Student Trustees

The University of New England offers an unusual opportunity for two students each year to serve as full voting members of the University's Board of Trustees, attending all regular trustee meetings.  As such, they provide a connection between all of our student populations and the Board, and have real input on this overarching governing body which guides the future of UNE.  Student Trustees not only provide student perspective to the Board, they also build connections between and within each campus through their work with all student government organizations.  Student Trustees are selected by a committee of their peers and administrators.

Learn more or to apply for this enriching leadership position.

2012-2013 Student Trustees

Two students who have been selected as Student Trustee will serve as Student Trustees for the 2012-2013 academic year.

The Representatives Council (a committee comprised of the two current Student Trustees along with selected leaders of the three UNE student government organizations) recommended Gavin Kuns to be the Student Trustee for the Biddeford Campus and Bryan Luna to be the Student Trustee for the Portland Campus. Following a process of peer evaluation, professional references, and a formal interview with the Representatives Council, the two candidates were recommended to the Board of Trustees and approved as Student Trustees-Elect at their meeting on March 10, 2012. 

Beginning after the May meeting of the Board of Trustees, these two students will have full voting privileges on the University of New England Board of Trustees.

The role of the Student Trustee is to provide an enhanced student perspective to the Board and facilitate interactions between and within each campus. In order to accomplish this goal and assist in their transition, the newly elected Student Trustees receive training from the 2011-2012 Student Trustees for the remainder of the academic year.

Gavin Kuns '13 - Biddeford Campus 

Gavin Kuns has demonstrated a strong commitment to the University and his peers, having served as President of the Undergraduate Student Government 2011- 2012, Undergraduate Student Government Recreation Senator 2010-2011, while holding the position of Class Vice President since his freshman year. Gavin previously served as a Trailblazer Orientation Leader. He also works as a student employee, monitoring the photography studio in the Department of Creative and Fine Arts and as an Outdoor Recreation Guide.

He is frequently sought out as a resource for student input to various UNE committees, examples of which are the Arts@UNE Committee and Carbon Monitoring Task Force. Gavin continues to volunteer in community service activities, having participated in the MedLife Medical Mission to Ecuador in January 2011 and Red Cross Blood Drives since 2007.

Gavin’s goal is to be instrumental in bringing innovative ideas to fruition, and believes that the strong connections he has made with staff, faculty and administrators through former and current involvements will afford him the opportunity to do so as a Student Trustee of the University of New England Board of Trustees.

Bryan Luna '15 - Portland Campus

Bryan Luna, member of the Class of 2015 in the College of Pharmacy, graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a degree in Biology. He works as a Certified Pharmacy Technician at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, Boston and at Walgreens Pharmacy, Needham. Bryan has also worked as a Camp Counselor for the Brain Injury Association of Virginia.
In October, 2011, he was elected President of the Class of 2015 on the Executive Board of the College of Pharmacy and to the Student Leadership Committee. As a Student Trustee, Bryan’s goals include promoting and strengthening ongoing interdisciplinary collaboration between colleges and programs on both the Portland and Biddeford campuses, specifically, wanting to bring a higher understanding of the purpose of interdisciplinary collaboration from the student’s perspective.

Both Gavin and Brandon are looking forward to their roles in representing students,
strengthening connections across UNE’s colleges, and participating in the planning and decision-making processes for the University.

2011-2012 Student Trustees

Brandon Hotham '12 - Biddeford Campus 

Brandon Hotham is a well-known leader on the Biddeford Campus. A member of the undergraduate Class of 2012, Brandon is double majoring in Psychology and English and Language Studies. He was selected and has served as a Resident Advisor (RA) for two years, and as a film maker/web designer for the Department of English and Language Studies. He has been an actor and production worker for the UNE Players, an Undergraduate Student Government representative, an Orientation Leader and Editor-In-Chief of the Nor’easter News, UNE’S student newspaper. He is a Dean’s List student who has received numerous awards. His stated goals as a Student Trustee include strengthening connections between College student populations and increasing student awareness of the important role of the Board of Trustees.

Alexandra Malinowski '14 - Portland Campus

Alexandra Malinowski, member of the Class of 2014 in the College of Pharmacy, graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a degree in Biology and Chemistry. She has worked at Childrens Hospital Boston as a Sterile Products and Investigational Drug Specialty Technician and is a nationally certified Pharmacy Technician. During her undergraduate years she served as a Training Coordinator for Walgreens Corporation. Alex wasted no time in assuming leadership roles at UNE including that of Class Treasurer on the Executive Board of the College of Pharmacy Class of 2014 and co-chairing the “Generation Rx” program of the American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists. As a student trustee, Alex hopes to improve collaborative education and experience in the classroom and in the community between interdisciplinary health professions.