Sir David Eastwood

Chair

Professor Sir David Eastwood took up his post as UK chair from September 2023. His notable career in higher education has included over twelve years as Vice Chancellor at the University of Birmingham, a term as Chief Executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for England, and chairing bodies as diverse as the Universities Superannuation Scheme, The Russell Group, Universitas 21, and the University and Colleges Admissions Service. He was knighted in 2014 for services to education and appointed as Deputy Lieutenant of the West Midlands in 2012, carving a place for himself as one of Birmingham’s adopted sons. With an academic specialism in 18th-19th Century history, and an academic career that saw him as Fellow and Senior Tutor at Pembroke College, Oxford, he’s well placed to understand the Commission’s unique role and value in maintaining the ‘special relationship’ between our two countries.

Mukul Devichand

Editor of Audio Programing for The New York Times

Mukul Devichand is the Editor of Audio Programing for The New York Times, a new role at the frontier of digital audio, created in 2021 and based in New York. Previously, Mukul was at the BBC for 17 years, based in London. He became an editor after a long background in international, investigative and longform reporting for radio and TV. As Editor, he was known for innovative forms of digital publishing and launched and ran a number of journalism units for BBC News and the BBC World Service, including the 24/7 BBC Interactive News, BBC Trending (the BBC “bureau on the global internet”) and the solutions journalism unit People Fixing The World. From 2017, he was the BBC’s first Executive Editor of Voice + AI, building up a large team across production, software engineering and design, and taking the values of public broadcasting into the new space of AI Assistants. 

Mukul grew up in South Wales and his life changed after he first lived in New York City as a Fulbright Scholar studying journalism at Columbia University. He’s passionate about how both journalism and educational exchange can bring the world together and enrich both individual lives and our shared global culture and understanding.

Pam DeVolder

Cultural Attaché at US Embassy London

Pam DeVolder began her assignment as Cultural Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in London in July 2023. Prior to this assignment, Ms. DeVolder served as Counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam (2019-2023). She previously served as Public Affairs Officer and Deputy Principal Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Krakow, Poland (2015-2018). Earlier postings include the U.S. Embassy in Vientiane, Laos, where she served Public Affairs Officer (2011-2014), and the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, Germany, where she served as the Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer (2008-2010) and Deputy Press Attaché (2007-2008).  She has also worked as Political, Economic and Consular Officer in Malawi (2005-2007), and as Economic and Labor Officer in Cambodia (2003-2005).

Ms. DeVolder holds a B.A. in Political Economy of Industrial Societies and German from U.C. Berkeley, and a M.S. in Ecosystem Science and Conservation from the University of Washington. Prior to joining the Foreign Service in 2002, she developed techniques to remediate contaminated environments. She is married and has one daughter.

Rodney Ford

Minister Counselor for Public Affairs - U.S. Embassy

Rodney Ford is the Minister Counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Embassy. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, he has served both in Washington, DC and overseas. Prior Washington assignments include Executive Assistant to the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs (R) and multiple assignments in the Bureau of African Affairs, most recently as the Deputy Director in the Office of West African Affairs (AF/W), responsible for Nigeria and the Sahel. Overseas assignments include Cultural Attaché at U.S. Embassy Rome, Italy; Spokesperson at U.S. Embassy Baghdad (2013-14) and at U.S. Embassy Rabat (2010-13); and Public Affairs Officer at U.S. Embassy Antananarivo (2007-10).  He has also served in South Africa and Suriname. Rodney holds an M.S. in National Security Studies from the U.S. National War College, an M.A. in Political Science from Georgia State University, and a B.A. from Emory University in Cultural Anthropology. 

Alan Mackay

Deputy Vice-Principal International, University of Edinburgh

Alan provides strategic leadership on internationalisation and works with senior leaders to advance the University’s international ambition and partnership. He directs the University’s international operation and has over twenty-five years’ experience in international higher education. He has an undergraduate degree in Public Policy and Management, Postgraduate Diploma in European Policy and Law and is an alumnus of Harvard University Graduate School of Education, Institute for Educational Management. He is a Trustee of the Council for At Risk Academics and member of the British Council Scotland Advisory Committee.

