Dear NGP Community,

My name is Suhani Amin, 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! The mission of NGF is to:

1. 1. Foster a supportive and inclusive community of neuroscience graduate students here at USC,
   2. Support students in their transition into and navigation of graduate school, and to help prepare them for life after completion of graduate school, and
   3. 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, 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. 

As NGF President for the 2026-2027 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 Jessica Morrel, NGF made great strides in expanding its events, uplifting student engagement, providing new and unique opportunities for student involvement, and fostering a resilient spirit as we navigated uncertainty. This year, we will build on those values. Therefore, our 2026-2027 NGF Vision is:

UNIFY & SUPPORT:

STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY + EMPOWER STUDENTS

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

The 2026-2027 NGF Executive Committee

As Vice President, David Johnson (john864@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, Chloe Orsini (cborsini@usc.edu) is here to support the transition into graduate school and ensure a smooth and positive start for incoming students.

As Director of Professional Development (PD), Nathaniel Goble (nathanbg@usc.edu) will oversee the PD team and work with academic and non-academic partners to organize engaging seminars and workshops. The First-Year Liaison of Professional Development is a position for an incoming student to assist in PD efforts, and it is open for applications! In this role, you will help the team with finding speakers or organizing other networking opportunities, event planning, and identifying potential career exploration opportunities for Year 1 students.

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

As Director of Programming, Cenk Akiz (akiz@usc.edu) will serve as the primary point of contact for most NGF-related social events and will oversee the Programming team in the planning, scheduling, coordination, and execution of these events. The position for First-Year Liaison of Programming is open for applications! As First Year Liaison, you would assist with brainstorming ideas for NGF activities, event planning, and engaging Year 1 students in activities. Please apply if you are interested!

Our Service and Outreach Liaison, Zizhe Zhou (zizhezho@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, Owen Maisel Vega Huerta (omvega@usc.edu) will serve as the chair of the NGP Symposium Committee, coordinating and overseeing all planning for our annual Symposium.

Our Retreat Liaison, Bea Feichtenbiner (feichten@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 to promote engagement from the NGP community.

Finally, as Chief Editor of the NGF Newsletter, Alena Smith (alenasmi@usc.edu) creates and disseminates 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
• NGP Annual Retreat Committee – helps organize the annual retreat, selecting speakers and planning social events to do during the retreat

• 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 available to the entire program

Graduate school can be challenging, but NGF is here to empower and support students at every stage of the program. I am excited for all we have planned in the upcoming academic year, and I look forward to getting to know all of you!

Warm Regards,

Suhani Amin (suhaniam@usc.edu)

Neuroscience Graduate Forum President