Meet the team
Charlotte Taylor
Co-Executive Chair
Charlotte (she/her) is a Liverpudlian lass who identifies as queer. Charlotte works in the Summer Programmes team as a Programme Developer, developing short-course programmes for international students at both undergraduate and pre-university level. Charlotte is obsessed with queer history, having done her BA & MA in History and her MA thesis being on the AIDS crisis in the UK and the 'Don't Die of Ignorance' government campaign. In her free time, she loves to cook & host dinner parties, attend pub quizzes, play lots of The Sims & Stardew Valley & singing (read: wailing) to ABBA and our girl Florence and the Machine after a few too many wines!
Rhiannon Segar
Events Chair
Rhiannon (she/her) works in Research Impact in RMID, supporting researchers in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. She identifies as bisexual/queer. She greatly enjoys organising regular social events that allow a sense of belonging and acceptance for LGBTQIA+ folk at King’s. Rhiannon previously studied languages and has a triple-master’s in social sciences with a focus on the post-Soviet regions. Rhiannon is an enthusiastic member of the King's Staff Choir and is also part of the Groove Chorus, a London-based choir that regularly performs. When she's not singing away with her various choirs, you can find her diving into language learning, cooking up a storm in the kitchen or playing some slightly questionable bass guitar.
Kris Brown
Communications Co-Chair
Kris (he/him) was born in France, grew up in Australia, and come to the UK by way of Las Vegas. Kris works in the Directorate of Estates & Facilities looking after the communications and digital needs for the directorate. Being new to the UK, he joined the Proudly King's committee to not only increase awareness of all things LGBTQ+ at King's but also to find a community and network for himself to help ease his transition to the UK. In his free time, Kris loves likes to attend live events, especially theatre, binge watch tv shows, playing video games and exploring London.
Kirsty McLaren
Committee Member, Pride & Community
Kirsty hails from the North East of England and identifies as gay. Kirsty works in Widening Participation to empower underrepresented learners to access and succeed in higher education, which includes LGBTQ+ learners. The Proudly King’s Network has shaped Kirsty’s experience at King’s, so they are looking forward to giving back and making us a more LGBTQ+ inclusive institution. Outside of King’s Kirsty is an alum of the Stonewall Young Leader Programme, enjoys walking their dog Bobby the Whippet, cooking and binging documentaries on Netflix.
Dr David Brining
Committee Member, Events
David teaches English for Academic Purposes in King’s Foundations (part of the Centre for International Languages and Education) and has lived and worked in several different countries, including Russia, Sri Lanka and Egypt. He holds a PhD in Education and has research interests in neurodiversity and its impact on teaching and learning. He is a member of King’s Foundations’ EDI in the Curriculum working group and Deputy Chair of CIEL’s EDI committee. Identifying as gay, he joined the Proudly King’s committee to become more involved in the community and to help with the social events and activities programme.
Outside King’s, he plays tennis, sings with Eltham Choral Society, enjoys going to concerts, operas and art galleries, and exploring London.
Aysha Burton
Committee Member, Strategy & Campaigns
Aysha (she/they), born and raised in North London, works in the Strategy team at King's, coordinating various projects that help deliver Strategy 2026 and Vision 2029. Studying Biochemistry at Leeds, Aysha founded Pan African Society and later went on to be student union President. At King's, Aysha hopes to bring LGBTQIA+ representation into directorates and navigate how staff networks can work together to promote intersectionality. The ultimate cinephile, she is always looking for and giving film recommendations, and loves to game on her playstation in her spare time.
Sean Tillman
Co-Executive Chair
Sean (he/him) was born and raised in Sunny California, not far from San Francisco. He has lived in London for 4 years and has also lived in Paris, Berlin, and Melbourne. Sean works in Student Experience at the IoPPN. He works in Student Experience, because he likes to amplify the student voice, to make sure they are heard and enjoy their time whilst at University. Sean identifies as gay and joined the Proudly King’s committee to bring a voice to the table from those at the Denmark Hill campus. Separately from King’s, Sean teaches Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) and is a Life Coach. He enjoys playing touch Rugby with friends, binge watching far too many tv shows, and spending time with his fiancé and labradoodle named Beau.
Adam Davenport
Pride & Community Chair
Adam (he/him) is a Programmes Officer in the Arts and Humanities Cluster Offices, offering support to students and academic staff during their time at KCL. He is passionate about increasing the visibility of the LGBTQIA+ community, ensuring LGBTQIA+ staff are represented and supported in the workplace, and is an advocate for mental health awareness. Outside of King's, Adam has a strong interest in museums and wrote his MA thesis on LGBTQIA+ representation in UK contemporary culture, and enjoys running, bouldering, arts and crafts, and playing video games and board games.
Dan Cornwell
Academic Events Deputy Chair
Dan identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. They work as a Lecturer in Chemistry Education, where alongside the day-to-day delivery of lectures and labs, develops creative and innovative teaching methods to better engage our students. Dan joined the committee to help develop the LGBTQ+ community at King’s, particularly through planning social events, and also to increase awareness and action on issues faced by trans and non-binary members of staff.
