Our EBoard
Priyanka Kothari
she/her/hers - President
Priyanka is a Ph.D. student in the Curriculum, Instruction and Teacher Education program. Her research focuses on why we teach what we teach, with an emphasis on the history and politics of education. She is specifically interested in how ideas of nationalism and national identity are communicated through the social studies curriculum. Before becoming the President, Priyanka served as VP of External Affairs as well as the COGS Representative for her department for a year.
Nic Heilman
he/him/his - Vice President for Internal Affairs
Nic is a PhD student in the dept. of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering, and works on computational methods for fluid-structure interactions related to soft body deformations. Additionally, Nic has served as both the COGS Treasurer (24-25) and COGS representative (23-24), and president of the graduate student organization for my respective department for one year.
Paige Baisley
she/her/hers - Vice President for External Affairs
Paige is a fourth year PhD student in the Department of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Science. Her research focuses on managing forages and soils for hay and pasture production. She is passionate about translating research into on-farm practices. Paige has served as both the COGS representative and president of the graduate student organization in her department.
Saviour Kitcher
he/him/his - Treasurer
Saviour Kitcher is a doctoral student in Curriculum, Instruction, and Teacher Education (CITE). He graduated from the University of Ghana. His research interest focuses on PjBL in social studies, Curriculum Development and Evaluation, Soccer as a means of civic engagement, Active participation, and citizenship.
Anna Lin
she/her/hers - Secretary
Anna Lin is a dual-degree candidate pursuing a Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration at Michigan State University. Her academic and professional interests lie at the intersection of artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, and regulatory frameworks. She is particularly passionate about understanding how innovation shapes legal and business landscapes and how policy can evolve to keep pace.
In addition to her role on the COGS Executive Board, Anna serves as Executive Editor of the Michigan State International Law Review. She also holds leadership positions as President of the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association and Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the MBA Association.
Previously, she represented the MSU College of Law as the 2024–2025 COGS Representative.
Outside of her academic and leadership endeavors, Anna enjoys nature walks, quality time with her family, and catching flights.
Willy Chen
he/him/his - Director of Event Planning
Council of Graduate Students
Julian Sanders
he/him/his - Parliamentarian
Julian is a rising third-year law student, completing a JD/MBA with a concentration in Finance and Supply Chain from MSU. He graduated from Grand Valley State University with a political science degree. Julian serves as the president of the graduate student Business and Law Association and is active in other campus organizations. Julian has a passion for public service, given his 3-years of work in the U.S. Senate, and he plans to continue serving the public after gaining valuable private sector experience.
Rebecca Popovski
Medical Schools Liaison 25-26
25-26
Duncan Bjerke
he/him/his - Law Liaison 24-25
Duncan is a second year Juris Doctorate Candidate at the College of Law. His areas of interest are civil and criminal litigation, copyright law, and estate planning. Duncan also serves as the External Affairs Chairman for the College of Law Student Bar Association and aspires to work in litigation post-graduation.
Dr. Matt Wawrzynski
Faculty Advisor to COGS
Matthew Wawrzynski, Ph.D., is professor of higher, adult, and lifelong education. His research integrates non-cognitive measures and the collegiate environment with college student outcomes.
Our Staff
Deanne Arking
she/her/hers - Business Office Manager
Council of Graduate Students
