Meet the New Masthead: The Bell 2025
As the weather cools, McGill students are returning to class, and a new cohort of students at the Max Bell School — bringing a diversity of experiences — is eager to share their passion for policy with readers of The Bell.
The Bell is a newsletter produced by students of the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University. Every week, The Bell will publish an Op-Ed, interview or briefing on pressing and emerging public policy challenges in Canada and around the world.
The Bell is also home to The Bellwether, a podcast hosted and produced by the students of the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University. The Bellwether features discussions with policymakers, public servants, academics, researchers, and practitioners to unpack complex issues. We created this podcast to have a platform that elevates student voices in discussions of emerging policy issues.
As the new Editor-in-Chief, I hope to continue the amazing work of previous cohorts of students, under the stewardship of Andrew Potter. As the Bell enters its fifth year, we’ll be undertaking a brand refresh, as well as making our first foray into publishing French-language content.
Listed below is the new team behind The Bell:
Editor-in-Chief:
Gabriel Blanc (he/him) is the Editor-in-Chief of The Bell from Toronto, Ontario. He wrote for the Brown Political Review as a staff writer while pursuing his undergraduate degree at Brown University. He has since written for several online publications, including his own blog. While working at UNICEF, he contributed to human interest stories in English and French. He is excited to bring a fresh perspective and more French content to The Bell as the Editor in Chief.
Managing Editor:
Kiran Gill (he/him) is the Managing Editor of The Bell and an MPP Candidate at the Max Bell School of Public Policy. He is excited to lead The Bellwether team this year! At The Bell, Kiran is especially interested in telling stories about labour and indigenous policy. Prior to joining Max Bell Kiran worked in the federal public service.
Production Editors:
Jorge Seth Bumagat (he/him) is an MPP candidate at the Max Bell School of Public Policy and a Production Editor at The Bell. He is a chemical engineer with experience in environmental analytical chemistry, water research, and tailings treatment & management. His interests include international affairs and issues at the nexus of engineering, environment, and policy.
Nickson Mugabi is a Production Editor at The Bell. As a dedicated human rights advocate, he has spent over three years supporting political & torture victims in Uganda, helping them recover from trauma and rebuild their livelihoods. With a strong educational foundation in law from Makerere University Law School, Nickson brings expertise in administration, advocacy, activism, research, and alternative dispute resolution to the community of those among whom have crossed the lethal strike involved in the pursuit of social justice.
Deputy Editors:
Isabella Coronado Doria is a Deputy Editor of The Bell. Born on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, she is an economist and professional in Government and Public Affairs from the Universidad de los Andes. Before joining Max Bell, she worked as a project assistant to the President of the Universidad de los Andes, where she implemented strategic improvement projects and managed communication between the president's office, students, and parents.
Husein Pumaya Yakubu is an MPP Candidate at the Max Bell School of Public Policy and a Deputy Editor at The Bell. With a strong background in Land Management and over five years of professional experience in land administration and government, Pumaya has played a key role in revising Ghana's National Land Policy and contributing to drafting the Regulations for the Land Act of Ghana. Before joining Max Bell, he led the secretariat of the Ghana Land Sector Multi Stakeholder Platform, where he fostered dialogue between the government and customary stakeholders in Ghana's land sector.
Kevin Haynes is a student at the Max Bell School of Public Policy and a Deputy Editor of The Bell.
Michael Black is a Deputy Editor of The Bell. He grew up in Paris and later moved to Montreal to study Political Science and History at McGill University. After his studies, he went on to work as a Monitoring & Evaluation Officer for Civipol, where he contributed to an EU-funded project focused on combating money laundering across Africa. With a strong background in political analysis and international development, Michael is excited to pursue a Master’s in Public Policy at the Max Bell school to develop his skills and contribute to innovative policies that strengthen international cooperation and improve governance.
Jacob Kates Rose (he//him) is Deputy Editor of The Bell and a public policy nerd passionate about land use policy, immigration and refugees, and international diplomacy. He has a background in municipal politics and NGO work. He studied in the Department of Peace, Conflict and Justice studies at UofT. Jacob aspires to be wrong often and be right an increasing amount over time. Current podcast recommendation: Good On Paper with Jerusalem Demsas.
Cyrus Nagra is a recent graduate receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Philosophy from the University of Ottawa as a Deputy Editor for The Bell. He has gained some work experience in both the financial services and legal sectors. First with a small wealth management family practice in Toronto and more recently at RBC, assisting with the merger of the domestic operations of HSBC. He has also held contract work in the legal department of the fin-tech startup HelloBrigit.
Tess Corkery is a Deputy Editor for The Bell and a dedicated public servant with a strong ambition to shape what our governments can achieve through public policy. Originally from Ontario, Tess studied Professional Communications at Toronto Metropolitan University and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. During the pandemic, Tess began her career in the Federal Public Service, where she has since played a key role in enhancing digital service delivery through her background in UX design and policy implementation. By joining the Max Bell School, Tess aims to deepen her understanding of policy development and contribute to transformative changes in our public services.
Communications Manager(s):
Al-Amin Ahamed (he/they) is a Communications Manager of The Bell and a double graduate from the University of Toronto. During his studies, he earned the prestigious University of Toronto Student Leadership Award and graduated from the Doctor of Pharmacy program as a U of T Global Scholar, and Valedictorian. With an innate interest in the intersections of policy and health systems, Al enters the MPP program as a McCall MacBain Scholar, striving to optimize healthcare access for marginalized groups through policy-driven interventions.
Angelina Freeman is one of the Communications Managers of The Bell. She is from Albuquerque, United States and joins Max Bell after working as a Program Coordinator at World Learning. As a Program Coordinator, she supported the implementation of a virtual exchange program for high school students in the Middle East, North Africa and the United States. Angelina holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from American University’s School of International Service.
Chief Editor:
Andrew Potter is an associate professor (professional) at the Max Bell School of Public Policy and the faculty sponsor The Bell. A former journalist, between 2011 and 2016 Andrew Potter was managing editor and then Editor-in-Chief of the Ottawa Citizen, and from 2006 to 2011 he was a public affairs columnist for Maclean's Magazine. He is also a former Director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada. Potter is the author of The Authenticity Hoax: How We Get Lost Finding Ourselves, and the co-author, with Joseph Heath, of the best-selling book The Rebel Sell: Why the Culture Can't be Jammed.
We’re looking forward to receiving your comments on Substack and LinkedIn. If you have any feedback or would like to contribute to this newsletter, please send an email to gabriel.blanc@mail.mcgill.ca. Stay tuned for our first story of the new schoolyear.
Happy reading,
Gabriel Blanc
Editor in Chief