Co-Presidents
Internal: Becky Martin (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
This year, I served the graduate student community as Internal Co-President, which has been an honor and a challenge in equal parts. Advocating for graduate students through the course of the strike, from the earliest planning stages through the six-week work stoppage and through the aftermath has forced me to rethink how the graduate student community relates to administration, and has given me new ideas about how we can fight for a UCSB that we can live, work and thrive in. I am acutely aware that most graduate students do not have access to housing that isn't outrageously unaffordable, and fighting for our right to live in dignity will always be of central importance.
If I am given a second term, I am excited to continue the work I have started - maintaining the GSA Lounge as an inviting study and meeting space, collaborating on social events and supporting our affinity organizations. I want to build on this work by focusing on departmental graduate student organizations, the nexus of so many graduate students' social and professional lives. In the coming year, I will support departmental graduate student organizations in their efforts to create space on campuses for graduate students, connecting organizational leaders to resources and to each other so that we can share our knowledge across campus.
I am determined to continue fighting for graduate students, whether or not I have the privilege to serve in this position. Thank you so much for participating in this election!
External: Annjulie Vester (Political Science)
Hi colleagues! My name is Annjulie Vester (she/her) and right now I am the GSA officer who sends you weekly newsletter emails – I don’t take it personally if you have deleted them unopened! I would love to continue to serve graduate students for another year – but this time as External Co-President! I currently fill the role of VP of Communications and Events, and because of unforeseen circumstances, I also worked as the VP of Finance for several months. 2022-2023 was a particularly challenging year for GSA as our finances became immobile and graduate students went on a historic strike to fight for higher wages. Although filling two GSA officer roles at the same time was stressful, I successfully helped to restore our finances and stood with my colleagues on the picket line.
There is much work to be done in advocating for graduate student needs! I particularly care about graduate student housing needs and robust graduate student representation in departments. While I cannot change the Santa Barbara housing market, I believe small changes are possible when working closely with Campus Housing and helping them to understand what graduate students need! I have the experience to navigate university hierarchies through my time spent on various university committees and getting to know important stakeholders on campus. As External Co-President, I will do my best to fight for every student on campus! Thank you for taking the time to read everyone’s statements and to cast your vote!
Vice President of Financial Affairs
Adrienne Tsikewa (Linguistics)
Hello fellow grad students!
My name is Adrienne Tsikewa (she/her) and I am a 7th year PhD candidate in the Linguistics department. I would like to serve as the VP of Financial Affairs (VPFA) for continuity. I was elected as the current VPFA in the Jan. 2023 special election and have spent the past few months learning the financial side of the university in order to streamline payments for students and the businesses that we work with. We all appreciate everyone’s patience during the fiscal transition the GSA has undergone during this school year. There are many components under this position and my onboarding for it is ongoing. Because of this, continuity for this position is essential for the upcoming academic year. With the exception of this year’s initially elected VPFA, this has been the case with past VPFAs as they have all served at least two years.
Besides my current experience as VPFA, my qualifications for this position include: Serving as the program director of a federally funded education program (TRiO/SSS) which entailed budget management of an annual budget of $242,000 as well as other administrative responsibilities. Working under two NSF grants in which my duties included navigating various university departments to ensure the allotted funds for grant participants were disbursed in a timely manner for their out of pocket expenses as well as other logistical planning.
The GSA budget is intended to support GSA’s mission and the budget is allocated toward these endeavors. My goals for this year and the next is a transparent budget and to continue streamlining payments to students as well as the various on campus departments and outside businesses we work with.
Thank you all for your consideration and I hope to continue serving as your VPFA.
Vice President of Communications & Events
Gustavo Lenzi de Almeida Prado Sampaio (Theater & Dance)
I am an international Ph.D. student from Brazil who is passionate about community activism and student advocacy. I earned my MA in Arts Management ('20) at The New School in New York City. During that time, I produced several events in the NYC area, some in traditional venues and some in less-traditional spaces like basements and living rooms, and once on the 145th subway stop of the A train. (This last one was cut short by an angry Wall Street bro who said the music was too loud.) I have helped run successful fundraising campaigns for community-based, socially responsible performances. While pursuing my MA, I ran and was elected to the University Student Senate. I remained in that position for three semesters, serving in various positions, including Co-Chair. While co-leading the organization, I helped increase resources for food and housing insecure students, advocated for underinsured community members, successfully petitioned the University to adopt policies to protect DACA and undocumented students (due to a 67 percent increase in NYC-area ICE arrests following the election of You-Know-Who), helped create a $50,000 Emergency Fund for students impacted by COVID-19 and lead the group to adopt a new, student-centered constitution. I am passionate about advocating for my peers, pretty good at keeping minutes in meetings, and enjoy bringing a little humor to things. I hope I can count on your vote.
Vice President of Graduate Student Affairs
No Candidate
Special Elections will be held at the May General Assembly (May 2nd, 6-8PM at the GSA Lounge). Contact ext-co-president@gsa.ucsb.edu for information!
Vice President of External Affairs
Miriam Burnett (Education)
Hello Gaucho family, I am Miriam Burnett, class of 2025. I am native to California, raised in the city of Compton, and I am running for Vice President of External Affairs. I am a third year in the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, where I study mechanisms for strategies for the recruitment and retention of marginalized groups in science and technology in higher education. My activism for diversity, equity, and inclusion began as a young scholar at UCSB as an undergraduate here in 2004. I have gone through challenges, and like many marginalized students, my mistakes have contributed to my resilience and persistence throughout my academic journey. If elected I shall represent GA interests in matters of cross-campus infrastructure and capital planning.
Some goals I think we can accomplish in the GSA pertain to increasing services for students with children and other nontraditional students. I have served this campus as a student and a student parent and both roles are crucial for the inclusivity of our campus, as well as at Fullerton College in Santa Barbara City College where I serve as an academic programs assistant where I advocate for the proper representation of marginalized students to use and assist with their transfer to university to create a better life for their children and families. We can have mixers between schools and within our own community for those who have children who have lost hope for attaining a degree. We can increase mental health support systems. We can improve family care services. And we can fight for more student housing and services for children and their families. I believe it’s essential to assist in the recruitment of nontraditional students. But these are just my ideas. I want to hear yours, and commit to servicing GSA with an open door policy where it is safe for all students to assert their concerns and contribute to the general body.
There are many discussions today surrounding the professional silos that exist within colleges and universities and 21st century workforce, as well as the dangers these silos pose to the advancement of innovation and U. S. contributions to globalization. Due to this sequestration, significant progress is only achievable by the conscious efforts of higher education across various disciplines to cross boundaries and collaborate. The importance of this interrelation between disciplines must be emphasized and I believe that it is important that we, even as graduate students, begin to foster this spirit of collaboration among ourselves as we hold ourselves and the faculty accountable to UCSB’s commitment for inclusion. This is one of my primary motivations for running for Vice President of External Affairs. If elected I will commit to meet regularly with campus administration to advocate for the needs of students to remain informed on developments on campus, and strengthen shared governance to amplify all student voices.