The UVSS Board of Directors’ offices are located in the Student Union Building (SUB Room B103).
The Board of Directors is made up of 22 student directors:
- Five Lead Directors
- Eleven Directors at Large
- One Director of International Student Relations
- Four Constituency Organization (Advocacy Group) Representatives
- One Native Students’ Union Representative
The Board is the collective decision-making body for the Students’ Society. They organize events, provide services, and advocate for students. Board members are elected annually and are accountable to the 19,000+ undergrads they represent.
Lead Directors
Director of Campaigns and Community Relations
Email: campaigns@uvss.ca
Izzy Adachi (she/they)
Director of Campaigns and Community Relations
Hi UVIC! My name is Izzy Adachi. I use she/they pronouns, and I am a settler and uninvited guest on the unceded territories of the Songhees, Esquimalt, and WSANEC First Nations. I work to represent UVIC students at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels through lobbying and advocacy! I also work (alongside all our wonderful volunteers and staff) to run campaigns that advocate for students’ needs. I am passionate about fighting for the material needs of students like affordable housing, safe and accessible education options, and sexualized violence prevention.
Director of Student Affairs
Email: affairs@uvss.ca
Deborah Berman (she/her)
Director of Student Affairs
Hello! My name is Deborah Berman (Deb works too!), and I am excited to work as your Director of Student Affairs! I am a fifth-year student in Political Science and Environmental Studies and I grew up in a suburb of Vancouver on the traditional, unceded territories of the Kwikwetlem and Coast Salish peoples. I’m excited to work with you and I am here to help you with all things Course Unions, Clubs, PDUs, Advocacy Groups, and NSU. I am passionate about improving inclusivity, increasing mental health resources, and building stronger community bonds at UVic. If you have any questions, please reach out to me at affairs@uvss.ca! I can’t wait to talk to you!
Director of Events
Email: events@uvss.ca
Amber Powell (she/they)
Director of Events
Hi there, I’m Amber Powell, a 3rd year bio student, and I’ll be your UVSS Director of Events for the 2022-2023 year. My goals are to work on mental health on campus with some pleasant events aimed towards reducing stress, having fun, and growing a sense of community. If our campus becomes a more pleasant and inclusive place, I’ll have done my job properly. I’m also a member of the UVIC Salsa Club, and the Maryland entomological society. While we plan to see the return of some larger events on campus, we will be keeping Covid precautions in mind every step of the way to ensure student wellness.
Director of Finance & Operations
Email: finance@uvss.ca
Lane O’Hara Cooke
Director of Finance & Operations
Hi all! My name is Lane O’Hara Cooke. I am now serving as your Director of Finance and Operations after transitioning out of my role as the UVSS board representative for the Gender Empowerment Centre (GEM). I am a third year political science and gender studies student at UVic. I grew up on the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee Confederacy as determined by the Dish with One Spoon treaty, colonially referred to as Hamilton, Ontario.
With GEM I advocated for women and gender minoritized people which highlighted that we have to be intentional with inclusion and centre a wide array of voices for the best and most equitable UVSS policy and practice. I plan to weave these values into the work I do as a Lead Director. Though finance and operations is often considered to be one of the drier portfolios, I actually think that it can be one of the greatest forces of progress. Ultimately, important actions that support our values rely on smart decisions about how we collect and distribute our funds.
I look forward to working and serving you all. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me at any point.
Director of Outreach & University Relations
Email: outreach@uvss.ca
Ton Tran (he/him)
Director of Outreach & University Relations
Hi everyone! I am currently in my second year in Education and Indigenous Studies and was gratefully born and raised in Central BC, situated on the unceded territories of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation. I really enjoy learning the vast stories of others and I am even more excited to continue that as a director! I hope to continue to build strong and positive relationships with both students and the University.
With the support of our amazing team and students, I want to be involved in listening to issues and suggestions and bring them into reality, as well as ensure to work within our core values to deliver positive change in equity, transparency, and mental health. Meeting and talking to students are the highlight of my day, so feel free to come say hello 😊
Director of International Student Relations
Director of International Student Relations
Email: internationalrep@uvss.ca
Adam Choi (he/him)
Director of International Student Relations
My name is Adam Choi. I recall places like Hong Kong and Calgary in my past existence. My consciousness resides in Victoria now. I long for the day when all visitors of this land and ocean play in harmony. Before then, let’s be nice to each other.
Directors at Large
Sarah Buchanan (she/her)
Hey, I’m Sarah! I’m a student in the Faculty of Sociology, and I’ll be in my third year here this fall. I’m also a director at large working with the events portfolio! Outside of my school and work as a DaL, I like to have fun and meet people, or relax at home and play my guitar. I also like sketching and storytelling from time to time; I always carry a little notebook around with me to use whenever the vibe is right. I try not to take these hobbies too seriously, though — life is more fun if I don’t worry too much. In the wake of Covid, I think rebuilding the campus community should be a top priority. Luckily, that work is fun! I’m looking forward to meeting all of you this year, and filling the sub with life and excitement!
Natasha Dielmann (she/her)
Hello. My name is Natasha Dielmann and I am a third year working to complete a double major in Earth and Ocean with Physical Geography. I am excited to be on the UVSS board as a Director at Large. I am a Member of the Outreach portfolio and will be on the Outreach, Events, and Ecofoot committees. I enjoy painting, drawing, and baking, and I am always looking for new art forms to try out. Since moving to Victoria I have enjoyed the many hiking trails and beaches around the area. If you have any suggestions please let me know when you see me around campus.
