Platforms for 2011 General Council Elections

VICE-PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS FRANCOPHONE

Geneviève Moreau

Hi everyone! My name is Geneviève Moreau and I am taking on the final year of my Biology degree, so I have been a part of the Faculty of Sciences for a few years now and have a good idea of how things go down. Furthermore, my time as guide and head guide during previous 101 Weeks gave me a chance to see the Science Students' Association (SSA) in action. Working alongside its dedicated members made me want to become more involved in student university affairs. That is why I am now presenting myself as a candidate for the position of Vice President of Francophone Communications of the SSA.
I held this position this summer after being selected amongst many applicants by other members of the SSA executive council. I am therefore already familiar with the tasks and responsibilities of this position, as well as with other members of the SSA council. I believe that this will greatly ease the transition from summer to academic term. I am ready to take on this role and I already have a few ideas in mind for the school year.
First of all, I want to keep the bulletin boards by the Marion auditorium up to date. I foresee having one board dedicated specifically to SSA and Faculty of Sciences affairs, and another board dedicated to general campus affairs, such as events organized by other faculties that are open to all students, and city affairs, such as concerts, plays, and other events taking place in the Capital. The bulletin board for science merchandise will be filled with pictures of the clothing and a price list.
Secondly, I want to make more announcements about SSA scholarships. Each year, the SSA gives out a total of $10,500 to science students. This past summer I had a seat on the SSA Scholarship Comity and was shocked at the extremely low number of applications we received. I believe that most students are unaware of these opportunities or do not know where to find the necessary information. I am determined to increase the number of scholarship applications so that more students at least have a chance at receiving a scholarship.
To sum up, although I am hard-working and determined, I remain a relatively easy-going person who adapts well to unforeseen changes and who works well with all types of personalities. I loved being V.P. Comm. Franco. this summer and I hope to hold that position during the 2011-2012 academic year. I would very much appreciate your vote on September 22nd-23rd from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm in the main entrance of Marion Hall. Thank you for your time!

BIOPHARMACEUTICAL REPRESENTATIVE

Jacob Sommers

My name is Jacob Sommers and I am a 4th year Med Chem student running for REELECTION for Biopharm Rep in the SSA
I had this position last year and am running again to continue making progress on the goals I had last year.
YOU should vote for me because I have experience with the position, familiarity with the program leadership, and last year I successfully lobbied for two new BPS courses.
If re-elected I will continue to push for additional funding set aside for BPS so the program can evolve more efficiently to fit a changing field.
So vote for Jacob Sommers for BPS REP!

Tiffany Lam
Vote TIFF LAM for BIOPHARM REP in the Science Students Association!

Change takes time. Luckily, I have it.

Being in second year, I can put forth your suggestions, projects, and ideas, knowing I’ll have the chance to personally witness its progress over my next few years of undergrad.
...
There is often a lack communication between our BPS student body and the department heads. To improve this, I propose the creation of a “Biopharm Committee”, comprised of the department heads and BPS student representatives from each year.

-to report/review and suggest changes/improvements to the curriculum
-hold events specific for BPS, giving you the opportunity to meet with fellow BPS students and the professors prominent in our program (ex. wine and cheese)
-make the following information more accessible to you:

-Med Chem vs. Genomics stream
-scholarship/grant opportunities
-relevant job/research opportunities

Patrick Bouchard

Hey guys, I’m Patrick Bouchard and I’m running for REELECTION as Department Representative for Biopharm.
It’s my fifth and final year in BPS and as someone who has been Departmental Rep, I’ve seen the curriculum of the program progress and the ways it can be improved. We have the benefit of excellent communication with current BPS department chair and we have to use that to continue improving the program.
MAIN GOAL: Improve the course layout of the program to have students graduating as well-suited for the available job market as possible.
-First- and second-year students in BPS have a distinct lack of BPS course codes to choose from. I’ll work with the department in order to aid in designing 1000 and 2000 level courses.
-Third- and fourth- year lab courses focus only tangentially on developing genomic and proteomic techniques; most biopharm students are simply using the provided biochemistry labs, which don’t train for many of the potential jobs that graduates are going to be looking for.
-New advances in high-throughput technologies have created a need for future employees who can analyze the massive quantities of data output. Systems biology and statistical analyses of –omics data is an essential growing field of jobs and I’ll work with the department to implement courses that will take advantage of these opportunities for BPS students.

BIOCHEMISTRY REPRESENTATIVE

Yang Xu
Meeting researchers, knowing your concerns, and playing laser quest are phrases that
have come up in my plan to improve your experience for this coming year.

As your biochem rep, I will hold small meetings composed of a dozen students and a
professor or graduate student; together we can have pizza and chat about the joys and
other emotions that come with research. Come and see what research area interests you
and which elective courses you are can take to learn essential research knowledge!

As another way of bridging gaps between students and faculty members, I would love to
hear about your concerns regarding course set ups or policies (e.g. maybe we need videos
for senior lab courses to explain protocols or picking up midterms at RGN is not viable
for senior students).

