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.

AdvocacyCommunity EngagementDiversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility & Belonging Committee - External Affairs - Funding Professional DevelopmentPublic RelationsSocial

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.

 

Current Chairs 2024-2025

Iyad Sayed Issa (iyad.sayedissa@yale.edu)

Ruben Warkentin (ruben.warkentin@yale.edu)

Members

To Be Announced

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.

 

Current Chair 2024-2025

Rosa Grijalva (rosa.grijalva@yale.edu)

Members

To Be Announced

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.

 
 

Current Chair 2024-2025

Chrishan Fernando (chrishan.fernando@yale.edu)

Members

To Be Announced

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.

 

Current Chair 2024-2025

David Carcamo (david.carcamo@yale.edu)

Members

To Be Announced

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.

 

Current Chair 2024-2025

Xinyi Guo (xinyi.guo@yale.edu)

Members

To Be Announced

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.

 

Current Chair 2024-2025

Sara Siwiecki (sara.siwiecki@yale.edu)

Members

To Be Announced

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.

 

Current Chair 2024-2025

Anita Onuoha (anita.onuoha@yale.edu)

Esther Tsai (esther.tsai@yale.edu)

Members

To Be Announced

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?

 

Current Chairs 2024-2025

Rachel Nussbaum (rachel.nussbaum@yale.edu)

Ellen VanDyke Bell (ellen.vandykebell@yale.edu)

Members

To Be Announced