Executive Branch
The GPSG Executive Branch is elected annually by the GPSG General Assembly in May. The Executive Branch meets regularly and oversees various Government operations and committees. The Executive Branch is composed of eight (8) members.
President
Keanu Valibia (he/him/his)
Bio: Keanu is a 3rd-year dual Master’s student in Public Policy and Environmental Management. Originally from California, he graduated from UC Riverside with a B.S. in Business Administration and a concentration in Information Systems. After completing his undergraduate studies, he worked in both the private and public sectors over 5 years across tech consulting, advertising, nonprofit management, and disaster relief. His work with the Filipino diaspora on disaster relief inspired his decision to pursue his graduate studies at Duke University, where he’s interested in climate finance, impact investments, and general ESG & sustainability consulting. Outside of work, Keanu is usually found in the gym, playing video games, cooking, watching Formula 1 racing, or chasing new hobbies. For concerns regarding graduate and professional student life, inquiries about how to get involved in GPSG, or proposals for campus wide initiatives, email gpsg.president@duke.edu.
Responsibilities: The President is the chief spokesperson of the Council and is the official liaison between the Council and all outside bodies, both inside the University community and outside.
Contact the President: For ideas, thoughts, or concerns regarding Graduate Student Life that you would like GPSG to focus on or discuss, if you are interested in serving in any capacity with GPSG, or if you would like to propose a co-sponsorship with a campus-wide initiative.
Vice President
Aarushi Tripathi
Bio: Aarushi is a 2nd year Master of Public Policy student at the Sanford School. During her first year at Duke, Aarushi was actively involved in campus activities and student clubs which helped her better understand the challenges faced by graduate students, especially those from outside the US. In her role as Vice President, she hopes to support the graduate student body in navigating the various challenges of student life, address financial and food security issues, and foster a stronger sense of belonging and safety. Aarushi hails from Ahmedabad, India and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Computer Science and Engineering. Before Duke, she worked as a data and machine learning engineer. As a woman in STEM, her experiences with strict gender roles and hom*ogeneity in science and technology steered her towards the field of public policy. Her interests lie in labor, gender, caste, climate and technology. Outside the policy world, Aarushi enjoys football (YNWA), is a LOTR nerd, and loves trying out new food and learning new languages. You can reach out to her at gpsg.vicepresident@duke.edu.
Responsibilities: The Vice President is responsible for supporting the Directors and works closely with the President. The Vice President shall assist with coordinating the effective operation of the Executive Branch.
Contact the Vice President: For ideas, thoughts, or concerns regarding Graduate Student Life that you would like GPSG to focus on or discuss, if you are interested in serving in any capacity with GPSG, or if you would like to propose a co-sponsorship with a campus-wide initiative.
Director of External Advocacy
Gabriel Kennedy (he/him/his)
Bio: Gabriel is a 3rd year PhD student in the University Program in Genetics and Genomics. He is a born and bred North Carolinian, though he has lived across the country and across the world. He earned his BS in Psychology from Tufts University working in spatial cognition. After his undergraduate career, he worked for the Stanford Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center as a data analyst with a focus on the cross-section between genetic data and MRI scans. He has spent time working at the US Capitol and is passionate about ensuring that as students, our voice is heard just as loudly as any other constituent within our democracy. Being governmentally active and aware is of particular interest to Gabriel and he hopes to help any student get more active in the various communities external to Duke. As scholars, we have an important perspective to share, and he is committed to that goal. He is an active board gamer and theatre nerd. He is always down to chat about musicals and plays. If you have any interest in advocacy from local to state to federal or are interested in getting involved with external institutions, please reach out. The 2024-2025 school year will likely be politically active with the General Election, so please reach out to Gabriel to learn more about various groups at Duke or to get involved with voting advocacy! The External Advocacy Committee is open to students at Duke to get involved, so reach out if you are interested. Feel free to email him at gpsg.externaladvocacy@duke.edu.
Responsibilities: The Director of External Advocacy focuses on broad issues affecting graduate and professional students at the local, state, and national levels. The Director keeps the General Assembly members aware of what’s happening, how GPSG is involved, and what the Government can do to help. They also manage annual GPSG voter registration efforts.
Contact the Director of External Advocacy: For questions about what types of advocacy GPSG is involved in, suggestions for how we can do more to ensure we are representing everyone and taking action on the relevant issues for our community or if you’d like to volunteer with the External Advocacy Committee.
Director of Durham Relations
Emily Magen (she/her/hers)
Bio: Emily is in her third year of the dual MDiv/MPP program, pursuing both a Master of Divinity at Duke Divinity School and a Master of Public Policy at the Sanford School of Public Policy. Before coming to Duke, she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Educational Studies at Davidson College and worked as a high school Spanish teacher in Charlotte. Last year, Emily served on GPSG as a Senator for the Divinity School and a member of the Academic Affairs Committee. This year, she is excited to serve as Director of Durham Relations. Her priorities include affordable housing and community organizing. Though North Carolina has been home since 2016, Emily grew up in New Hampshire and is a fan of all things fall. An introvert at heart, she enjoys drinking tea, baking, gardening, and completing jigsaw puzzles. Feel free to shoot her an email at gpsg.durhamrelations@duke.edu.
Responsibilities: The Director of Durham Relations is responsible for developing programming to connect Duke Graduate and Professional students with the broader Durham community and for promoting engagement with local community organizations.
