Correction 3/28: A previous version of this story said Shaikh Ahmad is pursuing a Master of Health Administration, which has since been updated to the correct Master of Public Administration. This is the third year Ahmad has participated in GPSA, not run for president, which has also been corrected.
Presidential elections for the University of New Mexico’s Graduate and Professional Student Association are being held online from Monday, March 28 to Friday, April 1. On Tuesday, March 22, the seven presidential candidates — who are listed in ballot order in this article — met for an online forum highlighting their various platforms with goals ranging from better wages and benefits to equity to outreach and engagement.
No. 1: Paul J. Tice
Engineering student Paul Tice is running on the platform of Peace Engineering, which “works towards a world where prosperity, sustainability, social equity, entrepreneurship, transparency, community voice and engagement, and a culture of quality thrive,” according to UNM Newsroom.
“I was born here … I’ve been a Lobo since day one,” Tice said.
Tice’s funding priorities revolve around the need for altruism, and one of his goals focuses on Water, Energy and Telecom, or WET, which strives for equity in these areas around the world. If elected, Tice would get a sense of what’s already going on in the administration without making any changes too quickly, instead focusing on improving what is already there, as Tice discussed in the forum. Tice said money is the first significant issue to be addressed.
No. 2: Augustin Ternoir
With a focus on innovation and equity, law student Augustin Ternoir said he will aim for student involvement and outreach.
Ternoir said one of his fiscal priorities is to distribute money among contemporary organizations at UNM as well as to encourage the creation of more organizations. He said student organization engagement could be improved upon and wants to “create an environment that encourages more participation and engagement.”
When asked about safety initiatives, Ternoir admitted that he’s not an expert in this area and would coordinate with the UNM Police Department as well as the student body on their safety concerns, then allocate money to meet “target goals” in these areas.
“If I win, my first interest is going to be securing whatever the priorities of the graduate students and the professional students are,” Ternoir said.
No 3: Inusah Mohammed
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Inusah Mohammed is a first-year master’s student in the Department of Communication & Journalism and is passionate about intercultural and health communication. Utilizing over a decade of experience with governmental and nonprofit affairs in Africa, Mohammed wants to ramp up student motivation, participation and inclusivity.
At the forum, Mohammed said his nearly 15 years of student activism inspired him to run for this position. He emphasized his diverse list of experiences as well as future goals, such as increasing female diversity in GPSA and hosting interdepartmental games to bring vibrancy to campus and to create a tighter bond between the Associated Students of UNM, the undergraduate government body, and GPSA specifically.
Mohammed talked about the inadequate housing situation for many grad students. When asked about food insecurity and Lobo Food Pantry, Mohammed said that while he’s been a patron of the pantry, there’s still room for improvement. He suggested a student survey for what kind of food students want to see at Lobo Food Pantry.
No 4: Shaikh Ahmad
Shaikh Ahmad is a dual-degree student pursuing a Master of Science in information systems and assurance and a Master of Public Administration. Currently working as the project lead for Project for New Mexico Graduates of Color, Ahmad has past leadership experience as GPSA lobby chair and is a founding member of UNM’s Association for Sustainability.
This is the third year Ahmad has participated in GPSA, and he aims for holistic education. One of Ahmad's most pressing issues to discuss with the administration would be better benefits packages, which he mentioned that the grad union, the United Grad Workers of UNM, has also brought up. Ahmad’s funding priorities include supporting minority students’ programs.
The current administration has a goal to better communicate with ASUNM, and when asked about how to continue the improvement, Ahmad said he had the pleasure of working with them in the past on the Student Fee Review Board, where more than $12 million in funds were allocated, and that the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need to strengthen this connection.
No 5: Aaron Cowan
A doctoral teaching assistant in learning sciences, Aaron Cowan has two master’s degrees in public administration and organization, information and learning sciences as well as two undergraduate degrees, all of which are from UNM. Cowan is currently GPSA Council chair and has previously served as Elections chair and Legislative Steering Committee chair. Cowan wants students to be fairly treated and compensated for their work at UNM.
Cowan said he’d like to model his leadership on others he’s seen, such as Stokes, who he said has done a mostly good job but is notably lacking in her treatment of the grad union. To increase GPSA engagement, he said communication methods, such as emails or social media, need to be improved upon. Fiscal matters are another area he has concerns for.
When asked about programs for international students, Cowan said he would work closely with UNM’s Global Education Office, host engagement events to bring students in and invite people from around the world to be public speakers “because there’s so many talented people around the world.”
No 6: Joseph Ikogho
After receiving a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Ambrose Alli University in Nigeria, Joseph Ikogho is now in the School of Engineering at UNM. Ikogho is a self-described “lifelong learner” who likes to learn new things, stand up for what’s right and listen to and respect diverse opinions.
If elected, Ikogho’s first week would focus on getting familiarized with the people and groups around him. Ikogho said he would “listen and get acquainted.”
Responding to a question about ensuring that GPSA is representative of the student body, Ikogho said GPSA needs to be more visible and address issues that international grad students face. To get more students to get involved with GPSA, Ikogho would highlight the career benefits GPSA can provide to students even after they graduate.
No 7: Ansely E. Emeanuwa
Ansely Emeanuwa is a student in the Anderson School of Management and hopes to create a vibrant environment for grad students by offering in-person or virtual events. Emeanuwa has worked to promote Senate Bill 180 and the Pell Grant in the state legislature with different student organizations as well as Club 89, an event series for students 21 and older.
With experience volunteering, farming, running a flower business and a school supply drive, Emeanuwa said “the plan is to help more people.” To enhance inclusivity, Emwanuwa would want more events that cater to students but are also things everyone can enjoy, similar to Club 89.
When asked about the graduate union and plans to support them, Emeanuwa talked about the need for getting more benefits and talking to school administration about it.
“I know the backbones of UNM and I want to bring back just unity,” Emeanuwa said.
Graduate students can vote on my.unm.edu.
Megan Gleason is the Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at editorinchief@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @fabflutist2716
