First Year Advising Staff

Our First-Year Advisors are each aligned with specific schools and colleges, which allows us to provide unique attention to student plans & enhance our campus connections. Students should work directly with their assigned First-Year Advisors regarding any questions or concerns they have.

In addition, each of our Associate Directors works directly with specific schools and colleges within the University. If you are an AU employee or campus partner with questions about how our office aligns with academic units, please see our Associate Directors and which schools they act as liasons to below:

Student Advising Appointments

To meet with your first year advisor, you can book an appointment through your advisor's specific youcanbook.me link. You can find your assigned advisor's name in Eagle Service under the "Advising" tab.

Make an Appointment

Additional Advising Support

For additional advising support, please visit our First Year Course Registration page, which will include information on classes to register for, how to use Eagle Service, and more.

Registration Support

Last name starts with A

Roshan Abraham AUx Instructor & Advisor UEAS

Roshan Abraham (he/him/his) holds a PhD in Classical Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. Before coming to his current position at AU, Roshan was an Assistant Professor of Classics and Religio

  rabraham@american.edu

Last name starts with B

Catherine Brewer AUx Instructor & Advisor UEAS

Cate Brewer (she/her) holds a BA in Theatre from Washington University in St. Louis and an MFA in Theatre Pedagogy from Virginia Commonwealth University. Cate joined the First-Year Advising team in Ma

  cbrewer@american.edu

Last name starts with C

Last name starts with D

Gina Davidson AUx Instructor & Advisor UEAS

Gina Davidson (she/her) earned her Bachelor of Arts in English and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Wake Forest University in North Carolina and her Master of Arts in College Student Person

  gdavidson@american.edu

  (202) 885-6998

Last name starts with G

Megan Gayken AUx Instructor & Advisor UEAS

I started at AU in October of 2022 as an AUx Instructor and First-Year Advisor. Before coming to AU, I taught first-year writing courses, worked as a researcher, and managed literary and education eve

  mgayken@american.edu

Last name starts with H

Last name starts with J

SangHee Jeong AUx Instructor & Advisor UEAS

SangHee Jeong has devoted her recent ten years in higher education, helping students find their community and promoting cross-cultural awareness. She works as an academic advisor and AUx instructor, g

  sjeong@american.edu

Last name starts with L

Kimberly Lorjuste AUx Instructor & Advisor UEAS | Academic Support

Kimberly Lorjuste (she/her/hers) is a fierce advocate for women and underserved populations. Her passion for creating connections and experiences that uplift, improve, and build communities has shaped

  lorjuste@american.edu

  (202) 885-6893

Last name starts with O

Robert Osborne AUx Instructor & Advisor UEAS

Carry Osborne (he/him) holds a PhD in Philosophy from Northwestern University. He joined AU in 2021 as a First Year Advisor and AUx Instructor. He began teaching in the Department of Philosophy and Re

  rosborne@american.edu

Last name starts with P

Kelly Pengelly Adjunct Instructor UEAS

Kelly Pengelly serves as an American University First Year Advisor and AUx Instructor. She leverages over 30 years of international higher education and cross-cultural and student development experien

  kellyp@american.edu

Last name starts with S

Jenice Sabb-Dumas Adjunct Professorial Lect UEAS

Jenice Sabb-Dumas holds an Ed.D. in Education, Culture, and Society from Rutgers University Graduate School of Education.  Jenice has labored 30+ years in higher education demonstrating leadership, in

  jsabbdum@american.edu

  (202) 885-6852

David Salgado Senior Instructor & Advisor, First Year Advising UEAS | Academic Support

David Salgado (He/Him) is an AUx Instructor, First Year Advisor, and Adjunct Professor for the Department of Art. David is an alumnus of American University, B.A in Studio Art and Communication Studie

  dsalgado@american.edu

Michelle Swiger AUx Instructor & Advisor UEAS | Academic Support

Michelle Swiger (she/her/hers) is an AUx Instructor and Advisor. Previously, she worked in the Center for Community Engagement and Service. In this role she managed large-scale community engagement pr

  mswiger@american.edu

  (202) 885-6850

Last name starts with W

Jacob Wilson AUx Instructor & Advisor UEAS

Jacob Wilson (he/him) joined AU’s office of First Year Advising in August 2023 and has enjoyed teaching, advising, and empowering first year students ever since. Jacob brings over a decade of varied e

  jawilson@american.edu

  (202) 885-6995

Rachel Wu-Pong Associate Director, First Year Advising UEAS | Academic Support

Hailing from Iowa, Rachel Wu-Pong (she/her/hers) is a Midwesterner at heart loving big-city life in DC. Prior to this role, Rachel worked in international student Admissions, Orientation, and large-sc

  lindhart@american.edu

Last name starts with Y

Gretchen York AUx Instructor & Advisor UEAS

Gretchen York (she/her/hers) holds a PhD in English from the University of Virginia. Before coming to her current position at AU, Gretchen was a Visiting Assistant Professor of English at Washington a

  gyork@american.edu