When we see eye to eye, real progress can be made.

GSE Bargaining Committee

Your committee

Five graduate workers, elected by membership, sitting in every session. They each volunteered to take this on alongside their research, teaching, and lives.

• 

  Amber Luce

  She/Her

  MA candidate, History

  I am pursuing a Master of Arts in History. I study the intersections of empire, economics, religion, and legitimacy in the early modern Mediterranean, with a focus on maritime societies in the Maghrib and the depredatory actors that defined the political environment of those regencies. I have been involved in Burlington politics since high school and spent my 3 years in undergrad involved in student organizing. As a transgender student, a renter, and a worker I'm committed to the struggle for protections, wages, and good working conditions here at UVM and beyond.

  I joined the bargaining committee so that I can take the skills I learned during my time as an undergraduate student organizer into the struggle for graduate students here at UVM. After I attain my degree I will bring my experience in bargaining wherever I go next, continuing the fight for working people wherever I find myself. Presently the university administration is looking for any and every opportunity to cut funding to the people who make UVM run; a united front and cross-union solidarity is the only way to effectively fight back against the policy of imposed scarcity. I've joined the union because the only way to fight for any of us is to fight for all of us.

• 

  Sam Troast

  She/They

  PhD student, Rubenstein School of Natural Resources

  I am a PhD student in the Wildlife Ecology Research Lab at the University of Vermont. Our work centers on conservation decision-making and disease ecology. My previous research has involved modeling herpetofauna populations and my current work aims to learn more about temperature-sensitive disease dynamics in amphibian populations. We typically do some combination of field study and computer modeling to measure current and predict future ecological scenarios. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family, doing crossword and sudoku puzzles, hiking and camping, and taking people out “herping” (looking for reptiles and amphibians).

  I was inspired to join UVM's GSU bargaining committee because I saw it as the most direct and meaningful way to support my community. I'm committed to ensuring that those I care deeply about — my fellow graduate workers — receive fair wages, safe working conditions, and a real voice in shaping our workplace. I want to help craft a contract that truly reflects the needs and priorities of all our members. Education is my highest priority, and it's deeply troubling to see dedicated graduate students — people advancing knowledge through exceptional teaching and research — struggling to afford basic necessities like groceries, rent, and healthcare. That's unacceptable, and I'm committed to fighting for the changes we need.

• 

  Rain Younger

  She/Her

  PhD student, Neuroscience Graduate Program

  Coming from the PhD Neuroscience Graduate program, I study learning and memory at the electrophysiological level. My research focuses on understanding how changes in neural morphology arising from genetic mutations alter the entorhinal-hippocampal circuit. We use high-density laminar probe recordings and spatial accuracy behavioral tasks in mice to answer our questions. Outside the lab, I enjoy reading, playing all sorts of games, spending time with my cats, and engaging in activism with a focus on trans and queer rights.

  It was my desire to further engage in this activism that led me to working with the union. I joined the bargaining committee to ensure strong rights and protections, especially around non-discrimination and harassment, for graduate workers, knowing UVM was not going to take sufficient action to protect us during the current attacks against higher education. Through our collective power, I believe we will be able to make working at UVM safer and more financially manageable for graduate workers.

• 

  Rei Jia

  She/Her

  PhD student, Plant Biology

  I am a PhD student in the Plant Biology department, where I use genomic tools to study genetic and microbial diversity in alpine plant species in the face of climate change. I also mentor several undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing fieldwork and scientific research. In my spare time, I play board games with my friends and family, go on long walks with my dog, and listen to music.

  I support a union for graduate students because student workers deserve fair wages, improved insurance and health coverage, and better support from the university at large. With the new R1 status that the university was granted in February 2025, I know that the backbone of this new designation relies on the research and work done by post-doctoral and graduate researchers who, unfortunately, are not properly compensated for their efforts. As a member of the bargaining committee, I strive to make UVM a place where graduate students are respected.

• 

  Neil Traft

  He/Him

  PhD student, Complex Systems and Data Science

  I am a PhD student and research assistant at the Vermont Complex Systems Center. My focus is on artificial intelligence — specifically better algorithms for training deep neural networks — but I'm more broadly interested in complexity science and how this relates to the emergence of life and intelligence. When not “programming” (yelling at) computers, I like to run long distances, cook overly elaborate meals, and go hiking, camping, and backpacking.

  I strongly believe it is possible to achieve a 40+% increase in minimum pay, based directly on Vermont livable wage statistics. As an aspiring parent, I'm deeply personally invested in our goals toward better healthcare and parental benefits. I believe all the goals listed on the GSU website are very reasonable and can be delivered in good-faith bargaining.

  I don't believe the university is fundamentally opposed to our goals, but without a union it has been too easy and too tempting to ignore our situation or make unacceptably slow progress on improving it. Now that we have a seat at the bargaining table I hold out hope that, in time, we can develop a relationship of mutual trust and respect with those on the other side of the table.