Education Graduate Student Society (EGSS)

Grace Howard

19gjh3 — Sun, 11 Jan 2026 19:39:30 +0000

Grace Howard 19gjh3 Sun, 01/11/2026 - 14:39

Last name

Howard

First name

Grace

Pronoun(s), designation(s), etc.

she/her/hers

Position / job title

Website and Communications Officer

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Grace is a Master of Education student in the Faculty of Education at ��˴�Ƭ. She completed her Bachelor of Education at McGill University. Her research focuses on late-diagnosed Canadian women with ADHD and strategies for educators to better identify ADHD in girls in the classroom. She is committed to raising awareness of the gendered differences in ADHD and helping educators support girls who may otherwise go unrecognized. Grace serves as the Website and Communications Officer for EGSS, ensuring accessible and clear communication with graduate students within the Faculty of Education through social media and website posts.

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Website and Communications Officer

Faculty

Education

Department

EGSS

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Rebecca Cooke

19gjh3 — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 19:39:29 +0000

Rebecca Cooke 19gjh3 Tue, 12/09/2025 - 14:39

Last name

Cooke

First name

Rebecca

Pronoun(s), designation(s), etc.

she/her/hers

Position / job title

Student Support Coordinator

rebecca.cooke@queensu.ca

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Rebecca Cooke is a Master of Education student in the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University. She completed both her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (with a minor in French Studies) and her Bachelor of Education through the Concurrent Education program at Queen’s University, earning her Ontario Certified Teacher designation. Her research focuses on improving Individualized Education Plans in Ontario schools through the integration of standards and AI tools. She is committed to leveraging technology for educational equality.

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Student Support Coordinator

Faculty

Education

Department

EGSS

Jennifer (Jenn) Thompson

22jxl1 — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 12:40:03 +0000

Jennifer (Jenn) Thompson 22jxl1 Fri, 10/31/2025 - 08:40

Last name

Thompson

First name

Jennifer (Jenn)

Pronoun(s), designation(s), etc.

She/Her

Position / job title

Graduate Studies and Research Committee PhD Representative

jennifer.thompson@queensu.ca

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Jennifer Thompson is an educator, evaluator, and Project Manager for the Centre for Community Engagement and Social Change at Queen’s University. She is also an associate researcher for the Faculties of Education and Smith School of Engineering. Jennifer has been working in International Education for 10 years as a teacher and administrator at Ontario Curriculum and International Baccalaureate Schools in East Asia.

More recently, her research has focused on culturally responsive leadership practices, collaborative processes to support underrepresented students, and community-based knowledge mobilization. Jennifer is also working as an education consultant and evaluator on initiatives including Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism initiatives, Gender-based violence prevention, global engagement, and organizational priority-setting.

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Graduate Studies and Research Committee PhD Representative

Faculty

Education

Department

EGSS

Individual Responsibilities

Attend meetings of the Graduate Studies and Research Committee.
Advise on matters relating to the curriculum and overall structure of existing graduate programs within the Faculty of Education for the Graduate Studies and Research Committee.
Make recommendations regarding the desirability and feasibility of new courses and programs at the graduate level, including the Doctoral, Master’s, Professional Master’s of Education (PME) and World Indigenous Studies in Education (WISE) programs, as a representative of the Graduate Studies and Research Committee.
Attend meetings of the Library Advisory Committee(s) in the Faculty of Education twice yearly.

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Kylie Rafter

22jxl1 — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 19:09:51 +0000

Kylie Rafter 22jxl1 Sat, 10/25/2025 - 15:09

Last name

Rafter

First name

Kylie

Position / job title

RBJSE Co-Chair

kylie.rafter@queensu.ca

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Hello everyone! My name is Kylie Rafter, and I am in my first year of the Master of Education program. I’ve been a teacher for the past six years, but I’m thrilled to be back as a Gael after completing my undergraduate degree here. After finishing my BEd at Trent University, I returned to Queen’s for my Professional Master of Education while continuing to teach. My academic interests focus on literacy development and supporting students with exceptionalities, which has been at the heart of my teaching practice and continues to guide my research. Outside of academia, you can usually find me spending time with my husband and our very lovable golden doodle, Sully. I’m looking forward to a year of learning, collaboration, and connecting with both faculty and students!

