Computational neuroscience doctoral student at Queen's University in the CompNeurosci lab supervised by Dr. Gunnar Blohm.
Liquid state machines for motor control and high performance computing.
emils [dot] matiss [at] queensu [dot] ca
Hello SGPS members,
I'm excited to announce my candidacy for SGPS president!
I have a long history of involvement in university governance throughout my entire graduate
student journey. I started
by representing students at the departmental level, at the Centre for Neuroscience Studies, and
later became the chair
of our student leadership committee in the subsequent year. I then took on the role of graduate
student senator, where I
chaired the student senate caucus and a senate committee in my second year. I ran successfully
for re-election for both
the senate and student senate caucus chair positions. I briefly considering running for graduate
student trustee to take
on new challenges, but I enjoyed the role of academic oversight at senate. Ultimately, I decided
to run for SGPS
president. This role offers me an opportunity to broaden my responsibilities, as it involves
serving on the senate, the
board of trustees, and the university council, all while maintaining a strong position for
student advocacy.
As chair of the Queen's University Board-Senate Advisory Committee, I led the Joint Board-Senate
Retreat last March, steering discussions to
enhance support for graduate
student research. This event concluded with senators, trustees, and members of the
administration acknowledging the need
for increased funding for graduate students. I am proud that I could fulfill my objective of
highlighting graduate
student needs to key decision-makers, and it is exciting to see several departments raising
their minimum funding
packages.
I have already established strong working relationships with many of the key stakeholders the
president collaborates
with, positioning me for a smooth transition into the role. I have learned much from working
with the SGPS and AMS
presidents, the Rector, and Principal.
Internally, my primary focus for the upcoming year will be to reinforce our ongoing SGPS
initiatives in mental health
and community engagement. Externally, it is imperative to ensure that the university remains
attuned to the pressing
issues faced by students, including funding, housing, and food security, especially during
periods of budgetary
constraints. Upholding the well-being of graduate and professional students during these
challenging times is a shared
priority.
If elected as SGPS president, I will work to address the following issues:
You can vote online from February 6th to 7th at midnight. You will receive an email with a link to the SimplyVoting portal. If you have any questions about the voting process, please contact the SGPS office elections@sgps.ca.
Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
Ph.D. in Neuroscience,
2022-present
M.Sc. in Neuroscience (promoted to Ph.D.), 2020-2022
B.A. in Psychology, 2020
Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada
Hon. B.Sc. (Computer
Science)
Hon. B.B.A. (Minor in Economics)
Double degree program with co-op, 2018
2023-present - Senate Cyclical Program Review Committee, Senate, Queen's
University
2022-present - Chair, Student Senate Caucus, Senate, Queen's University
2021-present - Graduate Student Senator, Senate, Queen's University
2021-present - Graduate Studies Executive Council, Queen's University
2022-2023 - Chair, Queen's Board-Senate Advisory Committee, Senate, Queen's
University
2021-2022 - Lead, Student Leadership Committee (CNS), Queen's University
2021-2022 - Non-Academic Misconduct Sub-Committee, Senate, Queen's
University
2021-2022 - Queen’s University Board-Senate Advisory Committee, Senate, Queen's
University
2021-2022 - Councillor to the SGPS, Centre for Neuroscience Studies (CNS),
Queen's University
2021-2022 - Member, Executive Education Committee (CNS), Queen's University
2021-2022 - Member, EDII Committee (CNS), Queen's University
2020-2021 - Member, Student Leadership Committee (CNS), Queen's University
2020-2021 - Student Representative, Graduate Committee (CNS), Queen's
University