Our Team
The AFSOAS team, all of whom are SOAS alumni themselves, are volunteers who dedicate their time, expertise and efforts toward building a bridge between SOAS and alumni / students / prospective students in the U.S., as well as supporting SOAS as an institution through student scholarships and other institutional contributions. These individuals represent different geographic regions, areas of study, and time periods of study, bringing a diverse set of ideas and experiences that is reflective of the incredible diversity of SOAS itself.
Gregory Buie - President
- los Angeles, ca -
Since completing his MA in International Studies & Diplomacy at SOAS in 2007, Greg has worked as an international development consultant, serving nonprofit organizations that operate in countries all over the world in helping to build their capacity, designing & implementing programs, and working side-by-side with local partners & communities to help them achieve their development goals. He is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Visions Global Empowerment, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit serving youth & communities through education in India, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, and Nicaragua.
AMy Newcomb
- Seattle, WA -
Amy is a development consultant for the Lazord Foundation, an international fellowship program for college graduates in Egypt, Jordan, and Tunisia. She has a BA in Anthropology from Biola University and MA in Anthropology of Development from SOAS. Her graduate research focused on women domestic workers in the Middle East where she worked as a diplomat with the US State Department and the American University in Cairo. Other research and publication topics include civic engagement, community-based scholarship, service learning, and youth employment. Amy is a mentor in the University of Washington mentor network.
Bharti Kansara - vice president
- Cupertino, CA -
Dr. Kansara is Author and Educator at
FlashpointInteract.com, which seeks to empower High School students in the study of the Humanities, so they can rise to their full potential through the use of interactive content and methods. Her past experience includes being an editor in academic publishing at the Open University in England; member of the BBC’s General Advisory Council; co-director of the Academy of IndianDance. She also writes a blog at www.theyoganature.com. She holds a BA (Cantab) and PhD (SOAS, University of London).
Verna Polutan
- los Angeles, ca -
Verna Polutan is a graduate of Cornell University (B.A. Government) & New York Law School (J.D. 1997), and was a visiting student of Politics at SOAS in 1989. Verna has been engaged in the exclusive practice of immigration law since 1998. After graduating from law school, Verna worked in private practice for an immigration law firm in New York City. She moved to Los Angeles in 1999 and worked as an associate at one of the largest immigration law firms in the West Coast. She established her own law office in 2002 where she practices in the areas of family immigration and business immigration, as well as in business law, entertainment law and family law.
ZHENFEI (FAY) Hu - Treasurer
- ANAHEIM HILLS, ca -
Fay Hu attended SOAS from 2003-2004 and completed her Intermediate Certificate in Comparative International Stuides before moving on to Royal Holloway, University of London for her undergraduate studies in Management. She earned her Masters Degree in Sport Management from the University of San Francisco. Fay has non- profit administration and management experience with USA Water Polo, which is recognized by the United States Olympic Committee as the governing body of the sport in the United States.
Sherin Nassar
- Boston, MA -
Sherin Nassar graduated from SOAS in 2018 with an MSc in Development Studies, after having completed her Bachelors at George Washington University in International Affairs and Economics with a concentration in International Development and Middle Eastern Studies. She is currently a JD candidate at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Sherin has lived in China, Turkey and England. She loves concerts, fried chicken & reading and is incredibly excited to be the Boston point of contact for the SOAS community.
Whitney Purdum
- Philadelphia, PA -
Whitney received her Masters in Law and Development from SOAS in 2011. She holds a BA in Arabic and International Relations from the University of St. Andrews. In her years after SOAS, she worked in language and culture and education in Washington DC with a focus on Arabic. She is now a software developer and is currently interested in agroecology and new technologies that promote sustainable and conservation agriculture.