Meet The Team

Meet the team

Presidents

Co-President

Sahana Karunagaran (she/her)

Sahana is a fifth-year student at Queen’s, majoring in Political Studies. She is passionate about international security and creating space for diverse voices, especially women and marginalized groups in global affairs. Sahana wants to understand issues shaping international security today, especially from an inclusive, intersectional lens that centres the voices of women and underrepresented groups. She also wants to grow both personally and professionally: by working with a strong team, contributing to meaningful discussions, and organizing initiatives that make an impact.

Co-President

Megan Barker (she/her)

Megan is a third-year Political Studies and Gender Studies student. She joined WIIS-Queens because it combines her two interests of politics/policy studies with feminism and womens empowerment. For Megan, meaningful connections amongst the exec team and new knowledge from professionals in the security space, is what she hopes to takeaway!

Meet the Team

2025-2026 Executive Team

Events and Logistics

Co-Director

Emily Lieberman (she/her)

Emily is a third-year Political Studies student at Queen's University. Emily joined because she's passionate about the mission of empowering women in international peace and security. As someone planning to pursue a career in law, Emily cares deeply about representation and equity in decision-making spaces. WIIS stood out to her because it creates opportunities to start this work early, by building awareness, leadership skills, and inclusive communities at the university level. She wanted to be part of that mission and contribute to creating more supportive and inclusive spaces on campus. Through her experience with WIIS-Queens, Emily is hoping to build meaningful connections with peers who share an interest in international peace and security, while also developing my leadership and organizational skills. She wants to learn from others’ perspectives, gain insight into how representation and equity can be advanced in practice, and contribute to creating a stronger, more inclusive community on campus. Emily hopes to organize meaningful and fun events for the 2025-2026 WIIS team!

Anais Gouati (she/her)

Co-Director

Anais is a fourth year Political Studies and Philosophy student at Queen's. She joined WIIS as Events and Logistics Director because she wanted to play a direct role in creating opportunities that bring people together around issues Anais cares about: women’s leadership, international security, and global affairs. She really likes the organizational side of planning, and this position gives her the opportunity to use those skills to ensure events run smoothly while also having a purpose! Anais hopes to gain both professional and personal growth by working closely with a team that shares similar passion for advancing women in international security. She wants to strengthen her skills in event planning, leadership, and collaboration while also learning from the diverse perspectives of members, speakers, and professionals we engage with.

Coordinator

Ava Gunka (she/her)

Ava is a third-year student in Political Studies and Sociology. She really enjoyed the conference in previous years and wanted to be a part of planning it! Ava hopes to gain a better sense of collaboration in planning an event with a group of people.

Coordinator

Chloe Chapman (she/her)

Chloe is a third-year student in Political Studies. She joined WIIS Queen’s to become more involved within the Queen’s community and to collaborate with like minded individuals who share a passion for international security and gender equity. Through this role, Chloe hopes to contribute to meaningful initiatives while developing my skills in teamwork, leadership, and event organization. She hopes to strengthen her leadership skills, build confidence in managing projects, and grow as a person through teamwork with other WIIS members. Chloe also wants this experience to prepare me to contribute meaningfully to conversations on women’s leadership in international security.

Nora Amini (she/her)

Coordinator

Nora is a second year student in Political Studies and Global Development Studies. The reason why Nora joined Queen’s WIIS was to have a role in advocating for women’s success and achievements in politics, especially in the fields of international safety and security. She hopes to contribute to a team that creates opportunities to empower women and to also deepen my understanding of how to support people that have been affected by global issues and gender inequality.

Georgia Hatzis (she/her)

Coordinator

Georgia is a third-year History and Political Studies student. She joined WIIS-Queen’s because she wanted to be part of a community that not only recognizes the importance of women’s voices in international peace and security, but also actively works to empower and amplify them. Georgia is hoping to take away a deeper understanding of the different sides of international security, how people work in the field, and the important role women play in shaping it through their experiences and leadership.

Communications

Director

Kyra Barrick (she/her)

Kyra is a third-year student at Queens studying Political Studies and Global Development Studies. She is ecstatic to be a part of WIIS Queens as it aligns with her fascination with international politics and connects her to unique perspectives for conflict resolution. Kyra joined the club in hopes of broadening her networking skills, and grasp better understandings of policy advocacy for gender equality and peace building. She is eager to grow alongside like-minded peers and make a positive impact through her involvement in WIIS Queens.

Coordinator

Aimen Khan (she/her)

Aimen is a third-year Economics student at Queen's. She wants to connect with others who are also passionate about international relations and security. Aimen hopes to learn more about the field, from influential women in security to meeting and networking with women at Queen’s!

Coordinator

Cadence Arno (she/her)

Cadence is a fourth-year Applied Economics student at Queen's. She wanted to join WIIS-Queens to grow her voice in a field where women are still underrepresented, build real policy and leadership skills, and learn from mentors who’ve actually worked on global security issues. The club’s workshops, speaker events, and collaborative projects give Cadence a way to turn her interests into impact, while building a network of peers she can learn from. she is hoping to build connections with others who share an interest in global affairs, learn from different perspectives, and get hands-on experience contributing to WIIS-Queens initiatives. Cadence also see it as a chance to grow her leadership skills while being part of a supportive community.

