The Board of Directors are legal trustees of our US non-profit organization. They are appointed through a Board Nominations Committee, which is tasked with the recruitment of directors to meet the needs of the Board in terms of relevant skills, experience and aptitude. All appointments are confirmed first by the Nominations Committee itself and then ratified by a vote of members at the Annual Meeting. Directors are appointed for a term of three years, after which they may be re-appointed at each renewal. Officer roles are appointed for a term of two years, after which they may be re-appointed for one further term.
The directors elect a President, who acts as the chairperson of the non-profit. Our current Acting President is Ms Nicole McKnight.
Nicole McKnight, UCL Ph.D. Biological Sciences 2011 – President
Nicole joined the UCLFAA Board in 2017 and has served as Vice-President since October 2018. She served as acting President until October 2025 and now serves as President.
Nicole is a molecular and cell biologist, currently President and Chief Operating Officer at Buckle Therapeutics remove: (formerly Anergent), a company focused on drug delivery devices for life-saving medications. With a background in biotechnology and neuroscience, she has held leadership roles including Principal at Craft Bio LLC and CEO of Stellate Therapeutics, a neurodegenerative therapeutics company. She was also the founding Managing Director of BioLabs and co-founded KiiLN, a non-profit accelerator for life science start-ups.
Nicole is dedicated to advancing the success of life science start-ups in New York and is an original member of NYC Tech Connects Advisory Panel. She is a molecular and cell biologist whose 12 years of scientific research has made her well-versed in disease areas such as cancer and neurodegeneration. She has trained at the University of Chicago (AB, honors), Harvard Medical School/Beth Israel Deaconess, University College London (PhD) and as a postdoc at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where she was co-chair of the Postdoc Executive Committee.
Nicole obtained her PhD from UCL/Cancer Research UK (now the Francis Crick Institute) in 2011, and prior to that, worked at Millennium Pharmaceuticals and Ore Pharmaceuticals (fka Gene Logic) in Cambridge, MA. She also holds a certificate in business fundamentals from Harvard Business School/HBX.
Claudia Pace, UCL LLM Law 1990, Vice-President
Claudia became a board member in 2006 and is an Attorney and International Educator and provides UCLFAA with governance advice and oversight. She has previously worked for Youth for Understanding USA and Nassau/Suffolk Law Services, Inc.
She is currently a Coach at Cold Spring Harbour Central School District, Online Program Manager at local educational enterprise Landmark and a Director and Coach at Sagamore Rowing Association. Claudia was previously an Area Representative at Youth for Understanding USA, an international educational residential exchange program. In her earlier career, Claudia was a Supervising Attorney in a courthouse-based clinic program for Nassau and Suffolk Law Services.
Claudia has an LLM from UCL (1991), as well as a PhD International Business from the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law and a BSc International Relations & Affairs from Boston University.
Tres Seippel, MAI, MRICS, UCL MSc International Real Estate and Planning 2012 – Treasurer
Tres, MAI, MRICS joined the Board in 2019 and has served as Treasurer since October 2023. He is a real estate development and construction finance professional. During his career he has helped originate more than $7Bn of construction debt and raise more than $3Bn of limited equity. Tres’ depth of knowledge related to the impacts of macro changes on micro real estate markets has allowed him to successfully advise on the acquisition and development of more than $8Bn of mixed-use assets throughout the United States and Europe.
Tres holds several international designations including MRICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors), MAI (Appraisal Institute), and is licensed as a Certified General Appraiser in New York and New Jersey and licensed real estate salesperson in New York. Outside of work Tres is the Chair of the UCL New York Alumni Club and an inaugural member of the Real Estate Pride Council. Tres was awarded a UCL Honorary Fellowship in the fall of 2023
Tres was awarded a UCL Honorary Fellowship in the fall of 2023.
May Akrawi, UCL BSc Biochemistry 1988, PhD in Molecular Biochemistry 1995 (President 2023-2024)
May joined the Board in 2021 and served as UCLFAA President from November 2023 to July 2024. She also led the Strategy Working Group until November 2023. Based in Houston, May is a corporate strategy and communications executive specialising in digital and energy transformations. She currently works as COO at Undesert Corporation, a company that utilises patented technology to transform contaminated water into fresh, usable resources. Additionally, she serves as an emerging technology expert at Alphasights and the Gerson Lehrman Group, providing insights on sustainability, competitive intelligence, and emerging technologies to top investment funds, consultancies, and Fortune 500 companies.
Her career includes ten years as HM Consul with the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office in Texas, where she focused on science, innovation, and sustainability. She then spent eight years at BP, contributing to external engagement and executive communications, digitalisation, and NetZero strategies, followed by a role at Deloitte specialising in high-tech IT services strategy, including cloud, AI/ML, 5G, edge and the Metaverse.
