Candidates for elections at the departments at SU - Kunnskapsbasen
Candidates for elections at the departments at SU
Elections 2026
On this page you will find an overview of the candidates for the elections at the departements at the SU faculty in the spring of 2026.
Elections will be held from June 1 to June 3.
Norsk versjon: Kandidater til valgte organ ved instituttene ved SU | Elections at SU
Department of Geography and Social Anthropology (IGS)
Emma Lea Wheeler
I am running for the extended leadership board in IGS because I want to help ensure that the diverse voices of temporary employees are represented in institutional decision-making. I am currently in my second year of a PhD at NTNU, and during my time at IGS I have been inspired, challenged, and guided by the unique perspectives of my peers. This diversity of experience and perspective is something I believe should be reflected in leadership discussions and decisions.
I grew up in Norway with parents from the USA and have lived, studied, and worked both in Norway and abroad. Having studied both nationally and internationally, I believe I can help represent the perspectives of both Norwegian and international temporary employees.
I began my PhD at NTNU in February 2025 after working for the World Food Programme in West Africa. My academic background spans geosciences, international development, linguistics, and human geography.
As deputy representative last semester, I worked closely with the representative before extended leadership meetings and discussed issues raised by fellow PhD students. If elected, I would especially like to strengthen communication between the extended leadership committee and temporary employees, both to ensure that employees’ perspectives are better reflected in decision-making and that decisions made by the committee are more clearly communicated back to you all. I hope to contribute by being approachable, listening carefully, and actively seeking out your perspectives.
Kristian Finsveen Liven
I am a PhD candidate in anthropology at IGS. I am running for election as the representative for temporary academic staff in the extended leadership group at IGS because I want to help promote our interests and perspectives to the department’s leadership. Temporary employment is both an opportunity and a vulnerability, and I believe it is important that our experiences, needs, and viewpoints are heard and taken seriously in the institute’s decision making processes. Before starting my PhD, I worked for almost two years as a research assistant at IGS. Working at the department for a few years now has given me insight into both the challenges and the resources that exist within our department, and I hope that I can use this experience to strengthen the dialogue between temporary staff and the leadership.
Amanda Veronica Hausken
As temporary academic staff, we are an important, yet often vulnerable group. I am running for election to ensure that our voices, needs, and perspectives are clearly represented in the department’s leadership. Our contributions are not only temporary – our work leaves a lasting impact on NTNU, our academic fields, and society. I want to convey that we are a valuable resource worth investing in, recognizing, and supporting, so that we can do our jobs well, thrive both academically and socially, and experience the PhD/Postdoc journey as a dignified and enriching part of our careers. I also want to help ensure that the institute supports us in seeing possible paths forward, whether in industry, public administration, teaching, or academia. In questions of resource allocation, I will support what benefits our community as a whole, and I hope to be the one you turn to when you have an issue you would like raised.
In my PhD, I study how plastic pollution affects coastal environments. Although I work mostly with natural science, I have gained great respect for social science perspectives, and I believe interdisciplinary collaboration is essential for creating positive change. It is inspiring to be part of such a diverse department as IGS, and to hear about everything from foraging and green energy to glaciers and social anthropology during lunch breaks. Thank you for helping create this wonderful environment – it would be a pleasure to represent our community.
Department of Teacher Education (ILU)
Markus Leithe-Lajord
I have been a doctoral research fellow in the pedagogy section at ILU since August 2024 and a deputy member of the ILU board since autumn 2025. During my years as an employee at ILU, I have developed a growing commitment to the department in general and to temporary staff in particular.
As a representative of temporary employees, I want to work to ensure that we and our expertise are included and valued in everyday activities, and that our needs and interests are safeguarded at the department level.
Given ILU’s financial situation, as a board representative I will pay close attention to how temporary employees are supported and followed up, as we know that many may feel uncertainty about their future employment situation. Many acquire substantial knowledge and expertise during their period of employment, and identifying real opportunities for those who wish to continue their careers at ILU is something I believe will benefit both employees and the department.
