As manager and advisor of the Graduate & Professional Student Association (GPSA), Virginia "Nia" Smercina is the manages and supports student government. Her work centers on advocating for graduate and professional students while helping them develop the skills to advocate for themselves.

Smercina earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology with minors in math and design from The Ohio State University and a master’s degree in anthropology from UNLV. She is a doctoral student in sociology and has held her position with the Graduate College since April 2020.

Starting her position during the pandemic came with unique challenges, and her responsibilities have evolved continuously since then. “[This evolution] has provided me with valuable experience, particularly as GPSA officers change each year,” she said.

Before UNLV, Smercina worked at a tech startup, where she learned to navigate limited resources and build systems from the ground up — skills she now applies in her current role.

What drew you to UNLV? 

I started at UNLV as a master’s student after my husband got a job offer in Las Vegas. 

We’re originally from a small town called Lebanon, Ohio, and we were ready for a change. I’ve always been interested in traveling and seeing other parts of the country, experiencing how people think and operate differently. When the opportunity arose, I already knew I wanted to go to grad school, and UNLV was a good fit. I ended up starting in August 2016.

What does being a Rebel mean to you? 

To me, being a Rebel is resilience. It's a quiet decision to keep going, to return the next day, and the day after that. When a person encounters a wall, a Rebel studies it, learns why it stands, and challenges the assumption that it must remain as it is.

If no one had the imagination to build a door, a Rebel starts drawing one anyway. To be a Rebel is to believe we owe each other more than resignation.

So when those around us accept the wall and say, “This is just how it is,” a Rebel responds, “No. This is just where we stopped last time.”

What is the biggest misconception about your job?

That people think I run GPSA. I do not.

GPSA is run by elected students. My position helps guide them and support their decision-making, not to make the decisions for them. I help with structure and keep things balanced, and I also help connect them to the university when it comes to administrative processes.

One thing that makes Nevada unique is that there is actually a Nevada Revised Statute that protects the autonomy of student governments, including their financial autonomy. It is built into state law. Over the last two years, I have worked hard to make sure there are strong structures in place to keep that balance secure.

I really want to emphasize that I do not run the graduate student government. The students do, and that is exactly how it is supposed to be.

The place on campus I feel most [blank] is [blank].

The place on campus where I feel the most secure is the Graduate Commons.

It feels like a safe space for me and for students in general. We spend hours and hours there throughout the day. There is a small kitchenette, filtered water, and the bathrooms are just outside, so it is very comfortable.

I also enjoy the outside walkways by what people jokingly call the “dark side” of campus. I think they call it that because there is less food and fewer amenities, especially later in the day. I love walking around that area. It is very green, with tall trees, and feels calm and peaceful.

What trait do you most like about yourself? What would you change?

My favorite trait about myself is my curiosity. I like to understand why things exist the way they do and what context went into them. I like to learn and ask questions which is a trait that has served me well in my career. 

A trait I am working on is taking on too many tasks. Sometimes I take on responsibilities because I feel a strong sense of duty, especially when it comes to maintaining stability. I am learning to delegate better and allow processes to move at their own pace instead of trying to do everything myself or the way I think it should be done.ne.

What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?

Most people are surprised that I am a current doctoral student in the sociology department. I am looking forward to graduating in a year. 

When you were a child, what did you want to be?

Growing up, I wanted to be a medical doctor. I used to dress up as a doctor for Halloween. I was on pre-medical track as an undergraduate student, but I later realized that I didn’t like my biology classes, which were instrumental in the pre-med track. I pivoted into anthropology, which gave me time to think about what I really wanted to do. I like that anthropology can be broad, and you can narrow your scope as you grow in your academic journey.

What advice would you give your younger self?

I would tell her that not everything has to be rushed. You can trust the process. Not everything needs to be planned out in detail. You have to be open to opportunities, but the only way those opportunities will open up is if you start moving forward. Make a decision, go in a direction, and new paths will appear.

My neighbors have helped me with this idea. They are in their 90s, and I enjoy talking to them. They are in a reflective stage of their lives and often talk about what really matters. When I have decision paralysis now, I often think about them sitting on their porch. I remind myself that if it is not going to matter when I am 90 I should probably not hang up on it.

The GPSA Annual Research Forum is coming up on April 18, 2026, what do you want to tell campus about it?

The Research Forum is an annual conference-style event and competition that celebrates the scholarly, professional, and artistic achievements of UNLV’s graduate and professional students. It fosters interdisciplinary collaboration across colleges, departments, and industries while providing graduate students with a platform to showcase their research and creative work. It is run by students for students. Every year, hundreds of students present, and many faculty volunteer to judge. I want to keep the tradition going.

Some departments have even incorporated it into their curriculum. They might require students to present at conferences, but they make an exception for the Research Forum. This tradition has been around for 28 years. There are not many things on campus that have lasted almost three decades, and this is one of them. I recently found the GPSA agenda where they decided to start this event and the minutes from when it was first established, which is a neat piece of history.

It is an event organized and initiated by the graduate student government. It is for students and originated by students. The amount of support we get from the campus is incredible. I know it can be taxing for the faculty who volunteer their time every year, and we are deeply grateful because it really makes a difference. People take this very seriously. It is an opportunity for students to get feedback and share their work.

Over the years, we have expanded the event to include people who are not just doing research. Students have presented theatrical performances, poetry readings, and other creative work. There are many ways to participate. We are excited to showcase it to the world and to continue this tradition because people have grown to depend on it. It is really special.

If you had to choose one word to best describe how you want your work and the impact you have made on students be remembered, what would it be? 

I would choose the word empowerment. I really hope that the students I have worked with feel empowered. I have worked with students to help them build structures and processes to ensure that they are compliant with policies and bylaws. We have done a lot of advocacy work, as well.

I saw empowerment in action in 2023 when a group of 53 students went to Carson City to advocate for a GA stipend increase. The one-day event took 21 months to plan. The students who went shared that they felt empowered, which is what I hope my legacy continues to be. They felt that they knew how to be a part of the giant bureaucratic system that is the state of Nevada, and they felt that they could have a role in it.