Hi! My name is Shanthi Bhaskar (she/her) and I am excited to be running for a board member position on the Student Government Board (SGB) as part of the Rooted Slate. I am a junior majoring in Computational Biology with minors in Chemistry and Economics, along with a certificate in the Conceptual Foundations of Medicine. Over the past year, I have had the privilege of serving as an SGB Board member, where I’ve worked on several initiatives aimed at bridging gaps between students, organizations, and the administration to create a more collaborative, student-centered campus.
As an SGB Board member this year, I serve as the liaison to the Support, Advocacy, and Prevention (SAP) committee. In this role, I have worked on ensuring that more students are aware of the personal hygiene resources available to them. A major focus of my work has been fostering collaboration between student organizations and administrative offices that share common goals, but often operate in silos. I have worked closely with Pitt Prevention to expand communication and unify efforts across campus to ensure that students know where to turn for support. I have also been working with our committee chair to plan and organize the first ever Sex Ed Week at Pitt. This initiative aims to address critical topics such as consent, healthy relationships, and sexual wellness in a comprehensive and inclusive manner. We hope to provide safe spaces for open conversations and increase accessibility to sexual education resources for all students on campus.
In addition to this role, I am deeply committed to civic engagement. I strive to empower students to get involved in their communities early in their college experience and ensure they feel supported in finding meaningful ways to participate. Specifically, I have been working with our Civic Engagement Fellow and other campus leaders to develop the Pitt Civic Collective (PCC), which we plan to implement next year. The PCC envisions a student organization collective that serves as a hub for resources, connections, and opportunities promoting civic engagement and community involvement. This initiative aims to centralize and enhance civic engagement efforts by fostering collaboration among student organizations, strengthening campus-community partnerships, and empowering student groups to take the lead in civic action. Our goal is to create a platform that supports students from all disciplines to engage in civic life, ensuring the work done by the student organizations has a lasting impact on the campus and broader community.
I have also been collaborating with the Student Office of Sustainability (SOOS) and the SOOS liaison in their plastics initiative to eliminate single-use plastics on campus. We initiated our efforts in Pitt’s dining facilities. Eliminating single-use plastics on campus is an ambitious goal, but through collaboration, policy advocacy, and student mobilization, we envision a more sustainable Pitt reflecting our shared commitment to environmental responsibility.
If re-elected, in addition to advancing my work on these initiatives, I aim to continue strengthening the student-administration relationship. My goal is to ensure that students' voices are not only heard but actively integrated into decision-making. Often, students advocate for meaningful changes, but efforts are hindered by a lack of clear pathways for collaboration. My focus will be on creating more structured ways for students to engage with the administration so their initiatives are not just encouraged but also institutionalized into Pitt’s priorities.
I believe that real change happens when students work together and I am committed to ensuring that the resources, network, and support for their collective action is readily available. Whether it is about prevention, civic engagement, sustainability, university policy, or other areas, I want to make sure student initiatives are not isolated efforts, but a unified movement towards a stronger Pitt. Serving as an SGB Board member this year has reinforced my passion for bringing students together to create meaningful changes. I would love the opportunity to continue this work next year as an SGB Board member and I hope to earn your support. If there are other initiatives you'd like me to work on, I’m eager to hear your thoughts, so please feel free to contact me at shb175@pitt.edu.