Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy Dean, School of Education SOE | Finance & Personnel Administration

Dr. Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy believes in the revolutionary power of school counseling. An American Counseling Association (ACA) Fellow with 30 years of experience as a former kindergarten teacher, element…

Ìý cholcomb@american.edu

Rodney Hopson Senior Associate Dean and Professor SOE | General Academics & Research

Rodney Hopson, PhD is an accomplished scholar, academic leader and thought partner who serves as Senior Associate Dean (Research) and Professor, School of Education. Most recently, Hopson served as Pr…

Ìý rhopson@american.edu

Faculty

Ìý

Golnar Abedin Senior Professorial Lecturer SOE | City Teaching Alliance

Golnar Abedin, Ph.D. completed her doctoral studies in Organizational Leadership and Education Policy at the University of Maryland, her master’s degree in Special Education at Teachers College, Colum…

Ìý abedin@american.edu

Alida Anderson Professor SOE | General Academics & Research

Alida Anderson is a professor in the School of Education at American University. She earned her PhD in special education from the University of Maryland, College Park focusing on early childhood langu…

Ìý aanderso@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-6214

D'Anya Brezzell Professorial Lecturer SOE | City Teaching Alliance

Before joining the City Teaching Alliance team, D'Anya spent eighteen years working as a high school mathematics teacher in Massachusetts, New York, Washington, DC and Maryland. D'Anya holds a Bachelo…

Ìý brezzell@american.edu

Alberto Cabrera Scholar-in-Residence SOE | General Academics & Research

Dr. Cabrera is a professor emeritus at UMD, and scholar-in-residence at the Center for Postsecondary Readiness and Success (CPRS) at the American University. His research interests include the impact …

Ìý albertocabrera@american.edu

Corbin Campbell Professor SOE | General Academics & Research

Dr. Campbell is Professor in the School of Education. Her research, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, and the National Academy of Education, examines three interre…

Ìý campbell@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-8256

Samantha Cohen Senior Professorial Lecturer SOE | Online Partner Programs (OLP)

Samantha teaches, coaches, and mentors in American University School of Education's doctoral studies. She is responsible for launching the inaugural, practitioner based program in education leadership…

Ìý cohen@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-8965

Lauren Crichton Senior Professorial Lecturer SOE | City Teaching Alliance

PriorÌýto joining the AU School of Education, Lauren served as the Lead Clinical Faculty for Secondary ELA in the DC Urban Teachers program at Johns Hopkins University's Graduate School of Education. T…

Ìý crichton@american.edu

Amaarah DeCuir Sr Prof Lecturer, CTRL Senior Inclusive Pedagogy Fellow and AUx Faculty Fellow SOE | Online Partner Programs (OLP)

Amaarah DeCuir, EdD, is a faculty member at American University in the School of Education and an affiliate faculty member of its Antiracist Research and Policy Center. Her scholarship spans the areas…

Ìý adecuir@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-2124

Gillian DiMuzio Professorial Lecturer SOE | City Teaching Alliance

Gillian DiMuzio serves as a Clinical Faculty member of Literacy for Urban Teachers in Baltimore and a Lecturer for AmericanUniversity. Before joining Urban Teachers, Gillian worked in the Baltimore Ci…

Ìý dimuzio@american.edu

Antonio Ellis Senior Professorial Lecturer and Director of the Institute on Education Equity and Justice SOE | Online Partner Programs (OLP)

Dr. Antonio L. Ellis is a Senior Professorial Lecturer and Director of the Institute on Education Equity and Justice at the American University School of Education. He teaches special education course…

Ìý aellis@american.edu

Toks Fashola Senior Professorial Lecturer SOE | General Academics & Research

Dr. Olatokunbo (Toks) Fashola is a Research Professor and the Faculty Coordinator for the Dual Enrollment Program at American University. Her current research interests include STEM among underreprese…

Ìý fashola@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-3716

Annice Fisher Antiracist Pedagogy Scholar SOE | Other Operations and Administration

As the Antiracist Pedagogy Scholar, Dr. Annice Fisher focuses on building the capacity of faculty and staff to teach and lead for antiracism, equity, and justice. This work includes leading antiracism…

