Meet the Leadership

Stephen is a fourth-year PhD student in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, studying the molecular evolution of small populations with a focus on marine mammal evolution. Before coming to Yale, Stephen earned degrees from Columbia University and the University of St Andrews, and worked as a program manager at the American Museum of natural History. He is currently serving his third year as a GSA representative, and was formerly the chair of the Academics and Professional Development Committee. Over these years on the GSA, he has seen how student voices can make a real difference at Yale, and as Chair he is dedicated to continuing to improve the graduate student experience through additional academic and career resources, access to affordable housing, a focus on a diverse and inclusive campus climate, and healthy advisor-student relationships. Beyond GSAS, Stephen is seeking to integrate graduate students more into the broader Yale University and New Haven communities.

Steven is a third-year graduate student in the Genetics department. This is his second year serving on the GSA, first as CTF director. His research interests are studying the cellular mechanism involved in reading and language development. He does this by studying the function of reading and language genes in model organism such as zebrafish and cell culture. Prior to Yale, he received his B.S. in Biochemistry with a concentration in Molecular Biology from University of California Santa Cruz. Having been involved in the CTF review process last year, he is very excited to help provide many graduate student with the means to attend conferences around the world. Outside fo research he enjoys playing video games and going to the movies.

Ryan is a fourth-year PhD candidate in the Physics Department. This is his second year in the GSA and first year as Treasurer. His research focuses on developing novel equipment, such as high-precision spectrographs and laser frequency combs, to find Earth-like planets outside of our solar system. Before Yale, he received a degree in Physics with a second major in Music at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Through his position in the GSA, Ryan is committed to finding new ways to support greater cohesion among graduate students both at Yale and within the New Haven community.

Connor came to Yale in 2015 after teaching high school history for six years and finishing a M.A. in Globalization Studies at Dartmouth College.  A joint member of the History and African American Studies departments, he studies 19th century America with a particular focus on theories and practices of racial identity and identity formation during the fifty years following emancipation.  His dissertation brings this research to the American West, and most particularly into the communities that sprung up around the goldfields of Northern California.  He is pleased to work as a writing partner at the Yale College Writing Center, as a researcher for the Manuscripts and Archives division of Sterling Memorial Library, and as a project manager for the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Abolition, and Resistance. 

Lucy is a fourth year PhD candidate in Social and Personality Psychology.  This is her third year as a GSA representative and her first term as chair of the Academic and Professional Development committee.  Lucy studies emotional expression in close relationships, particularly the ways in which verbal and nonverbal emotional expression relate to characteristics of romantic relationships.  With GSA, Lucy is particularly passionate about helping graduate students prepare for their professional lives after grad school, whether that be within an academic domain or outside of it.

Jenette is a PhD student in the Biomedical Engineering department. She is from Washington State but moved to southern California for her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California Irvine. Her current work uses engineered heart tissue to study how genetic mutations that contribute to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy affect heart biomechanical properties. This is her second year as a GSA representative, and her first as Chair of the Facilities and Healthcare Committee. She is looking forward to improving graduate student life through projects focusing on issues such as dental care, mental health, and affordable housing. 

Patrice Collins is a third-year Ph.D. student in the department of Sociology. Her dissertation research focuses on the everyday life of families with incarcerated parents. Before coming to Yale, Patrice worked as a preschool teacher, early education lab instructor, and child development lecturer for California State University. She holds an M.A. in Early Childhood Education and a B.A. in Child Development Studies. This is Patrice’s second term as a GSA representative and first as co-chair of the Service Committee. Patrice planned and organized our GSA “Relax and Chill” events this past summer to foster a sense of community for students, and promote the University’s goal of a fully inclusive Yale community. She looks forward to continuing to build on public service and social justice events throughout the academic year.

Zach Marin is a second-year biomedical engineering Ph.D. student in the School of Engineering & Applied Science. This is his second term as a GSA representative and his first as co-chair of the Service Committee. His research focuses on super-resolution microscopy development and quantifying protein behavior in sub-cellular membranes. He holds a B.S. in Bioengineering, a B.A. in Mathematics, and an M.A. in Mathematics from the University of Maine, Orono.

Zach is currently in his third year of the Ph.D. program in the history and theory of architecture at YSOA. He was previously an architectural designer in Los Angeles, CA, and Washington, DC, a high school science teacher in Milan, Italy, and a particle physics researcher in Mozumi, Japan. Originally from the DC/Baltimore area, Zach earned a B.A. in math and physics from Swarthmore College, a M.Ed. in secondary from Michigan State University, and a professional M.Arch. degree from The Southern California Institute of Architecture. He is currently the chair of the Public Relations Committee and will beat you at a thumb war.