Our Advisory Council

Pascal Van Hentenryck, the A. Russell Chandler III Chair and Professor at Georgia Tech, has a distinguished career spanning roles at Brown University, National ICT Australia (NICTA), and the University of Michigan. A Fellow of AAAI and INFORMS, he has received numerous awards, including honorary doctoral degrees, the IFORS Distinguished Lecturer Award, and the NSF National Young Investigator Award. Recognized for teaching excellence and research in constraint programming, Van Hentenryck has also contributed to top conferences in artificial intelligence and optimization, and he organizes the Seth Bonder summer Camp in Computational and Data Science for middle- and high-school students annually.

Asif Saleh has been the driving force behind BRAC's strategic direction since joining in 2011 as Executive Director, focusing on advocacy for social change, information technology, communications, and social innovation. In his role as the senior director of the empowerment programme cluster, he led various initiatives, including urban development, human rights and legal aid services, skills development, and migration. Additionally, he is the founder of Drishtipat, a global organization addressing the human and economic rights of Bangladeshis, and has received recognition from Asia Society and the World Economic Forum for his impactful work.

Julia Stasch, the former President of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, served from 2014-2019, shaping the organization's focus on impactful programs, including initiatives in criminal justice and climate change. Stasch spearheaded the $100 million 100&Change competition, launched Lever for Change, and established the Catalytic Capital Consortium with a $150 million fund for impactful investments. With a diverse background spanning business, government, and social sectors, Stasch has held leadership positions in the City of Chicago, served in the Clinton Administration, and currently holds key roles in philanthropy and education, including being the Chair of the Board for Lever for Change.

Gail Evans, author of the influential book "Play Like A Man, Win Like A Woman," emphasizes the importance of understanding and excelling in the workplace game, a concept many women were unaware of before her guidance. The book achieved widespread success, making it to the bestseller lists of New York Times, Business Week, and Wall Street Journal, and has been translated into 21 languages. Evans, a former Executive Vice President at CNN, is also known for her speaking engagements and lectures at major corporations, as well as her contributions to charitable boards and her latest book, "She Wins, You Win."

Casey Swails is the Deputy Associate Administrator for business operations at NASA, serving as the principal advisor to the Associate Administrator on day-to-day operations and strategic direction. With over 17 years at NASA, she has played key roles in change management initiatives, notably leading the largest human capital transformation in NASA's history. Her extensive experience includes leadership in human spaceflight programs such as Commercial Crew, Orion, and Gateway, earning her prestigious awards, including the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal and recognition on Georgia Tech's 40 Under 40 influential leaders list for 2022.

Rima Assiryani is an accomplished architect with over 20 years of experience in design, construction, and facility management. She leads the Facility Planning and Space Management team at the Federal Reserve where she has earned various distinctions, including the Chairman’s Special Achievement award twice. She passionately develops workplace strategies with sustainable design that promotes healthy buildings, attracts and retains highly qualified professionals and delivers an environment for collaboration and innovation. She champions technology solutions which improve efficiency and uses data to make informed decisions and to forge consensus.

Alper Atamturk is the Earl J. Isaac Chair in the Science and Analysis of Decision Making and a professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research. His current research interests are optimization, integer programming (conic, mixed, combinatorial), sparse learning, network design, optimization under uncertainty. He serves on the editorial boards of Mathematical Programming, Mathematical Programming Computation, Discrete Optimization, Journal of Risk.

John, a Georgia Tech graduate with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, is a serial entrepreneur with extensive experience in data and wireless voice technologies. As the co-founder and chief technology officer of Convergence Corp., a wireless device-to-Internet software maker, he played a pivotal role in its acquisition by Amazon in 1999, after which he joined Amazon as an engineering manager. Subsequently, John became an early employee and later the chief technology officer of Mobliss, a mobile applications and messaging solutions company acquired by Japan's Index Corp. in 2004. Currently, he directs the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), a start-up accelerator aiding Georgia technology entrepreneurs in launching and building successful companies.

