Julie Babayan ’03
Julie Babayan ’03 is the head of policy development with Adobe’s Policy, Government, and Ethical Innovation team in Washington, D.C. In her role at Adobe, she focuses on a range of global technology policy topics, including artificial intelligence, intellectual property and education issues. As part of Adobe’s internal AI Ethics Committee, Julie worked on a diverse, cross-functional team that helped develop and implement Adobe’s AI ethics principles and processes.
Before joining Adobe, Julie worked on technology policy issues on Capitol Hill, serving as counsel in the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy & Commerce and the Office of U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren. Prior to working on Capitol Hill, Julie practiced telecommunications law in Washington, D.C. Julie is a native of Boston, Massachusetts. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and French from Amherst College and her Master of Science and Juris Doctor degree from Boston University.
Dr. John Riggins Jr. ’12
Dr. John Riggins Jr. ’12 is an emergency medicine physician at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospitals, born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. His main clinical interests include eliminating health disparities in underserved populations, patient safety, healthcare quality assurance, and healthcare operations.
John is currently the inaugural fellow for the Dr. Lorna M. Breen Fellowship in Healthcare Administration for the NYP-Columbia Emergency Department. As an inaugural fellow, he trains in all facets of healthcare administration while pursuing his Masters of Healthcare Administration through the Executive Program at the Mailman School of Public Health.
John attended secondary school at The Taft School in Waterbury, Connecticut, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Black Studies from Amherst College. After Amherst, he mentored and tutored high school students as an AmeriCorps member with the City Year New York program. John completed his emergency medicine residency training at SUNY Downstate and Kings County Hospitals in Brooklyn. He received his medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
I also work as a healthcare leader administrator in my department. As an administrator and member of department leadership, I have to come up with creative solutions to the problems that we face in the emergency department and hospital setting to make it better for the healthcare workers and our patients. My Amherst classes gave me the skillset needed to do that for a variety of challenges that I face as a physician and administrator each day.
Andre Gray ’10
Andre Gray ’10 is the chief creative officer for global advertising agency Annex88. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Black Studies from Amherst College and holds a Master of Fine Arts in Advertising and a Master of Arts in Global Communications from the American University of Paris.
Andre began his career as a copywriter and worked up to becoming a creative director, leading award-winning campaigns for brands like Adidas, Gatorade, Nissan, Las Vegas Tourism and Intercontinental Hotel Group. Andre spent most of his career in Europe, using French language skills to connect and English writing skills to stand out.
Andre paved his own path as a first-generation student and credits the rigor of his Black Studies major in providing him with training in debate, research, and critical thinking, which have helped him thrive professionally. Andre is among a small group of Black creatives in leadership roles in advertising and a vocal advocate for equity and diversity in the industry.
Antara Ganguli ’01
Antara Ganguli ’01 is the director of the United Nations Girls Education Initiative (UNGEI). UNGEI is the only multilateral entity dedicated to girls’ education and gender equality in and through education.
Antara has 20 years of experience in international development. She led gender equality for UNICEF India, its largest non-humanitarian office, where she advised and supported 13 field offices on gender-based violence, gender-transformative pedagogy and positive masculinity. She has a Master of Arts in International Economics from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor or Arts in English and Psychology from Amherst College.
Previously, Antara was the deputy representative for United Nations (UN) Women in Bangladesh. She started her career as a primary school teacher for children of sex workers. Antara is also a novelist. Her most recent work, Tanya Tania, a coming-of-age epistolary novel set in Pakistan and India, was published by Bloomsbury in 2016.
But the five years I spent in UNICEF India were among the best of my life. I felt a kind of contentment and satisfaction with who I am in making that decision that I think is rare. I learned more than I can express about the children and communities I want to serve, what marginalization looks like on the ground, and where the gaps are in the UN system in addressing those needs. I also met my partner in India, although he is American and I had lived for 12 years in America.
Moving from that “national” job back to an “international” posting was as difficult as everyone had warned. I applied for 31 jobs before getting this one. But this is my dream job, and I would have wanted it above every single one of those 31 jobs I had applied for. The process taught me so much about the landscape and what I wanted to do within it (e.g., focus on a sector like education) and also taught me tenacity and self-belief like never before.
Charmel Maynard ’07
Charmel Maynard ’07 currently serves as associate vice president, chief investment officer, and university treasurer for the University of Miami. In this capacity, he leads the University’s efforts to invest over $4B in assets, including endowment and pension funds. Charmel is also responsible for the University’s ~$1.5B capital structure, including liquidity and debt issuances. Additionally, he manages treasury and cash management.
Charmel currently serves on the Sculptor Capital Management Board of Directors (NYSE: SCU), Sculptor Acquisition Corp I (NYSE: SCUA^), Mead Art Museum board as the chair of the Budget Committee, Landed Board of Directors, Catalyst Miami Board of Directors (Finance Committee), Knight Foundation Community Advisory Board and Black Angels Miami Board. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Amherst College.
Charmel was previously a vice president with J.P. Morgan’s Investment Bank in New York City. During his 10-year career with J.P. Morgan, he focused on investment banking debt capital markets and leveraged finance, where he advised clients on capital structure solutions, deal structuring, and execution of syndicated revolving credit facilities, institutional term loans, and bond issuances.