Get Involved

Thank you for your interest in being a part of university governance. If you are a Virginia Tech community member, reach out to your corresponding senate for more information on how to get involved! Below you will find links to the senate webpages as well as points of contacts for the commission and committee chairs and staff support. Feel free to reach out with questions about the work being done and information on how to best join their efforts!

Senate Presidents, Secretaries, and Operation Officers | 2023-2024

Janice Austin
A/P Faculty Senate President
jamarti1@vt.edu
Joe Merola
Faculty Senate President
jmerola@vt.edu
Rachel Maizel
Graduate & Professional Student Senate President
maizer@vt.edu
LaTawnya Burleson
Staff Senate President
latawnya@vt.edu
Kiera Schneiderman
Undergraduate Student Senate President
schkiera@vt.edu

Commission Chairs | 2023-2024

Stephanie Trout
Commission on Administrative and Professional Faculty
strout@vt.edu
Melissa Faircloth
Commission on Equal Opportunity and Diversity
missy86@vt.edu
Justin Lemkul
Commission on Faculty Affairs
jalemkul@vt.edu
Ranald Adams
Commission on Graduate and Professional Student Affairs
adamsr22@vt.edu
Montasir Abbas
Commission on Graduate and Professional Studies and Policies
abbas@vt.edu
Dave Close
Commission on Outreach and International Affairs
dclose@vt.edu
Carla Finkielstein
Commission on Research
finkielc@vt.edu
Callan Bartel
Commission on Staff Policies and Affairs
callan9@vt.edu
Tristan Southerland
Commission on Undergraduate Student Affairs
tristanms26@vt.edu
Diane Zahm
Commission on Undergraduate Studies and Policies
dzahm@vt.edu

Staff Support for Commissions | 2023-2024

Kari Evans
Commission on Administrative and Professional Faculty Affairs
tuckere@vt.edu
Stacey Wilkerson
Commission on Equal Opportunity and Diversity
stacey9@vt.edu
Ellen Plummer
Commission on Faculty Affairs
eplummer@vt.edu
Carrie Mayer
Commission on Graduate and Professional Student Affairs
caduke2@vt.edu
Carrie Mayer
Commission on Graduate and Professional Studies and Policies
caduke2@vt.edu
Kim Rhodes
Commission on Outreach and International Affairs
rhodesk@vt.edu
Kimberly Borkowski
Commission on Research
kborkows@vt.edu
Kari Evans
Commission on Staff Policies and Affairs
tuckere@vt.edu
Kat Nelson
Commission on Undergraduate Student Affairs
katn@vt.edu
Rachel Pitcher
Commission on Undergraduate Studies and Policies
racheldp@vt.edu

Committee Chairs | 2023-2024

Vacant
Academic Support Committee
Susan Short
Athletics Committee
sshort@vt.edu
Cyril Clarke | Ken Miller
Budget and Planning Committee
provost@vt.edu
millerk@vt.edu
Liza Morris
Campus Development Committee
lizamorris@vt.edu
Mary-Ann Ibeziako
Climate Action, Sustainability, and Energy Committee
maryann@vt.edu
Diane Zahm
Commencement Committee
zahm@vt.edu
Teresa Lyons
Employee Benefits Committee
tylons@vt.edu
Cyril Clarke
Faculty Honorifics Committee
provost@vt.edu
sstump@vt.edu
Jeff Crowder
Information Technology Services and Systems Committee
crowder@vt.edu
Brandy Salmon
Intellectual Property Committee
brandy.salmon@vt.edu
Steve Melville
Library Committee
melville@vt.edu
Aaron Prussin
Transportation and Parking Committee
aprussin@vt.edu
Vacant
University Curriculum Committee for General Education

University Council and University Council Cabinet

April Myers
University Council Secretary
abmyers@vt.edu