Agricultural Economics Graduate Student Organization

Source: https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/graduate_program/graduate_student_organization.html Parent: https://ag.purdue.edu/department/agecon/undergraduate-program/scholarships.html

2025-26 Graduate Student Organization Officers (pictured above): (back row, left to right) Anil Balchhaudi, Gustavo Stevanin de Souza, Ifeanyi “Michael” Obinefo, Josh Strine and Xuejian “Ron” Wang (front row, left to right) Anam Ali, Lavanya Desiraju, Kavitha Srikanth, Emily Forsythe and Anabeth Jennings

Agricultural Economics Graduate Student Organization

The purpose of the Ag Econ Graduate Student Organization (Ag Econ GSO) is to bring the ag econ student body together; to promote academic and social communication among all ag econ students; to provide a forum in which ag econ students can voice their concerns and expectations; and to act as a liaison between the ag econ student body, administration, and faculty members.

The Graduate Social Officers (Officers) are nominated graduate students who form the leadership team of the Ag Econ GSO. They are currently comprised of the President, Vice President, Social Chairs (4), Intramural Chair, Senator, Treasurer and Academic and Development Chair.

2025-26 GSO Officers

President: Josh Strine
Vice President: Emily Forsythe
Senator: Kavitha Srikanth
Treasurer: Xuejian “Ron” Wang
Academic/Development Chair: Lavanya Desiraju
Social Chairs: Anam Ali, Anabeth Jennings, Ifeanyi “Michael” Obinefo and Gustavo Stevanin de Souza
Intramural Chairs: Anil Balchhaudi
Advisor: Dr. Jacob Ricker-Gilbert

BELOW ARE SOME COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS GRADUATE STUDENT ORGANIZATION (GSO):

What events do the GSO hold throughout the year?

Welcome Back Fall Picnic/Potluck
Sunday, September 14 at 3 pm
GOLD Pickett Park
Wednesday Coffee Hours
2025-26 GSO weekly coffee hours will be held on Wednesdays from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm in the Krannert 5th-floor lounge
Friday Game Nights
De-Stress/Mindfulness Activities
Intramural Sports (Outdoor Soccer, Sand Volleyball, Basketball)
Academic/Professional Development Seminars
Peer Mentor Program
End of year Spring Picnic/Potluck

How can non-members (students, staff, faculty, alumni) help in the GSO's efforts?

Students are already members of the organization. The best way to help the officers is to actively participate in organized events. We also happily invite them to participate in planning and executing a range of activities throughout the year.
Staff, faculty and alums are always invited to participate in activities such as our weekly coffee hours, academic seminars, and our fundraisers. The GSO has historically received strong support from faculty and staff and we encourage their continued support by reaching out to students in social spaces, sharing research interests and generally furthering the department’s strong, communal spirit.
The funds raised from fundraising activities cover the costs of the events the officers organize. Non-students can particularly contribute in this area.

How does someone join the GSO or become a member?

All graduate students of the ag econ department are automatically members of the Ag Econ GSO.
We especially invite and welcome members who are non-officers to participate in the planning and execution of any number of portfolio responsibilities, including\
Social committee
Sports/Intramural committee
Academic and orientation activities
Other committees on external student government bodies, such as the Post Graduate Student Government (PGSG)

How can ag econ graduate students become GSO officers?

Members of the GSO can offer themselves for service during elections held in the Spring semester each year. They can communicate directly with the serving officers about their interest, or the officers or non-officer students could nominate them.
Assisting with any of the GSO committees and activities is excellent practice for a future position you may hold.

What are the GSO officer positions and what is expected of each position?

- President: Oversees the coordination of all activities of the Ag Econ Graduate Student Organization; applies for grants for Ag Econ GSO operations; coordinates with the Treasurer to plan for yearly funding activities and expenses; presides over meetings; attends meetings that require representation of the Ag Econ GSO (e.g., College of Ag advisory board meeting)

- Vice-President: Coordinates outreach and volunteer activities; coordinates preparation of semester reports on Ag Econ GSO activities; takes photo documentation of Ag Econ GSO events and maintains Ag Econ GSO social media accounts as well as helps with the funding request; assumes the President’s responsibilities when he/she is unavailable. Examples of outreach and volunteer activities are participation in Spring Fest, school visits and community volunteering.

- Treasurer/Secretary: Keeps accounts, deposits the organization’s funds, and makes expenditures in a manner approved by the Business Office for Student Organizations; provides a biannual report on budget and spending to the leadership team of the Ag Econ GSO, the organization advisor, and all members upon request. The treasurer shall also generate a draft budget for the year and share it with the GSO team by the beginning of the Fall semester.

- Social chair(s):Organizes monthly social events, such as, but not limited to, Ag Econ picnic, weekly coffee hours and game nights. They also assist the academic chair in academic seminars and arrange food, refreshments and site reservations. The social chairs shall also attend Ag Econ GSO meetings.

- Intramural chair(s): Organize sports activities; work with members of the leadership team to facilitate other activities throughout the year; arrange the submission of forms to apply for the different sports leagues; attend Ag Econ GSO meetings.

- AgEcon PGSG Senator: Represents ag econ graduate students on the Purdue Graduate Student Government (PGSG); responsible for voicing the opinions and concerns of ag econ graduate students to PGSG; serves as liaison between ag econ and the PGSG; attends all PGSG meetings and join appropriate subcommittees; keeps ag econ student body updated on PGSG events and business that is of importance to ag econ graduate students; reports to the Ag Econ GSO on the relevant matters in the PGSG and consults the Ag Econ GSO in matters regarding ag econ’s position on various issues; attends all Ag Econ GSO meetings. Any matter in PGSG that may require ag econ to take a position must be relayed to the Ag Econ GSO and ag econ graduate students by the senator.

- Academic/Development Chair: Responsible for staying up-to-date on graduate policy in the department for communication with graduate students, representing graduate students in monthly faculty/staff meetings of the department of agricultural economics when invited, serving as a liaison between faculty and graduate students in matters related with academic policy and curricula, assisting graduate students in understanding and navigating academic policy and curricula and supporting the GSO in academic and professional development activities. They coordinate with the Social Chair to engage department faculty members for the Seminar Coffee hour talks.