President
Shahryar Rahdari
Troy Santos

VP of Diversity Affairs
Aaron Mattingly
Sumitra Tatapudy

Shahryar Rahdari
School of Medicine
First Year Student

UCSF is an institution near and dear to my heart. I started my journey here in the summer of 2014 as a post baccalaureate student in the School of Medicine. The post bac changed my life in everyway possible and gave me a chance at a dream. I had one of the most transformational experiences during my program meeting a group of fellow post bachers that became my closest buddies.

Our post bac was interprofessional and had students from the School of Pharmacy and Dentistry from all different kinds of backgrounds and life experience. It was enriching to get to know them and soon we found ourselves doing everything together: studying, grabbing a bit to eat, spending time together outside of class, hanging out at each others places, and getting know one another on a deeper level. They became my family and we rose and fell together through our year in the program. Flash forward to 2016 and I gain admission to medical school at my dream school: UCSF. I was excited beyond my belief for the adventure ahead and the amazing people I dreamt of meeting in professional school as I had done in my post bac. However, days, weeks, and months passed and I felt a sense of disconnect that I had never experienced before. I began to realize that, for the first in time, I was struggling to make friends that new me on a deeper level. I was shocked to be feeling this way because the UCSF I knew was the post bac and the amazing memories I had made with my classmates.

This is where I realized the significance of interprofessionalism and that all my friends in the post bac were dental and pharmacy students, and looking back at my life, I never had many pre-med friends in college. However, beginning medical school at UCSF, this was the first time where school is structured to exclusively interact with medical students and have limited exposure to students in other fields. Much of my disconnect stems from barriers connecting with students outside of the School of Medicine. That is why as President I will be running on the platform of fostering community among students in the various professional schools. I want to create interprofessional spaces to connect, share, and cultivate comradery at UCSF. As President, I hope to work within the school to create opportunities that strengthen our community and bring students together from all walks of life and profession.

Troy Santos
School of Pharmacy
Second Year Student

Hello, fellow students. My name is Troy Santos, a 2nd-year pharmacy student. This past year I’ve served you as the Vice President of Internal Affairs for GPSA, and the job has been one of the most fulfilling things I’ve ever done. The stories you’ve shared with me about yourselves- whether you’re a student working on top of school to send money home, or you’re struggling to find housing for you and your children, or perhaps new federal policies impact you or your loved ones- have shown me how much more work must be done. Your stories have humbled me deeply, and I want to be in a position to help you as President of GPSA.

I am qualified for this position because of my experience being the right-hand man to the president as VP. The president must know the ins and outs of GPSA and the student groups on campus, as well as the big issues for students at UCSF. I have spent the past year running each GPSA meeting, planning big events like Formal or Last Lecture, and meeting student organizations across all the divisions and learning about issues you’re passionate about. I have also sat on the Student Health Advisory Committee, the Student Services Fee Advisory Committee, and the Food Security Committee. Through these platforms, I’ve been able to help with student issues that are dear to me, such as mental health, health insurance, food security, and investing in students.

My goals for the upcoming year are both rooted in the base we’ve built as a new student government the past few years, and look at the new issues that have become apparent. We need to get back to the basics of student life and focus on student wellness, food security, mental health, and the protection of our students. No student should have issues putting food on the table. No student should feel like they lack the support to succeed in school. And no student should feel like they’re not going to be protected from policies that may come out of Washington.

I want to continue expanding on events that increase the amount of inter-professional interaction. This year is the year to revamp traditional big events GPSA holds, like Formal. However, it’s time to create new events and initiatives that stem from the ideas of the student body, which is why I want to have more student groups come to GPSA meetings and present their ideas for what they’d like done during this upcoming school year. Overall, I want students to be happy about their experience at UCSF, and I promise to be an advocate for you and fulfill my duties as your president with integrity and thoughtfulness.

Loreen Atallah
School of Pharmacy
First Year Student

Hello! My name is Loreen Atallah and I would be honored to serve as your Vice President of Internal Affairs.

I have been involved in GPSA since I first came to UCSF, attending meetings, learning about the roles and responsibilities of the executive council, and getting involved with different committees. I currently represent the UCSF student body on the Student Services Fee Advisory Committee, the Transportation Advisory Committee, and the Library Student Advisory Committee. Through this involvement, I've been staying up to date on current issues students are facing, in order to advocate for student interests and fight for student rights.

One of the responsibilities of the Vice President of Internal Affairs is to ensure student representation on committees across campus, and my current involvement makes me qualified to do exactly that. Whether its ensuring we keep our study spaces or reviewing the allocations of our student services fee, I'll make sure that students are treated fairly and our best interests are kept at heart. I'll be here to support students in whatever obstacles come our way, whether they be housing, food security, academic, or health-care related.

Currently, some critical student representation positions have been left unfilled, leaving campus administration to make decisions that impact student life without student input. My goals, if elected, are to prevent this from occurring in the future by making sure students are kept informed with what is happening and that our voices are heard. Further goals include helping student organizations to develop, facilitating interprofessional networking and involvement, and helping to make the annual formal better than ever. I'd also like to make the university-wide events calendar more manageable, so that you are able to find and attend events that fit your interests, and to help you discover new interests
as well.