Contact the Director of Durham Relations: For getting involved with community outreach or knowing about Durham-based organizations.
Director of Academic Affairs
Julian Liber (he/him/his)
Bio: Julian Liber is currently a fourth-year PhD student in the Department of Biology, and in the lab of Sheng Yang He. Julian is in his second term as Director of Academic Affairs, and has previously served as the Secretariat Representative for Trinity students in the knowledge domain of Natural Sciences, as General Assembly representative for his department, and as GPSG’s representative to the University’s Campus Sustainability Committee. Julian studies the diversity and biotechnological potential of microbes, especially fungi, that live on plant leaves. He hopes to use these organisms to help plants survive impacts of climate change, notably disease, heat waves, and drought. Outside of his research, Julian enjoys looking for birds and fungi on hikes, cooking and baking, photography, and playing with his two cats, Attie and Belle. Feel free to email him at gpsg.academicaffairs@duke.edu.
Responsibilities: The Director of Academic Affairs acts as a resource with regard to University policies and academic affairs, including the broader issues of diversity, harassment, discrimination, and due process. The Director of Academic Affairs also manages the GPSG Lawyer Assistance Program.
Contact the Director of Academic Affairs: For questions about University resources and policies, Alumni events and resources, career services, and the Lawyer Assistance Program.
Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Jonathan Jean-Pierre (he/him/his)
Bio: Jonathan Jean-Pierre is an executive MBA student from Brooklyn, NY, and is the Director of DEI for Duke’s graduate student senate, helping drive DEI initiatives across the university. He has spent the last 10+ years working across the US and internationally in several HR roles at Fortune 50 companies, from JP Morgan to, most recently, at Google. At Google, Jonathan has led several Google-wide initiatives, from helping land some of Google’s racial equity commitments to shaping Google’s first multi-year HR transformation strategy to enable the function to build and grow the world’s most innovative workforce. Before joining Google’s newest platforms and devices business to help lead global HR programs, he worked in Google’s Office of the Chief People Officer for four years, driving several key corporate strategy initiatives across Google. Outside of his professional career, Jonathan sits on the board of directors at the Fiver Children’s Foundation, a leading nonprofit organization that provides a comprehensive approach to youth development through year-round mentorship, leadership training, career development, and transformative experiences that develop youth from under-resourced communities in New York City. Feel free to email him at gpsg.dei@duke.edu.
Responsibilities: The Director of DEI focuses on promoting diversity and inclusion on campus to create a healthy and vibrant ecosystem for a broad diversity of identity and affinity groups, establishing direct relationships with student leaders for identity and affinity groups, and serving as the liaison to all structural centers dedicated to the historically marginalized or underrepresented students on campus.
Contact the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: To ask questions about current Duke DEI policies, suggest GPSG projects, or address concerns related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Director of Environment and Sustainability
Lauren Ng (she/her/hers)
Bio: Lauren Ng is a 2nd-year Masters student at the Nicholas School of the Environment with a focus on Business and Energy. As an undergraduate at Soka University of America, she developed a passion for sustainability after successfully advocating for initiatives such as an Eco Reps peer educator program, greenhouse gas reporting, and waste diversion at campus events. Post-graduation, Lauren spent four years leading sustainability programs in higher education, developing workforce training programs with environmental nonprofits, and managing grant programs in the food and agriculture space. She is interested in sustainability consulting and furthering climate solutions like renewable energy, nature-based solutions, and public transit. Currently, Lauren serves as a DEI Student Assistant for the Nicholas Institute and a treasurer for Nicholas School Net Impact. Outside of class, Lauren enjoys swing dancing, traveling, and playing with her cat, Mimi. Feel free to email her at gpsg.environment@duke.edu.
Responsibilities: The Director of Environment and Sustainability focuses on organizing GPSG’s efforts to advocate for increased environmental protection and is responsible for holding Duke accountable for its commitment to environmental justice and sustainable business practices. The Director also coordinates and assists with functions of the Climate Crisis Committee and serves on or liaises with the Advisory Committee on Investment Responsibility.
Contact the Director of Environment and Sustainability: For questions about sustainability initiatives, comments about Duke’s climate policies, and suggestions for environmental justice initiatives and policies in GPSG and in the Duke University community as a whole.
Director of Community Pantry
Dennis Owusu (he/him/his)
Bio: Dennis is a second-year Computational Biology Ph.D. student at Duke University’s School of Medicine. Originally from Ghana, he graduated from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) with a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry. Throughout his studies, Dennis has consistently engaged in efforts to enhance the welfare of students and marginalized communities. His experience ranges from spearheading welfare initiatives by working as the Welfare Chairperson, to developing programs that aid students navigate the challenges of campus life. At Duke, Dennis has continued this passion by serving as the volunteer coordinator for the Community Pantry, providing essential support to students in maintaining their health and well-being. With a proven track record in leadership and community engagement, he is eager to drive the GPSG mission forward, enhance the quality of students’ lives, and promote seamless involvement across the campus. Outside of work, Dennis enjoys cooking, playing video games, and is currently learning to play the piano. Feel free to email her at gpsg.communitypantry@duke.edu.
Responsibilities: The Director of the Community Pantry is responsible for the organization and operations of the Durham Pantry and its mission of reducing food insecurity. The Director is the official liaison and chief spokesperson between the Pantry and the broader Duke community.
Contact the Director of Community Pantry: For questions about the Community Pantry hours of operations, volunteer opportunities, and general inventory.
