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Students' Association Senators

Students' Association 2022-2023 Senate

The Students' Association Senate is comprised of 26 senators serving the 7 different academic colleges. If an academic college doesn't fill all of their seats Senators At-Large are sworn in to fill empty seats. Additionally, an executive team is formed at the beginning of each term to serve as senate leadership include the Student Body President and Vice President.

Learn more about the Students' Association Executive Team and Senate below!


President

Blake Pulse

Blake Pulse

Committees: Finance (Ex Officio), Government Affairs, Organizational Subcommittee, UAFBC and UFSAC (Student Chair)

Year: Senior   |   Major(s): Agricultural Communications and Political Science

Campus Involvement: Hobo Day Committee, Horticulture & Urban Agriculture Club, Political Science Club, Pre-Law Society, State-A-Thon and Jackrabbit Central  

CONTACT SA PRESIDENT


Vice President 

Anna Shane

Anna Shane

Committees: Finance, Government Affairs, Senate Communications and Student Promotions

Year: Senior   |   Major(s): Political Science, Spanish and Global Studies

Campus Involvement: Pre-Law Society (Communications Chair), Political Science Club, Honors College Student Organization and Honors Dean's Student Advisory Council

CONTACT SA VICE PRESIDENT


Chief of Staff

Hannah Nelson

Hannah Nelson

Committees: Government Affairs, Student Diversity & Inclusion, Transportation and Wellness Center Advisory Committee

Year: Senior   |   Major(s): Political Science, Spanish and Global Studies

Campus Involvement: SA Chief of Staff, Track/Cross Country, SAAC, Pre-Law Society, Political Science Club and Honors College

CONTACT SA CHIEF OF STAFF


Finance Chair

Rachel Goldsmith

Rachel Goldsmith

Committees: Finance (Chair), Academic Appeals, Library, and UAFBC

Year: Senior   |   Major(s): History

Campus Involvement: Students' Association Senator and Finance Chair, Hobo Day Committee Bands Coordinator, Honors Teaching Assistant and Honors College Student Organization

CONTACT SA FINANCE


Government Affairs Chair

Erika Van Nieuwenhuyse

Erika Van Nieuwenhuyse

Committees: Government Affairs (Chair), Student Promotions (Chair), Campus Planning & Sustainability and Transportation

Year: Senior   |   Major(s): Political Science

Campus Involvement: SDSU College Republicans, Pre-Law Society, Jacks for Life and Political Science Club 

CONTACT SA GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS


Communications Chair

Garrett Satterly

Garrett Satterly

Committees: Senate Communications (Chair), Diversity & Inclusion, Government Affairs, Integrated Marketing & Communications and Student Promotions (Student Employee Representative)

Year: Senior   |   Major(s): Communication Studies

Campus Involvement: Lead Community Assistant, HRL Office Assistant, Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band, Allied for Acceptance LLC and Students' Association

CONTACT SA COMMUNICATIONS


Diversity Liaison

Harley Fischer

Harley Fischer

Committees: Student Diversity & Inclusion (Chair), Safety & Security and Diversity & Inclusion

Year: Junior   |   Major(s): Human Biology Pre-Med

Campus Involvement:  Track and Field/XC, AISES (Public Relations Chair) and AMSA Member (American Medical Student Association)

CONTACT SA DIVERSITY LIAISON 

 

Senators for the College of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences

Tyler Rasmussen

Tyler Rasmussen

Committees: Government Affairs Committee, Safety & Security Committee and Information Technology Committee

Year: Sophomore   |   Major(s): Agriculture Business

Campus Involvement:  Alpha Gamma Rho 

CONTACT SENATOR RASMUSSEN

Jessica Kott

Jessica Kott

Committees: Finance Committee, Safety & Security Committee, Student Promotion Committee and Transportation Committee

