Board members are elected once per academic year, following a nomination process (at the end of Winter or at the Spring GMM) and a vote among all GTFF members.
Please feel encouraged to email us with any and all questions!
For more information on each of the positions, see the GTFF Bylaws.
Meet your 2024-25 Executive Board!
Presence O’Neal | President
president@gtff.net
Pronouns: she/they
Department: Critical Education
Presence is a PhD candidate in Critical & Sociocultural Studies in Education. Their research explores the potential for teacher education and curriculum design to subvert colonial, patriarchal, and white supremacist violence in schools. She believes that if we build labor coalitions that actually celebrate difference, center the perspectives of our most targeted community members, and work on being consistent yet sustainable in our organizing, our historic contract win is only the beginning of what we can do together.
Matthew Miyagi Tuten | VP for Organizing
organizing@gtff.net
Pronouns: he/him
Department: Philosophy
Matt is a third-year PhD student in the Philosophy Department who does work in political theory and the philosophy of race and empire. He’s from the island of Okinawa but has also spent his formative years in the mountains of Western North Carolina.
Rye Davies | Co-VP for Grievances
grievances@gtff.net
Pronouns: they/them
Department: English
Rye is a fifth year PhD student in the English department. Their research focuses on games as a site of community building for queer and crip players. They live with a beautiful partner, a very energetic kindergartner, and a small terrier mix named Baxter. They like to play board games, video games, make believe with their kid, and guitar and drums. DO NOT approach them to talk about music or video games unless you have several hours to spare. DO approach them and their co-VP to talk about any possible issues in your workplace. Free Palestine!
Allison LaSalvia | Co-VP for Grievances
grievances@gtff.net
Pronouns: she/her
Department: Chemistry
Allison is a third year chemistry PhD candidate who specializes in heterogeneous catalysis. She has a beautiful dog named Amelia who is her pride and joy. She enjoys spending time outside, reading, writing poetry, and being a certified yapper. Allison is excited to connect with more GEs through formal and informal grievance procedures to make our working conditions work better for us!
Carver Goldstein | VP for Membership
membership@gtff.net
Pronouns: he/him
Department: Physics
Carver is a second-year physics PhD student working in the discipline of high-energy theory. He is very passionate about the GTFF and organizing to build power within it. When not building worker power in our union, he can often be found biking, camping, or extolling the beauty of the Northern Nevada desert.
Alex Rosen | VP for Operations
operations@gtff.net
Pronouns: he/him
Department: Chemistry
I am a 5th year PhD candidate studying the use of aluminum oxide chemistry as an eco-friendly alternative to commonly used PFAS (“forever chemicals”) materials. In terms of our union, I have had lots of experience with logistical work and organizing from being a steward in the Chem department, as well as working a lot with the Researcher caucus (RAGE) and our contract action team during bargaining. My personal philosophy for this position is as a logistics focused, service-style organizer. My job is to help our union run efficiently, and I am always around to assist with any tasks that may come up!
Helena Machado | VP for Equity & Inclusion
equity@gtff.net
Pronouns: they/them
Department: Earth Sciences
Helena is a PhD candidate in the Earth Sciences department, specializing in horse evolution. Last year they co-chaired the GTFF International GEs Caucus and, in the previous three years, they’ve also served on UO’s CMiS (a Community for Minority in STEM) executive board, which makes them so excited to join our board this year and bring their past experiences to continue the amazing work of our union! Helena loves any form of audiovisual media and is always down to decolonize science.
Kaito Campos de Novais | VP for International Affairs
international@gtff.net
Pronouns: he/him/ele
Department: Anthropology
Hi, I am Kaito. I am happy to serve as the first VP for International Affairs in GTFF and my goal is to advocate for our collective wellbeing, especially for us who live under visa constraints. I am a 5th year Ph.D. candidate in cultural anthropology, studying contemporary queer/cuir/trans Latine diasporas in the United States. I keep the accent and longings from the place I come from: Goiânia, heart of the Brazilian Cerrado. But I am proud to say GTFF has given me a community to belong and a chosen family always ready to support me no matter what. I hope that, amidst the burdens of displacement that comes with being an immigrant inside U.S.-academia, other international grad students-employees can feel a sense of home in our union too.
Brennan Fitzgerald | VP for Member Communications
member.communications@gtff.net
Pronouns: they/them
Department: Chemistry
Brennan is a third year in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Institute of Molecular Biology. They study protein evolution. Last year, they were involved with CAT comms, the research assistant GE (RAGE) caucus, and co-chaired the Mutual Aid Committee. They like cooking and reading books (queer scifi and fantasy especially preferred). Please talk to them about union comms and how we can build solidarity with organizing efforts globally and locally!
Gonzalo Bustamante-Moya | VP for Political Education
political.education@gtff.net
Pronouns: he/him
Department: Philosophy
Gonzalo is a fourth-year PhD student in Philosophy who focuses on political and social philosophy, feminist philosophy, and gender, queer, and critical theories. He is from Mexico and his current research is focused on critiques of capitalism as a mode of subjectivation. He enjoys dry martinis, having conversations with friends, reading by the river, and struggling with others to create a livable and lovable world.
Collin Heatley | VP for External Relations
external.relations@gtff.net
Pronouns: he/him
Department: History
I’m in my 5th year in the History Ph.D program and I work with 1980s-1990s hardcore punk communities in the greater Los Angeles area. I’m from rural Pennsylvania and I’m politically grounded by wanting dignity and justice for working-class folks globally. I also love baseball (die hard Yankees fan, sorry), organizing, playing guitar and drums, and film photography.
Tom Bouley | Treasurer
treasurer@gtff.net
Pronouns: he/him
Department: Physics
I’m a 5th year PhD student in the physics department. I study dark matter and do astroparticle physics. I have the best cat, he is named Nilla.
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