SAY HELLO TO YOUR 2023-2024 BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES SOCIETY EXECUTIVES
Here's a bit about all of this year's executives. Please feel free to reach out to any of them any time!
Hello everyone! My name is Autumn and I'm going into my fifth year of the Biochemistry Co-op program. This year, I have the pleasure of working alongside Molly as your Co-Presidents for the BBSS! Our goals for this year include providing events that facilitate program-wide connections and increase opportunities for students to interact with faculty, and continue to provide academic support to second year students throughout their transition into the program. Fun fact - my favorite BBSS event every year is Meet the Profs! When I'm not working, I'm either at the bouldering gym or grabbing food with friends. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or ideas and stay tuned for all the upcoming events!
Hello! My name is Erika Apel and I am one of your VP Social’s for the BBSS. I am so excited to help lead many events this year such as the biochem formal, bowling night, bonfire and much more! I hope you all attend the events and are able to become friends with your Biochem peers. Please reach out if you have any suggestions for this year! To get to know me a little I love to skate, swim and teach both of these activities to kids. I also love coffee and work at a cafe in Dundas. In the school year I work at the Singh Lab and am involved in clubs at Mac such as AAU and mentorship. My three school red flags are 1. I like 8:30’s 2. I like Centro 3. I prefer Mills or Thode to HSL
Have a great year & feel free to reach out!
bbsssociall@gmail.com
Hey everyone! I’m Becca, I’m in my 4th year of core biochem and I’m super excited to be one of your vp socials this year! Erika and I have been planning a bunch of fun events to give you a break from studying and connect you with the BBS community. I love baking, spending time with friends and listening to music! If you have any questions or suggestions please feel free to reach out. I’m looking forward to a great year and can’t wait for you to see the events we have planned!
bbsssociall@gmail.com
Hello everyone! My name is Ava Bizjak and I am currently in level II biochemistry. I am excited to be one of your VP socials for this year! In my role, I will help to plan fun events that engage the BBS community, foster connections, and spark conversations that will hopefully make your year as memorable as possible. Outside of school, I love to play tennis, soccer, and dance. I am also passionate about learning new languages; if you ever want to have a conversation in Spanish feel free to reach out:) I can’t wait to show you all what the BBSS has in store for you this year!
bbsssociall@gmail.com
Hii! My name is Bailey and I’m in my third year of core Biochemistry. I will be one of the VP Externals with the BBSS this year. In this role, I will help to coordinate events for students that involve clubs and societies outside of the BBSS. If I’m not in lecture halls or libraries, I am either playing volleyball, ordering bubble tea, volunteering with SWHAT, or stuck in traffic on the 403 (genuinely awful). I’m eager to see how the BBSS grows this year and excited for the great events we’re planning!
bbssexternal@gmail.com
Hi! My name is Giuliano Caltagirone and I am a level IV+ Biomedical Discovery & Commercialization student (I took a co-op term in my 3rd year, if you want a good story ask me about my educational journey). This year I will be your Co-VP External! As a former intramural champion, I am looking forward to having fun and creating some memories with our BBSS intramural teams this year. In addition to this, there are 2 things I personally want to focus on in my role as VP External this year. The first one being is collaborating with other executives to raise funds for local charities, as I am Hamilton born and raised, and I love being apart of the community. Secondly, I want to reach out to some fantastic alumni who impacted my life over the course of my undergrad to come back to speak to current students about future opportunities. Outside of school I am someone who likes to have a lot of fun, primarily hanging out with my friends. I can talk about sports for hours on end and yes I am that person who loves the most obscure stats (ie Chris Paul is 2-17 in playoff games when Scott Foster is officiating them). I also love country music (specifically Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen, big surprise) but the majority of my friends do not like country music so car rides are tough. Feel free to reach out if anything I said peaked your interest or you thought it was funny :) (I do stand up comedy on the side).
