Executive Team
Hover over the pictures for a surprise!
Lana Gesinsky (she/her)
President
Office Hours: TBA
Lana is a senior from New York City majoring in Political Science, minoring in Psychology, and doing the Ethics and Society Certificate. Her first-year fall she stretched her comfort zone and ran for CL Senator and has been hooked ever since. Lana is passionate about helping make sure every student feels they belong at Duke, and has a special interest in easing the transition for incoming first-years and transfers. She is also a Baldwin Scholar, a Duke Presidential Ambassador, and does work with the Kenan Institute for Ethics. You can find her procrastinating by saying hi to people on the BC plaza or eating anything and everything related to cheese. She is super excited to interact with you all this year - email her whenever!
Devan Desai (he/him)
Executive Vice President
Office Hours: Email to set up a time or Mondays 1-3 pm
Driving a lengthy 15 minutes to campus is our Executive Vice President, Devan. Devan is a senior from Durham (no, campus is not “just in his backyard”) studying Public Policy, Biology, and Chemistry. He is passionate about health policy, music, Bollywood, trashy rom coms/dramas, and anything superhero related. Outside of DSG, Devan is involved with SCOHP, Duke Sangeet, Honor Council, tour guiding, and various research projects. He is also working with the Sanford School (evident in how he can perfectly navigate the staircases) and as a Margolis Scholar with the Margolis Center for Health Policy. You can find Devan drinking iced coffee from Beyu, eating too many soy nuggets from Sprout, or being indecisive about where to study on campus. Feel free to message him with TV show recs (for post MCAT bingeing), DSG or just to say hi!
Hana Hendi (she/her)
Chief of Staff
Office Hours: TBA
Hana is a senior studying Biology on the pre-med track. She was born and raised in Dallas, Texas and falls into (almost) all of its stereotypes: sweet tea, more sweet tea, brisket, and a huge fan of Whataburger. During her time at Duke, Hana has been in three labs (simultaneously — not the best move) and loves to go on tangents about cellular biology or animal behavior. You can find her practicing to skate around campus, picnicking with friends at the Gardens, or studying for MCAT. Hana has been a part of DSG as a Senator since her first year at Duke, and her favorite part about student government is collaborating with student groups on the most important policies that emphasize equitable, sustainable, and accessible services. On campus, Hana serves as the President of the Muslim Student Association, works in the Immunology department, and is a Baldwin Scholar!
Isaiah Hamilton (he/him)
President Pro Tempore
Office Hours: TBA
Isaiah is a junior studying Biology and Global Health on the pre-med track. Whether it be Dreamville, the Carolina Panthers, the Charlotte Hornets, the Carolina Hurricanes, the Durham Bulls, Duke Athletics, or Cookout, he is a die hard North Carolinian. Outside of DSG, Isaiah currently serves as the President of Black Student Alliance, Secretary for the Alpha Alpha Chi Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., and as an undergraduate researcher in the Drea Lab. If he isn't socializing in the Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture or eating at Sazon for the third time of the day, he enjoys playing Playstation and binging anime. Having served since his Freshman year as a senator on Equity & Outreach, Isaiah's biggest goal for the school year is to make Senate both more efficient and feel more welcoming to all!
Amber Miranda (she/her/hers)
Cabinet Director
Office Hours: TBA
Amber is a junior studying Biology, Computational Biology, and PPE. She was born and raised in Dallas, TX with roots in Mexico City. Outside of academics, Amber is involved in BME research, Camp Kesem, RAM, Maxwell House, and is a Durham guardian ad litem. In her free time she enjoys traveling, cooking, listening to podcasts, and spending time with friends and family.
