Candidates in this year’s IU Graduate and Professional Student Government election have outlined priorities from graduate student advocacy to budget reform ahead of representatives’ vote Friday for president, vice president and treasurer.
The vote will take place from 3:30-5 p.m. in Woodburn Hall 101 during the March General Assembly and is open to the public. Candidates will deliver brief speeches, followed by a public Q&A period, before department representatives cast digital ballots.
GPSG serves as the governing body for over 10,000 graduate and professional students at IU Bloomington, according to the organization’s website, provides advocacy, academic support and community programming. The election will determine the organization’s policy agenda for the 2026-27 term.
Current GPSG President Manish Reddy Nandineni, a second-year master’s student in computer science who isn’t running for reelection, said the organization acts as a liaison between graduate students and university leadership, a pivotal issue in this year’s election.
“We are the primary point of contact for the university to understand students’ needs,” Nandineni said. “My hope is that we identify someone who will equally represent all 10,000 students.”
The following five candidates outlined their visions for how GPSG should operate in the coming year.
Ashish Nambiar, presidential candidate
Ashish Nambiar, a third-year doctoral student in evolution, ecology and behavior, is running on a platform focused on student advocacy, including Student Academic Appointee grievance representation, accessibility, food security and additional support for graduate students with caregiving responsibilities, such as childcare.
“A body like GPSG’s critical role is to care for graduate students,” Nambiar said. “We want to make sure we are actually delivering on the fundamental tenets the body was set up for.”
Nambiar has served as a representative for the biology department for the past year. Although the candidates are running on separate tickets, Nambiar said he is working in coordination with vice presidential candidate Ian Spink and treasurer candidate Ethan Rahman, as well as the Indiana Graduate Workers Coalition.
Nambiar said he hopes to build stronger connections between departments, so graduate students can more easily share concerns and seek support. He also emphasized involving students with disabilities directly in decision-making and building stronger systems to support graduate students facing financial strain.
Ian Spink, vice presidential candidate
Ian Spink, a doctoral student in environmental science, is focused on strengthening GPSG’s internal structure by recruiting representatives from more departments and helping members better plan and promote community building events. He joined GPSG in late November and said he believes the organization has the resources to expand its impact.
“I feel like there’s a lot of opportunity to make life better for graduate students,” Spink said. “Between the resources we have and the people who want to do things, we can accomplish a lot.”
Spink said he shares a similar vision with Nambiar and Rahman on issues including childcare, food security and grievance reform. He emphasized that the vice president’s role includes bringing resolutions passed by representatives to university administrators and helping implement those priorities.
Spink would prioritize recruiting representatives from departments that currently lack participation such as chemistry, African studies and media arts and sciences. He would also work to support representatives in planning effective, well-attended events, such as graduate student socials, networking gatherings and informal meetups designed to help students connect across departments.
“If elected, my role is a support role,” Spink said. “I want to help turn people’s ideas into something that builds community.”
Alan Do, vice presidential and treasurer candidate
Alan Do, a captain in the Marine Corps Reserve and master's of business administration student at the IU Kelley School of Business, is running for both vice president and treasurer. He said either role would allow him to advocate for graduate and professional students.
Do was motivated to run after noticing what he described as a disconnect between professional programs and the broader graduate student community. He hopes to strengthen relationships across departments while promoting clearer financial communication within GPSG.
Do said reviewing his own tuition and fee statements prompted him to pay closer attention to how billing information is presented to students. He is working with staff at IU’s Center for Veteran and Military Students to address a billing classification issue affecting MBA students using the GI Bill, a federal education benefit for military service members and veterans.
According to Do, certain academy-related charges were categorized as non-tuition expenses in the automated bursar system, preventing the GI Bill from covering them as expected. He said the issue affected other MBA students using the benefits.
Do said that discussions are still ongoing with the Center for Veteran and Military Students to resolve the issue retroactively. He said he had to pay around $300 for the classification error.
“I think students should feel confident that they understand their accounts,” Do said.
Do said he wants to encourage greater transparency and awareness around how charges and credits appear on students’ accounts, while also exploring additional funding opportunities to support programming. If elected, Do said he would first assess the current state of GPSG before proposing new policies.
Colby Cox, vice presidential candidate
Colby Cox, a media management master’s student at the IU Media School, is running for vice president. His campaign places an emphasis on community outreach, recruitment and strengthening relationships with university administrators and state government.
Cox has been involved in student government since his undergraduate years at IU East, where he served in leadership roles including chair of the communications committee. He currently serves as assistant director of the Indiana Student Government Coalition, which advocates for college students at the state level.
After moving to Bloomington, he joined GPSG last fall and said he saw opportunities to strengthen the organization’s internal coordination and external presence on campus.
“I feel like GPSG has a lot of really good ideas and initiatives,” Cox said. “But I think there are times when it could use more direction and organization.”
Cox said that includes establishing clearer recruitment timelines, improving communication between representatives and departments, and expanding outreach efforts. He hopes to revamp GPSG’s marketing efforts, particularly on social media sites Instagram and Facebook, by increasing consistent posting, highlighting events and initiatives and promoting greater participation in community service efforts and governance bodies.
Rather than focusing on a single policy, Cox said he would begin by developing a comprehensive strategic plan to guide outreach priorities.
Ethan Rahman, treasurer candidate
Ethan Rahman, a second-year doctoral student studying economics, is seeking reelection as GPSG treasurer, citing budget oversight and fee review as his top priorities.
Rahman said one of the most significant responsibilities next year will be participation in the Committee for Fee Review, which determines how much funding GPSG receives. As treasurer, his role includes defending how student fees are allocated and advocating for continued funding.
“It’s important to have an incumbent treasurer who can explain why we spent every dollar the way we did,” Rahman said.
Rahman said he hopes to protect and potentially increase funding for travel and research awards, noting that award allocations have fluctuated in recent years. He also identified voter engagement during the upcoming federal midterm elections as a secondary priority, saying GPSG can communicate directly with graduate students and promote civic participation in the midterms.
Rahman said he wants representatives to consider how GPSG can best serve the full graduate student body, including both master’s and doctoral students.
“GPSG has a seat at the table with university administration,” Rahman said. “We’re in a strong position to advocate for graduate students’ interests.”
Editor’s note: Colby Cox is a graduate student assistant working for IU Student Media, including the Indiana Daily Student. He was not involved in the reporting or editing of this story.
