The Graduate and Professional Student Association at UNM will be holding its elections for president this week from Monday through Thursday. Here are the three candidates for GPSA president, and their goals were they to be elected.
Alaa Elmaoued
Program:Medicine, third year
Hobbies: Hiking, outdoors, cooking, history discussions
Favorite thing about UNM:The beautiful, open campus.
Running mate:None.
Previous GPSA experience:Graduate Health Chair, 2014-2016
Biggest priorities: Strengthening the student voice.
What is UNM’s biggest weakness, and what do you plan to do about it if elected? UNM is a center of academics, and more respect and support needs be given to the learners and educators. I intend to facilitate the empowerment of the students in an increasingly bureaucratic setting.
What would be your long-term goals as president?To reaffirm the importance of graduate student success at UNM.
What is the importance of GPSA being connected to the student body? GPSA is established and funded by the student body and is, therefore, unquestionably at the service of the students.
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David A. Medrano
Program: Masters in Healthcare Administration, first-year master’s student
Hobbies: Swimming, hiking, reading, losing voice at The Pit, sitting at a brewery or local coffee shop with friends.
Favorite thing about UNM: My time at UNM has showed me that in spite of barriers, many opportunities are offered to our diverse student body that no other institution can offer. I hope to build on these opportunities and help all students achieve their potential.
Running mate:None.
Previous GPSA experience: Represented Medical Students as the GPSA Council Representative; GPSA Deputy Chief of Staff; GPSA Lobby Chair.
Biggest priorities:To increase student engagement in GPSA. Safety and inclusion are really important issues that the University must continually address. To adequately represent GPSA member interest, I will reach out to all departments and engage students to truly understand how these issues and others affect them.
What is UNM’s biggest weakness, and what do you plan to do about it if elected? Right now, UNM’s biggest weakness is not having strong relationships across all stakeholders. Given our budget crisis, we must work together to ensure that the University meets its mission while valuing the diversity that makes us great. Part of forming these strong relationships means we need to increase the transparency behind our decisions.
What would be your long-term goals as president? My long-term goal as GPSA President is to increase student engagement in GPSA. Many students are not aware of the services that GSPA can offer and how GPSA can advocate and support students.
What is the importance of GPSA being connected to the student body? The GPSA is a strong voice for graduate and professional students here at UNM. The GPSA president takes the student voice to numerous committees across UNM. Being connected to the student voice empowers the GPSA president to speak with authority while working with UNM administration, faculty, staff and decision-makers in Santa Fe.
Eliberto Calderon
Program: Organizational Development
Hobbies: Learning, Frisbee golf, and traveling.
Favorite thing about UNM: Diversity of the Lobo community.
Running mate: James Kaminski for Counsel Chair.
Previous GPSA experience: GPSA Council Representative; Finance Committee member; Treasurer of the OILS GPSA Student Association.
Biggest priorities: Successfully hosting the Student Fee Review Board process. Working with administrators on new GPSA office space on North Campus to better serve our members there. Training committee and Chief Learning Officer to train student organizational leaders and students in navigating the GPSA support systems. Working on parking and transportation issues to make improvements for all of our members.
What is UNM’s biggest weakness, and what do you plan to do about it if elected? Student member access to resources and services. I will name an ad-hoc training committee and a CLO (Chief Learning Officer) to provide training to all of our members throughout the UNM footprint.
What would be your long-term goals as president? To leave the GPSA organization in a better situation than when the first day I took office.
What is the importance of GPSA being connected to the student body? GPSA is the governing body for all graduate and professional level students. Therefore, it is important to enhance our members’ quality of academic experience. All members should leave this campus feeling that they received a quality education and that they were supported by their student leaders.
-Compiled by Celia Raney
