A message from the Acting President

From the GSA website

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A message from the Acting President:
Greetings fellow graduate students... my name is Ronald Zenon Piaseczny and I have recently been appointed by the GSA to the position of GSA President. I am very honored by the appointment and hope to serve the entire graduate student body to the best of my abilities during my interim presidency.

At this time, I'd like to take a few moments to introduce myself. I attended UB as an undergraduate student from 1994 to 1999 and earned a bachelor's degree in English with a minor in Polish Studies. During that time, I was very active in student organizations and student government. I held various positions at Generation Magazine, was World Music Director at WRUB, was involved with the Polish Student Association, the Literature Society, and other organizations. Also at that time, I volunteered with and served as Chief Executive Officer of UB's former student run and operated ambulance company, Baird Point Volunteer Ambulance Company, Inc. Outside of school, I was very involved locally and interned with various law enforcement agencies, including the NYS Attorney General's Office and the United Stated Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In May 1997, I had the good fortune of holding a federally appointed position with the United States Attorney's Office here in Buffalo, NY.

Following undergraduate, I attended Widener Law School in Wilmington, DE, where I graduated with my Juris Doctorate. As a law student, I continued to be active not only academically, but also with my school and local community. I served as president of my school's chapter of Phi Alpha Delta as well as the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. In my last year of law school, I was able to take much of the knowledge I learned while interning at the Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights Center and with the help of other passionate and dedicated students created Widener Law School's first ever gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender student organization. Finally, while still in my last year, I worked in the Norristown District Attorney's Office as a Pennsylvania Supreme Court Certified Intern.

Returning to UB in 2003, I completed undergraduate coursework in psychology and political science, earning bachlor degrees in both. At the present time, I am a student in the Counseling, School, and Educational Psychology Department, completing my masters work in Rehabilitation Counseling and starting my doctorate work in Counselor Education. In 2004, I and a colleague founded the student chapter of the Association of Rehabilitation Counselors of America. For the past two years I have served as CSEP's student senator and served on the GSA Election's Committee last year. When not at school or serving my student organizations, I work as a mental health counselor with a local community mental health agency. I have been active in the GSA for some time now and have vast experience and knowledge of student government and organizations. It is my plan to run for president of GSA for the 2007-08 academic year and hope that my time as Acting President will be spent serving the interests of the graduate student body to the best of my abilities and talents.

Again, I'd like to thank the GSA for this opportunity to serve and I look forward to working with you all.