Ronnie Mondal

Ronnie Mondal believes courageous leadership is “Being able to say and do the right thing for your constituents, even if it means disagreeing with others.”

Ronnie discovered the Graduate and Professional Student Senate in the second year of his PhD program. When he saw the impact that students could have working in shared governance, he decided to join the senate in an official capacity. Since then, he has served as director of advocacy and president.

In his role as president, he “communicates on the behalf of all senate members to university administrators, faculty, staff, undergraduate students, the Town of Blacksburg community, and other external bodies.”

His work has helped bridge the gap between the senate and Graduate School administrators. His nominator said, “He has used his unique leadership position to help both entities work more closely together and understand each other's concerns on a level not seen for several years.”

Ronnie has used his platform to help domestic and international students understand their rights to free speech and advocacy. He recently helped facilitate an event that was co-sponsored by the senate, the Graduate School, Cranwell International Center, and the Cultural and Community Centers.

The event was centered around helping students make informed decisions about how to advocate for the causes they believe in while adhering to external guidelines, such as university policies and visa requirements.

His nominator said that Ronnie has carefully reflected on his role within the administration to best serve his community. Understanding that his position gives him a unique perspective on the inner workings of the university, Ronnie has taken the initiative to make information clear and accessible to students.

“Ronnie has been learning through experience what it means to lead with courage,” said his nominator.

As a conduit between students and administrators, he is also familiar with the bounds and limitations that come along with serving two groups whose aims can sometimes seem at odds.

Despite perceived challenges, he firmly believes that “it is possible to find common goals and work towards them one step at a time.”

His nominator said, “He is wrestling with many things that Student Affairs professionals grapple with and is taking the discomfort in stride as a learning and growth opportunity.” His current projects in the senate include working towards resolving academic bullying needs for graduate students and working on sexual violence prevention initiatives.

Ronnie said he is most proud of “being able to forge a collaborative path forward for students to better their experience on campus.” He said his passions are: “Reading, coding, and finding loopholes in policy.”

Ronnie is a chemistry PhD candidate in the College of Science. He said his plans are simple: “Graduate. Then try to do good work wherever I end up.”

For his steadfast, insightful advocacy for the student body, Student Affairs is proud to present the Aspire! Award for Prepare for a Life of COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP to Ronnie Mondal.