Penn UA Mid-Session Report 51st Session, 2023-2024

Mid-Session Report
51st Session
2023-2024

The Undergraduate Assembly (UA) is
the elected, representative branch of
Penn Student Government, charged
with improving life for all students
through lobbying, representation,
togetherness, services, and funding.

Table of Contents
Purpose 2
Letter from Executive Board 3
Advocacy and Initiatives 4
Academic Initiatives Highlights 13
Community Engagement and Sustainability Highlights 16
Dining, Housing, and Transit Highlights 20
Equity and Inclusion Highlights 23
Fall 2023 Administrator Meetings 27
Contact Us 31
Project Report 35

The purpose of this report is to hold the
Undergraduate Assembly accountable to the
student body and to the promises that we as an
organization make in furthering our goals.
We are committed to working to improve the
student experience at Penn, and we welcome
any and all feedback that students wish to
provide.
2 | Purpose
Purpose

Letter from the Executive Board
3 | Letter from Executive Board
Dear Penn Community,
Throughout this session, the Undergraduate Assembly has been involved in a wide array of
impactful projects aimed at enriching the undergraduate experience at Penn. When elected, we
outlined a vision to bring purposeful decision-making into every facet of the university, thus, we
have prioritized student advocacy and initiatives aligned with this objective.
Our campus faced significant challenges this semester; during the Fall term, our primary focus
was on advocating for students and connecting them with resources to safeguard their mental
well-being, safety, and privacy. For example, we encouraged the launch of online privacy resourc-
es and encouraged various campus units to incorporate wellness and support resources in their
communications and websites. The Executive Board agreed that the UA’s unwavering attention
must be focused on amplifying resources for our fellow students and addressing student con-
cerns with administrators. This commitment remains our steadfast course.
An innovative avenue for supporting student-led projects was the utilization of the UA Reserve
Fund. This semester, we implemented a new set of procedures to streamline the funding process
within UA Steering. Three funding dates were announced at the start of the semester, and the UA
Budget Committee conducted workshops throughout the semester to assist groups in crafting
proposals. Consequently, four initiatives received approval, each with the potential to significant-
ly enhance the student experience.
Beyond funding, UA leadership engaged with every major administrative or campus life unit
across the university to explore enhancements to the student experience and promote transpar-
ency. This entailed meetings with more than 18 different campus departments, ranging from the
Office of the President and Provost to College Housing and Dining. These discussions revolved
around issues identified by students and potential areas for future collaboration with admin-
istrators. Among these meetings was the inaugural meeting between the UA and Penn’s Chief
Investment Officer, during which we discussed the workings of the endowment and progress
toward the 2050 Net Zero Emissions Goal. This marked the first major instance in half a century
where UA leadership actively engaged senior administrators in discussions about Penn’s Office
of Investments, demonstrating our commitment to fostering purposeful decision-making and
increased transparency across campus.
We have turned the corner on half a century of student advocacy, but the work of the 51st ses-
sion is far from complete. As you peruse this report, we encourage you to reach out to members,
including ourselves (exec@pennua.org), should you have any questions or comments. We share
your pride in Penn and eagerly anticipate concluding our term with the same vigor and compas-
sion with which we began.
With love,
Xavier Shankle (UA President) and the Executive Board of the 51st Session

Advocacy and Intiatives
This section serves to highlight a few of the
overarching UA initiatives that were successful
during the Fall 2023 Semester.
The Undergraduate Assembly is thankful
for the partnerships and collaborations that
strengthened the advocacy for these incredibly
impactful projects.
4 | Last Semester’s Advocacy

Promoting Equity and Equal Opportunity in
Higher Education
Department of Education Webinar on Strategies for Increasing Diversity and
Opportunity in Higher Education.
At the invitation of the White House,
Xavier joined Secretary of Education Miguel
Cardona, Domestic Policy Council Director
Neera Tanden, and University Presidents from
across the country in launching the Department
of Education’s new guidance on advancing
diversity and opportunity in higher education.
Xavier asked about the challenge of balancing
student demands for transparency in
admissions and safeguarding the integrity of the admissions process.
National Summit on Equal Opportunity in Higher Education
In July 2022, Xavier was one of six students
invited to attend the National Summit on
Equal Opportunity in Higher Education. This
summit convened higher education leaders
from across the U.S. to strategize and share
resources in response to the Supreme Court’s
ruling on Affirmative Action. Xavier
contributed to discussions alongside officials
from the White House and the Department
of Education. They delved into innovative
approaches aimed at broadening access to higher education opportunities for underrep-
resented groups and marginalized communities, considering the evolving landscape after
the Supreme Court ruling.
Engagement at the White House
Following the National Summit, Xavier and a co-president from Harvard College were
honored to engage in an enlightening conversation at the White House. In this session
with senior administration officials, they passionately conveyed the sentiments of students
regarding the recent affirmative action decision. This candid exchange focused on brain-
storming collaborative strategies that the administration could adopt to ensure fairness
and equity in higher education. The dialogue emphasized the importance of fostering an
inclusive environment that values diversity and promotes equal opportunities for all.

Promoting Equity and Equal Opportunity in
Higher Education
Letter to President Biden
Xavier spearheaded a letter along with the Student Body Presidents of Harvard College,
and the University of North Carolina to President Biden to express their deep concerns
about the Supreme Court’s decision nullifying affirmative action in college admissions.
Xavier and his counterparts passionately advocated for ongoing efforts to dismantle sys-
temic biases in higher education. They urged President Biden to persist in initiatives
aimed at fostering an educational landscape that embraces diversity and ensures equitable
opportunities for students from all backgrounds.

Raising Awareness for Student Academic Rights
Protecting Holidays and Academic Breaks
Throughout this session, the Undergraduate Assembly has prioritized informing students
of their academic rights and subsequently supporting those who have had those rights
violated.
In addition to previous protections, due to the work of the 50th Session of the Undergrad-
uate Assembly, President Carson Shuemaker, and the work of countless others, a propos-
al to amend the Penn Policy on Secular and Religious Holidays was passed through the
Council of Undergraduate Deans and other levels of Penn administration prohibiting pro-
fessors from assigning work or giving examinations due during Thanksgiving, Fall, Winter,
and Spring Break.
Student Guides
To ensure students were aware of this policy, Xavier sent messages to the student body in
the days leading up to major holidays or breaks that informed students of the policy and
its implications. Additionally, the UA launched a guide for students on how to approach
their professors on what for many can be a sensitive subject. The guide, titled Request-
ing Academic Accommodations: Email Templates for Holidays, was made be-
cause Navigating academic accommodations during holidays is crucial. Its purpose is to
help students effectively communicate with their professors regarding accommodation
requests, and it includes email templates tailored to various situations.
Final Examinations
Penn has a robust set of protections for students during the final exam period. These
rules ensure fairness, consistency, and a respectful approach to students’ academic com-
mitments during this critical period. As faculty continue to innovate in their examination
styles, the UA launched a new resource to support students: A Guide to Requesting Ac-
commodations for Final Exams. The guide includes an overview of the student protections
offered during the final exam period and email templates for students who need assistance
in contacting their professors about accommodations.
These new guides are hosted on the UA’s Academic Rights webpage, which has been a con-
stant hub for academic rights information since the website’s launch.

