Meet the Leadership

Lucy is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in Social and Personality Psychology.  This is her fourth year as a GSA representative and her second year in the leadership.  Her research focuses on emotional expression in close relationships, particularly the ways in which verbal and nonverbal emotional expression relate to characteristics of romantic relationships.  Lucy is particularly passionate about improving Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within the Graduate School and ensuring that the administration receives clear communication from students regarding our needs and interests.

Ryan is a fifth-year PhD candidate in the Physics Department. This is his third year in the GSA and second year as an officer. 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.

Jeremy is a fifth year PhD candidate in the Physics department and serving his second year in the GSA. He received his undergraduate degree dual-majoring in physics and mathematics at Drexel University. Currently, his research focuses on detecting neutrinos (subatomic particles produced in nuclear reactors) both as an avenue to search for new physics and to precisely measure differences in nuclear reactors based on their fuel composition. This is Jeremy’s first year serving as treasurer for the GSA.

Jo is a second year PhD student in Environmental Engineering. This is her second year in the GSA and her first year as the CTF director. Her research focuses on identifying and understanding non-traditional sources of air pollution. Before Yale, Jo received a degree in Environmental Engineering and Integrated Science from Northwestern University. Through her position in the GSA, Jo is committed to supporting graduate student conference travel and maximizing the effect of the CTF can have on the graduate student body.

Estella is a sixth-year Ph.D. candidate in physics, focusing on dark matter direct detection with the COSINE-100 experiment. She is originally from Brazil and earned a B.A. in physics and astronomy from Bryn Mawr College, PA. This is her second year as a GSA representative and first as the chair of the Academic and Professional Development Committee. She looks forward to continue advocating for better professionalization and academic resources for graduate students at Yale.

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. 

Megan Kelley is a third year PhD candidate in Neuroscience with a focus on social neuroscience and social robotics. She was born and raised in Georgia and received her B.A. in psychology from the University of Georgia in 2010. She has lived in the New Haven area for five years and is passionate about helping graduate students discover all the beauty, vibrancy, culture, and community that the city has to offer. Through her position as Chair of the Service committee, she is committed to amplifying the voices of Yale graduate students from underrepresented backgrounds, collecting information about barriers to access and success, fighting to hold Yale accountable, and establishing programs for community building across graduate school departments and the broader New Haven area.  She asks that if you as a graduate student feel you are facing unjust barriers to your success—especially those that relate to background and identity—that you contact her or your representative within the GSA.

Zach is currently in his fourth 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.