Sasha Sharman

Sasha Sharman, a Self Memorial Fellow, graduated from the University of Kansas in 2026 with a Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Neuroscience and Data Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy. Their research spans the breadth of their academic background, including barriers to change in community institutions, what it means to love your work, strategies for mitigating water usage, and sentiment analysis of city council meetings. 

During their undergraduate career, Sasha started an independent student newspaper in partnership with students at Kansas State University, that reaches thousands of readers each month. They also worked at SAPEC where they developed active bystander programing and served on the University Senate Executive Committee reviewing all areas of shared governance. Sasha believes that local government should prioritize comprehensive strategies to elevate the most vulnerable members of the community. They are the chair of the Student Senate Elections Commission and serve on the Board of Directors at the ECM community center. In their free time, they fix bikes at Lawrence Community Cycles and enjoy the countless opportunities for outdoor recreation in the region. Sasha hopes to return to the Northwest to bring their skills and knowledge back to serve the communities in that region.