Reserve Fund Changes and Expenditures
One of the main roles of the Undergraduate Assembly is allocating funding to various
student groups and organizations on campus through the yearly budget allocation process,
the UA Contingency Fund, the Social Life and Inclusion Fund, and the Reserve Fund.
The Reserve Fund is a source of money dedicated to serving as a “rainy-day” fund for
UA-funded entities. Following the accumulation of excess funds during the Covid-19 pan-
demic, the fund was adapted to become a source of funding large, long-lasting student
initiatives in conjunction with its initial purpose. Project proposals for Reserve Fund
expenditures are a collaboration between multiple student groups. Brought forth in the
Undergraduate Assembly’s Steering Committee meetings, approved proposals are work-
shopped and presented to the UA body for a vote.
UA Steering, chaired by Ranim and comprising 30+ major student organizations, is con-
vened to amplify student voices and encourage partnership amongst campus leaders.
The platform promotes collaboration among diverse student groups, fostering unity and
joint initiatives. It also serves as a forum for facilitating dialogue with administrators to
address student concerns and explore on-campus resources. UA Steering has a key role
in allocating the reserve fund towards student-driven initiatives. Members can propose
projects and access funds, contributing to campus development. The following expendi-
tures were ideated, workshopped, and voted on within the UA Steering space. In the fall of
2023, four proposals were passed by the Undergraduate Assembly.
PAC Shop Equipment Funding – $39,000
Sponsor: Christina Cunningham (tace.chair@gmail.com)
The PAC Shop is the hub for the technical aspects of student based arts at Penn. Every-
thing that the 70+ performing arts groups at Penn need for lights, sound, costumes, props,
scenery, and more is created/housed in the PAC Shop. Some of the essential equipment
in the shop is over 25 years old, and has begun to break. The tight budget the PAC Shop
receives each year does not allow for replacing items such as the saw, washer, dryer, and
air compressor.

Performing arts groups cover the cost of most materials used in the shop. Thus, all groups
(especially non-SAC groups), would benefit from the PAC Shop purchasing necessary pro-
duction equipment such as new microphones and rechargeable batteries. Many Penn per-
forming arts groups represent marginalized identities and could benefit from the systemic
support that the PAC Shop provides. Increasing the supplies for the PAC Shop removes the
burden of finding the financing for shows, and is a long-term investment in Penn’s per-
forming arts community.
The equipment requested will serve all student groups, regardless of their affiliation with
the Performing Arts groups at Penn. The Undergraduate Assembly has allocated $39,000
to this cause, with the hope of making technical equipment more accessible to all students
on campus.
MERT Campus House – $35,000
Sponsor: Xavier Shankle (president@pennua.org)
The University of Pennsylvania Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT) is a vital stu-
dent-run organization that provides essential emergency medical services to the Univer-
sity community. MERT’s primary mission is to deliver rapid-response emergency medical
care, seamlessly complementing the emergency medical services offered by the University
of Pennsylvania Police.
Traditionally, MERT has operated out of unutilized spaces in Penn’s college houses, in-
curring no direct cost for their headquarters. However, recent campus-wide construction
and renovation projects have made securing suitable housing for this crucial organization
increasingly challenging. As a result, MERT must relocate from its current headquarters at
Sansom Place East.
A vacant, former Greek house on 39th Street has been identified as a potential MERT
headquarters in the interim. This is an unutilized, Penn-owned property offering an ex-
cellent opportunity for MERT. The total lease of the property and renovations amount to
$70,000. To ensure the continuity of MERT’s operations and commitment to the safety of
the University community, members of MERT’s advisory board have committed to cover-
ing half of this cost ($35,000)
As MERT is an essential student resource, the UA has committed to covering the remain-
der of the lease and renovations cost, allocating $35,000 to MERT.

Sarah Katz Award – $40,000
Sponsor: Rawan Wadi (scuedolphin@gmail.com)
The Sarah Katz Award is an effort to honor the late Penn student and SCUE member Sarah
Katz.
Administered through the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (CURF),
it will be awarded to a student who has shown outstanding dedication to the progression
of health literacy and heart health. These projects may take the form of ongoing research,
individual projects, or community outreach initiatives to be initiated within one year of
receiving the award. The review committee will consist of 4-6 people, including Penn-af-
filiated physicians from the Leonard Davis Institute who focus on health policy, two mem-
bers of the SCUE body, the Katz family, and the chief of CPR on MERT. There will be 1-2
annual award winners that will be granted a maximum of $5,000 collectively. With the
hopes of piloting this award for 8 years, the Student Committee on Undergraduate Edu-
cation (SCUE) has requested $40,000 dollars for this collaborative effort to honor Sarah
Katz. The UA has allocated $40,000 to this program.
Actively Moving Forward: HealGrief Program to Support Bereaved Students
– $20,000
Sponsor: Nicole Muravsky (nmurav@sas.upenn.edu)
UA Member Nicole Muravsky has spearheaded a project to facilitate a new program to
support grieving students. Penn does not currently have a peer-based support network
that works to support the entire undergraduate body’s grieving students, irrespective of
religion, culture, and identity. The program is a collaboration between various student
organizations and campus centers, including Student Intervention Services, SPARC, Penn
Benjamins, RAPLine, Body Empowerment Project, PRISM, and more. Additionally, the
program will use resources from the national organization Actively Moving Forward/Heal
Grief. Money requested will be used for care packages for grieving students, setting up
a peer mentorship program, and hosting workshops. The Undergraduate Assembly has
committed $20,000 to this cause.

President Shankle’s Committees and Meetings
Associate Vice Provost for Education and Academic Planning
Every other week, Xavier meets with Gary Purpura from the Provost’s Office. In
these meetings, Xavier and Gary discuss pressing academic concerns for students,
such as the policy of secular and religious holidays, Student academic rights, Penn’s Re-accreditation,
and renovations to Penn’s Academic Classrooms.
The Council of Undergraduate Deans
Xavier attended the Council of Undergraduate Deans (CUD) as a member of the committee.
The committee also consists of the Vice Provost for Education, who chairs the Council; the four
undergraduate deans; the Vice Provost for University Life; the Dean of Admissions; the Faculty
Director of College Houses and Academic Services; the Vice President for Institutional Research and
Analysis; and the Chair of SCUE. The Council discusses issues of mutual concern to the four schools
and establishes unified policies. Thus far, the committee has discussed issues related to Generative AI
and the privacy of student data, Academic Integrity, Penn’s Civic House, and the impact of the SCOTUS
decision regarding affirmative action in college admissions, and much more.
In the past, it has been concerned with such issues as undergraduate recruitment and retention,
grading, financial aid, the development of the university’s College House system, and the structure of
New Student Orientation.
The Trustee Committee on Student Life
Xavier represents students on the Trustee Committee on Student Life. This committee focuses on
policy and planning for support services for both graduate and undergraduate students. This semester’s
Student Life Committee meeting covered Penn’s New Student Orientation Programs and featured
presentations from student volunteers, and the staff and administrators who support undergraduate
NSO and SYO efforts. During the Discussion portion of the meeting, Xavier raised the question of
whether or not there should be a day-of-service component in the undergraduate NSO/SYO experience.
Generally, the SCL committee’s areas of responsibility include on- and off-campus housing conditions,
dining accommodations, fraternities and sororities, student health care, security, financial aid, career
planning and placement, student/trustee and student/alumni relations, student government, student
judicial and disciplinary systems, and other university-sponsored or recognized extracurricular student
activities.
University Council Steering
Xavier and Ranim represent students on University Council Steering which is tasked with preparing
the agenda for University Council meetings and giving advice concerning resolutions that committees
elect to place on the agenda. Once a month, Xavier delivers an update on the work of the UA, and the
happenings of undergraduate life for the rest of the committee.