Outreach

Co-Director

Alex McDonald (she/her)

Alex is a fourth-year Politics, Philosophy, and Economics student, specializing in Politics. She aspires to build a career in international relations and diplomacy. After attending the 2025 WIIS Conference, joining the club felt like a natural next step and an ideal opportunity to connect with like-minded peers. Alex is most excited to build relationships with the team and develop my leadership and collaboration skills.

Co-Director

Harsheta Taneja (she/her)

Harsheta is a fourth-year Biology and Employment Relations student at Queen's. Her goal is to contribute meaningfully to creating an inclusive and supportive community that highlights women’s voices in international security. Harsheta hopes to take away not only new knowledge and skills but also a sense of empowerment and inspiration from being part of this chapter

Coordinator

Jordan Rinaldi (she/her)

Jordan is a fourth-year Political Studies student. Jordan joined WIIS because she's passionate about international security and wants to be part of a community that supports and uplifts women and gender-diverse voices in the field. She's hoping to meet like-minded people, learn more about careers in international security, and be part of a community that’s working to make the field more inclusive.

Coordinator

Ami Jin (she/her)

Ami is a third-year Global Development Studies and Political Studies student at Queen's. Ami joined WIIS-Queen’s because she wanted to be part of a community that engages with global security issues from a gender perspective. She hopes to take away the experience of being part of a community that stays connected through the many opportunities WIIS provides, and the chance to continue learning from and inspiring each other.

Coordinator

Isabelle Lee (she/her)

Isabelle is a third-year student in Global Development Studies and Math. She joined WIIS to address the gendered dynamics shaping global conflict policy - particularly migration and militarism - while building networks that empower women to advance inclusive, equitable peace-building and security. Isabelle is looking forward to connecting her academic interests with practical leadership opportunities to drive policy change and foster dialogues in the community.

Coordinator

Alexa Marchetti (she/her)

Alexa is a second-year Political Studies and Economics student at Queen's. I joined WIIS for its mission to empower women in international security. As a Political Science student with a strong passion for international law, I have studied the need for greater recognition of women in international relations and the barriers they face in securing positions of influence. This has fueled my commitment to promoting gender equity in global governance and legal institutions. I believe WIIS-Queens to be the perfect place to further my commitment. I view WIIS as a unique opportunity to grow both as a leader and a collaborator. Working alongside women from diverse academic backgrounds, including upper-year students, who will allow me to gain valuable insights into different areas of study. Most importantly, I believe the team’s supportive community will strengthen my confidence to take on new challenges and share my perspectives in future discussions on complex issues in international security.

Mentorship

Co-Director

Heli Patel (she/her)

Heli is a fourth-year Political Studies student at Queen's. She joined WIIS because I am interested in learning more about pursuing a career in international affairs and diplomacy. Heli wants to connect with someone in the field who has the same interests as her and can help guide her professional development.

Grace Cutaia (she/her)

Co-Director

Grace is a third-year Political Studies student at Queen's. She joined WIIS because she wanted to be part of a community that not only promotes women’s voices in security studies but also creates meaningful opportunities for students to connect with professionals in the field. As a politics student with an interest in global security and international relations, Grace saw WIIS as the ideal platform to combine her academic studies with leadership experience, while also helping other students access resources and networks that can shape their career paths. Through her experience with WIIS, Grace hopes to further strengthen her leadership, event-planning, and mentorship skills, while continuing to grow her understanding of the diverse roles women play in international security. She wants to take away both professional connections and personal insights that will support her future career in politics and global affairs. Most importantly, Grace hopes to contribute to a culture of collaboration and empowerment within the Queen’s community, where students—especially women—feel supported in pursuing careers in international security and related fields.

Finance

Natalie Vo (she/her)

Natalie is a third-year Applied Economics student at Queen's. She joined WIIS because as a kid, Natalie was always interested in the integration of economics, international relations, and history. So, she knew that meeting people who are passionate about the same things will be of her best interest!

Executive Administrator

Patia Karmiris (she/her)

Patia is a third-year Biopsychology student at Queen's. I joined WIIS- Queens as the Executive Administrator because I enjoy using my organizational skills to help support the team's work, while learning from others and contributing to initiatives that advance leadership and promote development of women in fields of international peace and security. I am hoping to enhance my leadership and organizational skills, foster meaningful connections, and gain a deeper understanding of international peace and security from this experience.

RMC Liaison

Molly O'Connell (she/her)

Molly is a first-year Arts student at RMC. She is interested in peace and security, and WIIS gives a great opportunity to meet likeminded people, as well as role model women within the field. Molly is hoping to take away new insights on the roles women are playing in international security, and how to better advance women's role in peace and security discussions.

EDII

Solomiia Horbatso (she/her)

Solomiia is a fourth-year Global Development Studies and Political Studies student at Queen's. She's been on WIIS since her first-year at Queen's and she loves the idea behind it and its values, She wants to contribute as much as possible. Solomiia hopes to build stronger connections in the field of international security.