Contact Us

Molly Raffan

Director, Student Life

Molly (she/her) is responsible for the operational and strategic oversight of the Student Experience Office. Molly loves being outside, going on adventures, and spending time with the people she loves.

molly.raffan@queensu.ca

Melissa Burke

Coordinator, Orientation and Transition

Melissa (she/her) takes the lead on Fall Orientation and the First-Year Off-Campus Community (First-Year OCC) program, as well as other transition projects throughout the academic year. Melissa enjoys photography, travel and spending time with her nephews!

melissa.burke@queensu.ca

Taylor MacPherson

Coordinator, Student Leadership & Development

Taylor (she/her) is the point of contact in the office for student leadership and development related initiatives. She oversees the Leadership Workshop Series, as well as the following three programs which are in partnership with the Human Rights and Equity Office: the Gender Based Violence Bystander Intervention Program, the Lead Include Transform (LIT) program, and the Action, Commitment, Transformation (ACT) certificate program. In her free time Taylor can be found thrifting, hiking, gardening, and talking about social justice literature.

t.m.macpherson@queensu.ca

Gabriela Ludusan

Coordinator, Peer Programs

Gabriela coordinates QSuccess, Bader College Mentorship Program and Peer Mentoring. She has been a formal and informal mentor throughout her life and supporting others to find their strengths is a grounding and rewarding experience for her. She has a curious nature and likes trying new things all the time, whether it’s a new recipe, a new book, a new idea or a new place to travel. 

gabriela.ludusan@queensu.ca

Hanna Knowles

Coordinator, Student & Transition Programs

Hanna (she/her) takes the lead on SOAR (Summer Orientation to Academics and Resources), as well as other engagement events throughout the academic year. These help students connect with each other and to resources and supports on campus. Outside of the SEO and when not traveling, she enjoys spending most of her time (and money) on her horse.

hanna.knowles@queensu.ca

Deandra Kabungu

Student Success Advisor

Deandra (she/her) is the Student Success Advisor dedicated to serving the Promise & Commitment Scholars and first-generation students at Queen’s University. She is passionate about empowering young people to excel and thrive in their personal and professional endeavors. She’s an avid musician and outdoor enthusiast, and in her free time she loves writing/performing music, traveling and spending time with her family. 

deandra.kabungu@queensu.ca

Taryn McKenna

Coordinator, Student Inclusion & Engagement

Taryn (she/her) oversees the Queen's Shift Project, a collection of initiatives aimed at centering equity-deserving student experiences and contributing to a safer and more inclusive campus culture. In her free time, you can find her coaching soccer, camping, or playing music around Kingston. She loves connecting with students and learning about their Queen's experience. Feel free to reach out!

taryn.mckenna@queensu.ca

Anika Chowdhury

Coordinator, Transition Projects

Anika (she/her) is the Transition Projects Coordinator, and her primary role is to support the SEO transition team to facilitate and evaluate the transition programs, focusing on orientation-related programming. Outside of her love for student affairs, Anika loves to cook, take weekend photography trips, and foster puppies for the humane society!

anika.t.chowdhury@queensu.ca

Laura Cummings-Bentley (on leave)

Coordinator, Communications and Administration

Laura's (she/her) role is split between SEO comms, social media promotion, Raftr, and website management and office administration, planning and logistical support for programming, and casual staff timekeeping. She is here to help!

laura.cummingsbentley@queensu.ca

Zoe Demille

Zoe (she/her) is going into her third year of Psychology. She is thrilled to be the SEO's Lead, Include, Transform (LIT) Student Lead, which entails organizing and planning EDI training as well as fostering an equitable and educational environment within the Queen's community. When she's not working, she loves to cook new recipes and travel to different places.

Meadow Donnelly-Gilman

Meadow (she/her) is the Gender-Based Violence Education, Training and Development Student Lead and oversees numerous facilitators who instruct relevant workshops relating to bystander intervention, healthy relationships, consent culture, and sexual violence on campus. In her free time, Meadow is an avid reader. She also likes to sing and play piano, writes short stories and can often be found at the ARC playing volleyball.

Kyla Gibson

Kyla's (she/her) role as Community Organizer for Social Justice is to support the development of and student engagement in programs and initiatives that seek to enhance opportunities for Commitment Scholars and equity-deserving students at Queen's. Kyla aims to foster meaningful connections among passionate individuals, including peers, alumni, faculty and staff who are invested in social justice work. Kyla is pursuing a degree in Life Sciences and enjoys dancing and playing intramural sports in her free time.

Amanda Yeung

Amanda (she/her) is the SOAR Student Lead at the Student Experience Office. She assists in running the Summer Orientation to Academics and Resources, which helps prepare students for the academic expectations of university and introduces them to resources and support services available on campus. She is in her fourth year of Concurrent Education and Health Studies at Queen's University and cannot wait to welcome all the incoming first-year students!

Kennedy Truin

Kennedy (she/her) is the University Orientation Student Lead. This role involves planning and executing university orientation events for the incoming class of 2028. Outside of work, Kennedy is a third-year Political Studies major and enjoys reading and listening to podcasts!

Jonah Pagano

Transition & Engagement Student Lead

Mae Sacamay

Off-Campus Community Student Lead

Alice Brisbin

Marketing & Communications Student Lead

Julianna Bennett

Gender-Based Violence Education, Outreach & Operations Student Lead

Revathi Shivakumar

Student Development Programs Student Lead

Jasmine Xue

Shift Project Student Lead