The HCDE Graduate Student Association (GSA) is a registered student organization founded and operated by HCDE graduate students. The GSA's mission is to support learning, socializing, volunteering, and career-path opportunities for HCDE graduate students, and engage with the student body.
2023-2024 HCDE GSA Officers
President
Rohan Pal (he/him)
First-year Master's student
rohanpal@uw.edu | LinkedIn
- GSA responsibilities »
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- Point person for communication for students, faculty, and department administrators
- Oversees and facilitates meetings
- Sets vision and priorities for the GSA
- Liaison to the HCDESA (Undergraduate Student Association)
- Free Time & Passions »
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- Exploring typography and map stores
- Trying hikes and loving ice skating
- Thriller movies, TV shows, MINECRAFT!!!
- Chat with me about »
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- Startups - a lot of early stage startup experience
- AI, Future of Work, Social Systems
- Formula 1
Vice President
Tiffany Dewitt (any pronouns)
first-year master's student | UX Researcher
tmdewitt@uw.edu | LinkedIn
- GSA responsibilities »
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- Assists and coordinates volunteer, recruitment, and social events
- Responsible for communicating with the department and discussing any concerns or ideas from community members
- Takes proactive steps to increase and develop HCDE representation and awareness on and off campus
- Maintains relationship with RSO
- Free Time & Passions »
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- My super cute cat Finnegan
- Making crochet plants & accessories
- Rewatching my comfort anime
- Figure skating
- Chat with me about »
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- Changing careers
- Resumes, portfolio slides, interviews
- How can we best support you in HCDE?
- Sustainable fashion & mindful consumption
Community Relations Officer
Kevin Shum (he/him)
Second-year Master's student
kevshum@uw.edu | LinkedIn
- GSA responsibilities »
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- The main point of contact with people outside of GSA and HCDE, and maintain relationships that GSA has already built
- Build new relationships with professionals in the UX field
- Coordinate marketing efforts for GSA events, including maintaining email lists, social media accounts, and print advertising
- Free Time & Passions »
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- Competing with UW Figure Skating
- Taking photos on my Fuji X-E4
- Exploring the city through food
- Learning new languages (currently Spanish)
- Chat with me about »
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- Transitioning from tech to design & alternate career paths outside of tech-centered UX roles
- Study abroad with UW
- Feel free to reach out if you wanna chat about anything that’s on your mind!
MS Curriculum Representative
Lily Yang (she/her)
First-year Master's student | Product Designer
lilyyang@uw.edu | LinkedIn
- GSA responsibilities »
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Representing HCDE Master's students on the HCDE MS Curriculum Committee.
- Free Time & Passions »
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- Dancing (Contemporary/Jazz)
- Audiobooks + podcasts (favs: 99pi and Hidden brain)
- Cooking/learning about nutrition
- Long walks around the park (catch me at Green Lake!)
- Chat with me about »
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- Curriculum and degree planning
- Designing your personal brand for portfolio
- Side projects and working with HCDE community partners
- On campus educational resources
International Student Representative
Aneesha Lakra (she/her)
First-year master's student | UX Researcher
alakra@uw.edu | LinkedIn
- GSA responsibilities »
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- Representing and advocating for the international student body for GSA
- Talking to people from different cultures and see how GSA can better serve our international students
- Getting more international students involved in GSA and help them get connected to the broader UX community in Seattle
- Free Time & Passions »
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- Anything remotely athletic, I am very easily talked into trying new sports and adventures
- 5 minute Ted-Ed videos
- Reading about the cosmos
- Freestyle slalom skating
- Chat with me about »
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- HCI Research
- Combining academics and hobbies through research
- International Student Life
- Your passions!