President Shankle’s Committees and Meetings
University Council
Xavier, Ranim, and Ria E. represent students on the University Council which is a deliberative and
broadly representative forum that exists to consider the activities of the University in all its phases, with
particular attention to the educational objectives of the University and those matters that affect the
common interests of faculty, staff and students. This semester, there were focus issues presentations on
Artificial intelligence, the State of Penn, and Public Safety.
The Council may recommend general policies and otherwise advise the president, the provost, and other
officers of the University. It is authorized to initiate policy proposals as well as to express its judgment
on those submitted to it by the administrative officers of the University and its various academic
divisions. It is also empowered to request information through appropriate channels from any member
of the University administration. For each meeting of the Council, Xavier prepares a status report that is
entered into the record and summarizes the work of the UA.
ARCH Steering Committee
Xavier and Ranim attended periodic ARCH Steering Committee meetings that focused on renovations to
the newly expanded ARCH space for the various Cultural Resource Centers at Penn.
Penn Student Government Steering
On a bi-weekly basis, Xavier and Ria E. met with the leaders of the six branches of student government
at PSG Steering. The group leaders discussed areas of interbranch collaboration and support, and the
group also funded one-off initiatives to support the work of individual branches.
Office of Student Affairs
Every week, Xavier meets with Katie Bonner from the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) to discuss urgent
project updates, university-wide announcements, and changes that will impact student life at Penn.
Wellness Leadership
Xavier and Ranim met with the Chief Wellness Officer and Penn Wellness Leadership to gain insights
into how Penn Wellness engages with students during times of heightened stress and uncertainty,
especially when facing issues that can impact the emotional well-being of our campus community. They
also encouraged more communication from Penn Wellness during times when students need support.
The discussion also included a review of the Mindfulness and Wellness Spaces in Academic Buildings
across campus.
President Magill
In a formal meeting with President Liz Magill in mid-November, the executive board discussed
resilience on campus, the impact of the affirmative action ruling, and Penn’s Next strategic framework.
Outside of this meeting, Xavier and Ranim have been in close contact with the President’s office.
Vice Provost for University Life
Every month, Xavier and Ranim met with the Vice Provost for University Life. These meetings served
as an opportunity to share student concerns related to campus life and encourage more support for
students facing stress and uncertainty.

Academic Initiatives
Mackenzie Sleeman C ’25
Committee Director (ai@pennua.org)
The Academic Initiatives Committee (AI) is devot-
ed to enacting change within the academic space at
Penn. AI is using student insight to work on proj-
ects that will have a long-lasting impact. The three
themes that the committee is focusing on this year
are (a) improvements in the classroom environ-
ment in the post online world; (b) increasing equity
regarding access to course materials, and (c) the
impact of the current academic schedule and year
length on learning. Don’t hesitate to contact AI’s
Committee Director Mackenzie Sleeman with any
questions or concerns at ai@pennua.org
13 | Academic Initiatives

Preventing Confusion with Space & Event Reservations
Charlie Schumer, C ‘24, cschumer@sas.upenn.edu
Charlie has been working with University Life Space & Events to better understand the policies around
space reservation, particularly regarding labor and equipment costs for events. He met with Monica Kessel
from Space & Events to discuss the recent changes to event reservation policies as well as how these policies
are communicated with student groups. Charlie has learned that there have been many ongoing, dynamic
changes to reservation policies. As a result of these conversations, Charlie was able to communicate
updates to 200+ club leaders at the December SAC GBM. Going forward, Charlie will continue to stay in
communication with Space & Events to learn about space reservation updates.
Improving Distribution of Financial Aid Processes Information for Social Security
Administration C-Flagged Students
Cindy Zheng, W ‘26, zcindy@wharton.upenn.edu
Cindy has been working collaboratively with Student Registration & Financial Services (SRFS) to address
the lack of information surrounding the arduous compliance process necessary for students flagged by
the Social Security Administration (for undetermined reasons) for extra due diligence to complete before
receiving their financial aid. She has met with Director of Financial Aid, Elaine Varas, and together they have
outlined a series of steps SRFS will take to make detailed information about the compliance requirements
more readily accessible for students for the upcoming financial aid cycle. Cindy is planning on continuing
communication with Elaine in the spring semester to receive updates about the implementation of these new
measures.
Permanent Vigil Space
Chandler Cheung, SEAS ‘25, cheungch@upenn.edu
Chandler has been working with FRES/Chaplain’s Office on making a permanent vigil space on campus,
which he has been working on since Spring 2023. FRES has indicated that they are actively working on it.
They talked with some of the alumni classes to raise donations to fund the project, and one class is interested
in putting their name in and donating to cover the costs. In terms of the design of the vigil space, he has
suggested to FRES about putting up and an arch and a garden to clearly mark the space. As a right now, the
location that is chosen is the walkway by the peace sign next to Van Pelt. FRES is targeting for construction
of the vigil space in summer 2025.
Equitable Credit Limit During Advanced Registration
Chandler is working on improving the credit limit system. Currently, only dual degree students can register
up to 6.5 CU during advance registration. Other students, including accelerated masters and dual major
students, can only increase their CU after grades for the current semester has been released, and they can
only increase it by 1 CU above what they currently take, even if they have taken more before. It is annoying to
keep asking to increase it every semester to try to fulfill all degree requirements for these students. Chandler
is working providing equal opportunities for other students to be able to register for more classes during
advance registration. He will continue meeting with various administrators next semester.
Improving Sustainability in Houston Market
Chandler has been working to improve sustainability in Houston Market. He met with Business Services and
Pam Lampitt and Barbara Lea-Kruger to discuss efforts that Penn has been doing so far. They have indicated
they will revisit their marketing campaign to use china/porcelain plates for dining in at Houston Market. We
also discussed composting efforts.

Expanding Pottruck Equipment
Ben Woods, C ‘27, benwoods@sas.upenn.edu
Ben Woods has been working with the Penn Campus Recreation to update and expand the equipment
selection at the Pottruck Health and Fitness Center. He has met with the Director of Campus Recreation
to discuss this process, and will work to inform Penn Campus Recreation of student fitness needs over the
course of the year. Presently, Penn Campus Recreation is spending this year updating old equipment, while
next year will be spent adapting the Multi-Purpose Room into a more weight-training oriented room. Ben
will continue to work with Penn Campus Recreation to maintain a line of communication with students
throughout these two developments.
Increasing Access and Affordability for Testing for Students with Special Accommodations
Asim Handy, E ‘27, ahandy@seas.upenn.edu and Kennedy Kostecki, W ‘26, kenkos@wharton.upenn.edu
Asim has has been working collaboratively with Kennedy Kostecki to work to increase the accessibility for
students needing special testing to receive special accommodations. They have reached out to several faculty
of the Weingarten and are currently working towards devising a plan to reduce the financial, and logistical
burden this testing process places on students.
Increasing accessibility to MBA resources for undergraduate
Josias Zongo, W ‘24, josias@sas.upenn.edu
Josias has been working with the Wharton Undergraduate Division to publicize MBA resource for
undergraduates. The project mainly targets Penn seniors and includes publicizing the Moelis Advanced
Access Deferred MBA program, along with other MBA-relevant resources, such as any GMAT/GRE prep
that would be offered by Penn. Josias intends to publicize this resource to Wharton seniors first through the
Wharton undergrad newsletter. In the spring, Josias will then look into publicizing it to the broader Class of
2024.
XCAT Working Group
Mackenzie Sleeman, C’25, mackslee@sas.upenn.edu
The XCAT Working Group is a collaboration between Mackenzie Sleeman and the Dean’s Advisory Board to
address present and enduring challenges facing transfer students - in reference to XCAT, the external credit
approval platform at the University of Pennsylvania. The XCAT Working Group is charged with creating
a comprehensive and thorough list of recommendations and best practices, and communicating said list
to departments within the College of Arts & Sciences, with the hopes that the XCAT process will become
mutually beneficial for both transfer students and academic departments alike.

