Announcing the Slate of Candidates for 2026 Executive Council and Delegate Elections

Announcing the Slate of Candidates for 2026 Election

From PSU-AAUP Nominating Committee (Jennifer Kerns, History; Peter Kramer, Campus Rec; Janet Cowal, Linguistics)

The ballot for the election of 2026 Executive Council members opens today, April 1, 2026 at 8am. A link to the online ballot will be sent in a separate email by electionbuddy.com. The ballot will be open for 15 days and will close on April 15 at 5pm.

See further below for additional details on the AAUP and AFT conference delegate ballots. 

We received an amazing group of candidates this year via nomination! The Candidates for Election are as follows (all candidates are ordered based on incumbency by position, then alphabetically by last name. The Executive Council has adopted rank choice voting for any position with 3 or more candidates. All candidate statements are below): 

President (1 position available) 

• Bill Knight (Incumbent). Tenured Faculty. English

Vice President for Collective Bargaining (1 position available) 

• Leanne Serbulo. Non Tenure Track Faculty. University Studies

Vice President for Membership & Organizing (1 position available) 

• Ellis Hews (Incumbent). Fixed Term Faculty. Institute on Aging
• Colleen Carroll. Non Tenure Track Faculty. Toulan School of Urban Studies & Planning

Vice President for Communications and Public Relations (1 position available) 

• J.R. ‘Jones’ Estes. Non Tenure Track Faculty. University Studies
• Andrew Santa Lucia. Non Tenure Track Faculty. Architecture
• Ashley Storey. Academic Professional. School of Business

Councilors at Large (3 positions available):

• Brian Elliott. Non Tenure Track Faculty. Philosophy
• Madeline Frisk. Academic Professional. Student Activities & Leadership Programs
• Aaron Golub. Tenured Faculty. Urban Studies and Planning
• Maureen Hickey. Non Tenure Track Faculty, Politics and Global Affairs (CUPA)
• Isabel Jaén Portillo. Tenured Faculty. World Languages. 
• Gwynn R. Johnson. Tenured Faculty. Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Aleksandar Jokic. Tenured Faculty. Philosophy

CANDIDATE STATEMENTS

President (1 candidate; vote for 1)

Bill Knight (Incumbent)
Associate Professor, English. Tenured Faculty

Since the end of May, I’ve served as President of PSU-AAUP– and for five months of that time I fulfilled the duties of Executive Director as well. In these nine months I have helped build extensive new lobbying relationships, overseen the development of our new website, led the hiring of an Executive Director for Contract/Bargaining, and brought the work of our union to audiences in the Faculty Senate, at rallies, at the PSU and UO Boards of Trustees, in legislators’ offices, at City Hall, and in many member meetings and events. I’m running for President again because this work matters deeply to me. I want to continue my effective year and help PSU-AAUP grow as an organizing union. n my second term, I want to stand athwart these difficult times and deepen member participation, strengthen committees and internal teamwork, expand our solidarity relationships, accelerate our political work, and fight for a flourishing PSU built on collective power rather than top-down austerity or bureaucratic despair. 

PSU-AAUP Service:
Councilor at Large 2022
Vice President for Political and Legislative Action, 2022-3
Vice President for Grievances and Academic Freedom, 2023-2025
President, PSU-AAUP 2025-present
Organizing Committee, 2025-present
Communications Committee, 2025-present
Political and Legislative Action Committee, 2025-present
Collective Bargaining Team, 2025-present

[This statement was submitted by the nominee]

Vice President for Collective Bargaining (1 candidate; vote for 1)

Leanne Serbulo
Associate Professor, University Studies. Non Tenure Track Faculty

The invocation of Article 22 and pending program cuts pose significant challenges to our bargaining unit that will require additional negotiations to ensure that members’ rights and interests are protected. We have a strong bargaining team that is experienced and cohesive. I am running for VP of Collective Bargaining to provide continuity during this difficult time. I bring extensive bargaining and organizing experience to this position. Since my unit is slated for elimination, I will prioritize leadership development and training for bargaining team members so there will be a seamless transition if I am laid off partway through my term. Thank you for your consideration. 