International Student Representative
Katherine Swei (she/her)
First-year Master's student | Product Designer
kswei10@uw.edu | LinkedIn
- GSA responsibilities »
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- Representing and advocating for the international student body for GSA
- Talking to people from different cultures and see how GSA can better serve our international students
- Getting more international students involved in GSA and help them get connected to the broader UX community in Seattle
- Free Time & Passions »
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- Finding foodie-approved restaurants
- Exploring coffee shops
- Cooking and eating
- Planning my next trip place
- Chat with me about »
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- Any food recommendation
- Fun places and activities in Seattle
- HCDE curriculum and degree planning
Affinity Group Lead
Annie Yang (she/her)
First-year master's student |Product Designer
anyang95@uw.edu | LinkedIn
- Free Time & Passions »
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- Dancing (hip-hop, waacking, pole dancing)
- Live Music/Concerts/Festivals
- Obsessing over other people’s cats
- Stand up paddleboarding
- Mountain lake hikes
- Badminton
- Chat with me about »
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- Navigating career change (resumes, portfolio reviews)
- Queer joy, self-expression, and healing your inner child
- Cultivating self-trust and embracing change
Social Media Manager
Saumya Goyal (she/her)
First-year Master's student | Product Designer
saumya21@uw.edu | LinkedIn
- Free Time & Passions »
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- Aerobics, Running, Going to the IMA
- Curating Memes
- Learning Languages
- Cooking and Baking
- Being out in Nature
- Chat with me about »
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- Human-Computer Interaction
- Corporate World and the Industry
- Artificial Intelligence, Generative AI, Futuristic Tech
- Fitness and Health
- Decision Making, Cognition and Psychology
- Optimism
Graphics Co-Lead
Frances Yang (she/her)
First-year Master's student | Product Designer
franyang@uw.edu | LinkedIn
- Free Time & Passions »
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- Baking
- Traveling
- Sketching / Drawing / Painting
- Geeking out about graphic design and typography
- Cafe hopping
- Hoarding cute stationery
- Chat with me about »
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- Your favourite artist or illustrator
- Job hunting as an international student in UX
- Food recommendations
- Interview, portfolio presentation
Graphics Co-Lead
James Tran (he/him)
First-year master's student | Experience Designer
jamespt2@uw.edu | LinkedIn
- Free Time & Passions »
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- Hiking
- Basketball
- Live music/concerts
- Learning how to play guitar
- Video games
- Freelance designing
- Chat with me about »
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- Design Apps
- Portfolio Ideas
- Working full-time while going to school part-time
PhD Student Representative
Sourojit Ghosh (G) (he/him)
Second-year PhD Student | Human-Centered Data Science | Natural Language Processing | Machine Learning
Website | ghosh100@uw.edu
- GSA responsibilities »
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- Connects HCDE Master's students with HCDE PhD students
- Identifies relevant areas of collaboration between the entire HCDE graduate student body
- Free Time & Passions »
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- Playing soccer
- Writing fanfictions and poetry
- Watching horror/suspense TV shows or movies
- Model UN conferences
- Chat with me about »
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- Anything about soccer
- International student life
- Politics (US, Indian, or international!)
PhD Student Representative
Leslie Coney (she/her)
Second-year PhD Student | Human Centered Design and Engineering, Community Based Participatory Research, Black Maternal Health
LinkedIn | lesconey@uw.edu
- GSA responsibilities »
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- Connects HCDE Master's students with HCDE PhD students
- Identifies relevant areas of collaboration between the entire HCDE graduate student body
- Free Time & Passions »
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- Catching up on Netflix shows
- Cooking HelloFresh meals
- Community Service
- Caring for my locs
- Traveling
- Chat with me about »
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- Community based research
- Black maternal health
- Community service
GSA Officers 2022-2023
HCDE thanks the students who served the community in 2022-2023:
- President: Tony Li
- Vice President: Tomomi Matsuzaki
- Affinity Group Lead: Fumi Tsukiyama
- Community Relation Officer: Naomi Johnson
- MS Curriculum Representative: Tabby Safari
- International Student Representatives: Hsinyi Hsieh & Vanessa Chien-Lai
- Graphics Co-Leads: Frances Yang & Pat Ho
- Social Media Manager: Rohan Pal
- PhD Representative: Sourojit Ghosh
- Treasurer: Parag Nandi
- Historian: Akshay Rawat