UPSC EXECUTIVE TEAM 2024-2025

 

Sära Harsini - President

Nawal Alhawari - Vice President

Galiba Abdullayeva - Director of Finance

Balraj Saggu - Director of Student Outreach

Shanya Jain - Director of Communications

Afkaheen Alam - Director of Academics

Maya Toma - Director of Events

Mannat Kharbanda - Senior Editor

Inis Fafa Tagbor - Communications Associate

Jaden Yap - Communications Associate

Isatu Barrie - Social Media Associate

Tristan La - Purchasing Associate

Juveria Khan - General Associate

Hibaq Mohammed - General Associate

Adrina Kamyab - Second Year Representative

 

UPSC Executive team 2023-24

 

Sära Harsini

President

Hi Lions!

My name is Sära, and I'm entering my fourth year of studying Political Science.

My goal for this year is to foster a community for politics enthusiasts and create a space where we can cultivate and lead engaging conversations within our amazingly diverse student body.

I'm excited to lead this journey with you all and can't wait to see where our discussions and collaborations take us!

Nawal Alhawari

Vice-President

Hi, my name is Nawal!

I am going into my 3rd year studying Political Science here at York. I love everything to do with my major and am constantly fascinated by all there is to learn. I’m so excited to be part of the team!

Galiba Abdullayeva

Director of Finance

Hello!

My name is Galiba Abdullayeva and I am going into my 3rd year of majoring in Psychology with a minor in Political Science. I am very excited to be able to help the team financially meet our goals!

Maya Toma

Director of events

Hi!

I am creative and outgoing though can be quiet at times. I am starting my third year of university but when I’m not in school I love reading, drawing, or spending time with friends.

Arvin Baradaran-Rajabzadeh

Director of Academics

Hello Everyone!

My name is Arvin and I’m going into my 4th year studying Political Science. I am a major politico, and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone throughout the year at UPSC Events!

Hiva Faghihi

Director of Communications

Hello!

My name is Hiva, I am a fourth year Law and Society student. I am immensely interested in politics and cannot wait to share my passion with you all through my contribution to the UPSC.

Afkaheen Alam

Communications Associate

Hi, my name is Afkaheen, and I’m entering my second year of Political Science.

I am fascinated by politics because of how inseparable it is from so many of my other interests, such as philosophy, history, and literature.

I’m excited to help build a welcoming community for students of all majors and I look forward to meeting you!

Banka Farida Konate

General Associate

Hi!

I'm a Fourth Year Political Science Major entering my final year. I’m excited to work with the UPSC to help interact and create an environment where all students interested in political science feel encouraged to participate and, most importantly, have fun in this upcoming year.

David Lia

Advisor

 
 

UPSC Executive team 2022-23

 

David Lia

President

Arvin Baradaran-Rajabzadeh

Vice-President

Despina Tsamis

Director of Finance

Sara Harsini

Director of Student outreach

Dima Muti

Director of events

Shallin Macneil

Director of Communications

Aalia Khan

Director of Academics

Julian Xu

2nd Year representative

Selma Osmancausevic

Communications Associate

 

Galiba Abdullayeva

General Associate

 
 

UPSC Executive team 2021-22

 

Ahmed Alakwaa

President

Despina Tsamis

Vice-President

David Lia

Director of Academics

Azza Diryie

Director of Events

Arvin Baradaran-Rajabzadeh

Director of student outreach

Matusa Mathanarajan

Director of Communications

Rameen Jaffri

Communications Associate

Kamran Bozorgpour

General Associate

Spencer Maurice

Advisor

 

UPSC Executive team 2020-21

 
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rohan Bhatti

President

Hi everyone! My name is Rohan Bhatti and I am proud to say that I am the returning President for the Undergraduate Political Science Council. With that being said, it is my mission to ensure that UPSC has more than just a successful year! A little bit about me, I am currently in my 4th year studying Political Science at the Department of Politics in York University. I specialize in contemporary politics involving climate change and International relations. A few hobbies of mine is boxing, woodworking, volunteering at McLaughlin College and archery. Lastly, In my opinion, I find UPSC to be a crucial club for the Political Science Department as we are the middle bridge between the department and future/current Political Science Students. I look forward to meeting each one of you!

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Marielle Loro

Chief operating officer

I have been a member of UPSC since first year and joined the executive council in my third year as VP of Communications. Throughout the years, I have seen what UPSC has done. How they’ve helped and represented political science students, built a bond between students and the department of politics, and more. I truly believe in the student organization and feel that I can do more to help it grow.

