Executive Board & Advisors
Abhishek Saxena
President
Hello! My name is Abhishek Saxena and I am a Senior majoring in Psychology with a minor in Creative Writing. This is my fourth year with Active Minds and the third year I am serving as president! I am also a RA on SoFoHo 3, Facilitator for +PLUS, Director of Events for PsiChi, a member of the LGBT Advisory Board, a member of the Health and Wellness Committee, and a Reasearch Assistant for Dr. Joshua Jackson and Dr. Deanna Barch. I hope to take all that I have learned and get my PhD in Psychology with a focus on emotion research.
Chelsea Birchmier
Vice-President of Outreach
Hi! My name is Chelsea Birchmier, and I’m internal vice president of Active Minds. I joined Active Minds because I'm passionate about fighting the stigma that is often attached to mental health issues, and I love surrounding myself with inspiring and open-minded people who truly care about mental health. Some facts about me: I'm a pre-med junior studying psychology and Spanish, and I work in Dr. Bugg's cognitive control and aging lab.​ I was born in Kansas City, Missouri and have lived there my entire life until now, and I love books, feminism, and the sun.
Ashley Zhou
Director of Public Relations
My name is Ashley Zhou. I'm a sophomore majoring in Operations and Supply Chain Management and minoring in Drama and Computer Science. I have been with Active Minds since freshmen year and this is my second semester as the Director of Public Relations. I liaised with other student groups and departments on campus as well as facilitating communication within the group. I also serve as the choreography director for WashU Hiphop Union and a mentor for the "Big Sis Little Sis" program at WashU China Care.
Nicole Wildstein
Director of Publicity
My name is Nicole Wildstein, and I am a junior majoring in Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology with a concentration in Cognitive Neuroscience. I am also pursuing a minor in history. This is my second semester as Director of Publicity for Active Minds, which entails creating flyers, spreading awareness for events, as well as handling other creative projects. At school, I work in the Emotion and Mental Health lab, where I strive to increase my understanding about psychopathology. In the future, I hope to use these skills to be an effective clinical psychologist. My hobbies include painting, drawing, and listening to music.
Melissa Ruwitch
Advisor
Ms. Ruwitch received a Bachelor's degree in English and Women’s Studies from Colby College. She worked in women’s health advocacy in Washington, D.C. and helped establish WU's Alumni and Parents Admission Program. Since 2000, she has built the health promotion department, developing programs, services and resources for students on the subjects of alcohol and other drugs, basic self-care, sleep, stress, anxiety, depression, body image, nutrition, fitness, sexual health, and sexual violence. Melissa manages various outreach efforts and communications projects for SHS, including the Stressbusters program and the Student Health 101 e-magazine. She works with Residential Peer Health Educators (RPHEs), Resident Advisors, the Student Health Advisory Committee (SHAC), the Committee on Rape Education (CORE), Phi Lambda Psi, Reflections, Uncle Joe’s, Active Minds, and other student leaders to enhance WU students’ living/learning opportunities.
Stacy Yun
Vice-President of Programming
My name is Stacy Yun and I am a senior at Washington University majoring in Psychology and minoring in East Asian Studies. I am passionate about promoting mental health awareness on campus and have been part of Active Mind's executive board since my sophomore year. Currently, I am the Vice President of Programming planning events like Mental Health Awareness Week, Dodging Depression, and much more. I also work in Dr. Brian Carpenter and Dr. Thomas Oltmann’s labs as an undergraduate research assistant and have been conducting independent projects. In my free time, I love to dance as well!
Zunaira Komal
Director of Education
I’m a rising junior studying Experimental Psychopathology with a minor in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies. I’m here as an international student from Pakistan. A fun fact about me is that I can make wickedly awesome snow cones (a friend and I started a snow cone business last summer)! I have been involved with Active Minds since I was a freshman and I deeply care about the club because I love being surrounded by people who are equally passionate about mental health issues. My favorite part of being a part of Active Minds is that I get to contribute in meaningful ways to the conversation about mental health and to help fight the stigma surrounding mental health issues on campus and beyond.
Sakirat (Shaki) Akadri
Director of Finance
I am currently a Sophomore at WashU majoring in Biochemistry. I became a member of Active Minds at WashU during my freshman year. I am currently the Treasurer of Active Minds, a position that allows me to propose a budget and acquire money for the group in order to fund fun, educational and interesting activities for the group. Other student group organization with which I am involved on the WashU campus are APO and Campus Y. ​
Ashni Patel
Director of Speciaal Events
Class 2017, and currently undecided major. A New Yorker who absolutely loves pandas.
My favorite part of Active Minds are the discussions we have about topics involving mental health; members of the group always have interesting opinions to contribute and I walk away from the discussions feeling like I've learned something of value; it's one of the reasons I decided to join Active Minds.
Jen Self
Advisor
Dr. Self earned a Doctoral degree in Counseling and Family Therapy from Saint Louis University, a Master’s degree in Counseling from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. She has provided mental health counseling to college students in university settings for several years. Dr. Self enjoys working with individuals, couples, and groups from a diverse student body including LGBT students, students of color, and international students. Her approach to therapy incorporates cognitive-behavioral, insight-oriented, and attachment-focused techniques. Dr. Self’s areas of special interest include existential concerns and personal growth, relationship and family issues, ADHD, assertiveness, and depression.