Shreya Joshi (she/her/hers)
Vice President of Campus Life
Office Hours: TBA
Shreya is a junior studying History, Cultural Anthropology, and Politics, Philosophy, and Economics on the pre-law track. She was born in Delaware and has lived all over the country. She proclaims Fairfax, VA as home, even though she spent the past seven years in Houston, TX. During her time at Duke, Shreya has been in a variety of Bass Connections focused on history and economics and nerds out about constitutional law. You can find her consuming unhealthy amounts of caffeine in WU or watching yet another Shonda Rhimes show. Shreya has been in DSG since her first year at Duke, and her favorite part if student government is the exposure to and interaction with so many new identities and groups on campus. On campus, Shreya also serves as the President of the SLG Mirecourt, the Treasurer of Duke Moot Court and Duke Bench and Bar, and the Marketing Chair of TedxDuke.
Jax Nalley (he/him/his)
Vice President of Academic Affairs
Office Hours: TBA
Jax is a sophomore Robertson Scholar studying Public Policy and Romance Studies on the pre-law track. Growing up on the hazy border of the South and Midwest in Northwest Arkansas, he developed an acute academic interest for rural equity and immigration reform that he enjoys exploring at Duke, along with an addiction to fast food fried chicken, guitar, pickleball, language learning, and country music. When he’s not busy with DSG, Jax can be found with the Polis Student Committee, the Chapel Scholars, the Community Empowerment Fund, his bluegrass band on campus, and working as a student researcher. Jax has been involved with DSG since his first year on campus as a Senator of Academic Affairs, and he is particularly passionate about expanding access to student financial aid resources, promoting mentorship opportunities for Duke students, and creating a more explorative Duke curriculum.
Ashley Bae (she/her/hers)
Vice President of Services and Sustainability
Office Hours: TBA
Ashley is a junior studying public policy and cultural anthropology with a minor in global health. A proud Virginia native, Ashley is also the ombudsperson for Duke KAjok (Duke's Korean-American affinity group), the community organizing and events team lead for Duke SHAPE, a research assistant with Duke's Center for Health Policy and Inequalities Research, a Project Director for pGlobal, and a cultural anthropology major ambassador. In her free time, Ashley enjoys spending time outside, reading, making yogurt bowls, and exercising, especially running her mouth. After three years of being on the services and sustainability committee, Ashley is passionate about recycling old jokes. Reach out to learn more about how Ashley practices a sustainable lifestyle!
Zara Thalji (she/her/hers)
Vice President of Equity and Outreach
Office Hours: TBA
Zara is a sophomore from Chantilly, Virginia studying Public Policy and History. She is passionate about community organizing, climate change, discovering new bookstores, trying new restaurants, art, and celebrity culture (yes, she does keep up with the Kardashians). Outside of DSG, Zara is involved with the Asian Students Association, Asian American Student Working Group, Students for Justice in Palestine, and Baldwin Scholars. Since starting in Equity and Outreach as a freshman senator, Zara has been focused on advocating for ethnic studies and a multicultural building on campus. As VP, she hopes to foster relationships with students, student groups, and staff and bring neglected narratives to the forefront of the Duke conversation.
Swetha Rajagopal (she/her/hers)
Vice President of Durham and Community Affairs
Office Hours: TBA
Swetha is a senior from Chandler, Arizona (yes, it really does get to a 120 degrees and yes, there are a lot of cacti) and is excited to be back as VP of Durham and Community Affairs. Dabbling in the realms of Biology, Global Health, and Chemistry, Swetha is your run of the mill pre-med. On campus, Swetha is on Diya exec (and ran the amazing, wonderful, fabulous Awaaz this year), does hormone research with Duke Biology, and is a 20|20 Race Scholar with the Kenan Institute of Ethics. As VP this year, she hopes to increase accessibility for students into the Durham community and she wants students to be active members who are integrated with the city of Durham. In her free time, she absolutely LOVES binge-watching TV shows (and she watches EVERYTHING from true-crime documentaries to romantic dramas set in the Regency Era), being a hardcore Swiftie and Directioner, spending wayyyy too many hours on TikTok, and convincing people that Lemonade Mouth is the best DCOM. You can find her out in the wild on BC plaza on any sunny day, or feel free to email her anytime!
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