Heather Raslan (she/her)
President
Heather Raslan is a senior from Burr Ridge, Illinois, majoring in Neuroscience and minoring in Global Health and Chemistry. She has been on DSG since her freshman year as a senator and Vice President of Academic Affairs. Her favorite experiences with DSG project work include serving as president for Blue Devil Buddies (matching freshmen with current students) and co-founding and leading Blue Devil Bridges (a student-alumni connection program). As President, Heather is focused on strengthening communication and onboarding internally in DSG, working with student organizations on campus to create sustainable partnerships, and increasing opportunities for students to enjoy their experience on Duke’s campus and in the Durham community.
Akhilesh Shivaramakrishnan (he/him)
Executive Vice President
Akhilesh Shivaramakrishnan is a senior from Concord, North Carolina studying Public Policy and Global Health. Akhilesh has been on DSG since his freshman year, serving as a Senator and Associate Vice President of Durham & Community Affairs, as well as the organization’s Outreach Coordinator. Through his role as EVP, Akhilesh is focused on streamlining DSG’s operations team and more intentionally connecting DSG with the broader Duke community.
Jax Nalley (he/him)
Chief of Staff
Jax Nalley is a senior from Northwest Arkansas, studying Public Policy and Romance Studies. Jax has been actively involved in Duke Student Government for four years, serving in various leadership roles, including Senator of Academic Affairs, Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Cabinet Director of Educational Equity and Student Success. In addition to his work in DSG, Jax is a Duke Chapel Scholar, a member of the POLIS Student Committee, and engages in political science research. After graduation, Jax plans to attend law school with the goal of becoming a civil rights litigator.
Ayanna Chatman (she/her)
Chief Financial Officer
Ayanna Chatman is a senior from Bronx, New York majoring in Work and Organizations Sociology and double minoring in African/African-American studies and Chinese. Currently serving as DSG’s Chief Financial Officer, Ayanna has been heavily involved in DSG finances throughout her four years. Since freshman year, Ayanna has served on DSG’s Student Organization Finance Committee as an analyst, sub-committee vice-chair, and chair. Ayanna also serves on the President’s Council on Black Affairs as a DSG representative. Outside of DSG, Ayanna is a recruiting assistant for Duke Football.
Dylan Cawley (he/him)
Speaker of the Senate
Dylan Cawley is a junior, majoring in Environmental Science & Policy with a minor in Inequality Studies. He is passionate about exploring the intersections of climate change and environmental justice through an economic lens. Before Duke, Dylan spent a gap year fighting wildfires in Northern California for the California Conservation Corps and has since worked for the US Forest Service on an Interagency Hotshot Crew. On campus, Dylan is a member of Duke Student Government, an Ambassador for the Office of Sustainability, and a researcher in the Duke Economic Analytics Lab.
Alessandro dal Bon (he/him)
Vice President of Academic Affairs
Alessandro dal Bon is a senior majoring in Electrical & Computer Engineering and Computer Science. He served as the inaugural President of Craven Quad his sophomore year and as a Senator of Academic Affairs in DSG his junior year. He is now Vice President of Academic Affairs. In this role, he looks forward to uplifting students’ concerns and working with students, professors, and administrators to address those concerns. Alessando wants to help every student thrive in their time at Duke. To that end, if you have any ideas or feedback, reach out.
Tara Singh (she/her)
Vice President of Campus Life
Tara Singh is a junior from Louisville, Kentucky who is currently pursuing dual degrees in anthropology and political science, with a minor in linguistics. As the first Director of Residential Experience & Policy for DSG, she solidified Quad identities, established a tradition of student representation in the residential life space, and pioneered innovative social programming. Building upon this background, Tara looks forward to creating an iconic undergraduate experience with the Campus Life committee as Duke enters its second year and aims to craft projects with intentionality and care to address the shifting needs of the Duke student body following QuadEx. This year, the Campus Life committee will meaningfully enhance the student undergraduate experience by advocating for food point usage in gameday operations, integrating Quads into student life through tailgating, and providing transportation shuttles to the Raleigh-Durham airport during major breaks. Beyond Duke Student Government, Tara is the proud President of Keohane Quad Council and a Duke Presidential Ambassador.
Yadira Paz-Martinez (she/her)
Vice President of Equity & Outreach
Yadira Paz-Martinez is a junior at Duke University majoring in Public Policy with a minor in History and a certificate in Human Rights. She is Mexican American and the proud daughter of Mexican blue-collar and farmworker immigrants. Yadira is the current Duke Student Government Vice President for Equity and Outreach and previously served on a Bass Connections team titled “Measuring Democracy,” and was the former co-president for Define America, now known as “Beyond Borders.” She is also a Benjamin N. Duke Scholar, Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow, and a recently selected 2024 Truman Scholar. Yadira aspires to obtain a JD and Ph.D. to advance labor rights for farmworkers and low-wage workers.
Yash Sharma (he/him)
Vice President of Durham & Community Affairs
Yash Sharma is a sophomore from Gurnee, Illinois majoring in Public Policy and double minoring in Psychology and Education. Yash currently serves as the Vice President of Durham and Community Affairs, but has been involved in DSG since his freshman year as a senator of Academic Affairs. Beyond DSG, Yash is a public policy ambassador, tour guide, and researcher for Duke’s project on Democracy and the Politics of Higher Education.
Mariam Gulamhusein (she/her)
Vice President of Services & Sustainability
Mariam Gulamhusein is a junior from Dubai, United Arab Emirates studying Economics and Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Arabic concentration). Mariam has been a member of DSG since her freshman year serving as a senator of senator of Services and Sustainability and now as the vice president of the committee. Through her roles in DSG, Mariam has also served on the Climate Commitment Advisory Council Leadership Team and advised Duke on its policy surrounding carbon offsets. Beyond DSG, Mariam is a Baldwin Scholar and the lead editor of the Research Africa Reviews Journal.