2022-2023 GPSC Executive Board
GPSC President: Luis A. Irizarry Figueroa
Luis A. Irizarry Figueroa graduated from the University of Puerto Rico in May 2019 with a BA in Philosophy. Currently, he is pursuing a Ph.D. in linguistics, specializing in Celtic and Hispanic languages. He started working in GPSC as an At-large representative and later served as Secretary for the council. During this time he has advocated for higher education in Capitol Hill presenting requests for the support of bills that would expand Pell Grants for Graduate Students and Increase funding to support Support Higher Education in Arizona. Luis has also served in multiple positions within the Linguistics Department at the University of Arizona such as faculty representative, outreach representative, and president of the Graduate Student Organization, LingCircle. Outside of linguistics research and GPSC, Luis devotes his time to the support of philanthropic groups such as Shriners Hospitals for Children, and the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, among others.
Email: gpscpresident@email.arizona.edu
Office Hours: By appointment at https://calendly.com/subalcain
GPSC Administrative Vice President: Sedona Heidinger (she/her)
GPSC Executive Vice President: Sonia Kaufman
Sonia Bat-Sheva Kaufman is a second-year Ph.D. student in Geography with a minor in Public Health. Her focus is on environmental justice, health, and state policies. Sonia also serves as the Associate Director for Legislative Affairs at the National Association for Graduate and Professional Students and as a Legislative Fellow for the PA House of Representatives. Prior to becoming EVP, Sonia served as the GPSC College of Social and Behavioral Sciences Representative for three years. Her advocacy objectives center around prioritizing graduate student health and financial well-being.
GPSC Assembly Chair: Brandon Neth
Brandon’s central focus as a GPSC officer is meeting students’ basic needs. This means food access through initiatives like Campus Pantry; expanded medical care, including dental and vision; and housing and financial security. Brandon played an important role in launching the Basic Needs Micro-grant Program, which provides small grants to students to cover expenses in a variety of categories.
GPSC Treasurer: Daniel Sadoway
Daniel Sadoway is a 3rd year medical student at the College of Medicine Tucson who is pleased to join the GPSC for the first time in 2022. His career includes service as a noncommissioned officer in the United States Army and numerous private-sector managerial roles including Operations Manager in the transportation industry, Program Supervisor for a 47-bed behavioral health facility, and Chief Scribe at a rural critical access hospital. Since coming to the University of Arizona he has served as Treasurer for multiple student organizations, Clinic Coordinator for the Shubitz Family Medicine Clinic, representative to the institutional self-study task force for national accreditation, and was selected as an AHEC Scholar with a focus on improving access to care in rural and underserved communities. He is also a member of the Leadership and Innovation in Healthcare Distinction Track where he puts his private sector skills to use to develop efficient and innovative solutions to the problems of tomorrow. Daniel is a fierce advocate for and a passionate believer in transparency, accountability, and the potential for small groups to do great things. He hopes to work in tandem with his fellow representatives to serve as a voice for all graduate students - to give back to the great intellectual community here in Tucson that works daily to push the boundaries of humanity.
GPSC Secretary: Samuel David Jesse (he, they)
"Thee fabulous Samuel David Jesse is a 3rd year Ph.D. Student in Biosystems Engineering, focused on controlled environment agriculture & bioregenerative life support systems. They are thrilled to serve the GPSC for the first time this year, with prior experience representing UA graduate students on the Steering Committee for United Campus Workers of Arizona. Their priorities are to build student power through organization, directly meet the material needs of students, and advocate for systemic changes that protect vulnerable student communities."