Executive Branch
President
Ian Redmond
Bio: Ian is a third-year law student at Duke University School of Law, where he previously served as President of First Generation Professionals and founded The Chicago Club. Before law school, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps under the 3D Assault Amphibian Battalion and Combat Assault Battalion. After his military service, Ian spent over two years working as a private investigator, gathering evidence for corporate clients in workers’ compensation and insurance fraud cases. He graduated summa cum laude from Northern Illinois University in 2022 with a B.S. in Journalism and a minor in Sports Management. Ian is passionate about litigation, with particular interests in white-collar crime, complex commercial disputes, and product liability. He currently mentors aspiring law students through Service to School and Underrepresented Law. A native of Chicago, Ian will begin his legal career at Winston & Strawn, in its Chicago headquarters. For concerns regarding graduate and professional student life, inquiries about how to get involved in GPSG, or proposals for campus wide initiatives, email gpsg.president@duke.edu.
Responsibilities: The President is the chief spokesperson of the Council and is the official liaison between the Council and all outside bodies, both inside the University community and outside.
Contact the President: For ideas, thoughts, or concerns regarding Graduate Student Life that you would like GPSG to focus on or discuss, if you are interested in serving in any capacity with GPSG, or if you would like to propose a co-sponsorship with a campus-wide initiative.
Vice President
Shen Shen
Bio: Shen Shen is a dual-Master’s candidate in Public Policy and Environmental Management. Originally from Chengdu, China, she is the inaugural United Nations Millennium Fellow from Mainland China, previously served as the Director of Events for GPSG, and Co-President of the 2023 Duke China-U.S. Summit. From 2024 to 2025, as the Graduate Student Representative on Duke’s Advisory Committee on Investment Responsibility, she championed student-centered advocacy, where she emphasized sustainability and the long-term well-being of all students as guiding principles in investment-related decision-making. In 2024, Shen’s story was featured in Duke Kunshan University’s ‘Dialogue of Civilizations Around Us’ publication, recognizing her as a vital voice in shaping the university’s interconnected global community. Shen’s commitment to community development extends to community engagement, next-generation education, and wellness promotion. Shen aims to address the world’s most pressing challenges, particularly by promoting environmental consciousness through cross-cultural dialogue. You can reach out to her at gpsg.vicepresident@duke.edu.
Responsibilities: The Vice President is responsible for supporting the Directors and works closely with the President. The Vice President shall assist with coordinating the effective operation of the Executive Branch.
Contact the Vice President: For ideas, thoughts, or concerns regarding Graduate Student Life that you would like GPSG to focus on or discuss, if you are interested in serving in any capacity with GPSG, or if you would like to propose a co-sponsorship with a campus-wide initiative.
Director of External Advocacy
Barbara Halla
Bio:
Responsibilities: The Director of External Advocacy focuses on broad issues affecting graduate and professional students at the local, state, and national levels. The Director keeps the General Assembly members aware of what’s happening, how GPSG is involved, and what the Government can do to help. They also manage annual GPSG voter registration efforts.
Contact the Director of External Advocacy: For questions about what types of advocacy GPSG is involved in, suggestions for how we can do more to ensure we are representing everyone and taking action on the relevant issues for our community or if you’d like to volunteer with the External Advocacy Committee.
Director of Durham Relations
Dominique Beaudry (she/hers)
Bio: Dominique Beaudry (she/hers) is in her second year of the Master’s of Public Policy degree at Sanford. She is happy to have called Durham home for almost two decades and is excited to have this opportunity to continue bettering the relationships between the two communities she values. Her academic interests are interdisciplinary, ranging from tax policy to strategic narrative, and before joining Sanford, she taught high school social studies in Durham Public Schools and completed a Fulbright in Malaysia. In her spare time, she loves cooking, art, and being in nature. Feel free to shoot her an email at gpsg.durhamrelations@duke.edu.
Responsibilities: The Director of Durham Relations is responsible for developing programming to connect Duke Graduate and Professional students with the broader Durham community and for promoting engagement with local community organizations.
Contact the Director of Durham Relations: For getting involved with community outreach or knowing about Durham-based organizations.
Director of Academic Affairs
Sunag Udupa
Bio: Sunag is a 5th-year MD/PhD student doing his PhD in Biochemistry. He is a Minnesota native and graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 2021. Sunag has been a part of GPSG for three years, serving as a Senator for the Non-clinical School of Medicine for the last two years. In his free time, Sunag enjoys reading and volunteering with a local animal shelter. Feel free to email him at gpsg.academicaffairs@duke.edu.