In the school of pharmacy, we have a term called "pharmily," which represents the family that encompasses all of us within the pharmacy school. I'd like to extend that concept across all schools and divisions of UCSF. As your Vice President of Internal Affairs, I will strive to represent all students across all campuses--students at both Parnassus and Mission bay, and all the graduate and professional schools. This is our university, and our experience here is what we make of it. I'm here to help you make it the best it can be.

Our current US government may not be working in our favor, but I'll ensure that your student government is supporting you every step of the way, protecting our students and our rights.

Joseph Choe
Graduate Division
Third Year Student

Why I am running:
My name is Joe Choe and I am a third year Ph.D. student running for Vice President of Finance. Growing up in a low-income household, I quickly learned to become financially aware. Rather than thinking about what toys to buy, I started to form a habit of saving as much money as I could so that I would be able to pay for things I truly wanted or needed. As Vice President of Finance, I would like to apply the same trait and conserve our limited budget for causes that truly resonates with both the graduate and professional students. Furthermore, I am interested in pursuing a career in university administration. I believe that becoming Vice President of Finance will help gain the valuable experiences that will help me become a better administrator in the future.

Qualifications:
Experience:
I have been participating in several committees and student organizations within the past academic year. I am a committee member in UCSF CCE Partnerships Grants Committee and UCSF library student advisory committee. Also, I am the coordinator for a student organization, True Grip Climbing Club at UCSF.

Traits:
I pride myself in being able to organize and prioritize efficiently. I believe that honesty is the best policy and I like to approach conflicts head on. Lastly, I love maximizing value whether that is related to budgeting or carrying out various scientific experiments

Goals:
My goals are to be fiscally responsible and improve the quality of life for the student body and staff. I would like to create and help facilitate various events to make graduate and professional school more enjoyable. Lastly, I will do my best to reach out to various UCSF students to understand what is important to our community.

Thank you for reading my statement and I hope to be your next VP of Finance!

Karena Craemer
School of Dentistry
Second Year Student

Hello! My name is Karena Craemer and I am running for the UCSF GPSA Vice President of Finance. As the VP of Finance, I am excited to participate in general Executive Council activities, such as soliciting new ideas from the UCSF community about the GPSA formal, how to increase participation in campus events, and more. Additionally, I am qualified to uphold the specific responsibilities for VP of Finance, which include chairing the Student Advisory Committee and attending the UC system-wide Student Council on Student Fees meetings. Some personal qualities about me are my passion for hiking and camping, the fact that I have five older sisters, my hobbies of playing music and salsa dancing, and my love of traveling. While at the UCSF School of Dentistry, I am also involved in research, which grants me a special appreciation of the necessity to include the graduate division in general GPSA activities, in addition to professional student participation. A few of the fresh ideas that I have for Executive Council are specifically related to increasing attendance and participation in GPSA activities, such as: spearheading wider publicity about the amazing campus events like Grad Slam, RCO Cultural Night, GPSA Formal, and more. If you see me on campus, please approach to talk more about any insights you have for the Executive Council as well. And when you get a chance, vote for me!

Aaron Mattingly
Graduate Division
Fourth Year Student

I want to be Vice President of Diversity Affairs not just as a side project, but to truly make some differences in UCSF’s cultural climate and prepare me as I transition into a career in science outreach.

First and foremost, a major goal of diversity initiatives should be to grant access, support, and opportunity to those who have had barriers to obtaining such resources, to break down oppressive power structures, and to foster a safe and understanding environment where all people are valued. Science, healthcare, and higher education all benefit from diversity and inclusion, but I maintain that we need to frame our goals on pulling up others – bettering ourselves is merely a secondary effect.

Among the designated duties of the Vice President of Diversity Affairs, I’ve identified issues in the community that I want to specifically focus on, outlined here:

• Activate our allies. Most of us are or can be allies to other groups one way or another. Yet, allies have often shown support in words but not action, and despite Registered Campus Organization (RCO) events being “open to everyone”, ally attendance could be so much better.
• Encourage collaboration between RCOs. Many RCOs share very similar goals, but may not communicate enough to share valuable resources.
• Execute initiatives to promote safety and awareness of discrimination and harassment. We need programs in place to ensure that our underrepresented minorities, LGBT, people with disabilities, and other groups feel safe and supported at UCSF, besides reporting incidences to the police.

To date, I’ve participated in a number of high school outreach events (most of which cater towards the minority-majority San Francisco Unified School District), including the National Youth Leadership Forum, SF STEM Career Day, and annual UCSF High School Outreach Conference. Especially in this political climate, I believe outreach is essential for the future generation to feel validated, represented, and encouraged to pursue careers in STEM/Healthcare. Additionally, I’ve had the pleasure of serving as a Graduate Student Advisor for the UCSF Summer Research Training Program (SRTP) last year, as I will this year.

