Kieran Chalmers
Hey! I’m Kieran. You may have seen me throwing around a frisbee, or maybe you would recognize me by my hair. You may not know me that well, I am after all a Niagara Regional Campus student and so I spend most of my time in that area. I was born and raised in Kelowna, British Columbia, and then did my undergraduate degree at the University of Ottawa in Translational and Molecular Medicine (with French Immersion). Outside of school you can catch me on my bike, playing spikeball, shooting hoops or hanging out with friends (sometimes all at once). I’m super excited to have the chance to run for MMSC council and I’d be thrilled to be the voice of the Niagara regional campus.
My platform centres around communication. Whether this be between faculty and students, campus to campus or anything else, I strongly believe that I can provide this connection. I’ve held council and club roles in logistics, planning, and equity, diversity and inclusion. The greatest theme when working with any team was connecting with the people involved. Through this, I plan to connect in a few ways:
1) Being present virtually. Through the creation of a “virtual suggestion box”, anonymous suggestions can be made directly to the VP Internal, which can then be relayed to the parties which they are best suited.
2) Being present and ready to listen to the cohort. As the VP Internal for Niagara, it is my goal to make sure Niagara is heard in the broader context of McMaster Medicine. The first step in this process is to listen to the people in Niagara.
As the former equity, diversity and inclusion coordinator for the Translational and Molecular Medicine Student’s association, I understand the importance of the integration of EDI principles not only in targeted events and actions, but also in any events occurring. As such, in a role such as VP Internal, I will be sure to include accessible options for the communication of information for those who may need them. In addition, the creation of an anonymous suggestion box allows for an accessible and comfortable way to make comments which can improve EDI within my actions, as well as those of the MMSC as a whole. By maintaining an open dialogue and working closely with the people in roles such as EDI and Indigenous Health, I am confident that we can work together to consistently strive to promote EDI in everything we do at Niagara and in McMaster Medicine.
My platform centres around communication. Whether this be between faculty and students, campus to campus or anything else, I strongly believe that I can provide this connection. I’ve held council and club roles in logistics, planning, and equity, diversity and inclusion. The greatest theme when working with any team was connecting with the people involved. Through this, I plan to connect in a few ways:
1) Being present virtually. Through the creation of a “virtual suggestion box”, anonymous suggestions can be made directly to the VP Internal, which can then be relayed to the parties which they are best suited.
2) Being present and ready to listen to the cohort. As the VP Internal for Niagara, it is my goal to make sure Niagara is heard in the broader context of McMaster Medicine. The first step in this process is to listen to the people in Niagara.
As the former equity, diversity and inclusion coordinator for the Translational and Molecular Medicine Student’s association, I understand the importance of the integration of EDI principles not only in targeted events and actions, but also in any events occurring. As such, in a role such as VP Internal, I will be sure to include accessible options for the communication of information for those who may need them. In addition, the creation of an anonymous suggestion box allows for an accessible and comfortable way to make comments which can improve EDI within my actions, as well as those of the MMSC as a whole. By maintaining an open dialogue and working closely with the people in roles such as EDI and Indigenous Health, I am confident that we can work together to consistently strive to promote EDI in everything we do at Niagara and in McMaster Medicine.
Michaela Dowling
My name is Michaela Dowling, and much like you, I am a proud member of McMaster’s Class of 2026. Although I was raised in Kingston, ON, I pursued my undergraduate education at Western University where I studied Medical Science with an Honours Specialization in Biochemistry and Cancer Biology. Who I am can largely be encapsulated by my two primary sources of joy: teaching and learning. Over the past decade, I've discovered immense fulfillment through roles centered around instruction, such as coaching soccer, providing swimming lessons, mentoring, and tutoring. Simultaneously, I have a deep passion for continuous learning and seize every opportunity to do so. This has taken the form of studying Spanish and exploring new sports like inner tube water polo. In essence, I am enthusiastic about representing the Class of 2026 through this year's MMSC, bringing my dedication to education, enthusiasm, and desire to learn to the forefront.
While the Niagara campus may be small, the aspirations, goals, and hearts of those studying on this regional campus are not. Rather, over the past month I have come to recognize the brilliant ideas and unique perspectives that each Niagara student has to offer. And so, as VP Internal I will work diligently to unify the voice of Niagara so that it may be amplified within our McMaster community. Moreover, if issues arise, I promise to always listen with earnest and I will ensure that each concern is met with appropriate and effective action. Furthermore, in this role, I vow to be transparent about the workings of the MMSC to ensure that I am working "with" Niagara rather than "for" Niagara. Overall, I'm thrilled at the opportunity to represent our campus and contribute to its ongoing growth and success. Thank you for considering me for this position!
I'm dedicated to fostering equity, diversity, and inclusivity at McMaster University by creating secure and welcoming spaces for all students, faculty, and community members. I'll enhance accessibility by accommodating various communication preferences, understanding that some may prefer in-person interactions while others opt for online platforms. Through various events, I'll advocate for change by encouraging my peers to have conversations about diversity and provide the resources they need. Moreover, I promise to critically analyze the policies and procedures currently in place and challenge them when necessary. Just as important, I will ask for continuous feedback from the McMaster community on how my EDI efforts have been received. To do so, I'll utilize event feedback forms and encourage peers to openly share concerns whenever they may arise so that I may better integrate EDI into my role. In doing so, I hope to create an inclusive environment where all feel welcomed.
