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Student Affairs

PIASO



The Pacific and International Affairs Student Organization (PIASO) is the student body government of IR/PS. Its purpose is to represent and promote the academic, professional, and networking interests of the students. It serves as a center for student communication, information, and participation, and as a forum for student development.

PIASO acts as a liaison to the faculty and administration at IR/PS, and organizes social events to promote interaction among students, faculty, and administrators. Any person registered as a full-time or part-time graduate student at IR/PS is a member of PIASO.

The PIASO Board consists of eight voting executive officers and two first-year student representatives. Students from the second year class hold the executive positions: President (bears tie-breaking vote only), Vice President of Academic Affairs, Vice President of External Affairs, Vice President of Programming, Vice President of Technology & Resources, Vice President of Events, Secretary, and Treasurer.

Four IR/PS Representatives to the Graduate Student Association are also voting members of the PIASO board.


PIASO Executive Board

President - Jia H. Jung
VP of Academic Affairs - Bret Saalwaechter 
VP of External Affairs - Raka Banerjee
VP of Programming - Colby Pacheco
VP of Technology & Resources - Omar Parbhoo
VP of Events - Matthew Bachmann
Secretary - Vivian Beebe
Treasurer - Helen Hwang


Graduate Student Association (GSA) Representatives
GSA reps are the bridge between IR/PS and the entire UCSD graduate community. They represent IR/PS student interests by lobbying for university funding, voicing student concerns, and facilitating IR/PS involvement in GSA programs and positions of leadership.  

Michael Hodel
John Kucharski
Lihua Liang
Cameron McKenzie


For information about PIASO, please contact PIASO President Jia H. Jung: jiajung@ucsd.edu


President – Jia H. Jung

Career Track: International Environmental Policy & Public Policy
Regional Focus: Korea
Language(s): Korean, Latin, Marshallese, Spanish

Jia (Class of 2009) received her Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from UC Berkeley, and has a professional background in education and journalism. At IR/PS, she is transitioning to the field of sustainable fisheries and water resources. During her first year, she served as an elected representative for her class. As PIASO President, she is the chief executive officer of the student government and an official representative of IR/PS students to the community. Her duties are to communicate with faculty and administration, and to provide effective responses to all student concerns.

Contact: jiajung@ucsd.edu 

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VP of Academic Affairs – Bret Saalwaechter

Career Track: International Development & Non-Profit Management
Regional Focus: Southeast Asia
Language(s): Japanese, French, Indonesian, and Portuguese

Bret (Class of 2009) has an academic background in Indonesian history and political science. At IR/PS he is studying development, political violence, and civil conflict. He hopes one day to become more involved in emergency relief efforts in Asia and Africa. As PIASO Vice President of Academic Affairs, Bret is the academic liaison for the IR/PS student community and works with students and faculty to advocate ideas and concerns, and to facilitate student input regarding the IR/PS program.

Contact: bsaalwaechter@ucsd.edu
                                                            
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VP of External Affairs – Raka Banerjee

Career Track: International Development & Non-Profit Management
Regional Focus: Japan
Language(s): Bengali, Japanese

Raka (Class of 2009) graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies. She worked in Japan under the Japan Exchange & Teaching (JET) Program, whereupon she moved to San Diego. As Vice President of External Affairs, Raka serves as the primary liaison between the student body and external organizations. Her responsibilities include representing student interests and concerns at Alumni Board meetings and working closely with IR/PS External Relations on a variety of events for the benefit of the IR/PS community.

Contact: raka@ucsd.edu 

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VP of Programming – Colby Pacheco

Career Track: International Development & Non-Profit Management
Regional Focus: Latin America
Language(s): Spanish

Colby (Class of 2009) has a background in Business and International Development and is an alumnus of the AmeriCorps*VISTA program. At IR/PS he focuses his research on civil society and development with attention to human rights. As the Vice President of Programming, Colby coordinates the diverse array of student groups at IR/PS and fosters communication between student leaders and the IR/PS faculty and administration.

