Graduate Student Senators are selected as representatives for their department or academic unit. Senators represent over 7000 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.
| Department by College | Voting Number | Name | Committee Assignment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture | 1 | Paige Peterson | Travel Awards Committee |
| Landscape Architecture | 2 | Emily Sue Laird | Commission for Disability (campus committee) |
| Anthropology | 3 | Lateefa Abel | Programming and Events Committee |
| Anthropology | 4 | Kelsey O’Neill | Travel Awards Committee |
| Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology | 5 | Mahipal Rao | Travel Awards Committee |
| Chemistry | 6 | Grant Foley | High Hazard Chemical Committee (campus committee) |
| Chemistry | 7 | Morris Oyelowo | International Student Support Ad Hoc Committee |
| Earth and Planetary Sciences | 8 | Tyler Seyglinski | Travel Awards Committee |
| Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | 9 | – | – |
| Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | 10 | – | – |
| English | 11 | Kate Wright | Institutional Advocacy and Advisory Committee |
| English | 12 | Andrew Butler | Faculty Senate Teaching and Learning Council (campus committee) |
| Geography | 13 | Katrina Stack | Faculty Senate Research Council (campus committee) |
| History | 14 | Lauren James | Institutional Advocacy and Advisory Committee |
| Howard H. Baker Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs | 15 | Maggie Lingle | Legislative Steering committee |
| Mathematics | 16 | John McAlister | Legislative Steering Committee |
| Mathematics | 17 | Sagnik Jana | Technology Fee Advisory Board (campus committee) |
| Microbiology | 18 | Morgan Hetzel | Programming and Events Committee |
| Microbiology | 19 | Mikayla Mangrum | Travel Awards Committee |
| Philosophy | 20 | Brant Entrekin | Travel Awards Committee |
| Physics and Astronomy | 21 | John Lawless | Legislative Steering Committee |
| Physics and Astronomy | 22 | Ben Johnson | Council for Diversity and Inclusion (campus committee) |
| Political Science | 23 | Matthew Cooper | Primary Justice (Judiciary Committee) |
| Psychology | 24 | Hannah Shinew | Faculty Senate Teaching and Learning Council (campus committee) |
| Psychology | 25 | Winni Yang | Equity and Diversity Committee |
| School of Art | 26 | Brigit Ciskowski | International Student and Scholar Service Working Group (campus committee) |
| Sociology | 27 | Maddie Ross | Travel Awards Committee |
| Theatre | 28 | Alison Bucher | – |
| World Languages and Cultures (WLAC) | 29 | Magnolia Alarcon | Commission for LGBTQ+ People (campus committee) |
| Advertising & Public Relations | 30 | Winston Roberts | Finance Committee |
| Communication and Information | 31 | Aman Misra | International Student Support Ad Hoc Committee Chair |
| Communication and Information | 32 | Tyler Deverell | Equity and Diversity Committee |
| Information Sciences | 33 | Jessica Barfield | GSS Technology Officer |
| Information Sciences | 34 | Brynna Farris | Dean of Libraries’ Student Advisory Committee (campus committee) |
| Journalism & Electronic Media | 35 | MaryBeth Mahne | Communications Assitant |
| Child and Family Studies | 36 | Jing Li | Commission for AAPI (campus committee) |
| Child and Family Studies | 37 | Cailyn Ratliff | Global Catalyst Award Committee (campus committee) |
| Educational Leadership and Policy Studies | 38 | Richard Amoako | Travel Awards Committee |
| Educational Leadership and Policy Studies | 39 | Dale TeGantvoort | GSS Secretary |
| Educational Psychology and Counseling | 40 | Taylor Baird | GSS Institutional Advocacy and Advisory Committee Chair |
| Educational Psychology and Counseling | 41 | Hannah Collins | Travel Awards Committee |
| Kinesiology, Recreation, & Sport Studies | 42 | Denise Morawek | International Student Support Ad Hoc Committee |
| Kinesiology, Recreation, & Sport Studies | 43 | Ilina Arsova | Programming and Events Committee |
| Nutrition | 44 | Iyanuoluwa Oyetunji | Institutional Advocacy and Advisory Committee |
| Public Health | 45 | Eduardo (Ed) Chacon | Primary Justice (Judiciary Committee) |
| Public Health | 46 | Imelda Gutierrez | Finance Committee |
| Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management | 47 | Inhwa Kim | International Student Support Ad Hoc Committee |
| Theory and Practice in Teacher Education | 48 | Joan Williams | Faculty Senate Teaching and Learning Council (campus committee) |
| Theory and Practice in Teacher Education | 49 | Amanda Carter | Institutional Advocacy and Advisory Committee |
| Accounting and Information Management | 50 | Zoe Dillard | – |
| Accounting and Information Management | 51 | – | – |