While the Niagara campus may be small, the aspirations, goals, and hearts of those studying on this regional campus are not. Rather, over the past month I have come to recognize the brilliant ideas and unique perspectives that each Niagara student has to offer. And so, as VP Internal I will work diligently to unify the voice of Niagara so that it may be amplified within our McMaster community. Moreover, if issues arise, I promise to always listen with earnest and I will ensure that each concern is met with appropriate and effective action. Furthermore, in this role, I vow to be transparent about the workings of the MMSC to ensure that I am working "with" Niagara rather than "for" Niagara. Overall, I'm thrilled at the opportunity to represent our campus and contribute to its ongoing growth and success. Thank you for considering me for this position!
I'm dedicated to fostering equity, diversity, and inclusivity at McMaster University by creating secure and welcoming spaces for all students, faculty, and community members. I'll enhance accessibility by accommodating various communication preferences, understanding that some may prefer in-person interactions while others opt for online platforms. Through various events, I'll advocate for change by encouraging my peers to have conversations about diversity and provide the resources they need. Moreover, I promise to critically analyze the policies and procedures currently in place and challenge them when necessary. Just as important, I will ask for continuous feedback from the McMaster community on how my EDI efforts have been received. To do so, I'll utilize event feedback forms and encourage peers to openly share concerns whenever they may arise so that I may better integrate EDI into my role. In doing so, I hope to create an inclusive environment where all feel welcomed.
David Kanter Eivin
Hi! I’m David and I’m your friendly (approachable!) MacMed pasta appreciator (yum!), Netflix-docuseries depreciator (its all filler content now!), and tech guy (!). I’m running for MMSC, because, well, I wasn’t going to until I organized the patches and remembered how much I love student government (pretty weird, right?). But really, I’ve been doing student government constantly since I was in high school, both in event planning roles and advocacy roles, and I’m running for President and VP Internal because I’m hoping to guide both of those aims. My focus is always on listening to people’s concerns: this starts with being approachable, but it also means actively seeking out feedback through surveys and emails. Acting on that means proper follow up to understand more detail, and it means advocating for the interests even of a small group of students. That’s what my leadership would be about.
Hey Niagara Family! We’ve already been doing such an awesome job at building community and running social events, and as your VP Internal, my focus would be maximizing the supports and funding from the MMSC and Administration to complement the already amazing student initiatives we are running, and to nurture the incredible community of our campus now and into our clerkship years. More specifically, I want to leverage our initiatives with additional committees (similar to some of the Waterloo-specific committees), such as a committee focused on improving our campus by communicating our needs with admin, and applying for relevant grants at McMaster and more broadly. Additionally, we have a very sporty group - I would establish an Athletics & Recreation Committee, to help organize sporting (as well as board game) events, and intramurals. I hope that this committee will make coordinating events across the 3 cohorts easier.
I think that incorporating EDI/IR starts with one’s own personal journey in terms of my own reflection and learning. This means learning about diverse cultures and Indigenous cultures (and not only as it pertains to health and medical treatment) on one’s own time, and reflecting honestly on my own biases and privilege coming to this point. I will actively seek out these learning opportunities and take the time to reflect on EDI both in my personal life and in my role/committes, and the MMSC as a whole. I hope to also learn more about health advocacy for marginalized and Indigenous peoples. I will actively seek out feedback from our EDI and IH VPs. To make my responsibilities and subcommittees equitable and diverse, I will watch for non-inclusive language/communication, acknowledge and apologize if it occurs, and create a safe and confidential space for concerns to be brought forward.
Hey Niagara Family! We’ve already been doing such an awesome job at building community and running social events, and as your VP Internal, my focus would be maximizing the supports and funding from the MMSC and Administration to complement the already amazing student initiatives we are running, and to nurture the incredible community of our campus now and into our clerkship years. More specifically, I want to leverage our initiatives with additional committees (similar to some of the Waterloo-specific committees), such as a committee focused on improving our campus by communicating our needs with admin, and applying for relevant grants at McMaster and more broadly. Additionally, we have a very sporty group - I would establish an Athletics & Recreation Committee, to help organize sporting (as well as board game) events, and intramurals. I hope that this committee will make coordinating events across the 3 cohorts easier.
I think that incorporating EDI/IR starts with one’s own personal journey in terms of my own reflection and learning. This means learning about diverse cultures and Indigenous cultures (and not only as it pertains to health and medical treatment) on one’s own time, and reflecting honestly on my own biases and privilege coming to this point. I will actively seek out these learning opportunities and take the time to reflect on EDI both in my personal life and in my role/committes, and the MMSC as a whole. I hope to also learn more about health advocacy for marginalized and Indigenous peoples. I will actively seek out feedback from our EDI and IH VPs. To make my responsibilities and subcommittees equitable and diverse, I will watch for non-inclusive language/communication, acknowledge and apologize if it occurs, and create a safe and confidential space for concerns to be brought forward.