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RBJSE Co-Chair

Faculty

Education

Department

EGSS

Individual Responsibilities

Lead the overall organization of the annual Symposium by communicating a clear vision. The vision provides framework for RBJSE strategic planning and reinforces the conference theme.
Oversee the symposium finances by communicating with the Faculty of Education and coordinate the budget in partnership with the RBJSE Advisory Committee.
Assemble the Organizing Committee and subcommittees early in the Fall term to assist with the Symposium.
Assemble the subcommittees (i.e., leaders and members). The six subcommittees include Submissions and Discussants, Registration, Schedule and Program, Advertising, Workshops, and Food and Environment. All subcommittee leaders and members are invited by the Chair.
Maintain communication with the Organizing Committee, subcommittees, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, RBJSE Advisory Committee, and broader education graduate student community.
Represent the Symposium through communication with the larger Queen’s community and other Faculties of Education across Canada.
Chair all RBJSE strategic planning meetings.
Mentor the Vice-Chair on the responsibilities of the Chair to ensure an effective transition the following year.

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Poonyawee Jirarattanawan

22jxl1 — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 04:06:24 +0000

Poonyawee Jirarattanawan 22jxl1 Sat, 10/25/2025 - 00:06

Last name

Jirarattanawan

First name

Poonyawee

Position / job title

SGPS Representative

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Poonyawee Jirarattanawan is a PhD student from Thailand with a strong interest in medical education, particularly in the areas of student soft skill development and well-being. Her doctoral research examines the impact of resilience practices on overall well-being, as well as the relationship between resilience and spiritual well-being among Thai medical educators. Before beginning her PhD studies at Queen’s University, she taught anatomy for over 7 years, delivering both lectures and laboratory sessions. In her teaching, she actively incorporated active learning strategies and self-reflection to enhance student engagement and promote learner ownership. Beyond her teaching role, she has been deeply involved in student counseling, mental health support, and organizing activities and workshops focused on soft skill development. She aims to contribute to a resilience-driven approach to medical education in Thailand, with an emphasis on the well-being of all stakeholders.

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SGPS Representative

Faculty

Education

Department

EGSS

Individual Responsibilities

Attend monthly SGPS meetings, representing the interests of the membership.
Report relevant information from the SGPS meetings to the executive at monthly meetings and to the membership via appropriate communication channels.
Collaborate with the executive to issue a survey to the membership, providing options for the following year’s SGPS fee slate.
Calculate the majority vote from the survey to determine the SGPS fee slate. Communicate the fee slate to the SGPS.

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Tara Thomas

22jxl1 — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 12:52:36 +0000

Tara Thomas 22jxl1 Fri, 10/24/2025 - 08:52

Last name

Thomas

First name

Tara

Position / job title

Student Support Coordinator/Strategic Planning Committee Representative

23rtv2@queensu.ca

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Tara is a Master of Education student at Queen’s University. Her research focuses on decolonizing the baking and pastry arts curriculum by expanding it beyond Eurocentric traditions to include African, Asian, and other global pastry practices. With over a decade of professional experience as a baker, she has worked in five-star hotels, major convention centers, and as a hospitality instructor teaching a range of culinary and hospitality courses. She holds a B.Sc. in Hospitality and Tourism Management and a Diploma in Baking and Pastry Arts Management.

In her roles as both the Student Support Coordinator and Strategic Planning Committee Representative, she is committed to fostering an inclusive, supportive, and engaging environment for all education graduate students. She aims to contribute meaningfully to initiatives that strengthen community, promote equity, and align the EGSS’s goals with the diverse needs of the student body.

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Student Support Coordinator/Strategic Planning Committee Representative

Faculty

Education

Department

EGSS

Individual Responsibilities

Student Support Coordinator:

Organize and execute EGSS sponsored academic (e.g., events in partnership with the SAAS office, faculty events, research events) and social events (e.g., welcome back, winter holiday, end of year) based on the identified needs of the membership.
Plan events to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion for the membership.
Keep detailed records of event details and contacts, including attendance, cost/budget, and suggestions for improvement to maintain consistency and ease transition into the role.
At least one coordinator must attend each meeting of the Good and Welfare Committee and advise on issues related to the wellness of the membership.
Support membership wellness (e.g., sending expressions of sympathy, congratulations, etc.) as deemed appropriate.
Represent the membership’s needs by communicating any questions, ideas or concerns to the EGSS executive.