bbssexternal@gmail.com
Hey everyone! My name is Harane and I am in Level II Biochemistry. I am very excited to be one of your VP External this year! In this position, I look forward to helping with events in collaboration with others within and outside the McMaster community. A little bit about me: I’m a dancer and a big fan of traveling, music, and TV shows/movies! I can’t go a day without music and can kind of play the guitar and piano. I appreciate a good song or movie recommendation, and I will forever love a good romcom or coming of age story. I’m excited to see all of you at our events and throughout campus! Feel free to reach out with any questions or just to talk!
bbssexternal@gmail.com
Hi guys! My name is Vian, and I am going into my fourth year of BDC. PLUS I am one of your VP Broteins for the 2023-2024 school year! I am super excited to work with everyone on our team this year, especially my partner Emily to bring fun and exciting events. We want you guys to reach your full potential in this program and enjoy the process, and we are here to guide you in the next stage of your lives. We’re starting off the year with the Broteins Mentorship program, where we aim to provide second years with upper-year support - academically and socially. We are also offering academic support, including test review and peer editing sessions for your reports and social events to meet and bond with your classmates! We are here to support you, so please reach out to us! A little bit about me, I am a die-hard bookworm when it comes to sappy romance novels (current obsession: Archer’s Voice). I also love going to the gym and occasionally sewing. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions during the school year or if you have any event requests that you want us to host. We are super excited to meet all of you!
bbssbroteins@gmail.com
Hello everyone! My name is Emily and I'm in my third year of core Biochemistry. I'm very excited to be one of your VP Broteins this year, alongside Vian. Our goal is to support second-years through their biochem journey and provide them with the support they need to succeed. We have some fun academic and social events planned so stay tuned! Outside of school I love to be outdoors and stay active. I was a dancer for 14 years and enjoy playing intramurals with my friends. If you need anything throughout the year please contact us, we're excited for an amazing year!
bbssbroteins@gmail.com
Hiii everyone! My name is Hareet and I'm in my fourth year of BDC. I am very excited to be the VP Internal for the 2023-2024 school year! I will be taking care of a lot of the administrative and behind the scenes work to make sure that events run smoothly. I can't wait to see you all at the events this year, especially the end of the year formal! In my free time, I enjoy listening to music (mainly R&B), spending time with friends, and watching Netflix (currently Young Sheldon). Also, I'm a big foodie so hit me up for some food recs!! Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or suggestions during the school year! We are super excited to meet all of you :)
bbssbroteins@gmail.com
Hey guys! My name is Shiyani, and I’m entering my fourth year in the Biochem Research Specialization. I am super excited to be working alongside Jenny as one of your VP Academics for the 2023-2024 academic year! As your VP Academics, we are committed to helping you achieve your academic goals, while also ensuring that you experience both comfort and excitement throughout your academic journey. We’ll provide guidance on discovering research opportunities, excelling in your courses, and preparing for what lies beyond undergrad. When I’m not studying, you can catch me spending quality time with friends and family, experimenting with new baking recipes, binging shows/movies, or satisfying my bubble tea addiction. Feel free to reach out if you would like to make any event suggestions or would just like to chat! Looking forward to an awesome year
bbssacademics@gmail.com
Hello all! My name is Jenny and I will be one of your VP Academics for the 2023-2024 year! I’m entering my 3rd year at McMaster in the Biochemistry Co-op program. My co-VP Shiyani and I are so excited to throw events like meet the profs night, life after level II, and more for you! For fun I love to read, play sports (especially field hockey) and go on hikes. Can’t wait to meet you guys this year!
bbssacademics@gmail.com
Hi everyone! My name’s Michelle, and I’m in my 2nd year of the Biochemistry program. I have the amazing opportunity to work with Shiyani and Jenny as one of your VP Academics this 2023-2024 academic year! We’re so excited to help you all reach your goals by providing academic and research support so everyone has a memorable and fulfilling undergraduate experience.
During my free time, you can catch me crocheting at local coffee shops, sifting through vinyl records at thrift shops with friends, and playing instruments like guitar, piano and alto saxophone (find me in McMaster’s Concert Band)! I also love rollerblading and ice skating and have been trying to pick up skateboarding recently. We’re all here to help, so feel free to reach out!
bbssacademics@gmail.com
Hey everyone!! My name is Michelle and I am going into my fourth year of the Biochemistry-Biomedical Research Spec. I am super excited to be the VP Finance on the BBSS again this year! My goal is to manage the budget effectively so that all of the amazing events the BBSS plans throughout the upcoming year can be held at their absolute best quality! Aside from school, I love playing the piano, going snowboarding, and getting bubble tea
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions. I can't wait to meet you all!
