Student Board Members

**The 2008 Student Board Member elections will take place online May 1-2, 2008. Meet the 2008 Student Board Member Candidates!**

Student Board Members are elected by students to serve on the Board of Directors of Student Pugwash USA. As members of the Board, they help plan the national agenda of SPUSA and vote with the board in executive decisions.

The roles of Student Board Members evolved from the Chapter Advisory Council (CAC), which was established by students in 1987 to allow for more student input into the direction of SPUSA. Student Board Members facilitate communication among the chapters, the national office, and SPUSA board of directors. They are integral to ensuring that students have a strong and meaningful role in the organization’s current and future programs.

SPUSA members annually elect two or three students to serve as Student Board Members for a two-year term. The senior members rotate off as the new representatives rotate on, ensuring a total of five Student Board Members at any time. In addition to serving on the Board, these students work closely with the national office, particularly the Program Coordinator, to provide input and advice. They also facilitate communication among students and chapters, formulate programming, and set agendas for student discussions.

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Meet the 2008 Student Board Member Candidates!
Election Guidelines

2007-08 Student Board Members

Omar Ahmad, ahmado@mail.rockefeller.edu
Omar has been an active member of Student Pugwash since 1999, when he joined the chapter at McGill University, in Montreal Canada, where he received his M.D. in 2002. After graduating from medical school, he joined the Ph.D. program in Physics and Biology at the Rockefeller University, where he has been working for four years on mathematical modeling and experimental analysis of the inner ear. Upon joining the Ph.D. program at Rockefeller, Omar helped found Rockefeller's Student Pugwash chapter. Term: 2006-2008

Jonathan Braun, jpbraun@purdue.edu
Jonathan P. Braun is a senior at Purdue University in the school of aeronautical and astronautical engineering. His major area of interest is advanced spacecraft propulsion design as well as astrophysics and history. Jonathan’s involvement with Student Pugwash began in the fall of 2004 when he joined the Purdue Chapter which was just beginning its reconstruction and was elected to the president’s position in the spring of 2005. During his presidency, Purdue Student Pugwash hosted 17 speakers and the SPUSA Midwest regional conference with a keynote address by the Director of the National Science Foundation, Dr. Arden Bement. Term: 2006-2008

Kyle Gracey, kylegracey@gmail.com

Kyle Gracey is a Master of Public Policy candidate at the University of Chicago, where he focuses on environmental policy. He is also the Treasurer for SustainUS - The United States Youth Network for Sustainable Development. He was previously the Treasurer and then President of Student Pugwash's Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute chapter, and interned in Student Pugwash's headquarters. A Truman Scholar, he graduated from Rensselaer with degrees in Ecological Economics, Values, & Policy and Biochemistry/Biophysics.

Lina Nayak, linanayak@gmail.com

Lina Nayak is a medical student at Washington University School of Medicine (St. Louis, Missouri). She graduated summa cum laude from Northwestern University and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Nayak has published in Seminars in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, and the NATO Science Series. In addition, she serves as an editor for the Virtual Mentor, the online ethics and professionalism journal of the American Medical Association. Nayak has been actively involved in Student Pugwash for more than six years. At the 52nd Pugwash Meeting (La Jolla, 2002), she was selected to present student outcomes in front of all meeting delegates and served as reporter and editor for the International Student Young Pugwash (ISYP) Pre-conference Report. She has led Student Pugwash Chapters at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, Northwestern University, and Washington University. Most recently, Nayak has served on the Student Advisory Panel for the 2007 SPUSA National Conference and moderated the Health Working Group.

Alex Webster, jawebste@purdue.edu

Alex Webster is a senior in Purdue’s School of Nuclear Engineering with plans of attending graduate school. Alex is also the Immediate Past President of Purdue Student Pugwash. He joined Pugwash because of his strong belief in educating the public about nuclear technology, to dispel myths and misconceptions that make people fearful of radiation. A space enthusiast, he appreciates the positive impact that the space program has had on this planet and is concerned about keeping the priorities of NASA in the interest of the public. Alex is also a member of the Purdue Alumni Student Experience Board of Directors and the American Nuclear Society. He also works in a nuclear engineering research lab at Purdue.

