Three finalists have been selected for the graduate and professional student Young Trustee post, members of the Young Trustee Screening Committee announced Wednesday.
Gautham Pandiyan, a fifth-year graduate student in the Master of Engineering Management program and chair of the screening committee last year, James McDonald, a third-year student in the School of Law and Ariana Sutton-Grier, Grad '08 from the Nicholas School of the Environment, were chosen as the three candidates for the position.
"What we look for in our applicants is someone who has had diverse experiences within the graduate and professional student body, somebody who will be able to represent a wide constituency," said Kat Mitchel, chair of the Young Trustee Screening Committee. "They are passionate, very resourceful and very efficient, and will be able to go out and find out about what they do not know. They are shining examples of the graduate schools and I am very proud of all three of our candidates."
The three were selected following a process of written applications and interviews over the course of about two-and-a-half months, and were among more than 20 applicants-a number larger than in years past, said Mitchel, a third-year graduate student in molecular genetics and microbiology. The Graduate and Professional Student Council will elect a Young Trustee Feb. 17 for a two-year term. In the first year the Young Trustee serves as an observer and in the second year as a voting member.
McDonald and Pandiyan are both representatives on GPSC Board of Trustees standing committees. McDonald serves on the Business and Finance committee and Pandiyan serves on the Faculty, Graduate and Professional Schools Affairs committee.
Sutton-Grier is currently a post-doctoral researcher at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and formerly participated in the University Program in Ecology. She could not be immediately reached for comment Wednesday night.
McDonald said he hopes to build a connection between undergraduate and graduate programs as well as between the separate graduate schools, adding that it will be the Young Trustee's responsibility to ensure that the University makes the best decisions in light of the current economy.
"It's very weird at Duke that you have students who even partake in something like this," he said. "It's just very strange, but a unique opportunity that Duke offers students, and to miss out on something like that is unfortunate, so it's something you try to take advantage of while you're here."
Pandiyan said he wishes to continue his involvement with the University after graduation through discussions of career services and internationalization.
"I hope to build a strong relationship with several Trustees as I've done in the past and try to convince them firstly, of the importance graduate and professional students can play in the University and secondly, to help Duke as a whole with the financial crises we're facing now, and other things, to emerge stronger," he said.
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