Graduate Student Advisory Council
The Graduate Student Advisory Council (GSAC) is the representative body of graduate students that acts as a liaison between the graduate students and the department administration. We organize social, professional, outreach, and recruitment events including the Graduate Research Symposium, professional networking, welcome week, recruitment weekends, Toys for Tots, and the annual Food Drive. We provide bonding opportunities for students and foster a sense of community.
Co-President
Alison Kim
Faculty Advisor: Baron Peters
Research Topic: Modeling nucleation and growth kinetics
Hobbies: Watching K-dramas, calligraphy, walking
Alma Mater: Colby College
Why Illinois? The community here is very supportive, and the research here is collaborative and interdisciplinary which were the two things I was looking for in a graduate school!
Co-President
Benjamin Chiu
Faculty Advisor: Charles Sing
Research: Characterizing dynamic behavior in flow polyelectrolyte systems and developing molecular models to broaden fundamental understanding of the rheology of viscoelastic materials.
Hobbies: Volleyball, Badminton, and playing music
Why Illinois? I wanted to be at an institution where the graduate students were excited about their research and supportive of each other. I think the ChBE community here helps me be the best graduate student I can be.
Treasurer
Parsa Mashayekh
Faculty Advisor: Baron Peters
Research Topic: Molecular dynamic simulation of the antifreeze protein and orientation attachment of nanoparticles
Hobbies: Watching movies, playing tennis, soccer, and playing the piano.
Alma Mater: University of Tehran (B. Sc)
Why Illinois? I chose Illinois for its exceptional academic reputation, groundbreaking research opportunities, and a vibrant, inclusive community that inspires innovation and personal growth.
Symposium and Professional Development Co-Chair
Princy Kaitharan Chacko
Faculty Advisor: Jeremy Guest
Research Topic: Design and simulation of integrated biorefineries with multiple feedstock to extend the operating days.
Hobbies: Badminton, listening to music
Why Illinois? I wanted to join a strong research team that offers extensive opportunities for exploration across diverse fields.
Symposium and Outreach Co-Chair
Harita Vasamsetti
Faculty Advisor: Hong Yang
Research Topic: Electrochemical separations.
Hobbies: Table tennis, logic games, and quiet reading on science and society
Alma Mater: Johns Hopkins (M.Sc.), University of California, Davis (B.Sc.)
Why Illinois? Illinois offers an ideal environment for interdisciplinary research in energy and materials, with strong support for collaboration and research growth.
Professional Development Co-Chair
Akshay Gurumoorthi
Faculty Advisor: Baron Peters
Research Topic: Statistical approaches to rare events modelling and computational chemistry
Hobbies: Trivia, chess, tennis, running, all racquet sports
Alma Mater: Indian Institute of Technology (Delhi) & POSTECH, South Korea
Why Illinois? Love the college town core.
Symposium Co-Chair and Communications Chair
Rashi Sultania
Faculty Advisor: Hyunjoon Kong
Research Topic: Engineering antibiotic resistant 3D biofilms by modulating substrate chemistry and incline conditions
Hobbies: Reading, watching movies and cooking
Alma Mater: Johns Hopkins University (MS), Nirma University, India (BS)
Why Illinois? I love the environment the department and the campustown offers.
Community Engagement Co-Chair
Sahand Shafeei
Faculty Advisor: Huimin Zhao
Research Topic: Developing a LLM for single cell modeling
Hobbies: Volleyball, basketball, soccer, walking, and watching movies
Alma Mater: Amirkabir University of Technology (M.Sc), Sahand University of Technology (B.Sc)
Why Illinois? I wanted to pursue cutting-edge research at a top university, and Illinois offered both academic excellence and a strong sense of community. Being in one of the largest college towns adds to the supportive environment—and as a bonus, orange is my favorite color!
Academic Networking Co-Chair
Ryan C. Chow
Faculty Advisor: Theresa Schoetz
Research: Structurally tailored graphite electrodes for fast‑charging, low‑temperature lithium‑based batteries
Hobbies: I love a good isekai, board game, or coffee shop.
Alma Mater: University of Utah (B. Sc)
Why Illinois? I love the grad student community in ChBE and the collaborative nature between both individual groups and across departments.
Past Student Advisory Councils
2024-2025
President: Freddy Ward
Vice-President: Aryaman Joshi
Treasurer: Chintan Shah
Symposium Co-Chair/Outreach: Jiye Lee
Symposium Co-Chair/Professional Development: Michael Chen
Professional Development Chair: Harini Srikant
Outreach/Community Engagement Chair: Juan Rojas
Communications Chair: Parham Ghasemiahangarani
2023-2024
President: Tony Pham
President / Symposium Co-Chair: Alyssa Spencer
External Vice President: Melanie Fournier
Vice President: Michael Taleff
Treasurer: Trevor Gayer
Community Engagement / Symposium Co-Chair: Priyotosh Bairagya (Priyo)
Professional Development Chair: Emmanuel Ejiogu
Outreach Chair: Austin Lomas
Communications Chair: Lela Manis
2022-2023
President: Destiny Collazo
External Vice President: Rajarshi Samajdar
Internal Vice President / Symposium Co-Chair: Suchi Vijayaraghavan
Professional Development Chair: Gunnar Thompson
Outreach Chair: Darien Raymond
International Chair / Symposium Co-Chair: Sonji Lamichhane
Communication Chair: Melany Opolz
2021-2022
President: Lauren Endress
External Vice President / Symposium Co-Chair: Richa Ghosh
Internal Vice President / Treasurer: Kyle Timmer
Communications Chair: Rachel Gaines
International Chair / Symposium Co-Chair: Jarom Sederholm
Professional Development Chair: Gunnar Thompson
Outreach Chair: Darien Raymond
2020-2021
President: Victoria Kriuchkovskaia
External VP: Tianhao Yu
Internal VP/Treasurer: David Potts
International Chair/Symposium Co-Chair: Azzaya Khasbaatar
Symposium Co-Chair: Aashutosh Boob
Outreach Chair: Yash Kamble
Webmaster: Jemin Jeon
Professional Development Chair: Jiachun Shi
2019-2020
President: Chris Torres
Vice President: Lili Bello
Treasurer: Danielle Meyer
Secretary: Caroline Li
Webmaster/Symposium Co-Chair: Armin Shayesteh Zadeh
Outreach/Symposium Co-Chair: Aliki Kolliopoulos