From Student Voice to Student Impact I believe a Student Council should be more than a channel for raising concerns. It should be a bridge between students, faculty, and leadership as well as a platform for turning our shared experiences into meaningful improvements. As a physician, healthcare executive, entrepreneur, and fellow Master’s student, I have learned that effective leadership starts with listening. If elected, my first priority will be to make sure students feel heard, represented, and connected, regardless of their program, background, location, or professional experience. I would focus on three things: Listen. Create simple and consistent ways to understand what students need, not just what the most vocal voices are saying. Connect. Strengthen relationships across Master’s programs and create more opportunities for students to learn from one another, share experiences, and build lasting professional connections. Act. Bring clear priorities and practical solutions to program leadership, follow up on them, and communicate progress transparently back to students. A Student Council cannot solve every issue, and it should be honest about those limitations. But it can ask the right questions, bring the right people together, and advocate constructively for change. My goal is simple: not just to represent students, but to help turn our collective voice into collective impact. Khaled Algahtany Master of Science in Clinical Service Operations Harvard Medical School
Hello everyone! My name is Austin Coppinger, and I am a student in the SMCR program. I am running for president of the MSC because I want to advocate for fairness and address student concerns in order to make the limited time we have at Harvard the best experience we can have. I value fairness, honesty, and transparency, and I want to promote a positive culture of looking out for one another and being a friend in times of need. I believe that integrity is crucial, and my aim is to serve out of love first and foremost. Regarding my experiences and skills, I am from the US, and I have been blessed to visit a number of other countries and learn from many cultures. I have also worked for a nonprofit serving immigrants and refugees in Rhode Island for 3 years. I have worked in hospitality as a waiter and as a pedicab driver prior to matriculating to Brown University for medical school in 2023. If elected, I will listen to all perspectives with kindness and respect, and communicate openly and honestly while respecting all parties. I want to contribute and protect positive regard we have for each other as colleagues and make sure all issues and ideas are given fair consideration.
SANTIAGO GUTIÉRREZ, MD, MRes MS CLINICAL RESEARCH · CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT · HMS MASTER’S STUDENT COUNCIL
THE LAR APPROACH Listen First. Act Smart. Report Back. The Council represents students across eleven programs with different curricula, backgrounds, goals, and experiences. I am running for President because good representation starts by recognizing those differences, not assuming one universal Master’s experience.
LISTEN FIRST Strengthen existing channels for students across all programs to raise concerns, share priorities, and evaluate initiatives. For efforts such as open inquiry and constructive dialogue, gather Master’s-specific feedback on what is working, where experiences differ, and what needs improvement.
ACT SMART Turn that feedback into focused, evidence-based priorities and bring them to the right institutional partners. Work constructively with OGE, faculty, and Harvard governance while preserving the independence to represent students honestly. Where strong initiatives exist, improve rather than reinvent them.
REPORT BACK Close the loop in both directions. Students should know what the Council heard, pursued, changed, and could not change. Faculty and OGE should receive structured feedback on how Master’s students experience them. For open inquiry, strengthen the cycle from implementation to experience, evaluation, and improvement. I would preserve outcomes and commitments so future Councils inherit institutional knowledge rather than start from zero. I have built and formalized student research organizations, coordinated research teams at the Framingham Heart Study, and helped make brain-aging research more accessible to underrepresented and linguistically diverse communities.
My goal: a Council that listens broadly, acts deliberately, and remains accountable to the students it represents.
