Executive Team

Meet the Fall 2026 Executive Team for the University of Waterloo OWWA/WEAO Chapter! The purpose of the Executive Team is to lead and oversee the strategic direction of the Chapter, ensuring effective engagement within the student community. The team is dedicated to fostering a dynamic and inclusive environment that supports professional development, community involvement, and the achievement of chapter goals. While we undergo website maintenance, we will continue to add information about each of these roles below. In the meantime, feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

President

Kushani Abesekara
MASc Civil Engineering (Water)

Chief elected officer of the student chapter
Coordinate, attend and conduct all meetings
Act as a liaison with the student chapter and the YPC and attend YPC meetings
Ensure decisions, orders, and resolutions of the executive committee
Maintains the annual budget
Ensure student chapter continuation through succession planning
Assist other officers of the executive committee

Kushani Abesekara is a Master’s student in the Civil & Environmental Engineering (Water) program. Her research focuses on drinking water treatment, specifically using biofiltration to remove cyanotoxins produced by harmful algal blooms. In this process, naturally occurring microorganisms break down the toxins, making biofiltration a cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and sustainable treatment method. With a strong background in biological sciences and chemistry from her bachelor’s degree in Sri Lanka, she brings an interdisciplinary perspective bridging biology and engineering to improve drinking water quality.

Contact Kushani

Vice President

Osla Tandoh
PhD Sustainability Management

Advertise the chapter and respective events
Familiarize with the duties of the president and other officers
Collaborate with and support fellow executive committee members in their respective roles
Carry out any additional tasks as delegated by the chapter president

Osla is a PhD student with the Faculty of Environment's School of Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED). Her research focuses on supply chain traceability of critical raw materials and life cycle assessment (LCA). Prior to her PhD, she had her master's degree in Hydrogeology and Environmental Engineering at the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany. As a member of the executive team, she looks forward to working with the rest of the team in spearheading events and activities that help build students and make their academic journey worthwhile.

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Secretary

Sadaf Gharehgooneh
MASc Civil Engineering

Document meeting minutes of all meetings
Keep the membership roster up to date
Maintain chapter files of correspondence and program materials, including the chapter by-laws
Ensure all materials and promotional items use the correct logo, chapter name, etc.

Sadaf Gharehgooneh is a Master’s student in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Waterloo. Her research focuses on wastewater treatment and resource recovery, particularly the use of Thermal Hydrolysis Pretreatment to enhance the anaerobic digestion of municipal wastewater sludge. Through her research, she is interested in improving sludge treatment and biogas recovery while exploring more sustainable approaches to wastewater management. Through her involvement with the OWWA/WEAO Student Chapter, she hopes to connect with fellow students and professionals and contribute to the water and wastewater community.

Contact Sadaf

Events Director (Academic)

Mahta Nazari
PhD Civil Engineering (Water)

Plan and coordinate academic and professional development events
Collaborate with faculty, speakers, and industry partners for event programming
Oversee event logistics, communication, and follow-up

Mahta Nazari is a Civil Engineering researcher at the University of Waterloo and a member of the Computational Hydrology Research Group. Her research focuses on flood modelling and hydrological modelling. Through her involvement with the OWWA/WEAO Student Chapter, she hopes to connect with fellow students and professionals, encourage engagement in the water sector, and foster greater engagement within the campus community through chapter events.

Contact Mahta

Events Director (Social)

Madeline Ho
MASc Civil Engineering (Water)

Organize social events that strengthen member engagement and help to build community
Partner with other officers to align social events with academic and outreach goals
Oversee event logistics, communication, and follow-up

Madeline is MASc student in the WaterSTP group, and her research focuses on wildfire impacts on source water quality and treatment. She looks forward to increasing community engagement on campus and connecting with members through our chapter events.

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Communications Director

Josh Mumford
PhD Civil Engineering (Water)

Maintain communication with membership
Work with other organizations to publicize chapter events
Supports the advertisement and logistics of events organized by other officers

Josh Mumford is a PhD student in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Waterloo, within the Computational Hydrology Research Group. By combining computational tools with hydrologic insight, his research aims to improve existing understanding of how watersheds respond under shifting climate conditions and human demands, improving the modelling of land cover change to enable more resilient water management decisions. He's excited to be a part of the OWWA/WEAO Student Chapter and hopes to build meaningful connections within the student body of UWaterloo, and across the water industry in Ontario.

Contact Josh

Social Media Director

Azi Zebarjadian
PhD Civil Engineering (Water)

Electronic advertising of events (Instagram/LinkedIn)
Maintain social media presence and keep profiles up-to-date
Assist other officers in promoting the organization

Azi Zebarjadian is a PhD student in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Waterloo and a member of the Computational Hydrology Research Group. Her research focuses on hydrologic modeling, reservoir operations, and water resources management, with an emphasis on developing tools to better represent human water management decisions in watershed models. She is passionate about advancing sustainable and resilient water systems through research and collaboration. Through her involvement with the OWWA/WEAO Student Chapter, she hopes to connect with fellow students and professionals while promoting engagement in the water sector.

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Website Coordinator

Michael Chislett
PhD Civil Engineering (Water)

Maintain chapter website
Publish events
Keep web presence up-to-date

Michael conducts research with the River Hydraulics Research Group. Originally from Newfoundland & Labrador and having spent many summers “on the water,” he is passionate about the intersection between fluvial systems and their impacts on (or impacts from) people and society. Michael is excited to undertake a refresh of this website to improve the chapter's online presence.

Contact Michael

Treasurer

Karthikeyen Natarajan Pugazhendhi
PhD Chemical Engineering (Nanotechnology)

Maintains all financial records
Assist in preparation of the annual budget and monitor chapter expenses
Update the executive team with relevant financial information
Assists other officers in organizing and promoting events

Karthi is a Ph.D. candidate in the Chemical Engineering (Nanotechnology) program at the University of Waterloo. His research focuses primarily on all-solid-state lithium and sodium ion batteries under the supervision of Prof. Linda Nazar. He is excited to volunteer as Treasurer of the OWWA/WEAO Student Chapter, where he will oversee financial records and support effective financial management. Beyond his responsibilities as Treasurer, Karthi looks forward to engaging with students and industry professionals and contributing to various events and activities organized by the OWWA/WEAO Student Chapter.

Contact Karthikeyen