Izzar Linares

Hello,

I’m Izzar Linares and I’m running to be your next biochemistry
representative for the following school year. If elected, I will:

-Report changes happening within the program (i.e. starting this school
year, biochemistry students now have the option to specialize in
Biochemistry with option in microbiology and immunology).

-Work to improve existing options (i.e. co-op) as well as implementing new
ones.

-Continue to keep you up-to-date as to what the SSA has planned for the
school year.

-Improve the overall relationship between the department, the SBCC
(Students Biochemistry Curriculum Committee) and its students.

Cassandra Woit

Hey Everyone!

My name is Cassandra Woit and I am going into my 5th year of Biochemistry. I've done the Biochem Co-op and I'm starting my Honours in an Immunology Lab. I've been the Biochem rep for the last 2 years, was chosen as this year's Volunteer Coordinator, and was the Chair of last year's Ottawa Science Olympiad. Here's 3 reasons why I want to be re-elected for my final year:

- I have been in contact with the CO-OP office in the past trying to improve the job selection for Biochemistry jobs, as well as getting more info out to the students about other types of positions that are available.

- I want to plan a BCH Wine and Cheese. This way students can meet with professors, learn about research or volunteering opportunities, get information about Honours projects, and meet other students in their department.

- It would be great to get more student involvement in the SSA to improve your time in University. Whether it is better events, better promotion for events, or more specialized events for BCH, I want to know.

There are many other reasons why I would love to be re-elected this year, but I won't bore you with them. Please come out and vote this Thursday and Friday (September 22-23rd, 2011) in the Marion Auditorium Lobby between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm both days. There will also be free coffee! So come out and vote!

BIOLOGY REPRESENTATIVE

Ben Campbell
Dear fellow Biologists (aka the cool people),

We are students registered in the best program at this university. That being said, there is a lot that needs to be improved.

If re-elected, I will :

-Make sure that the Department follows through with their promises outlined in their 2011-2016 Strategic Plan, including a complete revamping of undergraduate labs.
-Listen to and encourage people in biology to speak up about what they would change about the program, and to ensure that decision makers in the Department and Faculty hear about them.
-Run bio-related social events like quiz nights and movie nights so that biology students have a way to get to know each other outside of the classroom!

Anitha Kammili

My dear bio students,

I'm in my fourth year of doing a specialization in biology (cellular and
molecular medicine). I believe that I have gained the knowledge required
over the years to be successful as your biology representative and take
the right decisions in faculty meetings to adhere to your opinions as
well. I've taken the courses you have and I've met the profs you have now.
I know the issues that go on in your life. I am a good listener and am
very active on campus. We have the right to have a say in the way things
are run in this department! I am very passionate about this position and
will be readily available to you anytime. Just send me an email at
anitha425@gmail.com and I will address your concerns as soon as possible.
If there's someone who can help you in a better way, I will direct you to
them. Help will always be there if I'm elected. This is something I'm very
excited about and would love to make a strong connection between the
students and other members of this lovely department. One of the ways in
which this will be done is through exciting events that allow maximum
interaction between people.

I look forward to meeting more of you soon. We will have a great year and
get things done if you elect me. Remember, AK can get anything done! I
work for your satisfaction. So, vote for me.

BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE REPRESENTATIVE

Eliane Barras
Hey there biomed!

I’m Eliane, a second year biomed student hoping to be elected as your
biomed representative on the SSA General Council this year. It takes
‘alkynes’ of skills to take on this position and I believe I am cut out
for the job. I am a dedicated, hardworking student who wants to put YOUR
‘Fe’edback towards our program into action. In the meantime, fresh ideas
for the 2011-2012 year I have come up with are:
(1) Having a ‘BSc - Biomed’ day to show you all of the different career
paths you can follow with a degree in Biomed – if you’re planning on going
to med school and it doesn’t pan out, there are a ton of other options you
may not be aware of!
(2) Raising awareness about the new co-op option – there hasn’t been
enough information given out about this program (requirements, placement
options, etc.)
(3) Work to improve the existing options (i.e. neuroscience, etc.) within
the program as well as implementing new ones based on students’ needs
(i.e. biostatistics).
(4) Have a night with the U of O Med School students – get feedback from
students who are actually in med school about what it’s like and what to
expect.
As well, as Biomed Rep I will represent us at the Faculty Council meetings
where decisions about courses and programs are made. I plan on working
with the professors in our department to listen to your needs for our
program. If you vote for me, I guarantee you the days of a mediocre biomed
representation ‘argon’ – together we can work together to create a
fantastic year! So vote for Eliane as 2011-2012 Biomed Rep :)

Bushra Khan

VOTE BUSHRA : VOTEZ BUSHRA

- More communication among the faculty and students
- Creating a "Biomedical Science Students Society" for everything Biomed including new options, potential honours professors, meeting people in our program and future plans!
- Monthly meetings for the Biomed Society
- E-mails sent to Biomed students about events related to our program / interests
- Improving the Facebook page so you can actually access useful information
- Contact information for your representatives