PSU AAUP Service:
Collective Bargaining Team member (Since 2013)
Interim V.P. for Collective Bargaining (2020)
V.P. for Collective Bargaining (2014-2016)
Co-Chair Article 18 Non-Tenure Track Task Force (2015)
Executive Council, councilor-at-large (2013-2014)
Core Organizing (Strike) Committee (2013-2014)
UNST Unit Representative (off and on)

[This statement was submitted by the nominee]

Vice President for Membership & Organizing (2 candidates; vote for 1)

Ellis Hews (Incumbent)
Senior Research Assistant, Institute on Aging. Fixed Term Faculty

In 2025, we experienced the best year of organizing for our local chapter in its past 34 years, gaining 30+ new unit representatives and 90 new members. Through this organizing work, PSU-AAUP has the highest membership density of any academic institution in Oregon. Additionally, we reinvigorated the unit rep system by spearheading unit rep check-ins to cultivate departmental leaders. By phone banking in departmental meetings, statehouse visits, and targeted email campaigns, PSU-AAUP members effectively got the statewide agency that determines higher ed funding (HECC) cut down from 5% to 0%. This achievement proves that the more engaged members we have, then the more we win for our colleagues and students. I am excited at the prospect of continuing this work building Oregon’s strongest academic labor union alongside you all!

PSU-AAUP Service:
Vice President for Membership and Organizing, 2025-present
Organizing Committee, 2024-present
Communications Committee, 2025-present
Unit Rep, 2024-present
Strike Committee, 2024-2025

[This statement was submitted by the nominee]

 

Colleen Carroll
Senior Research Assistant, Toulan School of Urban Studies & Planning. Non Tenure Track Faculty
 
I have been an organizer for over 25 years. I teach Community Organizing and Tenant Organizing. While our union has a high membership rate, we are not a tightly organized union. In order to win fights against the administration, we need to become a more powerful union – and quickly. I will bring the skills and strategies I have developed running and participating in multiple hard fought and hard won campaigns to PSU-AAUP’s organizing efforts. I recently served as the Interim VP for Legislative & Political Action. The next two years will require a strong collaboration between the member organizing and political work to help shape the future of higher education in our state. Organizing is a skill – that you develop through practice. Let’s get to work becoming a strong well-organized union. 

[This statement was submitted by the nominee]

Vice President for Communications and Public Relations (3 candidates; vote for 1)

J.R. ‘Jones’ Estes
Associate Professor, University Studies. Non Tenure Track Faculty
 
It’s likely as strange to read a candidate statement from someone in the program listed first for elimination as it is to write one. Regardless, from 50 years of living in Portland and over 20 years of working at PSU, I hold a long view of this institution, its place, and our remarkable students and colleagues. 

Sharing a root cause of failing to plan for change, our institutional struggles parallel those of Portland. However, while city leadership is evolving, at PSU we are still presented false dichotomies: cut/grow; maintaining/eliminating; disciplinarity/interdisciplinarity. 

Insisting that we need “to be like everybody else,” rather than revitalizing our role as educational and civic vanguards, is not a fresh perspective but a continuation of a status quo that devalues publicly-funded higher education and the public good it serves. If chosen for this role, I will work to effectively counter and correct the pretense of such claims.

[This statement was submitted by the nominee]

 

Andrew Santa Lucia
Associate Professor of Practice, Architecture. Non Tenure Track Faculty

I am committed to serving as Vice President of Communications and Public Relations by bringing together my background in design and journalism to advocate clearly and effectively for our union. My work has always centered on shaping narratives and making complex ideas accessible, and I see communication as both a tool and a responsibility. I currently serve as Secretary and have supported our union through work on strike committees and organizing committees, and I am also a member of the communications committee. These roles ground my understanding of both strategy and solidarity. As an NTTF faculty member, I have consistently fought for our most vulnerable colleagues and understand the urgency of equitable representation. At this moment of significant change at PSU, it is essential that we amplify the voices of those most affected by shifting conditions and policies. I will prioritize transparency, clarity, and responsiveness, ensuring that members are informed, engaged, and empowered to act collectively.

