GSA 2019 – 2020 Team

Lauren Dwyer, President (Ryerson)

Lauren is a second-year Ph.D. student on the Ryerson side of the program. Her research takes place at the intersection between communication studies, human-robot interaction, and mental health.

Davis Vallesi, President (York)

Davis is a second-year PhD student with an interest in the fields of journalism, political science, and digital media. He is working on the early stages of his doctoral dissertation, which will observe the impact of different communication mediums during the 2019 Canadian federal election. His past publications include “Politics & the Internet: The Impact of Digital Media on Democracy” and “Framing the Issue: A Critical Examination of Traditional Journalism.” 

Alex Carter, Vice-President (Ryerson)

Alexander Carter is a second year PhD in York and Ryerson’s joint Communication and Culture program. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre (York), a Bachelor of Journalism (The University of King’s College), and Master of Arts in Media Production (Ryerson). His research and areas of interest include social media engagement, digital branding tactics, user-generated content and fandom, as well as the social and ethical implications all of the above. He is also an active member of the Toronto arts and culture landscape, whose work covers a wide range of mediums including audio production, video production, and written work.

Keah Hansen, Co Vice-President (York)

Keah Hansen is a first-year PhD student, studying the evolution of finance cultures. In her free time she likes creative writing and coaxing green things out of the ground.

Jeff Donison, Co Vice-President (York)

Jeff is currently a PhD student in the ComCult program at York University. He holds a MA from the University of Western Ontario in Popular Music & Culture. His current research focuses on journalism and technology, specifically dealing with racial representation in Canadian news and podcast production as a decolonizing practice.

Lauren Lyew, VP Communications, IS|CS 2020 Co-Chair, YUGSA Rep

Lauren is a 2nd year MA student in ComCult. Her research seeks to explore the intersections of race, religion, gender, class, and status within hip-hop music in North America.

Mamta Manhas, IS|CS 2020 Co-Chair, YUGSA Rep

Océane Nyela, Equity Officer, MA Rep (York)

Océane is a first-year MA student in ComCult at York. She recently graduated from the University of Ottawa with an Honours Bachelor of Social Sciences in Criminology and Sociology. Her MA research is aimed at understanding the ways in which Afro-Canadians and Black Canadians use technology (specifically the Internet) to both create and sustain their dual identity.