Strategic Planning Committee Representative:

Attend monthly meetings of the Strategic Planning Committee.
Represent graduate concerns and other needs to the SPC during the review and creation of the Faculty of Education’s strategic plan.
Attend subcommittee meetings within the SPC.
Attend additional meetings both at the faculty and student levels for the SPC.

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Eden Beaudin

22jxl1 — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 12:38:40 +0000

Eden Beaudin 22jxl1 Fri, 10/24/2025 - 08:38

Last name

Beaudin

First name

Eden

Position / job title

IEDIAA Representative/RBJSE Co-Chair

16esb3@queensu.ca

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Aanii, my name is Eden. I’m from M’Chigeeng First Nation on Manitoulin Island, and I’m currently a Master’s student in the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University.

My research focuses on Indigenous education, literacy, language revitalization, and resistance. I hold a B.A. (Honours) in English Literature and Sociology (2023) and a B.Ed. (2025) in Intermediate/Senior English and First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Studies.

I work with the Limestone District School Board as an occasional teacher and volunteer supporting Indigenous education initiatives and Teaching Assistant for PROF 550.

I’m passionate about centering Indigenous voices, revitalizing language, and creating spaces of learning that reflect community, identity, and resistance.

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IEDIAA Representative/RBJSE Co-Chair

Faculty

Education

Department

EGSS

Individual Responsibilities

IEDIAA Representative:

Available to listen and respond to I-EDIAA related ideas, questions, and concerns from the membership, and brings this information forward to the executive.
Organize and update the executive with mandatory I-EDIAA training. Some channels for training are the Human Rights and Equity Office (HREO) on campus and the external Levana Gender Advocacy Centre. Training requirements must be communicated to the executive by the end of September each year.
Keep record of all I-EDIAA related trainings that executive members complete.
Organize healing and solidarity events for the membership in a timely manner should current global affairs warrant it necessary.
Attend all Faculty of Education EDI Committee meetings, representing the interests of the membership.
Provide support for EGSS sponsored events, including, but not limited to, ensuring events are inclusive and accommodating of the membership’s diversity.

RBJSE Co-Chair:

Lead the overall organization of the annual Symposium by communicating a clear vision. The vision provides framework for RBJSE strategic planning and reinforces the conference theme.
Oversee the symposium finances by communicating with the Faculty of Education and coordinate the budget in partnership with the RBJSE Advisory Committee.
Assemble the Organizing Committee and subcommittees early in the Fall term to assist with the Symposium.
Assemble the subcommittees (i.e., leaders and members). The six subcommittees include Submissions and Discussants, Registration, Schedule and Program, Advertising, Workshops, and Food and Environment. All subcommittee leaders and members are invited by the Chair.
Maintain communication with the Organizing Committee, subcommittees, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, RBJSE Advisory Committee, and broader education graduate student community.
Represent the Symposium through communication with the larger Queen’s community and other Faculties of Education across Canada.
Chair all RBJSE strategic planning meetings.
Mentor the Vice-Chair on the responsibilities of the Chair to ensure an effective transition the following year.

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Dennis Liao

17rwys — Fri, 30 May 2025 16:41:14 +0000

Dennis Liao 17rwys Fri, 05/30/2025 - 12:41

Last name

Liao

First name

Dennis

Pronoun(s), designation(s), etc.

he/him/his

Position / job title

Faculty Board PhD Representative

d.liao@queensu.ca

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Dennis Liao is a M.Ed student at the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University. His research focuses on literacy, with particular interests in early literacy development, the relationship between reading and executive functioning skills, and the preparation of teachers to support effective literacy instruction. Dennis additionally holds a BSc. in Life Sciences and a B.Ed from Queen’s University.

