Close to 70 alumni and friends of LAU came together in London to hear from artisan jeweler and alumna Nada Ghazal (BA ’92), who was awarded the Alumni Association’s Alumni Achievement Award last year, and to show their support for the university.

The event, hosted by the LAU Alumni Chapter in London at The In and Out on June 10, 2025, convened the Chairman of LAU’s Board of Trustees Philip Stoltzfus, LAU President Chaouki T. Abdallah, Vice President for Communication and Alumni Relations Gabriel Abiad, Assistant Vice President for Alumni Relations Abdallah Al Khal, the chapter’s co-presidents Karim Boulos and Dr. Shereen Nabhani-Gebara, members of the chapter committee, and members of the vibrant LAU community in the UK capital.

Welcoming attendees, Boulos reaffirmed the London Alumni Chapter’s commitment to “embracing and promoting the LAU spirit, values and community.”

He gave an overview of previous inspiring talks hosted by the chapter, starting with one featuring Member of the Moderna Board of Directors and LAU trustee François Nader, followed by another by the CEO of Murex Salim Eddé last year. He also announced the upcoming gala dinner planned for October 16, 2025, urging those present to mark their calendars in a show of solidarity and support for LAU and Lebanon.

Defining the diaspora as “Lebanon’s gift to humanity,” Stoltzfus invited attendees to reflect on how it was largely the product of Lebanese world-class universities.

“Lebanon’s universities, among which LAU is increasingly ranked at the top, are critical to this richness that the country provides to the world,” he said, noting that LAU is now a global university thanks to its New York campus and its unfaltering support for the Lebanese, wherever they are.

President Abdallah spoke about revamping the university’s Strategic Plan to reflect and accommodate the fast-changing era of AI advancement.

Also reinforcing Stoltzfus’s message about the university’s support for the Lebanese diaspora, Dr. Abdallah referred to the universities in Lebanon as “the country’s last-standing flame of hope where other institutions suffered the threat of collapse or corruption.” To drive this message home, he named two successful alumni as rising stars in their fields, Schmidt Science Fellow and micro-robotics researcher Elio Challita (BE ’15) and President and CEO of Synopsis Sassine Ghazi (BS ’91).

Captivating the audience in a talk titled Creativity, Courage and a Life Well Lived, Ghazal shared personal memories that had inspired her designs, such as her grandmother’s baking and crochet, the window displays in New York City, and her early passion for creating pieces that helped her express her emotions and connect with others.

She noted that she always worked without fear of failing, an approach she attributed to her mother’s encouragement and support from a young age. Attending Beirut University College—as LAU was known back then—starting in 1989 to study advertising design helped to bolster her creative talent, she added.

“LAU was special to me because it was where I met many like-minded friends who shared my creativity, courage, and ambition. It also gave us a sense of independence,” said Ghazal, giving the example of how faculty always stimulated them to pursue their ideas and pitch their work to businesses outside campus.

Following her graduation, Ghazal steadily climbed the ranks in the advertising industry, working at leading firms such as Impact BBDO and Leo Burnett, leaving in 2002 to launch her jewelry line.

When asked why she left the field at her peak, she would say: “I have helped build brands for others but really wanted to create my own.” Her first collection of 25 pieces sold out within three days. Today, she is an internationally acclaimed designer with a presence in London, New York, Paris and Dubai.

Her enterprising spirit and designs of “jewels with a soul” earned her the Woman Entrepreneur of the Year award at the Brilliant Lebanese Awards in 2017, and recognition among Forbes Middle East’s Top Five Women Behind Middle Eastern Brands in 2020.

“The evening,” said Al Khal, “was a testament to the strength and reach of LAU’s alumni community and its ongoing support for the university’s mission.”

Al Khal, together with the chair of the board and the president, seized the opportunity, made impossible last year by unforeseen circumstances, to present Ghazal with her Alumni Achievement Award on behalf of the Alumni Association.

Watch Nada Ghazal’s conversation with Zaven (BA ’92) in “100/100: The Full Grade,” a series of podcasts with alumni recorded on the occasion of LAU’s Centennial.

Would you like to nominate fellow alums for the award? Check other alumni achievement awards and find out about the process.