Inés Vargas, Managing Director at HSBC, heads the corporate and investment bank in Mexico with over 30 years of experience leading teams across 20 countries. Recognized for her expertise in mergers, acquisitions, and strategic transactions, Inés has worked with top corporate clients in Mexico and actively engages with non-profit organizations and prominent universities. In addition to leading internal initiatives at HSBC, including projects addressing poverty in Mexico and promoting Women in Banking Americas, she sponsors and mentors women while participating in talent development programs. Prior to joining HSBC in 2018, Inés held key roles at Citi, including Managing Director for Latin America Industrials Sector Sales.

Stacy is the SVP, Governance & Oversight at Citigroup and co-founder of the Jewish and Muslim Sisterhood. She was appointed to the Cobb County Board of Elections in 2023.

With over 40 years of corporate experience, Shafiq Ahmad Chaudhuri serves as the Managing Partner at Space Partnership International (SPI). In this role, he oversees global markets and focuses on Asian growth markets, delivering Space-related Consulting Services. Mr. Chaudhuri's extensive background includes leadership roles in product development for satellite and terrestrial communications, broadband wireless, and global sales, with a track record of generating over $300 million in sales at companies like General Electric Co., COMSAT Corporation, Mobile Telesystems, Inc. (MTI), Taylor McKenzie, Inc., and Nomad Digital. Additionally, he has diversified interests and investments in renewable energy, clean water programs, eTax filing (BDTax.com.bd), and NHP clinical research (JoMoCo-amr.com).

Elora Halim Chowdhury is an Associate Professor of Women’s & Gender Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston, specializing in transnational feminism, gender and development, and human rights advocacy in South Asia. Her book "Transnationalism Reversed: Women Organizing Against Gendered Violence in Bangladesh" earned her the National Women's Studies Association Gloria Anzaldua book prize in 2012. Before joining UMass, she worked with philanthropic, development, and policy institutions, including BRAC, UNICEF, and the Ford Foundation.

Erika Cowen, Vice President of Customer Success at F5, oversees the global Customer Success organization, ensuring measurable outcomes for customers across various products, including recent acquisitions. With over 20 years in the tech industry, Erika is known for building high-performing, human-first teams both in North America and overseas. She holds a degree in Psychology from the University of Western Ontario and resides in Ontario, Canada, where she grew up in a family-owned golf course business. Erika is actively involved in volunteering, mentoring through Junior Achievement, and serving on the Customer Success Advisory Board for the Technology and Services Industry Association.

Dr. Bistra Dilkina is an associate professor at USC Viterbi School of Engineering, where she co-directs the Center of AI in Society and holds the Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg Early Career Chair. Her expertise lies in integrating machine learning and discrete optimization for computational sustainability and social good, focusing on wildlife conservation, climate change impacts, and disaster resilience. With a Ph.D. from Cornell University and a background in Computational Sustainability, she has authored over 80 publications and played leadership roles in organizing workshops and special tracks at major conferences.

Thomas Dolan is a scholar, educator, and performer focused on illuminating the histories of Middle Eastern Americans in the modern era. He studied at Yale, NYU, and George Washington University before receiving a Fulbright to teach in the History Department at American University in Cairo. Currently, he is an American Council of Learned Societies Emerging Voices Fellow in the Department of Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies at Emory. Committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, Dolan's work centers on changing minds and driving institutional change to empower everyone to be their truest and fullest selves.

Rubaba Dowla is a seasoned corporate leader and entrepreneur, currently serving as the Country Managing Director of Oracle for Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan, and an Independent Director of the Dhaka Stock Exchange. With over 25 years of experience, particularly in ICT and telecommunications, she played a pivotal role in establishing Grameenphone as a market leader and modernizing airtel Bangladesh's service portfolio. Dowla also founded Pulse Healthcare, a digital healthcare platform, and is a passionate advocate for women's empowerment, having received numerous awards for her contributions. She holds executive education credentials from Harvard, London Business School, and Stockholm School of Economics, and serves on various prestigious boards and organizations.

