Get to know the advancement and external affairs staff at the College of Engineering and Computer Science! I travel often and wear many hats including fundraising, recruiting board members, guest speakers and student mentors, running alumni events, coordinating meetings for senior leadership, and working with colleagues across campus to promote ECS initiatives. I love meeting with alumni, hearing their inspiring stories of success, and ultimately matching their philanthropic goals with the needs of our College and our students.
My role in advancement is to meet with alumni from our college and facilitate their engagement and their philanthropy to support ECS students, faculty, and key funding priorities. Hearing firsthand from alumni about the transformational role the College of ECS played in their lives and how it inspires them to give back. Alumni share the names of faculty and staff and recall specific moments when someone went above and beyond on their behalf.
This feedback spans all generations and is a testament to the great work the college has done and continues to do for its students. I plan, manage, and facilitate strategic regional and special events sponsored by the ECS Advancement team, both on and off campus, to identify, cultivate and steward current and prospective donors.
I am the coordinator for the AWE Networking Group Advancing Women Engineers , the administrator for the Firsthand mentor platform, the liaison for scholarship assignments and stewardship, and I am responsible for the procurement of ECS giveaway merchandise, and donor brochures and acknowledgements.
I love my team! We have a great rapport and really enjoy working together. And I am grateful for Jenn Fazio and the Staff Council for the positive work culture and community they help promote. I also assist with the Invent SU program in the summer. My favorite part is the people I get to work with! Everyone has been so kind and helpful and I am fortunate to get to work with such a great team and with other great people from various departments. Akram is Vice President of Utility Strategy at CenterPoint Energy, a gas and electric utility that serves over six million customers in six states.