Professor Reverend Keith Magee

Chair and Professor of Practice in Social Justice

Professor Reverend Keith Magee is Chair and Professor of Practice in Social Justice at Newcastle University and Senior Fellow in Culture and Politics at UCL Culture and Centre on U.S. Politics. A public intellectual, theologian, and social justice scholar, Reverend Magee served as the founding director of the National Public Housing Museum in Chicago and was senior director of the Museum of African American History in Boston. He has expertise as a bipartisan faith, race and policy advisor with U.S. presidents, governors and congressional members. His eclectic studies have taken him through the halls of Ohio University, University of Pennsylvania, Harvard Divinity School, and Grace International College.   

Currently, he serves as Co-Chair of the Endowment Committee of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Co-Chair of Black Britain and Beyond, and Trustee of Facing History and Ourselves. In 2021 the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan appointed him to the Commission on Diversity in the Public Realm. Reverend Magee is a CNN and BBC contributor and the author of Prophetic Justice: Race, Religion and Politics (2021).

Carla Matero

Founder & CEO of Honor Bound LLC

Carla Matero is Founder & CEO of Honor Bound LLC, a premier strategic advisory firm that pioneers tailored, progressive growth strategies for a diverse set of clients fostering equity and excellence in leadership, team development, and infrastructure design. 

Her work has focused on creating collaborative efforts across sectors for transformative and innovative outcomes in the arts, academia, private corporations, social justice campaigns, nonprofits, and the government. She has held senior leadership positions at Columbia University, Girl Scouts of the USA (HQ), City of New York, and government relations firm Kasirer. 

At Columbia, Carla played an instrumental role in launching its global centers, building an international series of fora to explore the inherent mandates of free press and speech, and collaborating on a $5 billion development campaign. As Executive Director of New York City’s Mayor’s Office of Special Projects and Community Events, she created initiatives that built sustainable partnerships and community engagement. Carla was a 2021 City & State Honoree - “The leaders who made New York”. 

Carla serves on the board of LearningSpring School and was also a founding board member for Article 19 U.S. She holds an MS in Strategic Communications from Columbia University and an MFA from Penn State University.

Paul O’Neill

Senior Advisor to the President and Chief Operating Officer for the Office of Advancement at Georgetown University

Paul O’Neill is the former Senior Advisor to the President and Chief Operating Officer for the Office of Advancement at Georgetown University. As senior advisor, Paul was the lead development officer for the University’s largest-ever gift of $100 million. As Chief Operating Officer, Paul led operations of the “For Generations to Come” campaign that raised $1.5 billion. 

Paul began his career working for Ronald Reagan in the White House Office of Presidential Advance. He then worked in the private sector at The Advisory Board Company and Corporate Executive Board (CEB) in Washington, DC as a member of the management team that led CEB through an IPO and years of extraordinary growth. Later, Paul was managing director on the publishing staff of The Atlantic magazine.  

Paul received a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Public Policy from Georgetown. He is co-author of Georgetown University (Arcadia Press), a collection of historical documents and photographs from the university’s first 200 years.

Miriam Patterson

Senior Director at the International Capital Market Association

Miriam Patterson is a legal professional with more than 25 years of experience in the legal and legal technology sectors.  She is a Senior Director at the International Capital Market Association, where she works to promote resilient capital markets through engagement with market participants and financial regulators.  Previously she was a Senior Editor at Thomson Reuters’ Practical Law, working on legal content and product development into new geographies and practice areas.  The first decade of her career was spent at two global law firms, Allen & Overy and Latham & Watkins, where she advised on international equity and debt offerings and developed knowledge management systems.

Born in Hong Kong, Miriam’s family then immigrated to the US where she grew up in Texas.  She received her BA from Rice University, JD from the University of Texas, and LLM from King’s College London.  She was the recipient of a Truman Scholarship and a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship, which enabled her to study in the UK.  Her own experience of studying abroad makes her a passionate believer in the benefits that international academic exchange brings, both to the exchange participant and the communities that they become a part of.

Robin Saunders

Managing Partner of Clearbrook Capital Partners LLP

Robin Saunders is Managing Partner of Clearbrook Capital Partners LLP, a private investment and advisory group working with growth companies across a variety of sectors including business & financial services, real estate, energy, utilities, retail and asset management. Robin has led over $30 billion of transactions across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and North America. 

