Yasaman Asiaee

Email: yasaman.asiaee@maine.edu

Program/Department: School of Forest Resources

Why did you decide to become a GSG senator?: I decided to become a GSG senator because I wanted to represent the voices of students in my department and contribute to improving the graduate student experience. Serving in this role allows me to stay engaged with the broader UMaine community, advocate for resources and opportunities that benefit graduate students, and help strengthen the connection between students and university leadership.

How would you best serve your constituents?: I would best serve my constituents by actively listening to their concerns, keeping open lines of communication, and making sure their voices are heard at the GSG level. I believe in being approachable and transparent, so students feel comfortable bringing issues to me. I would also share updates regularly to keep them informed about resources, opportunities, and decisions that affect them.

Please tell us about your research or some fun facts about you: My research focuses on cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs), renewable materials made from wood fibers that can replace petroleum-based plastics. I develop machine learning models to predict their mechanical properties and design new image analysis methods to measure fiber orientation under polarized light. Outside of research, I love dancing, baking, and painting!

How do you plan on communicating with your constituents?: I plan to communicate through regular emails, department announcements, and being approachable for one-on-one conversations.