Anna Løset Boksasp
My name is Anna Løset Boksasp. I am a PhD candidate in the Norwegian section at ILU, where I work on an interdisciplinary project focused on the Educational Psychological Service in the multilingual school.
I am running as a representative for temporary academic staff, and I want to contribute to collaboration across academic environments at the department. An important part of this is ensuring that new PhD candidates and employees have a good start and access to academic and social networks.
Department of Education and Lifelong Learning (IPL)
Amanda Nicole Fayant
I am a PhD candidate in Education and Lifelong Learning at NTNU, in the Department of Education and Lifelong Learning. I moved to Norway in 2004 and am originally from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Alongside my academic work, I am an artist, poet, and writer with an interdisciplinary practice grounded in Indigenous methodologies, feminist perspectives, and research on visual and digital culture. My doctoral research explores how young people engage with digital visual culture—such as memes and short-form video—as sites of meaning-making, interpretation, and social belonging.
I have broad teaching experience in higher education, including lecturing and teaching assistance in areas such as digital culture, media literacy, youth media practices, visual culture, and Indigenous studies. Teaching places me in close contact with students and colleagues and provides insight into the everyday responsibilities and contributions of temporary academic staff.
I am running as a representative at IPL because I believe it is important that these everyday experiences are clearly represented in dialogue with faculty leadership. Temporary employees play a central role in teaching, research, and institutional life, yet often have limited influence on decisions that shape working conditions and future opportunities. I am motivated to support open communication, promote constructive and respectful practices, and contribute to solutions that benefit both employees and the faculty as a whole. I also see this role as an opportunity to learn more about faculty governance and share this knowledge with other temporary staff interested in engagement and representation.
Sara Krogstad Brattgjerd
I have worked as a temporary academic employee at NTNU for nearly two years, which has given me valuable insight into both the opportunities and challenges associated with temporary positions in academia.
I am committed to good working conditions, predictability, and inclusive academic environments. I aim to strengthen communication between staff and management and to ensure that temporary employees are heard and well represented. I will also work to promote career development and support for transitions within academia or to other sectors.
If elected, I will be an engaged, approachable, and constructive representative dedicated to our shared interests and to fostering a positive working environment at IPL.
Department of Psychology (IPS)
Per Helge Haakstad Larsen
As a doctoral research fellow on the topic of social inequality in mental health, and with two
years of experience as a scientific assistant, I am familiar with the institute’s procedures and
culture. I am committed to improving the flow of information and ensuring that all temporary
staff, regardless of language and cultural background, feel included. I wish to advocate for
better physical and psychosocial working conditions, and to promote skill development and
learning opportunities that enhance career prospects for temporary employees. I would be
honored to represent you and contribute to a more inclusive working environment for
everyone at the department.
Sebastian Isaksson
Many of our temporary academic staff come from abroad and don’t speak Norwegian, which means they have little access to conversations about their own working environment, opportunities, and the decisions that affect them. As a Nordic native, I can actively follow and engage in the Norwegian-language discussions that shape our department - both the day-to-day conversations that build our working environment over time, and the larger decisions that affect us all. But I also know firsthand what it’s like to be somewhat on the outside looking in.
I hope to be your voice in the department board - trying to narrow the gap between those who are regularly part of the conversation and those who are less so, whether that’s because of language, or for any other reason.
I’m a PhD candidate in work and organizational psychology at the department, and my doctoral research is focused on work-related anxiety. I currently serve on the Research & PhD board at IPS.
Silvia Allegretta
I am a PhD candidate at IPS. I am originally from Italy and have lived in Norway for almost 3 years. I am a member of the Vascular Diseases Research Group (VaDi) and work in the project "Mental disorders after stroke".
I am running as a representative for temporary employees on the institute board of IPS with a desire to contribute to ensuring that our perspectives are listened to and that temporary employees have a good working environment. With an international background, I am particularly concerned with inclusive working conditions for all.
