Board

Who We Are

USIT is overseen and led by a 3-member Executive Team and a 5-member Board of Directors who manage the day-to-day operations of the organization and run USIT's flagship competition events. Each member brings to the organization a unique perspective that we believe contributes to USIT's success. Directors are further supported by five Board Chairs who learn the operational, marketing, technical, and financial skills necessary to run a successful venture.

How to join

Board Chairs are selected through a competitive application process at the beginning of each fall semester. Interested applicants will submit both a resume and application and then be called to interview with the Executive Team and Directors. Members are encouraged to attend our information sessions to gain more insight into responsibilities and the application process. We encourage members of all academic backgrounds and experience to apply.

Our Team

Executive Team

Teja Katipalli
President
Tampa, FL
CBHP, Finance
Class of 2028
president@usiteam.org

Teja is a Tampa guy who’s passionate about football, always up for a game of basketball, and can’t get enough of Cava. He thrives on debating anything and everything—even when he realizes he might be wrong halfway through. Recently, he picked up an unhealthy obsession with golf and is always down for a round. Feel free to reach out—he’s always happy to talk or help out!

**Jane Bailey Feinstein**
Vice President
Dallas, TX
CBHP, Finance
Class of 2028
vicepresident@usiteam.org
Jane Bailey loves to play volleyball (go USIT IM volleyball!), watch Friends or heist movies, do the NYT games, and go for unreasonably fast walks with her friends. When she isn't speed walking around campus, you can find her in a coffee shop working (or talking). Her favorite place is Merit Coffee, but she would love to hear all of your cafe suggestions! Over the last two summers, she has spent her time studying abroad in Prague and Edinburgh and interning at an aerospace and defense M&A company.

**Raaga Kodali**
Director of Investment
Ashburn, VA
CBHP, Finance
Class of 2028
investment@usiteam.org
Three fun facts about Raaga are that she’ll never miss an opportunity to mention her 17-mile hike in Norway, she learned how to drive stick shift at the age of eight, and she’s played six different intramural sports at UT (yet still can’t win a shirt). This past summer, she interned with Brookfield’s infrastructure investments team and spent all her free time (and money) discovering the best eats in New York. She’s all ears if you ever want to chat about the DMV (not the Department of Motor Vehicles), women’s sports, or your favorite coffee spots in Austin!

Directors

Saachit Rathi
Director of Finance
Plano, TX
CBHP, Finance
Class of 2029 accounting@usiteam.org

When he's not out playing pickleball or tennis at Whitaker or cheering on the Longhorns, you can find Saachit chasing his losses at poker nights or exploring Austin with his friends. Back home, he loves watching the Dallas Mavericks, perfecting his CAVA order, and losing yet another golf ball to a lake that wasn't even in play. He's also lived on three continents and loves debating which one has the best food. If you ever see him around campus, feel free to say hi, he's always down to talk sports, food, travel, or anything else!

**Elizabeth Lei**
Director of Operations
Katy, TX
Finance
Class of 2029 operations@usiteam.org
Elizabeth is a national park lover and Menchie’s fan. In her free time, she enjoys playing Mahjong, running to cafes, and writing short stories. As part of her ongoing quest to find the best sweet treat, she’s probably curating Pinterest boards full of recipes she swears she’ll try one day. If you want to yap about your latest read or share your favorite matcha spot, hit her up for brunch!

**Abby Shi**
Director of Technology
Houston, TX
Finance
Class of 2029 technology@usiteam.org
Abby splits most days between Austin cafés and fresh pages of creative writing, then sneaks in quick trips to New York now and then for photoshoots. She loves traveling with friends and family, especially beach days spent collecting seashells with her sister, and she brings that same bright, team-first energy to the Texas Coed Cheerleading team. Her playlists are filled with Daniel Caesar, Childish Gambino, and Frank Ocean, perfect for late-night writing sessions or early-morning flights.

**Nathan Nalla**
Director of Internal Relations
Plano, TX
Finance, Math
Class of 2029 internalrelations@usiteam.org
You can probably find Nathan running hitting lines with Noah at Greg or watching a movie with his friends in the PCL. Some of his favorite hobbies include playing basketball with his hometown friends, watching his favorite show “How I Met Your Mother,” and going on late night runs to Chat Patta. He loves traveling and has been to 7 different countries including Cancun (for the 3rd time) this past Summer. He loves blasting Frank Ocean, Kanye, Daniel Caesar, and Drake on his JBL (let him know if you got any song recs). He’s also a die hard Cowboys and Mavericks fan (sadly) and you can find him cheering in the student section at every UT home game. Dont be shy to say what’s up and he’s always down to talk about anything including sports, food, movies, and music.

**Tanvi Amrute**
Director of Marketing
Austin, TX
Finance
Class of 2029 marketing@usiteam.org
You can usually find Tanvi roaming the aisles of Target with zero intention of buying anything but always ending up at the Starbucks inside and wasting all her money on seasonal drinks. When she’s not debating whether she really needs another sweet treat from Up and Atom, she’s trying to figure out a good bus route for her and her friends to explore the city. Now that she’s in Austin, she’s determined to find good spots to study or just hang out, so if you know any good places, send them her way!

Chairs

Apply to USIT 2026-2027

Advisors

**Nivy Manikandan**
Board Advisor
Frisco, TX
Finance
Class of 2027
When she isn't averaging 20k steps a week, you can find Nivy trying new recipes or DIYs off of TikTok (because she's easily influenced unfortunately). She’s super excited to study abroad this fall in Budapest and cross off a ton of stuff off her bucket list, especially the infamous prosecco cruise. She is so hyped to meet everyone this year and is always down to go on a yap + coffee walk so feel free to hit her up in the spring!

**Sua Lee**
Board Advisor
Allen, TX
CBHP, Informatics
Class of 2028
Sua is a rice cake enthusiast and a longtime Spotify Free warrior. Outside of school and USIT, you’ll probably find her thrifting or adventuring to new spots with friends. A true lover of airports and all things travel, she lived out her European summer dreams while studying abroad in Copenhagen. Chat with her about the weather, curating the perfect playlist, or your favorite books!

Stephanie Xia
Board Advisor
Coppell, TX
CBHP, MIS
Class of 2027

Stephanie is a senior majoring in BHP and MIS. The most important things to know about her are that she is obsessed with Miffy, iced lattes, and food (ask about her Beli). This past summer she was an intern at Brinks Home and visited Iceland with her family. Always feel free to reach out!

Aashna Gautam
Board Advisor
Plano, TX
Finance
Class of 2027

Aashna, a boba aficionado and spicy food seeker, can often be found sipping her way through every local boba joint or trying out new restaurants in search for the perfect chili oil noodles. When she’s not indulging her taste buds, she’s jet-setting to far-flung destinations from Iceland to Thailand, dropping way too much on concerts, or binge watching sitcoms. She’s always up for late night rain-soaked frolicking and any type of dancing. Aashna spent her junior summer as an analyst at JPMorgan in New York. Hit her up to explore Austin!

Ria Nanjundan
Board Advisor
Houston, TX
Finance
Class of 2027

You can almost always find Ria in one of three places: at the gym, rock climbing, or lost in a good book. A mountaineering enthusiast with big dreams, she hopes to summit the tallest peaks on every continent, visit as many countries as she can along the way, and capture it all through her photography Instagram (@ria_takes_cool_pictures). Sitting at the very top of her travel bucket list? The Faroe Islands. If you ever need book recommendations or just want to grab coffee and yap, hit her up!