SRTP is particularly dear to me as it brings together an extremely collaborative, diverse and passionate group of undergraduate students to do great science here on our own campus. I was ecstatic to lead groups of students as a mentor and work with campus administration to improve the program. I interned for SRTP as an undergraduate and when I came to UCSF, I was disappointed that the level of diversity present in SRTP was not reflected in my student body. I want to change this.

As a gay person-of-color with a disability, I can more freely navigate spaces and communicate with all groups to get things done. I have also been a staunch advocate for diversity at UCSF, as evidenced by my writings in Synapse. I am passionate, driven, and motivated to change our community for the better. Once again, this is not a position I will take lightly; this will be my future career.

Sumitra Tatapudy
Graduate Division
Third Year Student

Hi UCSF!

I’m Sumitra, a third-year graduate student in the Tetrad PhD program. This year, I had the opportunity to represent the UCSF graduate student body at meetings with leaders from many other UC campuses in my role as a Graduate Student External Vice President for UCSF. I interacted with students from the different UC campuses and learned about their experiences as UC students. We worked on a number of issues ranging from Graduate student affordability and mentor-mentee relationships, to campus climates and safety at each of the UCs. Through those conversations, there was one that stood out to me: a dire need for inclusivity. Historically, there have been so many perspectives that have remained unheard either because they’ve belonged to a minority group, a marginalized group, or simply because they are unpopular. This needs to change. I would like to help contribute to that change at UCSF.

I am a woman of Indian origin, who believes in advocating for what I believe in and have a dream to pursue a career in science. At UCSF, I have been part of initiatives to increase STEM representation for women by working with local schools, organizing cross-cultural events, and writing about diversity-related student perspectives in Synapse. This past year, I helped organize a UC-wide Student Lobby Conference giving graduate students an opportunity to lobby at the State Capitol. Due to our lobbying efforts, the legislative body passed one of our bills to safeguard minorities and provide an anti-discriminatory and safe climate on college campuses. This experience helped me realize the power of student voices in causing change.

My background and experiences have inspired me to run for VP of Diversity Affairs. Addressing diversity related issues, involves acknowledging differences, which often creates a divide instead of fostering unity. Having realized this challenge, my goals to promote diversity are centered around focusing on education, spreading awareness, and advocacy.

1. I understand that in representing a student population, my experiences cannot solely guide my perspective. Therefore, one of my first goals is to increase communication between all the student groups and diversity officers to promote diversity on our campus. I would like to establish a common platform to be informed about inter-campus diversity efforts.
2. To ensure that our voices be heard at a state and federal level, I will work with UCSF's graduate and professional divisions to have a "diversity day" wherein we do letter writing campaigns, organize safe spaces to discuss concerns, and brainstorm ideas to increase student/faculty diversity.
3. To encourage more students to pursue STEM education, increasing the interactions of UCSF students with students from local community schools and colleges is crucial. I hope to develop and streamline such outreach efforts.

I hope you support me in my intent to preserve, promote, and celebrate diversity at UCSF. Thank you!

Hailey Taylor
School of Dentistry
Second Year Student

My name is Hailey Taylor. I am a second year dental student and it is with great excitement that I am applying for the position of Vice President of Finance. I am well suited to this position and believe I could make a positive impact on the UCSF community if elected into this role. One of the main responsibilities of this position is to prepare the budget for the upcoming academic year. I have prepared multiple budgets as a project manager and a chair of professional committees within industry, and as the treasurer and president of the American Association of Women Dentists here at UCSF. I have found the process to be both rewarding and challenging at times, as I work with a team to ensure the money is being used in the best possible manner.

An additional responsibility of the VP of Finance is to serve on various committees and supervise the utilization of funds. As such, it is key for the VP of Finance to be able to advocate the interests of students to UCSF leadership and other advisory committees. I am articulate and very financially literate. This will allow me to represent the GPSA well as a member of these committees. I will also be able to explain to any student or other GPSA member the restraints on how funding can be used. This will promote transparency within the GPSA and hopefully encourage maximum utilization of the budget in a responsible manner.

While I am particularly interested in becoming the VP of Finance, I am really looking forward to becoming a contributing member of the GPSA Executive Council and serving the greater UCSF community. I currently have the privilege of serving as a member of the Committee on the Status of Women and the Campus Community Advisory Committee. These organizations have given me the opportunity to engage with a diverse range of students, faculty and staff, as well as develop a more extensive knowledge of the organizational structure of UCSF. I have greatly enjoyed interacting with other members of the UCSF community and would love the opportunity serve them in this role. If I am elected, one of my goals would be to make myself available to other organizations within each school to help them understand the GPSA funding process and work with them create their budgets. I can pass on what I have learned over the past several years to new or growing organizations and help them thrive.

I have already had the opportunity to attend GPSA meetings and review the current budget. I thoroughly enjoyed the process and I am confident in my ability to transition seamlessly with the current VP of Finance and make the upcoming year as successful as possible. I would relish the opportunity to contribute more fully to this community and encourage you to trust me with your vote.