who are we?
The Student Design Association represents current undergraduate students and alumni of the University of Alberta, who have taken design courses during their degree. We actively work to stimulate community involvement, create partnerships with other organizations, and host events for students and staff, with the goal of providing the support and opportunities necessary to help design students find success.
leadership
DIRECTOR
Marielle Abad (she/her)
Marielle is completing her last year of BDes in the Business and Marketing Route. She really likes 3D printing and making little things to customize her life!
She enjoys studying both industrial and visual communication design and her pastimes include gaming, sewing, crocheting, and 3D modelling (for fun).
She serves as the Director (president) of the SDA and coordinates the team alongside the Vice Director. Feel free to chat with her if you have any questions about the SDA or the BDes program. :)
vice DIRECTOR
Aindriele Lomboy (he/him)
Aindriele is in his fourth and final year of the BDes program focusing on both ID and VCD. Within design he is passionate about playing with typography and imagery, and often explores ways to integrate graphic elements into his ID work.
Outside of the studio you can often find him watching a slasher flick, taking photos, and reaping the benefits of public transportation!
As the Vice Director of the SDA, he hopes to foster a greater sense of community within our small design world at the University. If you have any questions or concerns about the SDA, feel free to reach out to him or Marielle at any time.
operations
treasurer
Giselle Vinagreiro (she/her)
Giselle is in her third year of BDes specializing in industrial design. She is passionate about furniture design, architecture and art history.
She spends her free time rock climbing, sewing, finding new restaurants, and when she can, travelling. And like every BDes student, she will take every chance she can get to design and create something new!
As the Treasurer, Giselle is in charge of the budgeting and tracking the SDA’s expenditures. Please contact her with any questions in regards to finances, or if you see her around just say hi!
external liaison
Tatiana Cabezas (she/her)
Tatiana is a third-year Bachelor of Design student in the Social Science Route specializing in both Industrial Design and Visual Communication Design. She loves thinking about creative ways to integrate sociopolitical concepts into her work, with a particular interest in architecture and urbanism.
Outside of her undergrad, Tatiana enjoys reading literature and finding new restaurants or cafes to indulge in around the city.
Tatiana is in charge of building external relations to help students engage with the broader design community. She’s always an outgoing character who's ready to lend a hand. If you ever have any inquiries or just want to chat, don't hesitate to reach out!
event designer
Sophia Chalyguina (she/her)
Elisse is a fourth-year Bachelor of Design student in the Business Route who loves bringing nature into her work and exploring sustainable ways to design. She also enjoys finding playful ways to connect design with everyday life.
Outside of school, she loves spending time with her dog, recharging with naps, and picking up new hobbies.
As the SDA’s Event Designer, Elisse focuses on creating a welcoming atmosphere for Built by shaping its look, flow, and overall experience. She’s always happy to chat so if you have ideas or questions about Built or the SDA, feel free to reach out!
project manager
Seancarl Hernandez (he/him)
Sophia is a fourth year student studying Industrial Design and Visual Communication Design. Her design interests extend into architecture, a direction she hopes to explore after graduation (once she survives the bachelor’s!).
Outside of design, Sophia loves cooking and baking, with her lifelong vegetarian diet making that hobby even more interesting.
As this year’s Project Manager, Sophia works alongside Event Designer Sean to bring BUILT to life and manages the behind-the-scenes operations of SDA’s external events. She loves a good chat, so get in touch at project@thesda.com with any questions about SDA’s external events!
media
graphic design lead
Cheska Lois Tuapen (she/her)
She is a 4th year BDes student in the Business and Marketing Route. She's interested in product design and graphic design.
In her free time, she likes to play video games, crochet and draw digitally. She can also be easily persuaded to go get lunch and boba.
She’s one of two graphics leads who created this year’s visual identity and makes SDA materials such as posters and social media posts. Get in touch with her through her email (graphics-1@thesda.ca) if you have any questions, comments or concerns about the SDA’s graphics or other visual material!
graphic design lead
Kamila Wei-Henriquez (she/her)
Kami is starting her third year specializing in both ID and VCD. Although she’s experienced with multiple media, she has a soft spot for concept rendering and illustration. She hopes that one day her creativity and work can inspire others to accomplish whatever they dream to achieve. “You can build yourself to unbelievable heights with the stones you find at rock bottom.”
As one of the graphics leads, she is responsible for the vibrant visual identity that represents our community this year. If you have anything you’d like to discuss, serious or carefree, don’t be afraid to reach out.
website coordinator
Tori Gushulak (she/her)
Tori is a 3rd-year BDes student in the Business and Marketing Route, currently taking ID and VCD courses. She’s passionate about designing functional, sustainable work, drawing inspiration from nature and movement.
Outside of class, you’ll find her in the ID 24-hour space, the gym, or cycling (cafe rides ofc)! She loves anything hands-on, such as pottery, beadwork, and houseplants.
She keeps the website updated with all the latest SDA events and resources. If you have any questions or comments, reach out through our web forum!
communications officer
Romi Loubier (she/her)
Romi is going into her third year of the BDes program, studying Industrial Design through the Engineering Route. She is passionate about creating innovative, functional designs and believes the process should be just as thoughtful and enjoyable.
Outside of school, Romi enjoys staying active through skateboarding, mountain biking, skiing, and snowboarding, as well as spending time with friends and loved ones, and always sharing a good laugh.