Julien Edwardson (he/him)
Hey. My name is Julien Edwardson, and I’m a first year engineering student. I’m passionate about aerospace, things that go fast, and things that go ‘boom’. I’m a portfolio director for outreach and university relations, where I’ll be working to increase interest and engagement in the UVSS. I love democracy. I love the UVSS. I will always maintain the core values of our union, and will fight to maintain a safe and secure society. I value the participation of all the members of the undergraduate student body, and will be focused on improving this over the year to come. You can reach out to me via discord or reddit, I’ll be happy to talk anytime, about nearly anything.
Kate Laureta (she/her)
Hello everyone! I’m Kate and my pronouns are she/her. I’m one of your new Directors-at-Large for the UVSS Board of Directors. I was born and raised in Manila, Philippines where I was raised in Asian culture. I moved to Canada in 2017 to be with my dad and to finish my studies.
I identify as a bisexual Asian woman, and like other students on campus, I also have disabilities which is why I am registered with CAL (Centre for Accessible Learning). I ran for the UVSS Board, because I want to uplift the voices of all the students on campus, because I know what it’s like to have my own voice stifled. Before I transferred to UVic in 2021 to study psychology, I completed my Criminal Justice degree at Camosun College.
I’m passionate about learning and advocating about criminal justice and mental health; that is why I decided to study both. As a newly elected director, my main focuses are to strive to push for the following: Hybrid learning; more gender neutral washrooms; better mental health support; more accessible transit; and to end discrimination on campus. I know that this is going to be challenging so I’m hoping we could all work together to make change happen. Lastly, during my free time, I like to do the following: do outdoor activities such as hiking and camping; swimming; reading; writing poetry; playing guitar; doing fun activities with my husky, Sirius; and just chilling with my family especially my younger brothers!
Harrison Mundschutz (he/him)
Hey y’all, my name is Harrison. I have been studying chemistry for four years now. I am incredibly stoked to serve as your director at large under the finances and operations portfolio. I was born and raised in Victoria and I feel strongly tied to both the student body at UVic and the larger community. In my free time you can find me walking around beacon hill park, on a long bike ride all around the city, or simply sitting at home dreaming about gardening. I believe that an efficiently run UVSS is one that works best for students and I promise that I will work my hardest to ensure the organization runs as smoothly as possible while maintaining a high level of transparency.
Jordana Pangburn (she/her)
Hey!! My name is Jordana Pangburn, (she/her), and I have just finished my first year in humanities, where I plan to go into education. I grew up on the west coast on the territory of the Tla’ amin Nation (Powell River) where I developed an extensive background in LGBTQ2S+ and environmental activism, as well as a youth councillor and parliamentarian. When I’m not busy with various advocacy and volunteering groups, you can find me rock climbing or outside enjoying nature and identifying plants. After living on campus residence for a year and becoming introduced to university politics, I am super excited to be working on the Campaigns and Community Relations Portfolio. My election platform targeted student affordability and needs such as improving counselling services, pushing for accessible learning policies, increasing harm reduction structures, reducing food and housing costs, and eliminating paid textbooks. I also described how I would let my values/background in social justice and climate justice inform my actions in the UVSS, which I intend to be a big focus. I am looking forward to learning lots and making meaningful, tangible change for students. Feel free to reach out to me!
Lily Vokey (she/her)
Hello Everyone! My name is Lily Vokey, and I am so excited to be serving as one of your Directors at Large this year! I am a 5th-year student completing my honours in psychology with a minor in political science. Over the years, I have volunteered as an Orientation Leader, an Engage Leader and an Engagement Programming Coach for the New Student Connect Program. I am very passionate about creating an inclusive and welcoming environment on campus, and for me, that begins with mental health. My goals this year through my role on the board are to advocate for better, more accessible mental health supports and to orchestrate events to make more students excited and proud to be a part of the UVic community.
NATIVE STUDENTS UNION REPRESENTATIVE
Website: http://uvicnsu.ca
Email: firekeeper@uvicnsu.ca
Delwyn Marcoux
The Native Students’ Union Representative
CONSTITUENCY ORGANIZATION REPRESENTATIVES
Website: genderempowermentcentre.ca
Email: gemrep@uvss.ca
Bunni Williams
The Gender Empowerment Centre Representative
Website: uvicssd.com
Email: ssdrep@uvic.ca
Society for Students with a Disability (SSD) Representative
Ariana Chacon
Students of Colour Collective Representative
Hi everyone! My name is Ari and I am a second year Political Science international student from Costa Rica. Currently I have the privilege of being a guest on the stolen territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples. I am excited to bring some Latin spice to the board!
My interest in advocacy and anti-racism comes from my own experiences, as well as a want to create safe spaces for other BIPOC students to share theirs. I have over 7 years of experience in Model UN, a simulation debate activity that touches on some of the most pressing issues around the globe. I have also been part of advocacy groups and was involved in the student council throughout my high school years. Human rights issues have always brought out the utmost passion with me, and serving as SOCC Board Rep is an exciting opportunity for me to put anti-racism work into action. I am confident that we can all work together to create a more welcoming and accepting campus community, where students of all backgrounds can feel like they belong.
I am excited to get to work and listen to all of your comments and ideas! Please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or suggestions.
Website: uvicpride.com
Email: priderep@uvss.ca
Safi Morisho
Pride Collective Representative
Good day everyone,
My name is Safi. I was born on the unceded Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation and currently live on the unceded Territory of the Tsartlip First Nation. I am of Congolese, Ivorian, and French ancestry. Currently, in the process of pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce, I have a keen interest in how relationships shape our world.
I look forward to connecting with Pride Collective members to learn more about their needs. Please do not hesitate to reach out 🙂