Vice President of External Affairs

Statement:

I am very grateful to serve as the current VP External Affairs for UCSB’s GSA. I hope to continue representing UCSB at the UC-wide, Regents, State, and Federal levels in the next academic year.

We are living in a political moment where the University of California and all institutions of higher education are facing a collective existential threat. There are ideological, fiscal, and legal attacks from the federal government and growing internal pressures from students, staff, and faculty across a significant range of issues. There are unprecedented challenges facing our graduate students today, including financial, research, and career insecurity due to cancelled grants and federal funding; new risks for our international, undocumented, and permanent resident students; and a real danger of political persecution for those choosing to express dissent. On top of this, there are steep budget cuts from the State of California, and at the time of writing, the country is in an economic crisis and on the edge of recession.

These chaotic and difficult times call for clear leadership that unifies. Over this last year, I have built relationships with the UC Regents, with UCOP, with UCGPC leadership, and with my counterparts at the other UC schools. I have attended every Regents meeting, sometimes as part of their Student Advocate to the Regents program, and given public comment several times. These relationships are not for me; they are for your benefit, and for the benefit of UCSB and UC graduate students more broadly. 

On my mind for the coming year:

— Advocate for the issues facing UCSB graduate students today, including perennial issues such as basic needs, housing, transportation, mentorship standards, funding, and parental support, and current issues such as campus climate, ethical spending and investment, and mental health. Looking forward to incorporating the results of the recent housing survey and graduate student experience survey into plans and goals for AY 2025-26.

— Make sure UCSB’s voice is always heard in issues that affect our campus at the UC, state, and federal level. This includes ensuring that our needs, challenges, and proposed solutions are being heard at the highest levels and that our perspective is taken into consideration when administrators, regents, and legislators craft UC-wide, state, and federal policy.

— Strengthen relationships between our campus, the other campuses, and UC-wide leadership at UCOP and the Regents. These positive relationships will help us be more successful with advocacy efforts now and into the future.

I look forward to continuing my advocacy work on behalf of UCSB.