Bioengineering Undergraduate Student Society
The Bioengineering Undergraduate Student Society (BUSS) is a student organization which serves to represent all undergraduate students in the Department of Bioengineering at McGill University. BUSS is dedicated to providing academic and social opportunities to inspire, entertain, and guide its members through their undergraduate degree.
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| Established | 2017 |
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| Contact/Feedback Form | https://forms.gle/JDW8nq7Zt9k9m8ca6 |
History
After the official formation of McGill's Undergraduate Department of Bioengineering in the 2016-2017 academic year, the first cohort of bioengineering undergraduate students collaborated with McGill's Chemical Engineering Student Society (ChESS) to integrate their department within the Engineering Undergraduate Society (EUS). BUSS was formally established in January 2017, after a unanimous vote by the EUS Council to recognize BUSS as an official student society under the EUS. The first ever BUSS Executive Committee was elected in February 2017.
Events
Social Events
Potluck
At the start of every academic year, BUSS organizes a potluck as a way for returning students to catch up with peers and for incoming students to meet new friends. Usually taking place at an apartment, Potluck is an opportunity to have a wide variety of food, without having to cook all of it.
BUSS Blues
Blues Pub, the Engineering student pub is hosted by a different society every week to fundraise. Twice a year, BUSS hosts the event, and was the winner of Blues Pub of the year in 2017-2018.
BUSS Clothing Sale
Once in the fall and once in the winter, BUSS organizes a clothing sale for Bioengineering students to represent their department. The catalogues are usually made available early in the semester and clothing usually arrives about a month later. As clothing is sold at cost, this is an affordable way to show school spirit.
BUSS Banquets
At the end of the Fall & Winter semesters, BUSS organizes a banquet at a local Montréal restaurant which is followed by an after-party with all the other Engineering departments. A couple of profs are invited and attend, as well as departmental staff. Banquet is one of the only semi-formal events, making it a great event for taking photos. The Winter banquet, usually in April, turns into a gala where awards recognizing spirit and various accomplishments are handed out.
Year Bonding Events
Each U-Rep will host various bonding events each semester specifically for students in their given year. This is a great opportunity for students to get to know each other in their year and to de-stress from schoolwork. Such events include Board Game Nights, Wings Nights, DIY Sundaes and more!
Mental Wellness Events
The Equity & Mental Health Representative often will host various events to help bioengineering relax during exam periods. These events aim to promote positive mental health and give a chance for students to take a break and de-stress.
Professional & Academic Events
BUSS Ride
BUSS Ride is the name of our very own industry tour. The first ever BUSS Ride took place January 2019 in Toronto, where students toured a biomedical technology company, attended a conference on innovation and invention in surgery, and had the opportunity to explore the city. BUSS Ride will be returning for its second edition January 24th-26th, 2020
BioEngage
Initially starting off as a speed-network event, BioEngage has turned into a month-long event involving various presentations, workshops, lab & company tours and fairs to get students involved in bioengineering and discover future career options.
Research Seminars & Lab Tours
Working in conjunction with the Bioengineering Department and the graduate Biological & Biomedical Engineering Department, various research seminars occur during the year to highlight work being done by the professors in their laboratories. Usually two professors will present their research in a given seminar which helps expose students to the various applications of bioengineering and allows them to have a first-hand look a future in academia. Lab tours are also featured and allow students to visit potential graduate school and SURE placements. This is also a great time to conversate with professors!
Academic Forum
Held once a semester, the Academic Forum allows students to communicate any academic questions and concerns directly to the department. This is a great time to express any challenges you may be having with a course. The department chair, head of undergraduate curriculum and BUSS Council members will all be in attendance for this event.
Multi-department Events
Apartment Crawls
Usually in conjunction with other small engineering departments such as ChESS and MEUS, BUSS hosts apartment crawls, where teams of around 10 people go around the Milton-Parc community, stopping at various apartments for food and drink.
Initiatives
BUSS Newsletter
Every week, the VP Communications creates a newsletter highlighting upcoming BUSS & EUS events, as well any other opportunities that may be of interest to bioengineering students. At the end of the newsletter is the very special BUSSie of the Week! This weekly segment features a bioengineering student with a little blurb to get to know people within the department! If you're not already receiving the newsletters, you can contact the VP Communications (buss.vpcomm@mcgilleus.ca) to subscribe!
