President: (One to be elected) Lindsay M cnena (acclaimed)

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1 AUGSA Elections Executive: The election polling link will be active on Mar 11 and Mar 12: President: (One to be elected) Lindsay M cnena (acclaimed) I'm Lindsay McNena, and I'm excited to run for President. I m currently completing a Master of Counselling degree and also received my BA through AU. This past year I've been your Vice President External, which entails duties like: acting as primary delegate to our federal and provincial advocacy groups, working with AU to develop a strategic plan, chairing and sitting upon various committees including policy and budget, engaging in Government of Alberta Consultations, and even visiting Ottawa to speak with MPs on student issues. The skills and connections I've developed give me a strong base of experience to bring to the Presidency. As VP External, I valued speaking with students and bringing concerns to council, while also being able to advocate to different levels of government for Post-Secondary Education needs and improvements. As President, I will continue to advocate for students, and actively use my skills and position to represent AU grad students to the best of my ability. Vice President Academic (One to be elected- 10 candidates) Kathleen Bradley I am a second-year student of the Master of Counselling program. I have worked on the administrative side of two post-secondary institutions for four years and

2 have spent 2.5 years working in higher education publishing, meaning that I have been interacting with professors, staff, and students at the university level for over six years. I am very detail-oriented and have a great deal of experience using and interpreting university policy. I am currently focusing on my studies full-time, so I have the flexibility and availability to represent the students of the AUGSA and manage issues quickly and efficiently. As an undergraduate student, I experienced challenges with the bureaucracy and administration of a university, so I am respectful of the experiences of my fellow students and will advocate on your behalf to the best of my abilities. Melanie Fuller-Brudersas I am entering my third year of M.C. Counselling Psychology Program and applying for the Vice President Academic position for the term. During the past year of serving on the Athabasca Graduate Student s (AUGSA) committee as faculty representative for Health Disciplines, I worked closely with the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS). During this time, I learned of the major issues that concern students (tuition, mental health, funding, credit-card payment options, etc.) and discovered a serious lack of applicants applying for scholarships. My goal, is to work with the students, AUGSA, thesis supervisors, provincial and federal government agencies to advocate for and discover better ways to showcase AU academic talents, which are currently significantly under-represented. The hope is that such showcasing of what AU is capable of can boost the reputation and funding, as our university is the most under-funded in Alberta. Here is a YouTube clip to briefly introduce myself:

3 Danielle McDonagh I am a lifelong learner and am so excited to be pursuing a Master s degree in Integrated Studies at AU. I took a couple of years of an undergraduate degree in Biology/Life Sciences at UBC and completed it online while working as a paramedic in rural BC. I was an active member of the Science Undergrad Society, a volunteer at the Museum of Anthropology, and the President of a sciencebased integrative medical society while at UBC. I returned to the classroom for a diploma in Respiratory Therapy, and then completed an online BA while working as a respiratory therapist. I love the flexibility that Athabasca s online learning provides and would like to ensure it remains affordable and accessible to everyone. My experience with Athabasca s graduate studies has exceeded my expectations; as VP Academic I will work diligently to support my fellow students and to promote and expand AU s graduate programs. Ndaba Nkomo I m Ndaba Nkomo from Calgary, AB. Have worked in the government, oil and gas, education, business, IT, Logistics and Supply Chain sectors. Roles include Software and Web development, Business & Systems Analysis, and leadership/ management. Currently working on my final project towards the MSc (Information Systems) program. Highly committed to improving the quality and value of my social and physical environment. By volunteering with the Neighborhood and Langdon Communities, Statistics Canada, and recently as a Deputy Returning Officer for Rocky View County, have found ways to give back to my community. As a former high school teacher, teaching and learning have always been in my DNA. Serving as the AUGSA VP academic would allow me to give back to my university community, engage fellow students and educators on ways to improve instructor feedback, quality and continuous improvement of courses, and how to improve the systems user interface to enhance the individual and collaborative learning experience.

4 Ashley Ravenscroft I am Ashley Ravenscroft, a first-year Master of Education Student and I want to represent your needs at the AUGSA as the VP Academic! I believe I am an excellent candidate for this position. I have a strong background in student governance and for the last five years, I have held the Director of Operations position for the GSA at McMaster University. I have extensive knowledge in: Student Not-for-Profits Internal/external advocacy Academic Issues and conflict resolution Execution of multiple student resources and services And after consulting the AUGSA strategic plan coupled with my experience my priorities are: Advocating for additional funding for Graduate Students (I.E- bursaries, scholarships and awards) Giving you a voice at the AUGSA through an environmental scan Launching workshops to improve your marketability- I.E- Inscape (graphic design), advance excel, or web design, etc. Provide online seminars that focus on life after graduation. Inclusive of talks provided by graduates that went on to work in the industry and those that went into academia. As I believe knowledge and networking are key aspects to gaining your ideal career! For greater details on my position and campaign please check out my site! ashley4vpacademic.com Karolina Stecyk (no photo available at time of posting) As a public servant that has worked for the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, the Ministry of Community and Social Services, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, and the Canadian Food Inspection Industry, I am confident that I can provide the most accountable and effective governance decisions for AUGSA. Due to experience with handing difficult stakeholders I can easily assist helping a student through a bureaucratic tangle or assisting in finding policies, amending policies and creating new policies. Presently, I coordinate large scale projects throughout the province in short periods of time. Therefore, any AUGSA projects will be completed in a timely manner as well as I can provide advice for project implementation strategies.