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Faculty Board PhD Representative

Faculty

Education

Department

EGSS

Individual Responsibilities

Provide EGSS representatives an opportunity to report news and actions to faculty through details gathered from the monthly EGSS agenda and minutes.
Attend monthly Faculty Board meetings and report on EGSS news and actions (send a copy of this report to the Faculty Board coordinator before or immediately following each meeting)
Report back to EGSS on details of Faculty Board meetings during monthly EGSS meetings, or by email as necessary.

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Emily Luo

17rwys — Fri, 30 May 2025 16:25:01 +0000

Emily Luo 17rwys Fri, 05/30/2025 - 12:25

Last name

Luo

First name

Emily

Pronoun(s), designation(s), etc.

she/her/hers

Position / job title

President

emily.luo@queensu.ca

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Hello! My name is Emily, a Master’s student in the Faculty of Education. My research focuses on mitigating gender gaps in STEM through innovation. My passion for STEM has always been rooted in education, and I completed my Bachelor of Science (Honours) in 2022, followed by my Bachelor of Education in 2024. I am now a certified high school biology and math teacher. Currently, I’m involved in several research projects, including investigating the confidence and comfortability of pre-service teachers and their use of GenAI in education, validating measurement instruments using quantitative analyses, and collaborating with international partners on evaluating a COIL project involving pre-service teachers. I am delighted and honoured to serve as your EGSS Co-President, and some of my roles include ensuring your concerns are heard and addressed, supporting initiatives that enhance student life, and working closely with my colleagues, the other amazing individuals on the EGSS executive team, to organize events and workshops, creating opportunities to connect and support one another. I am committed to building a supportive graduate community where your voice is valued and represented!

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President

Faculty

Education

Department

EGSS

Individual Responsibilities

Act as the liaison between the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, Director of Graduate Programs, the Graduate Studies and Research Office, and the membership as leader of the EGSS.
Collaborate in a mutually amenable format to participate in strategic visioning and collaborate in leading the executive.
Engage in professional development opportunities for leadership training.
Create an ongoing document that contains presidential activities throughout the year, including all password and contact information for relevant associations and organizations. This is to ease the transition of the incoming executive.
Prepare and distribute the agenda, time, and location for all EGSS meetings. Ensure that a reminder is sent to the executive one week prior to the meeting.
Provide monthly leadership, support, and oversight to the executive by following up, planning meetings, and providing feedback to ensure they are empowered to fulfill their responsibilities.
Organize a presentation about the EGSS for the September graduate student orientation session. All vacant executive positions should be identified and described at this event.
Initiate the process for the membership to self-nominate for EGSS executive positions.
Ensure eligibility of all nominated candidates as set forth in Article 5.1.
Ensure all incoming members of the executive have access to the Constitution and the contact information for the outgoing executive member(s) in their incoming role to initiate the mentorship phase.
Share election results with the Faculty Board and its standing committees as well as the Graduate Studies and Research Office.
Together with the Treasurer, secure funding for EGSS sponsored events.
Chair all EGSS executive meetings.
At the end of term, work with the Treasurer to sign a letter addressed to the EGSS banking institution, allowing the incoming Co-Presidents and Treasurer to take over the EGSS banking account.

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François-Daniel Portelance

20cly1 — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 13:10:28 +0000

François-Daniel Portelance 20cly1 Wed, 10/02/2024 - 09:10

Last name

Portelance

First name

François-Daniel

Position / job title

Appointments Committee Representative

21fdlp@queensu.ca

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François-Daniel Portelance is a second year Ph.D student researching French as a Second Language pre-service teacher education curriculum, policy, and pedagogy. His research interests include French as a Second Language, identity, community-engaged scholarship, evaluation, and knowledge mobilization. He will be supporting the EGSS as a member of the Social Coordination and Planning team.

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Appointments Committee Representative

Faculty

Education

Department

EGSS

Individual Responsibilities

Attend all meetings of the Appointments Committee.
Vote on issues and motions raised by the members of the Appointments Committee.
Discuss the content of job advertisements and attend public lectures of applicants as a representative of the Appointments Committee.
Review applicant files in conjunction with the committee and participate in the hiring process including, but not limited to, creating long/short list for specific positions, and interviewing the applicants.

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