John Ezzell, Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of BIAS, a company offering innovative solutions, previously directed Oracle Consulting's Custom Development, Architecture, and Business Intelligence practices, earning recognition with leadership awards. With a background in finance and investment consultancy at Interstate Johnson and Lane, John's forward-thinking approach to business solutions has been acknowledged in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Inc., BPM, and Oracle magazines.

Heather served as president of The Fenton Company from 1988 to 2005 and held key roles in a consulting firm and a publicly held organization. Since her retirement, she has actively participated in pro bono assignments, leveraging her expertise in strategic thinking, fundraising, and lobbying at state and federal levels. Heather has received numerous awards for her civic and professional achievements and has contributed to various local and international boards supporting arts, education, international industry, refugee resettlement, and Third World health and development. Her passion for women in politics began during her active involvement in the Women's Movement, and she proudly co-founded NewPower PAC in 1988.

Nathan Fitzpatrick, a distinguished attorney and founding member of The Fitzpatrick Firm, LLC, leads a highly experienced team devoted to defending clients' rights in Atlanta. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he has an unrivaled reputation and expertise, having recovered millions for clients in personal injury and accident cases over the past decade. Licensed in various courts, including the Georgia Court of Appeals and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Nathan is known for his remarkable trial record and extensive knowledge of both Georgia and Federal law. His prominence as a lawyer in Atlanta continues to grow rapidly.

Colette Kaminsky is the Senior Assistant Deputy Minister of Skills and Employment Branch at Employment and Social Development Canada. She has an extensive background in public policy development, economic analysis, negotiations, and program implementation, working both internationally and across Canada. Her key career accomplishments include creating one of the government's largest investment funds for innovation and foreign direct investment, leading the negotiation of major federal-provincial-territorial agreements, and directing the economic analysis underpinning major international trade agreement negotiations.

Frank C. Worrell is a Distinguished Professor in the School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley, where he directs several educational programs and holds an affiliate appointment in the Department of Psychology. He earned his BA and Masters in Psychology from the University of Western Ontario and a Ph.D. in School and Educational Psychology from UC Berkeley. His expertise spans academic talent development, at-risk youth, cultural identities, and translating psychological research into school practices. His research focuses on psychosocial constructs as risk and protective factors in students' educational and psychological functioning.

Karen Law is a dynamic and results-oriented professional serving as the Director of Sales Development at Vericast. Recognized for her motivational leadership and consistent top-tier performance, Karen brings a wealth of experience in big-picture thought leadership, innovation, and driving strategic growth to her role. With a focus on leveraging data-driven insights and analytical evaluation, she excels in defining and delivering strategies and capabilities that align with and enhance customer KPIs.

Christa Markgraff, the General Manager of Data Center Field Operations at Microsoft, oversees cloud operations in the eastern U.S., leveraging her 30 years of experience in various roles within gas distribution energy. Christa has been recognized for her leadership, including being named to the HERoes Women Role Model 100 Women Executives List in 2019 and receiving the Midwest Energy Association’s Maverick Award in 2022.

Nakia Melecio, the Technology Advisor at ATDC, specializes in assisting researchers across diverse fields in commercializing their technology and securing investments. With over 15,000 hours of teaching time, he has supported more than 700 startups globally, guiding them from product creation to fundraising. Nakia is an active mentor in prestigious organizations, contributing to the technology industry and holding a master’s degree and a Doctor of Psychology in Education/Teaching, Learning, and Educational Technology, along with bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Cognitive Science.

Jennifer Pickerel, Vice President of Aviation Personnel International (API), is an accomplished leader known for her decisive decision-making and excellent communication skills. With 18 years of experience in business aviation recruitment, she addresses industry workforce challenges and contributes to events and articles on topics like employee attraction, retention, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I). In her role at API, Jennifer serves as the chief of staff to the company's President & CEO, overseeing recruitment projects and staff needs. Jennifer is actively involved in various aviation associations and serves as the Chair of the National Business Aviation Association’s DE&I Working Group.

