October 29, 2016

Comprised of graduate students from across the University, the Graduate Student Association (GSA) advocates for the development of all graduate students and is the governing body for graduate student organizations.

Each GSA Board brings new energy and goals to the leadership role. This year’s GSA Board, advised by Michael Ryan, PhD, assistant teaching professor in the College of Engineering and director of graduate student organizations in the Graduate College, is especially diverse in their studies and interests, and particularly driven to enhance the Drexel graduate student experience.

From teaming up with graduate student organizations to provide food during midterms and finals weeks and hosting meet-and-greets throughout the year, to providing library workshops and collaborating with the Graduate College to present Books & Bagels: Conversations on Interdisciplinary Research programs, the GSA and its more than 30 daughter organizations meet the many interests of Drexel's vibrant graduate student community.

“This board has shown, more than ever before, a commitment to balancing the professional development of Drexel’s graduate student population with a plethora of great activities scheduled. They are always seeking ways to improve its services, outreach and inclusivity for their graduate student members,” Ryan explained. “We expect great things from them.”

JERRY JOHN NUTOR, PRESIDENT

• PhD, Nursing, College of Nursing and Health Professions
• Dornsife Global Development Scholar

What's your hometown? I am from the Volta region of Ghana.

What brought you to Drexel? I am at Drexel to pursue a PhD in Nursing Science.

Do you have a favorite food truck or lunch spot on campus or in Philadelphia? My favorite food truck is the Halal Guys in front of the Hagerty Library  

What are your favorite memories at Drexel? My favorite memories at Drexel University are the days that I am negotiating or lobbying on behalf of my colleague graduate students. 

What other activities do you enjoy in your spare time? I love meeting people especially graduate students to solicit ideas on how to make life at Drexel better for graduate students. I also spend some of my spare time with my church young adults group.  

Why did you choose your program? And what do you hope to do when you graduate? I chose the PhD in nursing science because I want to contribute to social, cultural, and global health policy for the advancement of nursing education, research, and the health of those whom nursing serves globally.

What's your main goal as a GSA board member? What do you hope to accomplish this year? My main goal as a GSA board member is to get involved in advocating for the needs and concerns of graduate students and also to have the opportunity to serve my colleague graduate students.

SOWBHAGYA JAYARAMAN, VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS

• MS, Food Science, Center for Hospitality and Sport Management
• Wawa Beverage Company Dairy Lab Analyst Intern

What's your hometown? Tamil Nadu, India.

What brought you to Drexel? My interest to pursue a master’s degree in food science.

Do you have a favorite food truck or lunch spot on campus or in Philadelphia? I have a few favorites like Subway, the falafel food trucks, and Insomnia Cookies. 

What are your favorite memories at Drexel? One of my favorite and unforgettable memories is attending the PMCA Conference 2016 in Lancaster which brought in confectionery technologists from various parts of the world. It served as a platform to network and communicate with the professional confectioners. 

What other activities do you enjoy in your spare time? I enjoy singing and listening to music in my spare time. 

Why did you choose your program? And what do you hope to do when you graduate? Food science seemed the right choice to me because of my liking towards biochemistry and food technology. I hope to become a food product developer to research on various healthy alternatives to the consumers. 

What's your main goal as a GSA board member? What do you hope to accomplish this year? My main goal is to connect with the student population at Drexel. By the end of the academic year I hope to complete my master's degree with an outstanding performance and make use of the resources at Drexel to my best. 

VALERIE TUTWILER, VICE PRESIDENT OF STUDENT LIFE

• PhD, Biomedical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Health Systems
• American Heart Association Pre-Doctoral Fellow
• Kara Spiller, PhD, Lab (Drexel) and John Weisel, PhD, Lab (Penn) Member

What's your hometown? Cherry Hill, NJ.

What brought you to Drexel? I have actually been at Drexel since 2008 when I started my undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering. Everything kind of fell together serendipitously and I decided to stay to complete my doctorate. 

Do you have a favorite food truck or lunch spot on campus or in Philadelphia? Zavinos!

What is your favorite memory at Drexel? I have so many memories at Drexel that it is impossible to pick only one favorite; however, collectively I would say my favorite thing about Drexel is the lifelong friendships that I made! 

What other activities do you enjoy in your spare time? I love to play tennis, read, bake, and watch movies in my spare time! I am also a member of the American Society of Cell Biology’s graduate student and post-doc group (COMPASS). 

Why did you choose your program? And what do you hope to do when you graduate? I chose biomedical engineering due to the interdisciplinary nature of the program. Following my graduation, I want to apply engineering techniques to the study of thrombotic events such as heart attacks and strokes. 

What's your main goal as a GSA board member? What do you hope to accomplish this year? My main goal as a GSA board member is to promote the planning of a wide variety of events that give students the opportunity to experience new things, to give back to the community, and to gain skills needed for life after graduate school. 

KATIE VAN AKEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

• PhD, Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering
• A.J. Drexel Nanomaterials Institute Member
• National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenges GAANN Fellow
• Drexel College of Engineering Carleone Fellow and Koerner Family Awardee

What's your hometown? New Hope, PA

What brought you to Drexel? I wanted to stay in Philadelphia and near my family for graduate school. When I was offered a position by my advisor who is very well known in the field of carbon materials for energy storage, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to work with him and enjoy living in Philly for a few more years. 

Do you have a favorite food truck or lunch spot on campus or in Philadelphia? I think my favorite lunch/dinner spot is Slainte's on 30th Street. My group goes there all the time to celebrate when students pass some of the milestones in their PhD path.

