New members of UCL Council announced

Tania Holt is a senior partner at the global management consultancy firm, McKinsey & Company. Tina Harris is a lawyer and a manager within the Prudential Policy Directorate at the Bank of England. Christine Ohuruogu is a former Olympic, World and Commonwealth 400m champion and a former UCL student, having graduated in 2005 with a degree in linguistics.

Each brings unique skills, passions and insights from their professional fields to support UCL and champion its contribution to London and the world. 

Christine, Tania and Tina will be joined on the Council by newly elected Academic Board members Professor Stephanie Bird and Professor Jonathan Butterworth who will be joining on 1 October 2021. They will bring their expertise of leading academic departments and undertaking world leading research to the Council. 

Professor Stephanie Bird, Professor of German Studies, joined UCL in 1994. Professor Bird was Head of the School of European Languages, Culture and Society (SELCS) at UCL from 2015 to 2019. Her research includes work on narrative ethics, the role of comedy in representations of trauma and suffering and cultural treatments of history.

Professor Jon Butterworth, Professor of Physics, joined UCL in 1995. He was Head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at UCL from 2011 to 2017. He now works on the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider and was heavily involved in the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012.

The UCL Council also includes two student members. Osman Teklies joined this July, replacing Carol Paige who served on Council for two years. Osman is a UCL MSci Chemistry student and is currently on a sabbatical year from his studies.

He is the Union Affairs Officer for Students’ Union UCL. His remit includes oversight of the strategy, operations, and management of the Students' Union as well as being the lead officer on sustainability, the Union's spaces and its promotional strategy. Ayman Benmati, who is the Education Officer for Students’ Union UCL, continues on the Council for a second year following his re-election as a sabbatical officer.

Tina Harris is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a member of the Black Solicitors Network. She also mentors students through the Amos Bursary and brings a wealth of experience to enrich UCL’s action on equality, diversity and inclusion:

“Boards need experts from a wide array of backgrounds who can analyse challenges, add to discussions, and offer diverse outlooks. My governance experience and different perspective, arising from my wide experience, will make a valuable contribution and help strengthen UCL's diversity of thought. UCL is a diverse community with the freedom and courage to challenge and think differently. I look forward to contributing positively to effect change and support strategy within this globally leading university.”

Tania Holt has global experience in leading diverse teams and delivering transformative impact in the private, public and social sector. She is looking forward to contributing to future generations through the work of the UCL community:

“I have always been inspired by the dual mission of universities – in educating, inspiring and enabling the next generation, while also being a ‘cradle’ for new thinking; for solving some of the most pressing problems of the societies in which we live. My aspiration is to enable students and staff to pursue academic and professional excellence on a strong foundation of inclusivity, well-being and collaboration, while also continuing to strengthen the operations of the university.”

Christine Ohuruogu MBE was born less than a mile from the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, which will soon be home to UCL’s new UCL East campus. She is proud to be joining UCL’s Council and will build on her links as a former student:

“I have always maintained a close relationship with UCL since graduating in 2005 and I am truly honoured to be a member on the UCL Council. I will endeavour to bring a fresh perspective, using my experience as an elite athlete and in sports governance. I have a genuine understanding of the values espoused by UCL and am committed to upholding them.”

Professor Butterworth, who is scientific advisor to the UK delegation to CERN Council, a member of the Science Technology Facilities Council and chair of its Technology and Accelerator Advisory Board is looking forward to joining the Council:

"UCL can be an enormous power for good, giving talented people the confidence and resources to excel. From my work with big international science organisations, I know the importance of good governance in achieving this. I am really looking forward to being able to contribute as a member of the Council."

Professor Bird is looking forward to utilising her experience as a member of Council:

“I bring to the Council my experience of teaching and researching in the humanities at UCL since 1994, with the extensive challenges that we have met. Other experience that has given me insight into governance issues was being the head of the largest department in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities (SELCS), the faculty graduate tutor, and being an academic member of UCL’s Finance Committee”.

Osman Teklies said: “Students play an important role in decision making at every level of UCL. I am proud to have the opportunity to contribute to the work of the university’s highest governing body, its Council. I look forward to working with all the members and ensuring that students are key partners in UCL’s future.”

The university is about to begin work on a new 5-year strategy under the leadership of Dr Michael Spence, who became its President and Provost in January this year.

UCL Council Chair Victor Chu CBE said: “I am really excited to welcome all our new members to the Council and look forward to the new perspectives and energy that they will bring. As the UK and the world continue to grapple with the challenges of the pandemic, the role of universities to provide the knowledge and insights to accelerate recovery has never been more needed.

“We look forward as UCL’s Council to supporting our community of students and staff to make their contribution, supported by the talent of our members. I would like to pay tribute to Dr Andrew Gould and Philip Sturrock MBE as they enter their final months with us for the immeasurable contribution each has made to the life and prosperity of the UCL community and its work. I would also like to pay special thanks to Professors Lucie Clapp and Annette Dolphin for their exceptional contribution during their terms as elected Council members.”

Professors Lucie Clapp and Annette Dolphin will reach the end of their terms of office on 30 September this year. Dr Andrew Gould and Philip Sturrock MBE will finish their respective terms as appointed members of Council on 31 December.

Links

• UCL Council
• UCL East

Image

• 1. Left to right: Tina Harris, Tania Holt (credit: McKinsey & Co), Christine Ohuruogu (credit: Andrea Capello)
• 2. Left to right: Osman Teklies, Professor Stephanie Bird, Professor Jon Butterworth

Media contact

Jane Bolger

 T: +44 (0)20 3108 9040

E:  j.bolger [a] ucl.ac.uk