BESS COUNCIL
2021-2022
Amanda Turriff
President
Shimon Takagi
Hi! I’m Amanda (she/her/elle) and this is my fourth year in Bioresource Engineering. As U3/U4 rep, my objective is to ensure interests and concerns of the students from this year group are communicated efficiently to our council. I really enjoy the community here at Mac and plan on helping with events to make sure we can make the most of this semi-in-person semester. Whether you have questions, suggestions or just want to chat feel free to reach out!
VP Industry Affairs
Amanda Creche
I am Amanda Crèche, a U3 Bioresource engineering student.
I am very excited to be your new VP Industrial affairs this year!
I am ready and motivated to help you, BREE students, knowing more about your program, its scope and all its opportunities.
I’ll organize networking events with industries or alumni and workshops to gain valuable skills!
If you have any suggestions, or a particular workshop in mind that you would like to attend, don’t hesitate to share your ideas with the BESS team!
And during my free time, I love going out, enjoying the sun and the fresh air! I also love trying new activities such as sewing!
Wish you all a nice year ;)!
VP University Affairs
Natalya Audi
Hi there! I am honored to be your president this year! I am in my third year and excited to bring
back the exciting BREE campus life with an inclusive environment after a year of remote
learning. From my previous experience as VP Academic, I am aware of some challenges that
BREE students have and plan to address them to improve our campus experience on academic,
social, and professional aspects. Aside from my studies, I enjoy spending an excessive amount of
time running, swimming, biking, skiing, etc. If you have any concerns or suggestions, feel free to
reach out to me!
VP Finance
Kellyn Hanson
Hi Everyone! I am a U3 Bioresource Engineering student and am very excited to be your VP Finance this year. I will be responsible for managing our budget and making sure the funds go towards not only the fun things (yay for being back in person!) but to causes that improve our lives as students. My engineering interests are in land development, water and soil conservation, green materials, renewable energy, and liaising the importance/innovation of these areas with the construction industry. In my spare time I enjoy snowboarding, drinking coffee way later in the day than I should, and curling up with a good book. I also like to think of myself as a bit of a craft beer connoisseur. Reach out to me anytime with questions/concerns/ideas and I’d be happy to chat and see if we can make them a reality.
VP Communication and Services
Maya Dwivedi-Leng
Hi everyone, my name is Maya and I am a U2 Bioresource student! I'm so happy to be this year's VP Communications. I've always wanted to get more involved in student life and I'm super motivated to make others feel the same. I’m honoured to be the liaison between the student body and various contacts. I'm eager to make sure the student body is continuously informed on current and future events, ECC information, and other cool BREE activities and opportunities. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions/concerns or you’d like to share information with the fellow student body!
U1 Representative
Lara Szabo-Banicz
VP Internal
Anna Gleason
Hi, my name is Anna and I am super excited to be your VP Internal this year! I am a U2 Bioresource Student and I’m hoping that with my background as an orientation week coordinator, that I can organize some amazing and safe events for BREE students this year. This includes new student integration, Mactoberfest, Christmas party, E-week, Winter banquet with the other Engineering departments etc.. If you have any ideas on how to make up for lost time this school year, feel free to reach out, as we are all in need of some good fun.
VP Academics
Jennyfer Liang
My name is Jennyfer, I’m in my third year of Bioresource engineering at McGill. As VP Academic, I am the liaison between the students and the faculty. I will be responsible for planning workshops, industry visits, networking events to give the chance to students to benefit from all the opportunities that the program has to offer. My goal is to make sure that student academic rights are respected. If you have any concerns about the program or want to improve the studying environment, feel free to reach out to me with any questions or suggestions. In my spare time, I enjoy outdoor activities and appreciate the best of what nature has to offer!
U3/U4 Representative
This position is currently open. Please reach out to president@bessmcgill.com for further information if you are interested
U2 Representative
Catherine Betrand-Vachet
Hi, my name is Catherine Bertrand-Vachet and I am the the U2 representative! I am a U2 Bree student wanting to specialized sustainable agronomy. I’ve been loving the life here at Mac for almost 2 years now and can’t wait to represent my fellow U2 students at BESS. You can easily spot my around campus with my bright green crocs (even in winter). I am a very social person but since COVID I usually spend my free time either binging some Netflix or feeding my Tim Hortons obsession. I am always available if y’all have any ideas to share
Hi! My name is Lara Szabo-Banicz and this is my second year at Mac. I love the people and community here which is why I am so excited to be involved with BESS! In the future, I hope to go into sustainable energy to make energy cleaner, safer and more accessible. Outside of my studies, I enjoy reading, playing on my intramural volleyball team, and going to the gym.