I am the Business Coordinator for the Office of Enrollment at American University. I previously facilitated dialogues on privilege with the Center for Diversity & Inclusion and dialogues on intercultural communication with International Student and Scholar Services. Through both experiences, I witnessed how constructive dialogue across difference is crucial to building an inclusive community. I am an AU Connects facilitator because I want to continue contributing to these challenging yet truly invaluable conversations.

I was born and raised in South Louisiana. After graduating from college, I spent eight years teaching EFL teacher training, then managing international education programs both in the US and abroad. I have a passion for cross-cultural exchange and have experience facilitating dialogue with undergraduate students in Morocco, Palestine, and Iraq. I am a first-year graduate student in SIS with the International Peace and Conflict Resolution Program, and I am honored to be a part of this year’s AU Connects cohort!

Hi I’m Caroline Figueiredo Hausmann (she/her). I am a Brazilian American who has lived in both countries as well as raised in France. Since I was young I’ve been exposed to new cultures and life experiences, I started really diving into dialogue in my last job at a non-profit in international education where I worked with students from around the world. I’m an First-Year Advisor and AUx Instructor here at AU and have continued to build my dialogue skills with students but look forward to connect with the AU community at large through AU Connects. I approach dialogue spaces by creating a foundation of community and connection then nurturing growth with openness, curiosity and love.

I am a Director of Events in the Office of the CAS Dean and a proud AU Alumna (MA, CAS 2016), as well as a current part-time graduate student in CAS’s MFA Studio Art program (2022 candidate). As an administrator, I see my role as creator of safe spaces for all of the important work that we do. As an artist, my work lends itself to conversations of intersectional feminism, human equity and personal narrative. I look forward to creating safe and brave spaces of dialogue surrounding issues of diversity, equity and inclusion with AU Connects. I enter this work with an ecological philosophy that if any one of us is not thriving, then it is impossible for the whole to thrive. I truly believe that this community is full of authentic changemakers and it is my highest hope that I can support them.

I work at AU as the Utilities Outreach Program Leader in Facilities Management. In this role, I interact with students, staff, and faculty about the role of the individual in energy and water conservation. Prior to this, I worked at an affordable housing nonprofit, educating underserved DC residents on sustainability practices. I have an academic background in sustainability, which I use to focus on energy equity and advocacy. I interact with diverse populations at AU everyday and bring empathy to every engagement and conversation.

I am an Assistant Director of Financial Aid. I earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Norfolk State University and an MBA from Strayer University both with a concentration in Marketing. I am currently pursuing my Doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and Management. I serve on the Veterans Liaison Network, which is a resource group for veteran students on campus. I am also the Graduate Coordinator and Veterans Liaison in the Financial Aid Office. I am part of the leadership team for the Black Faculty and Staff Affinity Group at AU and currently serve on the DEDCMDASFAA Executive Board as DC President and Historian. I am a member of the EASFAA executive council and the regional representative for the NASFAA Diversity Task Force.

I am a facilitator with ten years of experience in human resources. I helped develop and run focus groups, designed surveys, conducted full lifecycle recruiting, and managed a team that built a performance management system for a small nonprofit. In my facilitation role, my work includes creating and running several leadership development groups. I am Meyers Briggs (MBTI) Certified, a certified career coach, and I hold a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership. At American University, I currently serve as a Coaching Administrator in the Key Executive Leadership Program where I manage coaching partnerships and 360 assessments. When not working at AU, I facilitate leadership development courses in the federal government and coach individuals on career and leadership development.

I was born and raised in Louisiana and moved to DC for graduate school a little more than ten years ago. I graduated from the Kogod School of Business and the School of International Service where I studied conflict resolution. At AU I am the Director for Budget and Personnel for College of Arts and Sciences where I work with staff members and students employees on a variety of issues relating to hiring and interpersonal relationships in the workplace. As a facilitator, I hope I will be able to support and promote the role of AU Connects in bringing together AU staff, faculty, and student to have valuable conversations about race and equity.

I have worked at AU Central since March 2010. I am currently the Associate Director in AU Central. Additionally, I am an adjunct instructor in the School of Education, where I teach the AUx1 and AUx2 courses to first year undergraduate students. I previously worked in financial aid at the University of Maryland College Park, and at Sallie Mae, where I worked with schools and students on loan repayment and financial literacy. I love working with students and parents, and am looking forward to utilizing my skills to work with faculty, staff and students in a different context. My husband Jay and I are the parents of two awesome and active daughters. I enjoy basketball, 80s music, trivia and watching my daughters’ sporting events.

Hi! I am Giselle Kuri (she/her). I was borned in Mexico City, I have had access to many opportunities and privileges that have shaped my desire to contribute to social justice and global understanding. For 8 years I have been part of Up with People, facilitating workshops around the world to different age-groups and learning from diversity, inclusion and dialogue. I later on immersed in ontological coaching and got a BA degree on Strategic Communications while being the Communications Manager for United Way México. I am now the AU Connects Program Assistant, a first year graduate student on IPCR and the most excited to be part of this program!