Community Engagement
and Sustainability
Hannah Liu C ’25
Committee Director (ces@pennua.org)
The Community Engagement and Sustainability Com-
mittee (CES) focuses on Penn’s footprint in the West
Philadelphia community and the campus’ environmen-
tal footprint. This committee is more outward-facing
in purview and prioritizes initiatives that promote
social responsibility and foster good relations with
community impact-oriented student groups.
Reach out to Hannah Liu at ces@pennua.org
with questions and suggestions.
16 | Community Engagement and Sustainability

Campus Mural Art
Sonia Feil, N ‘24, sfeil@nursing.upenn.edu
Sonia (N ‘24) has been communicating with Facilities and Real Estate Services (FRES) about a mural
proposal on the exterior of Rodin College House. This mural would honor Philadelphia’s long history
of the mural arts and would beautify a green space on campus. This project is in its early stages and
the location is not currently finalized or approved.
UA Service Bylaw Amendment
Hannah Liu, C ‘25, hmliu@sas.upenn.edu and Venkatesh Shenoy, SEAS ‘24, shenoyve@seas.upenn.
edu
Hannah has been working collaboratively with Venkatesh Shenoy (SEAS ‘24) on a potential UA
Service bylaw amendment, which if implemented would create a community service requirement as a
part of the UA attendance requirement. The motivation behind this bylaw amendment is to encourage
more UA member interaction with the greater West Philadelphia area. Hannah has been consulting
administrators such as Katie Bonner about how to best approach this project idea, and she hopes to
bring it to fruition in the upcoming Spring semester.
Increasing Accessibility of Booking Hill Group Study Rooms
Arsheya Puri, C ‘27, arsheya@sas.upenn.edu
Arsheya has been working to make the process of booking group study rooms in the Hill study room
more accessible and efficient by providing the option to reserve the rooms on an online platform such
as the Penn Mobile app. Due to the doors of the GSRs in Hill not having SALTO technology that other
group study spaces have on campus, reserving Hill GSRs on the Penn Mobile GSR tab is not possible.
Therefore, alternative platforms are being considered such as the Hill College website or adding
another tab for Hill GSRs on the Penn Mobile app. Arsheya is communicating with Hill College House
Coordinator, Yusef Schaffer, and the Senior Director of CHAS, Dr. Kaliher, to make the study rooms
more accessible online. Arsheya plans to continue working on making the Hill GSRs reservable online
during the spring semester.
Expanding Donation Drive Opportunities from Penn into West Philly
Koustav Datta, C ‘26, koustavd@sas.upenn.edu
Koustav has been working with the Student Sustainability Association at Penn (SSAP) and various
college houses to try and bolster donation drive efforts between Penn students and the West Philly
community during the move-out period. He has met with the Director of SSAP, making progress
towards trying to make his project a better possibility. Though he has not yet heard back from College
Houses, he has other project ideas, including possibly helping to host monthly blood drives with other
organizations on Penn’s campus!
Enhancing Green-to-Box Tracking for Improved Sustainability
Moe Mansour, C ‘27, msmans@sas.upenn.edu and Leo Solga, C ‘26, solgaleo@sas.upenn.edu
Moe Mansour (CAS ‘27) and Leo Solga (CAS ‘26) are working with Penn Dining to make the
Green2Go program more eco-friendly. They’re trying to make better use of green takeout boxes. Along
with partners in dining administration, they are looking into ways to improve box return rates to
improve the program’s environmental impact.
17 | Community Enagagement and Sustainability

Student Guide for When Interviews and Academics Conflict
Nicole Muravsky, C ‘26, nmurav@sas.upenn.edu, Andrew Lu, W ‘26, drewlu@wharton.upenn.edu
Nicole has been working collaboratively with Andrew Lu (Wharton 26’) and Career Services to
write a guide for students to reference when recruitment interviews conflict with their academic
schedules—based on UA President Xavier Shankle’s idea. The guide will include sample emails to
send to recruiters, steps to take to involve Career Services, and proper ways to communicate the issue
with professors. Together, they are also writing a formal proposal to be presented at the meeting
between Career Services and the four undergraduate schools with ideas for how professors can better
accommodate students in such situations.
Social Justice and Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Program
Nicole Muravsky, C ‘26, nmurav@sas.upenn.edu
Nicole connected with Associate Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Will Atkins
and Inaugural Director of Inclusion Initiatives and Social Justice Education Malik Muhammad to
work on a social justice and DEI-focused education program. This program will include workshops to
make Penn a more inclusive environment and broaden students’ lenses to various types of identities.
The program is in progress at its beginning stages, but Nicole has been researching topics to be
included into the curriculum, compiling a list of student groups that would be a good fit to collaborate
with, as well as working with the NSOAI office to discuss having a preceptorial as part of the program.
Program to Support Bereaved Students
Nicole has been working with and guided by Associate Vice Provost for University Life Sharon Smith
to restart a program on campus to support bereaved students. A proposal for funding for $20,000
from the Undergraduate Assembly’s reserve fund was approved for this project. The program will be
a product of collaboration between different student organizations and campus centers, including
but not limited to Student Intervention Services, Special Services, Penn Wellness, SPARC, Penn
Benjamins, RAPLine, Body Empowerment Project, and PRISM. Additionally, Nicole partnered with
the national organization Actively Moving Forward/Heal Grief to utilize their resources.
Planning Future Sustainability Efforts
Nicole attended the Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee bi-annual meeting and is part
of the Student Advisory Group for the Environment. Together, the groups are working on improving
the current Climate and Sustainability Action Plan 3.0 in preparation for the new action plan that will
be put into effect during fall of 2024. Nicole meets with Sustainability Manager Noah Swistak and has
met with previous President Liz Magill and Sustainability Director Nina Morris to share ideas about
future directions.
Working with the Native and Indigenous Community to improve their Penn experience
Nicole Muravsky, C ‘26, nmurav@sas.upenn.edu, Keshav Ramesh, W ‘25, keshmesh@upenn.edu
Nicole has been collaborating with Keshav Ramesh on improving the Penn experience for Native and
Indigenous students. They’ve been working on getting a more official University land acknowledgment
and are focusing on the status of the Native American and Indigenous Studies minor. They met with
admin to understand Penn’s long term goals to best support the Native and Indigenous communities,
including but not limited to adjusting the curriculum to be more inclusive. They’re led by the guidance
of the Natives at Penn student board and Director of the Greenfield Intercultural Center, Valerie de
Cruz and Associate Director for Natives at Penn, Mary Ann Baricuatro.

Penn Mentor Meals and Canvas Enhancements
Nicole has been meeting with the New Student Orientation and Academic Initiatives Office to grow
the Penn Mentor Meals program that was initiated by previous UA president Carson Sheumaker.
She has I’ve reached out to every department chair across the four undergraduate schools, as well
as the heads of any student boards or cultural organizations to increase the number of mentors.
Additionally, Nicole is working with the office to improve Canvas, i.e. through amending the TAP
Modules and adding a feature—based on President Xavier Shankle’s idea—where students can input
how to properly pronounce their names for their professors to be aware.
Improving and Collecting Student Input about Campus Wi-fi and Technology
Nicole Muravsky, C ‘26, nmurav@sas.upenn.edu and Leo Solga, C ‘26, solgaleo@sas.upenn.edu
Nicole and Leo Solga (SAS 26’) have met with Wharton IT Project Leader Abhishek Hendi to talk
about improving WIFI on the rest of campus for the other three undergraduate schools. In spring
2025, they will be conducting research through student surveying to determine the scope of WIFI
issues, reaching out to the tech support centers to learn more about current efforts to improve WIFI,
and gauging interest from students to form a student advisory committee for technology support.
Partnering with the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life
Nicole Muravsky, C ‘26, nmurav@sas.upenn.edu, Yash Mahajan, C ‘25, ymahajan@sas.upenn.edu
Starting in spring 2024, Nicole and Yash Mahajan (SAS 25’) will be partnering with Janaé Tucker to
act as liaisons between the Undergraduate Assembly and the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life.
Nicole has previously met with Janaé last year to discuss Undergraduate Assembly Involvement and
has connected with the chapter leaders of the Intercultural Greek Council.
FGLI Informational Masterguide
Meiyi Wang, W ‘27, meiwang@wharton.upenn.edu
Meiyi has been collaborating with the First Generation Low Income Dean’s Advisory Board (FGLI
DAB) to create a survey to send out to FGLI students in the Penn community to garner what
additional information needs to be more widely available. Using this information, they are putting
together a comprehensive master guide for the FGLI community, covering various topics from
navigating Financial Aid, Health and Wellness, Housing, Traveling Abroad, and more. Meiyi plans to
continue to work with FGLI DAB in the spring to continue to integrate student feedback into the guide
and put out a running edition at the end of spring semester.
Creating More Inclusive Pre-College Programs
Qamar Coleman, C ‘25, qamarc@sas.upenn.edu
Qamar has been working to make sure that the pre-college programs that the University of
Pennsylvania offers paint a more accurate depiction of what life will look like at Penn for all its
students. Recognizing that each individual’s experience in college will be different due to a number of
sociological factors, he has created a survey to find out about what past participants of the programs
have thought could have been added in order for them to have received a more accurate depiction
of their college experience. Qamar plans to bring this to leader and faculty involved in the spring
semester of the 2024 school year after receiving more responses.

