Co-President: Cate Cooke
Cate (she/her) is a third-year studying with a major in sociology and a minor in Law and Society. Her favourite areas of sociology include gender and sexuality. Cate’s favourite sociology class has been SOCI 250 Crime and Society with Craig Meadows. As one half of this year’s Co-Presidents, she hopes to organize and guide the team to continue bringing successful events, socials, and other initiatives to our sociology community! In her free time, she enjoys baking and cooking new recipes and exploring Vancouver.
Co-President: Constance Lau
Constance (she/her) is a third-year student majoring in Sociology and minoring in Political Science. Her academic interests lie in the Sociology of Gender, specifically pertaining to the constructions of femininities and masculinities that operate within heteronormative social structures. During her time at UBC, she is grateful to the professors who have sparked her interest in Sociology, especially Professor Katherine Lyon, who teaches SOCI 290: Global Pandemics and Professor Rima Wilkes who teaches SOCI 310: Canadian Society. As Co-President, she hopes to introduce more professional development and academic events and support Sociology students in their academic journeys. When Constance is not committing to Sociology, you can usually find her listening to music, reading, or exploring different hiking trails!
VP Academic: Maxene Uy
Maxene (she/they) is a currently in her 3rd year of her sociology major and law and society minor. Her academic interests in sociology lie in sociology of family and sociology of crime. In her current position, she has successfully implemented a book drive and sale initiative where she gets books donated by professors and sell them. Maxene would like to implement the continuation of the grad school cohort which focuses on aiding students interested in a masters degree. Otherwise, she would like to utilize her role by getting students engaged in sociology through fun videos and social media posts! When Maxene is not in school or doing SSA endeavours, she is at the gym or reading a good book. She also does volunteer at the food hub that is located in CIRS!
VP Administration: Miyu Nakayama
Miyu (she/her) is a fourth year Sociology major.
VP AUS (Arts Undergraduate Society): Emma Martin-Rousselle
Emma (she/her) is a fourth-year Sociology major and Environment & Society minor, completing a B+MM dual-degree. Her academic interests involve the intersection of her degrees, studying businesses and other institutions through social, political, industrial-organizational, and environmental lenses. In the future, she hopes to apply sociology to the corporate world, creating positive social impacts in workplaces and communities. Her favourite SOCI course so far has been SOCI 260 (Work and Society) with Dr. Beth Hirsch, as it opened her eyes to the many sociological factors that will influence her future in the workplace. As this year’s Vice President AUS, Emma’s role involves bridging the gap between the SSA and the larger Arts community as the SSA’s representative to AUS Council, particularly as she represents students on the AUS’s Governance and Council Accountability committees. Outside of SSA, Emma can be found working as a Student Ambassador, giving tours around campus; telling anyone who will listen about how her semester on exchange in Australia ‘changed her life’; and fuelling her studies with jalapeño cheddar bagels from Blue Chip.
VP Communications: Kelly Yeung
Kelly (she/her) is a fourth year student majoring in Sociology Honours and minoring in Urban Studies. Her main academic interest is in urban sociology, particularly within the context of Metro Vancouver. While a number of faculty members have contributed towards her interest in sociology, she has especially enjoyed SOCI 342 (Consumers and Consumption) with Dr. Clayton Childress. The course was incredibly interesting as she was able to learn about how one’s socialization influences their habits and taste (in media and other interests). As VP Communications, Kelly aims to use visual and written media to help foster a stronger sense of community within and beyond the sociology department. Outside of the SSA, she may be working at the UBC Learning Exchange, or listening to music and strolling around campus (especially in the sun).
VP External: Cristina Felekan
Cristina (she/her) is a fifth-year student majoring in Sociology and Political Science. Her interests in Sociology include Sociology of Family structures and dynamics, Sexualities, and Political Sociology, which looks at how government structures influence society and vice versa. Cristina’s two favourite Sociology courses are SOCI 415 with Dr. Alyssa Alexander and SOCI 369 with Dr. Tony Silva. Dr. Alexander has been an inspiration and has greatly influenced Cristina’s love for the Sociology of Family, and SOCI 369 was a super interesting and thorough course that Cristina felt she learnt a lot in. As the VP External, Cristina hopes to connect UBC Sociology students with the broader Sociology community (including students, alumni, and academics) across Canada in order to help them grow academically, professionally, and create new networks! When not committing to Sociology, Cristina enjoys crocheting, taking care of her plants, watching a movie, or deep diving into one of her many random interests.
VP Finance: Farid Rahimi-Nejad
Farid (he/him) is a fifth-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Law and Society. He is particularly drawn to the social mechanisms that shape everyday life and the intersection between law and societal norms. He is also intrigued by the medicalization of social issues and the ways in which social determinants of health intersect with broader social forces. At UBC, Farid’s favourite courses include SOCI 312: Gender Relations with Dr. Jennifer L. Berdahl, exploring gendered social relations and systems upholding gender binaries, and SOCI 342: Consumers and Consumption with Professor Amy Hanser, examining how consumption shapes identity, social stratification, and global structures in the context of social media and environmental crises. As SSA VP of Finance and Treasurer, Farid fosters cohesion and ensures effective financial management. Beyond academics and SSA responsibilities, Farid enjoys reading, exploring UBC’s natural beauty, music and pop culture, writing poetry and music, and playing volleyball in UBC Arts intramurals.
VP Outreach: Haqiqat Gill
Haqiqat (she/her) is a third-year majoring in Sociology and minoring in Law and Society. She loves studying about crime and law and their intersection with our society. She also enjoys studying about different cultures and societies! Because of this, she loved SOCI 310 with Dr. Rima Wilkes because it focuses on different aspects of the Canadian Society including migration, which is also her area of interest. Through Haqiqat’s position of VP Outreach, she wants to make the Soci-Squad (mentor/mentee program) more widely known and accessible for the incoming students in order to make their transition to university easier! This year, there were 40 applicants in the first cycle of applications and are expecting more during the term 2! In her free time, she likes to go on nature walks and she also love going to the gym!
VP Social: Elliot Kitching
Elliot (he/him) is a fifth year Sociology major and Environment & Society minor.