BUSPH Student Senate.
Student Senate Mission Statement:
As a reflection of the mission and values of BUSPH, the mission of the Student Senate is to connect students to the SPH community, develop student engagement on campus and ignite student led community action.
We seek to foster a respectful, collaborative, diverse and inclusive community within SPH to promote connection and holistic student success; to hold the faculty, staff and university community accountable to the mission and values of SPH by developing channels for student voices; and to ignite positive change beyond our academic walls through engaging with people, communities and institutions to promote justice, human rights and equity.
We accomplish this by:
- Creating social, educational and professional spaces for students to connect with: fellow students, alumni, BU graduate students outside SPH and public health students outside of BU SPH
- Equipping student organizations to collaborate on events and initiatives
- Advocating for resources to aid academic success of students
- Gathering and representing student concerns and evaluations to the faculty, staff and university community
- Advocating for and monitoring timely responses to student feedback
- Supporting student initiated projects
- Providing and promoting opportunities to serve at SPH and in the local community
Want to get involved?
Email phsenate@bu.edu.with project ideas, questions, apply to join student senate or to talk with one of our Student Representatives!
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/BUSPHStudentSenate
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/busphsenate/
Student Senate Corner
We encourage students to read the SPH Weekly and also check out the Student Center Corner to learn about upcoming events and updates from us. You will find information in the lower right corner!
Student Senate General Board Meetings
Spring General Board Meetings: TLB 307C and Zoom | 5:00-6:00pm
- Tuesday, 2/21/2023
- Tuesday, 3/14/2023
- Tuesday, 4/11/2023
Please contact Phsenate@bu.edu with any questions!
BUSPH Student Feedback Form
Below is the link to the Student Senate Feedback Form. Comments that are submitted are completely anonymous. Your email address will NOT be included in your submission. The BUSPH Student Senate will do their best to get your questions and concerns addressed.
Student Feedback Form
Student Senate 2022-2023 Executive Board:
Vicki Lee, President
Vicki, President
Pronouns: She/Hers
Certification: Health Communication & Promotion; CAPDIE
Vicki is honored to serve as your BUSPH Student Senate President for the 2022 – 2023 academic year. Before coming to BUSPH, she graduated from Pacific University with a BA in Public Health and Spanish, using those skills she learned to join the Peace Corps as a Healthy Schools Coordinator in Guatemala. Her public health interests include developing programs designed to eliminate barriers and promote intergenerational equity, particularly among youth, through education, empowerment, and capacity-building. Her favorite place to study is the Student Lounge in Talbot, and she is more than happy to chat with you if you see her! She welcomes all emails at vickilee@bu.edu and phsenate@bu.edu.
Saisha Adhikari, Vice President
Saisha, Vice President
Pronouns: She/Hers/Hers
Certificate: Healthcare Management
Saisha graduated from the University of Nebraska in 2021 with degrees in Biology and Psychology. She is pursuing her Master of Public Health in Healthcare Management in ambition of organizing healthcare delivery systems to improve patient care quality and achieve population-level access and equity. Her leadership experiences prior to BUSPH at her University and hospital settings have furthered her passion of making an impact to create healthier populations. As the Vice President of BUSPH Student Senate, Saisha aims to generate positive change on campus by being a dedicated student advocate and representative. Please feel free to reach out to her at saishaa@bu.edu with any questions, ideas, or projects.
Mary Villeda, Admin Director
Mary, Admin Director
Pronouns: She/Hers
Certification: Healthcare Management
As part of the Student Senate, Mary hopes to help BUSPH create a fun and inclusive community following the COVID-19 pandemic. Mary holds a biology degree from the University of Pennsylvania with a minor in chemistry. She is passionate about how the management of healthcare systems can contribute to equitable healthcare access. She currently holds a position as a Graduate Assistant business analyst at BU and enjoys biking around Boston in her free time. Feel free to reach out to her at mvilleda@bu.edu with any thoughts or questions.
Ruchita Borgaonkar, Communications Director
Ruchita, Communications Director
Pronouns: She/Hers
Certification: Epidemiology/Biostatistics
Ruchita graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Dental Surgery and served as a dentist following her undergraduation. She is pursuing her Master of Public Health in Epidemiology & Biostatistics. Using the Master’s program, she wants to experience the exceptional quality of knowledge transfer and absorption. So much so that she is able to transform into a healthcare professional who has the expertise to implement a positive change in the way public health is attended to. Moreover, she aims to alter the perception of the public and make them realize that health is wealth, indeed.