Dining, Housing, and
Transit
Shikhar Gupta C ‘26
Committee Director (dht@pennua.org)
The Dining, Housing, and Transit Committee (DHT)
Committee works with administration and student
groups to address the largest and most tangible infra-
structure issues at Penn. In particular, this committee
worked closely with Business Services to expand the use
of dining swipes, improve sustainability initiatives in
the dining halls, and increase the value of dining
plans overall. DHT also worked with Housing
representatives to create new living communities
and address specific issues (amenities,
sanitation, etc.) from students living on-
campus. Finally, members worked with
the transit side of Business Services to
improve the functionality and
safety of Penn Rides and
provide transportation to niche
cultural groups in Philadelphia.
Reach out to Shikhar Gupta
with questions/suggestions
at dht@pennua.org.
20 | Dining, Housing, and Transit

Increasing Accessibility of Over-the-Counter Medicine
Michelle Chen, W ‘26, mchenn@wharton.upenn.edu and Venkatesh Shenoy, SEAS ‘24, shenoyve@seas.
upenn.edu
Michelle has been working collaboratively with Venkatesh Shenoy (SEAS ‘24), Student Health and
Counseling (SHAC), Wellness at Penn, and Penn Reproductive Justice to expand the accessibility and
distribution of over-the-counter medicine for students. There will be a Vending Machine stocked with
various medications, menstrual care products, and more for students at the cost of $15 or under. Chen and
Shenoy are continuing to work with both departments to prepare for the launch of this initiative, and are
excited to see this project that has been in the works for 14+ months come to fruition!
Developing a Peer Mentoring Program at ISSS
Shikhar Gupta, C ‘26, shikharg@sas.upenn.edu
Shikhar has been working to create a formalized peer-to-peer mentoring program run through the
International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) department for incoming international students that
are looking for peer guidance on life at penn. He has met with the relevant ISSS administrators to discuss
the merits and potential development of such a program. He hopes to continue this project in the Spring
semester, with an ideal implementation period of Fall 2024.
Increasing Student Connections with the Morris Arboretum
Nia Matthews, W ‘27, niamatth@wharton.upenn.edu
Nia has been collaborating with New Student Orientation and Academic Initiatives (NSOAI) and Penn
Transit to potentially establish a large-scale class social event during First Year New Student Orientation
(NSO) at the Morris Arboretum. The aim is to expand and broaden student connections with the
Morris Arboretum. Nia has met with representatives from the Morris Arboretum and the Directors
of Transportation to ensure the accessibility of transportation is not a barrier. Nia is continuing to
communicate with the Office of NSOAI to establish an enjoyable social event for incoming first years.
Revamping Residential Services Messaging
Musab Chummun, C ‘27, mchummun@sas.upenn.edu
Musab has been working on fixing the messaging in the communications being sent out from the
Residential Services team. He has met with and is currently in contact with the communications chair
of Residential Services, Courtney Dombroski. He is currently working on fixing the emails to relay to
Residential Services by January. By mid January, he intends to finish this project in tandem with the
increase in Residential Services messaging, in order to make housing information more accessible.
Implementing Tissue Dispensers
Musab Chummun, C ‘27, mchummun@sas.upenn.edu
Musab has started working on a project to create more tissue dispensers in needed areas around campus.
In the beginning of next semester, he plans to send out a school-wide survey regarding the need of tissue
dispensers on campus. From there, he plans to hold talks with the relevant building administration to
convince them to invest into more dispensers, and hopefully work with maintenance to put them up. He
aims to have this project done by Mid-February so the UA can help beat those pollen allergies!

Increasing Printing Accessibility Across the Undergraduate Schools
Leo Solga, C ‘26, solgaleo@sas.upenn.edu and Andrew Lu, W ‘26, drewlu@wharton.upenn.edu
Leo Solga has been working with Max Annunziata (SAS ‘26) of the College Dean’s Advisory Board and the
Student Committee for Undergraduate Education since last spring and more recently with Andrew Lu
(WH ‘26) also of the Undergraduate Assembly to improve printing access across the four undergraduate
schools. Their goals are to expand free printing to College and Nursing undergraduates, increase flexibility
for Wharton and Engineering printing programs, and make the entire network of systems less opaque. In
the past months, Leo and Max have been in contact with the College administration, Wharton technical
support, Engineering technical support, College Houses and Academic Services, the Office of Student
Affairs, Penn Libraries, and Student Registration & Financial Services. Leo and Andrew have been in
contact with Nursing student government and hope to connect with Nursing administration soon. They
are excited to continue this mystery.
Making Family Weekend More Accessible for Families
Aidan Carroll, C ‘27, aidanamc@sas.upenn.edu
Aidan has been working with the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) to improve accessibility during Family
Weekend. Aidan has met with Katie Bonner, OSA Executive Director, and Gabe Marenco-Garcia from
OSA, who oversees Family Weekend. Aidan will meet with Gabe Marenco-Garcia again at the end of the
school year to finalize plans for Family Weekend 2024, but current plans are to add a question to next
year’s registration, which asks if “anyone in your party has any accessibility needs.” From there, families
will be connected to appropriate resources.
Pottruck Exercise Catalog
Michael Tepperman, W ‘27 C ‘27, mtepp@wharton.upenn.edu
Michael is currently working with Pottruck to develop a catalogue of all of their exercise equipment
including current status, muscle groups targeted, and location in the facility. Michael has been in contact
with the Director of Campus Recreation, Shelbi Long, to determine the steps that need to be taken for the
project to reach its fruition.
Increasing Accessibility to Weitzman Undergraduate Courses
Yash Rajani, C’24, yrajani@sas.upenn.edu
Yash has been working alongside Weitzman faculty and directors to expand accessibility to undergraduate
courses in fine arts, design, and architecture. He has calculated per-course costs and developed strategic
initiatives to reduce financial barriers that may threaten students’ decision to enroll in such courses.
Over the Spring 2024 semester, Yash plans to continue to make advances in lowering course costs and
increasing access to necessary material and technological resources for students to succeed. If you have
any questions, comments, or suggestions for Yash, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Equity and Inclusion
Xandro Xu, C ‘25
Committee Director (ei@pennua.org)
The Equity and Inclusion Committee (EI) works to address
the needs of mis- and underrepresented groups on Penn’s
campus and in the surrounding Philadelphia community.
This committee works alongside groups like the
first-generation low-income community and the 7B
minority coalition, as well as with relevant
administrative offices to identify and eliminate
barriers that impede Penn students from having
an equitable and inclusive undergraduate
experience. Projects are often related to
accessibility, equity, and sensitivity. Feel
free to reach out to Xandro Xu at
ei@pennua.org with questions and
suggestions regarding EI’s work!
23 | Equity and Inclusion

