My name is Ala Mokhtar, and I’m a PhD candidate in Accounting. I’m currently in my fourth year of the program. My research interests revolve around employee behaviour and how employees are incentivized to work in organizations, including why employees overwork.

I was drawn to volunteer as a director on the GSA-UW Board because I’m enthusiastic about advocating for UW graduate student interests and in being involved in big-picture planning for graduate student life at the university. I’m especially keen on helping foster a graduate community where grad students can always feel involved and supported. 

My most recent volunteer experience for graduate students has been working as an original committee member for the Junior Accounting Scholars Organization, which is an organization that was formed during COVID to bring together early accounting scholars across North America. Before starting as a PhD student, I worked as a tax consultant, in a fast-paced, professional, and diverse environment, advising clients in Value Added Tax (VAT) implementation in the Gulf countries. I gained skills in my different experiences that will allow me to be a contributing member of the GSA-UW Board and help advance the experience of graduate students.