Executive Board 2024-2025

Lauren Sprague

President

The GSG President chairs meetings and works as GSG’s liaison with the Michigan Tech administration.

Lauren Sprague

President

Lauren is in their 5th year as an MTU graduate student and obtained their Master’s in Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors in December 2023. They are continuing with their PhD in the same program. Lauren’s research involves the study of sustained attention and vigilance and how they affect human error. Lauren served as a general body member of GSG for two years before being elected president.

Matt Sisson

Vice-president – Office hours: Friday 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Grad Commons (207 East St, Houghton, MI 49931)

The GSG Vice-President assumes the duties of the President in his/her absence at any GSG or Executive Board meetings; serves as liaison with the standing committee chairs, and is the administrator of the First Contact program.

Matt Sisson

Vice-president – Office hours: Friday 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Grad Commons (207 East St, Houghton, MI 49931)

Matt is a 4th year PhD student in Materials Science and Engineering using computational methods to study nanoscale magnetic materials with spintronics applications like magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM), which could accelerate workloads like deep learning. A lapsed video gamer, Matt knows all about the greatest retro hits. His hobbies include GSG, which explains why this is his 4th year participating and he wouldn’t have it any other way!

Sarah Larkin

Secretary

The Secretary records and prepares minutes for all GSG meetings; maintains the Constitution and Bylaws, including any amendments; maintains member and committee rosters; coordinates the poster-board rentals; and oversees yearly elections.

Sarah Larkin

Secretary

Aritra Chakrabarty

Treasurer

The treasurer maintains all income, disbursements, and financial records of the GSG; plans the coming year’s budget in conjunction with the Executive Board; provides monthly financial status reports to the Executive Board and to GSG; manages committee-related expenditures, providing monthly reports to committee chairs.

Aritra Chakrabarty

Treasurer

Aritra is an energy policy researcher in the Department of Social Sciences at MTU. His work is situated at the synergy of gender, energy, and development. His focus is on decentralized energy policy and Just energy transition programs in the Global South. He has been part of GSG since 2022 as a Department Representative, before transitioning into his current role as the GSG Treasurer. Student advocacy is part and parcel of a graduate student life. Our academic and community endeavours are influenced by the rules and institutions that govern us. GSG is one such institution that strives to work for betterment of graduate student concerns at MTU.

Oluwatosin Oyeniran

Research Chair

The Research Chair is responsible for organizing the major research events on campus. These include the Graduate Research Colloquium, the 3 Minute Thesis Competition, the Merit Awards Program, and more.

Oluwatosin Oyeniran

Research Chair

Oluwatosin is a PhD student in Integrative Physiology, whose research focuses on investigating autonomic neural control during simulated hemorrhage in humans. He has a strong passion for teaching and research, and possess 6+ years of university teaching experience, 40 published research articles in reputable journals, and 429 Google Scholar citations.He enjoys traveling, networking, public speaking, alongside being a personal development coach.

Shipra Tiwari

Professional Development Chair

The Professional Development Chair is responsible for organizing and running the standing seminar program. They organize the Academic Seminar series and the Professional Development series in conjunction with the Graduate School.

Shipra Tiwari

Professional Development Chair

Shipra Tiwari, originating from Prayagraj, India, is currently in the second year of her PhD program in the ECE department. She harbors a profound affection for animals and actively participates in volunteer initiatives aimed at assisting them. Shipra adores both dogs and cats, relishing every opportunity to interact with them. Beyond her academic and charitable endeavors, she nurtures a passion for dancing, immersing herself in both classical and modern forms. Moreover, she finds joy in supporting and inspiring others, particularly women, in their pursuit of excellence.

Vikramaditya Gurrapu

Social Chair

The Social Chair helps build a sense of community among graduate students by organizing social events each semester; assists the vice-president as necessary with Fall and Spring orientation; organizes the Graduate Student Orientation Picnic; and works with other committees, as requested, with the social aspects of workshops, such as catering and reservations.

Vikramaditya Gurrapu

Social Chair

A small river named Duden flows by their place and supplies it with the necessary.

Jhuleyssy Sánchez-Aguilar

Public Relations Chair

The Public Relations Chair promotes awareness of GSG in the University community by crafting publicity materials in a variety of communications media, especially the GSG website, and responds to requests for general information from the graduate student body at large.

Jhuleyssy Sánchez-Aguilar

Public Relations Chair

Jhuleyssy, a proud Fulbright scholar hailing from Cajamarca, Peru, a region rich in history and ancestral heritage, is making waves in the Geology and Mining Engineering and Science Department as a master’s student. With a profound passion for mining, her research focuses on using sensor data and simulations to improve resource estimation with machine learning techniques. Beyond academia, Jhuleyssy’s adventurous spirit finds solace in outdoor activities like hiking, camping, and wildlife photography. Her natural curiosity extends to her love for animals. A staunch advocate for women in science, Jhuleyssy embodies the immense potential for positive change in the scientific community.