The CGPSA board was established to facilitate direct communication between the Chancellor and graduate and professional students at the University of California, Davis. The board informs students about activities within the Offices of the Chancellor and provides comprehensive recommendations to the Chancellor about graduate and professional student needs. The purpose of the Chancellor’s Graduate and Professional Student Advisory Board is to advise the Office of the Chancellor and advocate on behalf of graduate and professional students.
Application
Applications to become a member of the Chancellor's Graduate & Professional Student Advisory Board opens every Fall, the deadline to submit an application is mid-October.
Membership
Chaired by the Graduate Student Advisor to the Dean and the Chancellor (GSADC), the CGPSA board comprises of about 22 current graduate and professional students representing a variety of departments, graduate groups, professional schools, and perspectives on graduate student life.
Members for the 2025-2026 board are currently being recruited with some returning memberships. Keep an eye on the new board in early November.
Members for the 2024-2025 academic year include:
| Tamara Christiani (Chair, Integrative Genetics and Genomics) | Sicily Lerner (Ad-hoc - GSA, Comparative Literature) |
| Catelyn Bridges (Vice Chair, Horticulture and Agronomy) | Athens Marrón (School of Education) |
| Abbibrinda Senthil (Secretary, Forensic Science) | David Morales (Chemistry) |
Oluwadamilare Adisa (French and Francophone Studies) | Oby Okoye (Chemistry) |
| Monica Ardon (Integrative Pathobiology) | Sophie Quynn (Computer Science) |
| Matthew Braga (Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology) | Kelsey Racacho (Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology) |
| Maria Calderon (Psychology) | Emily Sklar (Nutritional Biology) |
| Lewis Daniel (Horticulture and Agronomy) | Christina Thomas (Native American Studies) |
Simon Ellison (Chemistry) | Arielle Yoo (Biomedical Engineering) |
| Trevor Gannalo (Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology) | Hareem Zahid (Nutrition Biology) |
| Robin Kay (Epidemiology) | |
| Haley Konoval (School of Veterinary Medicine) |
2024-2025 Board Projects
1. Student-Parents & Student-Caregivers Subcommittee: An exploration into strategies for more effectively identifying student caregivers and parents, and linking them to available campus resources.
2. Resource Communication & Dissemination Subcommittee: Focuses on increasing access to campus resources and reducing barriers to access.
3. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Subcommittee: Provides perspectives and suggestions to foster a more inclusive campus environment.
Board Reports
2024-2025
• Student-Parents & Student-Caregivers Subcommittee
• Resource Communication & Dissemination Subcommittee
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Subcommittee2022-2023
• Faculty Mentoring Subcommittee
• Community Building Subcommittee
• Graduate Student Resources Subcommittee2021-2022
• Graduate Group Resources Review Subcommittee
• Mental Health Resources Subcommittee
• Graduate Students Finances Subcommittee
• COVID-19 Impact Review Subcommittee
• Student-Parents and Student-Caregivers Resources Subcommittee2020-2021
- • Graduate Student Finances Subcommittee Report
• Faculty Mentorship Subcommittee Report
• Mental Health Resources Subcommittee Report
• Graduate Group Resources Review Subcommittee Report 2019-2020
- • Graduate Group Resources Review Subcommittee Report
• Mentoring Subcommittee Report
• Graduate Student Employee Contracts: Associate Instructor Recommendations
• Graduate Student Mental Health Initiative Subcommittee Report 2018-2019
- • Campus Resources Subcommittee Report
• Mentoring Subcommittee Report
• Graduate Student Employee Contracts Recommendations 2017-2018
- • Mentorship Subcommittee Report
• TA/GSR Subcommittee Report - 2011-2017
- • In 2017, a report was compiled examining the previous six years of CGPSA activities; this included direct links to a large number of original reports that were previously lost or unshared with the larger campus community.
• To view the report—which includes updates on past recommendations as well as suggested future directions—click here.
Please direct any additional questions, comments, or concerns to gradassistant@ucdavis.edu.