Ashish Hingle, Candidate for Executive Vice President
Graduate Degree Program: Doctoral student, Information Technology, College of Engineering and Computing (full-time student)
Expected Date of Graduation: July 2025
Campus of Academic Department: Fairfax, Mason Square (Arlington)
Campus(es) of Classes, Work, and/or Residence: Fairfax & Mason Square (Arlington)
Biography and Candidate Statement
Bio: Ashish Hingle (he/him) is a Ph.D., first-generation and first-to-college student in the CEC at GMU. Ashish’s research interests include technology ethics, student self-efficacy, and information assurance challenges through a data-driven lens. Before starting at GMU in the fall of 2020, Ashish graduated from sunny Cal Poly Pomona with a bachelor’s degree in Information Systems and a cross-disciplinary MBA + master’s degree in Information Assurance as a recipient of the Mercer Fellowship (awarded a total of 4 years). This past year, Ashish served as the Executive Vice President for GAPSA. In addition to the responsibilities associated with the role, namely supporting all GAPSA Officers and serving as the General Assembly Parliamentarian, Ashish led several new initiatives in response to graduate student feedback. Ashish served on the Mason Recreation Board as the Graduate Student Representative, providing a graduate student voice toward policy and programming. Ashish has been directly involved in discussions about the Child/Minor policies at the campus recreation facilities, and because of the advocacy, a new draft policy has been proposed for Summer 2024. Ashish has served as a liaison to Parking Services, addressing changes across the campus, including the West Campus lot, and general concerns regarding parking. In April 2024, Ashish’s advocacy for graduate student parking options has given GAPSA and the General Assembly access to the Mason Parking Transportation Board meeting, where they will present the case for allowing additional flexibility and options for graduate student parking. Finally, Ashish has been engaging with registered Graduate Student Organizations (GRSOs) at Mason to explore how GAPSA can bring together resources across the graduate population. Though preliminary, the inventory will allow GAPSA to engage in a timely fashion with the Graduate Organizations. Ashish has also served as a Graduate Representative to Mason Facilities and the Graduate Council. Prior to this, Ashish has served as the Director of Communications for GAPSA (2022-23). During this appointment, Ashish created GAPSA’s new logo (perfect for sticking on your water bottle!), graphic design across the organization, and modernized the branding of all the marketing materials, tying GAPSA to Mason’s inclusive and diverse community – truly “All together, different.”
Candidate Statement: As a graduate student, I understand the importance of having a strong and vibrant student community. If elected to continue my work as the Executive Vice President of GAPSA, I am committed and eager to continue my efforts to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for all students and support the initiatives (financial, social, academic, or health) that affect graduate and professional students. My past experiences and history of action in GAPSA make me a strong candidate for the Executive Vice President position. My research and academic experiences align well with this role of advocacy, and I hope to continue advocating on the issues that affect students across all our campuses. I am excited to have the opportunity to serve our diverse graduate student organization and look forward to the chance to continue to make a positive impact through GAPSA.
Availability and Commitment to the Time and Expectations of the Position
Availability and Commitment to the Time and Expectations of the Position: I expect to meet the time commitments of the position in a transparent and demonstrable way. In the past 2 years of working as an elected representative, I have managed the responsibilities of engaging with the responsibilities of the Director of Communications and the Executive Vice President, respectively, while maintaining my Graduate Research Assistantships responsibilities. If you ask any officer in GAPSA, I am a planner. I love the thrill of managing a project, creating timelines, and acting on them. I have been involved with organizing large conferences and events for 10 years at different campuses, such as our own Mason Graduate Interdisciplinary Conference. I am available on the Fairfax campus almost every day and often visit the SciTech and Mason Square campuses. Overall, I am well committed and available for the role.