President Appointments:
Dalia Slavin- Senate of College Councils (pronouns: she/her)
Dalia Slavin is a first year MGPS student at the LBJ School specializing in national security policy. Prior to joining LBJ, Dalia earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Certificate in Security Studies from The University of Texas at Austin. Over the past three years, Dalia has gained experience through a professional capacity at a national laboratory providing decision-makers actionable insight to execute informed program strategy development across a range of technology areas. Through this position, she has supported various technology transfer and commercialization efforts, ensuring the successful transition of technologies between government and industry. Dalia has also been responsible for advocating for and recruiting top talent to the national lab.
In her GPAC role, Dalia will attend bi-weekly meetings along side the GPAC President and Senate Representative where they will cast on a vote on various legislative items. Here, students engage with Senate and other college councils, contributing to the rich tapestry of academic discourse at UT Austin. The Senate serves as the official voice of students in matters pertaining to academics.
James Lifton- Graduate Student Assembly (pronouns: he/him)
James Lifton is a first-year MPAff student with a dedicated focus on healthcare accessibility and LGBTQ+ rights at LBJ School. With a solid academic foundation, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Public Health from Texas A&M University before embarking on his current academic journey. James brings to the table a rich blend of academic and professional experiences, including advocacy for marginalized communities’ healthcare needs, adept database management, community engagement in challenging pandemic-related misconceptions, and qualitative analysis in the realm of education equity. During his undergraduate years, he conducted a groundbreaking thesis exploring the healthcare disparities faced by LGBTQ+ Autistic college students when seeking sexual healthcare resources.Lauren Trotter- Student Government Assembly (pronouns: she/her)
Lauren Trotter is a first year MPAff and MSEER dual degree student, focusing on environmental policy. Before pursuing her master’s, Lauren earned her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from Texas Christian University in May 2023. During her undergraduate career, Lauren served in various roles relating to both environmental science and public policy. Lauren acquired her experiences in environmental policy at her university, spearheading an initiative to improve sustainability on campus as a representative within student government, and in her professional career, including internships with a non-profit organization and an advocacy group.
In her role, Lauren will work with university administration to improve student welfare, aim to enhance the student experience, promote responsible student involvement in decision-making, and transparently manage student fees.
Deputy Finance Directors:
Jesus Torres (pronouns: he/him)
Jesus Adrian Torres is a 1st year MPaff student pursuing a Dean’s Certificate in Data Science and Policy Analysis at the LBJ School. He is a recent graduate of Texas A&M University where he received his Bachelor of Science in Economics. Jesus’ interest in economic research has allowed him to work along-side academic, private sector, and even federal economists. His broad research experience ranges from economic statecraft, crime economics, and financial economics. Jesus’ motivation is driven by his restorative nature and his passion for helping Latino communities. He also holds a deep passion for the arts and music which fuels his desire to become a compassionate public servant.
In his current role, Jesus helps manage budgets, expenses, reimbursements, and represents GPAC in Senate meetings while overseeing fiscal contracts, including events and merchandise.
Emily Guthrie (pronouns: she/her)
Emily Guthrie is currently a 1st year MPAff student with interests in reproductive justice and economic development. Before her time at LBJ, she earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Baylor University. After graduation, Emily gained valuable experiences in a variety of roles, including being a financial analyst for a consulting firm and a legal analyst for a healthcare startup. She looks forward to moving to Washington, DC as a part of the DC concentration and beginning her policy career at the nation’s capital.
In her role as Deputy Finance Director, Emily will assist the Financial Director in all official duties including but not limited to: managing appropriations process, overseeing org expenses, managing reimbursement forms, represent GPAC in senate meetings, oversee GPAC fiscal contracts including merchandise sales and formal events
Deputy Communications Director
Claire Kimberlin (pronouns: she/her)
Claire Kimberlin is a first-year MPAff student with a focus on policy communications at the LBJ School. Claire graduated from the University of Georgia in May of 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and with a Certificate in Public Affairs Communications and Applied Politics. During her time at UGA, Claire spent a semester in Washington, D.C. as an intern on Capitol Hill in the Office of Congresswoman Terri Sewell (AL-07). Additionally, she has experience working for political campaigns, local election outreach, and nonprofit organizations. As a policy generalist, Claire hopes to obtain an internship in the summer of 2024 that explores vast policy issues. She aspires to cultivate communication strategies that work to solve the most critical problems facing America.In her role, Claire oversees LBJ’s Slack Workspace, handling messages and student queries, also assisting with GPAC communication efforts alongside the Communication Director.
