ASUA Senator Riley Haveman is an Advocate for Pharmacy Students
On September 5, the Associated Students of the University of Arizona (ASUA) Senators met with Provost Prelock for an opportunity to discuss building strong relationships with college deans and strengthening communication and collaboration between the ASUA representatives and campus leadership. Joining from the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy was ASUA Senator Riley Haveman, a current undergraduate student ambassador with the college.
“During a time when some of the key aspects that make our college amazing are being challenged, like diversity and research, I am incredibly grateful to be at the forefront of these important conversations and have the opportunity to create initiatives that ensure their protection,” Havemen commented. In addition to her other volunteer positions, she has served on the PharmCAT Family Committee, acting as a voice and advocate for students to university leadership.
2025 Amgen Scholars
Beyond her volunteer work and campus involvement, Haveman is interested in pursuing a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences to continue exploring research opportunities in the field. This summer she was selected to be an Amgen Scholar with Columbia University, where she worked with Dritan Agalliu, PhD in the Department of Neurology on a developmental neuroscience project. During the research experience she joined fellow scholars for the North American Amgen Scholars Symposium at UCLA, where students were given the opportunity to network with other scholars, talk about their research projects, and participate in various professional development workshops. The experience culminated in an oral presentation and written article by Haveman.
Reflecting on the program, Haveman added, “It was a great opportunity to continue developing my lab and science communication skills, explore research at a new institution, gain more insight about preparing for graduate school, and meet new people in a new city.”
Below, Haveman gives some insight into the mission and activities of the ASUA Senate and the Fall Kickoff Event with Provost Prelock, as well as some advice for those interested in student government.
Q & A
Can you share some background on what the ASUA Senate is, and your role as a Senator?
- ASUA is a student-elected government run by students for the students. We as senators, act as the liaison between the student community and the administration. For my role as a college-specific senator, I am directly responsible for advocating for the College of Pharmacy community (from undergrad, to pharmacy school, and graduate students) and coordinating with the dean every month. For those interested in ASUA, I recommend finding further details at the ASUA website.
What was the process like for being elected to the student government?
- I joined the student government last spring when I officially ran for the position. I had a few friends who were running for various other positions in ASUA and that encouraged me to fully go for it and run as a candidate for my own college. I actually was admitted later because the day I realized I wanted to run was the day that all of the packets were due. So, after that deadline passed, I checked and noticed that the seat was still vacant and reached out to Rebecca Field to ask about it. She contacted the senator at the time who carried along the information that I was interested in the position. I was connected with people involved in the election process and was allowed to run during the normal election period so that students could still vote for me. The process for running involved getting a certain amount of signatures from people, depending on the position, a statement of interest, and a recommendation letter. I also remember submitting a resume and a picture of myself for my candidate profile.
What was the ASUA Fall Kickoff? What did you get to do as a Senator?
- At the kickoff event, senators and the ASUA executive team were invited to hear the provost speak while also having a chance to eat lunch and discuss with the various deans of the colleges. At the kickoff I was able to formally introduce myself to Dean Jeannie Lee and talk about her own role in the college as well as my motivations behind becoming a senator this year. I also had some great conversations with my fellow senator, Elizabeth Ghartey, and Dean Hagaman of the College of Nursing.
Why did you want to become a Senator? Has it shaped your experience as a student with the college?
- To be involved in ASUA as the College of Pharmacy senator felt like the natural next step in my journey of being involved with the college. I have been an undergraduate ambassador for the college for the last two years, and through this experience, I have grown closer to the staff and made a positive and personal impact on prospective students' college journeys. Last year, I was also a member of the PharmCAT family committee that worked on curating events for alumni engagement and outreach. When I realized that our college had an opening for ASUA senator, I was more than ready to rise to the occasion to spend my final year here ensuring that the students of the College of Pharmacy are heard and advocated for.