People

See YIA’s Board of Directors and Officers, as well as YIA’s Ambassadors and Committees, below.

The Yale International Alliance is organized as a Shared Interest Group of the Yale Alumni Association. Our Board of Directors serves as the governing body of YIA and provides overall leadership to the organization. If you are interested in serving on the YIA Board or one of its committees, please get in touch with [email protected].

The YIA’s activities are mostly organized through its committees. To get involved with one or more of our committees, please use our express interest form to contact YIA administrators.

Officers
Kyle Kegang Wang
BA Yale, MBA University of Chicago

United States
YIA Chair, Head of Global Crises Action
Founder, Global Energy System Exchange
LinkedIn Profile

Dr. Claudia Portogallo
MA Freie Universität Berlin, MEd Landesamt für Schule und Bildung, Standort Dresden, PhD, MPhil, MA Yale University

Germany, Italy
YIA Vice Chair, Co-Chair of Education in Action
PR and Education, Sankt Afra, Germany
LinkedIn Profile

Dr. Hui-Qiong Wang
BSc Xiamen University, MSc National University of Singapore, PhD Yale

China and Malaysia
YIA Treasurer
Visiting Fellow Yale University, Professor of Physics Xiamen University China and Malaysia
LinkedIn Profile

Ruth Spencer
MA Yale

Antigua and Barbuda

YIA Secretary, Chair of YIA Climate & Sustainability Impact Group

Chair, Marine Ecosystems Protected Areas (MEPA) Trust,
Advisory Board Member UN Women’s Civil Society Advisory Group for the Caribbean,
Advisory Board Member UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration

Directors
Dr. George Abdelnour
BA Yale, PhD Yale

Lebanon
Department of English and Translation, Notre Dame University, Lebanon
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Renata Cesar
BA Yale, JD Stanford

United Kingdom
Common Room Co-Chair and Founding Chair of YIA
Lawyer, Writer
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Maria Lopez-Bresnahan
BA Yale, MD New York University

United States
Vice President, Head of Clinical Development, Neuroscience, Bristol Myers Squibb
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Helen Sun
MBA Renmin University, MAM Yale

China

Senior Partner, Zhongrui Capital; President, Yale Club of Beijing

Dr. Guillermina Rosenkrantz
BA Universidad del Salvador, MA Yale, MPhil Yale, PhD Yale

Argentina

Professor of Law, Universidad de San Andrés; Universidad de Palermo; President, Yale Club of Argentina
Academic Profile

Angelene Huang
MBA, Yale School of Management
B.E. Tsinghua University

New York, United States

co-Chair, YIA Education in Action Group
The Superintendent of New York Military Academy

Vittoria Tagliabue
BSc Università Bocconi, MSc Università Bocconi, MMS Yale

Italy, United Kingdom

YIA Communications Committee Chair
Manager of Corporate Strategy, VISA
LinkedIn Profile

Sergio Pineda
MEM Yale School of the Environment

Colombia

Geographer; President, Yale Club of Colombia

Peggy Shaw
BA Yale

Thailand and United States

Coordinator, Educational and Cultural Programs, various US embassies and consulates

Ambassadors
Dr. Elkanah Babatunde
BA University of Benin, Yale Fox International Fellow, Law PhD, University of Cape Town

Nigeria/South Africa
Senior Strategic Associate, Economic Development, Investment and Trade, Government of Manitoba, Canada
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Ruth Botsio
BA Yale

Ghana
Communications and Alumni Director, SOS-Hermann Gmeiner International College; VP Yale Club of Ghana
LinkedIn Profile

April Swando Hu
BSc Yale, MBA Stanford

Singapore
Business Development Asia, GenCell Energy; Co-founder, NINEby9
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Joseph He
BA Wabash College;
MAR Yale

Poland, Germany

Public Affairs and Communications at
Huawei Europe

Caroline Hsiao Van
BA Yale, MBA University of Chicago

Hong Kong
Independent Advisor, Yale Medalist

LinkedIn Profile

Anton Tejeda
BA Yale, MPA Harvard Kennedy School

Dominican Republic
President, Saint George School, Dominican Republic
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John Wakiumu
BA Lafayette College, MPPM Yale

Kenya

CEO for Africa and Global Head of Agriculture, Reewire International ApS

LinkedIn Profile

Clint Bartlett
BCom, MBA University of Cape Town, MAM Yale University

South Africa

Director at African Impact

LinkedIn Profile

Inbal Megiddo
BA, MM/AD, Yale; DMA, Victoria University of Wellington

New Zealand | Oceania

Cello Professor at New Zealand School of Music

LinkedIn Profile

Joaquín Jácome Diez
JD, Universidad de Los Andes Bogotá , Colombia; MA International Law, Stockholm University, Sweden; 2005 Yale World Fellow

Panama

Attorney at Law,
Senior Partner
Jacome & Jacome
 
LinkedIn Profile

Rozina Farhad Mistry
Yale World Fellow (2002), Eisenhower Fellow (2004), MHSc University of Toronto,

Karachi, Pakistan

Senior consultant for Health
Visiting faculty of Aga Khan University, Karachi and Liaquat University of Medical Health Sciences

Ali Brown
BA Yale

Hong Kong

Fellow, Yale-China Association

Committees
Communications and Programming Committee

This committee will strengthen the YIA website and social media presence. It will explore innovative conferencing technologies for connecting a group that is spread around the world. This committee will also lead and develop alumni volunteers organizing events in different parts of the world. Events further the mission and goals of the YIA include joint ventures among different Yale communities such as local Yale clubs and alumni Shared Interest Groups, ISO reunions on campus, international mentoring schemes, and other programs.

Governance Committee

This committee will file charter documents (certificate of inc. and bylaws), and oversee adherence to the YIA bylaws, mission, and statutory requirements.

Public Relations and Resources Committee

This committee develops YIA’s public relations and resources strategy, and fundraising campaigns for specific impact projects, and builds YIA’s resources, considering national, regional, and global perspectives. It is responsible for publicity, outreach, and the recruitment and retention of members worldwide.

University Relations Committee

The members of this group create a bridge between the YIA and the Yale campus by developing relationships with the university and faculty and liaising with student campus organizations. In addition, it helps model alumni relations in countries that have an active alumni relationship with the university.

Former Members of YIA’s Leadership Team
Dr. Miranda Melcher
YIA Director 2021 – 2022

United Kingdom

Dr. Minh Tran
YIA Secretary 2020 – 2022

Hong Kong

Mena Cammett
YIA Vice Chair 2020 – 2022

United States

Kristina Tremonti
YIA Treasurer 2020 – 2022

Greece and Italy

Javade Chaudhri
YIA Director, Acting Treasurer 2020 – 2022

United States

Hetty Nerod
YIA Secretary 2022 – 2023
B.A. Yale; MBA Cornell University

United States

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