(Photo courtesy of iStock) “Voting in an election”
From April 14th to the 15th, UMass Lowell students will have the opportunity to make their voices heard in the upcoming 2026 Student Government Association (SGA) spring elections.
The spring elections will give students the opportunity to elect an SGA Student Body President and Vice President, Student Trustee, At-Large senators and senators representing all five colleges, and for the Class of 2027, senior officer positions.
“I might be biased because I advise SGA and I know what kind of an impact they make, but I also know that they work really hard to try and educate people about what student government does, and that’s difficult to do,” said Sarah Rine, Director of Student Life and Involvement and faculty advisor of SGA .
SGA Chairs Bryce Lee and Muriel Merheb, both Business Administration majors, are expected to be elected the next Student Body President and Vice President respectively, succeeding Gavin Robillard and Rena McFall.
In an Instagram post to the campus community, Lee and Murheb said their priorities for taking office will be “mental health advocacy, community and school spirit initiatives, and availability of career-connected opportunities” (BryceAndMuriel4SGA).
The Student Body President and Vice President represent over 12,000 undergraduate students and additionally, as listed in the SGA constitution, appoint senators to chair positions and oversee the work of standing committees.
In the Student Trustee election, Greek Life chair Tucker Norton, a Business Administration major, is expected to succeed Abigail Cooper.
The Student Trustee serves as the university’s ambassador and represents the Board of Trustees of the University of Massachusetts system, as well as serving as an SGA voting member.
Students will be able to vote from 9 AM on Tuesday, April 14th to 4 PM on Wednesday, April 15th by visiting uml.edu/elections.
When asked about the importance of student voting, Rine said “It’s a great way to support peers who become student leaders on campus through student government.”
Below is the list of vetted candidates as approved by the SGA election committee:
President & Vice President (vote up to one ticket): Bryce Lee & Muriel Merheb
Student Trustee (vote up to one): Tucker Norton
Senators At-Large (vote up to twelve): Nathan Contorelli, Mia Czarnecki, Maretchia Dakash, Merolla Dakkash, Keyko Diesing, Muhammad Naeem, Jolia Sifien, Michael Sliman, Nancy Tekityamazzi
Fine Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (FAHSS) Senators (vote up to six): Sean Antin, Hope Bunnell, Mera Hanna, Heidy Rodriguez
Francis College of Engineering Senators (vote up to six): Sid McQuaid, Kyle Ray-Dutra, Gabriel Rivers, Ereny Tefal
Kennedy College of Sciences Senators (vote up to six): Ewan Grant, Arjun Gupte, Maahi Pant, Nida Syed
Manning School of Business Senators (vote up to six): Bruno Jacob, Anthony Massaro
Zuckerburg College of Health Sciences (ZCHS) Senators (vote up to six): Eden Adams, Silvia Wahba
Class of 2027 President (vote up to one): Cole Stepanik
Class of 2027 Vice President (vote up to one): Aaron King
Class of 2027 Secretary (vote up to one): Courtney Houde
Class of 2027 Treasurer (vote up to one): Paige Matthews
