bio

bio

Lynnsey works with Branches as its Advisor for Indigenous initiatives, including the IMPRESS program. In this capacity, she is committed to working collaboratively to increase access and remove barriers to higher education for Indigenous students.

Prior to working with Branches, Lynnsey spent six years doing policy work within the innovation sector, including on issues related to equity, diversity and inclusion within higher education. Lynnsey’s background is in Sociology.

Lynnsey’s work with McGill aims to support the Calls to Action laid out in the Provost’s Task Force on Indigenous Studies and Indigenous Education, as well as those of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission more broadly. Lynnsey was born and raised in Treaty 4 and her father's family is Red River Métis.

Associate Director, Indigenous Student Success, Office of Indigenous Initiatives

Dean of Indigenous Education at John Abbott College

Assistant Professor; Senior Advisor, Indigenous Curriculum and Pedagogy (Office of Indigenous Initiatives)

Inaugural Manager of E-IDEA (Engineering Inclusivity, Diversity, and Equity Advancement)

Claudia Flynn is a learning and development specialist with E-IDEA (Engineering, Inclusivity, Diversity, and Equity Advancement) and is a natural-born go-getter with a passion for learning and working with others. She holds a BSc in Chemistry and Mathematics from Dalhousie University and is currently at McGill pursuing a MA in Teaching and Learning, specializing in Science and Technology. From the west coast of Newfoundland, Claudia is a founding member of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq first nations band and draws on her past experiences to shape her views of the future.

Camille joined the Branches team as the Black Community Outreach Associate. She is dedicated to facilitating access to higher education for Black youth as part of McGill’s Anti-Black Racism Action Plan. She collaborates with McGill and Montreal Black communities to co-develop mentoring programs that address the systemic challenges faced by Black communities in accessing University.  Outside of McGill, Camille works closely with non-profit organizations on projects that drive social change. Rooted in a community-centered approach, Camille’s experience is in leading and co-creating programs related to the social inclusion of racialized youth with non-profit organizations in Montreal.

Dr. Charles Gyan is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at McGill University. Dr. Gyan embodies a harmonious blend of intellectual pursuits and a deep-rooted passion for effecting social policy change, transnational social work practice, and community development. His multifaceted journey has seamlessly interwoven his academic and research interests with a profound dedication to advancing social justice. At the heart of Dr. Gyan's scholarly pursuits lies a conviction that society can be transformed through the pursuit of equity and fairness. His program of research reverberates with a resolute commitment to dismantling systemic barriers and championing the rights of marginalized communities. In every inquiry, he seeks to unveil the invisible threads that perpetuate inequality and inequity, striving to pave a more just and inclusive path forward. Dr. Gyan is the founding chair of Black Access McGill (BAM), an initiative that echoes his unwavering mission to create pathways that empower Black students within the McGill School of Social Work. Under his leadership, BAM has ignited transformative pathways, forged avenues that amplify outreach, recruitment, retention, and the graduation of Black students within the McGill School of Social Work. He was the recipients of the 2023 McGill University’s Award for Equity & Community Building - Academic Staff category.

The Frederick Phillips Summer Program

A B.C.L. & J.D. candidate at McGill University's Faculty of Law. Ommu-Kulsoom holds a joint-honours B.A. in Political Science and Islamic Studies. Experienced and highly skilled in research, document review, drafting reports, social media and branding. Her interests are largely business law, international human rights law, global politics and diplomacy.

Antoine-Samuel Mauffette Alavo (BA ’07) joined the equity team as Black Student Affairs Liaison. In this role, Antoine-Samuel is responsible for connecting with and supporting Black students across McGill at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, to ensure that their needs and interests are communicated effectively to the University and addressed in a timely and effective manner. Antoine holds an MA in International Studies from Université de Montréal. He has worked as a Liaison Officer and Field Studies Officer with McGill’s Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Science. He also worked as a coordinator for the Côte-des-Neiges Youth Center. Antoine wants to help all Black students reach their full professional and academic potential and connect with the Montreal Black community.

Director, Outreach & Advocacy, Black Medical Student Association; Mentor, Community Supports Program in Medicine and beneficiary of Black Candidate Pathway

Victor Sanchez Lopez is Associate Director, Student Involvement for Campus Life and Engagement at McGill University. For more than ten years, he has held different positions focused on youth development including Entrepreneurship Program Manager at LOJIQ – Les Offices jeunesse internationaux du Québec, International Trade Advisor for creative industries at the Ministère de l'Économie, de l'Innovation et de l'Énergie and Deputy General Manager at the Junior Chamber of Commerce of Montreal, a volunteer-led non-for-profit organization.

Content A

PhD Candidate at McGill University, Graduate Association of the Redpath Museum (GARM) and STEMM Diversity @ McGill

Black Student Network (BSN)

L.E.X. (Law-Éducation-Connexion) 

Seeta Ramdass, Patient &Community Advocate and Associate Director, Office of Social Accountability and Community Engagement (SACE) of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences   

She has over 25 years’ experience in healthcare communications, community, and media relations within the fields of public health and education and is known for her advocacy for socioculturally safe and equitable health care, inclusion and respect for culturally diverse, vulnerable and marginalized populations. 

A graduate from McGill in the field of Clinical Psychology, she has several certifications and diploma courses which include: the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Core Competency course in Gender and Health, the Training Program on Human Factors in Patient Security and Safety, and Prevention of Harassment in the Workplace at APER Santé et Services sociaux. She served as a member of the FMHS Social Accountability and Social Engagement Task Force, the Quebec government Groupe Action Contre le Racisme, and is a member of the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada Standing Committee on Social Accountability. Co-Chair of the MUHC’s Committee for Action on Inclusion, Diversity and Equity, she is known for her role as co-lead researcher and author of a report highlighting systemic racism and discrimination in Quebec. 

Audrey Sika Mvibudulu-Feruzi is the equity, diversity, and inclusion outreach administrator at the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences. As a former educator, fellow, policy advocate for English Learners, and a teaching leadership institute cadre member in Nashville, Tennessee, Mvibudulu-Feruzi actively works to promote STEMM disciplines and the dentistry career to underrepresented high school and CEGEP students in Montreal and Quebec. Mvibudulu-Feruzi is passionate about promoting outreach initiatives, inclusivity, minority affairs, diversity, and equity at McGill University and in Montreal

Grant joined the McGill School of Continuing Studies’ new SEED Initiative as the program administrator in March 2023. In this role, he is crafting and implementing the program with a goal to increase access to professional education and career advancement. Previously, he served as a specialist for the Office of Homeless Services of Alameda County in the San Francisco Bay Area where he focused on creating and accessing permanent supportive housing opportunities for the most vulnerable of the county’s thousands of unhoused residents. Prior to working at the county, Grant worked as a specialist for the City of Alameda’s Rent Program where he implemented the rent stabilization ordinance that had been recently enacted by the city council in an attempt to mitigate the rapidly rising cost of rent and increased evictions in the community. Before working in municipal government, Grant administered fair housing programs at several non-profit organizations in the Bay Area, with a mission to ensure that equal opportunity and non-discrimination laws were observed in the rental, sale, advertising, and management of housing.