AWIS Governance
Meet the AWIS National Governing Board
Chair Neelima Rao
Vice President of Human Resources for Global Oncology R&D and North America Country Lead at AstraZeneca
Connect with Ms. Rao on LinkedIn
Chair-Elect Julia (Omotola) Omotade, PhD
Senior Science Policy Specialist at the Association for American Medical Colleges
Dr. Julia Omotade is a cellular and molecular neuroscientist whose expertise spans the academic, nonprofit, and policy sectors. She received her PhD from Emory University, where she used advanced microscopy to investigate mammalian brain development and synapse formation, contributing to our knowledge of neuronal growth, plasticity, and repair. Currently, Dr. Omotade is a Senior Science Policy Specialist at the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), where she serves as a trusted voice in our nation’s pressing biomedical policy issues. Her portfolio includes scientific training of and diversity, equity and inclusion in the US scientific biomedical workforce; sexual harassment in academic medicine; and new, national and regional research initiatives. Prior to joining AAMC, Julia was a Senior Healthcare and STEM Executive Search Consultant at Isaacson, Miller, where she recruited leaders to drive discovery, health, education, and patient care in our nation’s scientific enterprise.
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Treasurer Venkat Sethuraman, PhD
Global Head of Data Science and Analytics, Genentech/Roche
Dr. Venkat Sethuraman is an accomplished leader in the biopharmaceutical industry with over 25 years of experience driving innovation in drug development and data sciences. He is currently the Global Head of Data Science and Analytics at Genentech/Roche, where he oversees statistical, data science, and digital health strategies to accelerate the development of transformative medicines. He previously held executive roles leading data science organizations and advanced digital health initiatives at Bristol Myers Squibb, Novartis, and GlaxoSmithKline. Dr. Sethuraman earned a PhD in statistics from Temple University and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors for the Association for Women in Science, he has served on the board of the Biopharmaceutical Section of the American Statistical Association and is currently the Chair-Elect for Biopharmaceutical Statistics Leadership Consortium (BSLC). Dr. Sethuraman actively contributes to the statistical and data science community and was named to the 2024 PharmaVoice Top 100 for his leadership in AI/tech.
Connect with Dr. Sethuraman on LinkedIn
Secretary Iris Yuning Ye
Product Manager, Microsoft
Iris Yuning Ye is a Product Manager at Microsoft, specializing in security products. She graduated from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor with a master’s degree in information science. She was a graduate student instructor in quantitative methods in the Social Sciences Program at LSA and the School of Information. Formerly, Ye was a software developer at Menlo Innovations, a Michigan-based agile development company with the unique culture of “Ending human suffering through software”. She has over three years of product management and information architecture experience among startups and developed tech companies. Outside of research and product, she is also a strength and conditioning coach, a classical violinist, and serves as a board member of NEW (Nonprofit Enterprise at Work) serving on the governance committee. Her goals as an AWIS board member are to expand AWIS’ coverage of non-traditional/emerging science fields, streamline AWIS’ membership experience by providing more local chapter opportunities to university students, and empower professional women in science.
Connect with Ms. Ye on LinkedIn
Director Georgia Forrest, MD, MBA, CPE
Board-certified Family Medicine physician and Associate Chief Medical Information Officer at Wellstar Health System
Georgia Forrest, MD, MBA, CPE, is a board-certified Family Medicine physician and a healthcare executive dedicated to improving equity, innovation, and patient care at scale. She currently serves as the Associate Chief Medical Information Officer at Wellstar Health System, where she leads large-scale digital transformation projects, including AI implementation, EHR optimization, and clinician experience strategies. Her unique background bridges the clinical and technology realms, offering insights into systems thinking, change leadership, and strategic planning. Dr. Forrest founded the Science Association for Minority Women (SAMW) while studying biology at Temple University and has continued to champion STEM equity throughout her career. She is a founding member of Wellstar Health System’s Business Resource Group (BRG) for underrepresented physicians, and actively participate in the Disability BRG, advocating for inclusive practices and supporting initiatives that promote accessibility and belonging for all employees
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Director Maria Gallo, PhD
Former University Chancellor and President
Maria Gallo, PhD, served as the 20th Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls (UWRF) from July 2021 until her retirement in September of 2024. During her leadership at UWRF, Dr. Gallo secured the funding for, and oversaw the construction of, the $117 million Science and Technology Innovation Center, and led the university in setting a fundraising record. Before joining UWRF, she was President of Delaware Valley University from 2016-2021. Her tenure there was marked by the university’s first endowed professorship, and significant improvements in student retention. She created the University’s first Vice President of Campus Life and Inclusive Excellence position to continue driving student success. Dr. Gallo also served as Dean, Director of Research, and Director of Cooperative Extension at the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. She began her academic journey as a faculty member in the Agronomy Department at the University of Florida (UF) eventually becoming their chair. A Fulbright Scholar and a Fellow of both the American Society of Agronomy and Crop Science Society of America, Dr. Gallo earned her BS from Cornell University, and MS and PhD from North Carolina State University.
Connect with Dr. Gallo on LinkedIn
Director Tasneem Hajara
Senior Vice President, head of Account Lifecycle Management, Wealth Custodied and Direct Business, LPL Financial
Tasneem Hajara is the Head of Digital Distribution, Financial Wellness and Mobile Technology at TIAA. An innovative, entrepreneurial, highly curious, results oriented and situationally aware leader with over two decades of experience in identifying and delivering unrealized value to transform businesses using technology. Hajara has led Digital and Product technology teams across different domains during her career. She leads with a broad lens on product and platform strategy as well as engineering and operational efficiency. Most recently, in her role at TIAA, she built TIAA’s home grown Robo Advisor and she is currently creating a brand new, comprehensive digital-first Financial Wellness platform. The platform is cloud native and leverages machine learning to nurture and inspire customers to confidently engage and take control of their financial health.
