2026-2027 Student Trustee

Jayne Vogelzang

T.H. Chan School of Medicine and Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 2030

Tell us about yourself and why you would like to serve as the Student Trustee for UMass Chan?

I am a second-year MD/PhD student running for Student Trustee because I care deeply about how students are seen, heard, and represented within the institution that shapes our training. 

Across the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing, the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and the T.H. Chan School of Medicine, students move through very different worlds, yet all of us depend on responsive leadership, clear communication, and support that reflects the realities of student life. I would bring those perspectives into Board-level conversations with clarity, thoughtfulness, and accountability.

As an MD/PhD student, I move between research and clinical training, which gives me a practical understanding of how institutional decisions affect students across both settings. I see how mentorship, communication, and access to resources can either steady a student or create unnecessary strain. That perspective has made me attentive both to the concerns our schools share and to the differences in how students experience this institution.

If elected, I will listen carefully, seek input broadly, and represent student concerns clearly, consistently, and in good faith. I want to ensure student concerns are not just heard, but meaningfully represented in Board-level discussions.

Please identify your top three goals if you were to serve in this position in the coming year.

Transparency: I will advocate for greater clarity in how decisions are made so we know what is being proposed before it is finalized, how to provide feedback that informs the process, and how those changes will practically affect our training and daily lives.
Cross-school Representation: I will take a deliberate approach to hearing from students across the nursing, graduate, and medical schools so that representation is broad, accurate, and grounded in the full range of student experiences. Because our communities move through different structures and pressures, I will prioritize intentional outreach to ensure each community is heard where our experiences diverge.
Practical Improvements: I will push for tangible improvements in the conditions that shape our day-to-day experiences across academic, clinical, and research settings. To me, this means prioritizing mentorship, access to resources, professional development, and support systems that enable students to thrive, while ensuring the Board addresses the specific issues you tell me matter the most.