[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2014/12/Farah.jpg" direction=left"]Farah Shamout Current location: Abu Dhabi

Farah Shamout is committed to improving the educational experience of students and advocating for the intellectual property rights of their capstones and other initiatives, along with an increased focus on “cultivating entrepreneurship and innovation within the student body” during the post-Saadiyat transition. In the Candidates Forum, Shamout emphasized the skillset and experience she has gained in past leadership positions through both student and corporate initiatives, having worked on a Google Student Club and this year’s NYUAD International Hackathon for Social Good in the Arab World.
[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2014/12/Geo.jpg" direction=left"]Geo Kamus Current location: Abu Dhabi

Geo Kamus previously served as the Student Government Senator. He envisions a Student Government that "puts students first, with whom our communication is open and immediate" and that also relies on the principle of self-governance. He sees importance in breaking down barriers between the perceived roles of student, staff, faculty and administration, who he sees as all being equal partners in the development of NYUAD. Kamus believes one of his main strengths is his ability to listen to diverse opinions and synthesize them in an informed and balanced manner.

Vice President:

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2014/12/Shanghai.png" direction=left"]Quan Vuong Current location: Shanghai

Quan Vuong previously served as the Officer of Student Activities and chaired the Elections Commission twice. Voung is determined to create a better environment by relying more on self-governance, increased measures of transparency and accountability and focusing more on community development. During his time serving in Student Government, he worked to enhance the funding process for SIGs, and ended his term with a 91% approval rate among SIG leaders for the new process.
[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2014/12/Robson.jpg" direction=left"]Robson Beaudry Current location: Abu Dhabi

If elected, Robson Beaudry would look forward to hearing student concerns on everything from "small frustrations to larger issues that hinder students from pursuing their goals.” His priorities include catalyzing spontaneity on campus and advocating Student Government to be more than just an advisory body that pushes reform. During the Candidate Forum, he highlighted the university’s position at a crossroads, stressing the importance of acting together as the university expands.
[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2014/12/Soichiro.jpg" direction=left"]Soichiro Hattori Current location: Abu Dhabi

Soichiro Hattori, who is currently studying in Abu Dhabi, was previously a member of the Representative Committee for Academic Divisions. Hattori plans to push for easier access to resources on campus, a streamlined student government that is efficient and relevant, increased student input and clarification over academic affairs. One of the main themes of Hattori’s platform during the Candidate Forum was the need for students to have fun and enjoy their time at the university.

Global Vice President: [side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2014/12/NY.png" direction=left"]Samia Ahmed Current location: New York

Samia Ahmed, currently the NYUAD Senator to the Student Senators Council in New York, would like to continue to represent collective student voice as Global Vice President. Ahmed is striving to "institutionalize the essence of the GNU as it continues to develop" as well as make sure concerns and perspectives from Abu Dhabi are voiced in practices of global university governance. She has had leadership experience in a wide range of SIGs and committees, including TASHAN and the Interfaith Committee.

Treasurer:

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2014/12/London.png" direction=left"]Cyril Cuda Current location: London

As Treasurer, Cyril Cuda would seek to maximize the efficiency of funding allocation in order to ease SIG management. In his close work with the current treasurer and earlier SIG involvement, as well as a past seat on the Dining Advisory Committee, he noticed room for improvement in the funding and budget allocation process and plans to work towards setting a precedent for “increasing the budget as to reflect the growth of the student body.”

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2014/12/Layan.jpg" direction=left"]Layan Abu Yassin Current location: Abu Dhabi

Now the Junior Class Representative, Layan Abu Yassin, if elected, would push for increased transparency of expenditures, improved efficiency for processing budget requests and a better system for funding student-lead initiatives. She aims to speed up the process of budget approvals by increasing the immediacy in Student Government’s responsiveness to SIG needs. During the Candidate Forum, when asked how she would address SIGs that do not end the year having finished their budget, she said that future budget allocation should account for such considerations.

Officer of External Affairs:

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2014/12/Noor.jpg" direction=left"]Noor Al-Mahruqi Current location: Abu Dhabi

Noor Al-Mahruqi, currently studying in Abu Dhabi, is running for Officer of External Affairs. Al-Mahruqi hopes to ensure that NYUAD, while continuing to participate in the greater global network, also contributes to Abu Dhabi and leaves its mark on the local community. She hopes to form an inter-university ring of student governments and enable students to connect with their national embassies in order to partake in their celebrations and events. While she mentioned in the Candidates Forum that she does not see language as posing an advantage or disadvantage for an Officer of External Affairs, she said that her ties to networks in Abu Dhabi and her familiarity with the community has given her a strong sense of the city.

