Maliha Imami (left) and a group of graduate students who attended a picnic hosted by AMIGAS on Toronto Island (right).
Maliha Imami is an MEng candidate in Industrial Engineering. She is the outgoing AMIGAS president and looking forward to welcoming graduate students back to MIE on campus this fall.
Tell us a little bit about your graduate studies at MIE.
I’m working towards my MEng in Industrial Engineering. I wrapped up my course requirements last winter and completed a project under the supervision of Professor Michael Carter in the Centre for Healthcare Engineering.
How did you decide to get involved with AMIGAS?
I became involved during elections in 2020, as the University shifted online completely due to the pandemic. I decided to get involved to build a stronger connection within the MIE graduate student community and to try counteract the isolation that can sometimes come from being online. I was initially Vice President of Student affairs and represented MIE at the U of T Graduate Students Union. I was also the Division 3 representative on the Finance Committee, where we distributed funds to the student unions and set up scholarships and awards for graduate students. I found that to be a really rewarding experience.
What exactly does AMIGAS do? How can students find out what’s happening?
AMIGAS works to bring together the MIE graduate student community. We put on social, athletic, academic, and professional development events throughout the year. There really is something for everyone! We aim to enhance both the personal and professional experience of graduate school through these events. We have also set up two new roles (Mental Wellness Commissioner and Equity and Accessibility Director) to foster a more supportive and understanding community and create programs relevant to these issues.
We post event information on both our website and Facebook page and we’re working to create an Instagram account too. We just hosted a picnic on Toronto Island and are looking forward to on campus events this fall.
Do you have any advice for new graduate students joining us this fall?
There is more to your time as a graduate student than your research or coursework. Reach out to those around you and start to build a community, take time away from your studies to unwind and relax. The community at MIE, in my experience, is very welcoming, inclusive and a great support to rely on when needed. You’ll get more out of your experience if you take advantage of the opportunities available outside of the lab. Elections for AMIGAS executive positions are coming up – I hope some of you will consider getting involved!
-Published September 14, 2021 by Lynsey Mellon, lynsey@mie.utoronto.ca
