Candidate for GSA President
"Committed to our community. Dedicated to real results. Elect Harsh for a Progressive, Stronger Advocacy."
April 23, 2026 • Midnight
I am Harsh Vijendra Joshi, a Master’s candidate in Financial Technology and Analytics at UTD and the current Vice President of the Indian Students Association. Serving in this role gives me the incredible privilege of catering to a vibrant community of over 4,000 students while directing a 30-member team.
My leadership journey and my commitment to helping others started back home in India. From a young age, I was deeply invested in lifting up the people around me and giving back to my community. That passion for service was recognized when I received The International Award for Young People from The Duke of Edinburgh for my community service work. That experience cemented my core belief that true leadership is simply about caring for people and building a supportive environment wherever you go.
Alongside my passion for community, I am someone who is driven by an intense, natural curiosity. If I see a system, a concept, or a problem I do not understand, I have an overwhelming need to research it, break it down, and figure out exactly how it works. This drive to constantly learn and solve problems led me to pursue my Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Engineering, and it continues to fuel my work in quantitative finance today.
Now, I get to combine my love for research with my dedication to people as a Teaching Assistant for Risk and Financial Economics. The best part of my week is working directly with my students. I love helping them navigate complex financial models, but more importantly, I genuinely care about making sure they feel confident, supported, and prepared for the technical demands of the corporate world.
Beyond the classroom, my focus will remain dedicated on community building. I will fiercely advocate for student needs in university meetings and organize events that make our massive campus feel a little more like home. My goal will always be the same. I want to listen to my peers, empower my teams, and build a connected graduate community where everyone can thrive.
I am running for GSA President because I believe graduate students deserve an assembly that is as ambitious and hardworking as they are. We face a unique set of challenges. We are balancing rigorous academic research, teaching responsibilities, and the pressure of preparing for highly competitive job markets. I want to lead the GSA to break down those silos.
Generic career advice is not enough for graduate students. I plan to leverage my background in corporate prep and data analytics to modernize how GSA approaches professional growth. I will push to expand our alumni networking panels into targeted, industry-specific mentorship programs. By building stronger pipelines with the UTD alumni network, we can create high-impact resume workshops and mock interview series that give our students a distinct competitive edge in the job market.
As a Graduate Teaching Assistant, I understand the financial realities many of us face while trying to focus on our studies. I am committed to fiercely advocating for salary and stipend increases for our PhD students, TAs, GAs, and RAs. The research and teaching we do are the backbone of this university. I will make sure our voices are heard in the rooms where financial decisions are made so that our compensation reflects the true value we bring to UTD.
Decisions that affect our funding, research, and campus life should never be made without us. I will prioritize getting strong, vocal graduate student representatives appointed to critical university groups like the Academic Senate, the Graduate Council, and the Handbook of Operating Procedures Committee. We need to ensure that university policies actively reflect the needs of graduate students.
A true community takes care of its own. I am committed to expanding GSA’s Research Seminar Series to foster open, vital discussions around equality, mental health, and belonging. Furthermore, I will drive our initiatives forward, organizing large-scale volunteer efforts for the Comet Cupboard and local community drives, ensuring the GSA is known as a force for good both on and off campus.