Dean of the School of Communication

Marnel Niles Goins Dean, School of Communication SOC | Finance & Personnel Administration

Staff

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Jacob Audouin Media Services Manager SOC | Technology

Jacob is the technology/facilities manager of SOC's Doyle Forman Theater, Media Innovation Lab, and Media Production Center.Jacob's background is in hybrid event production, including video content cr…

Ìý jaudouin@american.edu

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Laura BonDurant Sr. Associate Dean for Academic Affairs SOC | Finance & Personnel Administration

Laura BonDurant joined the SOC in Janauary 2010. Prior to her role in the SOC she served as the Director of the Center for Academic Success at The Catholic University of America. Previously she was th…

Ìý bonduran@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-2054

Jake Bridges Associate Director of Development, SOC ADV | Schools and Colleges

Jake is a former NYC-based stage actor turned Advancement professional. He came to AU for graduate school in 2019 and never left. He can found around DC supporting the arts or exploring the city's abu…

Ìý jbridges@american.edu

Last name starts with C

Veronica Castro Online Content Manager SOC | Marketing & Communications

Veronica J. Castro is part of the Communications and Outreach team at SOC. She manages SOC's website and social media platforms, producing content, directing campaigns, and collaborating with universi…

Ìý veronica@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-2130

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Morgan Dreibelbis Senior Administrative Assistant SOC | Finance & Personnel Administration

Morgan Dreibelbis is Assistant to the Dean at the School of Communication, working with the Dean and Senior Assistant Dean. She provides executive administrative support and management of operations i…

Ìý mdreibelbis@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-2158

Julie Drizin Executive Director, Current SOC | Current Newspaper

Julie Drizin joined SOC in 2015, as the first Executive Director of Current, the trade publication that serves public broadcasting. She has worked in and around public media for over three decades. Sh…

Ìý julie@current.org

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Karen Everhart Managing Editor, Current SOC | Current Newspaper

Karen is managing editor of Current, the news service covering public media in the United States. Before her promotion into the job in 2011, she covered every major beat at Current — including public …

Ìý everhart@current.org

Ìý (202) 885-6414

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Tom Fish Director of Media & Technology SOC | Technology

A member of the AU community since 2006, I currently serve as Director of Media & Technology in the School of Communication. I oversee all classroom technology, computing, and video production and pos…

Ìý tfish@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-2132

Tara Flakker Director of Undergraduate Student & Academic Affairs SOC | Advising

Tara Flakker joined the School of Communication in January 2014. Prior to AU, she was an at home parent and community advocate on school food inequity in DC. Before breaking from full time employment …

Ìý flakker@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-2088

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Last name starts with I

Grace Ibrahim Video Production Coordinator SOC | Marketing & Communications

Originally Palestinian, Grace Ibrahim grew up all over the Middle East in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Bahrain. She is now living in Arlington, VA pursuing everything video and audio production!

Ìý gracei@american.edu

Last name starts with J

Mike Janssen Digital Editor, Current SOC | Current Newspaper

Mike became Current's first digital editor in 2014 and began writing for Current in 2000, covering primarily public radio and digital initiatives in public media. Mike has also written for a variety o…

Ìý mike@current.org

Last name starts with K

Elizabeth Kan Senior Faculty Affairs Coordinator SOC | Finance & Personnel Administration

Liz Kan is the Faculty Affairs Coordinator in the School of Communication. Some of her main duties include managing SOC faculty appointments, reappointments and promotions, as well as aiding in facult…

Ìý lizkan@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-2751

Cara Kelly Adjunct Instructor SOC | General Academics & Research

Cara Kelly is the editor-at-large at the Investigative Reporting Workshop andan adjunct journalism professor at èßäÉçÇøapp University’s School of Communications. She spent nearly five years on èßäÉçÇøappA Today…

Ìý carak@american.edu

Katerina Kulagina Assistant Dean for Graduate Academic Services SOC | Recruitment & Enrollment Management

Dr. Katerina Kulagina serves as Assistant Dean of Graduate Academic Services at AU's School of Communication. She has over 20 years of experience working in higher education. Katerina joined AU SOC in…

Ìý katerina@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-2272

Last name starts with M

Jiaqi Ma Administrative Coordinator SOC | Advising

Jiaqi (Vicky) Ma graduated from UMD with a dual degree in Computer Science and Psychology. With a unique blend of technical background and people-centered work experiences, she strives to create meani…