Buddy Program
The goal of the BUSS Buddy Program is to connect incoming students with a current Bioengineering student to provide advice and act as a mentor. This is a great way for new students to feel comfortable at McGill and ask any questions and receive guidance from an older student!
Lounge Hunting
While BUSS may not have a lounge (yet), the hunt will never stop! The Executive Council is always on the lookout for potential lounge spaces and is working hard towards one day obtaining a space to call our own. In particular, the President often communicates with the Faculty and Building Managers to stay up-to-date on any potential openings. Hopefully with all this hard work, BUSS will soon have a place to call home.
Executive Council
| Position: | Name: | Email: |
|---|---|---|
| President | Peter Chimienti | buss.president@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP Finance | Beth Cushnie | buss.vpfinance@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP Internal | Josh Negenman | buss.vpinternal@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP External | Graeme McDougall | buss.vpexternal@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP Academic | Jennifer Jiang | buss.vpacademic@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP Administration & Engagement | Serena Kim | buss.vpae@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP Communications | Marc Amin | buss.vpcomm@mcgilleus.ca |
| U0 Representative | TBA in Fall 2022 | buss.u0rep@mcgilleus.ca |
| U1 Representative | TBA in Fall 2022 | buss.u1rep@mcgilleus.ca |
| U2 Representative | Olivia Ouellet | buss.u2rep@mcgilleus.ca |
| U3 Representative | Ingi El Shahid | buss.u3rep@mcgilleus.ca |
| U4 Representative | Lena Kozarov | buss.u4rep@mcgilleus.ca |
| Equity Coordinator | Claire Marie Levasseur | equity.bio@mcgilleus.ca |
| Mental Health Coordinator | Sophie Allard | bio.mentalhealth@mcgilleus.ca |
| Position: | Name: | Email: |
|---|---|---|
| President | Lena Kozarov | buss.president@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP Finance | Neal Fahey | buss.vpfinance@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP Internal | Peter Chimienti | buss.vpinternal@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP External | Beth Cushnie | buss.vpexternal@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP Academic | Jake Pringle | buss.vpacademic@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP Administration & Engagement | Michael Parsons | buss.vpae@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP Communications | Efe Grant-Oyeye | buss.vpcomm@mcgilleus.ca |
| U0 Representative | Claire Levasseur | buss.u0rep@mcgilleus.ca |
| U1 Representative | Serena Kim | buss.u1rep@mcgilleus.ca |
| U2 Representative | Nassib Hassouna | buss.u2rep@mcgilleus.ca |
| U3 Representative | Jeremy Rau | buss.u3rep@mcgilleus.ca |
| U4 Representative | Jordan Legendre | buss.u4rep@mcgilleus.ca |
| Equity & Mental Health Coordinator | Grace Reszetnik | equity.bio@mcgilleus.ca |
| Position: | Name: | Email: |
|---|---|---|
| President | Brenda Shen | buss.president@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP Finance | Chu Ying Cao | buss.vpfinance@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP Internal | Kitaro Jung | buss.vpinternal@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP External | Lena Kozarov | buss.vpexternal@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP Academic | Anna Ciprick | buss.vpacademic@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP Administration & Engagement | Peter Chimienti | buss.vpae@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP Communications | Sarah Kim | buss.vpcomm@mcgilleus.ca |
| U0 Representative | Maxwell Au | buss.u0rep@mcgilleus.ca |
| U1 Representative | Nassib Hassouna | buss.u1rep@mcgilleus.ca |
| U2 Representative | Katie Devine | buss.u2rep@mcgilleus.ca |
| U3 Representative | Jordan Legendre | buss.u3rep@mcgilleus.ca |
| U4 Representative | Maya Kenton | buss.u4rep@mcgilleus.ca |
| Equity & Mental Health Coordinator | Justin Sacksner & Tahsin Abedi | equity.bio@mcgilleus.ca |
| Position: | Name: | Email: |
|---|---|---|