As a part of the Student Senate, Ruchita hopes to create a welcoming and supportive environment for BUSPH students. She also wishes to build relationships with her fellow peers as well as create fun events and activities that would help them make the most of their graduate school experience. Please feel free to reach out to her at rss@bu.edu with any questions, ideas, or projects.
Natalie Jean, Diversity & Advocacy Director
Natalie, Diversity & Advocacy Director
Pronouns: She/Hers
Certificate: Global Health Program Design, Monitoring, and Evaluation, Human Rights and Social Justice
I hold a bachelor’s in Health Policy and Administration from Pennsylvania State University. During this time, I became passionate about health equity and accessibility related to migrant populations’ primary health care access and a preventative health care system that applies to the whole person. As part of the Student Senate, I am committed to being active in advocating and confronting inequalities that dictate our lives. Please contact nsjean24@bu.edu with any questions, ideas, or project ideas!
Katie Harrison-Cunningham, Community Engagement Co-Director
Katie, Community Engagement Co-Director
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Certification: CAPDIE and Global Health
Katie graduated from James Madison University in 2021 with her B.S in Health Sciences and a minor in Chronic Illness. During her gap year between undergrad and grad school she worked as a Covid Case Manager in a Title I elementary school. During this year she became extremely passionate about health equity and health education within underserved communities. Katie is thrilled to be a co-director for Community Engagement and is looking forward to plan events that engage and integrate the BUSPH students and staff within the surrounding community. Some fun facts about her are she adores animals, loves to cook and is an Aries! Please contact her at kpharcu@bu.edu for any service event suggestions!
Riley Henry, Community Engagement Co-Director
Riley, Community Engagement Co-Director
Pronouns: She/Hers
Certification: Health Policy and Law
Riley graduated in 2022 from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in Biomedical Engineering. With the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, before graduating Riley decided to shift towards public health policy rather than continuing in engineering. She is passionate about improving health care equity for people with substance use disorder and altering the stigma in the medical field surrounding mental health and substance use disorder. Riley plans on working on policy reform and spreading awareness about improving the language used to discuss patients seeking treatment. Feel free to reach out to Riley with your ideas for the cohort at rmhenry@bu.edu.
Hannah Kirby, Student Organization Council Co-Director
Hannah, Student Organization Council Co-Director
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Certification: Healthcare Management
Hannah graduated from the University of Texas in 2020 with a degree in human biology. After graduating, she worked in a developmental biology lab in Austin studying the effects of alcohol exposure on development. She expanded her interests from a clinical focus to include public health when she began her MS Medical Science program at BU. She has grown her interests in management and efficiency in healthcare settings, especially after scribing in a hospital system. She plans to pursue her MD after completing her MPH at BU. As Student Org Council Director, she hopes to bring clubs together and to help students to engage with each other and their community. Feel free to contact me at hkirby@bu.edu to plan a joint event!
Sonya Nguyen, Student Organization Council Co-Director
Sonya, Student Organization Council Co-Director
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Certification: CAPDIE
Sonya graduated from University of Colorado Boulder with a BA in Biochemistry and Sociology. Prior to coming to BUSPH, Sonya worked in the COVID-19 response at her local public health agency in Colorado focusing primarily on promoting COVID-19 vaccines and increasing accessibility to underserved populations. She is interested in addressing equitable care, raising awareness of public health, and prevention program development. In her downtime, she enjoys boba, playing board games, and exploring Boston!
As part of BUSPH Student Senate, Sonya hopes to build stronger relations among student organizations and engage more with each other at BUSPH and the medical campus community as a whole. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to her for any ideas or support at song7543@bu.edu.
Rhea Patel, Events Co-Director
Rhea, Events Director
Pronouns: She/Hers
Certification: Epidemiology/Biostatistics; Healthcare Management
Rhea holds a degree in Bachelor of Dental Surgery from India. In her graduate career, she dedicated her time to multiple no-profit community-based intervention projects that delivered oral health education and treatment in the rural parts of India. She also served as a resident doctor at Covid-19 Quarantine Centers in Mumbai. Further, she was involved with various non-profit organizations by helping them raise funds by engaging with appropriate audiences through social media platforms and raising funds for students who belong to the minority subset of the population to sponsor their education. Rhea is also a certified Reiki healer and spirituality coach. Rhea is compassionate and highly driven to build a supportive and inclusive community for BUSPH students. As an Events Director, Rhea aspires to organize social events that give students a great opportunity to network and make genuine connections. Please feel free to reach out to her at rjpatel@bu.edu with any questions or ideas!