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Director Hongmei Huang, PhD
Vice President and Global Head of Digital Strategy and Enablement at Roche Genentech
Dr. Hongmei Huang is an accomplished strategic leader with over 25 years of experience across many domains in the Pharmaceutical Industry, particularly in Research and Development. By connecting science and technology, she has successfully led organizational drives to transform the data and digital landscape for insight discovery and process simplification. Currently, Dr. Huang holds the position of Vice President and Global Head of Digital Strategy and Enablement at Roche Genentech. She is also a Board Member for the Genentech Foundation and a Core Team member for Genentech Women in Science and Engineering, leading efforts to develop and support the next generation of diverse leaders.
Connect with Dr. Huang on LinkedIn
Director Joanne Kamens, PhD
Scientist and Inclusion Consultant
Dr. Kamens received her PhD in genetics from Harvard Medical School and has had a varied career in academia, pharma, biotech and nonprofit. Over two decades ago, she founded the Boston chapter of AWIS after an entire week passed with no meetings with any other women. She served as Executive Director/CEO of the international biotechnology nonprofit, Addgene, achieving single-digit employee turnover for her entire tenure. Dr. Kamens is a leader in creating and supporting mentoring programs and has been nominated for the Presidential Medal of Honor in STEM Mentoring. She brings her unique business and science experience as a consultant to STEM organizations and is currently Director of Alumni Programming at PharmStars, a digital health startup accelerator. She serves on the board of OpenBiome and Cohort Sistas in addition to AWIS.
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Director Anita Chu Li, PharmD
Medical Communication and Medical Information Lead at Freenome
Dr. Anita Chu Li, PharmD is a seasoned STEM and healthcare leader with over 15 years of experience spanning clinical pharmacy, biotechnology, health tech, and strategic consulting. She began her career as a hospital pharmacist at the VA and Scripps Health, where she developed deep expertise in patient care, interdisciplinary collaboration, and operational efficiency. She later transitioned into biotech, where she led high-impact Medical Affairs functions across scientific communications, operational excellence, and technology transformation. She currently serves as the Medical Communication and Medical Information Lead at Freenome, where she is building Medical Affairs capabilities from the ground up. She also leads her consulting firm, advising health tech innovators on strategies to drive global patient impact. A committed advocate for equity and representation in STEM, Dr. Li co-founded the Asian ERG while she was at BioMarin Pharmaceutical, Inc., and was an active member of its Women’s Leadership Development network. she joined AWIS in 2022 and, as President of the Palo Alto chapter, developed the chapter’s new identity, “Inspired by Science, Driven by Passion.” Dr. Li also serves as VP of Scholar Circle for the Burlingame Community Education Foundation.
Connect with Dr. Li on LinkedIn
Director Adrienne Rackley
Economist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Adrienne Rackley is an economist in the Economics, Policy & Institutional Support Group at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), where she has been advancing research initiatives since 2021. With an innovative approach that integrates economic analysis, social science methodologies, and data visualization tools, her work focuses on promoting energy equity and environmental justice across sectors such as nuclear energy, building technology, and energy storage. Rackley brings over sixteen years of diverse experience in data analytics, finance, and economics, grounded in her extensive background with roles in affordable and public housing, and international humanitarian aid and development. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in international business and economics from Gonzaga University and a Master of Science in Applied Economics from Purdue University. This blend of education and experience has equipped her with a robust skill set that includes interactive modeling, econometrics, and strategic financial analysis.
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Director Malek Ben Salem, PhD
Emerging Technology Managing Director at Accenture
Malek Ben Salem, PhD, is a seasoned technology advisor and executive, guiding organizations through the evolving landscapes of AI governance, cybersecurity risk management, and emerging technologies. With 20 plus years of experience in AI/ML, cloud security, and digital transformation, she is a trusted strategic partner to CEOs, Boards of Directors, and Fortune 500 enterprises. As a former Managing Director at Accenture, Dr. Ben Salem built and led global AI security practices, shaping responsible AI strategies and generating over $30M in revenue from AI-driven cybersecurity solutions. She has played a key role in developing quantum security frameworks, LLM red teaming strategies, and next-gen AI governance models. She has authored 30+ peer-reviewed publications, holds 25 patents, and has presented at IEEE, World Summit AI, and the International Cryptographic Module Conference. Dr. Ben Salem holds a PhD in Computer Science (Cybersecurity focus) from Columbia University, an MIT executive certificate in Technology Strategy, and multiple industry certifications, including Google Cloud Architect, CIPP/US and PMP
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Director Melora Zaner
Chief Design Officer, TIAA
Melora Zaner is the Chief Design Officer at TIAA responsible for building a design-led culture and creating an end-to-end experience that inspires and empowers clients to pursue retirement security. She has more than 20 years of global experience in human-centered design across consumer banking, media, and technology with a strong track record of building and leading scaled cross-functional teams and strategizing with business partners. She holds 30+ patents in financial, social media, and cloud computing services. She held digital, design, and user experience roles of increasing responsibility at U.S. Bank, JP Morgan Chase, Yahoo! in Taiwan, and Microsoft and IDEO in China. Zaner holds a master’s in interactive telecommunications from New York University and a bachelor’s in human development from Vanderbilt University. She is a mentor for Girls Who Code and co-founder of DigiGirlz, an international program for young women interested in tech. In her free time, Zaner is also a musician and was lead singer of a punk band.
Connect with Ms. Zaner on LinkedIn
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With a 50-year history of championing women in science and over 30 grassroots chapters, AWIS offers opportunities for professional development, recognition, and networking with members, allies and supporters worldwide