Meet the Candidates

From Evan:

Hi!! My name is Evan Levasseur, and I’m super excited to run for Student Government President for the 2026-2027 academic year! I’m a Junior majoring in Molecular Biology, with minors in Spanish, Chemistry, and Global Health.

Over the past three years, I have served you in Student Government as Chief of Staff, an elected Executive Board Member, and a member of the First-Year Council. Through these roles, I’ve built strong relationships with university leadership and gained the extensive experience necessary to effectively advocate for your needs and make positive change happen on our campus. 

As President, I will be a strong advocate for all voices on campus. I will support each student and empower them through these main initiatives:

1. Ensure student safety through stronger protections on academic freedom and clear education on students’ rights in encounters with ICE.
2. Improve the allocations process by expanding the allocations budget and developing better communication with student organizations.
3. Make student voices central in major University decisions, including the Board of Trustees, dining, and housing, so students have real influence over their education and campus life.

Remember to Roc with Evan and Neal on March 3rd so we can transform the student experience!

From Neal: 

Hello! My name is Neal Gupta, and I am so excited to run to be your 2026-2027 Student Government Board Vice President! I am a Junior majoring in Molecular Biology, with minors in Business and Chemistry, and a Certificate in Conceptual Foundations of Medicine.

My experience within SGB is compiled of being a First Year Council Member my freshman year and an Executive Board Member my sophomore year. I will use my previous experience, both within the structure of SGB and with members of the university administration to further promote initiatives that benefit the student body. 

I hope to use my position as VP to continue to uplift the student body through three main initiatives: 

Improve allocations spending by working to restructure the current budget to make more funds available for student groups to use for their group’s programming and initiatives. 
Enhance student safety during civil demonstrations by communicating with administration officials and Pitt police about their policies during events and structure to protect student rights. 
Work to enhance the EMS system by ensuring a quicker response time and more equitable distribution of room bookings for student groups. 

Make sure to Roc with Evan and Neal on March 3rd!

From Andrew: 

Hi! My name is Andrew Gambino and I’m excited to be running as a candidate for Student Government Board. This year, I have been working on resource transparency, communication, civic engagement on campus, disability resources accessibility and ensuring proper food quality and equity.

If elected, I hope to assemble a list of all the resources available at Pitt and link it to a centralized and accessible place such as the main page on Pitt's website.  I also want to hold University Administration accountable on free speech and mental health, two issues that are important to me. I also aim to ensure transparency and communication around campus issues such as shuttles.

Furthermore, I aim to ensure effective and honest lines of communication between SGB and the student body, ensuring that students feel comfortable bringing up issues with our campus such as with dining. I hope to achieve this by being available for student organizations and creating a feedback form where students and organizations can submit anonymous feedback about campus.

If you have any additional ideas, questions, or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out at ANG525@pitt.edu. Thank you again, and don’t forget to vote PACT on March 3rd!
 

From Audrey:

My name is Audrey Wang, a political science major and economics minor running for student government board. I’ve been involved in SGB for a year, and am currently the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee’s Outreach Vice Chair. Outside of SGB, I’m a member of the Political Science Student Association and I’ve worked for the Public Defender’s Office, the Innocence Project, and the Pennsylvanians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. I’ve also worked as a voter engagement fellow for Project 26 and Un-PAC, two non-partisan get-out-the-vote organizations.

I’m running for executive board because I envision student government as a resource and a bridge to our university’s admin; currently, our students’ concerns regarding safety, affordability, and accessibility are going unheard. Our university is becoming increasingly inaccessible to current and future students alike, with safety concerns, research budget cuts, and increased tuition costs. Tuition increases annually, without our money being reflected into programs that benefit students. As students, we invest in the university; therefore, the university should invest in us. My platform is built on the philosophy that as stakeholders to the university, we are entitled to representation. 
I hope that I can earn your vote to be your representative to the university!

From Ella: 

Hi Everyone! My name is Ella O’Rourke, and I am running for student government board on the Empower slate this election season. I am currently a junior Psychology and History and Philosophy of Science major with plans to attend medical school in the future. On campus, I am a part of Movement Exchange and Phi Delta Epsilon. Some of my activities outside of school include being a nursing assistant at Western Psych (I also teach dance therapy there!), volunteering at Planned Parenthood, and doing research through the SCOLI lab! 