Max Lin, Events Co-Director
Max, Events Co-Director
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Certification: Healthcare Management; Infectious Disease
Bio Max is a Master of Public Health student from Taiwan with dual certificates in Healthcare Management and Infectious Disease. He aspires to work in hospital administration to enhance and better the current U.S. healthcare system. Prior to his time at BUSPH, Max graduated with a B.Sc. in Biological Sciences and double minors in Technology Management and Managerial Economics from the University of California, Davis. He holds a STEM background having been in several research laboratories and has interned and shadowed at numerous hospital systems in both Taiwan and the States. With his tenure as an Events Director, Max wishes to cultivate inclusive and welcoming settings for the BUSPH community and beyond in hopes of strengthening the community altogether. Please feel free to reach out to him at mjylin@bu.edu with any questions, comments, concerns, feedback, and/or ideas!
Student Senate 2022-2023 Student Representatives:
Haruka Matsuura, Spring 2023 Student Representative
Haruka, Spring 2023 Student Representative
Pronouns: She/Hers
Certification: Epidemiology & Biostatistics
Originally from NJ, Haruka graduated from the University at Buffalo in 2020 with a major in Biomedical Sciences and a minor in Music Performance. She was working as an ER medical scribe her senior year when the first wave of COVID-19 hit. She later became an ENT medical assistant where she saw how providers handled health insurance companies to ensure coverage of their patients’ treatments. Outside of medicine, Haruka is a musician and dancer. Understanding how much the arts shaped and benefited her life, she taught music lessons for the refugee and historically marginalized youth of Buffalo, NY through Buffalo String Works and became an advocate for accessible fine arts education. She plans to pursue medical school after completing her MPH.
As a Spring 2023 Student Representative, she is committed to ensuring a smooth transition for her cohort at BUSPH and promoting school-wide events to make everyone’s graduate school experience a fun and unforgettable one. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to her anytime at harukama@bu.edu!
Zakkiyya West, Spring 2023 Student Representative
Zakkiyya, Spring 2023 Student Representative
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Certification: Health Policy and Law; Pharmaceutical Development, Delivery and Access
Zakkiyya graduated in 2018 from San Diego State University with dual degrees in Political Science and Africana Studies with two minors in Sociology and Cultural Proficiency. Prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, Zakkiyya worked as the lead screening intern for Stopping Diabetes in its Track, a Diabetes Prevention Program. This volunteer experience in the SDIT project has been particularly essential to Zakkiyya in her path to becoming a public health advocate, as she is able to connect with participants beyond the medical diagnosis, by understanding the social determinants influencing their health behavior such as, lack of access to resources.
Zakkiyya completed one year of law school and used this experience in her position as Judicial Assistant for the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court of Missouri. This experience allowed her to understand how cases are processed through the courts, how policies impact the sentencing of defendants, and how lack of access to mental health and housing resources negatively impacted inmate behavior and probationer attrition. Zakkiyya plans to return to law school after completing her MPH.
As a Spring 2023 Student Representative, Zakkiyya is committed to elevating all student concerns and suggestions to bring about changes students want to see. She is very interested in ensuring all students regardless of their time on the BUSPH campus, feel respected, heard and given an opportunity to thrive. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to her anytime at zwest@bu.edu!
Tarim Fahim, Fall 2022 Student Representative
Tarim, Fall 2022 Student Representative
Pronouns: She/Hers
Certification: Healthcare Management
Tarim graduated with a Bachelor in Dental Surgery from Pakistan in 2021. Since her graduation, she has been serving as a full time dentist in a public sector hospital to complete her essential training as a licensed healthcare provider. She believes it is by understanding and further expanding different areas of the healthcare system can our community further flourish. She spends her time doing volunteer work and looking for means of proper healthcare for all underrepresented communities. As a part of the BUSPH community and the Student Senate, she hopes to bring her ideas forward and introduce them as projects that will benefit everyone equally and give every voice a chance to be heard. Please feel free to reach out to her at tarimf@bu.edu with any questions, ideas or projects.
Sharan Shah, Fall 2022 Student Representative
Sharan, Fall 2022 Student Representative
I graduated with a Bachelor’s in Dental Surgery and it was during that time that I realized the disparities that exist in several underserved communities. With my education in public health and my training as a clinical professional, I wish to bridge the gaps in the system and make healthcare accessible to those who need it. At BUSPH, I met people from different walks of life and that makes it even more enriching for me. In my free time, I love to go swimming or hang out with friends and explore new cuisines. As a student representative and as an international student, I hope to make my contribution by ensuring that the community at BUSPH is inclusive, friendly and helpful to all.
