Graduate Student Senators are selected as representatives for their department or academic unit. Senators represent over 8000 graduate and professional students who have diverse perspectives, values and educational backgrounds. Departmental representation is based on enrollment numbers from the previous fall semester. Each department is guaranteed one Senate representative, however programs with more than 50 graduate students are allowed two representatives. The Senator selection process for each degree program may vary, but Senators share a common interest and passion for improving the graduate and professional student experience at the University of Tennessee.
The Graduate Student Senate provides a platform for representatives with diverse perspectives to communicate, interact and collaborate. While graduate and professional degree programs result in specialization, platforms that foster connection, such as GSS, are key to maintaining a cohesive graduate student body which has a sense of place and togetherness. Senators find areas of shared passion or difficulties and develop initiatives to enhance the graduate student experience. Senators relay important information discussed during Senate meetings to the graduate and professional students they represent. As a representative for their departments, Senators also voice the opinions of the graduate and professional students within their department during Senate meetings.
We are currently in the process of importing the 2024-2025 senators to this website.
| Department by College | Voting Number | Name | Committee Assignment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture | 1 | Graham Campbell | Programming and Events |
| Landscape Architecture | 2 | Ashlea Bills | University Space Committee |
| Anthropology | 3 | Devin Adcox | Institutional Advocacy |
| Anthropology | 4 | Kelsey O’Neill | Travel Awards Committee Co-Chair |
| Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology | 5 | Mahipal Rao | Travel Awards |
| Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology | 6 | Joy Adetunji | Programming and Events |
| Chemistry | 7 | Godwin Ochola | Programming and Events |
| Chemistry | 8 | Bukola Ogunyemi | International Student Support Committee |
| Earth and Planetary Sciences | 9 | Dana Mills | Equity and Diversity |
| Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | 10 | Brian Oye | Traffic and Parking Authority Committee (TPA) |
| Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | 11 | Sydney Baldwin | Institutional Advocacy |
| English | 12 | Kate Wright | Travel Awards |
| English | 13 | Nevin Bulut | Legislative Steering Committee |
| Geography | 14 | Katrina Stack | Senate Chair and Faculty Senate – Research Council |
| History | 15 | Lauren James | Legislative Steering Committee |
| Mathematics | 16 | Jack Haight | Finance Committee |
| Mathematics | 17 | Maruf Lawal | Technology Fee Advisory Board |
| Microbiology | 18 | Aanuoluwa Adekoya | Programming and Events |
| Microbiology | 19 | Sarina Mitchell | Commission for Disability |
| Philosophy | 20 | Hunter Kallay | Equity and Diversity |
| Physics and Astronomy | 21 | Amber Stinson | Judiciary |
| Physics and Astronomy | 22 | Kaylee Maret | High Hazard Chemical Committee |
| Political Science | 23 | Matthew Cooper | Judiciary Committee Chair and Alternate Justice |
| Psychology | 24 | Kittu Pannu | Equity and Diversity |
| Psychology | 25 | Flynn Kelly | Programming and Events |
| School of Art | 26 | Hannah Jane Oliver | — |
| Sociology | 27 | Chasidy Harris | Institutional Advocacy and Advisory |
| Theatre | 28 | — | |
| World Languages and Cultures (WLAC) | 29 | David Achodo | International Student Support Committee, Chair; Classroom Upgrade Committee |
| Howard H. Baker Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs | 30 | Ellen LoCurto-Martinez | Legislative Steering Committee |
| Advertising & Public Relations | 31 | Abigail Kom | — |
| Advertising & Public Relations | 32 | Numan Rahman | Equity and Diversity |
| Communication and Information | 33 | Namrita Varier | Travel Awards |
| Communication and Information | 34 | — | |
| Communication Studies | 35 | Shaina Scheetz | Judiciary |
| Information Sciences | 36 | Alexis Lamb | Programming and Events Committee Chair |
| Information Sciences | 37 | Burke Codemo | Legislative Steering Committee Chair and Dean of Libraries’ Student Advisory Committee (DSAC) |
| Journalism & Electronic Media | 38 | Aman Misra | International Student Support Committee |
| Counseling, Human Development, and Family Science (HDFS) | 39 | Crystal Kirby | RSVP Team |
| Counseling, Human Development, and Family Science (HDFS) | 40 | Shailey Curtis | Equity and Diversity |
| Educational Leadership and Policy Studies | 41 | Jennifer Boyd | Institutional Advocacy |
| Educational Leadership and Policy Studies | 42 | — | — |