As the SDA Communications Officer, Romi manages the association’s social media, including @hellosda, as well as the SDA email. She helps share events, opportunities, and student experiences with the design community. You might see her filming content or interviewing students, so come say hi—you might just end up in a video! Please contact her if you have questions or ideas to share.
copywriter
Lance Lei (he/him)
Lance Lei is in his fourth and final year of BDes specializing in both Industrial and Visual Communication Design. He is passionate about design’s pivotal role across multiple fields, ranging from architecture and infrastructure development, to public engagement and communications.
Outside of his work and studies, Lance enjoys biking through the river valley and exercising with friends.
Feel free to reach out to Lance for inquiries, questions, or if you'd like to join him on his bike rides through the river valley.
membership
membership coordinator
Kristen Klein (she/her)
Kristen Klein is in her fourth year in the BDes program, focusing on Industrial Design and Sculpture, with a strong interest in artistic expressionism in functional design. In her free time she is a pottery artist, loves watching horror movies, and playing pool with friends.
She will be taking care of all the SDA events, making sure everyone has fun and makes connections within their community.
For any event related inquiries you can contact her at membership@thesda.ca.
400 level ID representative
Lily Hasinoff (she/her)
Lily (she/her) is in her third year of BDes focusing on Industrial Design while also rounding out her skills with some VCD classes. Her designs are rooted in bringing joy to both herself and those she designs for. She is especially inspired by her love of video games and her favourite manga authors.
As the 400-level ID rep, Lily serves as the connection between the 400-level students and the SDA. If you have any questions about what the SDA does, upcoming events, or have feedback please feel free to reach out or find her lurking in the ID studio for a chat!
400 level VCD representative
Radhika Dubey (she/her)
Radhika is a third-year BDes student studying both Industrial Design and Visual Communication Design in the Business and Marketing Route. Her interests span multiple design disciplines, with a particular fascination for architecture, automobiles, interaction design, and the ways visual and physical design intersect.
Outside of design, she loves picking up random hobbies and going on little “side quests,” often geeking out over architecture, automobiles, or whatever has caught her attention lately.
As the 400-level VCD representative, Radhika helps connect students and keep them informed about the happenings of the SDA. If you have any questions, feedback, or just want to chat with a fellow designer, feel free to reach out by email or find her around the ID/VCD Studios!
300 level ID representative
Madison Bolack (she/her)
Madison is a Bachelor of Design student at the University of Alberta studying industrial design and visual communication design, with a business and marketing focus. She's a proud overachiever with a bad habit of letting small ideas snowball into month-long projects she absolutely did not need to take on.
Her current obsession is cognitive accessibility systems and how they play out in physical space, which she will happily talk your ear off about.
As your 300-level Industrial Design rep, she's here for your questions, ideas, and anything you want brought to the SDA. Want to chat? Email her anytime at bolack@ualberta.ca!
300 level VCD representative
Michelle Cheng (she/her)
Michelle is a second-year BDes student specializing in Industrial Design and Visual Communication Design. She is interested in the ways design can be used to communicate ideas and create meaningful experiences.
Outside of her studies, Michelle enjoys a variety of hobbies, including baking, writing, photography, and video editing.
She serves as the 300 VCD Representative, where she helps connect the SDA with students in the design program. If you have any questions, ideas, or concerns that you would like to share, feel free to reach out to her via email.
photo & video committee
photo and video committee
Mitchell North (he/him)
Mitchell is in his third year of the BDes Engineering Route program (ID) with a particular interest in physical product assembly and human-object interaction.
When not in class, you may find Mitchell getting ripped in the Hanson Fitness Centre, finishing up homework in the 24-hour space, lifeguarding for the City of Edmonton, travelling, or taking copious amounts of photos.
He is one of two photographers for the SDA and contributes by immortalizing the great moments experienced by this year’s SDA family. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions about photography or anything else!
photo and video committee
Julious Wilson (he/him)
Julious is in his fourth year of the Bachelor of Arts, Art and Design Program. Utilizing stickie notes or his camera, capturing moments instantly and in his own style is a priority.
Outside of projects and shoots, Julious has an action figure collection he likes to maintain and vinyl collection that has a soft spot for mainly R&B music.
He is currently one of the members on the Photo and Video Team at the SDA, encapsulating our many events and functions. If you wanted to find out what album he's obsessing over right now or if you had any questions, please email Julious at photo-2@thesda.ca.
grad committee
vcd grad chair
Natasha Gonzales (she/her)
Natasha is in her final year studying both industrial design and visual communication design. Print production and the design of small-scale public structures are two areas of design she loves.
If she’s not working on or refining her design projects, she’ll most likely be bookbinding a new journal, exploring different artistic mediums, or listening to one of her many playlists.
As the ID Grad Chair, Natasha organizes the entirety of the Bachelor of Design 2026/2027 Grad Show which exhibits the works of this year’s graduates. If you're graduating and have questions, please contact her and Tianna!!
id grad chair
Tianna Salvador (she/her)
Tianna is in her fourth year of the BDes program in the Business Marketing route (VCD) with an interest in UX/UI design and typography.
Outside of academics, Tianna enjoys being active, spending time with friends, and trying new hobbies!
As VCD Grad Chair, she manages and oversees the production of this year's grad show alongside the ID Grad Chair. If you have any questions or comments about graduation/grad show, she can be reached via email or found somewhere in the VCD space!