Charles Harless
By Marion Wise
Daily Bruin Contributor
Outside his school commitments, Graduate Students Association
President-elect Charles Harless likes to relax by visiting
amusement parks.
“I’m a theme park junkie. Right now I have a pass to
Disneyland,” Harless said. “(Going to theme parks)
gives this illusion of getting away for a while.”
Harless, Vice President Internal-elect Dorothy Kim and Vice
President External-elect Alain Dang won seats in GSA’s April
election, which reached a 15 percent voter turnout ““ the
highest in 11 years. They will be installed into office at
tonight’s GSA Forum meeting.
“All graduate students should have a voice, and I’m
here to facilitate that,” said Harless, who ran unopposed for
his position.
Born in San Diego, Harless moved to Alabama when he was 7. After
receiving his bachelor’s degree in computer science from the
University of Alabama in 1996, he started his graduate studies at
UCLA. Harless hopes to combine research and teaching by working as
a college professor on the West Coast.
“I remember back in high school I was interested in going
to college to be a teacher,” Harless said. “When I got
to college, I got interested in research.”
He credits some of his interest in teaching and computer science
to his parents. His mother was a teacher, and his father was an
engineer for Scripps Institute of Oceanography.
Harless is currently finishing his master’s degree in
biomedical engineering and working toward his Ph.D. in computer
science.
He first got involved in student government at the University of
Alabama, where he served as computer science representative to the
engineering council.
At UCLA, Etienne Daignault, vice president external of the
1999-2000 school year, convinced Harless to apply to the Campus
Programming Committee. This year, Harless worked on the GSA cabinet
as director of information, helping GSA promote its activities
through its Web site.
“After some thought and talking to current GSA President
Martin Griffin, I thought the presidency would best fit my
skills,” Harless said.
Griffin says Harless has a strong understanding of the workings
of GSA and will work well with the association’s forum.
“He will bring a lot of commitment,” Griffin said.
“I think he’ll be very good at drawing the strengths of
GSA together.”
Harless said he hopes to address the need for additional
graduate student housing, increase social interactions among
graduate students and expand the GradBar program, which provides
monthly on-campus music, food and drinking for graduate
students.
Harless said he also wants to expand the BruinGo! program, which
offers free rides on the Big Blue Bus to UCLA students and faculty,
to students living outside Westwood and Santa Monica.
Dorothy Kim, vice president internal for this year and next,
said she is looking forward to working with Harless.
“He’s incredibly well organized,” Kim said.
“He really wants to reach out to parts of campus that we
haven’t heard from in a few years.”
The GSA Forum meets today at 5 p.m. in 417 Kerckhoff Hall.