Phoebe Cook - Treasurer
My goals as Treasurer would be to quantify how well STEM departments are recruiting and retaining diverse graduate students, present this information clearly, and ensure GRIT has the resources to continue acting as a hub for all of the people and groups who need to work together to improve these numbers. I have served as the Biology Graduate Association Treasurer for the last few years, and I have plenty of experience analyzing and presenting data.
Alexys Riddick - President, Secretary
My name is Alexys Riddick and I am a second year graduate student in the Experimental Pathology Department in BIMS. I am interested in serving as the GRIT President or Secretary for the 2021-2022 academic year. After passing my qualifying exam, I believe I will be in a good place in my graduate career to dedicate time to expanding the recruitment and retention efforts of GRIT. I am very passionate about recruitment and am actively engaged during the recruiting season for MIC and Pathology. I participate in the Diversity Dialogues and contact potential students to introduce them to UVA and our programs in a positive, yet honest, light. Additionally, I am a member of the GRIT Council where I attend our monthly meetings and occasionally take notes and keep record of our action items for the next meeting. I work closely with other members of the council to plan new initiatives for GRIT and would love the opportunity to continue serving in these capacities.
Taylor L. Nystrom - Secretary
It would be an honor to serve as secretary of the GRIT Leadership Team! In this position, I would work to progress the projects of previous leadership teams, as well as introduce new action items on which to focus attention. Specifically, I intend to develop and implement a plan to equip UVA research facilities to better accommodate people with disabilities. Additionally, I will work with UVA administration, faculty, and students to create a well-defined protocol for graduate students and faculty to respond to harassment of any kind. In addition to working on these action items, I will also effectively carry out the classic responsibilities that the role of secretary requires. As the co-founder and president of the Biology Outreach and Inclusion Program (BOIP), the secretary of the Graduate Student and Postdoc Association (GSPA), and GRIT Biology representative for the 2020-2021 academic year, I feel I have gained the experience necessary to manage the responsibilities of secretary while also contributing in a meaningful way to initiatives that align with GRIT’s overall mission.
Kendra Liu - Communications Officer
My passion for increasing diversity and inclusion in STEM originates from my own childhood experiences, where I was one of the few AAPI students and sole female in science and math clubs. I was lucky to be able to pursue a career in STEM, as there was very little support or encouragement for me to stay in STEM in the first place. I want to work to change this. One of the ways I will do that is by working with GRIT and contributing to their mission of recruitment and retention. I am excited to accept the nomination as Treasurer, where I will work to clearly document GRIT's present finances and provide future financial projections. I am also very open to talking about my potential role in GRIT so please feel free to email me! kel3fr(at)virginia.edu.
Natasha Claxton - President, Treasurer, and Secretary
President: My goal for this position is to come up with new creative ways to advertise new graduate students to come to UVA and enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion. I am good at organizing and being able to lead by example. In previous years, I was an assistant store manager at a retail store and managed many associates while also going to school full-time. I have also recently started my own journal club for my research field, which allowed me to collaborate with more faculty and staff in a multidisciplinary manner. I am also good at listening to others and being open to new ideas.
Secretary & Treasurer: My goal for these positions are to be a strong support person for the President and the rest of the leadership team. I am good at multi-tasking as well as assistance when needed. In the previous year, I have held positions as secretary for GBS and treasurer for BGPSO.
Beverly Miller - President, Secretary, Communications Officer
I have been an engineering co-president these last two years with my wonderful partner, Darius Carter, and I would like to continue to be involved in GRIT this upcoming academic year whether it be in the role of engineering co-president, secretary, or communications officer. These last two years I've had the opportunity to be part of the planning efforts for the annual fall GRIT day events and, specifically for engineering, Darius and I have worked closely with the engineering deans office to plan diversity and inclusion events for recruitment. The GRIT community is wonderful and I would like to continue to serve it, whether that means filling one of the mentioned roles or supporting the next generation of leadership through transfer of knowledge during my (hopefully) final year at UVA.
Yen Nguyen - Treasurer, Secretary, Communications Officer
Thank you for nominating me for the above positions at GRIT. I’m excited and eager to contribute to any of the roles at GRIT.
As Treasurer, I will help look out for our group’s budget and financial oversight to ensure that our activities are funded in time and appropriately. I have experience working with Excel spreadsheets, and by employing Google sheets, I aim to uphold transparency with our financial decisions.
As Secretary, I will be extra help for GRIT’s President or co-chairs to stay on top of the agenda and discussed points during critical meetings. As a regular note-taker, I pay close attention to the flow of information and take a detailed message for significant issues raised, especially those relevant to a meeting agenda. This will help us improve how we can address the points or develop a better plan in future meetings.
As a Communications officer, I will help spread GRIT’s missions and values among graduate students and faculty. As a first-generation student, I appreciate and am inspired by GRIT’s presence at UVA. In addition to helping to plan and participate in "Dialogues on Diversity and Inclusion" during recruitment, I will help organize other public relations events such as GRIT meetings with students and faculty.