Connecting everyone. Listening to all. Acting for us. I am running for President of the Master’s Student Council because I believe our diverse community is one of Harvard’s greatest strengths, and every student should feel that they have a voice within it. As a Canadian physician who has studied in the US and abroad, I understand firsthand the challenge of building meaningful connections when we may not share the same classroom, schedule, profession, or even country. I want to help make our community more connected, inclusive, and responsive to all Master’s students. I bring experience leading and collaborating across diverse teams. I served as Chief Resident and in senior administrative roles in Canada, leading a resident group while working with trainees, faculty, and hospital leadership. At Mayo Clinic, I completed a fellowship in robotic surgery and the Clinical Innovation and Entrepreneurship curriculum, developing further experience in teamwork, management, and collaborative problem-solving. I have also taught and mentored medical students and junior trainees; my peers recognized me as “Most Likely to Lend a Helping Hand” and honored me with teaching and mentorship awards. If elected, I will prioritize: CONNECT: Strengthen community and relationships among in-person, remote, full-time, and part-time students. LISTEN: Create accessible ways for students to share ideas and concerns. ACT: Turn student feedback into practical initiatives and advocate constructively with Harvard leadership. Most importantly, I want to be a President who is approachable, dependable, and willing to help. I would be honored to serve our community. Kunal Jain, MD, FRCSC Master’s in Clinical Service Operations Candidate
IRENE PARK Candidate for MSC President Master of Medical Sciences in Clinical Investigation | First Year irene_park@hms.harvard.edu linkedin.com/in/irene-park-6b1b12251
Growing Together, Making Our Time Count Having grown up across China, Korea, and the United States, I value listening across backgrounds. As co-founder of the Global Heart Equity Initiative, I have collaborated with peers from over 20 countries, learning to bring different perspectives together and create opportunities for participation. I want us to prepare for our futures while enjoying meaningful, happy lives as master's students. As President, I will bring diverse student voices to HMS and work with the Council on three priorities:
1
Shared Learning and Opportunities Facilitate voluntary sharing of student-created notes, study tips, and practice questions permitted for sharing. Connect students with existing research and career resources, and work with relevant offices to organize small Q&A sessions addressing unmet needs.
2
A Community We Can Count On Pilot voluntary buddy groups of 4-6 students across programs and years, considering schedules and participation preferences. Over six weeks, casual coffees, lunches, or walks will offer opportunities to check in, support one another, and build belonging.
3
Listen, Act, and Follow Up Create opportunities for feedback across programs, years, and backgrounds, including students less comfortable speaking up. Use feedback to shape Council priorities and share monthly updates on requests raised with HMS and their progress.
I hope we graduate cherishing both what we accomplished and the people and moments that made our time here meaningful.
FRANK ASSIAMAH, OD, MSc, MBA (c), PMP CANDIDATE FOR
VICE PRESIDENT Master’s Medical Council LISTEN • CONNECT • ACT
A STUDENT-CENTERED PLATFORM FOR OUR MASTER’S COMMUNITY
WHY I’M RUNNING I am running for Vice President of the Master’s Medical Council because I believe effective leadership begins with listening and turns student ideas into action. I want to help ensure that Master’s students feel heard, connected, and represented across our diverse programs. WHAT I BRING As a healthcare provider with 8+ years of experience in clinical practice, research, medical affairs, and clinical education, I bring strong skills in teamwork, communication, leadership, and stakeholder engagement. My experiences have taught me to translate complex information into meaningful decisions—an essential quality for effective leadership. MY PRIORITIES • Student voice: establish clear, accessible channels for feedback and ensure concerns are communicated and followed through. • Community: strengthen connections among students across Master’s programs through inclusive events and peer engagement. • Professional growth: expand opportunities for mentorship, peer learning, and meaningful connections with faculty, alumni, and the broader Harvard community. • Action and transparency: communicate Council priorities clearly and report back on progress.
MY COMMITMENT I will bring energy, humility, and consistency to the role. I do not promise to have every answer; I promise to listen, collaborate, advocate, and help turn our collective ideas into results. Together, we can make the Master’s experience more connected, responsive, and impactful.
