The Oriel North American Alumni Committee (ONAAC) helps represent the interests of alumni based in North America and deepen relations between the College and its former students.
The membership of the ONAAC includes representatives from a range of different generations of Orielenses. Open invitations for new members to join the committee will be sent out when spaces become available, with Orielenses encouraged to apply.
The Chair of the Committee also sits on the Oriel Alumni Advisory Committee, which is based in the UK.
Brian grew up in Northern Ireland. He read English at Oriel and then attended Harvard Business School where he married a classmate. He has had an international career, serving as president of Booz, Allen & Hamilton Inc in Singapore and New York, president of TXU Energy in Dallas and MD of Investcorp International Ltd in London, as well as chair or NED of several companies in Europe and the Middle East. He mainly retired in 2025 and now resides in Ohio. He is a member of the Provost’s Court and is involved in arts and educational organizations in the USA, UK and Ireland.
Dan Goodgame is the senior advisor to the owner of Texas Monthly. He served as editor in chief of the magazine for six years. During his tenure, TM became one of the few U.S. publications to grow in audience and revenue, while doubling its staff to 60 journalists. The magazine tripled its total audience: in print, on its website, and in books, podcasts, live events, two new weekly TV shows, streaming series such as Landman, and Hollywood movies such as Hit Man.
A Pulitzer Prize finalist and best-selling author, Dan worked for TIME magazine, including as Washington bureau chief, and for the Miami Herald, including as Middle East correspondent. He earned an M.Phil in international relations from Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. While there, he rowed for Oriel College and played on the university golf team. A native of Pascagoula, Miss., Dan enjoys travel, fly fishing, hunting, golf, and skiing. He and his wife Marcia, a retired educator, live in San Antonio, Texas.
Marina completed her D.Phil. in Clinical Medicine at Oriel in 2005, where her research focused on the genetic and molecular basis of severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Africa. She also holds an MPH from the University of Manchester and an M.Ed. in Learning, Leadership and Organizational Development from the University of Georgia.
Marina is Professor of Biology and Chair of the Department of Life Sciences at Dalton State College in Georgia, where she has also served as Interim Dean of the School of Health Professions, Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, and Director of the Center for Academic Excellence. Her leadership work spans organizational development, strategic planning, academic innovation, fundraising, and creating educational communities in which faculty, staff, and students can thrive. She has also served as Editor-in-Chief of To Improve the Academy and was inducted into the University System of Georgia’s Felton Jenkins Jr. Faculty Hall of Fame for teaching excellence.
While at Oriel, Marina rowed in both the Women’s First and Second VIIIs, rowed lightweight with OUBC, and served as Welfare Officer for the MCR. She is delighted to renew that connection with the College as a North American representative on the Oriel Alumni Advisory Committee.
Pete has been a part of the Toronto Prep School admissions department since its inauguration. In those early days, however, Pete was also a professional hockey player. After an all-star career in the OHL, Pete signed multiple professional contracts, and played in the AHL, as well as in the Swedish Allsvenskan league, before his retirement in 2011.
Upon the completion of his hockey career, Pete enrolled at the University of Toronto where he graduated with high distinction in 2015 in the field of Religious and Historical Studies. After his undergraduate degree, Pete was accepted into the University of Oxford (Oriel College), where he undertook his Master of Philosophy in Old Testament/Hebrew Bible Studies. Pete graduated with distinction in 2018 and segued into PhD studies at the University of Toronto, wherein he got the opportunity to be a teaching assistant and instructor at the university level. This experience allows Pete to parlay first-hand information to the students at TPS regarding what university courses are actually like.
In his academic work, Pete’s research has focused on several ancient Greek and Hebrew texts using a multitude of philological, analytical, and literary frameworks. While his thesis investigated ideas of exemplarity, wisdom, and memory in the Book of Ben Sira, Pete has also engaged with notions of ancient genre, pedagogy, gender, ethnicity, and identity. The academic conversation surrounding these concepts has proven very fruitful and is as applicable to the modern world as it is to ancient texts. Pete’s status as a teacher, student, and administrator allows him to bring multiple perspectives to the students at TPS. Currently at TPS, Pete serves as Principal, helping to shape the overall ethos of TPS and serving as an academic support for staff and students alike. Moreover, he assists Fouli with the application process, which entails introducing prospective students to the culture of TPS, providing tours of the premises and establishing whether TPS is the right fit for a given student.
Pete is married to Jen and has three sons, Beau, Wolf, and Jones. Pete loves watching his boys play sports and is an ardent Pittsburgh Steelers fan.
Sharmen matriculated in 2018, reading for the MSc in Environmental Change and Management. Based in New York, she advises Fortune 500 companies on climate and ESG matters. Having met her husband at Oriel, the College holds a special place in their lives.