Elections

CSEE Council Elections 2025/ Élections au Conseil de la SCEE 2025

The 2025 CSEE election is being held from 6 May until 20 May 2025. The slate of candidates and their statements have been posted online and in an email from the CSEE.

We are now holding elections for the positions of: Treasurer (3 year term, renewable), Regular Councillor (2 positions, 3 year term) and Post-doctoral Councillor (1 position, 2 year term). You can read descriptions of what the positions entail in our Standing Rules, available at: https://csee-scee.ca/council-gouvernance/

We expect that new council members will take up their positions on September 1, 2025.

Candidate bios are posted below.

Treasurer

Jannice Friedman: I am a plant evolutionary biologist and Associate Professor at Queen’s University, Canada, where my lab researches the evolution of plant reproductive strategies, life history evolution and sexual selection. I was previously an Associate Professor at Syracuse University. I am always impressed by the quality of scientific research by CSEE members and I value the supportive, inclusive and representative practices of the society. As CSEE Treasurer, I aim to ensure robust financial oversight for the society and allocate funds effectively to support research, meetings, and outreach efforts. I bring experience in budget oversight at Queen’s Phytotron, managing grants from Canadian and American funding agencies, and involvement in academic societies through editorial positions. I believe in fostering a sense of community and collaborative problem-solving. I will bring these values to CSEE to support Canadian science, given our unique strengths and challenges. I aim to increase engagement with CSEE year-round through webinars, discussion forums and other programs, as well as advocate for researchers at all levels.

Regular Councillor

Simon Joly: I am a botanist who studies ecology and evolution. I have a PhD from the Université de Montréal (2006) and did postdoctoral studies at Massey University, New Zealand (2006-2008) and at McGill (2008-2010). I am a researcher at the Montreal Botanical Garden and an adjunct professor at the Université de Montréal since 2010. I am also director of the Institut de recherche en biologie végétale (IRBV), a non-profit organization dedicated to research in botany and biodiversity. I have always enjoyed engaging in public service and my work would feel incomplete without contributing to the well-being of the research community and advancing scientific outreach. If elected to the council, I aim to expand the CSEE's influence in Canada by taking a stand on societal issues, investing in outreach activities, and increasing our membership. I would also work towards increasing research funding in the form of grants and scholarships for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers.

Regular Councillor

Kiyoko Gotanda: I have been a member of CSSE since I was a graduate student. Because the society has been instrumental to my scientific career as well as to countless others students and researchers, I would like to be considered as a councillor and contribute to its mandate.  As a councillor, initiatives such as partnering with Canadian Science Publishing, advocating for Support our Science, and continued support of graduate students are the kind of things I would continue to champion and promote.  It would be an honour for me to be a part of a society that supports, advocates and promotes science in Canada.

Regular Councillor

Rob Laird: I’m a plant senescence researcher, Professor, and departmental Co-Chair at the University of Lethbridge, where I teach ecology and biostatistics courses. I have strong involvement in graduate education, both as a supervisor and as a past-Chair of my university’s MSc Program Committee. I have served on numerous other department- and university-level committees as well. In addition to my roles at U of L, other relevant experiences include being an Editorial Board member of Biology Letters for eleven years, and serving for four years on the Alberta Conservation Association’s grants adjudication committee.    Since CSEE’s founding, I’ve admired its effectiveness in scientific community-building, advocacy for basic and applied research, and influence on public policy. The Society has helped shape my professional development, and I am eager to contribute to its continued success. In particular, I believe I can help represent perspectives of members at small/medium-sized institutions who experience unique challenges and opportunities.      

Regular Councillor

Ailene MacPherson: As an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Simon Fraser University, I am naturally an advocate for all voices in our field. In my research on local adaptation, host-parasite coevolution, and phylodynamics, I strive to strengthen connections between the disciplines of ecology, evolution and epidemiology that CSEE represents. My research also gives me a unique appreciation for the synergy between macro- and microevolution; I would like to facilitate more opportunities for interaction between these subfields to address contemporary challenges from biodiversity crisis to public health. The greatest joy in my work comes from collaborations—whether between empirical and theoretical biologists, academics and practitioners, or trainees and mentors. As a council member, I will work to support the diverse expertise, approaches, and people that make up our community, advocate for graduate students and early-career researchers, and facilitate collaborations that will shape the future of our field.

Postdoctoral Councillor

Takuji Usui: I am a postdoc at University of Toronto studying the evolutionary ecology of species distributions and species interactions. I am running for the Postdoctoral Councillor position as I would love to give back to our favourite society, which has been my home since the start of my PhD at UBC. To the council, I will bring my experience serving in various committees, working with inclusive mentorship programs, and leading outreach initiatives with local non-profit organizations in the community. I will also offer perspectives from being an immigrant student and researcher in Canada. My key aims as a Postdoctoral Councillor would be to strengthen professional development opportunities, foster avenues for advocacy training, and build an inclusive and connected community of E&E postdocs across Canada. It would be a privilege to advocate for my fellow researchers, and I am committed to ensuring that all voices within our community are valued and represented.

Postdoctoral Councillor

Laurence Feyten: I’m a behavioural ecologist and Postdoctoral Fellow at the Université de Québec à Montréal, having earned my PhD at Concordia University. I study behavioural responses of animals to understand how animals deal with rapidly changing environments. The CSEE has been integral to my professional development since I joined in 2018, and I’d be delighted to contribute to the society as a postdoctoral councillor. In this position, I’ll apply my experience as VP Communications of Concordia’s biology graduate student association and as a founding member and Secretary of the American Fisheries Society of Québec student subunit. I’m proficient at organizing, mentorship, networking, and community outreach, maintaining records, and promoting member engagement through social media platform management and email communications. I’d love to apply my skillset to the communications and awards committees, and I aspire to effectively represent postdoctoral and student members and actively engage the public regarding the importance of CSEE’s work.

Postdoctoral Councillor

Alexander Hare: I am a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Victoria. My current research integrates diverse techniques from the fields of ecophysiology, spatial ecology, and bioacoustics to address how climate change is impacting marine mammals within the Inuvialuit Settlement Region of the western Canadian Arctic. As a postdoctoral councillor, I hope to contribute towards the already welcoming and dynamic society that I am grateful to be a part of. I aim to do this by hosting more online workshops, seminars, and social events that facilitate engagement over our spatially disparate membership. Further, I plan to work towards increasing funding opportunities to support undergraduate and graduate student participation in our annual meetings, increasing the accessibility and diversity of our society.

Postdoctoral Councillor

Mona Parizadeh: I am a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Calgary specializing in microbial ecology and bioinformatics. I earned my Ph.D. in 2021 from UQAM. During my doctoral studies, I co-organized the QCBS seminar series on ecological research. Since 2023, I have served as President of the International Community of Iranian Academics (ICOIA), promoting academic collaboration and supporting at-risk scholars. I also founded the ICOIA Online School, offering free scientific courses to Persian-speaking students to address educational inequalities. As Communication Coordinator and Event Organizer for the Artistic Research Translation in the Sciences (ARTS) Society, I promote interdisciplinary approaches by coordinating workshops and seminars that integrate art and science. Recently, I led the project "Bridging Gaps in Research Computing for Canadian Persian-speaking Immigrants," funded by the Digital Research Alliance of Canada, enhancing inclusivity in research computing. Fluent in French, English, and Persian, I aim to leverage my experience in event organization and leadership to promote diversity, facilitate interdisciplinary collaborations, and support early-career researchers.