Two CSE undergraduate students were sworn in as Student Body President-elect and Vice President-elect on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. Suryakanth Prasad Gottipati will serve as Student Government and his vice president-elect will be Sumit Subhash Jadhav. Their computer science background helped them analyze voter data and optimize outreach during the campaign. They plan to modernize our student government digital infrastructure to make services more efficient and accessible.
“Surya and I both have been involved with SG and have extensive experience of public service and leadership both here and back home in India.”
Suryakanth’s journey in student government began as a freshman, initially serving as a senator. By his junior year, he was Director of University Affairs at the Tampa Local Executive. Sumit’s path included roles such as an Orientation Leader, Head of Logistics for Hackabull, tutor, an integral part of their Greek family, and represented the student body at the Florida capitol to lobby for student centered bills.
“All these experiences gave me the opportunity to connect with the student body and understand their concerns,” said Sumit. Before this he served two terms as Senator and Senate Pro Tempore.
Their Student Government Presidential campaign was defined by their acronym VISION:
V: Vision - Develop a clear and inspiring vision for the student body.
O: OneUSF - Foster a sense of unity and belonging and celebrate diversity.
I: Inclusivity - Promote cultural competency and sensitivity training for students
and staff.
C: Collaboration - Encourage interdisciplinary collaboration and constructive
feedback.
E: Empowerment - Empower students to become engaged civic leaders and encourage
activism.
Some of their initiatives include:
- Build professional tools for career development and help RSOs align with relevant department on campus to promote collaboration
- Aid student support services such as Feed-A-Bull and the counseling center.
- Build an actionable plan towards sustainability goals
- Restructuring A&S allocation for efficient and meaningful programming initiatives.
- Facilitate platform for representation and to promote diversity for everyone to VOICE their opinion.
"I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Department of Computer Science for their pivotal role in my development. The rigorous environment and the challenging curriculum have significantly enhanced my ability to manage high-pressure situations and make timely, effective decisions. These skills were crucial in my journey to becoming President.” said Suryakanth. “Furthermore, I am deeply thankful to the College of Engineering for their support and guidance. Special thanks are due to Bulls Lead and my mentor, Miss Carol, whose wisdom and mentorship were instrumental in my personal and professional growth during the program."
The pair will start their new responsibilities on May 6, 2024. To see their Campaign Instagram, click here. To see Sumit’s LinkedIn, click here.