About Us

Kimberly Brennan brings more than 12 years of event planning experience to UIDP. She served as a training specialist and planner for the U.S. Space Shuttle Program at Kennedy Space Center and has been an event coordinator for a large health care nonprofit organization. She holds an associate degree in business operations from Columbia College. She enjoys sports and outdoor activities with her family and is an active volunteer in local efforts and in the experimental aviation community to foster STEM education for the next generation.

Mike possesses over 23 years’ experience in higher education as an administrator and researcher with several universities, including the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, University of Maryland system, University of South Carolina, Troy University, and South Carolina State University. Mike was previously founding research director of the IIFRE at the University of South Carolina, where he was a principal investigator involved with several USDA and NSF projects as well as several state agency research proposals. Mike has worked with numerous industry organizations as a university administrator, partnering in several outreach initiatives.

Mike earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of South Carolina and his doctorate from the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech.

Natalie is a 2022 graduate of the University of South Carolina, majoring in psychology with a minor in criminal justice. She was born and raised in Austin, TX, where she grew up with her parents and dog, Leo. While seeking her bachelor’s degree, she was involved in a criminal justice research project and interned at the South Carolina Attorney General’s office, working in both the VAWA/Human Trafficking Unit and the Medicaid Recipient Fraud Unit. She previously worked as a client representative and a corporate trainer for Redis Marketing Inc. Natalie lives in historic downtown Columbia with her cat, Lula.

Brian has over 25 years of experience working in pharmaceutical research and high performance computing, and 10 years of experience in strategic partnerships for U-I collaboration. Before joining University College London (UCL), Brian was corporate relations coordinator at the University of Cambridge. Brian focuses on the development of strategic partnerships between external organizations and UCL researchers in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors. He has a particular interest in work related to small molecule drug discovery, structural biology, and informatics. Brian earned his graduate and doctorate degrees from the University of Natal in South Africa.

Jenna brings a versatile professional background of 15 years in customer service as well as extensive records and project management to her role at UIDP. She earned a bachelor of arts degree in English from California State University, San Bernardino, and a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of South Carolina. She joins UIDP from the South Caroliniana Library at USC, where she worked five years, most recently in archival processing and catalog librarianship. Jenna is passionate about serving in her Columbia young professionals community, books and movies, and Gamecocks sports.

Taylor Davis is from Gilbert, SC, and has a background in marketing, property management, and real estate. She graduated from Clemson University with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. Taylor enjoys playing with her dog, going to the beach, and boating on Lake Murray with her family and friends.

Melissa is the principal of Clio & Associates, a consulting practice that delivers solutions for university-industry collaborations. She has 16 years of experience in university-industry relations, including leadership positions at both Tulane University and the Pennsylvania State University. Melissa has demonstrated experience in using data to make decisions on pursuing “big ideas” with the most strategic industry partners while working across academic and corporate silos to inform and support large-scale initiatives for impact. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations and Spanish studies from Tufts University as well as an MBA with a concentration in international marketing from the FW Olin School of Business at Babson College.

Natoshia has 15 years of professional experience in meeting planning and managing small- and large-scale meetings and conferences. Prior to joining UIDP, Natoshia worked as a meeting professional for a large corporation, a consulting firm, a university, and a nonprofit. She holds a bachelor’s degree in public health from the University of South Carolina and a master’s degree in executive leadership from Liberty University. In her spare time, Natoshia loves volunteering in the community through various local initiatives.

As UIDP’s special projects consultant, Tamara Hayman Henry is responsible for managing the initiative to aid members in growing their relationships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Tamara is a certified project management professional (PMP), Lean and Six Sigma Blackbelt, and engineer with more than 16 years’ experience in varying disciplines including software and systems engineering, information technology, project management, and process improvement. Tamara has demonstrated experience in designing and executing Lean projects that leverage the intersection of technology, strategy, and business to create high–value and high–performing teams. She earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and a master’s degree in technical management from Johns Hopkins University. Tamara is a wife, mother of two, and a classroom speaker for Maryland public schools, and actively participates in several community support activities as a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

As the UIDP events content manager, Morgan ensures that all UIDP resources are organized, searchable, and readily available to members through the UIDP website. Morgan, a certified archivist, is a proud Tar Heel, as she earned both a master’s degree in library science and a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Before joining UIDP, Morgan worked for the South Carolina Department of Archives and History as the electronic records archivist. She resides in Columbia, SC with her husband, Benjamin, and their daughter.

