News

This year, CLAS excellence is on full display on the UF Alumni Association’s 40 Under 40 list — over a quarter of honorees are graduates of our college. Our 12 honorees have made significant impacts on their communities and organizations, leading with passion and purpose. They bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to their roles, inspiring future generations of leaders and crafting a legacy of excellence and service.

Onchantho Am

Associate General Counsel for UCF’s
College of Medicine
Location: Orlando, Florida
UF Degree: BA Sociology ’08

Am is a well-known leader and advocate at the local and national level, motivated by her childhood experiences as a Cambodian refugee and her time in the foster care system. She earned her Juris Doctor from Stetson University College of Law and served as VP and CLO for a nonprofit focused on mental health, substance misuse, and child well-being. Currently, Am acts as associate general counsel for the UCF College of Medicine, while also continuing her public service work in her free time.

Leslie Anderson

Director of Collections, Exhibitions,
and Programs, National Nordic Museum
Location: Seattle, Washington
UF Degrees: BA History ’04, MA Art History ’06

Anderson is a world-renowned curator, event coordinator, writer, and teacher. She has held positions at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and the National Nordic Museum in Seattle. Anderson has collaborated with notable figures such as the mayor of Salt Lake City, the Icelandic band Sigur Rós, and the president of Iceland.

Pascale Atallah

Product and Sustainability Manager,
Chevron Phillips
Location: The Woodlands, Texas
UF Degree: PhD Chemistry ’13

Born and raised in Lebanon, Atallah moved to the U.S. in 2008 to pursue her PhD in chemistry at UF. After working in research for a while post-graduation, Atallah recognized her passion for service. In her role at Chevron, she drives leadership in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, examines the company’s environmental impacts, and keeps sustainability at the fore of decision-making.

Drew Bagley

Vice President of CrowdStrike, Member of the Europol Advisory Group on Internet Security
Location: Greenville, South Carolina
UF Degrees: BA Political Science and BS Public Relations, ’05, MA Mass Communication Law ’06

Bagley is a well-known figure in the cybersecurity industry and advises Europol, the U.S Department of State, and the Domain Name System Abuse Institute. He leads CrowdStrike’s data protection initiatives, privacy strategy and global policy engagement. He has held teaching appointments at several prestigious schools around the globe, including American University, the University of Leipzig, the University of Maryland, and the University of Florida.

Anitra Raiford Clement

Partner, Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP
Location: Tampa, Florida
UF Degrees: BS Psychology ’09, JD ’12

Clement is a highly regarded lawyer known throughout the state for her expertise in defending individuals against harmful business practices. She specializes in cases involving personal injuries, wrongful death, unfair trade practices, and consumer protection. She is known for her dedication to understanding her clients’ long-term business goals, and solving problems creatively and efficiently while keeping client values top of mind.

Dane Eagle

Florida’s Secretary of Economic Opportunity
Location: Tallahassee, Florida
UF Degree: BA Economics ’05

Eagle was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to serve as Florida’s Secretary of Economic Opportunity in September 2020. As the Secretary, Eagle works to advance Florida’s economy by championing the state’s economic development vision and administering state and federal programs to help citizens, businesses, communities, and visitors thrive.

Stephen English

Physician Assistant, Moffitt Health Center at the University of Southern Mississippi, Mississippi Academy of Physician Assistant (MAPA) President
Location: Hattiesburg, Mississippi
UF Degree: BS Zoology ’07

English began his career as a football player for UF and a high school football coach. However, he went on to pursue his Master’s in Physician Assistant Studies from Mississippi College in 2013, which led to becoming a physician assistant at the Moffitt Health Center at the University of Southern Mississippi. Additionally, English became the president of the Mississippi Academy of Physician Assistants (MAPA).

Carlos Manuel Gomez

Vice President of Augury Strategic Software Alliance, Baker Hughes
Location: Houston, Texas
UF Degrees: BSBA Finance and BA Economics ’06

Gomez is a servant-leader with extensive multicultural and multinational experience. He has led multiple organizations across the globe with a focus on leading, developing and instilling a powerful sense of purpose and ownership. Gomez has led strategy, mergers and acquisitions, services, and commercial organizations with an agile and adaptive growth mindset.

Bhargava Kandala

Director of Quantitative Pharmacology, Merck
Location: Bridgewater, New Jersey
UF Degrees: MS Statistics ’12, PhD Pharmaceutical Sciences ’14

Kandala wears many hats in his position at Merck, where he serves as a group leader, writer, and mentor. His work involves developing novel drugs and vaccines for infectious diseases, publishing in high-profile magazines, and mentoring students in data science and model- informed drug development. Kandala also holds an adjunct faculty appointment within the Department of Pharmaceutics at the UF College of Pharmacy.

Jamie Lee Marks

Senior Analyst, Office of Native American Affairs
Location: Washington D.C.
UF Degrees: BA Women’s Studies and Political Science ’07, MA Cultural Anthropology ’12

Marks is committed to serving and protecting Native American communities. Currently, as a Senior Analyst in the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s Office of Native American Affairs, she supports the agency’s efforts to advise the President and Congress on national historic preservation policy, providing technical expertise across federal agencies. Additionally, Marks has been teaching research writing classes at the college level for over a decade and provides career mentorship to students and recent graduates.

Deidra Strickland

FBI Special Agent
Location: Houston, Texas
UF Degree: BA Women’s Studies ’14

After starting her career in law enforcement as a police officer in Jacksonville, Strickland rose through the ranks to become a special agent with the FBI. She has received awards such as the State Law Enforcement Leader of the Year award. She was also recognized as the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) – North Florida Member of the Year. Strickland recognizes the significance of mentorship and has mentored many first-generation college students.

James Uthmeier

Chief of Staff to Governor Ron DeSantis
Location: Tallahassee, Florida
UF Degrees: BS Business Administration ’10, BA Political Science ’10

Uthmeier currently serves as General Counsel to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis where he manages all litigation and legal work for the governor and state executive agencies. He also serves as the Chief Ethics Officer for the governor and directs the judicial nominations process.