Find Out Who is Fighting on Your Behalf

Learn what each committee does, who’s involved, and how their work helps shape decisions that matter to faculty across campus.

MUNFA Committees

MUNFA Executive Committee (2026 - 2027)

President (2026-2027) Erika Merschrod Chemistry
Past President (2026-2027) Lisa Moores Student Wellness & Counselling Centre
Vice-President External(2026-2027) Russell Williams Political Science
Vice-President Internal (2026-2028) Ashrafee Hossain Business Administration
Secretary (2025-2027) Yolanda Wiersma Biology
Treasurer (2026-2028) Erin Alcock Q.E II Library
Member-at-Large, Grenfell Campus (2026-2027) Johnathan Pope School of Arts & Social Science, English
Member-at-Large (2026-2028) Gerard Curtis Visual Arts, Grenfell
Member-at-Large (2026-2027) Hilding Neilson Physics & Physical Oceanography
Member-at-Large (2026-2027) Heather McLeod Education
Member-at-Large (2025-2027) Sevtap Savas Medicine
Member-at-Large (2026-2027) Sarah Thorne English
Member-at-Large, Term-Appointed (2026-2027) Vacant

Academic Freedom & Grievance Committee (Grenfell Campus) 2026 – 27

AFG GC

Rachel Jekanowski (October 2028) (Chair) English Chelsea Humphries (Oct 2029) Ferriss Hodgett Library
Nathalie Pender (October 2027) French Andrew Testa (October 2029) Visual Arts
Adrian Unc (October 2029) Enviromental Science Bernard Wills (October 2027) Humanities
Johnathan Pope (October 2028) English Dmitry Sveshnikov (October 2029) Biology
Amy Wadden (ex officio) MUNFA Labour Relations Officer Bonnie White(October 2029) Historical Studies
Dale Humphries (ec officio) Labour Relations Coordinator
When submitting a Grievance form, please ensure it is accompanied by a signed PIPEDA consent form.

Communications Committee Members 2026-27

Communications Committee

Ash Hossain (Chair) Business Administration
Erika Merschrod Chemistry
Lisa Moores Student Wellness and Counselling Centre
Yolanda Wiersma Biology
Chelsea Humphries Ferriss Hidgett Library
Lori Lee Oates Sociology and Criminology
Sarah Thorne English and Communication Studies
Jawad Chowdhury MUNFA OMECC (Staff)

Academic Freedom & Grievance Committee (St. John’s Campus) 2026 – 27

AFG St.Johns

Jon Church (Co-Chair) (October 2028) Medicine
Lourdes Pena- Castillo (Co-Chair) (Oct 2028) Biology/Computer Science
Laleh Alisaraie (October 2029) Pharmacy
Milord Nikolic (October 2029) Classics
Nicole Power (October 2027) Sociology
Cory Thorne(October 2028) Folklore
Dale Humphries Staff – MUNFA Labour Relations Coordinator
Janet Goosney (October 2029) QE II Library
Rebecca Newhook (October 2028) Science, HSS, HKR
Steve Butt (October 2029) Engineering
Russell Williams (October 2028) Political Science
John Sandlos (October 2028) History
Amy Wadden Staff – MUNFA Labour Relations Officer

An Introduction to the MUNFA Academic Freedom & Grievance Committee

If you would have any questions or comments for the AF&G Committee, you may forward your e-mail to: Amy Wadden in the MUNFA office.
When submitting a Grievance intake form, please ensure it is accompanied by a signed PIPEDA consent form. For an overview of the grievance process click here. St. John's AF&G Terms of Reference

*St. John's Campus committee. A parallel committee is appointed at Grenfell Campus.

Legal Support Fund Investment Advisory Committee 2026-27

Legal Support Fund Advisory Committee

Erin Alcock QE II Library (ex-officio) (2026) Yolanda Wiersma, Biology (October 2026)
If you have any questions or comments for this Committee, please forward your e-mail to: munfa@mun.ca

MUNFA Nominating and Balloting Committee (2026-2027)

Nominating and Balloting Committee

Kirk Anderson Education
Janet Goosney Q.E. II Library
Sébastien Rossignol History
Michelle Swab Health Sciences Library
Erin Alcock Q.E. II Library
Yolanda Wiersma Biology