Increasing Awareness of Cultural Events
Alexza Zaragoza, C ‘27, alexzaz@sas.upenn.edu
Alexza has been working collaboratively with the United Minorities Council (UMC) to increase
awareness about cultural events on campus. She has already designed ideas for the development of a
potential newsletter that will serve as a more mainstream publication of different events on campus.
Alexza has set up a meeting with UMC Chair, Fiona Wu for the beginning of Spring ‘24 semester to
put the project into action.
Creating a Central Mobile Booking System for Student Health and Counseling
Camellia Bui, C ‘25, cambui21@sas.upenn.edu
Camellia recognizes that Student Counseling does not have an online booking system for Student
Counseling appointments, which is a barrier to healthcare access, and aims to create a centralized
mobile booking system for healthcare, and potentially for other resources on campus, e.g.
Weingarten, Career Services, Writing Center, and others. She has spoken with Rebecca Huxta,
the Director of Public Health, Dr. Vanessa Stoloff, the Director of Student Health, and Batsirai
Bvunzawabaya, the Director of Integrated Care Initiatives at Student Counseling on the issue.
Fortunately, Wellness@Penn is currently building and transitioning into a new system that aims to
optimize booking schedules and integrates the current SHS booking system with Student Counseling
on a new centralized platform. Camellia will continue to be involved with the Physical Wellness
Advisory Board and the Emotional Wellness Advisory Board in the spring semester to provide
recommendations and see this project through. The transition is set to be finished before the next
academic year 2024-25.
Increasing Student Group Visibility for Prospective Students
Alex Eapen, C ‘24, aeapen@sas.upenn.edu
Alex’s project is in collaboration with the Office of Admissions and Admissions Dean’s Advisory
Board, on which he holds the UA’s external seat. This semester, Alex and ADAB worked with the
Previewing Penn team to connect those responsible for maintaining the Previewing Penn Instagram
and Tiktok with student groups across Penn’s campus via UA Steering. The intention of this project
was to ensure that prospective students, especially those of underrepresented backgrounds, will be
able to see and communicate with current students of similar backgrounds and interests, ensuring
Penn remains a diverse institution in spite of the SFFA v. Harvard Supreme Court decision.
Expanding Access to Wharton Headspace Partnership
Andrew Lu, C ‘27, luandrew@sas.upenn.edu
Andrew has been working with the Wharton Undergraduate Division on the possibility of expanding
access to the recently launched Headspace partnership. He has met with Lisa Podolsky, Associate
Director of Student Life, and Jennifer Murphy, Executive Director. Andrew has worked on the
possibility of expanding access to Headspace to the other Undergraduate schools given enough
student interest. He will continue to work next semester in order to gauge student probability of
utilization and meet again with Lisa and Jen to continue conversations on expansion given new
findings.

Increasing Access to Transportation for Community Service
Eric Lee, C ‘26, elee22@sas.upenn.edu
Last year, Eric wrote and passed a Reserve Fund proposal funding $4000 worth of SEPTA passes.
This year, Eric is working on delivering these passes to student organizations dedicated to community
service that are not already affiliated with the Netter Center, which supports its affiliate volunteer
groups. Eric has spoken to the Office of Student Affairs about creating a schedule for when students
can sign out passes and advertising them to the student body. In 2024, Eric hopes to roll out
the distribution of passes and analyze their use to determine whether or not SEPTA passes for
community-service-based student organizations is a worthwhile investment that should be repeated
in future years.
Increasing Penn’s Commitment to Improving Student Mental Health
Xandro Xu, C ‘25, xandro@sas.upenn.edu
Xandro has been working collaboratively with the JED Foundation, a nonprofit organization working
to protect emotional health and suicide prevention for teens and young adults in the United States.
Previously, Penn has benefitted from its expertise, but during the last few years, has run out of
funding to be able to adequately sustain its programs on a long-term basis. Throughout the semester,
Xandro has been in conversation with various stakeholders, including Student Health and Counseling
from the Penn perspective as well as past contacts that Penn has worked with on the JED side. During
the spring semester, Xandro hopes to continue the conversations regarding improving student mental
health and to successfully allocate funds necessary for these programs to continue operating.
Loaning Textbook System
Juan Lopez, C ‘26, jrlopezj@sas.upenn.edu
Juan has been figuring out which projects are feasible and would realistically make a huge impact on
the student body. Over the semester he focused on mandatory recorded lectures and FAQ for FGLI
students but both have not been a necessary project/ not feasible. Now, Juan will be working on a
textbook loaning system. There was a system in the past where one could donate an old textbook
and someone could check it out when the semester begins. Juan plans to work with the Greenfield
Intercultural Center to see if this can be brought back with a few changes. Juan will introduce new
ways to bring back and better the loaning system with the objective of making the textbooks available
primarily for FGLI students then opening it to all of the student body.
Housing, DEI Initiatives, and Accessibility in Greek Life
Yash Mahajan, C ‘25, ymahajan@sas.upenn.edu
Over the past semester, Yash has worked with Janae Tucker to establish an Office of Fraternity &
Sorority Life (OFSL) “External Seat” for the Undergraduate Assembly to ensure undergraduate voices
are reflected in the trajectory of Greek Life on campus. The UA now holds two seats on OFSL with
one being filled by Yash and the other by Nicole Muravksy (College ‘26) -- some of the issues that are
becoming a central theme are sophomore housing exemptions for members of on-campus Greek Life
organizations and furthering the reach of JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion) initiatives
in Greek Life. Yash is eager to see collaborative efforts come to fruition next semester and act as an
advocate for Greek Life organizations in administrative settings.

Free University-wide Access to Menstrual Products
Ria Ellendula, C ‘25, riaell@sas.upenn.edu
As an update to the Hill College House Menstrual Product Pilot Program that she spearheaded last
year, Ria Ellendula has worked with Residential Services to enable access to free menstrual products
in dorming facilities across campus. Products can be found in almost all communal bathrooms and
residential lobbies; this includes bathrooms in Fisher, Ware, Riepe, Kchech, Stouffer, Hill, and the
lobbies of the remaining residential buildings. The final phase of her project involves making public
product dispensers free and advocating for free products in academic building locations.
Fostering Accessibility and Diversity in Admissions
Mackenzie Hill, C ‘27, mackhill@sas.upenn.edu
Mackenzie has been working to create a more comprehensive resource for underserved and
marginalized communities applying to Penn, in the form of a PDF that will be public-facing
and distributed to counselors and high schools across the U.S. (particularly in rural areas and
communities with large concentrations of FGLI students). As a member of the Admissions Dean’s
Advisory Board, Mackenzie plans to meet with leaders in the admissions office and discuss how
to best support students while conveying the priorities that admissions has set for diversity,
transparency, etc.