Department of Social Work (ISA)
Fleurtje Anna Huiskes
I am a PhD candidate at the Department of Social Work at NTNU Trondheim. I hold a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in social work. My PhD project focuses on the role of voluntary organisations in the integration of immigrants. As a temporary employee in the institute of social work, I am familiar with both the joy of the work and the challenges that come with the role. I’m running for the board again to ensure that our voices are heard, our contributions recognised, and our working conditions improved. With experience in both teaching and research, I understand the important contributions temporary staff make to the academic community – as well as the challenges we may encounter.
My goal is to represent the interests of temporary employees in a constructive and professional manner. I believe in open dialogue, fair processes, and strengthening the sense of belonging among all staff members. I would be grateful for your support and look forward to the opportunity to represent you.
Rebekka Louisa Drude Andersen
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I would like to work to ensure that temporary employees have a good working environment, opportunities for competence development that can provide strong career prospects, and the possibility to participate in interdisciplinary collaboration across the university. Above all, I want to be a representative whom people can contact and talk to, if there are issues, they would like brought to the leaders of the faculty.
It is my impression that not all departments have implemented the transition from mandatory duties (pliktarbeid) to career-promoting activities, and as a result, many PhD candidates miss the opportunities that this change was intended to create. I want to help ensure that PhD candidates know their rights and opportunities and feel confident in using them. I see NTNU’s interdisciplinary strategy as a major strength, and I would like to help ensure that temporary employees receive useful information about their opportunities to participate in interdisciplinary research relevant to their field, and that it becomes clearer when, and to what extent, this can be considered part of career-promoting activities.
I have experience from several other universities, including the University of Copenhagen, the University of Southern Denmark, Northeastern University, USA, University of Surrey and Oxford University, UK. My experiences from these universities have given me a nuanced perspective on what is happening at NTNU. In addition, I have previously served as a representative on the PhD Program at the SU Faculty, and as a deputy representative for PhD candidates at my department. I therefore have insight into several levels of governance at NTNU.
Department of Sociology and Political Science (ISS)
Lina Marie Johansen Torvik
I am a PhD candidate in Sport Science (Sociology) at ISS. My research focuses on adolescents’ experiences of stress and mental health in relation to physical education. This is a topic I care about, both at work and in everyday life, and it reflects my interest in well-being, inclusion, and positive learning and working environments.
For me, it is important to be a clear and strong voice for temporary staff. We often navigate a working environment characterized by exciting opportunities and a good work environment, but we also face challenges related to job insecurity, workload, and future career paths in academia. I am particularly concerned with issues of inclusion, stress management, and career development opportunities, and I want to help ensure that our perspectives are heard and taken seriously in the institute’s decision-making processes. As a person, I am engaged, attentive, and committed to dialogue, and I aim to contribute constructively to the institute’s continued development.
Stig Johannessen
I am a postdoctoral fellow in sociology, affiliated with the research group Technology and Social Change. I hold a PhD in risk governance of climate-related natural hazards from the Arctic Safety Centre (ASC) at the Department of Arctic Technology, University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), and the Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management at NTNU. I also hold a master’s degree in societal safety and risk management from the University of Stavanger.
From my previous position at UNIS, I have broad experience with development work in research, outreach, and teaching, particularly through my work at ASC. I also served on the Working Environment Committee and the Gender Equality and Diversity Committee, and as a deputy representative on the UNIS University Board. These experiences have given me great insight into the relationship between academic development, organisational work, and departmental governance.
I wish to contribute to an institute characterised by open dialogue, meaningful participation, and a working environment where both permanent and temporary staff are heard. I will work to support good conditions for research and teaching, and for decisions grounded in academic needs and the experiences of staff across different career stages. As a postdoctoral fellow, with experience from board work, committee work, and academic development, I can contribute a perspective that combines organisational understanding with closeness to everyday life at the institute.
Eventuelle spørsmål om valg kan rettes til valg@su.ntnu.no
