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Standing Committees AY 2025 - 2026

Committee Chair: Steve Silvia, SIS, ssilvia@american.edu

Committee Member
Office
Steve Sylvia, SIS
Faculty Senate Chair
Jason Snyder, SOE
Faculty Senate Vice Chair
Jennifer Axe, CAS
Faculty Senate Past Chair
Tony Ahrens, CAS
At-Large Senator
Sheila Bedford, KSB
Additional Senator
Olivia Ivey, UL
Committee on Academic Budget & Benefits Chair (CABB)
Katie Hut, UL
Committee on Undergraduate Curriculum Chair (UCC)
David Gerard, CAS
Committee on Graduate Curriculum Chair (GCC)
Garret Martin, SIS
Continuing Appointment and Term Faculty Affairs Committee
Gerard Comizio, WCL
Faculty Committee on Inclusive Excellence (FacCIE)
Vicky Wilkins*
Provost
Monica Jackson*
Dean of Faculty

* Ex officio, non-voting member

Chair: Katie Hut Vice Chair: TBD

Unit Designation
Members Elected (Term of Office)
Kogod School of Business
Paolo Petacchi (2028)
College of Arts and Sciences
Lynne Arneson (2028)
Melissa Hawkins (2026)
School of Communication
Dario Bernardini (2026)
School of Education
Sung Ryung Lyu (2028)
School of International Service
Mariana Morosini (2026)
School of Public Affairs
Jason Fabrikant (2027)
University Library
Katie Hut (2025)
AU Student Government
TBD (2026)
Dean of Undergraduate Education*
Bridget Trogden

* Ex officio, non-voting member

Chair: David Gerard Vice Chair:  Ximena Varela

Unit Designation
Members Elected (Term of Office)
Kogod School of Business
Tim Timura (2025)
College of Arts and Sciences
David Gerard (2026)
Ximena Varela (2028)
School of Communication
Rosalind Donald (2027)
School of Education
Alida Anderson (2028)
School of International Service
Shoon Murray (2026)
School of Public Affairs
John Marvel (2028)
University Library
Sarah Gilcrest (2028)
Graduate Leadership Council
TBD (2026)
Dean of Graduate Studies/Designee *
Wendy Boland

* Ex officio, non-voting member

Chair: Larry Engel Vice Chair: TBD

Unit Designation
Members Elected (Term of Office)
Kogod School of Business
Jiali Zhou (2027)
College of Arts and Sciences
Michael Robinson (2028)
Alan Isaac (2027)
Mike Alonzo (2026)
Michael Keynes (2027)
School of Communication
Larry Engel  (2028)
School of Education
Robert Shand (2026)
School of International Service
Patrick Jackson (2027)
School of Public Affairs
Ryan Moore (2028)
Washington College of Law
Adeen Postar (2028)
University Library
Alayne Mundt (2026)
Graduate Leadership Council
TBD (2024)
AU Student Government
TBD (2026)
Assistant Vice Provost, CFE or Designee*
Anna Olsson
University Librarian*
Jeehyun Davis
Office of Information Technology*
Terry Fernandez

* Ex officio, non-voting member

Co-Chairs: Rachel Borchardt & TBD

Unit Designation
Members Elected (Term of Office)
Kogod School of Business
James Potepa (2027)
College of Arts and Sciences
Valenina Aquila (2027)
Julia Chifman (2026)
Santiago Toledo (2027)
School of Communication
Pat Aufderheide (2028)
School of Education
Kecia Hayes (2026)
School of International Service
Amitav Acharya (2027)
School of Public Affairs
Lynn Addington (2026)
University Library
Rachel Borchardt (2026)
Washington College of Law
Ken Anderson (2026)
Vice Provost for Research *
Diana Burley
Executive Director of the Center for Teaching & Learning *
Anna Olsson

* Ex officio, non-voting member

Chair: Olivia Ivey Vice Chair: TBD

Unit Designation
Members Elected (Term of Office)
Kogod School of Business
Octavian Ionici (2028)
College of Arts and Sciences
Lilian Baeza-Mendoza (2028)
Lindsey Barr (2028)
School of Communication
Dario Bernardini (2027)
School of Education
Jennifer Steele (2028)
School of International Service
Gina Lambright (2028)
School of Public Affairs
David Schwegman (2026)
Washington College of Law
Linda Wen (2027)
University Library
Olivia Ivey (2028)
Emeritus Member
TBD (2025)
Graduate Leadership Council
TBD (2023)
AU Student Government
TBD (2026)

Chair: Patricia Aufderheide Vice Chair: Ali Valenzuela

Unit Designation
Members Elected (Term of Office)
Kogod School of Business
Ed Wasil (2027)
College of Arts and Sciences
Rachel Snyder (2028)
Kate Gunthert (2027)
Marianne Noble (2026)
School of Communication
Patricia Aufderheide (2027)
School of Education
Sarah Irvine Belson (2028)
School of International Service
 Claire Brunel (2028)
School of Public Affairs
Ali Valenzuela (2027)
University Library
Melissa Becher (2026)
At-Large Term
TBD (2026)
At-Large Term
TBD (2026)

