About
In 1972
The GPSS was incorporated as a 501(c)(7) to serve the needs of graduate and professional students at Yale. Today, the Senate has 8 Standing Committees that meet frequently to develop programming and coordinate advocacy for G&P students.
Advocacy – Community Engagement – Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility & Belonging Committee - External Affairs - Funding – Professional Development – Public Relations – Social
2024 - 2025 Senate
Executive Committee
Alex Rich, President
Saman Haddad, Vice-President
Anita Jegarl, Treasurer
Maren Tonini, Secretary
Iyad Sayed Issa, Advocacy Chair
Ruben Warkentin, Advocacy Chair
Rosa Grijalva, Community Engagement Chair
Ellen VanDyke Bell, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, & Belonging Chair
Rachel Nussbaum, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, & Belonging Chair
Chrishan Fernando, External Affairs Chair
David Carcamo, Funding Chair
Xinyi Guo, Professional Development Chair
Sara Siwiecki, Public Relations Chair
Anita Onuoha, Social Chair
Esther Tsai, Social Chair
Summer E-Board Fellows: Daniel Akwa, Kino Alvarez, and Chrishan Fernando
Fall E-Board Fellows: Bassel Shanab, Andrew Aaron Valdez
Spring E-Board Fellows: TBD
Senators
Senators for 2024-2025 have been elected and are listed below. At-Large Senators are elected mid-term: Please email Maren Tonini (maren.tonini@yale.edu) if you have questions pertaining to these elections!
Faith Couch — Art Senator
Inkpa Lara-Ruiz — Art Senator
Alfonse Chiu — Architecture Senator
Aysel Aziz — Architecture Senator
Abigail Wilson — Nursing Senator
Terri Motraghi — Nursing Senator
Alexandra Helfgott — Jackson Senator
Alejandro Sanchez Flores — Jackson Senator
Kino Dick Alvarez — Drama Senator
Andrew Aaron Valdez — Drama Senator
Colton Klein — GSAS Humanities Senator
Alexandra Herrera — GSAS Humanities Senator
Rita Nwanze — GSAS Humanities Senator
Alex Esqueda — GSAS Sciences Senator
Lex Herrerias — GSAS Sciences Senator
Harrison Souchereau — GSAS Sciences Senator
Jane Lee — GSAS Sciences Senator
Julia Bauer — GSAS Sciences Senator
Farrah Mohammed — GSAS Sciences Senator
Lamisa Musarat — GSAS Sciences Senator
Samantha Tracy — GSAS Sciences Senator
Sandra Sandria — GSAS Sciences Senator
Spencer Davis — GSAS Sciences Senator
William Chang — GSAS Sciences Senator
Yukang Zeng — GSAS Sciences Senator
Danny Daniel Mollericona Alfaro — GSAS Social Sciences Senator
Raphaelle Soffe — GSAS Social Sciences Senator
Vaishnavi Gade — GSAS Social Sciences Senator
Sasha Rothstein — GSAS Social Sciences Senator
Zoe Murray — Public Health Senator
Ivy Liao — Public Health Senator
Don-Pedro Ume — Public Health Senator
Zhuoyuan Jiang — Public Health Senator
Ahsan Ahmad — Public Health Senator
Edward Chiu — School of Management Senator
Arjun Kumar — School of Management Senator
Calahan Martin — School of Management Senator
Jeff Liu — School of Management Senator
Nursen Ogutveren — School of Management Senator
Peter Waggonner — School of Management Senator
Henry Lam — School of Management Senator
Emily MacDougall — Divinity Senator
Meghan Berg — Divinity Senator
Katie Parker — Physician Assistant (Online) Senator
Jerica Golez — Physician Assistant (In-Person) Senator
Jason McFadden — Medicine Senator
Bassel Shanab — Medicine Senator
Devesh Malik — Medicine Senator
Sasha Stogniy — Medicine Senator
Kennedy Plains — Music Senator
Sory Park — Music Senator
Danna Castro Galindo — Law Senator
Tyler Walls — Law Senator
Emily Ma — Law Senator
Saavni Desai — Law Senator
Mitch Zufelt — Law Senator
Isabela Valencia — Environment Senator
Allen Gil — Environment Senator
Advocacy
The Advocacy Committee works to resolve issues facing the graduate and professional student population by serving as a liaison between the student population and the administration, faculty, and various officers at Yale.
Community Engagement
The Senate has a vibrant tradition and commitment to service and charity. If you want to get involved, check the calendar or email the chair directly.
External Affairs
The External Affairs Committee is dedicated to facilitating and fortifying local, state, and national-level advocacy initiatives tailored to the unique needs and concerns of our graduate and professional students.
Funding
The Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS) is a major source of funding for graduate and professional student organizations. The amount of direct monetary support is dependent on the current GPSS budget. In general, GPSS supports events, activities, and student groups that are inclusive of all graduate and professional students.
Professional Development
The Professional Development Committee (PDC) is designed to identify and address the unmet needs of the student body as they relate to preparing for their careers and life after Yale.
The PDC aims to encourage interdisciplinary career exploration among all graduate and professional students through various networking events and programming. Featured events include speed networking, flash mentoring, and skill sharing sessions. For many of these events, and beyond, the PDC works along side the Yale Alumni Association to provide opportunities to connect with alumni that can provide not only career advice, but also life skills.
Public Relations
The Public Relations Committee coordinates and disseminates information about Senate and The Gryphon to external parties, including the offices of the University administration, the schools and departments, student organizations, and the Yale Alumni Association. The PR Committee also strives to improve communication between students and Senate to ensure that all voices are heard.
Social
One of the truly defining characteristics of Yale University is the vibrant, passionate, and diverse community of students. The Senate Social Committee strives to foster interactions and bring people together from across the Graduate and Professional schools and strengthen that sense of community. The Senate organizes numerous social events throughout the academic year. The Social Committee helps with the planning, organization, and execution of these events, often in close association with Gryphon's Pub.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, & Belonging
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee serves as the central liaison between G&P students and the university administration on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (broadly defined). Its mandate is to solicit input from the G&P community and advocate for specific policies, programs and initiatives that would enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus.
Looking for resources regarding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion?