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Farzana Islam
President
fi00003@mix.wvu.eduFarzana Islam is a master's student in the Industrial and Management Systems Engineering Department at Statler College. Hailing from Bangladesh, Farzana is an international student who is deeply passionate about sustainable practices and environmental conservation. She is currently engaged as a Graduate Research Assistant for the pollution prevention program funded by the EPA. This role allows her to contribute to her passion by assisting SMEs in West Virginia towards more sustainable operations.
Before her journey in the U.S., Farzana accrued two years of work experience in her home country, spanning both the manufacturing and service industries. At West Virginia University, she has been an active member of the student community, presently serving as the President for the Graduate and Professional Student Senate and previously holding the position of Vice President for the Bangladeshi Student Association at WVU.
In her roles and through her personal commitments, Farzana is driven by principles of equality, representation, and community service. As the president of GPSS, she is dedicated to advocating for fair and equitable compensation, amplifying career prospects, and promoting a balanced work-life for all the graduate and professional students at WVU.
Outside of her academic and professional commitments, Farzana finds solace in reading, tending to her houseplants, and dedicating her time to community service.
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Damilola Fasinu
Vice President
Dtf0002@mix.wvu.eduDamilola Fasinu doubles as a doctoral candidate in the Human & Community Davis College and a MS student in the Reed College of Media. Her area of emphasis is in Economic Development, with special interest in Entrepreneurship.
Damilola, known for her ability to adeptly juggle multiple tasks, is deeply committed to creating a positive and meaningful impact in her community. As a mentor with the Graduate Student Peer Mentorship Group, she provides invaluable guidance and support to her peers, fostering a nurturing academic environment.
At her core, Damilola is driven by a profound commitment to service, guided by a philosophy that emphasizes compassion and the recognition of our shared humanity beyond our differences. This ethos underpins her active engagement in various university activities, including her role as a member of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).With a keen interest in promoting the growth of immigrant entrepreneurship within the United States, Damilola is dedicated to providing resources and support to this marginalized population.
In her role as Vice President in the Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS), Damilola plans to leverage her position to effect meaningful change and advance the interests and well-being of her fellow students, particularly focusing on areas that align with her commitment to service and community building.
Outside of her academic and professional commitments, Damilola is a believer of Christ who values her christian beliefs, and also serves as a choir director of her church. She finds solace in family time with her kids and husband, singing, trying new recipes, and dedicating her time to community service.
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Sneha Haridas
Special Assistant to the President
Sneha Haridas is a Ph.D. student in the division of Plant and Soil Sciences (Entomology) in the Davis College at WVU. Her research focuses on studying the ecology of Dung Beetles in pasture ecosystems and evaluating the effects of landscape and pasture level management on their distribution in the state of West Virginia. Throughout her academic and professional life, Sneha has been an active member of student and employee governed bodies and is passionate about working with peers, especially graduate students and research workers who she thinks are the backbone of any institution. In her current role as the Vice president of GPSS she mainly aims to achieve giving the graduate students and/ or research workers their well deserved recognition and a comfortable work-life balance!
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Austin Harper
Treasurer
Austin Harper is a Ph. D. student in the Industrial and Management Systems Engineering (IMSE) Department at WVU's Statler College of Engineering. He received his B. S. from the same department, graduating in 2020. After graduation he worked in the medical device industry as an Operational Excellence Engineer until deciding to return to WVU in the spring of 2023. During his first year in graduate school, he was a graduate research assistant (GRA) to the IMSE department's Pollution Prevention (P2) program funded by the EPA. In this role, he traveled with the team to manufacturing facilities across the state to provide energy assessments for small to mid-sized enterprises looking to implement sustainable practices. Currently he is working as a GRA with the Smart Manufacturing Lab, focusing on research into additive manufacturing defect detection using machine learning algorithms and continuing his work with sustainable manufacturing.
Ultimately, Austin's passions lie with teaching, advocacy, and continuing sustainable manufacturing research. His motivation for furthering education and increasing awareness of sustainable practices comes from a deep love for his home state of WV and the captivating beauty of the Appalachian region. Apart from his academic pursuits, Austin enjoys cooking, hiking/camping, watching movies, and reading books. He's currently trying to learn how to take care of houseplants but his green thumb may need a little work before becoming a part-time gardener.
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Blessing Bamisaye
SGA Liason
bjb00027@mix.wvu.edu
Blessing Bamisaye is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Chemistry. He is currently working on first-row transition metal complexes with unusual structures and electronic configurations used in catalytic processes.Blessing is enthusiastic about academics, using the opportunities acquired by education to impact future generations. He is currently an active member of the Students Run Seminar Series (SRSS) in the Department of Chemistry, where various seminars are organized and executed. He is a member of over seven (7) both academic and professional bodies. As the student government liaison, he will oversee the relationship between the students and the education institute and be actively involved in addressing and resolving students' concerns and issues. Lastly, he will collaborate with faculty and staff to improve student experience.
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Karah Alberts
SENATOR-School of Medicine
kla0026@mix.wvu.edu
Karah Alberts is a Master’s Student in the Medical Laboratory Sciences department at the School of Medicine. She received her B.A. in Biology at West Virginia University in December 2022. She is currently a graduate intern at the West Virginia Grant Resource Centers where she assists in the grant writing process for organizations across West Virginia. Her future goal is to work in a laboratory setting at a research and teaching hospital. She also serves as the Diversity Chair in the Health Sciences Center Graduate Student Organization. In this role, she holds a chair on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. During her undergraduate degree, she was involved with campus ministry and accessibility on campus.
She is passionate about access to healthcare and health literacy, and hopes to involve that in her future career. She is excited about her role as the School of Medicine senator. Her goal for this year is to help build community among graduate students on campus. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, going to coffee shops, and spending time with her fiancé, Cj, and their two black cats, Bean and Onyx.
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Katie Schramm
SENATOR-College of Creative Arts
Ksmit103@mix.wvu.eduKatie Schramm has a history of advocacy and service for music education in West Virginia where she has served as the WV All-State Choir Chairperson, regional WVVMA chair, the Tri-M chairperson, and is currently a member of both the WVMEA and WVACDA executive boards as the co-chair of honor ensembles and the R&S chair of treble music, respectively. Katie is now teaching choral methods, voice class, and supervising student teachers among other duties while pursuing her Master’s in Music Education at West Virginia University. During her ten years of teaching in Berkeley County, Katie was the fine arts department chair and choral director at Martinsburg High School where she led ensembles to state, regional, and national honors. Katie connects with students and teachers throughout the northeast as an adjudicator and clinician, having presented at the national and state music conference as well as county professional developments.
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Nathaniel Godwin
SEnator-Reed College of Media
Nug00002@mix.wvu.edu
Nathaniel Godwin is a graduate student in the Reed College of Media, His area of emphasis is in Public Interest Communication, with special interest in health, risk, science and disaster communication.
Nathaniel is passionate about service, and believes in the ethics of care, which puts our humanity ahead of our differences. Thus, his active involvement in activities in the university. He is a board member of WVU Wellness & Mental Health Student Advisory Board and also serves as the secretary of WVU African Student Association. He is also a member of Student Association of Public Health (SAPH), and Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).
He is interested in advancing health literacy, health equity and narrowing the gap of health disparities manifested in outcomes, especially amongst underserved communities.
During his service in the GPSS, he will be using his position as the Senator, Reed College of media, to propagate the interests of graduate students in the college. His core values are built on the tripartite cord of fairness, inclusivity and transparency.
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DeNay Adams
Senator-College of Law
da00059@mix.wvu.eduDeNay Adams is a second-year law student at WVU College of Law. Before attending law school, she received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Central Florida and a Master's degree in International Development from American University. DeNay has a passion for community development and public service. She served as a Community Development volunteer in rural South Africa, where she helped to implement projects to improve infrastructure and developed youth engagement activities. Additionally, she served as a researcher for the New Zealand Department of Education, developing a framework to assist the NZ government in building better partnerships with US schools.
DeNay's passion for public service led her to serve as a Health Program Supervisor for the Public Health Department in Charlotte, NC. Here, she acted as a liaison between the community and the government, advocating for residents and solutions based on community needs.
DeNay’s passion for service continues as she is active at West Virginia University and in the community. She serves as the President of Class 2025, a Senator for GPSS, and a Legal Intern at Legal Aid of West Virginia. She is interested in exploring ways to merge her interests in healthcare and international law. DeNay is a Competitor on the Jessup International Moot Court Team and the National Patent Application Drafting Competition Team for the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
In her spare time, DeNay enjoys hikes with her husband, reading, and CrossFit.
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Md Rokibul Hasan
senator-Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design
mh00072@mix.wvu.eduMd Rokibul Hasan is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Design & Merchandising at Davis College, having previously obtained a Bachelor's degree in Textile Engineering from Bangladesh University of Textiles. With a background in the textile industry, he brings practical experience through an internship in a Bangladesh-based export-oriented apparel company. In his current role as a Graduate Research Assistant, Hasan is dedicated to analyzing the trade performances of major apparel-exporting nations globally. Simultaneously, he is investigating the local clothing supply chain in West Virginia, aiming to assess its prospects and challenges.
His academic interests are centered around fashion trade analysis, exploring issues within the clothing industry, understanding the dynamics of the fashion retail business, unraveling the complexities of the global apparel supply chain, and delving into consumer behavior trends. Beyond his academic pursuits, Hasan has been appointed as a senator at Davis College, a role that has ignited his enthusiasm to collaborate with a diverse and talented team. His primary objective is to enhance the overall experiences of graduate students at West Virginia University, ensuring that their concerns and expectations are comprehensively addressed.
Adding to his leadership experience, Hasan has previously served as the Treasurer of the Bangladeshi Student’s Association at WVU, showcasing his commitment to community involvement. Outside of his academic and leadership roles, he enjoys spending his leisure time watching movies and engaging with family and friends. With a multi-dimensional background encompassing academia, industry experience, and leadership roles, Hasan brings a diverse skill set to his current endeavors at West Virginia University.
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Wen Juan Mo
Senator-College of Applied Human Sciences
Mo, Wen Juan is a third-year doctoral student in the Educational Theory and Practice Program at the School of Education, WVU College of Applied Human Sciences. She holds a B.A. in Education with an emphasis in English literature from the Central South University in China, and two M.A.s in Linguistics and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from WVU.
She served as a classroom teacher both in the United States and China for 17 years. Additionally, she worked as a graduate teaching assistant at WVU for another four years. Currently, she is a graduate assistant at the Research Services at WVU libraries. Her research interests include critical place-based education, elementary education, pre-service teacher programs, and curriculum design.
She has a passion for promoting positive and meaningful communication among graduate students. In the spring semester of 2023, she took the leading role of the graduate student's research interest group – Journal Club, and hosted several popular seminars. Currently, she is a senator for GPSS and continues her enthusiasm to bridge connections between graduate students and the College of Applied Human Sciences at WVU.
In her spare time, she enjoys swimming, hiking, cooking, and watching movies.
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Al Zadid Sultan Bin Habib
Senator-Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources
ah00069@mix.wvu.eduAl Zadid Sultan Bin Habib is currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science at West Virginia University, USA. He received the BSc in Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) degree from Khulna University of Engineering & Technology (KUET), Bangladesh, in September 2017. He obtained an MSc in Computer Science (CS) degree from Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh, in October 2020. His research interest is in Biomedical Informatics, which focuses on applying computational methods (e.g., Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Science) in Medicine to analyze biomedical data. Apart from academics he loves hitting the gym and playing soccer. He is currently serving as the Senator for Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources in WVU GPSS.
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Chloe Mikorski
Senator-Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
cm0114@mix.wvu.edu
Chloe Mikorski, a Graduate Research Assistant at the School of Social Work, contributes significantly to the Title IV-E project and handles tasks related to the School of Social Work website, admissions, and recruitment. Currently pursuing a dual graduate degree, Master's of Social Work and Public Administration, Chloe also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. Passionate about substance use disorders and recovery, Chloe is actively involved in researching economic inequality and its health outcomes. A native of Morgantown, West Virginia, she enjoys exploring the outdoors and has an interest in thrift and antique shopping.Chloe's dedication to advocacy is highlighted by her presentation at the International Association of Employee Assistance Professionals in Education (IAEAPE) conference in October 2023. Her research focused on the expansion of WVU mental health services to include post-doctoral dental students at WVU, who were previously excluded.In her GPSS role, Chloe aims to emphasize mental health importance for graduate students and advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. With aspirations to contribute to national behavioral health, Chloe aims to work for a public agency leading efforts to advance the well-being of the nation.