My commitment to cross-cultural understanding and communication has been the focal point of my education, professional and personal life. The challenges and misunderstandings that I have faced while traveling, working and living abroad have taught me to be compassionate towards others and helped me develop a capacity for cultural sensitivity. My multi-cultural upbringing, Peace Corps service in rural China and experiences working with immigrant communities serve as the catalyst to facilitate conversations around culture, race and identity. Continued dialogue around these topics are more crucial now than ever. Because of this, I chose to serve as an AU Connects Facilitator. As a staff member and graduate student, AU Connects presents the opportunity to apply a unique perspective as well as put into practice relevant coursework.

I am an Assistant Director of Admissions for the Office of Enrollment at American University. I coordinate recruitment efforts in Connecticut and Upstate New York. I also work closely with community based organizations in the Northeast region of the United States. Prior to joining American University I served as an admissions counselor for Old Dominion University and Virginia Commonwealth University. My background in facilitating started as a counselor, where I assisted my colleagues with intergroup dialogues related to the recruitment of underrepresented students.

I currently work as the Graduate Admissions Counselor and Coordinator of the SIS Peace Corps Coverdell Fellows Program. In these roles, I serve as the primary admissions counselor and recruiter sharing the best of SIS with prospective students and enrollment partners. I joined the Graduate Enrollment Management team for the School of International Service after working in secondary education for eight years, teaching language courses in both domestic and international settings. Through this work, I developed a passion for intercultural communication and facilitating conversations that lead to better understanding. I look forward to serving with AU Connects and working towards its goal of building a more inclusive campus climate.

I am a 1st-year IPCR graduate student at SIS and received my BA in Performing Arts and East European Studies from Oberlin College and Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. As a 2018 Actors’ Fund Push Grant recipient and 2019 NYU Performance and Politics EMERGENYC resident artist, my theatrical work explores immigration and gentrification in the U.S. I work at the Fair Housing Justice Center, a non-profit housing advocacy organization, and volunteer as a facilitator for Operation Conversation: Cops & Kids, a New York City-based program that provides a safe space for police officers and teens to explore conflict and connections. My previous work as a skills trainer with the National Institute for Trial Advocacy and the Columbia School of Law Housing Clinic provided me with new opportunities to explore the many facets of conflict within diverse communities. I look forward to supporting and building justice and healing within the AU community and am honored to be working with AU Connects.

Nalani Love-Harris (they/them & ze/zir) is an educator that focuses on equity, care, and liberation through a Black Queer Nonbinary lens. They have spent over six years working in academia in the support and development of students, faculty, and staff. Nalani is the creator of Grow with Nalani, a social media project on Instagram and Facebook that was created to share what they have learned about equity, care, and liberation through their lived experiences, education, and working in academia in the forms of digital toolkits. At American University, they provide administrative support for the First Year Advising team.

I am the director of career education and outreach in the AU Career Center, where I co-supervise our career advising team, and manage our career education programs and marketing/communications. My previous professional experiences in higher education have included academic advising, employer and alumni engagement, and student employment. I love American University and I am committed to the well-being and development of our students and alumni. I am an AU Connects facilitator because I believe that we have more work to do to ensure that all members of our community feel welcome and included. I am excited to effect positive change on campus by facilitating dialogue within the campus community.

I am a first year graduate student in the Ethics, Peace and Human Rights program concentrating in Human Rights and Social Justice. I am passionate about creating understanding in bridging gaps across social, economic, and cultural borders and this is what motivated me to become an AU facilitator. While conversations about race, identity and ethnicity might be uncomfortable for many, I believe they are essential in developing mutual understanding and respect which, I believe, transcend physical, cultural, and ideological boundaries. I look forward to facilitating this type of dialogue on AU’s campus!

I was born and raised in Mobile, Alabama. In my youth, I observed a lot of tension between different racial communities which sparked my initial interest in racial dialogue. My goal in joining AU Connects as a facilitator is to break down barriers that prevent people from engaging in these kinds of tough conversations. Creating and maintaining a safe space will be my biggest priority. As a graduate student, my interests are in training (design and facilitation) and program evaluation. I am very experienced in working with non-native English speakers since I was a former ESL/EFL teacher both in the US and abroad in Turkey, Russia, and Kazakhstan. If you would like a facilitated conversation that will involve students from varying levels of English, I can support that request!

I am an educator with a M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration with years of experience as a facilitator. Currently, I am the Financial Operations Specialist at the University Library where I manage budgeting, the Front Desk, and student employment. Developing a passion for diversity, inclusion, and community organizing, I serve as the Co-Chair of the LGBTQ+ Faculty and Staff Affinity Group. I am also on the AU Library Internal Diversity & Inclusion Committee. No matter what my role is at AU, I always find ways to advocate for access and the inclusion of diverse experiences and identities. In my free time, I enjoy video games, hiking, and going on new adventures with my partner, Dom.

I am a first-year graduate student in the International Peace and Conflict Resolution program at SIS and have participated in sustained intergroup dialogue in my classes and through the Center for Diversity and Inclusion. Before coming to AU, I worked in human resources for a Washington, DC based education non-profit, which involved providing anti-bias trainings and redesigning our hiring practices to promote diversity. I have also previously served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras, where I worked with local counterparts to facilitate trainings and community meetings. I am honored to work with AU Connects to help build a more inclusive campus.