Sinjini Das, Spring 2022 Student Representative
Sinjini, Spring 2022 Student Representative
Pronouns: She/Hers
Certification: Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Hello, This is Sinjini Das here. I am a second-year MPH student at the Boston University School of Public Health. My concentration is in Epidemiology and Biostatistics with a focus on research involving Global Health in LMIC. I did my undergrad in Biotechnology in India and was involved with leadership roles at student chapters and university events. As a public health candidate, I hope to protect and improve individuals’ health through innovation and policies. My vision as a student senate representative is to act as a liaison between the Public Health School and the students to facilitate communication and make positive changes that will promote growth. In my free time, I like listening to music, watching documentaries, and motivating myself to go for a run. A fun fact about me; I am a huge Harry Potter fan!
Amal Abubaker, Fall 2021 Student Rep
Amal, Fall 2021 Student Representative
Rohini Shikhare, Fall 2021 Student Rep
Rohini, Fall 2021 Student Representative
Pronouns: She/Hers
Certification: Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Hello! I am Rohini Shikhare, a full-time MPH student at BUSPH, majoring in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. I am the Student Representative for Fall 2021 Cohort. I am passionate about Maternal and Child Health and pursuing my practicum at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. I am a tutor for PH717 and in my free time I like to bike around Boston. Feel free to suggest some great biking trails!
Corinne Gillenwater, Fall 2021 Student Rep
Corinne, Fall 2021 Student Representative
Pronouns: She/Hers
Certification: CAPDIE
Corinne Gillenwater is the Fall 2021 Student Representative, wherein she works on amplifying BUSPH student voices. She is in her second year of the MPH program, with a functional certificate in Health Policy and Law and a context certificate in Maternal and Child Health. Her professional interests include incorporating the social determinants of health into effective policymaking to bring about health equity. In her second year as the Fall 2021 Student Representative, she aims to create fun events and educational opportunities to build community engagement. Please feel free to reach out to her at cgillenw@bu.edu with any questions, ideas, or projects!
Carolina Becerril, 4 + 1 Student Rep
Carolina, 4 + 1 Student Representative
Pronouns: She/Hers
Certification(s): CAPDIE; Mental Health and Substance Use, Human Rights and Social Justice
Hi everyone! My name is Carolina Becerril, my pronouns are she/her and I am a second year MPH student and I am the 4+1 BS/MPH representative. I am in the 4+1 BS/MPH program and I just recently graduated from BU with a B.S. in Health Science. My functional certificate is CAPDIE and my context certificate is a mix of Mental Health and Substance Use as well as Human Rights and Social Justice. I am passionate about research in nutrition and health inequities, particularly in vulnerable populations like immigrant populations. As part of the SPH Student Senate, I hope to listen and advocate for my fellow students at BUSPH in order to make a positive impact and ensure everyone in our community feels included and respected. Feel free to reach out with any questions: cbecerrs@bu.edu.
Ashley Halkitis, Part-time Student Rep
Ashley, Part-time Student Representative
Pronouns: She/Hers
Certification(s): Health Policy & Law; Community Assessment, Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation
Ashley graduated from Boston University with a Health Sciences degree. She is passionate about providing a platform for those who are often unseen and unheard. With a concentration in social justice reform, specifically in regard to race Ashley is dedicated in her mission to dismantle structural racism and systems of oppression. In the future she hopes to create and implement long lasting reform to better serve those in marginalized communities through combining her certificates in policy and law as well as program design. As a part-time student herself Ashley is eager and excited to assist in the growth of the part-time student community here at SPH. Please feel free to email ashleyh2@bu.edu with any questions or suggestion!
Nabila Adamu, International Student Rep
Nabila, International Student Representative
Pronouns: She/Hers
Certification(s): Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Global Health Monitoring and Evaluation
I am Nabila Adamu, a second-year student, concentrating in Epidemiology and Biostatistics as well as Global Health Monitoring and Evaluation. I have a background in clinical pharmacy and a few years of working experience in Nigeria. Extrovert, foodie, and explorer. I am very excited to represent the international students of BUSPH, I have gone through a lot, and learned a lot as an international student that will assist me towards my goals to execute my responsibilities. I assure you, that I will be available at all means to the best of my ability to ensure your voices are heard.
