The Pittsburgh Student Government Council elected Pitt’s graduate student government and its… The Pittsburgh Student Government Council elected Pitt’s graduate student government and its current president Nila Devanath to lead the group during the Spring 2011 term as it continues to push for student civic engagement and representation.

Devanath replaced former chair James Regar, of Duquesne University, and will hold the position for one academic semester. Her duties will include coordinating regular council meetings, organizing meetings with City Council and serving as the official spokeswoman for PSGC.

“It’s a big honor to have been chosen for this position,” Devanath said during a brief interview Sunday.

The Graduate and Professional Student Assembly, the student governing body that encompasses Pitt’s graduate schools, will also serve a leadership position on the council, meaning the group will host meetings for the PSGC, among other duties.

Newly appointed Student Government Board President Molly Stieber will also serve a term on the PSGC alongside Devanath, replacing former SGB President Charlie Shull, who was instrumental in forming the council.

Last semester, the PSGC, which consists of student leaders from 10 local colleges and universities including Pitt, Carnegie Mellon University, Duquesne, Carlow and Chatham, worked with the City Council to create the Student Civic Engagement Month. PSGC also worked with the Port Authority to help deter potential public transit cuts.

The council started correspondence with the Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education to further establish its presence in the city’s academic and governmental community — a relationship Devanath hopes to continue to improve.

Devanath said her goals for the coming semester include the establishment of an official liaison with Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s office and investigating the possibility of establishing some form of statewide student association for Pennsylvania.