Ìý annicef@american.edu

Sherita Flake Senior Professorial Lecturer SOE | City Teaching Alliance

Dr. Sherita Flake, a Memphis native, is a Senior Professorial Lecturer and the City Teaching Alliance Program Director at American University. She is dedicated to urban education and is known for her …

Ìý flake@american.edu

Tiffany Fuller Professorial Lecturer SOE - School of Education

Tiffany Fuller, a native of Forest Hill, Texas, joins American University in partnership with City Teaching Alliance. She has over twenty years of experience in K-12 schools, primarily working with sc…

Ìý tfuller@american.edu

Andrea Guiden Pittman Senior Professorial Lecturer SOE | General Academics & Research

Dr. Guiden Pittman is a Senior Professorial Lecturer in the School of Education and the Associate Director of the Doctoral Degree in Education program at American University. An education historian, D…

Ìý guidenpi@american.edu

Kecia Hayes Senior Professorial Lecturer SOE | Online Partner Programs (OLP)

Dr. kecia hayes has been a champion of antiracist k-12 leadership and praxis across a variety of organizational settings in New York City for more than two decades. Most recently, she led two communit…

Ìý khayes@american.edu

Shereen Holmes Senior Professorial Lecturer SOE | City Teaching Alliance

Dr. Shereen Holmes is the Director of Clinical Faculty for the Baltimore site. She has been with City Teaching Alliance (formally Urban Teachers-UT) since 2018 and has served as a professor with City …

Ìý shereenh@american.edu

Sarah Irvine Belson Professor SOE | General Academics & Research

Dr. Sarah Irvine Belson holds a PhD from Arizona State University in Curriculum and Instruction with a cognate in Special Education. Her research explores educational opportunity for children with dis…

Ìý sirvine@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-3714

Reuben Jacobson Director of Education Policy and Leadership Program & Sr Professorial Lecturer SOE | Online Partner Programs (OLP)

Dr. Reuben Jacobson has worked at the intersection of education research, policy, and practice for nearly 20 years. He is committed to educational change and equity and has substantial experience desi…

Ìý reubenj@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-3786

Jisun Jeong Professorial Lecturer SOE | General Academics & Research

Dr. Jisun Jeong is a researcher, educator, and practitioner with expertise in low-income and crisis-affected contexts. As a scholar-practitioner, she is committed to interdisciplinary and policy-relev…

Ìý jjeong@american.edu

Ìý (202) 895-7651

Charity Jones Senior Professorial Lecturer SOE | City Teaching Alliance

Charity Jones is currently the Director of Clinical Faculty for the City Teaching Alliance Program in Washington, DC. Her professional career includes experience as an educational consultant, restorat…

Ìý charityj@american.edu

Ocheze Joseph Director of Undergraduate Programs, Teacher Educ and Sr Professorial Lecturer SOE | General Academics & Research

Dr. Ocheze Joseph is a proud DC native, and she is passionate about teaching and learning in urban settings. Dr. Joseph has served in several K-12 roles including serving as a reading specialist, an a…

Ìý ojoseph@american.edu

Anne Karabell Instructor SOE | Other Operations and Administration

Annie Murphy Karabell is a researcher in the Institute for Innovation in Education at the School of Education. Her research interests include early childhood literacy, reading disabilities, inclusive …

Ìý karabell@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-8253

Patrice LaHair Professorial Lecturer SOE | City Teaching Alliance

Patrice LaHair serves as a Clinical Faculty Member for City Teaching Alliance (formerly Urban Teachers) in Baltimore. Prior to joining the CTA team in 2021, she taught for eleven years in Baltimore Ci…

Ìý lahair@american.edu

Jola Lawal Professorial Lecturer SOE | City Teaching Alliance

Omolara ‘Jola’ Lawal is a Houston native who completed Urban Teachers in the District of Columbia as a member of Cohort 2016 before returning to Dallas, Texas to further her life-long commitment to ed…

Ìý lawal@american.edu

Shasha Lowe-Anderson Senior Professorial Lecturer SOE | City Teaching Alliance

Dr. Shasha Anderson is an educator whose experience spans over twenty years. She has taught and served as a teacher leader in both Prince George's and Montgomery County, Maryland.Ìý Her last role in K-…

