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.
President
Freddy Ward
Faculty Advisor: Hyunjoon Kong
Research Topic: Defining and quantifying neural stem cell differentiation and neuroinflammation for the construction of neural networks.
Hobbies: Cooking, swimming, tailgating, video games, and reading.
Alma Mater: The University of Tulsa
Why Illinois? The community and opportunities. I come from a smaller university, so community is very important to me. It was clear to me that Illinois has this collaborative community that I thrive in. This, combined with research that is both exciting and transformative, made it clear that Illinois was my home.
Vice President
Aryaman Joshi
Faculty Advisor: Hyunjoon Kong
Research: Controlling senescence of mesenchymal stem cells and utilizing their extracellular vesicles for therapeutic applications.
Hobbies: Traveling, Cooking & Baking, Sports
Alma Mater: Indian Institute of Technology Varanasi
Why Illinois? Illinois provides a highly collaborative and supportive environment, world-class research facilities, and an excellent cost of living.
Treasurer
Chintan Shah
Faculty Advisor: Damien Guironnet
Research Topic: Polymer Science and Catalysis
Hobbies: Sports (Badminton, Squash, Tennis), Reading, and Listening to music
Alma Mater: University at Buffalo (SUNY)
Why Illinois? The University at Illinois-Urbana Champaign has had great research prospects and facilities. The scope and diversity of the projects are huge, and the place is also affordable compared to many other cities. These are the primary reasons why I chose Illinois.
Symposium Co-Chair/Outreach
Jiye Lee
Faculty Advisor: Simon Rogers
Research Topic: Brittle and Ductile Yielding of Soft Materials
Hobbies: Watching dramas, cooking
Alma Mater: University of Florida
Why Illinois? I chose Illinois because it has amazing faculty members, and the department genuinely cares about student well-being and success.
Symposium Co-Chair/Professional Development
Michael Chen
Faculty Advisor: Diwakar Shukla
Research Topic: Computational Modeling of G-Protein Coupled Receptors and ML guided based drug discovery.
Hobbies: Watching movies/tv shows, exploring the outdoors, traveling
Alma Mater: University of California, Davis
Why Illinois? I chose Illinois because of its strength in chemistry and chemical engineering. The community here is also very collaborative and welcoming for graduate students.
Professional Development Chair
Harini Srikant
Faculty Advisor: Theresa Schoetz
Research: Flexible Batteries, particularly, I'm working on Electrode-Electrolyte Composites.
Hobbies: Learning languages, singing Carnatic Classical music and going on treks.
Alma Mater: Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai
Why Illinois? I chose Illinois because I really liked how friendly and welcoming everyone here was, and because Urbana-Champaign has a strong public transportation system!
Outreach/Community Engagement Chair
Juan Rojas
Faculty Advisor: Paul Kenis
Research: Membrane-based CO2 capture for Diesel Engine Exhaust
Hobbies: Travel, Gym, Hiking
Alma Mater: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Why Illinois? I choose Illinois due to the wide range of energy and sustainability research. I also like how affordable and how close Champaign is to Chicago.
Communications Chair
Parham Ghasemiahangarani
Faculty Advisor: Theresa Schoetz
Research: Charge Storage Mechanisms
Hobbies: Soccer history collection, networking on Instagram, and cycling on bicycles
Alma Mater: University of Tehran, Iran
Why Illinois? I chose Illinois because of its outstanding academic reputation, authentic institutions, and strong programs, especially in chemical engineering. The dynamic campus environment and the wide array of student organizations also attracted me, as I want a comprehensive college experience.
Past Student Advisory Councils
2023-2024
President: Tony Pham
President and Symposium Ch-Chair: Alyssa Spencer
External Vice President: Melanie Fournier
Vice President: Michael Taleff
Treasurer: Trevor Gayer
Community Engagement and 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: Suchi Vijayaraghavan
Professional Development Chair: Gunnar Thompson
Outreach Chair: Darien Raymond
International Chair: Sonji Lamichhane
Communication Chair: Melany Opolz
2021-2022
President: Lauren Endress
External Vice President / Co-Symposium Chair: Richa Ghosh
Internal Vice President / Treasurer: Kyle Timmer
Communications Chair: Rachel Gaines
International Chair / Co-Symposium 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 Chair 1: Azzaya Khasbaatar
Symposium Chair 2: 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 Chair: Armin Shayesteh Zadeh
Outreach/Symposium Chair: Aliki Kolliopoulos