MUNFA Economic Benefits Committee 2026-27

Economic Benefits Committee

Anne Graham, MLLC (October 2027) (Chair) Sean Cadigan, History (October 2027)
Ash Hossain, Business (October 2027) (Exec. Rep) Chinelo Ezenwa, English (October2027)
Rebecca Law, Pharmacy (October 2027) Heather McLoed, Education (October 2027)
Hamid Usefi, Math & Stats (October 2027) Amy Wadden, MUNFA Labour Relations Officer
Rochelle Cote, Sociology/Business Administration (Oct 2029)
If you have any questions or comments for the Economic Benefits Committee, please forward your e-mail to: munfa@mun.ca

MUNFA Pension Committee 2026-27

PENSIONS COMMITTEE

Ash Hossain, Business (October 2027) (Chair) Alec Brooks, Gender Studies (October 2027)
Kathy Gillett, Nursing (October 2027) Hong Wang, Math & Stats (October 2027)
Russell Williams, Political Science (October 2027) Erin Alcock, Q.E. II Library (October 2027)
Vernon Curran, Medicine (October 2027) Peggy Rauman, Nursing (October 2027)
Hamid Usefi, Math & Stats (October 2027) Vacant
Vacant Vacant
Vacant Amy Wadden, MUNFA Labour Relations Officer
If you have any questions or comments for the Pension Committee, please forward your e-mail to: munfa@mun.ca

MUNFA Scholarship Committee 2026-27

Scholarship Committee

Erin Alcock QE II Library (ex-officio) Vacant

In 1973, MUNFA established a scholarship trust fund for the promotion and encouragement of education at Memorial University of Newfoundland. When the capital of the Trust Fund reached a total amount of $250,000, all capital in excess of that amount, minus costs for management of the Trust Fund, is to be used for scholarships for MUN students. The MUNFA scholarships are available to full time or part time undergraduate students who demonstrate a high academic standard together with need of financial assistance.

Since 1973, many Academic Staff Members and staff of Memorial University have graciously donated to the MUNFA Scholarship Trust Fund. During the years of the Memorial University Opportunities Fund, when donations for scholarships to MUN were matched by Government, MUNFA made provision for the MUNFA scholarships to be included, designating that these matching funds also be used for scholarships. Many MUN students benefited. In the early days, the MUNFA scholarships were for an amount of $300.00; this was later raised to $600.00. These amounts reflected the tuition costs of the day. With changing times, and increased costs of university tuition, each MUNFA scholarship awarded today is valued at $2,500.00.

Should MUNFA members wish to increase their current contribution, begin contributing to the MUNFA Scholarship Endowment Trust Fund, or simply to send a contribution, please complete the contribution form and return this to the MUNFA Office. A tax receipt will be issued at year end, or if you wish to receive your receipt immediately, please indicate this with your contribution.

Joint Employment Equity Committee 2026-27

Joint Employment Equity Committee

Muhammad Mazhar U. Rathore (October 2027) Carolyn Walsh, Psychology (October 2027)
Helene Volkoff (October 2027)
For more information on the Joint Equity Committee, please visit the University's Website or review Article 30 of the MUN/MUNFA Collective Agreement.

University Benefits Committee 2026 – 2027

University Benefits Committee

Rebecca Law (October 2027) Pharmacy
Sean Cadigan (October 2027) History
Anne Graham (October 2027) MLLC
Hamid Usefi (October 2027) Math & Stats
Chinelo Ezenwa (October 2027) English
Ash Hossain (October 2027) Business
Heather McLoed (October 2027) Education
Amy Wadden MUNFA Labour Relations Officer
Rochelle Cote (October 2027) Sociology/Business Administration

University Pensions Committee 2026– 2027

University Pensions Committee

Erin Alcock (October 2027) Q.E II Library
Vernon Curran (October 2027) Medicine
Ash Hossain (October 2027) Business
Peggy Rauman (October 2027) Nursing
Hamid Usefi (October 2027) Math & Stats
Alec Brooks (October 2027) Gender Studies
Kathy Gillett (October 2027) Nursing
Heather McLeod (October 2027) Education
Hong Wang (October 2027) Math & Stats
Russell Williams (October 2027) Political Science

Sexual Harassment Board 2026 – 2027

Sexual Harassment Board

Vacant
Vacant
Vacant
Vacant
Vacant
Vacant

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