Meet our Executive team

Admin

Facilitate the behind-the-scenes and support the Committee Leaders

Eva Nabokov

President

UNDERGRADUATE / Psychology

Eva is a third-year Psychology student at the University of Victoria. She has just begun an independent study focused on computational modelling, using Bayesian approaches to develop formal models of cognition and analyze cognitive task behaviour. Outside of her academic work, she is passionate about promoting brain health and brain injury awareness and volunteers with the Victoria Brain Injury Society, educating high school students on brain injuries and concussion prevention. She joined UVic Women in Science to create a more inclusive and supportive community for women in STEM. She hopes to pursue a career in medicine, with a particular interest in advocating for women’s health research. In her free time, she enjoys travelling, baking, and working out.


Anna Dema

Vice President

Graduate / Biochemistry

Anna is a second year master’s student in Biochemistry at the University of Victoria. Her research focuses on the synthesis of antimicrobials using a cell-free system in efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance in the poultry industry. Outside of her studies, Anna enjoys cooking, reading, spending time at the beach, tending to her modest balcony garden, and volunteering with organizations like the Victoria Brain Injury Society, Let’s Talk Science, and the Speakers Bureau. Anna joined UVic Women in Science to support to the club’s initiative of fostering diversity and inclusivity in scientific collaboration, particularly for women from underrepresented backgrounds, including racialized and Indigenous women. Through her involvement,  she aims to make science a more welcoming and equitable space for all.

Human Resources

Maintain the WIS culture among the group and encourage an inclusive and healthy environment

Interested in joining the human resources committee?

Joanna Robinson-Leith

Director of Human Resources

UNDERGRADUATE / Physics and Astronomy

Joanna is a fourth-year undergraduate student studying Physics and Astronomy. Outside of her studies, she enjoys cooking and baking, thrifting with her friends, going on long hikes with her dog, and hosting the occasional backyard barbecue. Joanna joined the WIS executive team over the summer of 2024, inspired to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for current and future STEM students. She’s committed to making STEM spaces more welcoming, and empowering others to pursue their passions in their academic and professional journeys. 

Finance

Facilitate the behind-the-scenes and support the Committee Leaders

Amalie Kerridge

Co-Director of Finance

UNDERGRADUATE / Biology and Psychology

Amalie is a fourth-year Biology Psychology student at the University of Victoria, with a strong passion for pursuing a career in optometry. She joined WIS in 2025 to help increase the academic opportunities for women in STEM and promote a diverse and empowering setting. In her spare time, she enjoys surfing and skiing. Next fall, Amalie will be moving to Oregon to complete a four-year optometry doctorate, and she aims to continue spreading diversity and inclusion for women in the sciences in her new community.

Beth Kerridge

Co-Director of Finance

UNDERGRADUATE / Kinesiology

Beth is a second-year kinesiology student at University of Victoria. She enjoys staying active though hiking, beach volleyball, weight-lifting and yoga, and is especially interested in helping children with diverse abilities build physically literacy. Beth hopes to pursue a career in pediatric healthcare. She joined Women in Science to be a part of a welcoming community that supports learning and positive change for Women in science. Through WIS, she hopes to learn from others and contribute to conversations about supporting diverse communities in science.

Yiming Zhao

Committee Members

Interested in joining the finance committee?

Communications

Manages all marketing and communication-related endeavors, and curates the interviews.

Sylvie Anderson

Director of Communications

UNDERGRADUATE / Biochemistry and Psychology

Sylvie is a second-year student at UVic studying Biochemistry, with a strong interest in children’s health. Much of her recent volunteer work has focused on women’s and children’s health, and she especially enjoys roles that combine health, sport, and community, including coaching, working with children with disabilities, and participating in charity runs and events.
She joined UVic Women in Science to be part of a supportive community and to help promote equity and representation in STEM. Alongside her academic interests, she’s also passionate about women’s health and safety, particularly women’s autonomy, financial independence and fair treatment in healthcare and society. She currently volunteers with the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre, supporting work focused on women’s safety and advocacy.
In her free time, she enjoys running, hiking, pilates, and creative projects, especially fashion design and painting. She hopes to pursue a career in medicine and is excited to keep learning and building experience along the way.