5 Meaghan Sullivan Meaghan Sullivan resides in Chestermere, Alberta and is currently a student in the Executive Master of Business Administration (MBA) program. Her background stems from Information Technology with a focus on Adult Education, Development and Training in an organizational setting. In addition to managing IT projects, Meaghan created and managed a training and development branch in an effort to leverage knowledge, skills, and abilities as an organizational competitive advantage in the government sector. As an academic enthusiast and believer in student community involvement, Meaghan has previous experience both as a class representative and as an elected Executive Assistant on the Student Executive Council at the Nova Scotia Institute of Technology (NSIT). Meaghan is passionate about academics with career aspirations that deliver best value in an environment that promotes education, learning and growth. These qualities establish Meaghan as an excellent candidate for Vice President of Academics for AUGSA. Please vote for Meaghan. Christopher Rudan As a Faculty Representative this year, I worked hard to represent the interests of health discipline students through advocating to AUGSA council and through my

6 work with multiple AU committees and I hope to further serve AU graduate students for a second term as your VP Academic in 2018/19. As a former deputy commissioner, board co-director and committee chair at the university level I feel competent in my ability to represent AU graduate students in matters of an academic (and non-academic) nature, and as a counselling psychology student, I intend to respectfully, confidentially, and diligently address and reconcile student concerns in a timely manner. During my term I hope to prioritize and advocate for graduate student employment and informational accessibility, as well as engagement and funding opportunities. Although an Ontarian I always enjoy my time in Alberta, and look forward to representing you and hearing about your thoughts (and concerns)! Russell Rupok Russell Rupok is a proficient senior IT professional and proven team leader who has enhanced IT business performance and expanded market share of the companies he has worked for. An active volunteer, Russell is involved with various not-for-profit organizations, including IIBA Calgary Chapters and Alliance for Progress; he is currently helping IIBA Calgary as an academic outreach coordinator and advisor for Alliance for Progress a platform to help low-income elementary schools internationally. Being a part of these associations has increased his knowledge and helped him create policies and initiatives based on students needs and be a strong voice. Russell holds a bachelor s degree from Cape Breton University and is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in information systems at Athabasca University. Russell s IT expertise, leadership skills, and continual personal and professional growth demonstrate his readiness for a leadership role in Athabasca University s student association and need your support.

7 Mira Singh Mira Singh is a third-year Masters of Counselling Psychology student at AU. She obtained a Bachelors and previous Masters degree from the University of Alberta, and had over 10 years of experience working as a research administrator at the University of Alberta before making the leap to a new career. As the incumbent Vice President Academic, Mira represented graduate students on various committees including Academic Appeals, Awards, the Graduate Faculty Council, and Faculty of Graduate Studies. If given the opportunity, Mira will continue working to advance initiatives aimed at improving academic resources and health and wellness programs to support students. Vice President External: (one to be elected- three candidates) Heather DeBoer Heather DeBoer is a first-year doctorate student with the Centre for Distance Education. She is passionate about the transferable skills and competencies crucial to promoting sustainability and growth within the workforce and enhancing learning and community support programs. She currently works as a Program Director at Mount Royal University. She is accountable for developing a strategy and a vision for the overall area of responsibilities, including: market assessment and planning, program development, coordinating, and supervising a comprehensive, and financially self-supporting the Continuing Education and Extension portfolio. In addition, she leads staff to identify new opportunities locally, nationally and internationally.

8 Rob Janzen My name is Rob Janzen, and I am running for the position of VP External, and I would love your support for this. I have been involved with AUGSA since its inception, and have held various roles, including VP Academic. Currently I'm one of the Faculty Reps for Science. I am in the process of working on my final project for the MSCIS program. As a student who is balancing a job, studies and family, I understand the time and money pressures that many of us are under, and I am eager to help advocate for you. I have a proven track record of being able to work collaboratively, and have had an excellent working relationship with AUGSA and AU administrations in the past. I look forward to being able to represent you this coming year as well. I'm also hoping that every AUGSA member will vote in this election. We are representing you, and your participation is vital. Vice President Operations and Finance: (one to be elected) Muhammed Kamran (acclaimed) My name is Muhammad Kamran. I am living a very happy life in Edmonton with my wife and three kids. Currently, I am studying an MBA General from Athabasca University. I am

9 the working plant supervisor at TMK IPSCO. Throughout my work history, I have always shown myself to be well versed in all aspects of operation management including, but not limited to, inventory management, quality Improvement, safety programs, scheduling and budgeting. I have also completed an MBA finance degree from back home. I strongly believe that my work experience and education is perfectively matching with this position, and I can use my skills to perform this job effectively. With this busy schedule, I am able to manage giving some time to voluntary work and currently performing sports director duties for Ahmadiyya youth community and playing a major role in organizing regional sports events.