Management Team
Natalee Ellars
Senior Executive Director, Alumni Engagement
nellars@ucsd.edu | (858) 761-2371 | Price Center East
Natalee Ellars is the Senior Executive Director, Alumni Engagement at UC San Diego. She leads the alumni engagement team which includes university-wide alumni engagement, volunteer leadership, regional engagement, student engagement, alumni relations, alumni marketing and digital outreach. Prior to joining the UC San Diego team, Natalee served for more than 10 years at UCLA Alumni in leadership roles as Senior Director, Events and Business Development; Senior Director Marketing and Membership; and Executive Director. Natalee has a strong foundation in marketing and communications and is best known for her ability to lead through challenges with creativity and a positive attitude. Passion for data and reporting is a legacy of Natalee’s first career in financial services. That passion is equally matched with her genuine care for people and building community. Natalee is a graduate of Claremont McKenna College with a B.A. in History and Organizational Psychology.
Michael Bumbry, Ph.D.
Director, Alumni Relations/Academic Divisions and Graduate/Professional Schools
mbumbry@ucsd.edu | (858) 534-9394 | Price Center East
Dr. Michael Bumbry manages a team of engagement officers providing support to the academic units, graduate schools, and colleges, with a focus on events, volunteer opportunities, and annual giving. He has nearly 15 years of experience in higher education, including careers in both student affairs and advancement. Prior to coming to UC San Diego, Michael served as Director of Development at the Kogod School of Business at American University. He received his B.A. in broadcast communications from Elon University, M.Ed. in higher education administration from North Carolina State University, and Ph.D. in higher education administration from Loyola University Chicago.
Lisa Kellogg
Senior Director, Alumni Engagement and Volunteer Management
lkellogg@ucsd.edu | (858) 534-9394 | Price Center East
Lisa is responsible for the management of Alumni Engagement in the academic divisions and graduate and professional schools. She oversees a team of Alumni Engagement directors who work with alumni from their respective schools and divisions. Lisa’s team is focused on forging lifelong connections between alumni and UC San Diego, including engaging alumni as volunteers, corporate partners, and/or philanthropists.
Paula Thomas '87
Director, Alumni Career and Professional Development
phthomas@ucsd.edu | (858) 822-0145 | Price Center East
Paula collaborates with colleagues to foster and strengthen campus-wide alumni engagement within the UC San Diego community. This effort includes coordinating and delivering meaningful student and alumni engagement experiences, volunteer programs and communications involving the UC San Diego Alumni Board of Directors, special interest groups, current students and the university’s 200,000 graduates.