While working for the Graduate and Professional Student Council, Sara Becker recognized a need for change.
Becker, a finalist for the graduate and professional student Young Trustee position, said she wants to enhance community among her peers at Duke and forge bonds similar to those present within the undergraduate population.
"I'm very passionate and committed to try and improve the quality of life of graduate and professional students," she said.
The fifth-year clinical psychology student said being a part of GPSC since 2004 and serving as the council's representative to the Board of Trustees-one year in the Building and Grounds Committee and two years on the Business and Finance Committee-have allowed her to form relationships with both graduate and professional students and Board members.
But being a representative to the Board only allows you a few hours of discussion at the Trustees' quarterly meetings rather than full involvement, Becker added.
"You're interacting with the Board as if you were a member, but you're only present for your specific meeting," she said.
During her time at Duke, Becker has also worked as a student co-coordinator at the Duke Psychology Clinic. Through her work at the clinic, she said she has heard many of the ailments that plague the student body and hopes to elucidate some of these to the Trustees if elected.
"When strategic initiatives are brought to the Board, it's critical that the needs of graduate and professional students are brought up," she said. "I think the primary decisions are made with the sense of how it will affect the undergraduate community."
Becker's plans for full student body integration include extensive lobbying for residential and community space on the new Central Campus for graduate and professional students. She added that she hopes to enhance communication between the Young Trustee and GPSC, so she can stay fully informed of the viewpoints of her current peers.
John Curry, professor and director of clinical psychology and Becker's lab manager, wrote in an e-mail that Becker is an "excellent problem-solver" and a very talented student.
"She has training in research, which will help with setting goals, organizing projects and assessing outcomes," Curry said. "She has training as a psychotherapist, which emphasizes careful listening and joint problem-solving. Of course, her skills are a function of her considerable talents, as well as the training."
Jenny Woodruff, a sixth-year Ph.D. student in ethnomusicology who has worked with Becker on GPSC, wrote in an e-mail that Becker's commitment and analytical skills will allow her to perform to her potential on the Board.
"One of her best assets is her ability to quickly and realistically assess a situation, clearly explain her assessment to all involved and then institute a coherent plan of action," Woodruff said. "Her experience as a consultant and as a clinical psychology student have made her the most effective communicator I've ever known."
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