Nick Vieira (he/him/il) is a second-year PhD student in astrophysics at McGill and works as a Teaching Assistant.

Where did you grow up / where is home for you?

I grew up in Montréal! My family is Portuguese.

What is your academic research about?

I study the mergers of the densest objects in the Universe--neutron stars and black holes--and how they might synthesize the elements we see around us. I do this by running simulations and comparing them to observations.

Matei Petrescu (he/him) is a PhD candidate in Physics at McGill. He has been working as AGSEM Secretary Treasurer since 2018.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in a one-bedroom apartment in Bucharest, Romania.

What is the focus of your academic research?

Experimental condensed matter physics. I study the physics of semiconductors where a two-dimensional sheet of electrons forms at low temperatures near absolute zero.

What do you like doing for fun?

On April 17, 2023, AGSEM General Assembly elected the new Executive Committee for the 2023-2024 academic year. All members of the 2022-2023 Executive Committee except the Macdonald Campus Officer have been re-elected for their positions. Read about the current EC team here.

This week we sat down to chat with Kiersten van Vliet, the Mobilization Officer and former AGSEM President. Kiersten (she/they) is a PhD candidate in Musicology and Gender & Women’s studies in the Music Research Department of the Schulich School of Music and has been a member of the union since 2015.

Aire McCall (they/them) is a second-year Master’s student in Animal Science at McGill’s Macdonald campus. They were recently elected to take the Macdonald Campus Officer position.

Where did you grow up?

I come from Beautiful British Columbia, as the license plate calls it, and it is so true.

Lakes, rivers, streams, forests, mountains, all right there for you whenever you need

them.

What is the focus of your academic research?

Emma McKay (they/them) is a third-year PhD student in DISE (Department of Integrated Studies in Education) at McGill. They have been AGSEM Chief Delegate Mobilization since April 2022.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in southern Ontario, in Kitchener and Windsor. I’m trying to stay in Montreal forever!

What is the focus of your academic research?

I study student organizing, especially in physics! I analyse it through a lens of anarchist pedagogy.

Dongliang Sheng (he/him) is a fourth-year PhD candidate in Management (specializing in information systems) at McGill. He also works as a Teaching Assistant

How long have you been working as a TA at McGill?

I have been a TA since the 2020 Winter semester.

What is your favorite part of that work?

It never stops to amaze me that students can still demonstrate their original and creative understanding of similar materials in the same course that I have TA-ed multiple times, which both challenges and motivates me as a TA. It is rewarding to observe the progress students can make from the start of the semester to the end.

On April 27, 2023, the AGSEM Teaching Assistant Unit Assembly elected Nada El Baba, Dallas Jokic, and Nick Vieira as the TA Bargaining Committee members. The Committee will represent the union at the negotiation table with McGill starting this fall.

Nada El Baba (she/her) is a second-year PhD student at McGill in the Biology department and has worked as a TA since the Fall of 2021. This week we sat down with Nada to chat about her background and interests, union work, and her hopes for the new TA Collective Agreement.

Loïc Nassif is a PhD student in Computer Science at McGill and works as a Teaching Assistant.

Where did you grow up / where is home for you?

Albeit I’m born in Montréal, I have spent most of my childhood in and around Toronto. I spend a good deal of time going back and forth between the two cities since I have friends and family in both.

What is your academic research about?

Cindy Garcia (she/her) is a PhD student in the Integrated Program in Neuroscience at McGill and works as an invigilator.

Where did you grow up / where is home for you?

I was born in the south of Mexico, in a small town in the state of Veracruz. I was raised in Sonora, which is a desertic area. There are great beaches in Sonora, and they have a unique touch because they are surrounded by cactus. I would recommend anybody to go and enjoy the delicious food, the culture, and the history of Mexico.

Aiden Mehak (she/her/they/them) is a Teaching Assistant and a 4th-year PhD student in Clinical Psychology at McGill.

Where are you from?

I’m from Toronto.

How long have you been a Teaching Assistant at McGill?

This is my third year working as a TA.

What do you like doing for fun?

I’m a competitive powerlifter in the 76kg weight class! When I’m not doing work related to my degree, you can probably find me at the gym. I’m also involved in direct action as an anticapitalist and antifascist and have done some advocacy work for Indigenous rights within my field. I’m trying to get more involved in climate justice organizing so if that’s your thing, hit me up!