[This statement was submitted by the nominee]

 

Ashley Storey
Career Coach, School of Business. Academic Professional
 
I have been part of the Portland State community since 2010, serving as a student, alum, staff member, union member, and instructor. This 360-degree view is what I bring to the role of VP of Communications. Over the last 18 months on the Communications Committee, I’ve worked to make our union more accessible and efficient—from streamlining complex information to refreshing our online forms and implementing new organizational systems for our meetings. I am also currently helping modernize our website to better engage our membership. My background in Communication Studies and website development has prepared me to be a clear, consistent voice for all of us as we enter new and continued bargaining. I am a fierce advocate for the people who make this university run, and I would be honored to amplify our collective story.

[This statement was submitted by the nominee]

Councilors at Large (7 candidates; vote for 3)

Brian Elliott
Professor, Philosophy. Non Tenure Track Faculty
 
I have served as Councillor-at-Large for PSU-AAUP on two occasions, in 2012/13 and 2024/5. I am running for election to serve a third time as I believe this is a crucial moment for all faculty at Portland State, a time when we need robust and focused representation in the face of an administration that is directionless and lacking in sound educational values. As one of the ten non-tenure track faculty whose contract was terminated last academic year, I know first-hand the critical need for a loud and clear PSU faculty union voice. I saved my job only thanks to the steadfast efforts of our union and its members. This is the time to assert our core professional values and I pledge to use the skills and knowledge gained as a faculty member at PSU since 2010 to represent all faculty concerns. 

[This statement was submitted by the nominee]

 

Madeline Frisk
Coordinator of Student Government Relations & Advisor to Greek Life, Student Activities and Leadership Programs. Academic Professional
 
I believe in unions as a force for change and that I can help find ways to show members that not only is the union a space for advocacy, but also for finding a sense of belonging. This makes our work feel more fulfilling, allows us to better serve students, and to feel like we can make an impact on a broader scale.

If elected, I would advocate for the unique needs of academic professionals by making leadership and service within PSU-AAUP more accessible to other APs. I believe this could be achieved by making changes to the time release policy and considering changes to the leadership roles we have available to encourage greater involvement from APs. One option I would advocate for is changing the Collective Bargaining team member selection from an executive council appointment process to an elections process to provide more opportunities for representation and interest-based campaigns. 

PSU-AAUP Service:
Member: 2021-present
Together 4 PSU Union Coalition Member: 2022-present 
Student Activities and Leadership Programs Co-Unit Rep: 2023-present
AAUP Oregon Service: 
Advocate for Academic Professionals: July 2025 – present

[This statement was submitted by the nominee]

 

Aaron Golub
Professor, Urban Studies and Planning. Tenured Faculty
 
I would be honored to serve as Councilor at Large and help guide our union through the critical challenges ahead as we work to protect the future of our institution. I have been a member (and at times honorary member) of AAUP since arriving at PSU in 2015. Coming from a “right to work (for less)” institution in Arizona, the presence of a strong union was an important part of my decision to join PSU. I became involved soon after arriving, contributing to the AAUP organizing committee and helping produce social media content for the 2016 “Imagine” campaign. I bring important administrative experience from serving as Chair of Urban Studies and Planning (CUPA) from 2017–2022, where I currently serve as AAUP unit co-representative. 

[This statement was submitted by the nominee]

 

Maureen Hickey
Teaching Assistant Professor, Politics and Global Affairs (CUPA). Non Tenure Track Faculty
 
I have taught at PSU since 2014 and in that time I have been part time, full time, and back and forth between those categories several times. Throughout my time here, PSU-AAUP has been unwavering in its support for me and other NTTF faculty. Over the last year it has been an amazing experience to work with the union organizing committee and I hope to continue to serve our membership as a Councilor at Large. Every day I am impressed by the hard work and dedication of our members, and the benefits and other protections we have won demonstrate the undeniable power of collective bargaining and union organizing. In addition to past union and professional program organizing experience, I bring to the table a disciplinary background in labor relations under neoliberalized capital regimes. Thank you for your consideration. 

