Purpose
The purpose of the CSEP Student Committee is to increase graduate and undergraduate student involvement within the society by enhancing and creating student-oriented programs. The Student Committee will communicate student needs, questions and initiatives to the CSEP Board of Directors in an effort to cultivate a spirit of interest and fellowship within the Society.
Executive
Chair – Tania Pereira, York University
Tania is excited to represent student members as Chair and return for her 3rd year as part of the CSEP Student Committee. She’s a PhD Candidate at York University under the supervision of Dr. Heather Edgell. Her research focuses on the autonomic control of the physiological response to exercise – specifically investigating sex differences and the effects of hormonal contraceptives. Tania is looking forward to facilitating student content and engaging with student members at future events. She hopes to see all our student members at CSEP 2024 in Montreal!
Chair-Elect – Matt Fliss, University of British Columbia
This is Matt’s first year on the committee, and he will serve as the Chair-Elect. Matt has worked as a varsity S&C coach with both McMaster and UBC performance from 2017-present which sparked his research interests. He is completing his PhD at The University of British Columbia under the supervision of Dr. Cameron Mitchell, studying the determinants of muscle endurance in resistance exercise with a focus on when resistance exercise may turn into endurance exercise.
Communications Director – Bradley Currier, McMaster University
Brad has been the committee’s Communications Director since 2021. Varsity athletics and exercise science catalyzed Brad’s interest in exercise physiology during his undergraduate degree at Lindenwood University, and he is now a PhD Candidate with Dr. Stuart Phillips at McMaster University studying strategies to mitigate muscle atrophy. Brad is thrilled to deliver new and engaging programming for student members in 2024.
Event Coordinator – Stacey Forbes, Queen’s University
Stacey is returning to the committee for her second year and is excited to move into the role of Events Coordinator. She is a PhD Candidate at Queen’s University, under the supervision of Dr. Michael Tschakovsky, where she studies the coordination of the mechanisms involved in the cardiovascular response to exercise during transitions in exercise intensity. Throughout her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Guelph, Stacey found her enthusiasm for research and teaching while exploring the physiology and anatomy of the human body. She is passionate about fostering an environment for people to share their love of exercise science and looks forward to hosting great events that do so for the 2023-2024 CSEP community.
Events Coordinator – Briana Hockey, Brock University
Briana, a second-year PhD student at Brock University, is back for a second year as the Event Coordinator for the CSEP Student Committee! Her research centres on the impact of spaceflight on the body and the development of mitigation strategies for muscle atrophy, with applications extending to terrestrial conditions such as aging, muscular dystrophy, and exercise performance. Briana is enthusiastic to organize organizing fresh and engaging events for all CSEP members to learn and enjoy from!
Conference Liaison – Emily VanBerkel, McGill University
Emily is a first-year MSc student at McGill University in Montreal, studying under the supervision of Dr. Charlotte Usselman, and is joining the CSEP Student Committee for the first time as the Conference Liaison. Exploring cardiovascular exercise physiology in her undergraduate degree at McMaster inspired her to continue researching in this area, with a focus on female-specific physiology. After attending the wonderful CSEP 2023 conference in Calgary, Alberta, Emily is excited to join the CSEP Student Committee to help plan the 2024 conference in her new city!
Member-at-Large – Alexa Govette, University of Toronto
Alexa is a 3rd year PhD Candidate at the University of Toronto studying how exercise and diet can improve metabolic health in women across the lifespan. She’s excited to be joining the student committee for the first time this year as a Member-at-Large. Alexa is looking forward to connecting with fellow student members throughout the year at our events!
Member-at-Large, Regional Representative – Nasimi Guluzade, University of Western Ontario
Nasimi is a first year PhD student in the CardioRespiratory and Exercise Physiology lab at the University of Western Ontario. He is joining the committee for the first time as a Member-at-Large, Regional Representative. His research involved the measurement, analysis and interpretation of breath-by-breath ventilation, end-tidal gas pressures and pulmonary gas exchange focusing on the integrative physiology of the respiratory central and peripheral chemoreflexes. He will be studying the effect of respiratory motor output on the sympathetic response to chemoreflex activation during his PhD.
Member-at-Large, Regional Representative – Brianna Leadbetter, Dalhousie University
Brianna has just completed her MScKin at the University of New Brunswick and will be starting her PhD in Health at Dalhousie University in 2024. This is her second year on the CSEP student committee as a Member-at-Large/Regional Representative for Eastern Canada. Brianna has been a CSEP member since 2018 and has been a CSEP-CEP since 2020. Brianna is passionate about translating research to practice in the use of exercise to prevent, treat, and manage chronic conditions. She is excited to continue to represent CSEP on the East Coast and spread the word to potential members!
Member-at-Large – Emily Smith, University of Calgary
After graduating with a BSc (Hon) in Biomechanics, Emily moved on to an MSc in Biomedical Engineering while remaining at the University of Calgary. Under Dr. Burt and Dr. Boyd, Emily’s research explores the utility of advanced medical imaging in evaluating bone quality and relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs) in elite athletes. She is very excited to be joining the student committee this year for the first time as a Member-at-Large!
Undergraduate Representative – Meriya Eby, University of Guelph-Humber
Meriya is a 3rd-year Kinesiology undergraduate at the University of Guelph-Humber with a keen interest in exercise physiology and a rich background in healthcare from her time as a Nursing student. Her choice of study is rooted from a genuine passion for promoting holistic health and wellness among diverse populations. This passion was nurtured by her experiences as a personal trainer, where she witnessed firsthand the transformative impact of utilizing evidence-based exercise science to optimize overall well-being. As an undergraduate representative, Meriya is excited to join the CSEP Student Committee with the goal of advocating for and enhancing the experiences of fellow undergraduate students. With a strong belief in fostering a community of engagement and camaraderie among student members, she aims to leverage her energy, academic insights, and practical experience to support and increase student involvement within the Society.
