Newly Elected Trustee Announced

By: Andrew Peters

Posted: 4/24/07

After weeks of campaigning, a 52-vote margin earned Ross Gionfriddo, a 4th-semester political science and economics double major the position of Undergraduate Student Trustee Monday, according to UConn Dean of Students Lee Williams.

Gionfriddo, the vice president of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, received 618 votes to defeat fellow candidates Bradford Cook, Evynne Graveline, Jeremy Jelliffe, Steven Bourque, Jonathan Sierakowski, Hera Butt, Pasquale Morra, Amy Israel and Louis Gentile who had been disqualified for a late submission of his financial statement. Voting took place online April 16 through April 18.

"I'm honored that I was elected over such excellent candidates," Gionfriddo said. He will succeed current trustee Salmun Kazerounian and plans to serve the entire two-year term.

The Undergraduate Student Trustee is an active member of the UConn Board of Trustees, which has the last word on university decisions. The Trustee is responsible for attending and voting at Board of Trustees meetings, listening to students' concerns and bringing them to the board's attention.

"Every decision from selecting the president to changing policy to naming buildings must first be approved by the board," Gionfriddo said.

Gionfriddo obtained nearly 23 percent of the undergraduate vote, according to Williams. Just below 17 percent of UConn's 16,000-plus undergraduates participated in the election.

"His campaigning was effective," said Michael Smith, a 4th-semester computer engineering major. "He advertised all over campus and went to the club sports council meeting. I hope he's going to make it easier for people to get funding for club sports."

Gionfriddo said he hopes to address some common student complaints during his tenure, which begins before the next academic year.

"The issues are points of frustration for many students, such as the bureaucracy of ResLife and issues of public safety," Gionfriddo said.

He offered suggestions such as building sidewalks along Hunting Lodge Road, starting a bus service to popular off-campus destinations and using student evaluations to determine professors' salary incentives.

"I do have a lot of ideas," he said.

Gionfriddo encouraged undergraduates to approach him with university concerns at his office in the Student Union starting next semester.

"I am the representative for the entire student body," he said. "I have every student in mind, not just the people who voted for me."

Williams said an official statement about the election results would be released by Ronald Schurin, executive assistant to UConn President Phillip Austin.