Ìý jma@american.edu

Brendan Manley Digital Enrollment Marketing Manager SOC | Online Partner Programs (OLP)

Brendan Manley is a recent graduate from èßäÉçÇøapp University's own Master of Strategic Communications program. Before coming to èßäÉçÇøapp University, he received a Bachelor’s degree in English from Ham…

Ìý brendanm@american.edu

Jean McGee Senior Graduate Academic Advisor SOC | Recruitment & Enrollment Management

Jean McGee serves as the graduate advisor for all graduate students in the School of Communication: full-time, part-time, weekend, and online.Jean advises the graduate students from the time their dep…

Ìý jmcgee@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-2078

Tia Milledge Director, Communication & Outreach SOC | Marketing & Communications

As Director of Communication and Outreach, Tia oversees communication strategy for the School of Communication to better engage current and prospective students, alumni and donors. She coordinates clo…

Ìý milledge@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-3695

Last name starts with P

Kristi Plahn-Gjersvold Sr. Asst. Dean, Strat. Partnerships & Internal Affairs SOC | Finance & Personnel Administration

As Senior Assistant Dean for Strategic Partnerships & Internal Affairs, Kristi provides leadership for the School of Communication’s external research funding administration, execution of strategic pa…

Ìý kristipg@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-2059

Last name starts with R

Varsha Ramani Director of Operations, CMSI SOC | Center for Media & Social Impact (CMSI)

Varsha Ramani is the Director of Operations for the Center for Media & Social Impact (CMSI). She is a marketing communications professional with an expertise in building relationships to work with mul…

Ìý varsha@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-3641

Julio Reyes Academic Advisor SOC | Advising

Julio joined the School of Communication as an academic advisor in Fall 2022. Julio was born and raised in Maryland. He has a Masters in Academic Advising from Kansas State University. Julio is enthus…

Ìý julior@american.edu

Laura Rogers Business Manager, Current SOC | Current Newspaper

I've been with SOC/Current as manager of business and circulation since 2005. The majority of my career has been accounting and office management positions for non-profit organizations.

Ìý lrogers@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-6412

Stephanie Rucker Senior Director of Enrollment Management and Analytics SOC | Online Partner Programs (OLP)

Stephanie returned to èßäÉçÇøapp University in 2020, after five years at the èßäÉçÇøapp Immigration Council, where she led business development of private sector exchange visitor programs for interns and …

Ìý rucker@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-2025

Last name starts with S

Shaun Schroth Adjunct Instructor SOC | Technology

Shaun oversees the Photography Labs at èßäÉçÇøapp. These include the darkroom, film processing, studio, and digital work areas in the Media Production Center.

Ìý shaun@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-2094

Aleksandra Shatokhina Graduate Admissions Specialist SOC | Online Partner Programs (OLP)

Aleksandra Shatokhina, an èßäÉçÇøapp University alumna with a Master's in Strategic Communications and a Bachelor's in International Relations from Florida International University, has seamlessly trans…

Ìý Aleksandra@american.edu

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Khadine Thomas Administrative Assistant, Academic Affairs SOC | General Academics & Research

Khadine Thomas is the Academic Affairs Administrative Assistant at èßäÉçÇøapp University in Washington D.C. She graduated Florida International University double majoring in Political Science and Intern…

Ìý kthomas@american.edu

Meriem Tikue Assistant Director, Finance & Grants SOC | Finance & Personnel Administration

Meriem Tikue joined the SOC in July 2022. She is responsible for financial management and budget administration, including expense approvals, development of processes and procedures for budget forecas…

Ìý meriem@american.edu

Hallie Tingstad Recruitment Coordinator SOC | Recruitment & Enrollment Management

Hallie comes to AU's SOC as a recent J.D. graduate from the University of Connecticut School of Law, where she also served as a graduate recruiter.As a law student, she served as a research assistant …

Ìý hallie@american.edu

Last name starts with U

Ana Maria Ulloa-Shields Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Academic Services SOC | Advising

Ana Maria joined SOC as Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Student Services in February 2022. Ana Maria has leadership experience at Carnegie Mellon and Columbia Universities, serving in Assistant, Asso…

Ìý anamaria@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-2049

Last name starts with V

Katherine Vera Event Planning Manager SOC | Events

Katherine, who also goes by Kati, is the main point of contact for aspects of McKinley events and facilities usage and related logistics. She is responsible for èßäÉçÇøapp University’s booking system (E…

Ìý kati@american.edu

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