I am a woman of colour with lived experiences and more than 20 years' experience as a senior manager within Students Services, Accommodation Services, and the voluntary sector.
Melissa has worked within the student accommodation sector since 2009 and has gained invaluable experience within the Private and HEI sector. Melissa is the Interim Director of Commercial Services and Estates at the University of Kent.
Nysa joined CUBO in October 2024 as Executive Director. Nysa brings extensive experience in leadership, innovation, strategic, financial and operational management and a passion for making a difference in the non-profit sector, evidenced by her experiences at Gem-A, BCI, IIS and her own volunteering with the Aga Khan Council as well as her recent roles.
I am currently a member of UAL Accommodation Services Senior Management Team, where I contribute to and lead on strategy to enhance the student's experience.
Most recently I have been working with my team and key stakeholders to encourage students with disabilities and health conditions to disclose at the point of application so that we can engage, provide support and enhance the student’s experience. As a result we have received an increase in disclosures and engagement.
I have had the privilege of being the ASRA South East representative which enabled me to work with so many wonderful colleagues across the HE and PBSA sector.
During my 4 year tenure the regional meetings covered a range of topics that were relevant to the sector such as the impact of student fees, student disciplinary issues, applications, housing management, youth breast cancer, students with disabilities, mental health, resident life, policing campus through to offering campus study tours.
I have managed several projects whilst working with homeless and vulnerable people such as implementing and facilitating various groups that offered a safe space, through to mobilising women only hostel and introducing a student Head Leasing Scheme.
I have served as Chair for UAL Black workers group which has grown and evolved to Equality of Minority Staff (GEMS) of which I am still a member.
I am a mentor and a member of the B-Mentor network facilitated by UCL and a member of Black Equity Organisation (BEO).
I have been described as having many superpowers which include personable, friendly, compassionate, trustworthy, reliable, effective listener, effective communicator and collaborative leader.
As your CUBO EDI I aim to harness my superpowers to embed EDI.
She has extensive experience gained in managing both in-house and 3rd party contract staff, with direct strategic and operational management responsibilities, including managing Soft Services Contracts, New Builds, Mobilisation and Refurbishment Projects, Capital Investment works, Third Party Lettings/Commercial Summer Lettings and Outsourced and Inhouse Catering.
Melissa has been a member of various Senior Leadership Teams throughout her career. As a trained life coach Melissa has focused her career on the importance of investing and developing people to create effective, diverse and happy working environments which will allow teams to ‘thrive’ and achieve organisation goals and objectives. She specialises in Leadership development, building training programmes, managing teams through organisational change, promoting Culture and EDI initiatives within organisations whilst meeting commercial objective and targets.
Most recently, Nysa held the position of Chief Operating Officer at The Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A).
Nysa works alongside the CUBO Executive Committee and colleagues in the mission to lead and promote excellence in the development of campus life, services and the student experience and in continuing to deliver the core benefits of membership – networking, best practice, data and resources for all campus and commercial services.
Dr Megan Janasiewicz (she/her) is currently the Head of Residential Experience at the University of Nottingham. She has worked in higher education for the past 17 years, has an MA in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Indiana University, and a PhD in University Student Affairs Administration from the University of Georgia.
Debbie Afflu is a recent graduate of the LSE, who studied International Social and Public Policy and Economics. She was the Ethnic Minority Students’ Officer (EMS) for the Students’ Union in 2024/25 and former President of the LSESU African Caribbean Society in 2022/2023.
James heads up MRG’s Commercial Services practice with a focus on senior leadership roles in this area in both Higher Education, UK venues and PBSA. James manages a team that focuses on roles in accommodation, hospitality, events and retail.
Megan has worked in a number of student services areas, including Fraternity and Sorority Life, International Education, Career Services, and Residence Life. Megan is an American expat who loves exploring promising practices in higher education from a global perspective. In her free time, Megan loves cooking and baking, visiting local markets, and exploring all the best bits of her new home country.
In her time as the EMS officer, she co-organised the first Culture Week at LSE; hosted a race and culture forum to bring together cultural societies; ran student focus groups in partnership with EDI on ethnicity terminology; had her PTO title brought to her vote and changed; hosted a sickle cell awareness stall and blood drive; and co-wrote the LSE Black Student Welcome Guide.
He has recently partnered Unipol on their recruitment of their Chief Executive Officer as well as recruiting Senior Vice President with Yugo and a number of key leadership roles with the likes of University of London, University of Leeds and Swansea University.
James has 14 years’ experience in recruitment, nearly 6 of which have been at MRG.