Membership
Full membership in the Student Committee shall be restricted to CSEP student members according to CSEP by-law Article II.(iii). Full membership requires annual payment of CSEP student membership dues. Each student member has a single vote for determining student representation on this committee.
Executive Representation
The Student Committee includes a total of 11 student representatives who have been elected by their peers during the annual Student Committee election. All executive committee positions, with the exception of the Chair-elect, are for a term of one-year (November 1 to October 31). Executive members may seek re-election for a second term, either in the position they currently hold, or a new position on the executive council. Any one person may not hold more than one position at one time. If this scenario does occur, the person must resign from one of the positions held and the Student Committee executive will select a replacement.
One committee member will hold the position of Chair and will serve as chair for one year. The Chair will coordinate communication between the Student Committee executive members and will organize and assign action items to be completed by the Student Committee over the course of the year. The Chair will also sit on the CSEP Board of Directors as a voting member (board liaison) and will communicate directly with the CSEP Board of Directors. At the end of a term of office, the outgoing Chair will be replaced by the current Chair-elect.
One committee member will serve as Chair-elect, and will serve for one year as Chair-elect, followed by one year as Chair.
One committee member will serve as Communication Officer and will be responsible for developing Student Committee communications/literature that will be dispersed to CSEP student members. The Communication Officer will be responsible for publishing an email communiqué each semester.
The remaining eight Student Committee executive positions will be Members-at-large and will be responsible for completing Student Committee tasks as they are assigned during the course of the year.
Election process
All positions, with the exception of the new Chair, will be elected annually by the entire CSEP student membership. The new Chair will be promoted from the former Chair-elect as stated within these guidelines.
To be elected, the Student Committee nominees must be a student member of CSEP and be enrolled in a graduate program at the time of the election. Although it is recommended that all representatives be enrolled in graduate studies during the tenure of their position, it is possible that representatives may serve part of their tenure after the completion of their graduate program. For example, the Chair-elect may be in their last year of graduate studies when elected and may serve their term as Chair after having graduated.
Ideally, the Student Committee will have regional representation. Therefore, it is recommended that the committee have at least one member from each of the following five regions: West (British Columbia and Alberta), Central (Manitoba, Saskatchewan), Ontario, Quebec, and East (Atlantic provinces). The remaining positions will be open and may be held by any CSEP student member. If regional representation cannot be fulfilled due to the lack of an interested nominee, the regional position will be vacated and may be held by any CSEP student member until the next election.
Executive positions shall be elected by a majority of the CSEP student membership through a ballot. A call for nominations for the Student Committee executive positions shall be sent to all CSEP student members in September of each year. The CSEP Student Committee must receive nominations for Student Committee executive positions no later than the specified date indicated by the call for nominations. Fifteen percent of the voting membership shall constitute a quorum for an election.
Voting Procedure
Each voting student member shall be sent by electronic media a voting package containing the following information:
The voting student member shall respond by electronic media by clearly indicating his or her support for a Student Committee candidate, along with his or her name and membership number, to the Student Committee on or before the voting deadline.
Each Voting Member who responds before the voting deadline shall be included in the determination of a quorum. Lack of a response on or before the voting deadline shall be treated as an abstention.
The votes shall be tallied within 10 business days after the voting deadline.
The Student Committee shall inform each Voting Member by email of the outcome of all votes by sending such notice by email within 10 clear days of the tally of votes.
If there are an insufficient number of candidates to fill the 10 Student Committee executive positions, an election is not necessary and the candidates will be acclaimed to the position of their choice. However, in the event that two or more candidates are interested in running for the position of Chair-elect, an election may be held to determine who will serve as Chair-elect.
In the event that an executive position is vacant due to a limited number of candidates by the specified date indicated by the call for nominations, the Student Committee executive should use the CSEP national meeting to recruit new candidates to join the Student Committee executive.
If a position becomes vacant on the Student Committee executive committee between usual election dates, the position shall be filled by a majority vote of the Student Committee executive at any regular meeting, from a list of nominees submitted to the Student Committee executive. The new Student Committee executive member so elected shall complete the term of office until the next Student Committee election is held. If the Chair is unable to serve the full term of their appointment, the Chair-elect will assume Chair responsibilities and a by-election will be held to elect a new Chair-elect.
Powers and authority of the Student Committee Executive
The Student Committee Executive has the following powers and authorities:
Decision-making within the CSEP Student Committee
Motions to be considered by the CSEP Student Committee must be presented in writing to the Student Committee Chair and must be supported by at least 2 Student Committee executive members. Following a period of discussion, the Student Committee executive will vote on committee motions. The Student Committee executive will adopt motions after a majority vote is completed. A majority of the members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum. In the event of a tied vote due to the absence of executive members or due to an executive member abstaining from the vote, the Chair will cast the tie-breaking vote.
Meeting Schedule
The Student Committee will meet in-person annually at the CSEP annual meeting. The Chair will review Student Committee accomplishments at the CSEP annual meeting and prioritize new/continuing initiatives for the coming year.
Further correspondence will occur via email and/or by conference call. It is expected that the Student Committee will communicate via email at least once per month.
The Student Committee will communicate with the general student membership by publishing an email communiqué each semester. Material for the communiqué will be contributed by Student Committee representatives and CSEP student members in the form of articles, commentaries, etc. of interest to the CSEP student membership.