Harshul Bhanjana

Harshul Bhanjana, He/Him/His

My name is Harshul Bhanjana and I am a fourth year health sciences student at McMaster University.

I am taking the CityLAB Semester in Residence program to use all that I have learned during my undergraduate career to contribute to meaningful work. It is a privilege to take an active role in the community I have called home for the last few years.

I am also excited to be learning and working with a diverse group of SiR students and mentors, each with their own valuable perspectives and experiences. More generally, my interests include health policy, global health, education, astronomy, and developmental neuroscience. I wish to pursue a career that allows me to explore these interests and have a positive impact.

Outside of the virtual classroom, I enjoy hiking, playing basketball, cooking, and spending time with my friends and family.

Ananya Yadav

Ananya Yadav She/Her

My name is Ananya Yadav, and I am currently in my final year of Political Science at McMaster University.

I am interested in continually expanding my knowledge base in public policy to affect positive change.

Through CityLAB SIR, I hope to become more actively involved in my community, and to learn life long skills that can help me establish my career in the field of public policy. I have always had a keen interest in issues regarding climate change, and I'm fortunate to have the opportunity to apply my skills in the Climate Change Resiliency Group. I am really looking forward to the work I do within CityLAB SIR, and to take my community involvement to a new level.

Saud Haseeb

Saud Haseeb He/His

My name is Saud Haseeb, and I am a third year student in the Health Sciences program at McMaster University.

My hometown is Belleville, Ontario, although I spend most the year in Hamilton and consider it to be my new home.

My family immigrated to Canada in 2009. Since then, I have had a strong interest in how members of our community, especially those who may face barriers in language or culture, access healthcare resources. During my time at McMaster, I have been a part of organizations such as the Muse Magazine, a student publication highlighting perspectives in medical humanities, and the Indigenous Health Movement, a student-run conference for academics, activists, and community members.

I have extended upon this learning by contributing to research in Indigenous maternal health, and research practices for Nunavummiut communities in Canada’s north. Collectively, these experiences have taught me the importance of community leadership and empowerment in any engagement process. This learning is motivated me to be a part of CityLAB SIR this year. Throughout the semester, my group is working with Al Fletcher of the Neighbourhood Development Section to create strategies the City can leverage to re-engage community members as we recover from the pandemic.

Rebecca Gysbers

Rebecca Gysbers She/Her/Hers

Hello! My name is Rebecca Gysbers and I’m in my 4th year at McMaster, pursuing a degree in Civil Engineering with an Interdisciplinary Minor in Sustainability. I am a proud Hamiltonian (born and raised), and I feel so honoured to be part of the Semester in Residence with CityLAB this year. This learning experience has really made me come to appreciate Hamilton (both the city and its people), its struggles and triumphs, and its amazingly gritty personality. The reasons that I chose my current program are the same reasons that I wanted to do a semester at CityLAB: I'm fascinated by the way that a city’s design and communities impact the day-to-day lives of its residents. I want to help Hamilton become a safer, healthier place to live, and doing a project at CityLAB seems like one of the best places to start. In my spare time I enjoy curling up to read a good book with my cat, watching musicals, going for long hikes in the woods, and swimming (before the pandemic I was on the McMaster Varsity Women’s Water Polo Team). This semester has been one of my favourite university experiences so far, and I am so happy to get to spend my hours on Microsoft Teams with my incredible fellow students and CityLAB professors.

Graeme Fishman

Graeme Fishman, He/Him/His

My name is Graeme Fishman and I am in my third year of the Arts and Science program at McMaster University.

My program is quite academic in nature, so having the opportunity to work on tangible projects for the City has been a unique and refreshing experience. CityLAB Semester in Residence has been an extraordinary exercise in problem solving and collaboration which far surpasses any experience available in the typical classroom environment. Semester in Residence allows students to discover how they learn best in a project-based learning environment. The experiential nature of the program means that students can learn from participating in real, important projects, and can use their own experience and background to make positive change in their communities.

As someone interested in pursuing education in architecture, I find the four main courses of CityLAB to be highly relevant and deeply valuable: Design, Dialogue, Project Management and City Building. Each of these courses has helped me think about architecture and urban design in new ways, and being able to apply these skills to real-world projects has helped to reinforce these lessons.