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2014/12/SY.jpg" direction=left"]Seong Yoon Kim Current location: Abu Dhabi

As Officer of External Affairs, Seong Yoon Kim would like to bridge the gap between NYUAD and the outer community, especially focusing on cross-university connections. He thinks that obstacles in inviting students from other universities to NYUAD can be overcome by approaching students from other universities individually. He also hopes to further integrate members of the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Scholars Program with the larger NYUAD student body.

Officer of Communications:

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2014/12/Areeb.jpg" direction=left"]Areeb Arshad Current location: Abu Dhabi

Areeb Arshad would like to take on the role of Officer of Communications in order to increase NYUAD’s social media presence through active reporting, live coverage of events and frequent press releases. He wants to increase transparency within communications, informing students of steps along the way, and not just the end result of Student Government’s endeavours.
[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2014/12/Farzan.jpg" direction=left"]Farzan Ahmad Khan Current location: Abu Dhabi

Farzan Ahmad Khan sees being the Officer of Communications a way to be more involved in university affairs. Khan has previously helped to organize SIG events, and would like to apply his leadership, marketing and organizational abilities to contribute even more to the student body.

Senator:

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2014/12/James.jpg" direction=left"]James Gardner Current location: Abu Dhabi

James Gardner has previously served as Class Representative for the freshman and sophomore classes. Gardener would like to continue representing NYUAD student voice — this time, at the Square. He sees being a Senator as an opportunity to help increase involvement and connection to the greater NYU network. Gardner has acknowledged that, given the logistics of serving abroad, and the unprecedented nature of the work he would be doing as Senator, his role may at times take on the nature of a trusteeship while he strives to act in the best interest of students back in Abu Dhabi.

Senior Class Representative:

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2014/12/Angela.jpg" direction=left"]Angela Ortega Pastor Current location: Abu Dhabi

Angela Ortega Pastor is running for Senior Class Representative. In her platform Pastor noted that as seniors are becoming a smaller proportion of the student body, it is important to make sure that their voices are heard. Whether it is a concern about capstones, commencement and post-graduation opportunities, Pastor is set to address student feedback.

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2014/12/NY.png" direction=left"]Azzam Fakhoury Current location: New York

Azzam Fakhoury would like to represent students who want their voices heard but also have other responsibilities to deal with. In conversations with classmates, he has heard consistent concerns about job opportunities in the future, a matter he would like to address by co-ordinating with the Career Development Center and other departments.

Junior Class Representative:

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2014/12/Shanghai.png" direction=left"]Joseph Chu Current location: Shanghai

Joseph Chu has served previously as a representative for the sophomore class last fall, and has also worked with Inter-Residence Hall Council and other university departments. Through that experience he feels that he now has a good grasp of student interests and concerns, and how to channel them to the appropriate areas. His goal for next year would be to ensure that students concerns are addressed even as the class remains scattered around the global network university.

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2014/12/BuenosAires.png" direction=left"]Vladislav Maksimov Current location: Buenos Aires

Vladislav Maksimov hopes to return to Abu Dhabi as his class’s future representative. In the Candidates Forum, he identified several issues of university life that he thinks deserve more transparency, and spoke in favor of presenting communication to students in easily digestible forms.

Sophomore Class Representative:

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2014/12/Dmitry.jpg" direction=left"]Dmitry Dobrovolskiy Current location: Abu Dhabi

Dmitry Dobrovolskiy seeks to ensure everyone in this community is equally heard and respected. He values inclusivity among the university, and wants all members of the student body to feel that they can participate in student events. Some of his plans include establishing a Convenience Store Committee and modifying Residential Education policies.

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2014/12/Nick.jpg" direction=left"]Nick Chaubey Current location: Abu Dhabi

Nick Chaubey has previously chaired the Policy Committee and worked closely with administration to push for a streamlined student handbook that centralizes all the information and regulations available about student conduct. Chaubey would like to ensure that student preferences overcome bureaucratic barriers, and push for transparency within Student Government.

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2014/12/Ritu.jpg" direction=left"]Ritu Muralidharan Current location: Abu Dhabi

Ritu Muralidharan has previously chaired the Sustainability Committee, which this year has implemented several programs such as the reusable take-out container system. Muralidharan would like to increase transparency between the administration and the student body and ensure greater student input in making changes on campus.

[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2014/12/Vish.jpg" direction=left"]Vishwanath Chandrasekar Current location: Abu Dhabi

Vishwanath Chandrasekar is devoted to ensuring transparency in Student Government's work and policies in general. He describes himself as a listener and wants to work for what the sophomore class needs. Having taken an active role as president of a residential Hall Council, he believes he’s familiar with the student body and can apply past experience to pushing for transparency and gathering student feedback.