2026–2027

Executive Board

GSSA is led by a four-member Executive Board consisting of the President, Secretary, VP of Finance, and VP of Communications. Officers serve one-year terms beginning May 1, are accountable to the membership, and serve without compensation.

Ashutosh Pawar Ashutosh Pawar President Ph.D. Student, Geoinformatics & Geospatial Analytics Read bio

Pronounced AA-shoo-tosh puh-WAAR

Ashutosh combines satellite imagery, UAV data and geospatial artificial intelligence to study livestock manure-management systems. He also serves as Vice President of North Campus for SLU’s Graduate Student Association.

Office hours: By appointment

Mustafizur Rahaman Mustafizur Rahaman Secretary Ph.D. Student, Geoinformatics & Geospatial Analytics Read bio

Pronounced Mus-tah-fi-zur

Mustafizur Rahaman is a PhD student in Geoanalytics whose research uses satellite and airborne remote sensing to map forest structure and monitor habitat change over time. He integrates field inventory data with machine learning to develop reliable, landscape-scale assessments of forest conditions and change.

As Secretary of GSSA, Mustafizur maintains the organization’s membership roster, attendance records, meeting minutes, and organizational archive

mustafizur.rahaman@slu.edu
Office hours: By appointment

Joey Jilek Joey Jilek Vice President of
Finance
Ph.D. Student in Geoinformatics & Geospatial Analytics Read bio

The Vice President of Finance prepares GSSA’s budget, maintains financial records, and provides a financial summary to members each semester. Joey’s research focuses on using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) and LiDAR to measure and analyze precise elevation changes to the Earth’s surface over time. Integrating these remote sensing technologies improves the detection and monitoring of these changes across built and natural environments

joey.jilek@slu.edu
Office hours: By appointment

Ashley Karandjeff Ashley Karandjeff Vice President of
Communications
M.S. Student in Environmental Geoscience Read bio

Ashley uses GIS to study landscapes affected by wildfire, drawing on her background in geology and environmental ecology. A graduate student at SLU and cum laude graduate in Environmental Sustainability, she brings the entrepreneurial skills from owning her own business to her role as GSSA’s Vice President of Communications. As VP of Communications, she manages GSSA’s announcements, social media, newsletter, and website, and coordinates outreach to students, academic units, and the St. Louis geospatial community.

Office hours: By appointment

Faculty Advisor

The Faculty Advisor is a non-voting advisor to GSSA and the Executive Board.

Dr. Vasit Sagan Dr. Vasit Sagan Faculty Advisor Professor · Director, SLU Geospatial Center Read bio

Dr. Sagan directs the Geospatial Center and the Remote Sensing Lab at Saint Louis University, serves as SLU Site Director of the NSF IUCRC Center for Accurate Georeferencing of the Environment, and is an Associate Editor of the ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. As Faculty Advisor he provides guidance and institutional continuity; he is non-voting and does not control GSSA elections or student decisions.

Elections

Regular elections are held in March or April and completed before May 1. Nominations stay open for at least fourteen days, and any Active Member in good standing may nominate themselves or another eligible member. Voting is by confidential ballot, administered by non-candidate members.

Constitution Art. V · Bylaws Art. V. The founding board serves through April 30, 2027; the first regular election is Spring 2027.