Dear NGP Community,

My name is Jessica Morrel, and I am honored to serve as the elected president of the Neuroscience Graduate Forum (NGF), the student body representing all NGP students, including you! NGF exists to:

1. Foster a supportive and inclusive community of neuroscience graduate students here at USC, and
2. Support students in their transition into and navigation of graduate school, and to help prepare them for life after completion of graduate studies. 

In pursuit of these goals, NGF offers a plethora of student-led programming, including professional development workshops and networking opportunities, social events, mentorship, and more. NGF is run by a team of elected students who are passionate about improving NGP and creating a thriving and supportive environment for their peers. It is a wonderful group of people, and I strongly encourage any and all interested students to apply for roles in NGF or reach out for more information. NGF is only as strong as the students who shape it.

As NGF President for the 2025-2026 academic year, I will work alongside and support an incredible NGF Executive Committee to ensure meaningful programming, student support, and achievement of our NGF vision. I will also serve as the primary liaison between students, faculty, and NGP leadership. Most importantly, I am here to advocate for and support the NGP student body and NGF Executive Committee. This past year, under the leadership of Riley Elmer, NGF made great strides in expanding its events and uplifting student engagement, providing new and unique opportunities for student involvement in events such as the NGF symposium. This year, we will build on that momentum. Therefore, our 2025-2026 NGF Vision is:

COLLABORATE & UPLIFT:

Advancing Community and Empowering Resilience

I am excited to introduce the phenomenal team of students who will help bring this vision to life. 

The 2025-2026 NGF Executive Committee

As Vice President, Zoe Tsokolas (tsokolas@usc.edu) will be my right hand, assisting with the goals of NGF, overseeing collaborations with other student organizations, and serving as the point of contact for students in Year 2 and above.

As New Student Liaison, Kevin Camey (camey@usc.edu) is here to support your transition into graduate school and ensure a smooth and positive start for incoming students. 

As Director of Professional Development (PD), Suhani Amin (suhaniam@usc.edu) will work with both academic and non-academic partners to create engaging seminars, workshops, and networking events and oversee the PD team.

As Networking Liaison, Shangzhou Xia (sxia3216@usc.edu) will connect NGP with outside organizations to provide a plethora of relevant opportunities open to students and seek potential speakers for events.

As Director of Programming, Tamara Jafar (jafar@usc.edu) will serve as the primary point of contact for most NGF-related events and oversee the Programming team in the planning, scheduling, coordination, and execution of these events.

Our  Service and Outreach Liaison, Jingyang Cai (caijingy@usc.edu) is responsible for incorporating service and outreach opportunities from external organizations into NGF opportunities and collaborating with the NGP Connectome and EmpowerED teams.

As Symposium Liaison, David Johnson (john864@usc.edu) will serve as the chair of the NGP Symposium Committee, coordinating and overseeing all planning for the day.

Our Retreat Liaison, Nushka Remec (remec@usc.edu) is the chair of the NGP Retreat Committee, working with students, faculty, and administrators to plan and coordinate details of the Retreat.

Our Director of Media, Emma Carpenter (emmacarp@usc.edu), oversees all NGP media efforts, including the program website, monthly newsletter, and social media accounts in order to increase engagement.

Finally, as Chief Editor, NGF Newsletter, Eryn Perry (erynperr@usc.edu) is in charge of the NGF monthly newsletter, highlighting NGP and NGF events, opportunities, and student accomplishments. 

In addition to NGF, there are several other opportunities to get involved in NGP and NGF activities and programming. We will continue to advertise positions and opportunities as they arise throughout the year. Here are a few…

• NGP Connectome Committee – focused on fostering community and belonging in NGP

• • Younger Researchers Program– gives you a chance to mentor high-school students with university-level research 

• AI Working Group – helping to develop AI literacy and skills training within NGP and program-wide AI usage policies

• NGP Annual Retreat Committee– helps organize the retreat and select speakers and plan the social events 

• NGP Annual Research Symposium Committee– organizes the symposium, chooses speakers, and handles logistical event-related planning 

• Distinguished Speakers Committee– selects academic and non-academic leaders to give in-person workshops and talks at NGP 

Graduate school can be challenging, but our goal is to make it empowering, supportive, and community-driven. We are committed to creating meaningful opportunities for connection, professional development, and growth. I look forward to getting to know each and every one of you during this academic year!

Warm Regards,

Jessica Morrel

Neuroscience Graduate Forum President 

jmorrel@usc.edu