Profile

Photo by Jeff Watts

Karen Gerlach

Adjunct Professorial Lecturer
School of Education, Teaching and Health

  • Dr. Gerlach is an adjunct faculty member in the School of Education, Teaching and Health in the College of Arts and Sciences at American where she has taught graduate level courses on Legal Issues in Education, Education and Public Policy, Foundations of Education and Urban Education. Dr. Gerlach ended her tenure as the Director of Student Activities in May 2013, a role she held for 10 years. Previously she was Assistant Director and Coordinator for Student Governance and Media.

  • Degrees

    Ph.D., Education, American University; Master of Arts, Educational Leadership, American University; Bachelor of Science, Accounting, Wilkes University

  • OFFICE

  • Student Activities
  • Mary Graydon - 271

  • CONTACT INFO

  • (202) 885-3399

  • FOR THE MEDIA

  • To request an interview for a
    news story, call AU Communications
    at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.

Partnerships & Affiliations

Scholarly, Creative & Professional Activities

Research Interests

  •  Exploring the fundamental issues relative to the practice of education and widening opportunities for college access 
  • Examining the impact of student engagement on African American students attending predominately white universities
  • Investigating the unique and delicate relationship between American Education and United States Law

Selected Publications

African American Student Engagement in Campus Affinity Organizations: An Exploratory Study of Impact (Dissertation successfully defended, March 2008)

Honors, Awards, and Fellowships

2010 Recipient of the Patsy Morley Outstanding Programmer Award from the National Association of Campus Activities.

Professional Presentations

Presenter, Robyn A. Mathias Student Research Conference, American University, March 31, 2007.  Session title: The Complexities of Race and Class