Rhea Zahir

Vice President

Rhea is a third year student at the University of Virginia where she is pursuing a degree in Anthropology with a minor in American Sign Language on the pre-med track. She is a budding research scientist with an interest in disease processes and the impact of a changing environment on global health. Water contamination with microplastics are causing an increasing prevalence of diseases worldwide. Rhea feels that her generation needs to be on the forefront to curtail and prevent this. Microplastics can slip into lungs, the bloodstream and even cells causing an increase in preterm births, breast cancer risk, and chronic illnesses.

Rhea is an active member of the Third Year Class Council where she uses her voice to educate and spread awareness to limit plastic use. She is on the executive board for the event planning committees at UVA (Lighting of the Lawn and Dinner Series) which attracts several thousand students and helps to limit the impact on the environment. She sits on the Judicial Review Board for Student Government and was selected for the Algenon Award Committee. On weekends you can find Rhea on the volleyball courts with her team or in the kitchen baking well deserved brownies.