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Ahmed Alakwaa

Vp, Communications

Hey everybody! My name is Ahmed and I’m the VP of Communications for this academic year. I’m a double major in psychology and political science. I’m excited to work with the UPSC to help foster an environment where all political science, and other programs, students feel welcome and encouraged to participate and grow within our community. By giving students the opportunity to attend events that encourage discussion such as our table talks, conversations with Members of Parliament, and our more social events, we give them the platform to learn more about the political world and how we can work together to achieve the common good. Lastly, I believe in the UPSC’s ability to bring people together and create long lasting friendships. Despite such difficult times, I look forward to meeting you all.

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Kasia Luo

VP, ACADEMICS

I am a third year student studying political science and economics. In particular, I am passionate about fiscal policies and their microeconomic effects on communities. I hope to pursue a career in the legal services industry. As the VP of Academics, I liaison between the faculty members of the university's college affiliations and departments. As well, I connect students to academic resources and I find relevant opportunities and interesting events that help to further the success of undergraduate students.

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Raza Dard

VP, FINANCE

My name is Raza Dard. I am a fourth year Political Science student. My interests are in Canadian & comparative politics. My favourite part of UPSC is the fact that I have the opportunity to meet with various people at the university; whether it’s other students in the program, faculty members, or students from other clubs. I look forward to taking part in important conversations and using this role to grow.

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Jessica Hoang

VP, OUTREACH & RECRUITMENT

Hello! My name is Jessica Hoang and I am a currently a fourth year undergraduate student in Law and Society. As the Vice President of Student Outreach and Recruitment, I aim to advocate on behalf of individuals and groups on campus in all matters of academic governance and to increase club awareness and engagement. I am incredibly excited in helping students become more involved with York University and get to show them what UPSC has to offer. I look forward to learning how UPSC continues to foster its community by interacting with fellow students through events, sharing political views and ideas, network and engage in political discussions.

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Despina Tsamis

GENERAL ASSOCIATE

Hello everyone! My name is Despina Tsamis, I am in my 4th year of Law and Society, and I am so excited to be the General Member for UPSC this year! I joined the UPSC because of the welcoming environment, and I am especially excited to have this position as I am able to help in all areas of the club. I also love politics and debates, which I believe is something that can bring people together when used in a fun environment like this one! I can’t wait to see what this year will bring!

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John Soriano

cHIEF RETURNING OFFICER

My name is John Soriano. I am currently a fourth-year undergraduate student studying Public Administration, and specializing in the Law, Justice and Public Policy stream. Growing up, I have always had a passion for law, economics, and politics as these three aspects of society are pivotal instruments in our modern day society. As an introvert, I was initially against meeting new people, but as the year progressed, I slowly began to open up and make new friends while building mentor-student relationships with my professors. With this in mind, I highly encourage everyone to participate in extracurricular activities (such as attending events hosted by UPSC) as not only will this help build your network, it will also expand your horizon, enhance your skills and encourage self-development by exposure to environments outside your comfort zone.

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spencer maurice

Advisor

Hi there! My name is Spencer, and I was part of UPSC several years ago. I’m simply here to offer periodic support so the team can continue to do great work! We’re also building an internal “wiki” so future teams can have a central location to find resources, tutorials, and work saved from previous years.

 

UPSC Executive team 2019-20

 
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rohan Bhatti

President

Hi everyone! My name is Rohan Bhatti and I am proud to say that I am the President for the Undergraduate Political Science Council. With that being said, it is my mission to ensure that UPSC has more than just a successful year! A little bit about me, I am currently in my 3rd year studying Political Science at the Department of Politics in York University. I specialize in contemporary politics involving climate change and International relations. A few hobbies of mine is boxing, volunteering at McLaughlin College and exercising at the gym. Lastly, In my opinion, I find UPSC to be a crucial club for the Political Science Department as we are the middle bridge between the department and future/current Political Science Students. I look forward to meeting each one of you!

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Talha Khan

Chief operating officer

Talha Khan is an ambitious and highly motivated individual with various skills set. He has a great passion for Politics and International Relations/Law.  He has an extensive working and volunteering experience at the municipal and federal level elections.