May holds a BSc in Biochemistry (1988) and a PhD in Molecular Biochemistry (1995) from UCL. She is passionate about entrepreneurship and education, mentoring clean energy startups and students with special needs.
May lives with her daughter and three loveable dogs. Her hobbies include car karaoke (with her daughter), tennis, riding and reading about policy, technology, AI ethics, and history. She is presently attempting to learn Sumerian Cuneiform.
Gad Berdugo, UCL MSc Biochemical Engineering 1989
Gad joined the board in 2018 and is the Managing Partner of Explorium Capital LLC, a strategic and financial advisory firm focusing on the global biotechnology sector. With over 35 years of experience in biotech corporate and business development, strategy, and venture management, Gad has held significant roles including CBO at Editas, Co-founder and CEO at EpiVax Oncology Inc., CFO at Immune Pharmaceuticals Inc., and Managing Director at Tegris Advisors. He began his career at Abbott Labs and served as a Director of Global Business Development within Baxter’s Biopharmaceuticals group.
Gad currently serves as a Board Director of Evexta Bio and Friends of HEC Inc. He received his BSc with Honors in Biotechnology from Imperial College London, an MSc in Biochemical Engineering from University College London, and an MBA from H.E.C. Paris.
Mark Cleary, UCL BA Scandinavian Studies 1978 (President 2019-2023)
Mark became a board member in 2014 and has served as Treasurer for a four-year term, followed by another four years as President until Autumn 2023. Mark was Deputy General Manager, Svenska Handelsbanken AB New York Branch where he worked for 34 years before retiring in December 2021. He held several roles at the company, including Head of Operations, Head of Credit, Head of Corporate Banking and Deputy Head of Corporate Banking, since 1987. Mark graduated from UCL in 1978 with a BA Scandinavian Studies.
Mark was awarded a UCL Honorary Fellowship in May of 2024.
Nicholas Dufeu, BSc (Hons) 1st Class, Urban Planning, Design and Management 2011
Nicholas joined the Board in 2024. He is a Financial Advisor and Financial Planning Specialist at The Guidera Dufeu Group at Morgan Stanley, where he develops comprehensive financial plans for individuals and families. He works closely with corporate executives on equity compensation and other wealth management needs, and advises business owners on cash management and planning for potential liquidity events. He is also frequently asked to guide clients’ children and grandchildren to help prepare them for future financial responsibilities.
Earlier in his career, Nicholas worked in commercial real estate with Cushman & Wakefield in London, where he managed acquisitions, sales, and funds for international investors. Relocating to New York, he represented Cushman & Wakefield to UBS Wealth Management, advising on real estate funds, markets, and trends. He later transitioned into wealth management at Morgan Stanley to broaden his impact by helping families plan across investments, estate strategies, and cash management.
Nicholas was born and raised in the UK and holds a degree in Urban Planning and Design from University College London.
Kira Elvey, UCL BA French & History of Art 1993
Kira joined the board in 2014 and supports activities with the alumni community in Washington DC. She is a real estate professional based in Alexandria, Virginia. Having grown up in New York City, Kira went on to graduate from University College London with a degree in French and Art History. Fluent in French, Kira worked for the financial services firm Société Générale; in Mortgage-Backed securities at Bear Sterns; as a shoe designer in Asia; and as an art gallery director.
Emma Hallet, UCL BA English Literature 2013, UCL MA Modern Culture 2015
Emma is a UCL graduate with a Master’s in Issues in Modern Culture and a Bachelor’s in English. She is currently the Director of Alumni and Supporter Experience (Advancement) at UCL. Emma has extensive experience in the Higher Education sector. Skilled in alumni and donor engagement, and marketing and strategy development, she is building a coherent, meaningful experience for alumni and supporters of UCL.
Since graduating, Emma has spent the last 9 years in various roles across the university, developing
expertise in brand development, philanthropy, student recruitment and market research. She is experienced in leading international Advancement strategies and spends a significant amount of time visiting alumni and donor communities worldwide.
Deepak Kamlani, UCL BSc Chemistry 1979
Deepak became a board member in 2021 and has extensive experience in P&L management, marketing, product development, and corporate and business development with leading U.S., European, and Japanese high-tech companies. Since 2023, he has served as a Venture Partner and Advisor at Chakra Growth Partners, an alternative investment manager.
Deepak is also a Partner at RiSo Capital, which invests exclusively in Indian digital transformation startups, and a Strategic Advisor at Kyto Technology and Life Sciences. Additionally, he is an independent angel investor and a Mentor at the Miller Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at Santa Clara University.
Previously, Deepak founded Global Inventures and led it until its acquisition by SmithBucklin Corporation in 2017. He has also held leadership roles at Centex Telemanagement, NTT America, and Votrax, Inc.
Deepak holds an honours degree in Physical Chemistry from University College London (1976) and an MS in Management from Imperial College.
