Carnegie Mellon University
Student Government  ›  Graduate Student Assembly  ›  About the GSA  ›  Executive Committee
The Graduate Student Assembly Executive Committee is elected by the graduate student body and is comprised of the President and seven Vice Presidents. The Executive Committee is responsible for convening monthly general body meetings, advocating for graduate student issues, and contributing to the creation of a holistic graduate student experience. GSA also has two dedicated staff members, our Program & Events Coordinator and our Financial Assistant, who support the day-to-day operations of GSA.

Stephen Sudia

Stephen Sudia

President

Bio

Stephen Sudia is a 4th year PhD student in Rhetoric. Originally from a small town in Central Pennsylvania, he completed his bachelor’s degree in English and Spanish at Temple University in Philadelphia PA, after which he served in the Peace Corps in the Republic of Moldova. Upon returning to the United States, he completed a master’s degree in Comparative Literature at Dartmouth College. His PhD research is focused on the rhetorical and legal construction of nationalist narratives in 1990s post-Soviet Russia and the subsequent role of conservative nationalism in contemporary Russian domestic and foreign policy.


Andy Hammer

Andy Hammer

Vice President, Internal Affairs

Bio

Andy Hammer is a 3rd year PhD student in Software Engineering. Originally from the cornfields of Iowa, Andy graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from Iowa State University in May of 2023. Coming to CMU directly after completing their undergraduate degree, their research focuses on the safety of software systems. Their main PhD research analyzes formal recovery of cyber-physical systems and after safety conditions have been violated. In their free time, Andy enjoys watching horror movies, baking, and making tatted lace.

Andrew Timmins

Andrew Timmins

Vice President, Campus Affairs

Bio

Andrew Timmins is a 4th year PhD candidate in Materials Science and Engineering. He has a background in mechanical engineering, and worked for several years developing manufacturing processes for a battery systems startup operating in East Africa. He has two cats, but no notable hobbies.

Greg Wong

Greg Wong

Vice President, External Affairs

Bio

Greg Wong is a 5th year PhD Student in the Materials Science and Engineering Department. He is from Houston, Texas, and has a BS in Materials Science and Engineering from Texas A&M University. Greg came to CMU directly after undergrad to begin his PhD program. His research focuses on modeling solidification and microstructure evolution during the laser powder bed fusion metal 3D printing process.
In his free time, Greg enjoys cooking, going on walks, and watching Texas Aggie sports.

Nihar Pathak

Nihar Pathak

Vice President, Finance

Bio

Nihar is a PhD student straddling the worlds of Architecture and Civil & Environmental Engineering (AECM Program), where she’s on a mission to make buildings healthier, happier, and a little more sustainable. Originally from India, she brings with her a bachelor's in Architecture and a master’s in Sustainable Design, along with an unwavering dedication to indoor environmental quality (think: making sure your classroom doesn't feel like a cave or a sauna). Her research dives into the magical intersection of Post-Occupancy Evaluation and Life Cycle Assessment—basically turning buildings into better places for people and the planet. When she’s not teaching about sustainability, productivity, or occupant health at the School of Architecture, you’ll likely find her baking something savory, sipping an aggressively strong cup of coffee, or deep in a manga. Nihar has been a part of GSA's finance squad since 2021 and took over the VP of Finance role in 2023. She enjoys making spreadsheets sparkle, budgets behave, and ensuring your GSA funds are in excellent hands—with just the right dose of caffeine.

Jess Vinskus

Jess Vinskus

Vice President, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Bio

Jess Vinskus (they/them) is a 5th year PhD student in chemistry. They were born and raised in Massachusetts, about 40 minutes from Boston, until moving to Pittsburgh in 2021. Their Bachelor's of Science degrees in chemistry and environmental science and sustainability were earned at Framingham State University where they also did research in environmental analytical chemistry by studying the sorption of pesticides into soil samples. Their PhD research focuses on creating polymers for use as sustainable materials. When they’re not in the lab they enjoy rock climbing, sewing, protesting, or playing mopeds. 

Luis Garcia

Luis Garcia

Vice President, Academic Affairs

Bio

Luis is a Teaching Fellow at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Design. He is also a Teaching Consultant Fellow at the Eberly Center, where he works with graduate student instructors and postdoctoral fellows to implement evidence-based strategies to improve their teaching. He is an Ecuadorian designer interested in the intersection of design and the public sector, and he seeks to understand how to develop design capabilities in non-designers to support collaborative processes tackling wicked problems. He wants to contribute to the reimagining of design education and challenge the dominant perspectives in the field.

Ashna Patel

Ashna Patel

Vice President, Graduate Student Life

Bio

Ashna Patel is a 2nd year Master’s student at Heinz College, studying Health Care Analytics and IT. Ashna is from Hillsborough, NJ, and prior to coming to CMU, Ashna majored in Biomedical Engineering at Rutgers University. As VP of GSL, Ashna hopes to further foster an inclusive and tight-knit graduate student community at CMU. In her free time, Ashna enjoys reading, baking, and keeping up with Formula One Racing. 

Haley Kenney

Program & Events Coordinator

Bio

Haley Kenney joined the GSA team in April 2022. In her role, Haley handles the administrative needs and event coordination for GSA and serves in an advising role for the Executive Committee and GSA Reps. Haley received her Bachelor’s degree from Ohio University in 2018 and her Master’s in Higher Education from the University of Pittsburgh in 2020. In her free time, Haley can be found hanging out with her dog Charley and her cat Rosie, tending to her many houseplants, reading, or exploring the city.

Suzanne Flieschel

Financial Assistant

Bio

Suzanne Fleischel is the Financial Assistant, hired in March 2023 to help the Graduate Student Assembly manage and spend their funds. She was born and raised in Pittsburgh, and happy for the chance to return here after living in eastern Pennsylvania for many years. She works part-time, remotely from Bridgeville, but is on campus occasionally for events and some meetings. Outside of work, she likes spending time with her family, re-discovering the Pittsburgh area, reading and walking her dog, Piper.