Divya Tamilselvan

Divya Tamilselvan, She/Her/Hers

My name is Divya Tamilselvan and I’m in the Biomedical Discovery and Commercialization program. I’m originally from Toronto and now I am proud to call myself a Hamilton transplant.

When asked about my interests, I often don’t know where to start as it ranges from medical technology, to mental health advocacy and management. Although I do know that the common theme between my interests, is creating meaningful and sustainable change in communities and this is exactly what CityLAB SIR is about.

I joined CityLAB with the hope of learning beyond theory and engaging with the people of the community that I’m proud to call home for the past few years. Through my experience thus far, it has been exactly that and more, as it has pushed me beyond my comfort zone, where true growth and character development occurs. I’m excited for more experiences, and more opportunities to learn from my peers, and more importantly, my community!

Maheen Shahid

Maheen Shahid, She/Her/Hers

I am currently a 4th year Sociology student in the Faculty of Social Sciences. Throughout my undergraduate career, I had the opportunity of participating in various extracurricular pursuits which allowed me to comprehend the value of community building and how the process relies upon fostering a mutual understanding amongst individuals from diverse backgrounds.

I learned that this mutual understanding often stemmed from a common goal of making this world a better place to live. Therefore, when I heard about the CityLAB Semester in Residence program, I was immediately drawn towards the program’s goal of tackling issues facing the Hamilton community today. Moreover, I wanted to partake in the program because it stimulates a learning environment where students are encouraged to apply their unique skills within a real-life setting. Furthermore, my academic interests reside in social policy, public health, as well as crime & deviance.

Outside of the classroom, I enjoy travelling and experiencing what each new place has to offer. My favourite place that I have travelled to would have to be Hong Kong due to its urban architecture.

Wendy Zhang

Wendy Zhang, She/Her

Hi! My name is Wendy and am a third year student studying Health Sciences at McMaster University.

This semester I am excited to be taking CityLAB SIR because it's refreshingly different from the biology courses I would normally be taking - and I have been enjoying getting to know Hamilton! Coming from Toronto, I used to think that Hamilton couldn’t compare to everything that exists in my hometown, but I think Hamilton is winning me over. SIR has opened my eyes to the beauty of Hamilton's many trails, waterfalls, and heritage sites that I haven't explored before. I now consider staying in Hamilton after graduation a very exciting option.

My interests include music (I play the violin, guitar, and sing A Cappella), biking, and teaching my dog party tricks. I love a long dog walk along the trail by my house. I also enjoy doing art and graphic design and aspire to work in a field where I can work towards championing equitable access to health information and services. I look forward to contributing my ideas about how we can make Hamilton a better place to live for everyone.

Zoe Ullyett

Zoe Ullyet, She/Her

My name is Zoe Ullyett, and I am in my 3rd year (honours) of life science program, minoring in French, at McMaster University. My academic interests include global and public health, while my hobbies consist of dance, working out, travelling and hiking. I started dancing at the age of 3 and became a competitive dancer at the age of 7. Throughout these experiences I learnt many useful skills such as time management, communication, teamwork, and creativity. These skills have been useful in my endeavours as I have used them in my work as an administrator at my dance studio, and my position on the McMaster Dance Recreational Executive Team. I found out about this opportunity in my LIFESCI 2AA3 course as we worked alongside CityLAB Hamilton, to determine ways to decrease sedentary behaviour in University students.

I am grateful for the opportunity I had to participate in CityLAB Student in Residence program as it has provided me with various chances to strengthen and learn new skills such as critical reflexivity, systems thinking, relationship building, the importance of empathy, communication etc. Understanding the lessons and techniques taught, I was able to apply them to my group project created for Engage Hamilton with Cindy Mutch. Our relationship-based project was created to increase the number of individuals who would participate on the Engage Hamilton website.

Sarnti Sornpaisarn

Sarnti Sornpaisarn, He/Him/His

I graduated high school from Whitby, Ontario and am currently in my fourth and final year of the health sciences program at McMaster University.

My hobbies includes sports, staying active, spending time with friends, and playing video games.

I take a special interest in advocating for and helping people living with multiple sclerosis. I decided to take SIR because I wanted to get a chance to work on projects with tangible outcomes as well as to practice my collaboration and communication skills.

