2008-2009 GSA Officers

Past GSA Officers and Valhalla Managers

Officer Bios:

GSA President - Michael Contreras

office: Ryon Lab 221, email: mctrueblue(at)rice.edu

Michael is 4th year grad student in the Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering and will hopefully be on the way out in 09. Somewhere in the midst of doing research, he has found the time to advocate for graduation student causes and represent graduate student opinions to all willing to listen (and lately the Rice administration has been listening). In addition to steering the direction and creative juices of one of the greatest groups of GSA officers ever to have been elected, he has made it a tenet of his presidency to bring grad students out of the lab/office and into the Rice Community. He currently serves on the Graduate Council, Graduate Alumni Council, President's Council on Diversity and Minority Affairs, as well as the GSA social, community service, and grant committees. Originally from southern CA, Michael still has love for his undergrad alma mater UCLA (even though they choked for the 3rd straight year in the NCAA tourney). When asked why he continues his service to the graduate community he simply responds with the words of the only performer ever to play in Woodstock I and II, true icon of the 60s revolution, and fellow CA resident, Carlos Santana: "I'm laughing because I know the secret of life. And the secret of life is that I have validated my existence. I know that I am worth more than my house, my bank account, or any physical thing."

GSA Internal VP - Nastassja Lewinski

office: GRB E103, email: nal(at)rice.edu

Nastassja is a 3rd year graduate student in the Bioengineering department. This is her second term as GSA Internal VP so if you haven't met her or at least recognize the name in some form or fashion, you aren't participating in GSA events enough. A good time to start would be now.

GSA External VP - Michael L. Matson

office: DBH 360, email: maddawg(at)rice.edu

This about sums it up:

GSA Secretary - Nikhil Gheewala

office: Keck 223, x3006; email: nikhil(at)rice.edu

Nikhil Gheewala is in his 5th year in the Bioengineering program - he's starting to wear out his welcome. His dissertation research revolves around the goal of tricking heart valves to stay alive after taking them out of an adult pig. He earned his undergraduate degree in Engineering at Harvey Mudd College, at ~800 students the 2nd or 3rd smallest of the 5-school Claremont College Consortium.

And you thought Rice is a small school.

Nikhil got hooked into the GSA while serving as a Valhalla manager for 2005-2006. Nikhil started his GSA involvement by working with GSA on events at Valhalla, and decided to continue this work as External VP. Not satisfied guiding the GSA's social budget, he made a power grab in 2007 and crushed his nonexistent competition to become GSA President for 2007-2008.

Nikhil is now the GSA's Secretary. He really wouldn't know what to do with himself if he didn't have work to do on behalf of the GSA. Lab work can only hold his interest for so long. His major goals as Secretary are:

• Make the new GSA website a truly useful resource graduate students, including a reinterpretation of the trusty GSA Yellow Pages
• Continue to work with GSA representatives and faculty from the Social Sciences to create a School-wide grad student organization
• Work with various offices on campus, as well as external sponsors, to create a venue for Rice students to show off their various works to the Houston public
• Increase the visibility of graduate student achievements to the Rice community

Nikhil also serves the GSA through representation on:

• Graduate Council
• President's Council on Diversity and Minority Affairs
• V&W Permits, Inc (oversight of Valhalla and Willy's)
• Brochstein Pavillion Advisory Committee
• GSA Social Committee
• GSA Grant Committee
• Graduate Alumni Committee (a committee of the Association of Rice Alumni)