Nick Mararac is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Linguistics at Georgetown University and he currently serves as the President of his SVA Chapter.

As a researcher, Nick focuses on military and veteran populations. For his dissertation, he is examining how veterans construct narratives about decision-making and transition in higher education. Additionally, he is interested in the intersection of language, gender, and sexuality, and has presented on Queer Linguistics topics that explore how ideologies of gender and sexuality emerge in military discourse. Outside of his research, Nick is currently a Teaching Assistant (TA) in his department for courses that range from the undergraduate level to the PhD level. He has also previously worked as a Graduate Assistant in the campus’ Veterans Office where he advised prospective students on applying to Georgetown and current students on navigating VA education benefits and other campus resources.

Prior to starting his Ph.D., Nick served as a Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) in the US Navy for nearly eight years and received his commission from the US Naval Academy. A seventh fleet amphib sailor at heart, Nick qualified as a SWO on board USS Harpers Ferry in Sasebo, Japan. As a SWO, Nick also served with Mine Countermeasures Divison 31 as a future operations planner in San Diego, CA. After San Diego, Nick attended the Korean Language School at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in Monterey CA before arriving in Seoul, Republic of Korea, to serve as the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission’s Liaison Officer to the United Nations Command. Nick then completed his military service in San Diego, CA while working at Naval Surface Forces, US Pacific Fleet.

As a researcher, student-veteran advocate, and veteran; Nick provides a multifaceted perspective to the Board of Directors. In his role on the Board of Directors, he hopes to bring his insight from his research on military and veteran populations and his experience assisting veterans. Ultimately, Nick hopes to broaden military research to help advance the needs of gender and sexual minorities in the military.