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The Polis Student Committee Executive Board

The PSC Undergraduate and Graduate Executive Board works to maximize the Committee's impact and to help foster a vibrant community for politics at Duke. They are vital in the execution of Polis's major events and in organizing and carrying out PSC events and activities. They are selected by the members of the PSC themselves. Both the Undergraduate and Graduate PSC Executive Board will receive funding for these activities and are expected to organize and execute them on their own (but with oversight) of Polis staff.

Apply Now for the PSC Executive Board!

Graduate Positions are Still Available!

Graduate Application

About the Role

Graduate - Officer Descriptions

President: Serves as the graduate student chair of the Polis Student Committee (PSC) Executive Board and represents the PSC in engagement with internal and external actors. Helps oversee the activities of the Polis Student Committee.
Vice President of Events: Serves as the primary coordinator of Graduate PSC related events and activities. Helps with vital logistics such as selecting and securing event locations, catering, and run of shows.
Vice President of Membership: Serves as the chief outreach officer of the Graduate PSC. Duties include help with new member recruitment and welcoming and help designing special membership perks and opportunities.
Vice President of Communications: Serves as the chief communications officer of the Graduate PSC. Duties include developing promotional materials for events, and helping to develop and execute a social media strategy for the Graduate PSC.
Treasurer: Responsible for keeping full and accurate accounts of the budget and expenses. Works with Polis’s Administrative Assistant to make purchases.
Program Officer: Serves the PSC Graduate Executive Board at-large including maintaining committee information, organizing meetings, and recording minutes.

Undergraduate - Officer Descriptions

- President: Serves as the undergraduate student chair of the Polis Student Committee (PSC) Executive Board and represents the PSC in engagement with internal and external actors. Helps oversee the activities of the Polis Student Committee.
- Vice President of Events: Serves as the primary coordinator of Undergraduate PSC related events and activities. Helps with vital logistics such as selecting and securing event locations, catering, and run of shows.
- Vice President of Membership: Serves as the chief outreach officer of the Undergraduate PSC. Duties include help with new member recruitment and welcoming and help designing special membership perks and opportunities.
- Vice President of Communications: Serves as the chief communications officer of the Undergraduate PSC. Duties include developing promotional materials for events, and helping to develop and execute a social media strategy for the PSC.
- Treasurer: Responsible for keeping full and accurate accounts of the budget and expenses. Works with Polis’s Administrative Assistant to make purchases.
- Program Officer: Serves the PSC Undergraduate Executive Board at-large including maintaining committee information, organizing meetings, and recording minutes.

Eligibility and Responsibilities

Any current PSC Member (except if serving as a Polis Student Assistant) is eligible to apply for an executive board position (former Exec Board officers may also run for reelection).
Candidates must be willing and available to serve a full academic-year term (term begins immediately upon election and ends April 23, 2025). Exceptions allowed for students intending to study abroad in the Spring Semester or who are graduating early.
Executive board officers are expected to meet with fellow members of the Graduate and/or Undergraduate Executive Board and/or the Polis team weekly.
Executive board officers volunteer at major Polis events.
Executive board officers table at the BC Plaza 1-2 times per semester to recruit new members.
Undergraduate executive board officers plan and execute 1-3 casual PSC lunch or dinner conversations per semester on their own.
Graduate executive board officers plan and execute 1-3 casual PSC lunch or dinner conversations per semester on their own.
Graduate and Undergraduate executive board officers collaborate for activities including political watch parties and kickoff events.
The Graduate and Undergraduate executive board will each receive funding to execute these activities. Officers are expected to follow Duke financial policies and procedures.
Executive board members agree to write at least one op-ed touching on civil discourse, political polarization, democracy, and / or Election coverage.

Current Officers

President

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Julia Young AY24-25 President

Julia is from Durham, North Carolina and is pursuing a major in Political Science with a minor in Computer Science at Duke University. She is interested in ethics, political science, economics, and philosophy.

Vice President of Communications

Ryan Kilgallen AY24-25 Vice President of Communications

Ryan is from Chapel Hill, North Carolina and is pursuing a major in economics and public policy. He is deeply involved in The Chronicle and worked with economics research lab and the East Campus Council.

Vice President of Events

Krishna Shah AY24-25 Vice President of Events

Krishna is from Miami, Florida and is pursuing Public Policy and Economics. Her academic interest includes learning about history and exploring cultures, especially within the scope of the United States.

Vice President of Membership

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Trisha Iyer AY24-25 Vice President of Membership

Trisha Iyer is from Cupertino, California and is pursuing Public Policy and Economics she has aspirations to work on the Hill reforming education system policy or attend law school and practice immigration law.

Treasurer

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Alejandro Nina Duran AY23-24 Treasurer

Alejandro Nina Duran immigrated from the Dominican Republic to Boston, Massachusetts in 2012 and he is pursuing Economics and Public Policy. He plans to concentrate on the healthcare field to hopefully bring better quality of healthcare to marginalized and neurodivergent children through a free market lens.

Program Officer

Nathaniel George AY23-24 Program Officer

Nathaniel George is from Phoenix, Arizona pursuing Public Policy and Economics. I am passionate about bipartisanship in politics, the importance of promoting civic engagement, and increased diversity and inclusion in policy-making spaces.

Past Officers

Graduate Co-Presidents

Noah Vaughn AY23-24 Graduate Co-President

Noah is a dual-degree Master of Public Policy and Master of Divinity student from Red Oak, Texas. He bridges policy and religion in hopes of healing many realms of American life; such as attitudes toward domestic politics, drug policy and prison reform, and foreign affairs centered on ethical national security.

Jaquell Sneed-Adams AY22-23 Graduate Co-President

Jaquell Sneed-Adams (MPP ’23) is interested in social policy, especially as it relates to education and state and local government. Since graduating from Harvard in 2014, she has taught middle school math in her home region of Eastern North Carolina, served as the Boston Program Director for a nonprofit focused on youth-led individual, community, and systems-level transformation, and, directly prior to starting her MPP program at Sanford, she was the campaign manager for a Boston City Councilor At-Large running for re-election (they won!). In the rare moments that she’s not working or studying, you can find her enjoying a book, working on a puzzle, or planning her next trip!

Undergraduate Co-Presidents

Annaleise Linkenhoker AY22-23 & AY23-24 Undergraduate Co-President

Annaleise is from Bradenton, FL and is majoring in Public Policy and minoring in Psychology. Her academic interests include political strategy, representation in government, political theory, Florida politics, and the US electoral system.

Vice President of Events

Ranjan Jindal AY23-24 Vice President of Events

Ranjan is from Greenville, S.C., and is pursuing a double major in economics and public policy with a minor in journalism and media. He was also unanimously elected Chronicle sports editor of Vol. 120.

Lauren Steele AY22-23 Vice President of Events

Lauren Steele is from Marin County, California studying Economics, Political Science, and Spanish. A fun fact about her is that she used to be a competitive freestyle skier! She hopes to create an active and inclusive political atmosphere at Duke, and most importantly, to get Duke students excited about politics! She spent last summer in D.C. as an intern in the House of Representatives; her goal as the PSC Vice President of Events is to use that experience to plan meaningful and engaging political events on campus.