A New Era of Leadership:
Shazia Khan ('84) Takes
the Helm of UHAAF Board
Shazia Khan ('84), the University of Houston Alumni Association Foundation Board's new President, has honed her own leadership style.
“You don’t have to be loud to stand out. You can be a quiet, introspective leader,” Khan notes. Shazia joined the Delta Gamma sorority her freshman year, never realizing the impact it would have on her future.
“My sorority president told me I was level-headed and calm, and she encouraged me to cultivate positive change within the group,” Khan remembers. “Those words stay with me still.”
Khan put that advice into action. She became the president of the sorority, then the Vice President of the Panhellenic Conference, Student Senator and then a Homecoming co-chair. After her graduation, she moved to D.C. and became the president of the Capital Alumni Association, the DC-based alumni group.
“All of these leadership positions led to me being nominated and joining the UHAAF six years ago,” Khan explains.
Shazia Khan built upon the confidence she developed in her university leadership roles to emerge as a highly regarded leader in her professional career as well. After recognizing her passion for medicine, she left her position in supply chain management and went back to school to earn her professional degree as a Physician Assistant. Her work in the medical field led her to learn more about the research process behind treatments, and she received her doctorate in Health Sciences in 2012. Ultimately her research culminated in a transition from the clinical side of cancer medicine to the pharmaceutical side where she witnesses the entire life cycle of an oncology product. She is currently a Field Medical Director at Pfizer.
Along with the professional expertise she has developed in her career, Shazia Khan brings her loyalty, her profound respect, and her leadership experience to her alma mater, the University of Houston alumni community.
“The UHAAF board is representing 312,000 alumni. We are a major Texas University and it’s time to proudly stand behind our school. With President Khator’s leadership, we have never been in a stronger position. Whether it is engaging with your alumni network group, attending athletic events, student events, parent events, there is something for everyone as we approach the Centennial in 2027. We must take small steps to create a ripple effect towards a bigger change in alumni engagement.”
The first Pakistani American president of the UHAAF Board, Khan’s journey from a quiet student leader to an influential figure in both the medical field and alumni community serves as an inspiration to all. Her commitment to engaging the vast UH alumni network reflects her belief in the power of small steps to create meaningful, lasting change.
“UH is enjoying much recognition as a top tier university, in academics and athletics, there has never been a better time to support our alma mater!”
If you want to get involved in the UH alumni community or have questions, please email alumni@uh.edu or fill out the Alumni Interest Form.
Built with Shorthand