Prior to founding Clearbrook, Robin was a leading corporate banker who led intrapreneurial teams specialising in principal finance, capital markets and securitisation within banks including Citigroup, Chase, Deutsche Bank, and WestLB. She has served on numerous boards including Formula One Holdings, Pubmistress Ltd, Mid Kent Holdings, Whyte and Mackay Group Ltd, Odeon Cinemas, The Office of the Rail Regulator, Sadler’s Wells Theatre, the British Film Institute and others.

Robin is an enthusiastic supporter of numerous arts organisations in the United Kingdom and the United States; a Visiting Fellow at Said Business School, University of Oxford; and she actively mentors young entrepreneurs in various countries.

Rachel Sandison

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (External Engagement) at University of Glasgow

Rachel is responsible for leading the University of Glasgow’s strategy for external engagement covering an integrated portfolio of International Policy and Partnerships; Marketing and Communications; Brand and Reputation Management; Transnational Education; Student Recruitment and Admissions; Widening Access and Lifelong Learning; Development and Alumni Relations; and Civic Engagement. Rachel is also the University’s Sanctuary Champion.  

Rachel is the University’s Universitas 21 network Senior Leader, a Board member of the University’s European network, The Guild, and the University lead for the CIVIS European University Alliance, thereby supporting the activity of a global group of research-intensive universities.  

Rachel is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, a Global Trustee of CASE and a member of the Board of Trustees for Fulbright, whilst also contributing to several sector advisory boards both at home and overseas. 

Professor Sir Steve Smith

UK Government International Education Champion

Professor Sir Steve Smith is the UK Government International Education Champion. He was Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Exeter from October 2002 to August 2020.

Sir Steve holds a BSc, an MSc, and a PhD in International Relations from the University of Southampton. He served as President of the world academic body in his field from 2003-2004. In 2009 he became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and in 2012 was awarded the University of South Florida's Global Leadership Award. Sir Steve was Chair of the UCAS Board from 2013-2019 and was President of Universities UK from 2009-2011. He was a Board member of the Russell Group; Chair of UUK's International Policy Network, Chair of UUK's International Strategic Advisory Board and Member of the UUK Board. 

From June 2007 to May 2010, he led for higher education on the Prime Minister’s National Council of Excellence in Education, which provided advice to Government about strategy and measures to achieve world-class education performance for all children and young people. Sir Steve was knighted in 2011 for services to higher education locally and nationally. 

Susan Sternglass Noble

Non-Executive Director and Angel Investor

Susan Sternglass Noble is recognised as a leading global investor in financial services companies having held senior roles at Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, CQS and AXA Framlington. She is known for her contributions to innovation and accountability in corporate governance, investor stewardship and financial services policy. Susan has served as Commissioner on the Dormant Assets Commission and as adviser to the Treasury Select Committee of the House of Commons as well as to the Investor Forum. 

Susan is currently a Non-Executive Director of Unity Trust Bank and Asia Dragon Trust. She served on the board of Avanza AB, one of the first European internet stockbrokers. Susan is an active angel investor in companies with sustainability-linked business models, FinTech and EduTech, with a particular focus on supporting women-founded companies. 

Susan holds a B.A. in Asian Studies from Cornell University and a M.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. Her study-abroad in Taiwan as an undergraduate was a formative experience and drives her passion for global educational exchange. Susan is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Commerce and Manufacture. 

Dr Faye Taylor

Deputy Director for International Strategy & Partnerships, Department for Education

Faye Taylor is Deputy Director for International Strategy & Partnerships at the Department for Education, responsible for the UK’s diplomatic education relationships, including the Fulbright Scholarships grant.

Faye knows first-hand how transformational scholarships can be, holding an MA and PhD in History from the University if Nottingham and a Masters in Public Policy from the London School of Economics thanks to generous sponsorship.

Before joining the UK Government, Faye worked in higher education advocacy, scholarships and international relations for the Association of Commonwealth Universities, and in research policy and collaborative doctoral training at University Alliance. As an early career academic she taught medieval history at King’s College London and held the King George VI Postdoctoral Fellowship at Cumberland Lodge.

Faye and her family are based in London but enjoying showing their toddler the world.

Maria Balinska

Executive Director

Maria Balinska is the Executive Director of the US-UK Fulbright Commission. Educated in the US and in Europe, she joined the BBC in London in 1991, where she worked until 2009 as a producer and then senior editor focusing on international affairs. She returned to the US in 2009 on a Nieman fellowship at Harvard and subsequently founded Latitude News, an experiment in reporting America’s links with the rest of the world in new ways. In 2014, Maria joined the launch team of The Conversation US, a non-profit digital daily where the content is authored by academics and edited by journalists for the general public. For four years she was The Conversation US’s Editor-in-Chief, based in Boston.

Maria has had extensive contact with universities and individual academics on both sides of the Atlantic and is a strong supporter of the Fulbright mission of expanding international educational and cultural exchange and making it widely accessible. She is also the author of The Bagel: the surprising history of a modest bread (Yale 2008), described by the New York Times as a 'scrumptious book.'

Rowena Boddington

Director, Advising and Marketing

Rowena leads the EducationUSA advising service, offering accurate, free and comprehensive information to students and families in the UK about US study, as part of the State Department's EducationUSA network. Her team also supports US HEIs interested in recruiting in the UK.

Rowena is also the programme director for the Sutton Trust US Programme, delivered by the Commission and run in partnership with social mobility charity the Sutton Trust. Working with 150 students a year, the team help low income, generally first generation students explore US universities and apply to universities to gain admission and funding. 

While an American studies student at a British university, Rowena had the opportunity to study abroad in California. This life-changing experience has led to a career so far focused on enabling domestic and international students to make informed decisions about their best study options. She is passionate about helping more students have as transformational experiences at US universities as her own was.

Afua Osei

Director of External Relations

As Director of External Relations for the US-UK Fulbright Commission, Afua Osei drives strategic communications, and partners with colleagues on external engagement.

She has worked in external relations across global higher education institutions. These include Cambridge (initiating executive education business in African markets and Brazil), Oxford (promoting an entrepreneurial culture in the Thames Valley region and Europe), Royal Holloway, (research management and intellectual property commercialisation) and Harvard (technology patenting and licensing). Most recently, as Associate Director of Alumni and Events, she led engagement with Warwick alumni through a talented team and a newly established overseas network of ambassadors, building an alumni marketing and communications agenda.

While representing the University of Oxford, Afua was quoted in The Times, The Financial Times, and New Scientist. Accordingly, she started her career working for a national newspaper, The Independent. Afua is an associate member of CIPR (Chartered Institute of Public Relations), and she has an intellectual property law master’s degree from Queen Mary combined with a bachelor’s in biochemistry from Imperial College, London.

Lisa Sadler

Director, Fulbright Awards Programme

Lisa joined the Fulbright Commission in March 2022 and was initially the US Programme Manager. After providing maternity cover for the Director role and stepping into the newly created Head of Special Projects for four months, Lisa returned to the Director role from January 2024. This includes managing the Awards team and the relationships with UK award sponsors and partners.   

Lisa has a bachelors degree in English from Leeds and a Masters in Social Anthropology from SOAS. Before joining the Commission, Lisa spent five years teaching English at university level and lived in Mexico for three years. She also has over 20 years experience working in international recruitment for UK Universities.  

In her spare time, Lisa enjoys spending time walking her dogs and continuing to improve her very poor Spanish! 

Nelson Garcia-Narvaez

Director of Finance

Nelson Garcia-Narvaez is the Commission’s Director of Finance. He is a chartered accountant, fellow member of the Certified Public Accountants Association (CPAA) in the UK and the College of Public Accountants (CCP) in Venezuela. He holds a degree in Public Accounting, a master’s with specialisation in Finance, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education. He is currently a member of the Association of Certified Public Accountant Committee for the London branch.

He works closely with the Board, Committees, and the Executive Management Team, assessing operational activities, providing strategic financial planning, and influencing in service provision decisions across the organisation. His own experience of working and studying abroad makes him an enthusiastic believer in the positive benefits of international exposure to aid education and professional development.

He is a former Rotary Club member and has an interest in organising fundraising events to support charity organisations. He speaks Spanish and English and is currently studying to learn Portuguese and Italian. Aside from speaking and learning languages, Nelson also enjoys exercising and dancing

Jo Downey

Director of Operations

Jo joined the Fulbright Commission in 2017 and was initially responsible for Human Resources, Board Relations, IT and Health and Safety.  In November 2022 she took on the role of Director of Operations and is now additionally responsible for integrating systems and planning across the organisation and data protection.

She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resources Management and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPD).

She has previously worked in UK higher education but she has also worked in the private sector and overseas and is passionate about working for an organisation that is dedicated to providing global educational opportunities. 

In her spare time, Jo enjoys travelling, photography and cooking.

Katharina Becker

Senior Programme Manager, Summer Institute programme

Katharina manages all aspects of the Summer Institutes Programmes for undergraduate students. Having participated in a Fulbright Summer Institute herself during her time at university, she is excited to share this fantastic experience.

She is a firm believer in the transformative powers of educational exchange. In positions with organizations such as the German-American Fulbright Commission, the German Historical Institute London and the German Research Foundation she has been providing networking opportunities to students and researchers on both sides of the Atlantic.

Katharina is passionate about coffee, yoga and theatre. She enjoys spending her free time in London’s beautiful parks, chasing after her two sons.

Ethan Corcoran

Digital Community Manager

Ethan is the digital community manager for Fulbrighter, the global network for Fulbrighters to connect with and support each other, and to share and discover the incredible work they achieve during and beyond their awards.

Ethan holds a BA (Hons) in Digital Film Production from Ravensbourne University, and an MA in Digital Media Culture from Birkbeck, University of London. His academic focus has been primarily on the design of digital platforms and the social impacts of design decisions, borrowing from a more artistic background to bring unique insights in how to create inclusive and meaningful digital spaces.

He enjoys reading and watching/discussing films.

Basia Dudek

EducationUSA Manager

As part of the EducationUSA advising team, Basia works with those interested in US study. 

Her previous role was at Solent University where she worked with students at the university to develop sports clubs. Originally from Poland, she grew up in Warren, Michigan where she graduated from high school and received her Associates Degree from Macomb Community College on a basketball scholarship. She then moved back to Poland, where she taught English as a second language before eventually moving to the UK to study a BA(Hons) in Sport Coaching and Development, and a MSc in Project Management at Solent University. She’s excited to bring her experience to Fulbright and her role as an Advisor.

In her free time she enjoys travelling, escaping from escape rooms with her team, ‘Team Mediocre’, going to the gym and eating excellent food.

Rebecca Halliday

Communications Manager

Rebecca joined Fulbright in January 2022 and is responsible for managing the Fulbright Commission’s online and offline communications activity.

Rebecca’s passion for international education was first ignited during her six months of work and study in Florida during her undergraduate degree. She has since pursued a Master’s in Marketing Communications and spent six months working in student experience at RMIT University in Melbourne. She’s enjoyed spending the last four years managing communications and engagement for membership organisations such as The Institute of Directors and DIAL Global, with a particular focus on using strategic communications to drive change across social mobility, equity and inclusion.

Rebecca has seen first-hand the positive impact of cultural exchange, and is eager to bring her experiences, passion and enthusiasm to the team. In her spare time, Rebecca enjoys travelling, working on her French language skills and tutoring English as a Foreign Language.

Rebecca Jackson-Walley

Awards Officer

Rebecca is our UK Awards Officer, meaning she supports our UK Senior Programme Manager in managing all aspects of the programmes for British Scholars, and British Students wishing to pursue postgraduate study in the US.

Having grown up in Aberystwyth Wales, Rebecca moved to London to study Politics at Queen Mary University, where she received first class honours. As a British/American, Rebecca grew up travelling back and forth between Boston, MA and Wales, which sparked her passion for travel and transatlantic relations.  After representing Wales on an exchange program to Yosano, Japan, Rebecca grew to strongly believe that opportunities to experience different cultures and societies encourages peace and understanding. Prior to her current role Rebecca was our Awards Assistant, and before joining Fulbright Rebecca worked predominately in government administration and issue-based campaigning.

Outside of work, Rebecca loves travelling, photography, and exploring London’s West End and art galleries. 

Laura Logan

Awards Assistant

Laura joined the Fulbright team in 2023 as the Awards Assistant. She supports all members of the Awards team, specifically with American scholars and students coming to the United Kingdom. 

She hails from the small but bustling town of Port Antonio on Jamaica’s north-east coast. Her introduction to international education came with a scholarship to the United World College in Wales where she became actively involved with equality, diversity and inclusion work on campus. Matriculating to Dartmouth College in the USA, she majored in Geography and African and African American Studies and continued to work in the EDI space by creating supportive systems for international, Black and Caribbean students. She also studied for ten weeks in Accra, and still dreams about Ghanaian food.  

Laura loves to write and bake and is teaching herself how to sew. 

