Graduate Student Council

Graduate Student Council

The Graduate Student Council (GSC) advocates for the needs of graduate and professional students at UNCSA and connects students academically and socially within and across disciplines. The Graduate Student Council is part of UNCSA's Student Government Association and its president reports to and maintains a close relationship with the Student Body President.

2026-27 Graduate Council

President

Alice Liu

Alice Liu (Hsin-Jou Liu) is a second-year graduate student from Taiwan majoring in Film Music Composition. Before coming to UNCSA, she served as Vice President of her undergraduate Student Council and as the student representative speaker at her commencement, developing strong coordination and advocacy skills. As an international student, Alice understands the challenges of navigating academics, culture, and institutional systems in a new environment. Now as the GSC President, she hopes to build bridges across programs and cultures, create a welcoming graduate community, and help students connect and have fun together!

2026-27 Graduate Council

Vice President

David Green

David Green is a Winston-Salem native who studied music and Russian language at UNC Chapel Hill. A pianist and classical music enjoyer, David also serves as a teaching assistant for music theory at UNC School of the Arts. Outside of music, he enjoys watching movies and spending time with his two cats.

Executive Team

El Faulkner

Secretary

Hi everyone! I am a second year Production & Project Management graduate student from Long Island, New York and super excited to be representing our Pickle Grads! During my free time, I love to read, listen to music, run, and plan awesome all school events with my lovely council!

Darby Schmidt

Social Media Manager

Darby Schmidt is a second-year graduate student at the UNC School of the Arts – A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute, pursuing a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance under the instruction of Dr. Marilyn Taylor. As the Media Manager for the Graduate Student Council, Darby has had the opportunity to stay connected with the many recitals, performances, and events happening throughout the school. Through this role, she has become increasingly passionate about helping graduate students stay informed and connected beyond their individual departments. This year, Darby hopes to highlight more events across UNCSA, encourage students to support and celebrate their peers, and create greater awareness of the diverse artistic work happening throughout the UNCSA community.

Avery Ehlers

Design & Production Representative

Hi all! My name is Avery and I am a G2 in the Scenic Art department. My goal as the new D&P representative is to make sure that your voices are being heard (for anything and everything). I completed my undergraduate degree in Theater at Whitman College and I recently just wrapped up an internship at ShowFAB. My hobbies are watching horror movies, reading, and creating organizational paperwork. I love talking to people so please don’t hesitate to reach out :)

Parul Singh

Filmmaking Representative

Hi Everyone! My name is Parul Singh, and I represent the School of Filmmaking on for our beloved GSC. I bring six years of experience as a Bollywood assistant director to my studies, and I thrive on collaborating with new voices every day! When I am not mentoring peers as a Grad Coach, I am usually diving into movie analysis, reading books on mythology, or dissecting the works of various directors and writers. Outside of the film world, I love staying active by swimming, playing badminton, and dancing to Indian Bollywood songs. Looking forward to getting to know all you wonderful artists!

Analina Uribe

Music Representative

Analina Uribe is a Texas-native bassoonist whose passions include performing, reed making and teaching. An advocate for the mental health of musicians, she prides herself in her role as a teacher using her background in psychology to uplift and motivate her students.

Analina completed her Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of Texas at Arlington, also receiving a minor in general psychology. She is currently studying with Dr. Stephanie Patterson at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, seeking a master’s degree in Bassoon Performance. She is currently serving as the Bassoon Studio Graduate Assistant and Aural Skills Graduate Teaching Assistant. She serves as a Fellow with the Piedmont Wind Symphony where she plays both contrabassoon and bassoon.

Peien Ai

International Student Representative

Peien Ai is a second-year student in the Composition for Film & Visual Media program at UNCSA. Originally from Taiwan, she earned her bachelor’s degree in Music Composition before completing her master’s degree in Composition at UNCSA. As an ISA board member and ArtistCorps member, Pei-En enjoys interacting and collaborating with people of all ages and from diverse backgrounds. She is passionate about using music as a way to connect, inspire, and express. As a member of the GSC, she looks forward to supporting graduate students and fostering connections across the UNCSA community!