The Graduate Student Government (GSG) is a University recognized organization open to all students, faculty and staff. The objective of the GSG is to meet the unique needs of the students, to foster intrapersonal understanding, to build upon cooperation in field education, and to facilitate problem-solving between the School of Social Welfare administration, faculty, and students. This organization functions as the propelling force of the SSW by advocating for students, advancing interests, and fostering activities. It stresses the importance of the values of the profession of social work and is a collaboration of faculty and students to achieve these goals. Feel free to attend a meeting and check the SSW Update for upcoming events!
E-mail us:
ssw_gsg@stonybrook.edu
Meet your Government Board Representatives for 2024-2025!
Rosanna Cuttone, President
Hello! My name is Rosanna Cuttone and I use She/They pronouns. I am excited to be your GSG President for 2024-2025. I am in my final year of the full-time program specializing in Community, Policy & Political Action (CPPSA). I received my Associate of Science from York College of Pennsylvania and my Bachelor of the Arts in Psychology and Minor in Social Work from SUNY Old Westbury.
I work at SBU as an Assistant Coordinator of Leadership for Campus Residences and a Graduate Coordinator for the LGBTQ+ Center. Additionally, I will be the Advocacy / DEI Chair for the Marsh P. Johnson Legacy Affinity Group in our School of Social Welfare. My first internship was at Suffolk County Court in Integrated Domestic Violence Court and I will be interning for Gender Equality of New York (GENY) for 2024-2025. My biggest accomplishment as a student was receiving the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence when I was a student at SUNY Old Westbury. My passion is in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and I am always here to support and offer solutions to any students who have concerns throughout their time as a student in the School of Social Welfare.
My mission as President is to advocate for the academic, professional, and personal well-being of our graduate students. I am dedicated to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment and creating effective change in the School of Social Welfare. I aim to achieve this through advocacy work, community building, resource accessibility, diversity, equity, inclusion, and transparent communication.
If you have any issues, questions, suggestions, or anything you'd like to discuss, feel free to email me at ssw_gsg@stonybrook.edu, or if you'd like to keep it confidential you are welcome to reach out to my email rosanna.cuttone@stonybrook.edu. I look forward to making meaningful connections with our graduate students!!
COMING SOON! PROFILES OF GSG BOARD MEMBERS FOR 2024-2025
2023-2024 BOARD MEMBERS
Cristina Bergara, Vice President
Hello! My name is Cristina Bergara and my pronouns are she/her. I am super excited to be your Vice President on GSG for 23’-24 year. I am in my final year of the full time program specializing in Families, Youth, and Transition to Adulthood (FYT). I received my B.A in Psychology at Stony Brook and am originally from Westchester, NY.
Outside of Stony Brook my role within the community is being a part time shift supervisor for Response Crisis Center. During my experience in my current position, I have learned that there is a large need for social workers to work out in the communities working on different interventions and community programming to support individuals. I’m a strong advocate for all things mental health and suicide prevention. I truly believe that the work we are doing right now as students will impact our communities in more ways than we can imagine. I hope to offer students a listening ear and hope to advocate for the best interest of all students in this program. Please feel free to email me cristina.bergara@stonybrook.
Mai Han, Secretary
Hello everyone! My name is Mai Lin Han, my pronouns are she/her, and I am honored to be the Secretary for the school year of 2023-2024. I am currently in my third year in the part-time program specializing in Integrative Health. I currently work full time as a Senior Case Manager at Victory Recovery Partners in Massapequa, a chemical dependency treatment program for Substance Abuse and Addiction. I am also one of the bilinguals' providers at my agencies dedicated to finding services to the Spanish Speaking Population.
I've received a B.A in Sociology at SUNY Cortland and have worked as a case manager for the last 6 years in various human service programs such as: Samaritan Daytop Village (Huntington Station, NY), Family Service League (Bay Shore, NY) and Children and Family Services (Cortland, NY). My experience working with these organizations has opened many opportunities of networking and finding resources to assist the clients in addressing their specific needs. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions, concerns or resources you need for your field placement at mai.han@stonybrook.edu. Also be on the lookout for upcoming events to make this school year a great one!
Melissa Torregrossa, Senator
Hi everyone! I'm Melissa Torregrossa, and I couldn't be more excited to serve as your Class Senator for the ’23-'24 year. My educational journey into the world of social work began right here at SBU, where I earned my BSW in 2023. Right now, I'm in my advanced standing MSW program, specializing in Community, Policy, and Political Social Action (CPPSA).
During my undergraduate years, I had the pleasure of wearing two hats as both Class Senator and Treasurer for the Undergraduate Social Welfare Alliance (USWA). These roles allowed me to get to know our student body inside out and foster some wonderful connections along the way. Beyond campus, I'm your MSW representative to the board for NASW: NYS. I currently work full time as Lead Patient Care Advocate for Mindful Care, providing same-day/next-day psychiatry, therapy, and substance use services through Telehealth or select in-person locations spanning across 6 states and still growing! My mission for the upcoming year is simple: I'm here to be your voice and make sure every student feels not just heard, but truly valued. Please, do not hesitate to reach out to me at melissa.torregrossa@stonybrook.edu for anything you may need, and let's work together to make this year another amazing one!