Foram Patel

Foram Patel, She/Her/Hers

My name is Foram Patel and I am in my 4th year of Honours Life Science with minors in Sociology and Community Engagement. I was attracted to CityLAB Semester-In-Residence because I wanted to challenge myself and be a part of something outside of my comfort zone. As someone who has only lived in Hamilton for a brief period of time, I also wanted to learn about and explore more of Hamilton. When I got the email for CityLAB, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. However, having been through this experience, I can confidently say that this has been my best university experience so far!

This semester has allowed me to gain a deeper appreciation for Hamilton and meet incredible people. CityLAB is filled with so many enriching experiences that allowed me to develop systems thinking while broadening my perspective on social, economic and municipal challenges. My favorite part of CityLAB has been the people! There is so much value each member brings to the team and so much to learn from everyone. CityLAB has allowed me to serve a cause much greater than myself while being a part of an incredible experience.

Tanisha Palmer

Tanisha Palmer, She/Her/Hers

My name is Tanisha Palmer (she/her) and I am currently in my fourth year of Honours Health and Society at McMaster University. After completing a placement in Hamilton that shed light on the social determinants of health at play within the community I had been calling home for the past three years I was left wanting not only an experience that would strengthen my critical thinking and problem solving skills around our social institutions and community structures, but an opportunity that works towards providing tangible solutions for them. And that is exactly what I believe CityLAB SIR encompasses!

From learning about aspects of re-designing communities, city planning, effective dialogue, and community engagement in our current world to building professional skills, it is an opportunity like no other! My current project is surrounding healthy and safe communities, specifically by improving traffic infrastructure into ‘complete streets’. Learning about how to create streets that are safer for all users of all ages and abilities has forever changed the way I view traffic design. While everyone is drawn to this experience for different reasons, the new views and knowledge you gain from working in such an interdisciplinary setting, brings your learning to heights you could never have imagined!

Julia Menezes

Julia Menezes, She/Her/Hers

Julia is in her third year of the Arts & Science Program at McMaster University. In her free time, Julia loves cooking, drawing, spending time outdoors, and catching up on current events. She decided to enroll in CityLAB to indulge her interest in civic engagement, learn more about Hamilton, and put some of her theoretical learning into practice. Since beginning the CityLAB SIR, Julia could not imagine a better way (or group of people!) with which to spend countless hours on Microsoft Teams.

Clare McGall

Clare McGall, She/Her/Hers

Growing up in Hamilton, I had the privilege to be involved in multiple local initiatives, allowing me to identify the city's strengths and opportunities for growth. Hamilton has given so much to me and I wanted to continue returning the positive change but at a more comprehensive level. I joined the Semester in Residence program for two reasons. The first reason was to build confidence to engage with local politics and marginalized populations. I wanted to be part of a program that creates real change and empowers community members. The second reason was to develop some great relationships.

Almost two months into the program, I can say that I have fulfilled both objectives! My SIR experience has equipped me with the skills to effectively engage stakeholders, conduct public interest research, and design purposeful, beautiful municipal spaces. When I'm not busy working on the Parks Master Plan, you can catch me hiking on the Hamilton Escarpment or in my kitchen eating peanut butter toast!

Sage Hartmann

Sage Hartmann, She/Her

Taanishi (hello)! My name is Sage Hartmann, and I am a fourth-year Indigenous student majoring in Psychology Neuroscience and Behavior at McMaster University. In my spare time, I drink lots of coffee and enjoy making small talk in Zoom breakout rooms.

I was inspired to apply to CityLAB after vicariously living through the experiences of friends who are (now) CityLAB alumni; the unique, interdisciplinary nature of CityLAB attracted my attention. This experience has allowed me to learn from my peers and instructors' diverse academic and experiential backgrounds and ultimately challenged how I critically examine the current social systems and my position within society. In general, the enriched experiential learning has broadened my understanding of various city-wide challenges. Meanwhile, community engagement opportunities have allowed me to apply my knowledge and skills to project work and create meaningful change.

Adam Chojecki

Adam Chojecki, He/Him/His

Hi there, I am Adam from the Material Science and Engineering Department at McMaster University. My main aspiration and interests are with public transportation and studying the developments that are being done in this field.

The reason I decided to take part in CityLab SIR is to develop skills for public consultations and learn and practice how to create a project that could actually be used for the future.