Emma Mallon

Programme Manager, US Scholars Programme

Hailing from Vermont, Emma manages the US Scholar, Distinguished Teacher and Specialist programmes. She’s lived, worked and studied on both sides of the pond and is excited to put this experience to good use supporting grantees through the various aspects of their awards.

Emma got her start volunteering with rural communities in North America and Europe through UNESCO. She went on to support exchange programmes in the US and the UK, working to expand access to intercultural learning and leadership opportunities. Most recently, she managed capacity-building projects for a communications training company.

Outside of work, Emma enjoys exploring the great outdoors, creating art and spending time with her cat, Bagel.

Marina Martinez

Communications Assistant

Marina joined Fulbright in January 2023 and assists with external relations and communications activity.

Born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, Marina moved from her sunny desert town to Scotland to pursue an International Relations degree at The University of Edinburgh. Especially as the first in her family to attend university, she relished the opportunity to gain an international education and geared her studies towards media & politics, gender politics, and environmental policy.

Marina has worked on communications in the non-profit space for the past two years, centring her work around advancing gender equality on a global scale and amplifying marginalised creatives from the US, UK, and virtual sphere. She especially enjoys being able to tell stories through social media and written outreach.

In her free time, Marina loves to bake treats of all sorts, dog-watch at the park, and plan her next weekend getaway around Europe. 

Jessica McIvor

Head of Special Projects

As Head of Special Projects, Jessica manages a variety of different projects within the Commission including the virtual exchange Global Challenges Teaching Awards, the UK University Membership programme and relations with UK university partners, and UK outreach through the Fulbright Champions programme.

Originally from Belfast, she studied modern languages and European studies at the University of Southampton and spent time abroad studying in Barcelona, Spain and in Nanjing, China, as well as working in Germany. Before joining the Commission, she completed her PhD co-funded by the University of Southampton and the University of Bristol on gender, war, and photography in Ireland and Spain. In her role as Head of Special Projects, she is excited to bring together her passion for cultural exchange and experience in higher education to help to facilitate inter-cultural exchange for others and drive innovative approaches to international education.

Outside of work, Jessica enjoys bouldering and she is looking forward to exploring London’s museums and galleries.

Roisin Murphy

Sutton Trust US Programme Manager

Roisin is London-Irish and was raised in Harrow, a greater London hub of multiculturalism. She is excited to bring insights from working in Early Careers, as well as her own experience as a first generation university attendee, to support young people to undertake the Sutton Trust US Programme.

She completed a BA in History at the University of Bristol, which included a dissertation on Game of Thrones and a research position covering the impact of the BBC’s Natural History Unit.

She loves reading, especially historical fiction, and is currently working to perfect her curly hair routine.

Ellis O’Connell

Sutton Trust US Programme Assistant

Originally from the sunny Isle of Wight, Ellis made the big move to London at 19 for university. During his time there, he was able to undertake a study abroad year to Los Angeles. This life-changing experience ignited a passion for international education and social mobility. Having spent the last 3 years working in the music industry, he decided to make a career shift into international education, hoping to truly make a difference to people's lives. Having previously intended to complete his higher education in the US – and having introduced his own high school to the Sutton Trust US Programme – it is a full-circle moment for him to join the Commission as a Programme Assistant years later!

Outside of work, he enjoys travelling (having visited 27 countries and 19 US states), seeing live music, watching reality television competition programmes, eating good food and experiencing culture.

Toks Ogunbayo

Head of Finance and Accounting

Toks joined the Commission in January 2024 on a one-year fixed term contract as Head of Finance and Accounting, effectively supporting the Director of Finance in providing a finance service to the organisation. He is a fully qualified accountant and a member of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants (ACCA). He also holds a BA Hons degree in Business Studies from The University of Westminster.

Toks has previously worked in a number of both public sector and private sector organisations, notably he spent a significant period of time working for a Housing Association which provided Housing, Care and support to people with Learning Disabilities, and furthermore working for a Non-Governmental Departmental Public Body (Quango) funded by the DFE charged with delivering on the then Government’s Building Schools for the Future Capital programme.

More recently he has been working for a variety of charitable organisations on a short-term contract basis.

When not working Toks enjoys flying drones, DIY, cycling and travelling.

Cristina Picillo

Sutton Trust US Senior Programme Manager

Cristina studied French and Spanish at University of Leeds, spending time abroad, studying in Granada, Spain and teaching students in Western France. She has volunteered and worked with the British and Spanish Red Cross and Refugee Council working with children, young people and refugees both in the UK and in Spain.

