D. Joshua Troxell (junior-chemical engineering) was re-elected Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Academic Assembly president last night.

"This next year will be a growth year for us," Troxell said, who ran unopposed for the presidency.

Mark Levin (sophomore-meteorology) and Brad Hoagland (freshman-information sciences and technology) will share next year's vice presidency.

This will be the first time the assembly will operate with a dual vice presidential position, Troxell said. The split position will allow the assembly to separate its administrative and programming tasks.

"We're taking the administrative duties that the president and vice president shared amorphously and setting that all aside," Troxell said.

Jeffrey Corbets (sophomore-aerospace engineering and computer science) ran against Levin and Hoagland for the vice presidential positions.

Levin, current faculty senator for the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, will become the assembly's first vice president of operations.

His goal is to focus the assembly's efforts on academic concerns, he said.

"It's time to eliminate politically contentious issues and focus on academics," Levin said.

Hoagland will replace Jennifer Tingo, current vice president of programming.

He anticipates his leadership will help facilitate communication within the assembly, he said.

"Being a leader is working with people, not above them," Hoagland said.

In the past, the group's progress has been hindered by its relationship with other branches of USG, Levin said.

"I want to foster communication between groups, but not animosity," he added.

Hoagland, current representative from the School of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), hopes to expand current social programs like Take your Professor to Lunch by getting more teachers and students involved, he said.

During his time with the School of IST's student government, he worked to establish feedback sessions between students and the college's dean, he said.

He will work to implement similar programming in other colleges, Hoagland said.

The assembly's agenda includes coming up with new ways to increase involvement in student councils, Troxell said.

Representation in student council governments is currently poor, he said.

"A few academic units don't have representatives," he said. "So we want to try to increase the student council turnout."

Levin said he looks forward to working with Hoagland during next year's activities in the new dual vice presidential role.

"While he may not be the most vocal person, he's still extremely well-qualified," he said.