Chair: Tracy Spesia Vice-Chair: TBD

Unit Designation
Members Elected (Term of Office)
Kogod School of Business
TBD (2026)
College of Arts and Sciences
Cynthia Potter (2026)
John Strong (2028)
Janine Beekman (2027)
School of Communication
Wendy Melillo (2027)
School of Education
Tracy Spesia (2028)
School of International Service
John C. King (2027)
School of Public Affairs
Kimberly Cowell-Meyers (2027)
AU Core
Martin Oliver (2028)
Institutional Research and Assessment*
TBD

* Ex officio, non-voting member

Chair: Karen Knee Vice Chair: Meredith Burnett

Unit Designation
Members Elected (Term of Office)
Kogod School of Business
Meredith Burnett (2028)
College of Arts and Sciences
Karen Knee (2028)
William Brent (2026)
Santiago Toledo (2027)
School of Communication
Maya Livio (2026)
School of Education
Ocheze Jospeh (2027)
School of International Service
Mariam Durrani (2027)
School of Public Affairs
Jhacova Williams (2026)
University Library
Natasha Griffin (2026)
Washington College of Law
Gerard Comizio (2028)
Student Government
TBD (2026)
Graduate Leadership Council
TBD (2026)
Staff Council Representative
Quintenilla Merriweather (2025)
Senior Administrator *
Monica Jackson, Deputy Provost and Dean of Faculty

Co-Chair: Garret Martin  Co-Chair: TBD

Unit Designation
Members Elected (Term of Office)
Kogod School of Business
Tim Timura (2028)
College of Arts and Sciences
TBD (2026)
Caimeen Garrett (2026)
School of Communication
Chris Halsne (2028)
School of Education
Samantha Cohen (2026)
School of International Service
Garret Martin (2028)
School of Public Affairs
Sonja Walti (2026)
University Library
TBD (2028)
Washington College of Law
William Snape (2027)
Associate Dean of Faculty *
TBD

* Ex officio, non-voting member

Special and Advisory Committees AY 2025-2026

Chair: Elizabeth Worden Vice Chair: Lenny Steinhorn

Unit Designation
Members Elected (Term of Office)
Kogod School of Business
Yijiang Zhao (2028)
College of Arts and Sciences
Ximena Varela (2026)
 Gautham Rao (2027)
School of Communication
Lenny Steinhorn (2027)
School of Education
Elizabeth Worden (2028)
School of International Service
Keith Darden (2027)
School of Public Affairs
Erdal Tekin (2027)
University Library
Gwendolyn Reece (2026)

 

Unit Designation
Members Elected
2023-2026
CAS
SPA
SIS
SIS
CAS
Jon Tubman
Alan Levine
Horace Bartilow
Chris Rudolph
Andy Holtin
2023 2024- 2027
SOC
SOC
CAS
SIS
CAS
Larry Engel
Pat Aufderheide
Karen Knee
Sara Snyder
Jun Lu
2025-2028
SIS
CAS
CAS
SPA
WCL
Mohammed Abu-Nimer
David Haaga
Cathy Schaeff
Jocelyn Johnston
Ben Leff

Unit Designation

Members Elected (Term of Office)
Kogod School of Business
Ron Hill (2027)
College of Arts and Sciences
Mary Gray (2027)
School of Communication
Amitav Acharya (2026)
School of Education
Vivian Vasquez (2027)
School of Public Affairs
Erdal Tekin (2026)
School of Public Affairs
Jeff Gill (2028)
 

Faculty Director, Jeffrey Middents

Unit Designation
Members Elected (Term of Office)
Kogod School of Business
Dan Kopman (2026)
College of Arts and Sciences
Alison Chrisler (2026)
Edward Guetti (2028)
Demonica Jones (2027)
School of Communication
Wendy Melillo (2027)
School of Education
Stephen Vassallo (2026)
School of International Service
Marjiana Morosini (2028)
School of Public Affairs
Chris Edelson (2026)
Honors Student Representative
Vivian Burnham (2026)

Ex Officio Members:*

Designation
Members
Dean of Undergraduate Education and Vice Provost for Academic Student Services
Bridget Trogden*
Past Faculty Director   
Patrick Jackson
Chair, UCC
Katie Hut
Honors Librarian
Stella Hudson*

Program Coordinator: Tanishka Talagadadeevi, tanishka@american.edu

 

2026 Membership

Jason Snyder, SOE (Chair)
Membership TBD in spring 2026

  • Finance - Jason Snyder (2026)
  • Advancement - Maria Gomez (2026)
  • Athletics - TBD
  • Student Affairs - Maria De Jesus (2026)
  • Communication - Dan Abraham (2026)
  • Academic Affairs - Velnetina Bruno (2027)
  • Inclusive Excellence - TBD (2026)

Steve Silvia, SIS
Chair Faculty Senate, 2025-2026
Board Committees:
Trusteeship & Academic Affairs

Jenny Axe, CAS
Past Chair Faculty Senate, 2025-2026
Board Committees:
Student Affairs, Inclusive Excellence