As Managing Editors for Catalyst this year, we are absolutely overjoyed to introduce our team. We have assembled a group of incredibly talented and passionate individuals whose unique voices and perspectives we are excited to feature on this platform. Their fields of interests cover a wide range of development issues and reflect the diversity of the world we live in. Please join us in welcoming our 2019-2020 Staff!
-Juliana Riverin and Delphine Polidori
Shannon Benson
Editor
Year: U2
Program(s)/major(s): International Development and Political Science, with minors in French and History.
Nationality: American, from New York.
Favourite food: New York bagels!
I became an Editor for Catalyst because I think it’s incredibly important to raise awareness and encourage discourse about development issues, as they’re often overlooked.
Naya Sophia Moser
Editor
Year: U1
Program(s)/major(s): Double major in International Development Studies and African Studies.
Nationality: Geneva, Switzerland.
Favourite food: I’m a huge fan of all things mac & cheese, from homemade to KD!
As a first year student at McGill, I’m so excited about every single opportunity Montreal has to offer. That’s why I’m thrilled to be part of such an amazing staff for Catalyst this year and to explore different intersectional topics in development with such like-minded, strong and intelligent people!
Sruthi Sudhir
Editor
Year: U2
Nationality: Canadian, from Vancouver, BC.
Program(s)/major(s): Civil Engineering!
Favourite food: My favourite food is probably any Indian food and also sushi.
I wanted to be an editor for Catalyst because I love the focus on development and the consequent implications worldwide, and reading the varied takes from our talented staff writers!
Mehak Balwani
Staff Writer
Year: U2
Program(s)/major(s): Double major in English Literature and International Development Studies.
Nationality: Indian.
Favourite food: Tacos!
I became a staff writer because I’m extremely interested in learning how a publication functions. Additionally, I want to write about issues I’m passionate about and want to be exposed to development issues I haven’t gotten a chance to learn about yet.
Enkhuun Byambadorj
Staff Writer
Year: U1
Program(s)/major(s): International Development Studies and Environment.
Nationality: Mongolian.
Favourite food: My favourite food of all time is cheesecake, in all forms and sizes.
As a new international student from Mongolia, becoming a staff writer for Catalyst has been the perfect opportunity for me to get involved and apply the theories I learn in the classroom to real-world issues. I’m excited to bring a bit of Mongolia to my writing, as well as to approach developmental issues from a sustainability perspective.
Laurence Campanella
Staff Writer
Year: U3
Program: Honours Political Science with a Philosophy Minor.
Nationality: Canadian.
Favourite food: My mother’s paella!
I chose to become a staff writer for Catalyst because I wanted to get involved with the student discourse on international development and contribute to a field that I believe has the potential to bring forth meaningful change. As a political science student, I am immensely interested by the influential relationships that power government have in all aspects of society and how we can ensure that these relationships are reflective of responsible and accountable governance. I am extremely excited to write about and explore the influence that international markets have on contemporary development incentives and the process of achieving sustainable and organic development goals in contemporary Venezuela.
Ariana Castillon
Staff Writer
Year: U2
Program(s)/major(s): International Development Studies!
Nationality: Peruvian.
Favourite food: Anything Italian!
International Development has always been a field that intrigues me, and I have always felt rather curious about the different perspectives people have on development. Writing for Catalyst is helping me enrich my academic experience at McGill and improve my writing along the way.
Bérénice Collignon
Staff Writer
Year: U1
Program(s)/major(s): Majoring in Economics and minoring in both International Development Studies and East Asian Studies.
Nationality: French.
Favourite food: I would say that at the moment my favourite food is dumplings. I go about once to twice a week to eat them, and yes it’s an obsession at this point!
I decided to join the Catalyst as a staff writer because I wanted to provide knowledge and understanding regarding current topics that are important to us all. I am really looking forward to writing about today’s issues and addressing environmental, social and economical concerns while also reporting on what important figures in the international development field have to share.
Adriana Gabriela Franco
Staff Writer
Year: U4
Program(s)/major(s): Double Major in Political Science and World Islamic and Middle East Studies.
Nationality: Portuguese-Canadian.
Favourite food: Anything home cooked, but a special shoutout to Portuguese stewed octopus in red wine (it sounds weird but trust me).
I’m most excited to write about the intersection of politics and elements of life we often deem clandestine, from social media pages to the food on our plates.
Joy Kwak
Staff Writer
Year: U2
Program(s)/major(s): International Development Studies, with a double minor in Political Science and Hispanic Studies.
Nationality: Korean-Canadian.
Favourite food: At the moment, I am completely obsessed with arepas!
I became a staff writer for Catalyst because I wanted to be able to make good use of such a great journalistic platform to bring obscure topics into the scope of mainstream discussions in international development conversations! I’m excited to write about topics and issues concerning immigration, public policy and civil society in a comparative context with a focus on East Asian and Latin American countries!
Theo Malhotra
Staff Writer
Year: U1
Program(s)/major(s): Double Major in Political Science and International Development Studies, Minor in Canadian Studies.
Nationality: Canadian/American.
Favourite food: Bacon, egg and cheese on a roll!
Looking forward to writing about situation with Kurds in Syria and Iraq!
Maeve Williams
Staff Writer
Year: U2
Program(s)/major(s): International Development and Classics.
Nationality: American (and envious of the Irish).
Favourite food: Potato pesto gnocchi!
I am especially excited to write about women’s rights in the developing world!