What's your favorite memory at Drexel?  Two years ago, we decided to go to trivia at Slainte's to connect the new graduate students to the old ones. It was really fun and cool to see people making new friends with students in different stages of their degrees. Years later, we are all really good friends and I think that day was a big part of that. 

What other activities do you enjoy in your spare time? I am the head coach of the Drexel Women's Club Soccer Team which I started doing almost as soon as I came to Drexel. I love to play soccer, watch soccer, and coach soccer. And it's a nice break from the lab sometimes. 

Why did you choose your program? And what do you hope to do when you graduate? I was excited about the interdisciplinary science and research going on. With a background in physics, I was ready to move on to more applied research and to work with people from other scientific backgrounds to solve big world problems like energy. When I graduate, I hope to move into industry and continue to solve problems like energy storage. One day, I would love to start my own company but that's a little down the road. 

What's your main goal as a GSA board member? What do you hope to accomplish this year? I want to advocate for the graduate students at Drexel. I want to leave Drexel having made the graduate experience even better for students coming after me. 

CHIRANJIV CHEVLI, LIBRARY ARCHIVIST

• MS, Biomedical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Health Systems
• Drexel Biopolymer Fabrication Lab Member

What's your hometown? Surat, India.

What brought you to Drexel? The ongoing research and the co-op program attracted me to Drexel University.

Do you have a favorite food truck or lunch spot on campus or in Philadelphia? Philly Halal and Kim’s Dragon.

What other activities do you enjoy in your spare time? I like biking and exploring new places. 

Why did you choose your program? And what do you hope to do when you graduate? I plan to complete my master’s degree and work for a reputable company.

T. JIBRI DOUGLAS, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION OFFICER

• MPH, Health Management and Policy, Dornsife School of Public Health
• Dornsife School of Public Health Health Administration and Policy Fellow
• Institute for Diversity in Healthcare Management/American Hospital Association Summer Enrichment Program Intern

What's your hometown? Newark, NJ.

What brought you to Drexel? Initially the LGBT Health Certificate program. From there I applied for the master’s in public health program.

Do you have a favorite food truck or lunch spot on campus or in Philadelphia? Pattaya Thai Cuisine is my favorite in Philadelphia.

What are your favorite memories at Drexel? I really enjoyed all of the graduate happy hours last year. It was a great way to meet graduate students from all over the university and talk about things outside of school. It was also good to see graduate students and leaders in a different element and build bonds.

What other activities do you enjoy in your spare time? I am the Vice President of the Drexel Black Graduate Student Union. In my spare time, I enjoy going to art exhibits, different restaurants, and open mic events in Philadelphia.

Why did you choose your program? And what do you hope to do when you graduate? I chose the MPH program because I have a significant background in public health. My bachelor’s is in public health, and I worked for six years in the HIV/AIDS prevention and education field. I wanted to move to the next level by furthering my education. After I graduate, I will be a healthcare administrative fellow for a health system in PA.

What's your main goal as a GSA board member? What do you hope to accomplish this year? My main goal is to provide programming that is accessible and enjoyable for everyone. I would like to see as many identities as possible reflected in all of our programming from academic to social. The Diversity and Inclusion position is a fairly new position on the GSA Board. Therefore, my biggest goal this year is creating a more solid foundation for the position that future officers can use and continue to grow the position.

EDWIN JOHN, FUNDING AND ALLOCATIONS OFFICER

• MS, Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering
• Drexel Center for Electrical Power Engineering Research Assistant

What's your hometown? I'm originally from Kerala in India, but lived most of my life and grew up in Bahrain.

What brought you to Drexel? I was attracted by the excellent electrical engineering power program here and, to be honest, liked the idea of a campus so close to the city. 

Do you have a favorite food truck or lunch spot on campus or in Philadelphia? My favorite has to be the Chapli kebab food truck outside the Recreation Center, though I love to explore.

What is your favorite memory at Drexel? I have loved all the events held and my favorite memory was the welcome yacht party.

Are you a part of any other organizations? What other activities do you enjoy in your spare time? I am a part of GSA and along with graduate school, I need not worry about having any free time. 

Why did you choose your program? And what do you hope to do when you graduate? Power engineering is a fascinating area which is undergoing a lot of modernization in the form of technology and once I graduate I hope to contribute to this change.

What's your main goal as a GSA board member? What do you hope to accomplish this year? As a member of the biggest graduate student body on campus, I hope to leave my mark on Drexel, one that will be remembered for ages to come.

YI-HSUAN (CINDY) LIN, TRUSTEE

• PhD, Physics, College of Arts and Sciences
• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow

What's your hometown? Changhua City, Changhua, Taiwan.

What brought you to Drexel? My graduate program.

Do you have a favorite food truck or lunch spot on campus or in Philadelphia? Ochatto and Lemon Grass both offer great lunch deals and are delicious! 

What are your favorite memories at Drexel? My favorite memories of Drexel are bonding with my fellow physics students on the annual camping trip my first year and when I was told that I had passed my written qualitative exam.

What other activities do you enjoy in your spare time? I was the president of Physics Graduate Student Association for two years, and VP of finance for GSA for two years; in my spare time, I enjoy hanging out with my friends, exploring the city, and coloring. 

Why did you choose your program? And what do you hope to do when you graduate? After taking a year off between my undergraduate and graduate careers, I found that I wanted to further my physics knowledge and continue my career in academia. With my degree, I hope to work as a research scientist in a national lab with plenty of opportunities for science outreach and mentorship.

What's your main goal as a GSA board member? What do you hope to accomplish this year? As the trustee member of GSA this year, I hope to aid the board with all my experiences and lessons learned from the past two years.