[This statement was submitted by the nominee]

 

Isabel Jaén Portillo
Professor, World Languages. Tenured Faculty
 
I’m a professor of Spanish and a PSU AAUP member since 2010. My service and governance experience includes the Faculty Senate (Presiding Officer in 2019-20; Faculty Senator in 2011-14, 2015-18, 2021-24, 2025-present) and the Advisory Council (2021-23). 

Over the last decade, we have witnessed a shift in higher education toward corporate and market-driven ideologies that prioritize cuts and austerity measures—including faculty layoffs—and are undermining our institutions rather than strengthening them. At the same time, the crucial balance of shared governance is being disrupted, as faculty are often reduced to mere “consultants” rather than partners in decision-making processes, while administrators come and go and impose those market-driven agendas. 

At PSU, in the context of national enrollment decline and financial pressure, it is imperative that the administration and the board begin working with the faculty—as equal decision-making partners—in building and implementing strategies focused on the right academic priorities. PSU needs to invest in the employees who work directly with students and carry the load of our institution. We need avenues for growth and a course of action that helps us emerge from our current crisis, rather than shrinking us and impairing our ability to serve our students and our communities.

[This statement was submitted by the nominee]

 

Gwynn R. Johnson
Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering. Tenured Faculty
 
I began serving on Faculty Senate Fall 2024 and immediately noted the importance of our union participating, encouraging, even enforcing shared governance and labor practices/rights on our campus. As a member of our union, I have witnessed first hand the benefits of union representation and would like to help our leaders as they navigate the current administrative challenges while focused on the mission and goals of our student-serving institution. 

[This statement was submitted by the nominee]

 

Aleksandar Jokic
Professor, Philosophy. Tenured Faculty
 
My experience with PSU-AAUP includes serving on the Executive Council twice: interestingly on both occasions during the most turbulent times; first, in 2014 when we overwhelmingly voted to approve going on strike, and again during 2023-2025 when we saw first layoffs in a long time as well as a very long and contentious bargaining sequence when we managed to secure a reasonable contract. I have also been serving on the Bargaining team since 2023. As the immediate future promises more interesting times, I think it is an opportunity to return as a member of the Executive Council.

[This statement was submitted by the nominee]

END OF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL BALLOT

Announcing the Slate of Delegate Candidates for AAUP and AFT Summer Conferences

The ballot for the election of 2026 AAUP National and AFT summer conferences will open April 1, 2026 at 8am combined with the EC Candidate ballot above. The link to the online ballot will be sent by electionbuddy.com. The ballot will be open for 15 days and will close on April 15 at 5pm.

Candidates below must be confirmed by the membership to attend as delegates and represent PSU-AAUP in matters of voting on important resolutions, proposals and constitution amendments to be held at the meeting. (Candidates are ordered alphabetically by last name. All candidate statements follow if submitted): 

AAUP National Higher Ed Summit & Biennial Meeting: (4 delegate candidates; confirm 4)

Colleen Carroll. Non Tenure Track Faculty. Toulan School of Urban Studies & Planning

David Kinsella. Tenured Faculty. Politics & Global Affairs

Bill Knight. Tenured Faculty. English

Andrew Santa Lucia. Non Tenure Track Faculty. Architecture (View Candidate Statement)

AFT Convention (2 delegate candidates; confirm 2): 

Bill Knight. Tenure Track Faculty. English

David Kinsella. Tenured Faculty. Politics & Global Affairs

END OF DELEGATE BALLOT

Watch your email for this ballot. Should you have any questions about the election or have not received your ballot by April 1st at 8am, please let us know.