Contact Us
Contact:
Brad G. Knight
Director, AU Core
AU Core Staff & Faculty
The AU Core Committee is charged by the Faculty Senate with the review, recommendation, and evaluation of all courses within the AU Core, and for activities related to the AU Core.
The AU Core Committee comprises all members of its Core Council and subcommittees. It is responsible for developing assessment timelines, processes, and guidelines for assessment of the curriculum, applying those assessments to review and approve new and continuing courses, determining transfer course articulations and other exceptions when needed, advising on other programmatic changes and faculty development as appropriate, and maintaining legacy issues pertaining to the General Education program that it replaced.
Please direct any questions you may have or requests for assistance to core@american.edu.
Staff
- Brad G. Knight
Senior Director, AU Core and University College - Izzi Stern
Director, AU Experience Program - Becca Comfort
Assistant Director, AU Core - Sarah Froonjian
Program Coordinator, Core Curriculum - Diamond Brown
AU Core Assessment Analyst - Reilly Simmons
Program Coordinator, Complex Problems - Diane Palmer
Curriculum and Assessment Assistant, Complex Problems - Olivia Schwalm
Program Coordinator, AUx
AU Core Council
AU Core Faculty Chair: Martyn Oliver, College of Arts and Sciences
- Adam Tamashasky, College of Arts and Sciences, Complex Problems and Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
- Aaron Posner, College of Arts and Sciences, Creative-Aesthetic Inquiry
- Kendra Salois, College of Arts and Sciences, Cultural Inquiry
- Lauren Weis, College of Arts and Sciences, Ethical Reasoning
- Aaron Grocholski, College of Arts and Sciences, Natural-Scientific Inquiry
- Joanne Allen, College of Arts and Sciences, Socio-Historical Inquiry
- Nabina Liebow, College of Arts and Sciences, Diversity & Equity
- Alex Godwin, College of Arts and Sciences, Quantitative Literacy
- Kelly Joyner, College of Arts and Sciences, Written Communication and Information Literacy
- Jay Simon, Kogod School of Business
- Bill Gentile, School of Communication
- Borden Flanagan, School of Public Affairs
- Jason Rancatore, School of International Service
- Dario Bernardini, Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
- Bridget Trogden, Dean of Undergraduate Education & Vice Provost for Academic Student Services
- Brad Knight, Director of AU Core and University College
- Michelle Swiger, AU Experience Program
Complex Problems
Chair: Adam Tamashasky, College of Arts and Sciences (2024)
- Michele Lansigan, College of Arts and Sciences (2024)
- Bill Gentile, School of Communication (2026)
- Vicky Kiechel, School of International Service (2024)
- Mohamed Nimer, Office of Global and Immersive Studies (2026)
- Erran Carmel, Kogod School of Business (2025)
- Borden Flanagan, School of Public Affairs (2025)
- Becca Comfort, Assistant Director, AU Core
Creative-Aesthetic Inquiry
Chair: Aaron Posner, College of Arts and Sciences (2024)
- Erin Foreman-Murray, College of Arts and Sciences (2026)
- Kyle (Kylos) Brannon, School of Communication (2024)
- Amanda Berry, College of Arts and Sciences (2026)
- Melissa Becher, University Library
Cultural Inquiry
Chairs: Kendra Salois, College of Arts and Sciences (2025)
- Chelsea Horne, College of Arts and Sciences (2025)
- Ludy Grandas, College of Arts and Sciences (2024)
- Alexandria Wilson-McDonald, School of International Service (2026)
Ethical Reasoning
Chair: Lauren Weis, College of Arts and Sciences (2024)
- Katherine Hut, University Library
- Barbara Wien, School of International Service (2025)
- Wade Kothmann, College of Arts and Sciences (2025)
- Chris Utter, School of Public Affairs (2025)
Natural-Scientific Inquiry
Chair: Aaron Grocholski, College of Arts and Sciences (2025)
- Clarissa Ihssen, University Library
- Valentina Aquila, College of Arts and Sciences (2026)
- Rebecca Hazen, College of Arts and Sciences (2026)
- Marjan Alaghmand, College of Arts and Sciences (2026)
Socio-Historical Inquiry
Chair: Joanne Allen, College of Arts and Sciences (2025)
- Sanja Pesek, School of Public Affairs (2025)
- Olivia Ivey, University Library
- Brigid Maher, School of Communication (2026)
- Dustin Friedman, College of Arts and Sciences (2026)
- Yang Zhang, School of International Service (2026)
Diversity & Equity (DIV)
Chair: Nabina Liebow, College of Arts and Sciences (2025)
- Meredith Burnett, Kogod School of Business (2026)
- Kurt Braddock, School of Communication (2025)
- Samantha Cohen, School of Education (2024)
- Craig French, School of Public Affairs (2026)
- Hannah Park, University Library
Written Communication & Information Literacy
Chair: Patrick Kelly Joyner, College of Arts and Sciences (2025)
- Tyler Christensen, College of Arts and Sciences (2026)
- Michael Clayton, Kogod School of Business (2026)
- Rajul Bhaskar, School of Communication (2024)
- Bryan Daves, School of Public Affairs (2025)
- Jason Rancatore, School of International Service (2026)
- Derrick Jefferson, University Library
Quantitative Literacy
Chair: Alex Godwin, College of Arts and Sciences (2026)
- Jay Simon, Kogod School of Business (2026)
- Behzad Jalali, Director of Quantitative Support
- Joshua Lansky, College of Arts and Sciences (2024)
- Laura Bernhofen, College of Arts and Sciences (2025)
- Joseph Graf, School of Communication (2024)
- Shirin Sabetghadam, School of Public Affairs (2026)
- David Ohls, School of International Service (2026)