Contact: cpacheco@ucsd.edu 

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VP of Technology & Resources – Omar Parbhoo

Career Track: International Economics
Regional Focus: Japan
Language(s): Japanese

Omar (Class of 2009) received his Bachelors of Science from Louisiana State University in Computer Engineering in 2005. Following graduation, Omar spent a year in Iwate, Japan working as a teacher on the Japan Exchange & Teaching (JET) Program. As Vice President of Technology & Resources, Omar works in collaboration with Student Affairs and Computing Services. He is also responsible for addressing concerns about the general condition and maintenance of IR/PS facilities, and informs the student body about available resources.

Contact: oparbhoo@ucsd.edu

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VP of Events – Matthew Bachmann

Career Track: International Politics & Media
Regional Focus: Japan
Language(s): French, Japanese, Spanish, Korean, German, Latin

An alumnus of UCSD’s Revelle College, Matthew (Class of 2009) has a background in language education and has spent time in France and South Korea. At IR/PS, he focuses on Japan and is designing his own career track to incorporate International Politics and Media Studies. In his spare time, he enjoys practicing photography. As Vice President of Events, Matthew is responsible for coordinating PIASO-sponsored social, cultural, and professional events for the entire student body of IR/PS. He also executes events in conjunction with the Graduate Student Association and other academic departments at UCSD.

Contact: mbachman@ucsd.edu

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Secretary – Vivian Beebe

Career Track: International Management
Regional Focus: Japan
Language(s): Japanese

Vivian (Class of 2009) is the PIASO secretary. Prior to attending IR/PS, Vivian worked in Japan for five years and in a research center at Stanford University for two years. Vivian is responsible for posting agendas and recording minutes from board meetings. She coordinates administrative procedures associated with Board meetings and communicates schedules, information and planning between PIASO and all other IR/PS organizations.

Contact: vbeebe@ucsd.edu  

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Treasurer – Helen Hwang

Career Track: Public Policy
Regional Focus: China
Language(s): Korean, Mandarin Chinese

Helen (Class of 2009) has a background in Chinese education with experience in teaching and research. She resided in Thailand for nine years and made frequent visits to China and Korea during that time. Helen has thorough knowledge of and experience with US-China relations. As Treasurer, she oversees the annual budget and operations for all IR/PS student organizations including PIASO.

Contact: hwhang@ucsd.edu 

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GSA Representative Michael Hodel

Career Track: International Economics 
Regional Focus: China
Language(s): Mandarin, German

Mike (Class of 2008) has a background in health care policy and consulting. At IR/PS, Mike has continued research and development in these fields. As a GSA Representative, Mike is actively involved in the UCSD Graduate Student Council and has lobbied in Sacramento to help secure graduate funding for the UC system.

Contact: mhodel@ucsd.edu

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GSA Representative - John Kucharski

Career Track: International Economics
Regional Focus: Latin America
Language(s): Spanish

John (Class of 2008) is interested in empirical topics in economic development. He is the Thomas Murphy Fellow for Impact Analysis at The San Diego Foundation, a Graduate Student Researcher for Professor Samphantharak and a Sustainable Development Consultant for the Baja Project. John has designed, implemented and evaluated development programs in Asia and Latin America. He recently received a San Diego Peacemaker Award from the National Conflict Resolution Center for his role as a mediator prior to IR/PS. He plans to pursue a PhD after IR/PS.

Contact: jkucharski@ucsd.edu

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GSA Representative - Lihua Liang

Career Track: International Management
Regional Focus: China
Language(s): Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish

Lihua (Class of 2009) hails from China with an undergraduate degree in Economics and Public  Administration. She has a professional background in bilateral and multilateral trade relations, specializing in the promotion of international trade security and facilitation.

Contact: liliang@ucsd.edu


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GSA Representative - Cameron McKenzie

Career Track: International Management
Regional Focus: Latin America
Language(s): Spanish

Cameron (Class of 2009) is a member of the GSA Finance Committee and works to provide as much funding as possible for IR/PS related events. Before entering IR/PS, Cameron worked in finance and information technology. He was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona and received a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs from Northern Arizona University. Please feel free to speak with Cameron should you have any questions about getting GSA funding for your next IR/PS event.

Contact: csmckenz@ucsd.edu 

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