Talha is currently a fourth-year student of the Global Studies Program. His goal is to advocate UPSC at a very high level. In this regard, he is determined to promote UPSC by reaching out to current/ future undergraduate students and community leaders. students. For this purpose, Talha looks forward to working with an excellent executive team to not only pursue our shared goals but also to uphold UPSC prestige

Know your purpose of existence - Talha Khan

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marielle Loro

Vp, Communications

Marielle is a fourth year Political Science major with an interest in languages, travelling, international relations, and human rights. Aside from her position as VP, Communications in UPSC, she is also the Arts and Cultural Director for FSAY and the President and Founder of BAHA. She is heavily involved with extracurriculars and spends her free time volunteering at local homeless shelters in Toronto. Her experiences, strong interpersonal skills and fluency in English, French and Tagalog will be an asset to the UPSC team and will be useful in helping Political Science students get more connected to resources in their program. Marielle hopes to form a closer relationship between students and the Department of Politics at York to improve our learning environments and maximize the full potential of students.

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Kasia Luo

VP, ACADEMICS

I am a second year student studying political science and economics. In particular, I am passionate about fiscal policies and their microeconomic effects on communities. I hope to pursue a career in the legal services industry. As the VP of Academics, I liaison between the faculty members of the university's college affiliations and departments. As well, I connect students to academic resources and I find relevant opportunities and interesting events that help to further the success of undergraduate students.

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John Soriano

VP, FINANCE

My name is John Soriano. I am currently a fourth-year undergraduate student studying Public Administration, and specializing in the Law, Justice and Public Policy stream. Growing up, I have always had a passion for law, economics, and politics as these three aspects of society are pivotal instruments in our modern day society. As an introvert, I was initially against meeting new people, but as the year progressed, I slowly began to open up and make new friends while building mentor-student relationships with my professors. With this in mind, I highly encourage everyone to participate in extracurricular activities (such as attending events hosted by UPSC) as not only will this help build your network, it will also expand your horizon, enhance your skills and encourage self-development by exposure to environments outside your comfort zone.

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Raza Dard

VP, OUTREACH & RECRUITMENT

My name is Raza Dard. I am a third year Political Science student. As Vice President of Student Outreach and Recruitment, I am able to promote our awesome club by tabling, visiting classrooms, maintaining our member list and speak with other students who are interested in politics or any relating field. My favourite part of UPSC and my role is the fact that I have the opportunity to meet faculty members as well as other clubs and students. I look forward to taking part in important conversations and using this role to grow.

Aqsa Jamal

Aqsa Jamal

GENERAL ASSOCIATE

I am a fourth year Political Science student. I was interested in joining this club because its a great opportunity to meet people and connect with professors through the events hosted. I hope to make this club an enjoyable experience for students as it has been for me. In my spare time I love to watch movies and volunteer at animal shelters.

 
 

UPSC Executive Team 2018-19

 
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Farah Noori

president

Farah is a fourth year Political Science student at the Department of Politics in York University. She Specializes in Political Theory, but also has interest in international relations and domestic politics. Her research focus is Foreign and Defence policy with relation to Canada and the Middle East. Farah volunteers for various non-profit organizations such as Because I am a Girl and CivicSpark and hopes to bring good change to her community, however small it maybe.

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Hodan Mohamud

chief operating officer

I am a fourth year student studying Political Science and Communications Studies. As the Vice President of Academics which I am able to plan events, represent students to the department, and meet other students with an interest in politics. My favourite part of this club and my role is getting to hear the perspectives of other students and professors at our events.

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David Su

vp, communications

David is a third year Criminology student with an interest in politics, digital marketing, and Social media. In his spare time, he reads, plays games, and looks for opportunities to grow.

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Tahiyah Hussein

VP, aCADEMICS

My name is Tahiyah Hussein and I am a fourth year student studying Political Science. I strongly believe politics is about discussion, growth, and change, and these very important values are embedded into UPSC, encouraging our members to grow and think critically of the world that surrounds us. The executive team and myself work hard to ensure this central goal is achieved. As Vice President of Academics I have the opportunity to meet with faculty members and students, engaging in important and necessary conversations.

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John Soriano

VP, finance

My name is John Soriano. I am currently a third-year undergraduate student studying Public Administration, and specializing in the Law, Justice and Public Policy stream. Growing up, I have always had a passion for law, economics, and politics as these three aspects of society are pivotal instruments in our modern day society. As an introvert, I was initially against meeting new people, but as the year progressed, I slowly began to open up and make new friends while building mentor-student relationships with my professors. With this in mind, I highly encourage everyone to participate in extracurricular activities (such as attending events hosted by UPSC) as not only will this help build your network, it will also expand your horizon, enhance your skills and encourage self-development by exposure to environments outside your comfort zone.