John Kelly, UCL Affiliate Economics 1982
John has served on the board since its inception in 1991 and was Treasurer until autumn 2016. He is a specialist in insurance, derivatives, project and export finance, shipping, and energy. During his career, he has founded and led Reformation Group, an asset management and insurance platform providing bank capital and specialty credit solutions to global financial institutions. John has structured and advised on market-leading transactions alongside asset managers including Blackstone, BlackRock, and Apollo-Athene, as well as global reinsurers such as Partner Re, Renaissance Re, Allianz, and XL Catlin.
Earlier, John was a Senior Executive at Citigroup, where he founded the Global Insurance Products Group within the derivatives and capital markets division. He managed a $1.8 billion proprietary portfolio, generating premium-equivalent income of $50 million annually with zero credit losses, and structured Citigroup’s sole post-9/11 property casualty insurance investment, which achieved realized returns of approximately 30%.
John holds a B.S. from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. He is a CFA charter holder, a member of the New York Society of Security Analysts, and teaches graduate-level courses in finance, insurance, and derivatives at UCL School of Economics and Columbia University.
Fran Moore, UCL BSc Psychology 1977 and UCL Fellow 2015
Fran retired from Verizon, where she was a Strategic Business Development Executive in information technology for 5 years. Prior to that, Fran held numerous management and sales roles at IBM for over 30 years. Fran has been deeply involved in UCL alumni events in New York over many years, helping organize alumni receptions and host dinners, in addition to her work for UCL Friends & Alumni Association Inc. She won the Murie Robertson award in 2006 for her contributions to alumni activity and was named a Fellow in 2015. Until autumn 2016, Fran was President of UCLFAA.
Simon Harris, UCL BSc Economics & Geography 2007
Simon joined the board in 2012, served as Treasurer from 2017 to 2023 and Co-Treasurer from 2023-2024. He is currently the CFO at BlueConic, a leading pure-play customer data platform which liberates companies’ first-party data from disparate systems, making it accessible whenever and wherever needed to transform customer relationships and drive business growth. Previously, Simon was the CFO of WPVIP (WordPress VIP), an agile web content platform for global businesses that combines the unparalleled WordPress user experience with enterprise-grade infrastructure and best-in-class support, serving billions of web requests per day.
Before WPVIP, Simon was a Principal at W Capital Partners, a private equity firm headquartered in New York. At W Capital, he invested $1 billion in venture capital, growth equity, and buyout stage businesses, focusing on enterprise software, fintech, infrastructure software, and cybersecurity. Simon began his career at Lehman Brothers in the Communications and Media Investment Banking group, engaging in M&A and corporate finance transactions for a range of global telecom clients.
Simon graduated UCL with a BSc Economics & Geography in 2007. He is also a committee member of the UCL New York Alumni Club which organizes social, networking, and educational events for alumni in the Tri-State area.
Binti Yost, UCL BSc Economics 2000
Binti became a board member in 2021 and is a principal in KPMG’s Economic and Valuation Services practice in Los Angeles. Since joining KPMG in 2000, Binti has served some of KPMG’s key FORTUNE 500 clients in the software, pharmaceutical, automotive, media and entertainment, and consumer products industries both in the United States and the United Kingdom. Before joining the Transfer Pricing group in Los Angeles in 2004, Binti was an assistant manager in KPMG’s Transfer Pricing group in London. Binti holds a chartered tax advisor qualification.
Emma Cheung, Secretary (Ex-officio)
Emma Cheung is the Donation Services Manager in the Advancement Office at UCL and joined the Board in May 2023, initially as Assistant Secretary, becoming Secretary in autumn 2023, filled on an ex-officio basis, per the Bylaws.
Jennie Campbell, Assistant Secretary (Ex-officio)
Jennie Campbell is Head of Donation Services in the Advancement Office at UCL and joined the Board in 2012, initially as Assistant Secretary, becoming Secretary in 2014. Jennie took a step away as Secretary in 2019. Due to the resignation of the Secretary in June 2022. Jennie has since held the position of Secretary, filled on an ex-officio basis, per the Bylaws. Due to Emma Cheung’s appointment, Jennie has moved to the role of Assistant Secretary.
Former Directors
Mark Howard, UCL Affiliate Social Studies 1983 (President 2015-2019)
Mark Howard is a Managing Director at BNP Paribas in New York, where he provides strategic and portfolio advice related to the US Capital Markets. Previously, Mark spent five years at Barclays Capital, where he was a Managing Director and held the roles of Co-Head of Global Research and Head of Credit Analysis. He has a particular interest in education and women’s health philanthropy, manifested in his volunteer efforts with UCL, Colby College, Village Community School and Girl Rising. Mark joined the board in 2014 and served as UCLFAA’s President for four years until autumn 2019. Mark recently ended his term as a Director of UCLFAA in the fall of 2023 but remains a close friend of UCL.
UCL Friends and Alumni Association 