2025/2026 AUECO Executive Board

Susan Gasparo is the Director of Research Security at Stony Brook University, overseeing research security, export controls, conflict of interest/commitment and international activities. She has worked in research administration for over twenty years, with additional experience in sponsored programs, research compliance, and intellectual property. Susan is responsible for team building across multiple campus areas (both administrative and faculty) to implement campus policies, processes, training, and guidance for a comprehensive research security program.

Darlene Pennington-Johnson works for the University of Michigan as the Export Control Officer and Director of the Export Control Program. She holds a master’s degree in Anthropology specializing in Business, Organizational, and Cultural Anthropology from Wayne State University. She has worked for over a decade in academic settings as a subject matter expert in regulatory trade compliance and export controls while supporting diversified and complex global research activities currently across three campuses. Darlene's prior life as a Paralegal in corporations and law firms in Michigan, Atlanta, and West Virgina’s Attorney General Office provides her with diversified experience with over 35 years as a paralegal and for the past 14 years as an Export Compliance Professional. 

Dr. Elan Mitchell Gee is the Director of Export Control and Research Security at Drexel University. She holds a PhD in Political Science, with concentrations in International Relations, Public Policy, and Public Administration from Howard University. Throughout her career she has served in key roles at NASA, The US Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security and other federal agencies. She is passionate about blending her expertise in regulatory frameworks with a passion for advancing academic research.

Quinton Johnson  serves as Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research Compliance at UNC-Chapel Hill. Quinton has been a member of AUECO since 2014 and has attended/spoken at many of the annual conferences. Currently, Quinton directly oversees UNC's Export Compliance, Science and Security, Conflict of Interest, and Clinical Research Compliance programs. Prior to overseeing Research Compliance services, Quinton was responsible for enterprise-wide compliance in his role as the Chief Compliance Officer, and Export Control Officer at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Mark Hubbard is the Assistant Vice President for Research Integrity and Compliance at Colorado State University. He oversees a broad portfolio of interrelated compliance areas some of which include export controls, research integrity, and conflict of interest and commitment. Prior to his position at Colorado State University, Mark held leadership roles in college administration at the University of Wisconsin–Madison (Assistant Dean for Research) and Washington State University (Sr. Manager, Research Advancement). Mark’s first introduction to export controls occurred during his doctoral work where he investigated antibody responses to the extracellular capsule of Bacillus anthracis.

William Bucha is currently the Manager of research contracts and export compliance at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.  As Outreach Chair, William wants to continue AUECO's positive impact on export compliance professional development, as well as helping to facilitate positive connections between AUECO and federal regulators. 

Nick Kochmich has been a member of AUECO since 2020, was on the 2025 conference planning committee, and was a speaker at the 2025 conference beginner’s workshop. He is currently the export control administrator at the Oregon Health and Science University and previously served as the export control coordinator at the University of Nebraska Medical Center from 2020-2024.

Christos Linardakis is an attorney by trade. He has held positions as an Associate General Counsel, Corporate Compliance Officer, Global Trade Compliance, and other roles for Fortune 100 & 500 companies, along with private companies. During his career, he has established global corporate compliance programs for U.S., E.U. and Asian trade laws, as well as compliance programs in Foreign Corrupt Practices and Antibribery and Corruption. He currently serves as the InfraGard National SME for ITAR for the Defense Industrial Base Sector.

Dr. Scot Allen leads Research Integrity and Security initiatives within the Office of Research & Technology Transfer at Colorado School of Mines, including responsibilities as export control officer and empowered official. Scot is an Air Force veteran. A lifelong learner, Scot has served as a leader in global education, engineering program manager, mentor for students, college French professor, survey lead for aircraft mishaps, volunteer firefighter, and biomedical lab tech.