Ìý shanderson@american.edu

Sung Ryung Lyu Assistant Professor SOE | General Academics & Research

Dr. Sung Ryung Lyu is an Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education at American University, having earned her doctoral degree in Curriculum & Instruction from Penn State University. Her research…

Ìý lyu@american.edu

Eric Macias Professorial Lecturer SOE | Online Partner Programs (OLP)

Eric Macias (He/Him/El) is an interdisciplinary scholar whose work focuses on minoritized and illegalized youth who have been pushed-out of the educational pipeline. Dr. Macias received his PhD from t…

Ìý emacias@american.edu

Moya Malcolm Postdoctoral Fellow SOE | Online Partner Programs (OLP)

Moya Malcolm (she, her) has over 15 years of experience serving ethnically diverse middle and high school students and families in the Washington, DC, area. During these years, Malcolm worked as a mid…

Ìý mmalcolm@american.edu

Brian McGowan Professor DOF | Center for Teaching, Research, and Learning

Dr. Brian McGowan is Professor in the School of Education and an equity-minded scholar-practitioner dedicated to enhancing the experiences of racially and ethnically minoritized students and faculty, …

Ìý bmcgowan@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-2809

Sarah McMenamin Professorial Lecturer SOE - School of Education

Professor Sarah McMenamin leads the clinical faculty for Literacy in Dallas-Fort Worth for Urban Teachers DFW. She has worked in the field of education for more than twenty years. During her years wor…

Ìý mcmenami@american.edu

Cynthia Miller-Idriss Professor, School of Public Affairs and School of Education SPA | Justice, Law & Criminology

Cynthia Miller-Idriss is a sociologist and professor in the School of Public Affairs and in the School of Education, and is the founding director of the …

Ìý (202) 885-3740

Terence Ngwa Director of ARASL Program & Senior Professorial Lecturer SOE | General Academics & Research

Dr. Terence Ngwa is a veteran educator and organizational leader with over 20 years of national and international service. A lifelong union leader and advocate, he has worked for many years to ensure …

Ìý ngwa@american.edu

Hannah Park Education Librarian LIB |University Library Operations

Hannah Lee Park is the Education Librarian and Diversity Alliance Residency Coordinator at American University. Her professional roots began in the field of education. She started out as a high school…

Ìý hpark@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-3845

Carolyn Parker Senior Professorial Lecturer and Director, Graduate Teacher Education SOE | General Academics & Research

Carolyn Parker is the Director of Graduate Teacher Education and Academic Programs in the School of Education. She began her career in science education as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala, where …

Ìý caparker@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-6259

Emily Peterson Associate Professor SOE | General Academics & Research

Dr. Emily Grossnickle Peterson is an Assistant Professor in the School of Education and an affiliate faculty member in the Psychology Department and the Behavior, Cognition, and Neuroscience PhD progr…

Ìý epeterso@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-3098

Liana Petruzzi Assistant Professor CAS | Health Studies

Dr. Liana Petruzzi is a dually-appointed, assistant professor in Health and Education Equity in the School of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences. She is a health equity researcher and lice…

Ìý lpetruzzi@american.edu

Desmond Rudd Professorial Lecturer SOE | City Teaching Alliance

Desmond’s life mission is to work towards ensuring urban communities have the resources and educational agency to sustain it for generations to come. With experience and expertise in nonprofit managem…

Ìý drudd@american.edu

Robert Shand Assistant Professor SOE | General Academics & Research

Robert D. Shand is Assistant Professor in the School of Education at American University. He received his Ph.D. in Economics and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. A former high sch…

Ìý rshand@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-6917

Jason Snyder Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer (Continuing) SOE | General Academics & Research

Jason Snyder’s teaching and research focuses on education law and education policy. He developed and served as founding director of AU's Education Policy and Leadership (EPL) program from 2014-2018. H…

Ìý jtsnyder@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-6209

Tracy Spesia Professorial Lecturer SOE | General Academics & Research

Dr. Tracy Spesia is a passionate teacher educator dedicated to developing excellent new teachers for all students as a SOE faculty member in the Teacher Education Program and as the SOE Accreditation …

Ìý spesia@american.edu

Jennifer Steele Professor SOE | General Academics & Research

Dr. Jennifer L. Steele is a Professor in the School of Education at American University (AU), and an affiliate faculty member in AU's Department of Public Administration and Policy. Her research, whic…

