WAGS
The WAGS (Western Anthropology Graduate Society) is a not-for-profit student organization dedicated to informing the membership about news and current events. WAGS was created to coordinate social and academic functions, and to foster opportunities for leadership, academic advancement, and professional development in the field of anthropology. The WAGS promotes greater student cohesion and communication, and helps to welcome and orientate new graduate students into the Department of Anthropology at Western.
There is no membership fee, however donations in support of WAGS activities are always welcome. WAGS was created to benefit all full and part-time Masters and Doctoral students, as well as Postdoctoral fellows, registered with the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies in the Department of Anthropology, and Anthropology faculty members.
Please visit our Events & Conferences page for news of upcoming WAGS events!
2025-2026 WAGS Executive
Co-Presidents
El Gillies (they/he)
Hey everyone! My name is El and I'm a second year MA Archaeology student. My research interests include Scottish-Canadian communities and identities, qualitative mapping, material culture, migration and diaspora, and collective memory. My project maps the migration stories and identity of Scottish descendants in Glengarry County, Ontario, using archives and oral histories. In my free time, I love crafting, swimming, nerding out about music, and looking for birds in the woods :) You can find me in Trish’s lab or in my office, SSC 3304!
Cristina Lama (she/her)
Hi everyone! My name is Cristina, and I am a second year MA Biological Anthropology student. I am interested in various realms of biological anthropology, including paleoanthropology, paleopathology, and growth and development in living populations. However, my MA project focuses on human foragers, and aims to differentiate how climate, population history, and growth influence their lower limbs. When I am not in the lab, I enjoy going to the gym, cooking, baking, and travelling! I’m almost always on campus, either in the PAVE lab (SSC 3254), or in my office (SSC 3306), and always willing to chat!
Communications
El Berry (she/they)
Hey, I'm El Berry, she/they. I am a first-year master's student. My research interest focuses on looking at how gender was used as an analytical tool in archeology in ways not based in cultural relativism or with nuanced understandings of gender. I am also very passionate about and have done work in repatriation and rematriation. In my free time I love hiking, reading, and paddle boarding.
Ella Siciliano (she/her)
I am a first-year MA student in the Archaeology and Biological Anthropology stream, supervised by Prof. Trish Markert. My research interests are historical archaeology, community-based research, Italian immigration, archival research, material culture, oral history, and decolonization. I love to ski, cook for friends and family, try new restaurants, and spend time outdoors. I am excited to join WAGS and connect with everyone!
Director of Finance
Katie Brent (she/her)
Hello all! My name is Katie Brent, and I’m a doctoral student studying human skeletal variation and its intersection with pathological conditions. In my spare time, I love arts and crafts (I’m currently obsessed with pottery!), watching musicals, and solving riddles and puzzles. I’m very excited to be involved with WAGS this year—feel free to say hi if you see me around!
M.A. Representative
Hanne Andersen (she/her)
Hey! I am a second-year MA student in the Biological Anthropology and Archaeology stream. I am currently exploring the funerary taphonomy of nonadult mummies from ancient Peru. I hope to increase our understanding of the lived experiences of children in ancient Peru through their funerary treatments. In my free time I love spending time with my family and dogs, going on walks, playing hockey and rowing.
Ph.D. Representative
Sarah Bidinosti (she/her)
Hey everyone! I am a first-year PhD student in the Archaeology & Biological Anthropology stream. My MA thesis research focused on creating a standardized methodology for the application of osteomorphometric methods to CT scans of mummies. I love film photography and spending time outside, whether it's camping, hiking, snowboarding, or hanging out with my goats. Otherwise, I can be found baking cupcakes or reading a true crime book with a coffee in hand. My office door is always open, so feel free to drop by to chat! I always have cute animal pictures at the ready! Office: 3407, Instagram: @sarah_bidy
T.A. Union Representative
Charlotte Cleve (she/her)
Hello! I am a first year MA student in the Archaeology stream. I have spent the past four years working in cultural resource management as an archaeological field technician. I am interested in Arctic archaeology and community archaeology. I love to play guitar, game, draw, and read in my spare time. Happy to be here!
S.O.G.S. Representative
Rory Succee (he/him)
Hi everyone! My name is Rory, and I am your SOGS (Society of Graduate Students) representative. I am also in the second year of my MA for biological anthropology and archaeology. Specifically, I study how migrants in D'Hanis, Texas used artistic material choices on headstones to negotiate changing identity from 1853-1893. Some of my academic interests include art history, architecture, and headstone iconography. My hobbies and other interests include movies, cooking, and baking. I am on campus most days, so if anyone would like to chat (about anything), feel free to stop by!
E.D.I.D. Representative
Dima Kassem (she/her)
Hi everyone, I’m Dima, a second year Sociocultural PhD student. My research focuses on people living with a rare disease (PLWRD) and their social support networks, the experiences they have within healthcare systems, and their transition from pediatric to adult care. I will explore: how social support networks shape the transition from pediatric to adult care for PLWRD, how health journeys play out through space and relationships, and how it impacts long-term outcomes and perceptions of healthcare systems. In my free time, I love to cook and bake (always open to trying new recipes), draw, read, knit/crochet, go on walks, and play various sports. Looking forward to a great year!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/uwowags
Twitter @WesternAnthGrad
Email: uwoags@gmail.com