Year: Junior   |   Major(s): Agricultural Business

Campus Involvement: Collegiate Farm Bureau and Block and Bridle  

CONTACT SENATOR KOTT

Trinity Peterson

Trinity Peterson

Committees: Finance Committee, Senate Communications Committee, Student Union Advisory Committee and UFSAC

Year: Sophomore   |   Major(s): Political Science and Agricultural Education

Campus Involvement:  Students' Association, 2021-2022 South Dakota State FFA Officer

CONTACT SENATOR PETERSON

Ryder Mortenson

Ryder Mortenson

Committees: Finance Committee, Intercollegiate Athletics Board, Safety & Security Committee and Wellness Center Advisory Committee

Year: Junior   |   Major(s): Agricultural Business and Business Economics

Campus Involvement:  Admissions Ambassador, CAFES Ambassador, Investment Club, Pheasants Forever and Finance, Insurance & Real Estate (F.I.R.E.) Club

CONTACT SENATOR MORTENSON

Senators for the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Betsey Williams

Betsey Williams

Committees: Campus Planning & Sustainability, Finance, Safety & Security and Senate Communications

Year: Senior   |   Major(s): Political Science & Theatre

Campus Involvement:  State University Theatre and Dance, Alpha Psi Omega, Admissions Ambassador

CONTACT SENATOR WILLIAMS

Nick Grote

Nick Grote

Committees: Finance (Vice Chair), Academic Affairs, Internal Marketing & Communications and University Activity Fee and Budgeting

Year: Sophomore   |   Major(s): Business Economics & Entrepreneurial Studies

Campus Involvement:  Honors College Dean's Student Advisory Council, Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization Club, Administrative Assistant for University Marketing and Communications

CONTACT SENATOR GROTE

Michael Garofalo

Michael Garofalo

Committees: Campus Planning & Sustainability, Diversity & Inclusion, Government Affairs, Organizational Subcommittee, Parking & Traffic, Senate Communications and Student Diversity & Inclusion

Year: Junior   |   Major(s): Political Science

Campus Involvement:  SDSU Students' Association Senate, Political Science Club, History Club, Pre-Law Society, Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band, SDSU Statesmen

CONTACT SENATOR GAROFALO

Senators for the College of Education and Human Services

Senators for the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering

Caleb Huizenga

Caleb Huizenga

Committees: Intercollegiate Athletics Board, Parking & Traffic, Safety & Security and Wellness Center Advisory Committee

Year: Senior   |   Major(s): Civil & Environmental Engineering

Campus Involvement:  Vice President American Society of Civil Engineering, College Republicans, Jacks for Life, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, SDSU investment Club, Representative on Joint Engineering Council 

CONTACT SENATOR HUIZENGA

Grant Sternhagen

Grant Sternhagen

Committees: Government Affairs, Information Technology, Senate Communications, Student Success and Transportation

Year: Sophomore   |   Major(s): Electrical Engineering

Campus Involvement:  Investment Club, Joint Engineering Council, Mathews Hall Government, Residence Hall Association and Country Swing Dancing Club  

CONTACT SENATOR STERNHAGEN

Natalie Poppens

Natalie Poppens

Committees: Academic Affairs, Parking & Traffic, Safety & Security and Government Affairs

Year: Junior   |   Major(s): Civil and Environmental Engineering

Campus Involvement:  American Society of Civil Engineers, Chi Epsilon, Concrete Canoe, Economics Club and Institute of Transportation Engineers 

CONTACT SENATOR POPPENS

Senators for the College of Natural Sciences

Hunter Eide

Hunter Eide

Committees: Finance, Parking & Traffics, Safety & Security and Government Affairs

Year: Junior   |   Major(s): Human Biology

Campus Involvement:  Prairie Doc Fellowship 

CONTACT SENATOR EIDE

Senators for the College of Nursing

Madison Fitch

Madison Fitch

Committees: Intercollegiate Athletics Board, Library and Student Success

Year: Senior   |   Major(s): Nursing

Campus Involvement:  Greek Life-Alpha Xi Delta, Fishback Honors College, SDSU Council of Trustees- Student Ex-Officio, Oasis Young Adult Ministry and Intramurals

