Meet the 2013-2014 Student Association officers

Related: Graduate Student Association officersThe newly elected Student Association (SA) officers participated in a Q-and-A to help the Rice community get better acquainted with them. Their responses appear below.

Yoonjin Min

Name: Yoonjin Min.

Office: President.

Class: 2014.

College: Jones.

Major: Cognitive science, mathematical economics analysis.

Hometown: Clarksville, Md.

Why I came to Rice: To experience a different culture from the Northeast that I was from. I really appreciated how much every Rice student loved their university and mutually supported one another. Also, the weather was warm, and I hate the cold.

Why I joined SA: There were a few reasons I wanted to get involved. First and foremost, I wanted to be an informed student, one that knows what decisions are being made, the reasoning behind them and what avenues to take to get my voice heard. That grew into a desire to be one that can effect change and have a stake in these big campuswide discussions. I also wanted to meet people at different colleges.

Nathan Liu

Name: Nathan Liu.

Office: Internal vice president.

Class: 2014.

College: Wiess.

Major: Bioengineering/global health technologies.

Hometown: Austin, Texas.

Why I came to Rice: Primarily for the opportunity to explore. After visiting the campus and falling in love with its beauty, I also came away remembering the feeling of independence and opportunity that each student I had met embodied. I had so many interests at the time. The opportunity to try new things and wait until sophomore year to declare a major was an incredibly important factor in my choosing to come to Rice.

In addition, my host, who was captain of the Sailing Club at the time, really showed me that Rice was a place that a person could follow their passions outside academics alone. The residential colleges, the open culture at Rice really reinforced the idea that I could find a home in a community of people with similar interests and further solidified my decision.

Why I joined SA: I love serving the community around me and finding ways to improve the lifestyle of me and my peers. My freshman year, the SA stood out to me as an organization with the potential to really make a difference on the campuswide level, and my time with the SA Environmental Committee, working on projects like implementing single-stream recycling, demonstrated the power of simple collaboration between students and the administration. In this time, I also saw the potential the SA had in bringing individuals together across college lines, from a diverse set of backgrounds toward addressing mutual concerns.

Recognizing this potential, I’ve continued to work in the SA as a chair of the same committee and later serving the SA executives in spearheading marketing for SA initiatives. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see tangible outcomes that result from our efforts, and I hope we’ll continue to make strides this year.

Ravi Sheth

Name: Ravi Sheth.

Office: External vice president.

Class: 2015.

College: Martel.

Major: Bioengineering.

Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio.

Why I came to Rice: The passionate students and community.

Why I joined SA: To positively impact undergraduate life and improve the relevance and reach of the Student Association.

Nathan Andrus

Name: Nathan Andrus.

Office: Secretary.

Class:  2015.

College: Hanszen.

Major: History/political science.

Hometown: Naples, Fla.

Why I came to Rice: So I could become the SA secretary and serve the awesome students of Rice.

Why I joined SA: For the political clout, so that I could get a little grease on my palms. But actually, I am hoping to raise awareness and collaboration among the SA, other undergrad organizations and the student body as a whole.

Michael Pan

Name: Michael Pan.

Office: Treasurer.

Class: 2015.

College: Will Rice.

Major: Bioengineering.

Hometown: Waukesha, Wis.

Why I came to Rice: I came to Rice University with high hopes of taking advantage of the various opportunities and resources offered here. The low student-to-faculty ratio, plethora of research facilities, small student population along with the relatively low cost of attendance were what attracted me. The small yet highly distinguished Rice community allows more personal connections between one another compared with other universities, and I believe these relationships are vital for future professional endeavors and career opportunities.

Why I joined SA: I wanted to be involved in an organization that could make a change for the better at Rice. Student opinion and involvement are two things that define Rice today, and I believe that the SA plays a major role between them. I hope to promote and implement more student ideas in the future with the SA.