GSA Executive Board
2025-26 executive board
NOoshin KianvashRad
Email: gsapres@uncg.edu
Biosketch
My name is Nooshin KianvashRad, and I am a Ph.D. candidate in Nanoscience at the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (JSNN). As an international student and researcher, my research focuses on bioinformatics and antifungal drug resistance, particularly how electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofibers influence drug sensitivity.
I have since dedicated myself to using science as a platform for advocacy, inclusion, and education. I am the founder of a knowledge-based company focused on nanotechnology solutions for skin diseases, for which I received a national patent. I also serve as a lab manager assistant in the Genomics Lab, and I have worked on outreach programs to introduce nanoscience to students of all ages.
As a student leader, I value responsibility, knowledge, and integrity—principles that guide my research and service. I am passionate about mentorship, interdisciplinary collaboration, and empowering underrepresented voices in STEM. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my American host family, volunteering at community health events, staying active through exercise, and listening to educational podcasts.
Purpose Statement
As the elected President of the Graduate Student Association (GSA), I am honored to represent the voices of graduate students across our campus. My role is grounded in a commitment to inclusivity, transparency, and the collective advancement of graduate student experience.
Having served in research, teaching, and leadership positions throughout my academic career, I understand the unique challenges graduate students face—academically, professionally, and personally. I plan to use this platform to foster a strong sense of community among graduate students, ensuring that their feedback is heard and valued by both GSA and university administration.
Goals for the year:
- Advocacy: Build on the legacy of former GSA leaders by advocating for policies that promote equitable funding, resources, and mental health support for all graduate students.
- Engagement & Support: Increase access to professional development opportunities and provide meaningful channels through which students can share their experiences and suggestions.
- Community Building: Develop initiatives that bring together graduate students from across disciplines to network, collaborate, and build friendships beyond the classroom and lab.
I look forward to working with my peers, fellow GSA representatives, and university stakeholders to strengthen graduate experience and make our campus more connected, informed, and empowered.
Election for this position to be held Fall 2026
Shanna Hilborn
Email: gsafinvp@uncg.edu
Biosketch
My name is Shanna Hilborn and I am a PhD candidate in UNCG’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. I am originally from Traverse City, Michigan, and earned BS degrees in Chemistry and Environmental Sciences & Management from Michigan State University before moving to North Carolina to attend UNCG. Here, I study chemistry education, and explore the way inorganic chemistry instructors support student visuospatial reasoning as they deliver course content surrounding molecular symmetry. My ultimate goal, both professionally and personally, is to empower people to have the tools they need to be successful, and I try to carry that through in every role I take on. Outside of school, I enjoy spending my time hanging out with my dogs, cooking, running, and practicing film photography
Purpose Statement
Whether in school or daily life, it is important to me that people feel supported, confident, and able to succeed. One straightforward way to support graduate students through their degree programs is financially, where we can use allocations to help fund conference travel and research expenses. Maximizing funding for graduate student benefit is something I am excited to work on, and I am eager to broaden the pool of students who access UNCG-sponsored funds. I look forward to continuing the GSA’s commitment to fair allocations, accountability, and transparency in every step of the process!
brandi McDonald
Email: BMMCDONALD@uncg.edu
Biosketch
My name is Brandi McDonald and I am a Ph.D. student in UNCG’s Department of Psychology. I am from Houston, Texas, and I earned my B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Quantitative Social Sciences from the University of Houston. At UNCG, I study developmental psychology, and I explore how children think about mind-wandering and what their mind-wandering experiences are – I also dabble in children’s religious cognition, specifically in how they understand rituals. I am also on the board of the Jean Piaget Society; an international and interdisciplinary society concerned with the developmental construction of human knowledge. Outside of school, I enjoy a nice latte, I play a lot of video games, and I enjoy spending time with my cat, Grayson Derulo.
Purpose
As the Graduate Student Association Public Relations chair, I aim to foster and maintain a community for graduate students at UNCG. I think it is incredibly important to have a community wherever you are, and many graduate students come from all across the world just to continue their education at UNCG and, often, they come alone. It is therefore my goal to make sure you have a community by organizing events for graduate students and ensuring that you are welcomed here, and that you feel seen, heard, and appreciated.
Qualifications for GSA Executive Board Officer:
- UNCG graduate student that is enrolled in the 2025-2026 academic year
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative graduate GPA
- Maintains academic good standing within their department
- Experience as a GSA senator or other student government/leadership experience
You can find the E-Board position descriptions and a full list of qualification requirements in our constitution.
GSA faculty advisor
Nicole Merritt
Associate Director of Student and Family Engagement, Division of Student Affairs
Hello! My role is to oversee our student engagement platform, parent/family communications and initiatives, and UNCG’s co-curriculum program, the Spartan Experience. I received my BA and MA in English from UNCG and am a first-year doctoral student in the Educational Studies program with a concentration in Higher Education. I have worked in higher education for three years in admissions at Greensboro College and UNCG. I am a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma and serve as their advisor and GSA’s. I enjoy reading and playing with my pets: Fiona – dog and Thalia/Ana – gerbils.