CONTACT SENATOR FITCH

Senators for the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health

Senators for the Graduate School

Senators At-Large

William Kessler

William Kessler

Committees: Finance, Government Affairs, Safety & Security, Student Union Advisory Committee and Transportation

Year: Senior   |   Major(s): Political Science

Campus Involvement: Pride of the Dakota, Honors College, Statesmen, Pre-Law Society and Concert Choir

CONTACT SENATOR KESSLER

Katie Neuhaus

Katie Neuhaus

Committees: Diversity & Inclusion, Student Diversity & Inclusion and Government Affairs

Year: Sophomore   |   Major(s): Criminology

Campus Involvement: Armed Forces Association and Air Force ROTC

CONTACT SENATOR NEUHAUS

Katelyn Mahan

Katelyn Mahan

Committees: Academic Affairs, Finance and Information Technology

Year: Junior   |   Major(s): Criminology

Campus Involvement: New Student Orientation Leader, Admissions Ambassador, Political Science Club Secretary, Pre-Law Society and Oasis

CONTACT SENATOR MAHAN

Mara Andersen

Mara Andersen

Committees: Library and SDState Health

Year: Junior   |   Major(s): Human Biology

Campus Involvement: BCYMP Youth Mentor, Oasis Ministry Team, Student's Association, LeadState Student Coach and Anatomy Intern

CONTACT SENATOR ANDERSEN

Abhinav Kubal

Abhinav Kubal

Committees: Government Affairs, Student Diversity & Inclusion and Library

Year: Senior   |   Major(s): Political Science and Sociology

Campus Involvement:  Treasurer of the Political Science Club

CONTACT SENATOR KUBAL

Madeline Brink

Madeline Brink 

Committees: Campus Planning & Sustainability, Government Affairs, Student Diversity & Inclusion and Intercollegiate Athletics Board

Year: Sophomore   |   Major(s): Political Science

Campus Involvement: Political Science Club, Concert Choir, Choralia and Symphony Orchestra

CONTACT SENATOR BRINK

Hayden Bentz

Hayden Bentz 

Committees: Government Affairs, Information Technology and Intercollegiate Athletics Board

Year: Freshmen   |   Major(s): Human Biology

Campus Involvement: Fishback Honors College, Pride of the Dakotas and Pre-Professional Club

CONTACT SENATOR BENTZ

Claire Koenecke

Claire Koenecke 

Committees: Safety & Security, Government Affairs and Senate Communications

Year: Freshmen   |   Major(s): English and Political Science

Campus Involvement: Honors College, Taylor Swift Society and English Club

CONTACT SENATOR KOENECKE

Hannah Dayaget

Hannah Dayaget 

Committees: Integrated Marketing & Communications, Student Success and UFSAC

Year: Freshmen   |   Major(s): Global Studies and Sociology

Campus Involvement: Global Studies Club and Speech and Debate

CONTACT SENATE DAYAGET


Become a Students' Association Senator

Elections for Students' Association senators and the student body president and vice president are held in March. Petitions for the election generally become available in February. In order to run in the senatorial election, a student must file an application and petition including signatures from at least 50 students in their academic college (25 signatures for senatorial candidates from the Graduate School). Information about Students' Association elections will be available in the Rabbit Report leading up to the election and on the Students' Association website.

Occasionally, Senate seats will become vacant during the academic year. In these cases, seats will be filled by Senators-At-Large appointed by the Students' Association Board of Directors. Senator-At-Large candidates must file an application and petition including signatures from at least 50 SDSU students regardless of their academic college. When Senator-At-Large positions are open, information will be included in the Rabbit Report and the Students' Association website.

Learn More About How to Become a Senator