| Business Analytics and Statistics | 52 | Karan Patel | Institutional Advocacy and Advisory Committee |
| Business Analytics and Statistics | 53 | Brennan Riddle | Travel Awards Committee |
| Economics | 54 | Trinity Douglass | Institutional Advocacy and Advisory Committee |
| Finance | 55 | – | – |
| Management & Entrepreneurship | 56 | Reid Courtney | Programming and Events Committee |
| Management & Entrepreneurship | 57 | – | – |
| Marketing | 58 | Lygia Karagiozis | Communications Assistant |
| Supply Chain Management | 59 | Chinedu Ufodike | Finance Committee |
| Supply Chain Management | 60 | Lila Al-Shwaf | UTPD Advisory Committee (campus committee) |
| MBA – Working Professionals | 61 | Vanida Vongsamphanh | Equity and Diversity Committee |
| MBA – Working Professionals | 62 | Evan Walls | Dean of Libraries’ Student Advisory Committee (campus committee) |
| Agricultural Leadership, Education, & Communications | 63 | Coleen Baker | Programming and Events Committee |
| Agricultural Leadership, Education, & Communications | 64 | Caroline Brooks | Programming and Events Committee |
| Agriculture & Resource Economics | 65 | Leann Hopper | Classroom Upgrade Committee (campus committee) |
| Animal Science | 66 | Lindsey Eppinger | Programming and Events Committee |
| Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science | 67 | Taqi Raza | Programming and Events Committee |
| Entomology & Plant Pathology | 68 | Swati Mishra | Institutional Advocacy and Advisory Committee |
| Food Science | 69 | Maria Cabarello Aragon | Technology Fee Advisory Board (campus committee) |
| School of Natural Resources | 70 | Joseph Alan DeMarchi | Travel Awards Committee |
| Plant Sciences | 71 | Lexie Worley | Traffic and Parking Authority Committee (campus committee) |
| Bredesen Center | 72 | Kevin Llopart | Finance Committee |
| Bredesen Center | 73 | Fady Anees | International Student Support Ad Hoc Committee |
| Comparative and Experimental Medicine | 74 | Jeronimo Silva | GSS Legislative Steering Committee Chair |
| Law | 75 | Ashley Varnedoe | Transit and Parking Authority Committee (campus committee) |
| Law | 76 | Addison Gross | Legislative Steering Committee |
| Music | 77 | Alexis Kilgore | Travel Awards Committee |
| Music | 78 | Michael Ray | Bicycle Advisory Committee (campus committee) |
| Nursing | 79 | Bridget Kim | Commission for Women (campus committee) |
| Nursing | 80 | Adaora Ede | GSS Equity and Diversity Committee Chair |
| Social Work – Distance Education | 81 | Casey Permenter | Equity and Diversity Committee |
| Social Work – Distance Education | 82 | Courtney Jordan | Equity and Diversity Committee |
| Social Work – Nashville | 83 | Cal Leavitt | Commission for Latinx (campus committee) |
| Social Work – Nashville | 84 | Porsha Holden | Equity and Diversity Committee |
| Social Work – Knoxville | 85 | Aritra Moulick | GSS Judiciary Committee Chair and Alternate Justice, 360 Proof Partners (campus committee) |
| Social Work – Knoxville | 86 | Jenna Spurlock | Legislative Steering Committee |
| Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering | 87 | Samuel Adotey | Primary Justice (Judiciary Committee) |
| Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering | 88 | Colt Griffith | Open Education Advisory Committee (campus committee) |
| Civil & Environmental Engineering | 89 | Anika Sarkar | GSS Programming and Events Committee Chair |
| Civil & Environmental Engineering | 90 | Leyuan Zhang | Travel Awards Committee |
| Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences | 91 | Francisco Zelaya Arrazabal | International Student Support Ad Hoc Committee |
| Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences | 92 | Sebastian Martinez Lizana | Institutional Advocacy and Advisory Committee |
| Industrial & Systems Engineering | 93 | Samuel Affar | GSS Senate Chair |
| Industrial & Systems Engineering | 94 | Chulin Chen | International Student Support Ad Hoc Committee |
| Materials Science & Engineering | 95 | – | – |
| Materials Science & Engineering | 96 | – | – |
| Mechanical, Aerospace & Biomedical Engineering | 97 | Allison Jones | Faculty Senate Research Council (campus committee) |
| Mechanical, Aerospace & Biomedical Engineering | 98 | Anirban Roy | GSS Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair |
| Nuclear Engineering | 99 | Annie Berens | Finance Committee |
| Nuclear Engineering | 100 | Rida Rahman | Legislative Steering Committee |
| Space Institute | 101 | Jamison Murphree | Faculty Senate Institutional Affairs Committee (campus committee) |
| Space Institute | 102 | – | – |
| Veterinary Medicine | 103 | – | – |
| Veterinary Medicine | 104 | – | – |
Contact GSS@UTK.EDU for roster updates/corrections. Last updated on 8/31/23