Over the past eight years, Michelle has contributed to the UIDP mission through operational initiatives, career center facilitation, and coordinating member-focused events around the world. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Seton Hall University and a master’s degree in human resource management from Rutgers University. Her professional background includes 10 years as assistant director at the Rutgers Employment Center, three years as a faculty member at DeVry University, and four years as a test administrator for graduate law and medical school entrance examinations. Outside of the office, Michelle loves to travel to new places, read all types of books, and spend weekends on the lake with family and friends.

As UIDP’s marketing communications director, Sandy is responsible for planning and executing communication strategy across the organization. She brings more than 20 years of experience in persuasive writing, translational journalism, and multi-channel communication to the UIDP team. Sandy has bylined hundreds of articles and reports, specializing in making complex topics accessible to a broad audience. She is a proud alumna of the University of California, San Diego.

As the membership data coordinator, Lily works with UIDP members and staff to ensure all member information is both up to date and confidential. This ensures the maximum experience for UIDP membership organizations. Before joining UIDP, Lily served in both the public service and corporate sectors in team development and collaboration. She holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and sales from Western Carolina University. Lily is a dedicated military spouse and a proud mom of twins.

Rebecca has more than 30 years’ experience in R&D product development and open innovation. A chemical engineer by training, she has directed scientific teams to bring a range of products from concept to commercialization in companies ranging from startups to the Fortune 500. Most recently, she served as senior R&D associate for Sonoco Products Company, scouting technology and evaluating performance for more than 200 new materials and processes. She has worked collaboratively with internal and external resources and teams to organize conferences, webinars, and workshops on open innovation topics and brings skills in technology scouting, academic/industry open innovation, contracting, budget preparation, intellectual property, and government grants. Rebecca holds 18 patents (two pending) and has published 13 conference proceedings and peer-reviewed journal articles. She earned her doctorate in chemical engineering from Uppsala University in Sweden and a bachelor’s degree in applied science from Queens University in Ontario.

Rebecca, our operations and HR director, has more than 20 years’ experience in corporate and non-profit relations. Her expertise covers a wide range of areas, including public relations, human resources and employee relations, event planning, and business and program management. She earned a master’s degree in leadership from Nova Southeastern University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Florida Atlantic University. Rebecca resides in Irmo, SC with her husband, a retired Marine Corps helicopter pilot, and their two daughters.

Lisa comes to UIDP with 10 years of experience in local government, including a background in economic development, higher education, and meeting and event planning. She holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Winthrop University and a certificate in meeting and event planning from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. Lisa is a museum enthusiast, avid vegetable gardener, and enjoys taking road trips along the eastern seaboard. She is a Columbia native and resides in the area with her husband and toddler daughter.

Madison is a designer and illustrator from Columbia, SC. She graduated from the University of South Carolina Honors College and received her bachelor of fine arts degree in graphic design and illustration. In her free time, Madison enjoys creating art, Braves baseball, and listening to true crime podcasts.

As the UIDP membership services manager, Angie ensures that all UIDP members receive the maximum return on their membership investment by leading membership communications including news, benefits, and services offered by UIDP, as well as connecting members with other opportunities that arise within the U-I environment. Angie joined the UIDP team after earning her bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh specializing in business administration with a focus in marketing and operations management. Please contact her at angie@uidp.net if interested in learning more about UIDP.

As UIDP’s senior project advisor, Kristina manages UIDP’s project portfolio. The portfolio covers a wide array of topics relating to contracting, strategic partnerships, workforce development, and government engagement. For more than seven years, Kristina has worked at the intersection of university, industry, and government. She seeks to identify barriers to cross-sector collaboration and use crowd-sourcing techniques to create solutions and opportunities for lowering barriers and creating a stronger innovation ecosystem. Previously, Kristina held positions with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the National Academy of Sciences. She earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Purdue University and a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Maryland. She also regularly attends association management, project management, and meeting facilitation training. Kristina resides in Vienna, VA with her husband, Ben, and her dog, Vsepr.

Marlena has 18 years of experience in nonprofit accounting and management. She has associate degrees in business administration and accounting and a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership. Marlena is a Certified Nonprofit Accounting Professional, a graduate of Leadership Lexington County, and volunteers for library support organizations on the local, state, and national levels. She lives in Lexington with her husband. They have two young adult children and three spoiled rescue cats.