Rohan Bhatti

Vp, StUDENT oUTREACH AND RECRUITMENT

I am second year Political Science student and I’m proud to say that I am the VP of student outreach and recruitment. With that being said, it is my job to promote UPSC by planning tabling events, maintaining the UPSC member list and communicating with other clubs. Growing up, I had a huge passion for law and politics. Being apart of this group only enables me to pursue my passion. A few hobbies of mine is writing, volunteering and exercising at the gym. My favourite part of UPSC is the close connection with the Political Science department and the networking opportunities with other students.

 
 

Elaheh Ahmadi

Student Outreach and Recruitment Associate

I am a first year Political Science student with an interest in pursuing a career in law. As the Student Outreach and Recruitment Associate, I am able to help students who are in Political Science or have interest in this particular field with any questions they might have regarding their program, the courses they are required to take, related clubs and councils they could get involved with, as well as possible future career paths they could pursue. I look forward to having an amazing year full of fun-filled events and opportunities for growth in the field of Political Science.

 
 

UPSC Executive Team 2017-18

 
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Kevin Noguera

president

Kevin is a highly self-motivated individual who works hard to achieve his goals. He has a strong interest in politics and public relations, and has extensive experience working at the municipal, provincial, and federal level. He works in Communications and Media strategy with a focus on social media engagement and community and business outreach. Kevin continuously engages in community events and devotes a large part of his time volunteering for various non-profit organizations.

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Tahiyah Hussein

chief operating officer

My name is Tahiyah Hussein and I am a third year student studying Political Science. I strongly believe politics is about discussion, growth, and change, and these very important values are embedded into UPSC, encouraging our members to grow and think critically of the world that surrounds us. The executive team and myself work hard to ensure this central goal is achieved. As Chief Operating Officer I have the opportunity to meet with many faculty and students and engage in interesting conversations.

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spencer maurice

vp, communications

The university years in a student’s life are exceptional, and have the capacity to be life-changing. You’re meeting new people, getting exposed to new ideas… UPSC is so much more than just a student group, it’s a way to connect students together and connect them to social and political issues. I think that when we can reach students during this foundational time in their lives, we give them a chance to work together, to practice their leadership skills, and ultimately, to become politically engaged citizens that can affect real change in the world, both locally and globally. I believe university groups like UPSC have an important role to play in shaping the world of tomorrow.

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Farah Noori

VP, Student outreach and recruitment

I am a third year Political Science and Public Policy student. As the Vice President of Student Outreach and Recruitment, I am able to meet current and future students and engage them with  our department, professors and most importantly their peers. I think that my role is the more enjoyable one due to the fact that I meet people from different walks of life and invite them into ‘our’ world of Politics, in the process of which I am consistently exposed to more opportunity and incredible dialogue.

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Adam Persofsky

VP, finance

I am a third-year political science student. The reason why I joined UPSC is because of their unlimited amount of networking opportunities and political experience to apply to my studies. In my spare time, I like to read, exercise, and find new opportunities to grow

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Hodan Mohamud

VP, academics

I am a third year student studying Political Science and Communications Studies. As the Vice President of Academics which I am able to plan events, represent students to the department, and meet other students with an interest in politics. My favourite part of this club and my role is getting to hear the perspectives of other students and professors at our events.

 

Executive Team 2016-17

 
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Kevin Noguera

president

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Nyma Malik

Vice President

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spencer maurice

director, communications

Farah Noori

associate director, communications

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Vika vinik

secretary

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Tahiyah Hussein

Director, student life

 

Executive Team 2012

 
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Ramsden Yousif

president

Responsible for the effective operation of the UPSC and ensuring that all members of the Executive Committee fulfill their duties and abide by the constitution.

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Hasina Yaqubi

Vice President

Responsible for assisting the President with tasks, communicating with the Political Science Department on latest initiatives, organizing the Mock LSAT and overseeing funding.

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Massiera Mumtaz-Sheh

VP, Internal

Responsible for organizing out events within York, such as Movie Nights, Campus Days and Career Days.

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Chris Brown

VP, External

Responsible for being the voice of the UPSC outside of York University and arranging guest speakers.

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Stephane Mukendi

Communications director

Responsible for managing our email account and ensuring effective communication between UPSC and York students. 

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Hamid Wali

Treasurer

Responsible for overseeing the UPSC bank accounts and maintain our budget. She also works closely with the Vice President for club funding.


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Linda Noorafkan

Secretary

Responsible for logging the minutes for every meeting and sending them out to members.

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Karina Davydova

Alumni relations

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Saquib Uddin Ahmed

Alumni relations


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Enrique Miranda

Student engagement coordinator

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Miranda Minawi

Glendon Liason

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Bissy Musa

Journal chief

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Marc Savaria

Journal chief