Executive Branch
President
Shen Shen
Bio: Shen Shen is a dual master’s degree candidate in Public Policy and Environmental Management at Duke University. Originally from Chengdu, China, she currently serves as President of Duke’s Graduate and Professional Student Government, following her service as Vice President in 2025–26 and Director of Events in 2024–25.
Throughout her time in GPSG, Shen has worked to strengthen student representation, organizational transparency, and collaboration across all of Duke’s graduate and professional schools. As President, she is committed to ensuring that students’ voices meaningfully inform university decisions and to advancing food security, student well-being, community building, and access to campus resources.
From 2024 to 2026, Shen also served as the graduate student representative on Duke’s Advisory Committee on Investment Responsibility, where she advocated for sustainability and the long-term well-being of the Duke community. Her academic and community-based work connects environmental policy, public health, institutional accountability, and community needs.
Vice President
Arjun Dasari
Bio: Arjun S. Dasari is a second-year Ph.D. student in the history department at Duke University, Trinity School of Arts and Sciences. He is a graduate of Columbia College at Columbia University in the City of New York, where he completed his B.A. in African American and African Diaspora Studies. Arjun served as a copywriter for the office of New York City Council Member Yusef Salaam, District 9, and he received a New York City Council citation recognizing his exemplary public service. Arjun was on the executive board of The Manhattan Courtwatch, an organization at Columbia Law School that brings hundreds of law students to sessions at the Manhattan Criminal Court as a form of participatory defense. In 2025, Arjun and his team published a podcast episode for Columbia Race Talks: Critical Race Theory (CRT2) called Echoes of History in the Future of Immigration Revisiting the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, permanently archived at Columbia Law School and Columbia University Libraries and available to listen to on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
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
Natasha Barahona
Bio: Natasha Barahona is a returning GPSG member; she served on the External Advocacy Committee last year and is excited to take on her new role as a Director, where she hopes to increase student engagement in the advocacy process and inspire more students to speak up for their needs. She is currently finishing the second year of her Master of Global Health and aspires to become a neurosurgeon and global health leader. Her thesis work is focused on using geographic information systems (GIS) to model neurological care networks in Uganda to identify communities without access to neurological care and select optimal locations for a mobile clinic to address these gaps. Outside of classes and GPSG, Natasha enjoys camping and hiking with her dog and husband, baking, and reading—lately she’s been making her way through Stephen King’s collection of novels.
Director of Durham Relations
Brianna (Bri) Looper
Bio: Brianna (Bri) Looper is a third-year Master of Public Policy/Master of Theological Studies dual degree student with a focus on community-based research and engagement. Before coming to Durham and Duke, she worked in program operations and communications for four years at Direct Relief, a humanitarian aid NGO whose mission is to improve the lives of people in poverty or emergency situations by providing requested medical resources. Among other projects, she was part of Direct Relief’s Ukraine response team and surfaced key stories and learnings from the NGO’s healthcare partner network in Eastern Europe. In coming to Duke and Durham, Bri was excited to switch gears and focus on local and state-level policy change. Since moving here, she has enjoyed working with local organizations like the Durham Literacy Center, Church World Service, and the NC Center for Afterschool Programs in various capacities. As Director of Durham Relations, Bri is eager to introduce fellow students to the rich heritage, diverse organizations, and organizing work of Durham. In her free time, Bri loves teaching ESL and worshipping with her church here in town, Blacknall Memorial. Feel free to email her at gpsg.durhamrelations@duke.edu.
Director of Academic Affairs
Sunag Udupa
Bio: Sunag is a 6th-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 four years, serving as a Senator for the Non-clinical School of Medicine and as last year’s Director of Academic Affairs. In his free time, Sunag enjoys reading and volunteering with a local animal shelter. Feel free to email him at gpsg.academicaffairs@duke.edu.
Director of Student Engagement
Vacant
Bio:
Director of Environment and Sustainability
Yitong “Eric” Su
Bio: Yitong “Eric” Su is the Director of Environment and Sustainability, and a master’s student at the Nicholas School of the Environment. Prior to Duke, he earned his bachelor’s degree in Molecular Bioscience at Duke Kunshan University (DKU). He has a strong interest in studying environmental quality issues and how they affect local communities. At GPSG, Eric’s priorities as the director include better connecting the student organizations to campus resources and bringing sustainable living to everyday life. Outside of academics, he is also a huge fan of soccer and various outdoor activities.
Director of Community Pantry
Vacant
Bio:
