Liz Kirby
Director
ckirby@american.edu  202.885.3457
Regulatory Compliance

Mana Zarinejad
mana@american.edu
202.885.1526

Mana Zarinejad serves as the Assistant Director of Proposal Services & Outreach in the Office of Sponsored Programs at American University. In this capacity, she liaises with the university faculty and staff on external funding opportunities and proposal writing and editing. Mana originally joined AU in April 2007 as the Assistant Director of Development in the Office of International Affairs. Mana previously worked for the Challanger Center for Space Science Education, the Center for Strategic & International Studies, Friends of Chris Dodd (campaign), and the American Bankruptcy Institute. She earned her B.A. in Journalism and English at the University of Connecticut.

Janice Idyll
jidyll@american.edu 
202.885.3444

Jan Idyll is the Grant and Contract Manager serving The College of Arts and Sciences, including the departments of Anthropology, Art, Biology, Environmental Sciences, Physics, Computer Science, Chemistry, Economics, Psychology, Philosophy and Religion, and the National Center for Health and Fitness. Jan has been at American University for over 21 years, all of which have been in OSP.  She previously spent 12 years working for a consulting firm in DC, serving as the Project Director of a National Head Start contract under the Administration for Children, Youth and Families, Department of Health and Human Services.  She earned her B.S. in Child Development from Florida State University, an M.S.Ed in Educational Administration from Wheelock College in Boston, MA, and a doctorate in Higher Education Counseling from AU. Additionally, Jan has an Adjunct Faculty appointment in the School of Education.

Rachel Pentlarge
Grant and Contract Manager
rpentlar@american.edu 202.885.3449
School of Public Affairs, Kogod School of Business, Washington Internship for Native Students, Library

Cathy Barton
Grant and Contract Manager
bcathy@american.edu 202.885.3445
School of Communication, College of Arts and Sciences: Language and Foreign Studies, History, Mathematics and Statistics, Performing Arts, Program Development Office, Sociology, Literature,School of Education, Teaching, and Health

Lacey Bergin
bergin@american.edu
202.885.3994

Lacey Bergin is the Grant and Contract Manager for the Office of Sponsored Programs.  Lacey exclusively provides the Washington College of Law with both pre and post award services.  Previously, Lacey worked as a Grants Specialist at Washington University in St. Louis and as a Grant Developer at St. Mary’s Hospital in East St. Louis.  Lacey earned her MPA, with a specialization in International Service, from Rutgers University. 

Diane Perry
bperry@american.edu
202.885.3451

Diane Perry is the Grant and Contract Coordinator for the Office of Sponsored Programs at American University.  She supports WAMU 88.5, the Office of Campus Life, and the Katzen Arts Center with external funding and grant administration.  Diane has 25 years of experience in the field of Contract and Grant Management, working in both university and corporate settings.  She has pursued graduate studies in Procurement and Contracting at both American and George Washington universities.  A native of Washington, D.C., she received her B.A. in English from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota.  She returned to the Midwest for her graduate degrees, receiving a M.F.A. in Creative Writing from The University of Iowa, and a M.A. in African American and African Diaspora Studies from Indiana University, Bloomington.

Matt Zembrzuski
zembrzus@american.edu
202.885.3447

Matt Zembrzuski is the Operations Administrator in the Office of Sponsored Programs at American University. In this role, he manages office operations, the university grant activity database, and data requests. Matt has eight years of experience in higher education and has previously worked as a faculty member and academic adminstor for Gibbs College. He earned a M. Ed. from George Mason University, and a B.S. in Education from North Carolina State University.

Karen Cedeno -Staff Assistant
kcedeno@american.edu 202.885.3980
Funding information – databases and library resources