Hey everyone! My name is Anika and I'm going into my 3rd year of Biochemistry (Research Spec). This is my second year as one of your Fundraising VPs and I'm so excited for all of the amazing fundraising events BBSS has planned this year! With your help, we want to use our events to help support the BBS community at McMaster as well as our local community in Hamilton. When I'm not studying, I love hiking, trying out local coffee shops and watching movies. I look forward to working with everyone and I hope I can make this year super fun!
bbssfundraising@gmail.com
Hey guys! My name is Cassady and I’m going into my third year of the Biochemistry Co-op Specialization! I am super excited to be one of your VPs of Fundraising, where I’ll be working alongside my fellow VPs (and you guys!) to raise money and increase visibility for the Biochemistry department and the community of Hamilton! When I’m not studying in thode (controversial study spot) - I love to read, go on hikes, workout and play rugby! I’m actually on mac’s rugby team so come out to one of our games in September & keep an eye out for me on the field lol! I cannot wait for all the events in this upcoming year! Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions, concerns or suggestions and I look forward to meeting everyone!!
bbssfundraising@gmail.com
Hey everyone! My name is Shahram and I am in Level II Honours Biochemistry. I’m beyond thrilled to be one of your VPs Fundraising! My role includes planning initiatives and events that’ll raise money and resources to support the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, as well as give back and make an effort to better the Hamilton community. Outside of school, I love to learn new tunes on my guitar, bake, travel, swim, and go on hikes. Please feel free to reach out to me regarding any ideas, comments, concerns, or just to make a friend. I can’t wait to see you all at the BBSS events this year!
bbssfundraising@gmail.com
Hello! My name is Noha and I'm going into my third year of Core Biochemistry. As one of the Creative Ambassadors we are responsible for creating gorgeous visuals to share important information to everyone from events to academic support. When I'm not studying, I love to go on walks and take photos, or at the Pulse! I can't wait to meet and share amazing events with you all!
bbsscommunications19@gmail.com
Hey everyone! My name is Alina and I'm going into my 4th year of Biochemistry - Biomedical Research Specialization. I am thrilled to be one of your Creative Ambassadors, alongside Noha, for the 2023-2024 school year! As a Creative Ambassador, we'll be creating fun and interesting new promotional material, keeping our official website up to date and being your first point of contact through social media for all of the amazing events we have planned for this year. It's my goal to communicate the amazing opportunities the BBSS has for you, and get everyone excited to be part of such a great student community! Outside of BBSS, you'll most likely find me buying more books to add to my never ending TBR, trying new recipes or doing anything art-related. I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone this year! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!
bbsscommunications19@gmail.com
Hi everyone! My name is Christine, and I'm honored to be one of the second-year representatives for BBSS. As a creative ambassador, I'm looking forward to collaborating with Alina and Noha to produce stunning promotional posts that showcase the best of what BBSS has to offer. Get excited and stay tuned for more exclusive events and news from the BBSS committee! Outside of school, some of my interests/ hobbies include dance, reading and binge watching movies and TV shows (currently trying to finish Greys Anatomy). A fun fact about me is that I have a cat named Catherine! She's a british shorthair and I love her to death <3
bbsscommunications19@gmail.com
Hi everyone! I'm Molly and I'm going into my 4th year of the BDC program, and I am so pumped to be one of your BBSS presidents this year! This will be my second year on society; I was VP Social last year and had the most fun planning our amazing formal, bonfires, and pottery painting. I can't wait to be a part of even more events this year, and meet all of our incoming BBSS students. When I'm not studying or in the lab, you'll find me spending time with friends, at concerts (extra special when they're Taylor Swift), and watching kids movies (Disney adult who?). If you have any feedback about events or suggestions, please don't hesitate to shoot me an email, I would love to connect with you. Can't wait to see all of your faces at events this year!!!