UA Cabinet
Administrator Meetings
The following is a list of the meetings that
UA Exec and Cabinet had with various
administrators along with a summary
of what was discussed.
For clarity, UA Cabinet includes the
Executive Board.
27 | Administrator Meetings

UA Cabinet
cabinet@pennua.org
International Student and Scholar Services
On Friday, October 20th, the UA Cabinet met with International Student and Scholar
Services. They discussed supporting international students amid international
crises, exposing international students to academic support resources, ISSS advising
and appointment capacity, and international student engagement in Penn Student
Government.
Penn First Plus
On Tuesday, October 24th the UA Cabinet met with Penn First Plus. They discussed
supporting students in procuring textbooks and course materials, engaging faculty in
promoting more inclusive teaching and learning, financial support for the FGLI alumni
transition, PFP and Penn CAP capacities, and P1P engagement with Penn Student
Government.
Business Services
On Thursday, October 26th the UA Cabinet met with Business Services. they
discussed the potential for digital Penn cards, student wellness in the room selection
and assignment process, housing process expectations for the 2024 academic year,
Penn Transit’s fixed route utilization, campus vending machines accessibility and
maintenance, and managing peak dining hall hours.
New Student Orientation and Academic Initiatives
On Friday, October 27th the UA Cabinet met with New Student Orientation and
Academic Initiatives. They discussed campus and resource tours, dining plans and
options for first-year students during NSO, the potential for a first-year day of service,
and promoting student government during NSO.
Provost Jackson
On Friday, October 27th the UA Cabinet met with Provost John Jackson. They
discussed supporting students in procuring textbooks and course materials, the impact
of SCOTUS Affirmative Action ruling on classroom and campus activities, promoting
inclusive discourse, and the status of Native American & Indigenous Studies at Penn.
UA Cabinet Administrator Meetings

Department of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics (DRIA/Penn
Athletics)
On Monday, October 30th the UA Cabinet met with the Department of Recreation
and Intercollegiate Athletics leadership team. They discussed Penn Atletics’
engagement with student groups on campus to increase attendance, the potential for
a status tracker for equipment fixes in Pottruck, and the potential for priority course
registration for student-athletes.
Student Registration and Financial Services
On Thursday, November 2nd the UA Cabinet met with Student Registration and
Financial Services. They discussed upgrades to the PENNant suite (Path@Penn
systems and features), FAFSA changes and its implications for Penn students on
financial aid, the policy on financial aid for course materials, SRFS advising and
student support capacity, and ways to enhance student billing notifications.
Career Services
On Thursday, November 9th the UA Cabinet met with Career Services. They discussed
employers and student expression, AI in Penn Career Services, and ways to engage
Faculty in student career recruiting, and they received updates from Career Services
on the class of 2023’s recruiting outcomes and the utilization of the Self-Serve Photo
Booth funded by the UA.
College Houses and Academic Services
On Thursday, November 16th the UA Cabinet met with College Houses and Academic
Services. They discussed CHAS adaptation amidst quad renovations, CHAS student
feedback and governance, and the role of house faculty directors in promoting student
wellness.
Facilities and Real Estate Services
On Friday, November 17th the UA Cabinet met with Facilities and Real Estate Services.
They discussed the potential for a campus vigil space, promoting campus exploration
and student photos, enhancing exterior signage evening/night visibility, and scooter
and bike racks across campus.

Admissions Dean Soule
On Wednesday, November 29th the UA Cabinet met with Admissions Dean Soule. They
discussed Affirmative Action, legacy admissions, PEEP and PIF, Generative AI and the
admissions process, and the implications of FAFSA changes for Penn Admissions.
Executive Vice President + Chief Investment Officer
On Friday, December 1st the UA Cabinet met with Executive Vice President Carnaroli,
Associate Vice President Sorrentino, and Penn’s Chief Investment Officer Peter
Ammon. This was the first time in UA history that a meeting with the CIO was secured.
They received an overview of the Office of Investments, including an update on their
DEI efforts and interactions with the Penn community. They also discussed Penn’s
endowment, assets with donor restrictions, and Penn’s 2050 Net Zero Emissions goal.
The meeting also focused on ways the content of the Investment Office could be better
communicated to the Penn Community.
With the EVP specifically, they discussed ways to promote the community engagement
efforts occurring across Penn, including the impact of Penn’s investment in the local
school district, and the process for renovating non-residential academic buildings.

Contact Us
UA Cabinet and UA Member Directory
31 | Contact Us

UA Cabinet
UA Executive Board
Xavier Shankle W ‘24
President (president@pennua.org)
Ranim Albarkawi C ‘24
Vice President (vp@pennua.org)
Ria Ellendula C ‘25
Speaker (speaker@pennua.org)
Ria Saraswat W ‘25
Treasurer (treasurer@pennua.org)
Michelle Chen W ‘26
Secretary (secretary@pennua.org)
The Executive Board can be reached at exec@pennua.org
UA Cabinet
Mackenzie Sleeman C ‘25
Committee Director
(ai@pennua.org)
Hannah Liu C ‘25
Comm. Engagement & Sustainability
Committee Director
(ces@pennua.org)
Shikhar Gupta C ‘26
Dining, Housing, and Transit
Committee Director
(dht@pennua.org)
Xandro Xu C ‘25
Committee Director
(ei@pennua.org)
Juan Lopez C ‘26
Speaker Pro Tempore
(spt@pennua.org)
Yash Mahajan C ‘25
Communitications Director
(communications@pennua.org)
32 | UA Cabinet

UA Member Directory
Name Email Address Phone Number
Mackenzie Sleeman, Director ai@pennua.org (914) 419-6216
Ria Saraswat, Exec Liaison*** treasurer@pennua.org (623) 980-2940
Chandler Cheung*** cheungch@seas.upenn.edu (508) 685-6309
Charlie Schumer cschumer@sas.upenn.edu (651) 900-5061
Josias Zongo josias@sas.upenn.edu (267) 230-4478
Keshav Ramesh keshmesh@wharton.upenn.edu (860) 690-1231
Sarah Ali*** alisarah@wharton.upenn.edu (215) 397-7366
Jacqueline Davis jacdavis@sas.upenn.edu (210) 882-0103
Kennedy Kostecki kenkos@wharton.upenn.edu (973) 647-7803
Andrew Lu drewlu@wharton.upenn.edu (872) 985-9822
Halle Kincaid hkincaid@sas.upenn.edu (336) 816-8740
Cindy Zheng zcindy@wharton.upenn.edu (917) 982-5398
Ben Woods benwoods@sas.upenn.edu (703) 899-5600
Community Engagement and Sustainability
Hannha Liu, Director ces@pennua.org (847) 830-8879
Xavier Shankle, Exec Liaison president@pennua.org (678) 414-1739
Koustav Datta koustavd@sas.upenn.edu (603) 930-1145
Sonia Feil sfeil@nursing.upenn.edu (267) 500-3942
Nicole Muravsky nmurav@sas.upenn.edu (917) 805-3727
Shan Shan Liang shan9318@wharton.upenn.edu (423) 741-6660
Venkatesh Shenoy shenoyve@seas.upenn.edu (309) 826-7751
Emma Shockley eshock@sas.upenn.edu (850) 276-4924
Moe Mansour msmans@sas.upenn.edu (445) 265-7788
Arsheya Puri arsheya@sas.upenn.edu (732) 890-5644
Qamar Coleman qamarc@sas.upenn.edu (267) 253-4632
Shikhar Gupta, Director dht@pennua.org (847) 907-1024
Michelle Chen, Exec Liasion secretary@pennua.org (646) 644-2049
Yash Rajani yrajani@sas.upenn.edu (239) 776-0825
Faraz Rahman jacdavis@sas.upenn.edu (210) 882-0103
Ben Sailors bsailors@seas.upenn.edu (614) 940-9724
Sophia Powell scpowell@sas.upenn.edu (571) 355-4203
Lucas Zhu lucaszhu@sas.upenn.edu (973) 369-2673
Musab Chummum mchummun@upenn.edu (425) 429-5641
33 | UA Member Director

