Graduate Professional Students Association presidential candidate Aaron Kugler, a second-year law student, says he would like to increase GPSA visibility on campus and make funding more accessible to graduate and professional students.
"GPSA has been stuck in the basement of the old bookstore for over a year now," Kugler said. "When we move into the new SUB, I'd like to promote it more and make it more accessible, a place where graduate and professional students want to be."
He said another important priority, if elected, would be to form a good working relationship with UNM's new president.
"We need to make administrators realize how important students are," Kugler said. "We need to make them aware of our presence and let them know what a big part of our University we are."
Kugler added that graduate and professional students' biggest concerns are getting their professional lives started and he would like to revise the GPSA constitution to distribute funds equally among graduate and professional students.
"What we really want is funding for conferences and symposiums so we can present our work," he said. "Graduate and professional students need funding so they can promote themselves academically and professionally."
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Kugler, a native New Mexican who grew up in Albuquerque and Los Lunas, said that he has always had an interest in student government. He was a senator for the Associated Students of UNM as an undergraduate and wanted to be part of GPSA even then. He was also chairman of the ASUNM Finance Committee and was pro tempore of the Senate.
"One of the things I'm most proud of when I was an ASUNM senator was that I was voted by my peers 'best senator,'" Kugler said. "I served on a senate that had able and motivated students. To be distinguished from that group made me feel very good."
He said his interest in GPSA grew from a friendship with former GPSA President Brian Col¢n.
"I was a ASUNM senator when I met Brian and he made a big impression on me," Kugler said.
Kugler graduated with degrees in psychology and English from UNM with a 3.67 GPA. He said he has a year left in law school and currently has a 3.28 GPA.
He said he believes graduate and professional students should vote for him because of his loyalty to the University.
"I love UNM and am very devoted to it," Kugler said. "I started my education here and will finish it here. I believe it is a top-rate institution."
