Somosmita Mitra, PhD Student and PGSG President-elect

A student in Purdue University’s Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering has been elected president of the Purdue Graduate Student Government (PGSG). Somosmita Mitra was chosen over incumbent opponent Alex Sato to lead the organization for the 2023-24 school year.

Prior to being elected president of PGSG, Mitra was President of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Student Association (ECEGSA), Senator from ECE to PGSG, and Chair of the Grant Review and Allocation Committee at PGSG. Mitra says she ran for president with the intention of advocating for greater opportunities for graduate students at Purdue.

“Throughout the past year, I had the honor of serving as the Grant Review and Allocation Committee Chair of PGSG as well as the Senator to PGSG from ECE,” says Mitra. “During this time, I was able to initiate three new grant initiatives in Transitional Housing, Accessibility, and Small Research Grants. Additionally, I successfully passed Bills that created programs such as the PGSG After Hours Bus Shuttle Service, Parking Reservations for Graduate Students, and Student Well-Being Day, to name a few.”

Mitra says her goal is to create a platform that is inclusive of all graduate student concerns and develop achievable programs to address them. Her top priorities are:

1. Developing and implementing programs and initiatives to improve the quality of graduate student life, such as mental health resources, career development opportunities, and diversity and inclusion initiatives.
2. Fostering strong relationships with university administration and faculty to ensure that graduate students are represented in decision-making processes.

Mitra is a PhD student studying Computer Vision and Deep Learning. She plans on pursuing a career in academia after she graduates.