I have been a part of SGB for two years now, serving as the Support, Advocacy, and Prevention Committee Chair for both years. Through my time in SGB, I have had the opportunity to connect with students navigating issues related to sexual misconduct and prevention. This has enabled me to build strong relationships with Prevention at Pitt and the Title IX Office. As a board member, my goals include increasing sexual assault awareness on campus, strengthening prevention tactics and resources, and expanding sexual education to be more inclusive and welcoming. I am also very passionate about mental health services and am committed to expanding the framework of support available to students. 

From Kylie:

Hi! My name is Kylie Baker and I am a Junior at the University of Pittsburgh and I am hoping to be on the Executive Board of Student Government again next year!

 I've served in SGB for three years now among many committees and Board. I'm a Nordenberg Scholar majoring in Political Science and International Relations and minoring in History, Economics, Turkish and Religious Studies. I've been involved in the Progressives Students for Change, Global Eyes, Omicron Delta Kappa and the Autobody Shop. I want to continue my work on Board by continuing current initiatives and picking up new ones. One initiative I'm proud of is my work with civil rights and liberties on campus. I'm working to prevent Pitt cooperation with ICE and federal agents and keep our campus safe by utilizing ENS services and protecting student data. I will also be continuing my work on Menstrual Equity, to ensure free pads and tampons in all residence halls and maintain stock in academic buildings. I want to keep fighting for better storage and EMS reservations on campus given our overpopulation and lack of space for student clubs and activities. 

I hope for your vote!

From Nina: 

Hi! My name is Nina Rivera, and I’m very excited to be running as a candidate for the Student Government Board. This year, I’ve been working on student free speech rights, civic engagement on campus, and ensuring food equity for all.

If elected, I hope to continue my work reviewing the Code of Conduct to better serve student rights, specifically the right to free speech. I also want to focus on holding University administration accountable for their actions to make sure they are doing what is best for us, the students.

In line with this, I feel as though many question the role of student government. Because of this, I want to spread awareness about SGB’s purpose — that it is, and always will be, for the students. I hope to accomplish this by being available to those who need it. If there are any concerns or questions that any student or organization has, I want to be there to address them, and I want students to feel comfortable enough to voice them.

If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas, I’d be more than happy to hear them! Feel free to contact me at NMR122@pitt.edu.

From Patrick:

I’m Patrick Ryan, a junior majoring in English Literature with a minor in Political Science, and I’m running for re-election to the Student Government Board as part of the Empower slate. Outside the classroom, I am an editor for Collision Literary Magazine, vice president of the Rollplayers Tabletop RPG Club, and an intern in Pitt’s Writing Center.

Over the past year, I have served on SGB’s Executive Board, working with students, clubs, and administrators to address concerns related to campus construction, student safety, study spaces, and the role of artificial intelligence at Pitt. I am running because I believe student government should be accessible, transparent, and responsive to student needs.
If re-elected, I plan to focus on improving student organization access to campus meeting spaces and strengthening communication between students and SGB. At its core, my goal is to empower student voices by ensuring that every concern, big or small, has a clear path to being heard and addressed.

From Sofia:

My name is Sofia Doval and I am a candidate for the Executive Board on SGB! I am a second-year Political Science and Psychology major and currently involved in SGB as an Executive Board member. Around campus I have been involved in Dphie, Pitt Band, Women in Law, and Phi Alpha Delta! I am running for SGB because I understand the importance of holding the University accountable. My main goal while on board is to make higher education more accessible and equitable for all students.

Two of the many ways that I will do this is: 

• Lab Coat Library: Many Pitt students buy lab coats for a single semester, creating financial burdens and waste. I will create a Lab Coat Library to remove barriers and ensure essential materials never prevent safe participation in coursework.
• Increasing Syllabi Transparency: Students deserve access to course expectations and costs before registering. I will create a syllabus repository so every class syllabus is available, reducing hidden curriculum barriers, and helping students choose courses that align with their academic and professional goals.
• I am committed to making Pitt a place where all students feel supported. With the Bloom Slate, your voice matters. 

H2P!