Nerissa Draeger is director of global university engagements at Lam Research, a position she has held since 2017. She oversees Lam’s academic partnerships and strategic research collaborations in pursuit of disruptive and enabling technologies to advance the semiconductor industry. Her leadership is focused on creating diversity in both our technology and talent pipelines to drive innovative solutions for our customers. Nerissa has led various programs since joining the company in 2000, including feasibility of emerging materials and processes, new product development, and strategic business and intellectual property development.

Nerissa’s background is in thin film deposition, and she earned her doctorate in materials science and engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and her bachelor of science in engineering degree from the University of Michigan. She has authored over 30 patents and numerous technical publications.

Wendi Yajnik is the global head of academic partnerships and external innovation at Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR), the innovation and research engine of Novartis. At NIBR, she leads a team focused on accessing innovative breakthrough therapies through scientific partnerships and collaborations with global academic partners, as well as leading educational training programs, including the NIBR summer internship, post-doctoral, and post-baccalaureate programs. She also oversees all NIBR donations, grants, and sponsorships.

Wendi joined NIBR from Sanofi, where she was the head of R&D transactions in the Global Business Development and Licensing Group. In that role, she led a team responsible for negotiating early discovery research and licensing agreements with academic institutions and biotechnology partners. Prior to Sanofi, she was the executive director of innovation for Partners Healthcare, directing a team responsible for negotiating research collaborations, out-licensing intellectual property to pharma and biotechnology companies, as well as start-up formation working in collaboration with the Partners Innovation Fund and venture capitalists. Before transitioning to the business sector, Wendi was an assistant professor of medicine and pathology at New York University School of Medicine, focusing on HIV-1 research.

Jarrett Ellis serves as associate director of corporate and international contracting at the Georgia Institute of Technology. In this role, he is responsible for managing day-to-day contracting activities and related matters for enterprise-level collaborations, project administration activities and related matters, implementing policies and procedures in support of the research collaboration process, and developing and deploying strategic initiatives for continued growth in corporate and international engagement. Jarrett is also an active supporter and collaborator for educational leadership initiatives on campus, such as Georgia Tech’s Commission on Research Next, the Inclusive Leaders Academy, and the Leadership Forward Emerging Leaders Development Program.

Before joining Georgia Tech, Jarrett practiced law at a multinational firm in Atlanta, where he represented and advised corporate clients in strategic matters, including governance, securities transactions, mergers and acquisitions, technology sales and licensing, and data privacy and security. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Oral Roberts University, a master’s degree in English education from Georgia State University, and a Juris Doctor degree from Georgia State University.

Jarrett has been a consistent participant and leader in educational meetings at UIDP. He serves on the UIDP membership committee, having previously served on the finance and communications committees.

Carla Leigh is the Cisco research chief of staff and program manager in the Emerging Technology and Incubation Group. In this role, she focuses on fostering a strong relationship between Cisco’s global research investments and its technology strategy. Her previous roles include leading Cisco’s global intern program, working on Cisco’s global university recruiting strategy, and being a systems engineer across data center enterprise sales. Carla received her bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering with a minor in engineering leadership from the Pennsylvania State University.

Kathy serves as the university executive director of corporate strategy & engagement at Yale University. She brings more than 20 years of experience in industry partnerships, university-based research, cross-cultural project management, training and development, and fundraising. Her professional experience has been largely spent in academia building and sustaining effective multi-sector partnerships with lasting impact on the development of corporate policy, curriculum, research, and public policy.

Kathy collaborates with faculty and other campus stakeholders to grow and sustain substantial, mutually beneficial corporate partnerships that support Yale’s mission to improve the world through exceptional research and scholarship. Her team’s activities center around three strategies: business development, strategy and policy alignment, and communication and collaboration.

Previously, as director of global partnerships for the Shared Value Initiative, a multi-stakeholder effort that aims to drive adoption and improve implementation of shared value strategies among leading companies, civil society, and government organizations, Kathy launched the Shared Value in Perspective series to explore the ‘living adaption’ of the shared value strategy around the world. Lead partners included Nestle, Novartis, Enel, and G.E.

Kathy is married with three adult children. She and her husband enjoy traveling, spending time cooking with family, and Bikram Yoga. Kathy earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Massachusetts and her master’s degree in business administration from Bentley University.