Ìý steele@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-3762

William N. Thomas IV Director of EdD Program & Professorial Lecturer SOE | Online Partner Programs (OLP)

William N. Thomas IV, EdD joined the faculty at American University in 2021 as a Professorial Lecturer in the School of Education’s EdD program and currently serves as the program's Director. Dr. Thom…

Ìý wthomas@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-8254

Bridget Trogden UEAS | Deans Office Operations

Dr. Bridget Trogden is the Dean for Undergraduate Education & Academic Student Services, with a position as Professor in the School of Education. Dean Trogden has been a principal investigator (PI) or…

Ìý trogden@american.edu

Vivian Vasquez Distinguished Professor SOE | General Academics & Research

Dr. Vivian Maria Vasquez is a Professor of Education at American University. She has worked in the field of education for over 40 years. Her research interests are in critical literacy, early literacy…

Ìý vvasque@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-6300

Stephen Vassallo Associate Professor SOE | General Academics & Research

In his teaching and scholarship, Vassallo works to merge perspectives to critically explore issues related to teaching and learning, especially in the context of academic self-regulation. He draws fro…

Ìý vassallo@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-3048

Elizabeth A. Worden Director, International Training and Education Program and Associate Professor SOE | General Academics & Research

Dr. Elizabeth Anderson Worden is a comparative and international education scholar who examines how governments foster identities and belonging through education during social and political transition…

Ìý eaworden@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-3723

Courtney Wright Adjunct Instructor SOE | General Academics & Research

Courtney Wright has supported formal and non-formal education systems for over a decade. Her experience has ranged from the grassroots to government levels including empowering and educating youth in …

Ìý wrightc@american.edu

Emily Yanisko Senior Professorial Lecturer SOE | City Teaching Alliance

Dr. Emily Yanisko is the Regional Lead Clinical Faculty of Secondary Mathematics for the City Teaching Alliance sites in Baltimore, DC, and Philadelphia, and a Senior Professorial Lecturer at the Amer…

Ìý yanisko@american.edu

Affiliate Faculty

Ìý

Seth Gershenson Professor SPA | Public Administration

Seth Gershenson holds a PhD from Michigan State University in Economics with a primary focus on education policy. While at Michigan State, he taught several courses and received an Outstanding Teachin…

Ìý gershens@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-2687

Thomas Husted Professor CAS | Economics

My research examines the political economy of various government expenditure programs, including primary and secondary education, income redistribution, and federal disaster aid.

Ìý husted@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-3773

Kiho Kim Adjunct Professor CAS | Environmental Science

Kiho Kim (he/him) is an adjunct Professor in the Department of Environmental Science.As a marine scientist, his research focuses on understanding how environmental drivers, such as nutrient pollution …

Ìý kiho@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-2181

Naomi Moland Senior Professorial Lecturer SIS | Peace, Human Rights & Cultural Relations

Naomi A. Moland’s research and teaching focus on global media, international education, peace and conflict, LGBT rights, and the globalization of pluralist ideologies. Her recent book (based on her aw…

Ìý moland@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-6621

Taryn Morrissey Professor, DPAP Chair, and Associate Dean of Research SPA | Public Administration

Dr. Morrissey is Associate Dean of Research at the School of Public Affairs and Chair of the Department of Public Administration and Policy. Her work centers on examining and improving public polic…

Ìý morrisse@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-6323

John Nolan Adjunct Professor CAS | Math and Statistics

Prof. Nolan has taught at the University of Zambia (in Africa), and Kenyon College (in Ohio), and worked in a software company before coming to American University. His main research interests are in …

Ìý jpnolan@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-3140

Susan Shepler Associate Professor SIS | Peace, Human Rights & Cultural Relations

Susan Shepler is an anthropologist with twenty years of experience working in conflict-affected West Africa. Her research focus is understanding how local communities engage with international interve…

Ìý shepler@american.edu

Amanda Taylor Asst. VP of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion SA | Finance & Personnel Administration

Dr. Taylor's research and teaching focus on the intersection of culture, power, and education in domestic and international contexts. She earned her doctorate of education and her master's in educatio…

Ìý ataylor@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-3827