The University of Iowa’s Executive Council of Graduate and Professional Students announced Tuesday night the winners of its election for next year’s leaders.

Michael Appel was elected as president for the upcoming year, Emma Hashman as vice president, Natalie Virden as the executive officer, Ben Gillig as the Graduate and Professional Allocation Committee head and budget director, and Luke Stauffer as the public-relations liaison.

Appel said that as president, he wants to continue focusing on graduate and professional programs at the University of Iowa.

"We want to focus on each of our governments and bettering their programs and schools," he said. "We’ll also be working with our ‘Universities for a Better Iowa’ campaign."

The biggest focus on their platform was the "Biggest Improvement Initiative," Appel said.

With the initiative, Executive Council executives and delegates will work with governments from the Colleges of Law, Pharmacy, Dental, Graduate, Medical, and Business to "improve one big quality in their program."

Appel said he will work with the council to better the programs in the graduate and professional schools when the new executive board takes office.

— by Anna Theodosis