| Kinesiology, Recreation, & Sport Studies | 43 | Dimetrius Brandon | Equity and Diversity Committee Co-Chair |
| Kinesiology, Recreation, & Sport Studies | 44 | Jessica Hamdan | Commission for LGBTQ+ Communities |
| Nutrition | 45 | Rizwan Majeed | Secretary |
| Public Health | 46 | Eduardo (Ed) Chacon | Institutional Advocacy and Advisory Committee Chair, Student Union Advisory Committee |
| Public Health | 47 | Sompa Reza | – |
| Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management | 48 | Samuel Ilodigwe | Faculty Senate – Research Council |
| Theory and Practice in Teacher Education | 49 | Dani Rimbach-Jones | Programming and Events |
| Theory and Practice in Teacher Education | 50 | Laura Roberts | Faculty Senate – Institutional Affairs |
| Accounting and Information Management | 51 | — | – |
| Accounting and Information Management | 52 | — | – |
| Business Analytics and Statistics | 53 | Lorna Strazza | Programming and Events |
| Business Analytics and Statistics | 54 | Felix Bakare | Institutional Advocacy |
| Economics | 55 | Thomas Verville | UTPD Advisory Committee |
| Finance | 56 | — | – |
| Management & Entrepreneurship | 57 | Katie Perry | Legislative Steering Committee |
| Management & Entrepreneurship | 58 | — | – |
| Marketing | 59 | — | – |
| Supply Chain Management | 60 | — | – |
| Supply Chain Management | 61 | — | – |
| MBA – Working Professionals | 62 | Greer Giffen | – |
| MBA – Working Professionals | 63 | Nate Ernstberger | – |
| Agricultural Leadership, Education, & Communications | 64 | Ana Maria Greenberger | Programming and Events |
| Agricultural Leadership, Education, & Communications | 65 | Bailey Watson | Travel Awards |
| Agriculture & Resource Economics | 66 | Kortni Blalock | Equity and Diversity |
| Animal Science | 67 | Adella Lonas | Finance |
| Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science | 68 | Natraj Eswarachandra | International Student Support |
| Entomology & Plant Pathology | 69 | Jackson Turner | Travel Awards |
| Food Science | 70 | Thien Nguyen | Student Programming and Services Fee Committee |
| School of Natural Resources | 71 | Joseph DeMarchi | Equity and Diversity |
| Plant Sciences | 72 | Tyler Ward | Legislative Steering Committee |
| Bredesen Center | 73 | Ark Ifeanyi | Technology Director; Equity and Diversity Committee |
| Bredesen Center | 74 | Govind Makaram | – |
| Comparative and Experimental Medicine | 75 | Eli Christoph | Institutional Advocacy |
| Law | 76 | Tia Nickens | Communications Director |
| Law | 77 | Jordyn Dickey | Legislative Steering Committee |
| Music | 78 | Evie Andrus | Bicycle Advisory Committee |
| Music | 79 | Rafael Puga | Travel Awards |
| Nursing | 80 | Brandon Smith | Institutional Advocacy |
| Nursing | 81 | Jessica Oetting | Finance |
| Social Work – Distance Education | 82 | Angi Khalil | Judiciary |
| Social Work – Distance Education | 83 | Robyn Tidwell | Travel Awards |
| Social Work – Nashville | 84 | Claire Brantley | Travel Awards |
| Social Work – Nashville | 85 | Mary Eaton | Travel Awards |
| Social Work – Knoxville | 86 | Aritra Moulick | Council for Diversity and Inclusion |
| Social Work – Knoxville | 87 | Tristan Griffin | Legislative Steering |
| Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering | 88 | Muhammad Zulqarnain Arif | Programming and Events |
| Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering | 89 | Christian Kemefa | Travel Awards |
| Civil & Environmental Engineering | 90 | Celia Jackson | Programming and Events |
| Civil & Environmental Engineering | 91 | Mohamed Shatarah | International Student Support |
| Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences | 92 | Vince Wilson | Legislative Steering |
| Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences | 93 | Md Saif Hassan Onim | International Student Support Committee |
| Industrial & Systems Engineering | 94 | Chad Uhles | Travel Awards |
| Industrial & Systems Engineering | 95 | Jose Tupayachi | Latin American Volunteer Experience (CLAVE) |
| Materials Science & Engineering | 96 | Kyle Sprecker | Institutional Advocacy |
| Materials Science & Engineering | 97 | Carla Nocheseda | Equity and Diversity and Commission for AAPI |
| Mechanical, Aerospace & Biomedical Engineering | 98 | Allison Jones | Travel Awards |
| Mechanical, Aerospace & Biomedical Engineering | 99 | Nooshin Rajabi | Commission for Women |
| Nuclear Engineering | 100 | Rasheed Sado | Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee |
| Nuclear Engineering | 101 | Emma Houston | Legislative Steering Committee |
| Space Institute | 102 | Willem Graham | – |
| Space Institute | 103 | Jack Stickley | Tech Feed Advisory Board |
| Veterinary Medicine | 104 | Zuri Wilson | Commission for Black Communities |
| Veterinary Medicine | 105 | Rylynn Russell | – |
| – |
Contact GSS@UTK.EDU for roster updates/corrections. Last updated on 2/3/35