Get to know your VP for External Relations!

What is your name?

Rajeev Ravisankar

What pronouns do you use?

He/Him/His

Where are you from?

Ohio

What degree are you working toward?

PhD in Media Studies

What projects (research, creative) have you worked on? If your degree has a thesis component, what is/will it be about?

My research interests focus on alternative models for organizing media platforms, and particularly the potential for democratically run cooperatives to transform the media landscape.

What would you like for your post-graduation career to be/focus on?

I would like to teach at the university level while also being involved in popular political education and critical media literacy initiatives.

What job(s) do you have now or have had in the past?

I’ve worked as a research associate with the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, an assistant editor for Himal Southasian magazine, a copy editor at the Savannah College of art and Design, and an editorial assistant for Jacobin magazine.

What GE positions have you held while at UofO?

I’ve held GE positions in a newspaper editing lab and a media ethics class, and I also had a research assignment for a project looking at news coverage of immigration.

What is your educational background (e.g., degree, subject, school)?

BA in Political Science and International Studies
Master of Public Administration, Ohio State University
Post-graduate Diploma in Print Journalism, Asian College of Journalism

How many years have you been at UofO?

1 (since 2018)

How many years have you been a GE?

1 (since 2018)

How many years have you been a member of GTFF?

1 (since 2018)

What roles have you held within GTFF?

Executive Board Officer

Caucus Member

Steward

Full Member

What is your favorite aspect of GTFF?

The sense of solidarity and commitment to collective action in GTFF are deeply meaningful to me. I also value GTFF as an avenue to meet GEs across disciplines and to engage with the campus and Eugene communities.

What are your goals for GTFF for the coming year?

The primary goal is to go all out to win a fair contract for GEs! In that process, I hope to develop deeper and more durable ties to UO students, faculty, and staff as well as to community members and organizations and other labor unions.

What else do you feel is important for GTFF members to know about you?

I’m committed to ensuring that GTFF continues to be an open, democratic space that is driven by the collective energy of rank-and-file members.