Executives
Gui Caumo
MGAPS President
Hi I’m Gui! I’m a master’s student in condensed matter physics and your MGAPS president for the 2025-2026 council! MGAPS works to continuously improve our community, so if there is an issue we aren’t aware of or needs that aren’t being met, do not hesitate to contact any council member (or shoot me an email!). We are here for you! Yes, YOU. My responsibility is to be the primary spokesperson for all physics graduate students. As president, I am mandated to advocate for our community, which means overseeing our MGAPS council, ensuring communication and transparency between our students and the department, coordinating with other groups within and outside McGill, and making sure that our needs as a whole are met. We have big plans this year, so check out our calendar and stay tuned for our newsletters to hear about upcoming events!
Ekaterina (Katya) Ulyanov
VP Academic
Hi! I’m Katya, a condensed matter experimentalist. As VP Academics, I support students’ academic inquiries and serve as a point person for visiting lecturers. I also manage the Undergrad Mentorship Program between MGAPS and MSPS. Join me at the weekly Cookies & Convo chats to meet visiting academics and industry scientists (Fridays at 2:30PM in RP 322)!
Outside of research, I enjoy creative writing, reading (and currently running several book clubs!), playing frisbee, and trying out as many Montréal cafés as I can. You can contact me with any academic concerns (e.g., supervisory or course-related). I am here to support you and to direct you to appropriate resources.
Minh Au
VP Communications
Hi there! I’m Minh and I take care of advertising MGAPS events, organizing social media, creating informative posters and communicating with you all in general. If I’m doing my job right, you’ll get regular emails from me (peep the newsletter – there are fun bits in there). I also take on secretarial duties such as taking minutes and attendance at the GAs. Follow MGAPS on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date with what we are doing!
email: minh.au@mail.mcgill.ca
Aditya Chugh
VP Finance
Hello! I’m Aditya, a 1st year master’s student working in condensed matter physics. I’m super excited to serve on the MGAPS council this year as the VP Finance. For my role, I will be taking inspiration from Mr. Monopoly, Michael J. Burry (from the Big Short), and Leo Rizk. They made some pretty good financial decisions. Come say hi if you see me around Rutherford or if you have some ideas/suggestions for MGAPS!
email: aditya.chugh@mail.mcgill.ca
Catherine Boisvert
VP Professional Development
Hi there! My name is Catherine and I am both a PhD candidate in experimental condensed matter physics and VP Professional Development of our 2025-2026 council. My role in MGAPS is to help facilitate connections between our graduate student community and the broader community beyond academia.
Kenny Moc
VP Social
Hi, I’m Kenny, the VP Social for the 2025-26 academic year. My job is to organize social events for MGAPS, including the end-of-year party, holiday party, and annual welcome barbecue. If you have ideas for other activities or events you’d like to see, please reach out to me — let’s make it happen!
email: kenny.moc@mail.mcgill.ca
Officers
Numa Karolinski
AGSEM Representative
Are you employed at McGill? If you’re a graduate student in the physics department, there’s a very good chance you are. As your AGSEM representative, I ensure that your rights as an employee are respected. I also dedicate my free time to advocating for fair pay and making sure your voice is heard. If you have any employment-related issues, please don’t hesitate to contact me! In addition to being your AGSEM representative, I’m a first-year PhD student in Professor Andrew Cumming’s research group, where I run theoretical numerical simulations of neutron star winds using Athena++. I also have an interest in cosmology, history, foreign affairs and economics; all interesting facts are welcome with me. When I’m not working or advocating, you can usually find me rock climbing, DJing, listening to music, or catching up on sleep.
Varun Muralidharan
AGSEM Representative
Eric Friesen Waldner
AGSEM Representative
Hi! I’m Eric, a Master’s student in experimental condensed matter physics. I am one of three physics department AGSEM delegates. If you are employed by McGill, such as in a T.A. or invigilator position, then you are automatically a member of the oldest teaching assistant union in Quebec, AGSEM! I will advocate for and support your rights as an employee of McGill. Come to our AGSEM physics office hour, or reach out to us if you ever have any problems related to your employment at McGill, big or small.
Catherine Boisvert
Chief Returning Officer
Valentina Mazzotti
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Officer
Hi there, I’m Valentina! As the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Officer, I work to make McGill Physics’ graduate experience more open and welcoming for those who have been traditionally excluded from physics. I serve as a central contact for any issues or concerns related to EDI, and I help organize initiatives that celebrate and promote the wonderful diversity of backgrounds we have in our department. I’m also a member of the departmental EDI committee, where I represent MGAPS members and advise on social programming that aims to include everyone. Moreover, I’m part of the Physics Outreach Committee, where I love organizing events that bring science to a broader audience and make physics more accessible and engaging for the public. Outside of physics, I love spending time outdoors — whether it’s running, skiing, or hiking. I’m also a big music fan and enjoy reading whenever I can.
