
anticipated
‘new
normal’
this
upcoming
school
year,
a
continuity
in
operations
will
be
beneficial
in
the
smooth
delivery
of
our
services
to
the
SWIGS
community.
I
strongly
believe
my
previous
experience
and
organizational
knowledge
from
serving
as
Co
Vice-Chair
of
Academic/Workshops
in
SWIGS
will
be
a
great
asset
for
the
Chair
position.
Thanks
to
the
outstanding
work
by
the
past
SWIGS
committees,
we
already
have
a
great
lineup
of
workshops
and
social
events
that
are
offered
to
our
students
routinely.
I
will
work
alongside
the
new
committee
to
continue
these
programs
and
nurture
new
and
exciting
ideas
as
well.
Outside
the
university,
SWIGS
has
established
a
solid
standing
in
the
Waterloo/Kitchener
community
through
its
Water
And
You
contest
and
World
Water
Day
events.
I
intend
to
expand
our
reach
and
possibly
collaborate
with
local
interest
groups
to
spread
awareness
about
water-related
issues
in
our
locality.
My
goals
also
include
creating
programs
to
inspire
young
minds
from
diverse
and
underrepresented
backgrounds
to
pursue
careers
in
water-related
fields.
It
is
my
sincere
hope
that
you
will
support
me
to
realize
this
vision.
Lauren
Banks
PhD
Candidate,
Department
of
Biology
Role:
Vice-Chair
Academics
Hi fellow water lovers! My name is Lauren Banks, and I am hoping to be elected as the next Vice-Chair Academic for SWIGS. I am a PhD candidate in Biology where my research is focused on groundwater influence on stream biofilms across space and time. Prior to taking up a PhD, I lived in Southeast Asia working for a research eNGO where I contributed to research on sustainable aquaculture, which involved not just environmental considerations, but social and economic ones too. As Vice-Chair Academic, I would leverage my multidisciplinary experience and broad research interests to source speakers and facilitators with wide-ranging water expertise, both locally and from around the world, for sessions, academic workshops, and panel discussions.
Navya
Nair
MES,
School
of
Environment,
Enterprise
and
Development
Role:
Vice-Chair
Outreach-
External
I’m
Navya
V
Nair,
currently
finishing
up
Master
of
Environmental
Studies
in
Sustainability
Management
at
University
of
Waterloo.
I’m
studying
the
vulnerability
and
viability
of
small-scale
fisheries
in
Chilika
Lagoon
(India)
through
the
water
quality
analysis.
My
research
interests
broadly
include
water
quality
analysis,
wastewater
treatment,
coastal
fisheries,
microbial
fuel
cell
and
bio-energy
generation.
I
will
be
starting
my
PhD
in
Fall
2021
in
the
same
program
at
UW.
I
worked
the
past
term
in
SWIGS
as
Vice-Chair
Outreach.
Although
my
session
was
during
pandemic,
we
tried
to
bring
up
movie
nights
related
to
water
issues,
collaborative
events/webinars
with
UW
research
groups
and
the
awesome
“Water
and
You”
art
contest.
As
situations
getting
improved
with
partial
in
person
components,
I
expect
to
engage
students
with
activities
related
to
water
related
issues,
spread
awareness
on
water
conservation
and
ecological
oversights.
I’d
love
to
stay
up
to
date,
connect
with
UW
students
to
hear
about
their
thoughts/opinions
and
arrange
activities
as
well
as
build
campus
partnerships.
Nastaran
Mosavari
PhD
Candidate,
Department
of
Civil
and
Environmental
Engineering
Role: Chair
My name is Nastaran, and I am running for the Chair position in the SWIGS. I am currently collaborating with SWIGS as Co-Vice Chair of Outreach. Despite the raised challenges by switching to the virtual world, we had the opportunity to execute the “Water and You” contest for elementary students in the Kitchener-Waterloo region as well as some social events for our fellow students at the University of Waterloo. The past and current opportunities equipped me with good experience and knowledge which will be beneficial for fulfilling my responsibilities in this position. I intend to use all available resources to improve SWIGS’s work in providing a platform for our fellow graduate students to develop their skills and knowledge, and fostering a sense of community among all graduate students interested in water at the University of Waterloo.