Catherine O’Callaghan | Staff Writer
Trinity’s postgraduates have elected Meg Lee as president of the Graduate Students’ Union for 2014-15. As a sabbatical officer of the GSU, Meg will represent Trinity’s 3,500+ postgrad students on the Board, and throughout College, next year.
During the campaign, which was of the most heavily contested GSU sabbatical races in recent years, both candidates addressed a broad range of issues, highlighting the diversity and complexity of Trinity’s postgrad community. In particular, both candidates recognised the importance of adequate funding and working conditions for PhD students, and greater representation across College postgraduate students.
Meg, who is currently a Masters student in the Law School, campaigned on a range of issues, but focused particularly on the importance of postgraduate research, improving career prospects for graduate students, and developing stronger links across College and beyond.
Lee is originally from Montréal Canada, and explains on her campaign website how coming to Trinity as an international student has provided her with a unique perspective on the challenges of postgraduate life. She describes how her vision for the GSU is to ensure that no postgraduate student feels unsupported or isolated throughout their time at Trinity.
The incoming President also promises to lobby for better external funding opportunities, work to improve student welfare services tailored to the unique challenges of post grad life, and dedicate herself to raising the voice of postgraduates at Trinity.
Having spent many years volunteering with the Douglas Foundation, an organization that strives to better mental health support, Meg is particularly focused on raising awareness and access to mental health assistance on campus.
Following the Vice Presidential elections in two weeks’ time, next year’s GSU sabbatical team will begin their handover training with the current officers, before formally taking office in July.
