Graduate Student Senate and Student Organizations
The chief political organization for graduate students at Boston College is the Graduate Student Senate (GSS). Our Senate comprises representatives from (a) the Carroll Graduate School of Management, the Connell Graduate School of Nursing, the Lynch Graduate School of Education and Human Development, the Graduate School of the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Social Work, and the School of Theology & Ministry, and from (b) the GSA’s three affinity groups: the Graduate Students of Color Association; the Graduate Pride Alliance; and the Graduate International Students Association. Together, the Senate cooperates on projects relevant to broad sections of the graduate student community, in addition to advocating for initiatives put forward by, or on behalf of, the graduate student body.
Every graduate student enrolled at BC is invited to attend a senate meeting. Email gsa@bc.edu to learn more.
Daisy Mitchell, Director
She/Her/Hers
Daisy is a second-year Master’s student in Mental Health Counseling. This will be her second year with the GSA, and she is excited to grow into her new role as Executive Director. Prior to her graduate studies, she received a B.A. in Psychology & Public Health at Goucher College and served in Maryland with AmeriCorps for one year.
Emily Jessee, Director of Programming
Emily is a first-year student pursuing her Master's in Mental Health Counseling. Previously she received her B.A. in Psychology from Hanover College in Indiana. While studying at Hanover, she was involved in many on-campus organizations, including the Benjamin Templeton program aimed at promoting social justice advocacy and leadership skills on campus and in the community. The skills she learned from the Templeton program allowed her to pursue many campus leadership positions. Emily loves getting to know her fellow graduate students and the whole Boston College community.
Danny Tran, Director of Finance
Danny is currently a first-year M.B.A student in the Carroll School of Management. Danny grew up in California where he did his undergraduate studies in Civil Engineering. After graduation, he worked in construction management for a few years before deciding to pursue a graduate degree. In his free time, Danny enjoys running, hiking, and visiting breweries.
Tiffany Thompson, President
She/Her
Tiffany Thompson is a doctoral student in the History Department. Her research interests include women and gender, migrations and diasporas, civil rights and the Troubles in Northern Ireland and she is beginning work on her dissertation which will examine violence, dislocation, and refugees during the early years of the Troubles. She sees her role as president of GASA and the Graduate History Alliance as an important way to strengthen the graduate student community at Boston College.
Gabriela Marpozan, President
Gabriela is a second-year Master’s student studying Mental Health Counseling. She was born in New York and grew up in Romania. After graduating high school, Gabriela moved back to the United States where she studied voice performance and received her Bachelor’s degree in Music and Opera Performance. Her experiences in this field drew her to want to explore mental health and positive psychology. She is passionate about helping young adults find their passion and drive and would like to do further research in the Positive Psychology field.
Max Gadicke, President
He/Him/His
Maximilian Gadicke is a full-time MBA student within the Carroll School of Management. Prior to starting his MBA, Max graduated from Loyola University Maryland in 2018 and went on to work at firms targeting healthcare disparities and contingent labor staffing issues. Max was born and raised in Boston and is passionate about helping people. He looks forward to working with the Senate to better our collegiate community.
Aishwarya Chitoor, Executive Coordinator of the BCSSW Student Collective
She/her/hers
Aishwarya is a second-year Master’s student in the School of Social Work on the clinical track with a concentration in Mental Health. She completed her undergraduate degree at Boston University where she studied Behavioral Biology. At BC, Aishwarya has worked in the Undergraduate Academic Advising Center and as a research assistant at the Research Program on Children and Adversity. Additionally, she currently works as a tutor for middle school and high school students in the Greater Boston Area. As Executive Coordinator of the School of Social Work Student Collective, Aishwarya hopes to utilize her passion for community building and making strong connections. Outside of work and school, Aishwarya enjoys reading, sewing, playing music, and exploring new places in and around Boston.
Miriam Porras, President
She/her/hers
Miriam is a second year master's student in the Higher Education M.A. program, earning a certificate in Institutional Research. She is from Chicago, Illinois and earned her B.A. in Public Health at the University of Iowa. She is serving as president for the Graduate Students of Color Association during the 2022-2023 academic year. Some of her hobbies include cooking, reading, going on walks along the reservoir (but only when the weather is nice!) and exploring the Boston area.
Samuel Moore, President
Sam Moore is a first-year Master's student in Educational Leadership and Policy in the Lynch School of Education and Human Development. He received a Bachelor's degree in History with Secondary Education from Towson University in 2019. Sam worked as a middle school social studies teacher before earning his Master's in Curriculum and Instruction from Boston College in 2022. In his spare time, Sam enjoys biking, flying, and spending time with his friends and loved ones.
Irem Ozkan, President
She/Her/Hers
Irem is a third year PhD candidate in the Meyer lab in the Biology department. Irem received her MSc degree in Biotechnology and BSc degree in Genetics and Bioengineering from Yeditepe University, Turkey. I have been participating in GISA since 2021 and joined their E-board soon after. As the current director of this community, Irem would like to unite international graduate and undergraduate students at BC and build an engaging community. Irem wants to make the voices of international students be heard and solve them. I believe we can build a loving community away from our homes.
Luis Melgar (He/Him/His)
Luis Melgar is serving as co-moderator for the School of Theology and Ministry (STM) Student forum for the 22-23 school year. He is entering his final year of the Master of Divinity Program and, as an informal social community builder, is excited to engage more formally with life at the STM and at Boston College (BC) generally. He hopes to hear and amplify the voices of those at the STM–both past and present. while working collaboratively with folks from the Staff Senate. Originally from Scranton, Pennsylvania, he has spent the past two years working with Boston College undergrads in Campus Ministries Arrupe International Immersions program. Prior to BC, he was a Jesuit Volunteer in Andahuaylillas, Peru where he taught religious education and volunteered in the local parish. He also studied Exercise Science at the University of Scranton, minoring in Spanish and Theology with concentrations in Latin American Studies and Peace & Justice Studies. Some fun facts include a recent discovery and joy for improv comedy, a deep appreciation of art and sports, and food is certainly his top love language.
Julia Shaughnessy, President
Julia is a graduate nursing student in the Connell School of Nursing pursuing both a doctorate degree and career as a pediatric nurse practitioner. Julia attended University of Massachusetts Amherst as an undergraduate student and graduated with a degree in neuroscience. Outside of grad school, Julia works as a certified personal trainer at an F45 gym and jumps at any opportunity to be outside (especially by the Reservoir and Esplanade).
Graduate Student Organizations
Graduate Student Organizations significantly contribute to the vibrancy of graduate life at BC and are a great way to get involved. Join or reach out to groups using the links below. (To join, you must first sign in to MyBC using your BC credentials).
Graduate International Students Association
Graduate Pride Alliance
Graduate Students of Color Association
Student Veterans Association
IntEnt
Law students can find an extensive list of Law organizations on the Student Organizations section of the Law School website
School and College Governments
Most schools or academic departments have a graduate student government, which provides programming and involvement opportunities for students in that area.
Biology GSA
Chemistry GSA
Classical GSA
Earth & Environmental Science GSA
Economics GSA
English GSA
Graduate Arts and Sciences Association
Graduate Education Association
Graduate Management Association
Graduate Nursing Association
History GSA
Law Students Association
Math GSA
Philosophy GSA
Physics GSA
Political Science GSA
Psychology GSA
Romance Languages GSA
School of Theology and Ministry Student Forum
School of Social Work Student Collective
Slavic and Eastern Languages and Literatures GSA
Sociology GSA
Theology GSA