Graduate Studies Council Members

MEMBERSHIP: The composition of the council can be found in the Faculty Senate Bylaws, Article VI: Councils, Sec. 1, and includes at least 15 members, including the provost, the dean of the Graduate College, 10 graduate faculty members elected by the Senate (three from Arts and Sciences–with representation from each division recommended, one from each of the other colleges (except Aviation), one from unaffiliated units, and one at large), the Faculty Senate president or executive board designee as an ex officio member, and two graduate students selected by the Graduate Student Association.

[NOTE: “graduate faculty” refers to faculty which have obtained graduate faculty status as defined by the Graduate College. Aviation does not have representation, as it does not have graduate programs. In order to meet the requirement of 11 faculty members, there are two unaffiliated unit members.]

The GSC requires 9 out of 15 voting members to be in attendance to establish quorum, as long as there are no Vacant seats, any Vacant seat(s) should be removed from the voting member total so that one more than half of the new total is needed for quorum. (*indicates a non-voting member).

Council officers

Marcellis Zondag, Chair

Jennifer Fiore, Vice Chair

Louann Bierlein Palmer, Secretary

Ex Officio member

David Szabla
Faculty Senate Executive Board

Permanent members

Christine Byrd-Jacobs
Dean, Graduate College

Lisa DeChano-Cook
Curriculum Manager (designee for the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs)

Elected members

Upul Attanayake (2025)
Engineering and Applied Sciences

Louann Bierlein Palmer (2026)
Representative-At-Large (Education and Human Development)

Cristina Fava (spring 2025 substitute for Jennifer Fiore) (2027)
Fine Arts

Regina Garza Mitchell (2025)
Education and Human Development

Lori Gray (2026)
Health and Human Services

Chansheng He (2026)
Arts and Sciences (Sciences and Mathematics)

Cindy Linn (2025)
Arts and Sciences (Sciences and Mathematics)

Dianna Sachs (2025)
Unaffiliated Unit (University Libraries)

Larry Simon (2027)
Arts and Sciences (Humanities)

Marcellis Zondag (2027)
Business

Student members

Jose Embil Jr.
Graduate student

Jocelyn Medina
Graduate student

Advisory members

*Carrie Cumming
Registrar