2006-07 Student Board Members

Omar Ahmad, ahmado@mail.rockefeller.edu
Omar has been an active member of Student Pugwash since 1999, when he joined the chapter at McGill University, in Montreal Canada, where he received his M.D. in 2002. After graduating from medical school, he joined the Ph.D. program in Physics and Biology at the Rockefeller University, where he has been working for four years on mathematical modeling and experimental analysis of the inner ear. Upon joining the Ph.D. program at Rockefeller, Omar helped found Rockefeller's Student Pugwash chapter. Term: 2006-2008

Jonathan Braun, jpbraun@purdue.edu
Jonathan P. Braun is a senior at Purdue University in the school of aeronautical and astronautical engineering. His major area of interest is advanced spacecraft propulsion design as well as astrophysics and history. Jonathan’s involvement with Pugwash began in the fall of 2004 when he joined the Purdue Chapter which was just beginning its reconstruction and was elected to the president’s position in the spring of 2005. During his presidency, Purdue Student Pugwash hosted 17 speakers and the SPUSA Midwest regional conference with a keynote address by the Director of the National Science Foundation, Dr. Arden Bement. Term: 2006-2008

Jen Chen, zheyanchen@gmail.com
Jen is currently pursuing an M.D./ Ph.D. at the Mayo Graduate School. She recently graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology with degrees in Materials Science and Engineering and Biomedical Engineering. She founded the Student Pugwash chapter at IIT in fall 2003, and also participates in the American Society of Microbiology, Engineers Without Borders and the Society of Women Engineers. Term: 2005-2007

Lauren Giarratani, lgiarratani@yahoo.com
Laurie works at the University of Pittsburgh’s UPCLOSE program in partnership with the Carnegie Museum of Natural History helping to design, implement and evaluate programming for the new Fisher Biotechnology Learning Lab. She develops educational programs for school groups, teachers and general museum visitors through understanding how museum visitors make connections between themes in natural history and biotechnology. She graduated with an M.S. in Biological Sciences from Rockefeller University in 2004, where she was a graduate fellow in the Laboratory for Neurogenetics and Behavior. Term: 2005-2007

2005-06 Student Board Members

Cameron Bess, bessc@mail.rockefeller.edu
Cameron graduated from the University of California Santa Cruz with a BS degree in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology. He is currently pursuing a PhD at The Rockefeller University in New York City. His main focus of study is looking at mechanisms of viral entry and recruitment kinetics of host cell endocytotic machinery. In 2002, Cameron and two other graduate students at Rockefeller started the first student organization recognized by the school in Rockefeller's academic history. Term: 2003-2006

Jen Chen, zheyanchen@gmail.com
Jen is studying Materials Science and Engineering and Biomedical Engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology. She founded the Student Pugwash chapter on her campus in fall 2003, and also participates in the American Society of Microbiology, Engineers Without Borders and the Society of Women Engineers. Term: 2005-2007

Lauren Giarratani, lgiarratani@yahoo.com
Laurie works at the University of Pittsburgh’s UPCLOSE program in partnership with the Carnegie Museum of Natural History helping to design, implement and evaluate programming for the new Fisher Biotechnology Learning Lab. She develops educational programs for school groups, teachers and general museum visitors through understanding how museum visitors make connections between themes in natural history and biotechnology. She graduated with an M.S. in Biological Sciences from Rockefeller University in 2004, where she was a graduate fellow in the Laboratory for Neurogenetics and Behavior. Term: 2005-2007

Meg Olson, molson@virginia.edu
Meg is studying Mechanical Engineering, Russian Studies, and occasionally some Materials Science at the University of Virginia (UVA). She became involved with Student Pugwash in high school, at the Governor's School for Government in Richmond, VA. In 2002, Meg started the UVA SPUSA chapter to continue her work within the organization and to promote discussions surrounding science, technology, and ethics on UVA's campus. Term: 2003-2006

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