YOUR VOICE. OUR COMMUNITY. SHARED ACTION. frank_assiamah@hms.harvard.edu
HMS MASTER'S STUDENT COUNCIL
·
2026–27
Lennard Spanehl Candidate for Vice President
P L AT F O R M
Hi, I'm Lennard, a neurosurgery resident from Rostock, Germany, now in the MMSc-CI program after two years as a postdoctoral fellow in BWH's Harvey Cushing Neuro-Oncology Laboratory. I'm running for Vice President because I know what it's like to join a new institution and need someone to help you find your footing, and I want the Council to be that resource for every Master's student. At BWH, I chaired the Postdoctoral Leadership Council's Communications Committee, coordinating our newsletter, website, and events for the postdoc C U R R E N T LY
MMSc‑CI Candidate, Harvard Medical School
community, including through the demanding period when MGB and BWH merged their postdoc associations. That experience taught me how to keep people aligned and informed when institutional structures are shifting underneath
CLINICAL
Neurosurgery Resident, Rostock University Medical Center
them, an environment many of us are navigating as HMS's master's programs bring together students from different countries, disciplines, and backgrounds.
RESEARCH
As VP, I want to be the connective tissue between the seven Council roles,
Postdoctoral Fellow,
making sure our communications, policy, and operations reinforce one shared
Harvey Cushing Neuro‑Oncology
agenda instead of running in parallel. I'll also push early for one or two well-
Laboratory, BWH LEADERSHIP
scoped initiatives we can actually finish, so the next council inherits something to build on rather than starting from zero.
Chair, Communications Committee — BWH Postdoctoral Leadership Council
I'd bring the same collaborative, listen-first approach that shaped my work at BWH to serving this community, and I'd appreciate your vote.
Vote Lennard Spanehl for Vice President
Voting: Sept 23 – Sept 30, 2026
CAMPAIGN for...
Director of
Communications &
Social Media ANSON CHAN
Finalist – Artwork selected for exhibition at the Brigham Visual Arts Symposium 2026 Publication & Design Experience — Graphic design for fundraising campaigns (check out @sjcrti2026 if int.!), yearbooks, & medical journals
M S c in C
@ansxchan
CREDENTIALS:
li n ic
a
l
search Re
WHY? Gotta put that FREE Harvard Adobe Creative Cloud access to good use I like drawing & making things look nice. Good excuse for me to finally buy a camera...?
1
Turn Every Voice into Action
My first priority is to listen: understand how students currently engage with the Council, identify where participation can be strengthened, and turn that feedback into tangible initiatives. I place particular emphasis on part-time and virtual students, creating more tailored and accessible opportunities for them to engage meaningfully with the broader HMS community.
2
Modernize and Coordinate Student Communications
I want to strengthen how we communicate across Instagram, YouTube, and other channels, while expanding engaging short-form content. At UChicago, I worked closely with our social media team and saw how coordinated, accessible communications could broaden awareness, increase participation, and make campus opportunities easier for students to discover.
3
Build a More Connected Master’s Community
Ultimately, I want to create stronger links between in-person and virtual students and make the diversity of experience across our Master’s programs a collective asset. Many students bring substantial experience across medicine, industry, policy, and research; connecting that expertise more intentionally can strengthen mentorship, career support, intellectual exchange, and collaboration across HMS.
ABOUT ME I’m a Master of Bioethics student in the three-year part-time program. My most rewarding experiences have always come outside the classroom: building communities and turning ideas into tangible initiatives.
I recently graduated from University of Chicago, where I represented the MBA Class of 2026 on the Graduate Council, collaborating across schools on campus-wide initiatives, events, and student communications. I now work in marketing at AbbVie, focused on audience engagement and media communications.
CONNECT. ORGANIZE. ACT.
VOTE
MARQUITA TAYLOR, PHD, MPH, MBA MS in Clinical Service Operations Candidate for Director of Operations | Master’s Student Council
Great ideas matter—but execution turns ideas into IMPACT. I am seeking the Director of Operations position because I believe an effective Student Council needs strong systems behind its vision: clear communication, thoughtful coordination, accountability, compassion, and consistent follow-through. I bring more than a decade of leadership across healthcare, academic medicine, public health, government, higher education, research, and the nonprofit sector. I have often stepped into inaugural roles, building programs, partnerships, and processes where no roadmap existed. Those experiences taught me how to navigate complexity, bring people together, and turn ideas into sustainable action. As a cancer survivor, an experience that has strengthened my resilience, deepened my compassion, and reinforced my belief that people must remain at the center of the systems we build.