LC
Committee Member, Communications
LC works in the Library at King’s, having started as a student. Their job involves helping students, staff and NHS partner trust staff make the most of our fantastic Libraries & Collections! LC hopes to raise awareness of asexuality and intersectionality through their position on the committee, as well as keeping you up to date with the latest news via our social media channels. Outside of work, LC enjoys ballet and rock climbing.
Zuzanna Kurska
Committee Member, Events
Zuza (she/her) embraced the LGBTQIA+ culture whilst working at King's surrounded by thriving staff who were wonderfully open about their queer identities. Raised in a conservative and closed-minded environment, she is enjoying the novelty and variability of KCL's staff identities. Zuza is currently a Programme Officer in the School of Political Economy (Strand campus). She's interested in organising Proudly events and engaging new members to join Proudly, whilst spreading awareness of our campaigns and lived experiences.
Outside of work, Zuza plays Ultimate Frisbee, does boxing and loves trying any form of sport or activity that gets her to go outside and meet new people. She loves standing up for the right cause through protests, parades and other forms of social engagement. She also loves being close to nature, so she lives with two cats and a growing collection of plants.
Archana Smitharan
Committee Member, Pride & Community
Archana (she/her) works within King's Health Partners (KHP), leading on the Commercial Education & Training Portfolio of the Haematology team. She is also involved with patient and public engagement, keen to ensure their voices are heard and thoughts incorporated from start to finish. Archana is joining as an ally, looking to bring forth the work of Proudly King's as a network across the board in King's. She hopes to bring forth her experience of event management and working with marginalised communities to better the experience of the LGBTQ+ community across the KHP partnership.
Outside of work, Archana is either with her rottie, at the gym, or frantically testing new exciting vegan recipes (any recommendations are appreciated!).
Rosanna Ayton
Strategy & Campaigns Chair
Rosanna (she/her) works in Student Success, developing strategy, policies and interventions to support students to positively transition in, through and out of university. Rosanna is joining Proudly King’s as an ally, keen to ensure that LGBTQ+ identities, voices and experiences are included in strategy, planning and policy at King’s. Outside of work she runs her dog’s Instagram account and is obsessed with interior design.
Emily Pulham
Communications Co-Chair
Emily (she/her) is a London-based ally who was born and raised in Pennsylvania, USA. She has been at King's for 1.5 years. Despite having no aptitude for science, her day job is Communications Manager (Digital) in the Faculty of Natural, Mathematical, and Engineering Sciences, where she looks after digital content production and management on social media and websites. Emily is a passionate supporter of LGBTQIA+ rights and has won awards for LGBTQIA+ campaigning during her time at retailer Lush.
Her interests include gardening, reading, trains, the history of the London Underground, NYT crosswords, and West Ham United, where she is a season ticket holder and a football journalist.
Her social media algorithms are, understandably, chaotic.
Dr Hannah Slack
Committee Member, Communications and Pride & Community
With a passion for fostering inclusivity and belonging, Hannah is deeply committed to creating an inclusive King’s community where everyone feels valued and accepted. She is a postdoc working in the IoPPN on U-Belong; a research project that aims to develop our understanding of social connection, belonging, and loneliness among undergraduate students during their transition to university life. Hannah's academic interests reflect her dedication to understanding and addressing the unique challenges that students face, consistently striving to enhance their overall well-being.
Hannah's involvement with Proudly King's showcases her advocacy for LGBTQIA+ rights and representation. Through her role, she hopes to actively contribute to building a supportive community that celebrates diversity and empowers individuals to embrace their true selves. By working with Proudly King's, Hannah aims to shape an environment where every individual can find their place and thrive.
When not working, Hannah enjoys all things arts and crafts (e.g., crochet, sewing, and painting), as well as belly dancing, playing video games, and being surrounded by nature and animals.
Kristian Boaitey-Seddon
Committee Member
A born and bred Londoner, Kristian, who identifies as a gay man, works in the department of King’s Sport. As the Strand gym’s Operations Supervisor, he is concerned with the day to day running of the gym as well as the expansion of King’s Sport into the culture of the university. Kristian hopes to use his role in sport and wellbeing to provide engaging and beneficial opportunities and experiences within the LGBTQ+ community at King’s through the planning of social events and meetings. He also struggles to go a single day without mentioning either Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Beyoncé.
Harrison Cohen
Committee Member, Events
Harrison (he/him) works for King’s Digital as a Student Support Advisor for online distance learners, ensuring that they feel part of King’s and achieve their goals from wherever in the world they may be studying. Harrison identifies as gay and joined Proudly King’s with the hope of getting to know other members of the network and organise innovative events within the events sub-committee. In his spare time, Harrison loves binging TV, watching EastEnders and dusting off his tap shoes!
Michael Berthaume
Committee Member, Strategy & Campaigns
Born and raised in Pioneer Valley, Massachusetts, Mike (he/him) studied anthropology and engineering at UMass, Amherst before moving to Europe 10+ years ago. He joined King’s in 2023 as a reader in Engineering, where he leads the Anthroengineering research lab, investigating topics ranging from human evolution to prosthetics for low-and middle-income countries. Mike identifies as bisexual, and likes to spend his spare time cooking, gardening, reading, and going on runs/travelling with his husband.