| President | Samuel Baker | buss.president@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP Finance | Aaron Krim-Yee | buss.vpfinance@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP Internal | Brenda Shen | buss.vpinternal@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP External | Jacques Carmichael | buss.vpexternal@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP Academic | Kenji Marshall | buss.vpacademic@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP Administration & Engagement | Kitaro Jung | buss.vpae@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP Communications | Johnny Liu | buss.vpcomm@mcgilleus.ca |
| U0 Representative | Matthew MacDonald | buss.u0rep@mcgilleus.ca |
| U1 Representative | Sarah Kim | buss.u1rep@mcgilleus.ca |
| U2 Representative | Jordan Legendre | buss.u2rep@mcgilleus.ca |
| U3 Representative | Maisha Fairuz-Khan | buss.u3rep@mcgilleus.ca |
| U4 Representative | Maya Kenton | buss.u4rep@mcgilleus.ca |
| Equity & Mental Health Representative | Justin Sacksner | equity.bio@mcgilleus.ca |
| Position: | Name: | Email: |
|---|---|---|
| President | Maya Kenton | buss.president@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP Finance | Mustafa Fakih | buss.vpfinance@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP Internal | Samuel Baker | buss.vpinternal@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP External | Tobi Olasubulumi | buss.vpexternal@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP Academic | Olivia Mamane | buss.vpacademic@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP Administration & Engagement | Jennifer Duffy | buss.vpae@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP Communications | Lucas Hamilton-Bourezg | buss.vpcomm@mcgilleus.ca |
| U0 Representative | Jeremy Rau | buss.u0rep@mcgilleus.ca |
| U1 Representative | Jordan Legendre | buss.u1rep@mcgilleus.ca |
| U2 Representative | Hope Juliette Kelly | buss.u2rep@mcgilleus.ca |
| U3 Representative | Angela Wong | buss.u3rep@mcgilleus.ca |
| U4 Representative | n/a | buss.u4rep@mcgilleus.ca |
| Equity & Mental Health Representative | Mingrui Guo | equity.bio@mcgilleus.ca |
| Position: | Name: | Email: |
|---|---|---|
| President | Niloufar Seraj | buss.president@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP Finance | Patrick O'Neil | buss.vpfinance@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP Internal | Maya Kenton | buss.vpinternal@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP External | Domenico Lopez | buss.vpexternal@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP Academic | Michael Phelan | buss.vpacademic@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP Administration & Engagement | Itai Wine | buss.vpae@mcgilleus.ca |
| VP Communications | Adam Melnyk | buss.vpcomm@mcgilleus.ca |
| U0 Representative | Griffin Copp | buss.u0rep@mcgilleus.ca |
| U1 Representative | Hope Juliette Kelly | buss.u1rep@mcgilleus.ca |
| U2 Representative | Ella Reifsnyder | buss.u2rep@mcgilleus.ca |
| U3 Representative | n/a | buss.u3rep@mcgilleus.ca |
| U4 Representative | n/a | buss.u4rep@mcgilleus.ca |
| Equity & Mental Health Representative | n/a | equity.bio@mcgilleus.ca |
All BUSS Council positions are elected in the Winter Semester of the previous academic year, excluding the U0, U1 and E&M Representatives which are selected by Selection Committee in September.
Committees
BUSS First-Year Committee (FYC)
Chaired by the Vice-President Administration & Engagement, the First-Year Committee is a group U0 and U1 students that work together to host events and create initiatives specifically for first-years. FYC often hosts two events per semester and work together to create a strong and welcoming community for newly admitted students! This is a great way for first-year students to become involved.
Academic Committee
Chaired by the Vice-President Academic, the Academic Committee consists of students from all years that work to bridge the gap between students and the department. Their main goal is to communicate with bioengineering professors and administration, giving them feedback and suggestions for courses. They also help to resolve any academic issues students may have with courses. The Academic Committee also works to promote the research occurring within bioengineering labs. They often will host various workshops and seminars that help expose students to the great work being done in acaedmia and industry!
BUSS Feedback Form
Get in touch with BUSS! If you would like to contact any of the Execs or leave us some feedback/new ideas (anonymously or not!) feel free to let us know on the BUSS Contact/Feedback Form!