On Jan. 22, McGill’s Quebec Public Interest Research Group (QPIRG-McGill) chapter held an information session on how to run for student government positions at the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU), titled “Fix Student Democracy.” The talks explored how student involvement in these administrative positions can enact positive change for[Read More…]
Articles by Russel Ismael
Recap: AGSEM in the process of bargaining for better invigilator contract
The Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill (AGSEM) is bargaining for an improved contract for invigilators after the Collective Agreement between the university and the association expired on Dec. 1, 2025. The new contract demands a pay increase from $18 CAD per hour to a comparable wage between Université[Read More…]
Plurilingual Lab restarts Grad Talk series with a discussion on multilingual classrooms
McGill’s Plurilingual Lab resumed its Grad Talks series on Jan. 15 as part of an initiative to highlight graduate students’ research on language education while also allowing them to receive constructive feedback from other researchers. The first talk of the year was led by Tiffany Tam, a University of Toronto[Read More…]
Robbie Madsen challenges misconceptions of homelessness in QPIRG-McGill talk
The Quebec Public Research Interest Group at McGill (QPIRG-McGill) hosted a workshop called “What does homelessness look like in our communities?” on March 25 as part of the annual Spring into Action series. Robbie Madsen headed the discussion, speaking about the 15 years of homelessness they experienced while travelling across[Read More…]
University establishes Thrift McGill to promote a circular economy on campus
In February, the Student Life and Learning and Student Housing and Hospitality Services celebrated three months since the opening of Thrift McGill, which was established with funding from the Sustainability Projects Fund (SPF). The store, located at 3473 Rue University, seeks to promote more sustainable shopping on campus by facilitating[Read More…]
Frozen zero-cement backfill may cement a carbon-free future
In 2022, cement production accounted for eight per cent of the world’s total carbon emissions, releasing 1.6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. As climate change worsens, reducing carbon emissions becomes more necessary than ever. As such, many researchers are seeking alternative methods to produce cement-like materials without[Read More…]
AGSEM experiences negotiation delay for Unit 3 union members
On Nov. 27, the Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill (AGSEM) elected a bargaining committee to negotiate on behalf of Unit 3, representing over 250 members. Unit 3 is composed of “course-based academic casuals,” which include graders, course assistants, and graduate teaching fellows. Unit 3 is separate from AGSEM’s[Read More…]
Recap: McGill student societies hold General Assemblies to strike in solidarity with Palestine
During the week of Nov. 18, several McGill student associations held General Assemblies (GAs) to vote on a motion to strike in solidarity with Palestine following a national call for action from Students for Justice in Palestine. Thhe McGill Students’ Geography Society (MUGS), Philosophy Students’ Association (PSA), and Anthropology Students’[Read More…]
McGill Robotics team engineers innovation from the ground up—literally
McGill clubs are no strangers to design and innovation, with the Faculty of Engineering hosting countless engineering teams. From concrete canoes to rockets, students have many avenues to exercise their creativity. One such team, McGill Robotics, offers students the chance to translate their mechanical fantasies into reality. McGill Robotics is[Read More…]
How does sign language impact deaf children’s ability to learn spoken language?
An infant’s first three years of life are their most intensive period for acquiring language. At this stage, parents often speak to their children to stimulate language development and avoid communication challenges later on for their infant. However, this period can be difficult to navigate for speaking parents of deaf[Read More…]
Gerts Bar & Café closed due to safety concerns in the basement space
The Gerts Bar & Café under the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) remains closed with the start of the school year because of concerns regarding its space in the University Centre. Expected to open by the end of the semester, the café will move to the Centre’s first floor,[Read More…]
Byte-sized Care: Is AI the key to cracking the mental health crisis?
Across Canada, 1.6 million children face mental health issues in an ongoing crisis which is exacerbated by a shortage of mental healthcare professionals. Given the potential benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) in diagnosing, preventing, and treating mental illnesses, some people are turning to AI for solutions. But should the future[Read More…]
Professor Johnathan Flowers discusses ableist algorithms in virtual lecture
Professor Johnathan Flowers of California State University, Northridge gave a virtual talk entitled “Ableist Algorithms and Digital Disability” as part of the “Disrupting Disruptions: Feminist Publishing, Communications and Technologies” speaker series on Sept. 11. Organized by professor Alex Ketchum of the McGill Institute for Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies (IGSF),[Read More…]
38th Soup & Science event sees talks on ice, stars, and Panama
The McGill Faculty of Science hosted the 38th edition of Soup & Science in the SSMU Ballroom from Sept. 3 to 6. Here, professors and students across many disciplines, from psychology to astrophysics, presented their scientific passion projects. Monitoring Arctic sea ice To begin the Sept. 5 presentations, Mallik Mahmud,[Read More…]
The sky’s the limit—or is it?
McGill hosted the eighth Interstellar Symposium from July 10 to 13 and assembled a stellar panel of experts, ranging from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) engineers to space lawyers, to discuss how to expand civilization into space. The public panel featured: Alan Stern, the engineer in charge of the[Read More…]
Super Sandwich closes after thirty five years of business
McGill student-favourite Super Sandwich shut its doors on June 23, citing increasing rent. The small dépanneur, which opened in 1988 and operated out of the basement of the Cartier Building, was popular among McGill students for its affordable sandwiches. Consequently, Super Sandwich reached out to SSMU, considering the possibility of[Read More…]
At the precipice of discovery
Abstract Scientific publishing has become a ruthless game. The infamous aphorism of “publish or perish” describes the pressure academics feel to publish their research extensively and stay relevant within their field. This problem manifests and is tied to a host of other disparities of accessibility within the science research field.[Read More…]
Advancing scientific frontiers through undergraduate research
On March 15, the fourth Undergraduate Poster Showcase took place in the Students’ Society of McGill University Ballroom, bringing in a new cohort of student scientists. Nearly 400 attendees congregated that evening to learn from the 117 students presenting their projects, ranging from earthquakes melting rocks to building a safer[Read More…]
Making soup with methane, vitamin D, mRNA, and shellfish waste
The 35th semesterly Soup & Science was one for the books, with top-notch student and professor research presentations accompanied by delectable soup. The McGill Tribune brings you the presentations we liked best for a little taste of the event. Improving mRNA resilience by combining it with other molecules U4 chemistry[Read More…]
Top five scientific discoveries at McGill in 2022
This past year was a remarkable one in scientific research, especially when you add McGill researchers to the mix. The McGill Tribune is pleased to bring you the impressive advancements in science made at McGill over the past 12 months. Forging a better treatment path for triple-negative breast cancer Every[Read More…]