If elected, I will focus on three commitments: CONNECT. Strengthen relationships across Master’s programs and create meaningful opportunities for students to build community and collaborate. ORGANIZE. Support efficient systems for communication, planning, events, initiatives, and follow-through so our Council can deliver for students. ACT. Help translate student feedback and Council priorities into achievable action, with accountability and transparent communication about progress.
My goal is simple: help our Council work better, so it can serve students better. Let’s turn ideas into action—and action into impact.
AHMED YOUSEF Candidate for Director of Policy & Advocacy I study the human voice. I want to make sure yours is heard and acted on. Only a few weeks into classes, I’ve seen how we share with each other what is working, what feels missing, and opportunities we wish we knew about—and how easily those conversations get stuck in group chats. In my program, I’ve realized the value of sharing student concerns and ideas with leadership. I saw this role as a chance to help do that more formally across our Master’s community. Each program has its own interests and concerns. I want to hear from students, understand their needs, and identify where we can make the biggest difference. From there, I’d help turn what we learn into clear priorities and advocacy strategies that lead to action. Having once been an international student myself, I know how hard it can be to navigate a new system and speak up while still finding your footing. I want every student’s voice reflected in the decisions and policies that shape our experience. I also want to bring our programs closer together through stronger connections across cohorts, with alumni, and throughout Harvard. I have experience representing students and leading international collaborative initiatives. More importantly, I enjoy bringing people together and speaking up when something could be better. Share what matters to you, and I’ll help make sure it reaches the right people and gets advocated for.
VOTE
MARIA
MARÍA
FOR SECRETARY GENERAL Connect people. Communicate clearly. Make things happen.
EDUCATOR • ORGANIZER • HMS STUDENT
Hi everyone! I’m María, from Chile, and I’m running for Secretary General. I’ve spent 16 years teaching anatomy and coordinating courses, teaching teams and research projects. For the past few years, I’ve also been a student, so I experience education from both sides. As an international student, I know how important it is to feel connected, and that is one of the main reasons I want to serve on the Master’s Student Council. I want to help make it easier to know what is happening, meet people across programs and get involved.
WHAT I’LL BRING
A LITTLE ABOUT ME
01
CONNECT across programs
02
COMMUNICATE clearly and consistently
03
MAKE THINGS HAPPEN take ideas into action
From Chile Dentist & anatomy professor 16 years teaching Professor + student International HMS student
WHY SECRETARY GENERAL? Bring people together. Keep things organized. Make things happen.
I also want to be someone you feel comfortable approaching with an idea, concern or suggestion.
And yes — I promise to take very good notes at the meetings! :)
Candidate for Secretary General • Master’s Student Council • Harvard Medical School
Robert Mowry, HMS ‘28 Candidate, Treasurer
I’m running for Treasurer of the Master’s Student Council because my background in investing, financial management, and board service has prepared me to be a thoughtful and responsible steward of Council resources. I’ve served on investment committees and worked with healthcare organizations on budgeting, capital allocation, and financial decision-making. I would bring that experience to the Treasurer role by maintaining transparency, asking the right questions, and ensuring funding is directed toward initiatives that create meaningful value for students. More broadly, I want to help strengthen the Master’s student community and ensure that both remote and in-person students have a meaningful voice in their HMS experience. Since joining HMS, I’ve looked for ways to contribute beyond the classroom, including working to establish a virtual and in-person student-led book club that brings together students across programs, disciplines, and locations. If elected, I would prioritize responsible and transparent management of Council resources while supporting practical initiatives that bridge the distance between remote and in-person students. I want to help fund ideas that bring students together, create opportunities to learn from one another, and make the HMS experience more engaging and valuable for every Master’s student.