Having benefited greatly from her experiences, she is excited about promoting study abroad.

Outside of work, she is greatly passionate about language, travel and culture.

Junaina Pirbhai

Wellbeing and Welfare Manager

Junaina manages wellbeing and welfare, being a point of contact for Fulbrighters requiring wellbeing support and providing appropriate training for staff. She is also responsible for the development of the Commission’s safeguarding policies and processes in line with best practice.

Junaina completed part of her education in Ontario, Canada. She has a BSc. in Psychology from the University of Warwick and has been working in pastoral support in education for many years. Junaina is currently doing her Master's in Integrative Counselling and Coaching. She is passionate about breaking down barriers that individuals and communities may face due to mental health, and increasing awareness around positive wellbeing strategies to improve overall life satisfaction.

In her spare time, Junaina enjoys reading novels, swimming and hiking.  

Lily Prendergast

Sutton Trust US Senior Programme Manager

Lily is a Senior Programme Manager for the Sutton Trust US Programme, assisting low-income and first-generation British students explore and apply to US universities.

Previously a participant on the programme, Lily subsequently attained a BA in Anthropology and South Asian Studies from Smith College in Massachusetts. As part of her degree, Lily spent 6 months studying in Pune, India, as well as interning for non-profits championing social mobility through public health, and inclusion and empowerment of LGBTQ community members.

She is eager to combine her first-hand knowledge as a first-generation college student with her experiences working on campus and abroad to encourage students to access resources and get involved in higher education!

Lily enjoys reading, seeing live music, and maple syrup.

Olwyn Shorey

Programme Manager, US Postgraduate Programme

Olwyn Shorey is the US Postgraduate Programme Manager at the US-UK Fulbright Commission. As a manager she is there to support and be a contact for US Postgraduate grantees studying in the UK and manage all the different aspects of the Fulbright Awards for Postgraduate programmes.

Olwyn considers herself both from Guernsey (a small island between England and France) and London, having lived half of her life in both places. Previously, she has worked coordinating Study Abroad programmes and pastoral care for American students studying abroad in London from across the US and has experience in library/ family history research services alongside tutoring English, German and Portuguese.

Olwyn understands the importance of cross-cultural and academic exchange having lived, studied, and worked abroad in Lisbon and Mainz during her German and Portuguese degree at Kings College London. This has motivated her to focus her career around facilitating diverse groups of students to access and enjoy the same exciting opportunities. Outside of work, Olwyn loves finding live music spots in London, going on long walks, cooking and doing street dance classes.

Weixige Erin Sun

Sutton Trust US Programme Assistant

Erin was born and raised in North-eastern China, a region that celebrates a mixture of Korean, Japanese, Russian and Chinese culture. She went for her BA in International Politics from Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, a beautiful city with a two-thousand-year history in Southern China. During her senior year of college, she undertook in internship with the UNFAO in Budapest on a government scholarship, which strengthened her belief in helping young people participate in cultural exchanges. From Budapest, she then went to Boston for her MA in public international law and human security at the Fletcher School, Tufts University. 

Outside of work, she enjoys literature, true crime podcasts, musical theatre and old American sitcoms. She moved with her guinea pigs to London in late 2021 and is hoping to enjoy her new life here with them.

Sam Thompson

Senior Programme Manager, UK Awards

Sam manages all aspects of the UK Awards programme for British citizens, including the selection process, pre-departure support and orientation, and the organisation of three programme-related enrichment events for UK grantees.

He started his time at the US-UK Fulbright Commission working on the Sutton Trust US Programme, a cause he felt passionate about after his own experience on a Sutton Trust UK Summer School. Before working at Fulbright, Sam studied for his BA at the University of Cambridge and his MLitt in Scandinavian Studies at the University of Aberdeen. 

Outside of work Sam is interested in languages, music and game design.

Sophie Wall

Administrative Co-ordinator

Sophie is our administrative co-ordinator and the newest member to join our team at Fulbright. Sophie is half Welsh and half Georgian and grew up in a multicultural home.

Sophie has spent time studying abroad in Kazakhstan, the UAE and the Netherlands and understands and values the importance of an international education. Despite COVID disruptions, Sophie graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Amsterdam in 2021.

In her free time, Sophie enjoys going on long walks, listening to music books and podcasts, and watching and discussing films.