Graduate Student Organization (GSO)

The Graduate Student Organization is a student-run organization serving graduate students in the department. It organizes social events to bring graduate students in Sociology together, provides programming to meet graduate student needs, and serves as a bridge between the graduate student body and the administration. GSO meetings are held periodically throughout the year.

GSO Executive Committee

The GSO Executive Committee is made up of those individuals serving in the other elected GSO positions including the Representatives on the Committee on Higher Degrees (2), the Graduate Admissions Committee (2), the Tenure-Track Faculty Search Committee (2 in years with a Tenure-Track Faculty search), and the Graduate Student Council (2). The Executive Committee is headed by the GSO President or Co-Presidents. In addition to their specific Department committee duties, these individuals are expected to attend GSO meetings throughout the year, adding their voices to discussions about GSO policy issues, and casting votes in GSO Executive Committee decision-making. In addition to representing the particular interests of the Department committees they represent (e.g., Prospective Student interests, etc.), the Executive Committee members are also the voices of the GSO ad-hoc subcommittees they oversee and the democratically chosen representatives of the current graduate student body and its interests. As the representatives of graduate student interests in GSO governance, GSO Executive Committee members are all selected through direct election by the GSO membership.

2023-2024 GSO Officers & Representatives

President: Yinan Wang
Social Chairs: Minjin Chae, Jen-Chen Chao
Colloquium Committee: TBD, TBD
Committee on Higher Degrees (CHD): Charlotte O'Herron, David Arbeláez
Graduate Admissions Committee: Siri Neerchal, Clayton Covington
Tenure-Track Faculty Search: N/A
Committee for Inclusion and Professionalism: Michael Zanger-Tishler, GeorgePatrick Hutchins
Graduate Student Council (GSC) Representatives: Aaron Brennen Benavidez (Sociology); tbd (Sociology & Social Policy), and tbd (Organizational Behavior)
Committee for Engaged Sociology: Aaron Brennen Benavidez (Co-Chair), Daniel Alain Evrard (Co-Chair), Clayton Covington, and Cat O'Donnell.
Professional Development: Bok Pedagogy Fellow (by appointment): N/A for 2023-24
Bok/Departmental Writing Fellow (by appointment): Marissa Combs (Fall 2023 only); Maleah Fekete (Spring 2024 only)
Coffee Tsars: Siri Neerchal, Melissa Hernández Jasso

The GSO has voted to endorse the Harvard Teaching Campaign's petition calling for a cap of 12 students per section. This proposed cap on section size bears significantly on teaching workload and teaching availability for graduate students. More information on the Harvard Teaching Campaign can be found here