Dan Jacob
Mental Health Officer
Hey everyone! I’m your new Mental Health officer for the semester, and it’s my job to help you stay sane during your graduate studies at McGill. I can help connect you with the mental health resources that are available at McGill and in Montreal, and hopefully give you some additional opportunities to destress with some casual events throughout the year. Right now we’re planning on having weekly “destress” lunches where you can come draw, colour, journal, and/or chat, and weekly w(h)ine nights where you can complain about your PI and whatever else has been bothering you the past week (with the aid of alcohol if you partake)! We’ll also be doing some dog therapy events peppered throughout the semester (for the worries that only a puppy can fix). Aside from these please feel free to contact me by email for more personal requests (or just grab me if you find me in the hallways/in my office). Life and grad school can be very stressful, and I would be more than happy to provide support where I can.
Outside of my duties as your mental health officer and as a grad student (I’m in my 2nd year of my Master’s with Peter Grutter), I like watching movies, listening to music, and I’ve been getting back into reading. Recently I’ve been working through Masaki Kobayashi’s filmography and getting into Steinbeck, and I’m always happy to chat about anything interesting you’ve been reading/watching/listening to! Come trade your letterboxd/last.fm/goodreads with me if you want, I love being nosy :)!
Angela Sabzevari Gonzalez
PGSS Representative
Hi everyone!!!! My name is Angela (she/her), and I’m one of the PGSS Representatives! I am a first year Master’s student in high energy particle physics who reeeally loves physics (crazy, I know). My role is to represent physics graduate students by voting and advocating on their behalf at PGSS council meetings. We also ensure MGAPS stays well informed about any current issues or initiatives related to PGSS. If you have any questions related to my role, MGAPS, or PGSS, or just want to chat, feel free to send me an email!
Valentin Boettcher
PGSS Representative
Hi, I’m Valentin, one of your representatives in the Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS). My role is to represent the Physics graduate students by voting on their behalf at the PGSS Council meetings. I also ensure that MGAPS stays updated on important issues and initiatives. If you have any concerns or topics you’d like me to raise at the PGSS Council, feel free to reach out via email.
Talia Martz-Oberlander
PGSS Representative
The job of a PGSS representative is to attend and vote on behalf of physics grads at PGSS council (which is accompanied by free food) and in turn keep MGAPS informed of the current issues and initiatives. Talia (she/her) is a third year PhD student in experimental condensed matter, a mom, and avid environmentalist. She has previously served as MGAPS EDI Officer and Workspace Officer and is passionate about making sure PGSS serves the interests of physics grad students. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or requests.
(Vacant)
Postdoctoral Officer
The Postdoctoral Officer serves as a liaison between postdoctoral fellows and graduate students in the department. It is the officer’s job to keep postdocs informed of MGAPS initiatives and encourage their involvement in MGAPS affairs. This position is currently open. Contact the current MGAPS president if you wish to fill this position.
email: N/A
Simon Lavoie
RTech and Computing Officer
Hi, I’m Simon and I’m the RTech and Computing Officer! This officer acts as a resource for students seeking or initiating computational skill development opportunities (such as workshops, seminars, lecture series, etc…) in the department. I am also responsible for maintaining the MGAPS website. If your computer is ever acting up, let me know and I may be able to help you. I have a decent programming background, being skilled in a few languages (Python, Java, C, C++, OCaml, HTML, CSS, LabVIEW, Lua and even a little bit of assembly!) and am fairly comfortable jumping between operating systems (including linux!).
Aside from this technical stuff, I’m a huge music nerd. I listen to everything. I really mean it. Check out my lastfm if you’re curious to see what I mean.
email: simon.lavoie@mail.mcgill.ca
Kate Szabo
Sports Officer
Hello Physics Grads! As sports officer it is my pleasure to organize fun activities to keep us happy and healthy. Keep an eye out in your inbox for events such as weekly yoga nights, rock climbing, ice skating, workshops, and more! Feel free to contact me with any event ideas or questions.
email: kate.szabo@mail.mcgill.ca
David Abbe
TA Officer
Hello! I’m David, the current TA officer for MGAPS. My role involves collecting and sharing logistical and pedagogical resources for TAs. If you have any good teaching resources, or any recommendations for information to include in our TA wiki (coming soon) please reach out to me!
email: david.abbe@mail.mcgill.ca
Angela Sabzevari Gonzalez
Workspace Officer
Well hello again…. While my name, pronouns and field of study are the same, Angela (she/her), my role has changed! This year, I have two roles, including Workspace Officer. In this role, I ensure the quality, safety, and accessibility of physics graduate student environments, and I also serve on the Physics EDI and Building Committees. If you have any suggestions, concerns, or ideas related to our building, please let me know!