Eleven candidates are vying for three seats on the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs, the nine-member executive branch of the University of Michigan’s central faculty governance. These faculty elections are crucial as they influence university policy and administration. The candidates, who include professors, librarians, and research scientists, aim to represent diverse faculty interests and promote shared governance.
The newly elected members will begin their terms on May 1. After the Senate Assembly meeting on March 23, where candidates will present statements, voting will commence electronically for 72 hours. The top three candidates will be announced on March 27, replacing outgoing SACUA members Vilma Mesa, Susan Najita, and Lauren B. Smith.
Germine “Gigi” Awad
University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor, professor of psychology, and of women’s and gender studies, and associate director, Global Islamic Studies, LSA
Education: Ph.D. Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; Master of Arts, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; Bachelor of Science, John Carroll University
Faculty leadership: Committee member, STRIDE U-M Advance Program; chair, Committee on Anti-Racism, CAR
Candidate statement: “I am honored to be nominated for SACUA and strive to leverage faculty expertise to help meet the demands of the changing landscape of the academy. As questions arise as to what the U-M core values of integrity, respect, inclusion, equity, diversity, and innovation entail in the current climate, I hope to help strategize how to stay true to the University of Michigan’s mission and standards that were co-created by the campus community. I believe the protection of academic freedom is key to continuing the high standards of excellence that are expected from everyone at the University of Michigan.”
Sun-Yung Bak
Clinical associate professor of dentistry, School of Dentistry
Education: Maxillofacial Prosthetics Fellowship Certificate (2013), University of California, Los Angeles; DDS (1998), U-M School of Dentistry
Faculty leadership: Rules, Practices, and Policies (2024-present); U-M Women of Color in the Academy Project (2019-present)
Candidate statement: “I am a clinical associate professor at the School of Dentistry. As clinical faculty, I understand the pressures of teaching loads, research and service expectations. I am passionate about equity in promotion and transparency in compensation standards, academic freedom, and physical and psychological safety of not just faculty but of students and staff on campus. All faculty should have the freedom to express concerns and protection from retaliation. I am an advocate for oversight committees to protect faculty from repercussions from administration. If elected, I will strive to bring faculty voices and concerns to administration.”
Steven Buchman
M. Haskell Newman Collegiate Professor of Plastic Surgery, professor of surgery, and of neurosurgery, Medical School
Education: Bachelor of Arts in English/protein biochemistry, Columbia University; M.D., Medical College of Virginia
Faculty Leadership: Medical Affairs Advisory Committee, MAAC; Faculty Grievance Hearing Panel, FGHP
Candidate statement: “I’m a tenured professor in plastic and neurosurgery. I’ve been at the University of Michigan for over 31 years and I’m running for SACUA because I feel that the administration has ‘lost its way’ regarding the way faculty are treated and valued. The grievance process requires overhaul as it’s non-binding and it seems the unelected and unappointed office of general council represents the university’s interests and not ours. I think reform is required and I promise to speak truth to power in my quixotic endeavors for transformational improvement for the professors who have dedicated their lives to this esteemed institution.”
James Gulvas
Senior associate librarian, Library Collections, University Library
Education: Leadership Institute for Academic Librarians, Harvard University
Faculty leadership: Chair, Financial Affairs Advisory Committee, FAAC (2022-24); member, Administration Evaluation Committee, AEC
Candidate statement: “I am running for SACUA to hold university leadership accountable to faculty governance, through transparency, evidence, and timely consultation. As an acquisitions librarian, I have previously chaired the Faculty Senate’s Financial Affairs Advisory Committee, and I serve on Senate Assembly, where I have pushed for clear rationales, measurable outcomes, and honest communication. On SACUA, I will push that major university and faculty initiatives, budgets, and policy changes come with data, options, and impact assessments, and that faculty feedback is reflected in the final decision, not filed away. I will report back and elevate concerns early, across all three campuses.”
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