Responsibilities: The Director of Academic Affairs acts as a resource with regard to University policies and academic affairs, including the broader issues of diversity, harassment, discrimination, and due process. The Director of Academic Affairs also manages the GPSG Lawyer Assistance Program.
Contact the Director of Academic Affairs: For questions about University resources and policies, Alumni events and resources, career services, and the Lawyer Assistance Program.
Director of Institutional Equity
Christina Luke
Bio: Christina Luke is a first-generation graduate student born in Haiti and raised in Florida. She is a second-year master’s student in Public Policy at the Sanford School of Public Policy. While at Duke, Christina serves as a graduate assistant to both Dr. Jay Pearson, Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Sanford, and Dr. Cassandra Boyd, Director of DEI at Sanford. After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications in 2016, Christina returned to Florida and began working in emergency services and community engagement. Her desire to foster more equitable and inclusive environments led her to facilitate sensitivity training with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office while volunteering with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). In her free time, Christina began creating online series celebrating Black History and Women’s History during their respective months. Her digital media and advocacy work facilitated her entry into the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council for AdventHealth Carrollwood, where she led the inaugural Black History Month campaign and contributed to the development of materials for the Women’s History and Ramadan campaigns. The success of these campaigns led to an invitation to the corporate headquarters of AdventHealth’s West Florida Division to share her ideas on media projects promoting equitable and inclusive work environments. Outside of her work, Christina enjoys creating content, reading historical novels, writing poetry, watching movies, and spending time with loved ones. Feel free to email her at gpsg.dei@duke.edu.
Responsibilities: The Director of DEI focuses on promoting diversity and inclusion on campus to create a healthy and vibrant ecosystem for a broad diversity of identity and affinity groups, establishing direct relationships with student leaders for identity and affinity groups, and serving as the liaison to all structural centers dedicated to the historically marginalized or underrepresented students on campus.
Contact the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: To ask questions about current Duke DEI policies, suggest GPSG projects, or address concerns related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Director of Environment and Sustainability
Aisha Shen
Bio: Aisha Shen is a 2nd-year Master of Environmental Management (MEM) student with Energy and Business concentrations at Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment. She is focused on advancing her expertise in energy system design, renewable development, corporate sustainability, and energy policy. Before graduate school, she studied Culture and Movements with a Sociology focus at Duke Kunshan University and Duke University, where she explored environmental and anti-capitalist movements. Aisha is passionate about integrating sociological principles with ecological goals to drive meaningful and sustainable change. She aspires to restore human-environment relationships, promote a sustainable lifestyle, and lead an equitable renewable energy transition. She interned as a Business Development Summer Associate at Apex Clean Energy, where she supported market research, project evaluation, and offtake negotiations focused on securing long-term revenue and delivering clean energy at scale. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, planning her next travel adventure, and watching shows like The Mentalist, Suits, or Friends. Feel free to email her at gpsg.environment@duke.edu.
Responsibilities: The Director of Environment and Sustainability focuses on organizing GPSG’s efforts to advocate for increased environmental protection and is responsible for holding Duke accountable for its commitment to environmental justice and sustainable business practices. The Director also coordinates and assists with functions of the Climate Crisis Committee and serves on or liaises with the Advisory Committee on Investment Responsibility.
Contact the Director of Environment and Sustainability: For questions about sustainability initiatives, comments about Duke’s climate policies, and suggestions for environmental justice initiatives and policies in GPSG and in the Duke University community as a whole.
Director of Community Pantry
Calvin Rausch
Bio: Calvin Rausch is a Master of Public Policy candidate at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy. She began her career at Duke as an AmeriCorps VISTA and now dedicates her studies and professional commitments to food security, international development, and cross-cultural collaboration. This is her third year with the GPSG Community Pantry, where she currently serves as Executive Director. With a background in political science from the University of Georgia and experience in nonprofit leadership, Calvin is passionate about building inclusive systems that empower marginalized communities. Her work bridges domestic and international contexts, centering reflection, service, and sustainability in all aspects of leadership and policy engagement. Find Calvin at the Wellness Building between classes or enjoying a hike at the Eno River. Feel free to email her at gpsg.communitypantry@duke.edu.
Responsibilities: The Director of the Community Pantry is responsible for the organization and operations of the Durham Pantry and its mission of reducing food insecurity. The Director is the official liaison and chief spokesperson between the Pantry and the broader Duke community.
Contact the Director of Community Pantry: For questions about the Community Pantry hours of operations, volunteer opportunities, and general inventory.