Michael Tepperman mtepp@wharton.upenn.edu (917) 656-5929
Leo Solga** solgaleo@sas.upenn.edu (610) 500-4982
Nia Matthews niamatth@wharton.upenn.edu (443) 783-1585
Aidan Carroll aidanamc@sas.upenn.edu (202) 744-4433
Hita Mohan hmohan@sas.upenn.edu (901) 674-4024
Xandro Xu, Director ei@pennua.org (484) 782-4258
Ranim Albarkawi, Exec Liaison vp@pennua.org (267) 234-4428
Alex Eapen shravya@sas.upenn.edu (443) 478-0505
Ashley Song asaad01@sas.upenn.edu (931) 572-8962
Yash Mahajan xandro@sas.upenn.edu (610) 679-4381
Daniela Uribe dauribe@sas.upenn.edu (610) 715-5044
Andrew Lu luandrew@sas.upenn.edu (731) 298-1110
Mei Wang meiwang@wharton.upenn.edu (310) 946-1813
Juan Lopez* jrlopezj@sas.upenn.edu (510) 935-5096
Mackenzie Hill mackhill@sas.upenn.edu (256) 970-9118
Camellia Bui cambui21@sas.upenn.edu (267) 467-2420
Alexza Zaragoza alexzaz@sas.upenn.edu (915) 245-1616
Eric Lee elee22@sas.upenn.edu (973) 917-9904
Juan Tovar juanito@wharton.upenn.edu (267) 319-6040
34 | UA Member Directory
Legend
* Speaker Pro Tempore
** Legal Services Coordinator
*** Budget Committee

Project Report
The following is a digest of all of the projects that
are currently being pursued by UA members. For
more information on each project, feel free to
contact the UA members listed beside that project.
If you have suggestions for UA projects,
let us know at pennua.org/suggestions.
35 | UA Project Report

Project Report
• Preventing Confusion with Space & Event Reservations - Charlie Schumer, C ‘24, cschumer@
sas.upenn.edu
• Improving Distribution of Financial Aid Processes Information for Social Security Administra-
tion C-Flagged Students - Cindy Zheng, W ‘26, zcindy@wharton.upenn.edu
• Permanent Vigil Space - Chandler Cheung, SEAS ‘25, cheungch@upenn.edu
• Equitable Credit Limit During Advanced Registration - Chandler Cheung, SEAS ‘25,
cheungch@upenn.edu
• Improving Sustainability in Houston Market - Chandler Cheung, SEAS ‘25, cheungch@upenn.
edu
• Expanding Pottruck Equipment - Ben Woods, C ‘27, benwoods@sas.upenn.edu
• Increasing Access and Affordability for Testing for Students with Special Accommodations -
Asim Handy, E ‘27, ahandy@seas.upenn.edu and Kennedy Kostecki, W ‘26, kenkos@wharton.
upenn.edu
• Increasing accessibility to MBA resources for undergraduate - Josias Zongo, W ‘24, josias@sas.
upenn.edu
• XCAT Working Group - Mackenzie Sleeman, C’25, mackslee@sas.upenn.edu
Community Engagement and Sustainability
• Campus Mural Art - Sonia Feil, N ‘24, sfeil@nursing.upenn.edu
• UA Service Bylaw Amendment - Hannah Liu, C ‘25, hmliu@sas.upenn.edu and Venkatesh She-
noy, SEAS ‘24, shenoyve@seas.upenn.edu
• Increasing Accessibility of Booking Hill Group Study Rooms - Arsheya Puri, C ‘27, arsheya@
sas.upenn.edu
• Expanding Donation Drive Opportunities from Penn into West Philly - Koustav Datta, CAS ‘26,
koustavd@sas.upenn.edu
• Enhancing Green-to-Box Tracking for Improved Sustainability - Moe Mansour, C ‘27, ms-
mans@sas.upenn.edu and Leo Solga, C ‘26, solgaleo@sas.upenn.edu
• Student Guide for When Interviews and Academics Conflict - Nicole Muravsky, C ‘26, nmu-
rav@sas.upenn.edu and Andrew Lu, W ‘26, drewlu@wharton.upenn.edu
• Social Justice and Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Program - Nicole Muravsky, C ‘26, nmurav@
sas.upenn.edu
• Program to Support Bereaved Students - Nicole Muravsky, C ‘26, nmurav@sas.upenn.edu
• Planning Future Sustainability Efforts - Nicole Muravsky, C ‘26, nmurav@sas.upenn.edu
• Working with the Native and Indigenous Community to improve their Penn experience - Ni-
cole Muravsky, C ‘26, nmurav@sas.upenn.edu and Keshav Ramesh, C ‘25 W ‘25, keshmesh@
wharton.upenn.edu
36 | Project Report

• Penn Mentor Meals and Canvas Enhancements - Nicole Muravsky, C ‘26, nmurav@sas.upenn.
edu
• Improving and Collecting Student Input about Campus Wi-fi and Technology - Nicole Mu-
ravsky, C ‘26, nmurav@sas.upenn.edu and Leo Solga, C ‘26, solgaleo@sas.upenn.edu
• Partnering with the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life - Nicole Muravsky, C ‘26, nmurav@
sas.upenn.edu and Yash Mahajan, C ‘25, ymahajan@sas.upenn.edu
• FGLI Informational Masterguide - Meiyi Wang, W ‘27, meiwang@wharton.upenn.edu
• Creating More Inclusive Pre-College Programs - Qamar Coleman, C ‘25, qamarc@sas.upenn.
edu
• Increasing Accessibility of Over-the-Counter Medicine - Michelle Chen, W ‘26, mchenn@
wharton.upenn.edu and Venkatesh Shenoy, SEAS ‘24, shenoyve@seas.upenn.edu
• Developing a Peer Mentoring Program at ISSS - Shikhar Gupta, C ‘26, shikharg@sas.upenn.
edu
• Increasing Student Connections with the Morris Arboretum - Nia Matthews, W ‘27, nia-
matth@wharton.upenn.edu
• Revamping Residential Services Messaging - Musab Chummun, C ‘27, mchummun@sas.up-
enn.edu
• Implementing Tissue Dispensers - Musab Chummun, C ‘27, mchummun@sas.upenn.edu
• Increasing Printing Accessibility Across the Undergraduate Schools - Leo Solga, C ‘26, solga-
leo@sas.upenn.edu and Andrew Lu, W ‘26, drewlu@wharton.upenn.edu
• Making Family Weekend More Accessible for Families - Aidan Carroll, C ‘27, aidanamc@sas.
upenn.edu
• Pottruck Exercise Catalog - Michael Tepperman, W ‘27 C ‘27, mtepp@wharton.upenn.edu
• Increasing Accessibility to Weitzman Undergraduate Courses - Yash Rajani, C’24, yrajani@sas.
upenn.edu
• Increasing Awareness of Cultural Events - Alexza Zaragoza, C ‘27, alexzaz@sas.upenn.edu
• Creating a Central Mobile Booking System for Student Health and Counseling - Camellia Bui,
C ‘25, cambui21@sas.upenn.edu
• Increasing Student Group Visibility for Prospective Students - Alex Eapen, C ‘24, aeapen@sas.
upenn.edu
• Expanding Access to Wharton Headspace Partnership - Andrew Lu, C ‘27, luandrew@sas.
upenn.edu
• Increasing Access to Transportation for Community Service - Eric Lee, C ‘26, elee22@sas.
upenn.edu
37 | Project Report

• Increasing Penn’s Commitment to Improving Student Mental Health - Xandro Xu, C ‘25, xan-
dro@sas.upenn.edu
• Loaning Textbook System - Juan Lopez, C ‘26, jrlopezj@sas.upenn.edu
• Housing, DEI Initiatives, and Accessibility in Greek Life - Yash Mahajan, C ‘25, ymahajan@
sas.upenn.edu
• Free University-wide Access to Menstrual Products - Ria Ellendula, C ‘25, riaell@sas.upenn.
edu
• Fostering Accessibility and Diversity in Admissions - Mackenzie Hill, C ‘27, mackhill@sas.
upenn.edu
38 | Project Report

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www.pennua.org

Penn UA Mid-Session Report 51st Session, 2023-2024

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