Committee Members

Rebekah Shin (Photographer)

Annika deGreef (Social Media)

Interested in joining the communications committee?

Peer Mentorship Program

Manages the Peer Mentorship Program.

Charli Harrold

Director of the Peer Mentorship Program

UNDERGRAD / Computer Science and Mathematics

Charli is a fourth-year Computer Science and Mathematics Honours student with a passion for promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion in STEM. She first joined the Peer Mentorship Program as a mentee in her first year and returned as a mentor in her third year.

For the last two years, she has been an active member of the Women in Engineering and Computer Science (WECS) club. During this time, she led inclusivity initiatives, created and managed the club website, ran final exam review sessions, and led the development of a Website Workshop that taught students how to build their own websites.

Most recently, Charli spoke at UVic's Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science event commemorating the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, where she shared her personal experiences as a woman in STEM and her hopes for a more inclusive future.

Outside of school, Charli enjoys working on programming projects, rewatching her favourite shows, and hanging out with her cat, Hashbrown



Committee Members

Jessica Kraft

Sophie Vallee

Zoe Thompson

Events

Manages all events.

Natalie Branton

Director of Events

UNDERGRADUATE / Neuroscience

Natalie is a fourth-year undergraduate student studying neuroscience with a particular interest in finding new ways to improve the everyday lives of people with neurodegenerative diseases. Her passion for this field began in high school, where she participated in a research group studying how music can support memory in individuals with dementia.

She first joined Women in Science in 2023 as part of the peer mentorship program and later served on the Events Committee in 2024. She is excited to continue creating inclusive, engaging events that foster community and highlight the voices of underrepresented groups in STEM.

Outside of her studies, Natalie enjoys going to concerts, reading a good book at the beach, and practicing yoga. She also works in both a yoga studio and a physiotherapy clinic, where she enjoys connecting what she’s learning in the classroom to real-world experiences.

Committee Members

Emily Knudson-Goerner

Interested in joining the events committee?

Symposium

Fernanda Ezquerra Silva

Symposium Director

UNDERGRADUATE / Biology

Fernanda is pursuing her undergraduate degree in Biology at the University of Victoria, driven by a deep passion for life sciences and the natural world. Inspired by the remarkable engineer and astronaut Jenni Sidey-Gibbons, Fernanda is dedicated to expanding her knowledge of biology and the interconnectedness of life. Outside the classroom, Fernanda embraces a spirit of curiosity and creativity. She likes to volunteer with her local hospital and with nature organizations, contributing to environmental conservation and finds joy in hobbies like painting, cross-stitching, and reading. As a participant in the Introba x WEST (Women in Engineering and Computer Science) project, she collaborated with a team of women students to construct a small-scale model house, an experience that ignited her interest in interdisciplinary innovation. Fernanda also expresses her creativity through visual art, publishing her work with This Side of West and exhibiting it at UVic. She wishes to inspire the next generation of scientists and encourage them to embrace curiosity, and creativity, and to follow their dreams to the stars and beyond.

Liah Christie

Rashin Radaei

Committee Members

Our Founders

The founders took the pioneering step of initiating the Women in Science program. Their vision and dedication led to the inception of the Women in Science program, paving the way for a more inclusive and equitable STEM community.

  • Co-Founder

    PhD Biochemistry and Microbiology

  • Co-Founder

    BSc Chemistry

WIS ALUMNI

We would like to gratefully acknowledge the contributions made by past members of the WIS Executive Committee and our team of Committee Members. UVic WIS would not be the organization it is today without their support and engagement.

