Contact Us
Contact:
Brad G. Knight
Director, AU Core
AU Core Staff & Faculty
![Photo of AU Core faculty talking with one another at round tables.](/provost/undergrad/core/images/D19_159_078_resized.jpg)
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
Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Education - 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
- Brigid Maher, School of Communication, 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
- Keith Leonard, College of Arts and Sciences, Diversity & Equity
- Alex Godwin, College of Arts and Sciences, Quantitative Literacy
- Tyler Christensen, College of Arts and Sciences, Written Communication and Information Literacy
- Jay Simon, Kogod School of Business
- Bill Gentile, School of Communication
- Samantha Cohen, School of Education
- Borden Flanagan, School of Public Affairs
- Jason Rancatore, School of International Service
- Gwendolyn Reece, University Library
- Dario Bernardini, Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
- Bridget Trogden, Dean of Undergraduate Education & Vice Provost for Academic Student Services
- Brad Knight, Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Education
- Michelle Swiger, AU Experience Program
Complex Problems
Chair: Brigid Maher, College of Arts and Sciences
- Michele Lansigan, College of Arts and Sciences (2024)
- Bill Gentile, School of Communication (2026)
- Jordanna Matlon, School of International Service (2027)
- 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)
- Lindsey Barr, College of Arts and Sciences (2026)
- Kyle (Kylos) Brannon, School of Communication (2027)
- Amanda Berry, College of Arts and Sciences (2026)
- Natasha Griffin, University Library
Cultural Inquiry
Chairs: Kendra Salois, College of Arts and Sciences (2025)
- Chelsea Horne, College of Arts and Sciences (2025)
- Tabitha Kidwell, College of Arts and Sciences (2027)
- Gina Lambright, School of International Service (2027)
- Shaunda Vasudev, University Library
Ethical Reasoning
Chair: Lauren Weis, College of Arts and Sciences (2027)
- Garrett Graddy Lovelace, School of International Service (2027)
- Mary Ellen Curtin, College of Arts and Sciences (2025)
- Chris Utter, School of Public Affairs (2025)
- Heather Elms, Kogod School of Business (2026)
- Lynne Perri, School of Communication (2028)
- Gwendolyn Reece, University Library
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)
- Patricia Aufderheide, School of Communication (2026)
- Dustin Friedman, College of Arts and Sciences (2026)
- Yang Zhang, School of International Service (2026)
- Stella Hudson, University Library
Diversity & Equity (DIV)
Chair: Keith Leonard, College of Arts and Sciences (2027)
- Meredith Burnett, Kogod School of Business (2026)
- Leena Jayaswal, School of Communication (2025)
- Samantha Cohen, School of Education (2027)
- Mohammed Abu-Nimer, School of International Service (2027)
- Craig French, School of Public Affairs (2026)
- Amelia Costello, University Library
Written Communication & Information Literacy
Chair: Tyler Christensen, College of Arts and Sciences (2026)
- Mary Switalski, College of Arts and Sciences (2027)
- Michael Clayton, Kogod School of Business (2026)
- 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 (2027)
- Laura Bernhofen, College of Arts and Sciences (2025)
- Joseph Graf, School of Communication (2027)
- Shirin Sabetghadam, School of Public Affairs (2026)
- David Ohls, School of International Service (2026)