Étoile Pinder is a social development consultant with over 20 years of experience in social sector services and policies, working in more than 30 countries for organizations such as the World Bank, UNICEF, and WHO. She specializes in collecting quality data to inform evidence-based policies that improve human capital outcomes. Currently, she manages the World Bank's Service Delivery Indicators Health project in Moldova and serves as UNICEF’s Emergency Coordinator in The Bahamas since Hurricane Dorian in 2019. She holds an undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and a master’s degree in the Evaluative Clinical Sciences from Dartmouth College.

Jill Prince is currently the Deputy Director of the Research Directorate at NASA Langley Research Center, overseeing the largest organization at the center dedicated to research and technology development for NASA programs. With a career spanning back to 2001, she has held various roles, contributing significantly to Mars missions and planetary systems analyses. Her accomplishments have earned her prestigious awards, including a NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal, the 2010 Women in Aerospace Achievement Award, and recognition as an American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Associate Fellow in 2021.

Dr. Nusrat Rabbee, Vice President at Alladapt Immunotherapeutics, Inc., is a highly experienced leader with 35 years in data science in pharma/biotech. She is renowned for her expertise in applying advanced analytics to derive actionable insights from clinical trials or real-world data, resulting in several patents for her innovative work. Dr. Rabbee, an accomplished author, published the book "Biomarker Analysis in Clinical Trials Using R" in April 2020 as part of the Biostatistics Series from Chapman and Hall.

Melanie is the Founder and CEO of Kindlii: An online community connecting families with values-driven activities and resources. As a social impact leader, she has worked with over 20 nonprofit organizations in North, Central, and South America. At the age of 24, she became one of the youngest Executive Directors of an international children's foundation. Since then, she has led Canada's youth delegation for the G7 Summit, completed a Forte and an International Women's Forum Fellowship, and completed studies at Schulich, INSEAD, and Harvard Business School.

Dr. Peter Singer, a prominent figure in global health and innovation, boasts over 30 years of experience in advancing health equity and social justice. Currently serving as a board member of Grand Challenges Canada, he contributes to supporting innovative solutions addressing critical health challenges in low- and middle-income countries. From 2017 to 2023, Dr. Singer played a key role as the Special Advisor to the Director General of the World Health Organization, leading the design and implementation of the WHO's strategy and its ambitious "triple billion" target. As the co-founder and former CEO of Grand Challenges Canada, he successfully raised over $450 million to fund 1000 health innovations globally, demonstrating a commitment to saving and improving millions of lives by 2030.

Sadiqa Basiri is a pioneering advocate for education in Afghanistan, having returned to her homeland in 2002 after 18 years as a refugee. She has established six primary schools and four adult literacy centers in underserved rural areas, training over 180 teachers. Additionally, she founded Afghanistan’s first women’s community college, later transitioning it into the Oruj Institute of Higher Education, the country's sole non-profit social enterprise four-year degree-granting college.

Nickola Jane Voegelin is General Counsel at the University of Waterloo, a leading global innovation hub driving economic and social prosperity in Canada and around the globe. The university is home to the world’s largest co-op education talent pipeline, to game-changing academic programs, research, and technology, and to an unmatched entrepreneurial culture. As General Counsel, Nickola leads a team of legal professionals and manages the legal responsibilities in a complex environment driven by the university’s mission and strategic plan.

Elizabeth Wiggs Cooper, a Vassar College graduate with a Master's Degree in International Management, has been actively involved in Atlanta's nonprofit community for nearly a decade. Currently on the Board of CARE Women’s Network, she advocates for the organization's priorities in Washington and Georgia. Additionally, she serves on the Shepherd Center Auxiliary Board and recently concluded her role as Chair of the Scholarship Committee for the Circle for Children. Ms. Cooper, formerly in banking in New York, pursued evening studies at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and volunteered worldwide in her thirties before residing in France for twelve years.

Shoma Zahid is the Founder and Chairperson of the Aastha Trust, a non-profit group devoted to providing food, housing, and education to youth, senior citizens, and people with disabilities. Her determination and hard work to support marginalized communities make her an angel in disguise in her community.