  • Hannah Charnock

    Co-Founder

  • Karen Lithgow

    Co-Founder

  • Nova Hanson

    Director of Grants & Funding

  • Rhea Ashmead

    Director of Communications

  • Sree Gayathri Talluri

    Interview Coordinator

  • Teesha Luehr

    Events Committee Member

  • Lauren McMillan

    Communications Committee Member

  • Seanna Zintel

    Communications Committee

  • Emma Murowinski

    Events Committee Member

  • Emily Fulton

    Events Committee Member

  • Gill Dornan

    Events Committee Member

  • Sean Sawer

    Treasurer & Events Volunteer

  • Ellen Habke

    Events Committee Member

  • Ariana Sholinder

    Communications Committee Member

  • Meagan Beatty

    Events Committee Member

  • Callie Greene

    Communications Committee Member

  • Natasha Milosevich

    Events Committee Member

  • Gina Cousineau

    Events Committee Member

  • Lisa McQuarrie

    Events Committee Member

  • Ashwini Selvakumar

    Events Committee Member

  • Tillie Stainsby

    Events Committee Member

  • Camille Zimmer

    Events Committee Member

  • Becca Candlish

    Peer Mentorship Program Director

  • Liz Rohlicek

    Peer Mentorship Program Coordinator

  • Jessica Dhami

    Events Committee Member

  • Mia Kennedy

    Peer Mentorship Program Committee Member

  • Stan Liang

    Peer Mentorship Program Committee Member

  • Claire Stevens

    Director of Communications

  • Chloe Christensen

    President

  • Tasha Jarisz

    Communications Support

  • Ethan Schovanek

    Peer Mentorship Program Committee Member

  • Taylor Snowden-Richardson

    Peer Mentorship Program Director

  • Sarah Lane

    Director of Grants & Funding

  • Erin Grafe

    President

  • Hannah Dobbs

    Co-Director of Events

  • Sierra Mann

    Co-Director of Events

  • Bridget Ryan

    Communications Committee Member

  • Angela Jennings

    Communications Committee Member

  • Kascia Lovett

    Communications Committee Member

  • Hayley Parkin

    Communications Committee Member

  • Chanel Ghesquiere

    Peer Mentorship Program Committee Member

  • Chloe Blankers

    Peer Mentorship Program Committee Member

  • Claire Hodson

    Peer Mentorship Program Committee Member

  • Saja Al-Musawi

    Peer Mentorship Program Committee Member

  • Isabella Kroker-Kimber

    Peer Mentorship Program Committee Member

  • Jenna Fleetwood

    Peer Mentorship Program Committee Member

  • Robyn Swartman

    Peer Mentorship Program Committee Member

  • Tara Mathur

    Peer Mentorship Program Coordinator

  • Hannah Reid

    Events Committee Member

  • Natalie Berry

    Events Committee Member

  • Olivia Melville

    Events Committee Member

  • Sarah Toews

    Events Committee Member

  • Maria Hangad

    Director of Events

  • Gretchen Lewandowski

    Social Media Coordinator

  • Bethany Robson

    Director of Finance

  • Victoria Greene

    Vice President

  • Syd Waddington

    President

  • Grace Ridd

    Interview Coordinator

  • Anna Dansereau

    Interview Coordinator

  • Claire Troost

    Director of Communications

  • Ava McConechy

    Events Committee Member

  • Nilo Shakerian

    Events Committee Member

  • Isabella Kidder

    Peer Mentorship Program Committee Member

  • Francis Rus

    Peer Mentorship Program Committee Member

  • Mckinley Kemp

    Peer Mentorship Program Committee Member

  • Madeleine Brown

    Peer Mentorship Program Committee Member

  • Hiroko Mahoney

    Co-Director of Finance

  • Faith Dublonko

    Co-Director of Finance

  • Sharana Saini

    President

  • Dominique Maucieri

    Graphic Designer and Webmaster

  • Aislinn Dressler

    Peer Mentorship Program Committee Member

  • Natasha Norton

    Peer Mentorship Program Committee Member

  • Angela Mitchell

    President

  • Rebekah Shin

    Vice President