Graduate Students Association (EGSA)

The Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Student Association (EGSA) (http://egsa.sa.utoronto.ca/) represents the EEB graduate students across all three University of Toronto campuses and the Royal Ontario Museum.

The EGSA encourages graduate students to get involved in the life of the department and university. We inform students about the services and benefits available to them through the department, Graduate Student Union (http://www.gsu.utoronto.ca/), CUPE (http://cupe3902.org/), and other university-affiliated organizations. The EGSA maintains regular ties with the EEB Undergraduate Student Union (http://eebu.sa.utoronto.ca/) and Cell & Systems Biology Graduate Union.

The EGSA actively contributes to the professional and social life of the department. Each year, through the generosity of the Atwood family, the graduate student body selects and invites a distinguished scientist to deliver the concluding lecture of the departmental colloquium. The EGSA also helps organize a number of departmental socials, including the HallowEEB, Holiday party, graduate student winter retreat to Hart House/KSR, and Darwin Day celebrations with Darwin lecture. The EGSA has spawned several graduate student initiatives as well, including the EEB graduate student seminar series and journal club, Good Food Box program (http://www.foodshare.net/goodfoodbox01.htm), and University of Toronto Biology Environmental Action Team (http://utbeat.biology.utoronto.ca/).

Finally, the EGSA has been able to support the local and larger community, including Pathways to Education (http://pathwaystoeducation.ca/home) and Ontario Nature (http://www.ontarionature.org/), through our annual fundraising efforts. Within the department, we contribute to a number of scholarships, conferences, and partially offset the costs of thesis binding for both masters and doctoral graduate students.

During the fall and winter terms, we have monthly meetings where we discuss important issues affecting the EEB graduate students. The EGSA executive team consists of two co-presidents (elected), a treasurer (elected), and a number of dedicated volunteers. Please visit our website (http://egsa.sa.utoronto.ca/) and join our Facebook group (Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Graduate Students Association (UofT)) for additional information! Graduate students are integral to the life of every academic department, so please consider participating in and supporting your EGSA!