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GBA VP of Programming

Ahmad Abdel Rahim headshot

AHMAD ABDEL RAHIM, VICE PRESIDENT OF PROGRAMMING
Program: Master of Business Administration
Email: Ahmad.AbdelRahim@student.american.edu

Ahmad Abdel-Rahim is pursuing his MBA at American University with a focus in analytics. In addition to serving on the Executive Board of the Graduate Business Association at Kogod, Ahmad is also working as a Project Manager in The Office of Information Technology at American University and is in the process of obtaining the Project Management Professional (PMP) certificate.

Prior to attending American University, Ahmad had 6 years of professional experience in the financial services sector in Lebanon focusing on IT based national and international projects from analysis to design and implementation of complicated, big-scale, distributed, real-time on-line systems as a system engineer, database administrator, consultant, technical support, team leader and project manager.

Ahmad graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science from American University of Beirut.

GBA VP of Finance

Parth Tanna headshot

PARTH TANNA, VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE
Program: Master of Business Administration
Email: parth.tanna@student.american.edu

Parth Tanna is pursuing his Master of Business Administration with a focus in analytics. In addition to serving as Vice President of the Graduate Business Association at the Kogod School of Business, he also works as a research assistant for cybersecurity project and teaching assistant for managerial statistics, financial accounting, and operation management MBA courses.

Prior to joining American University, Parth worked as a research and development engineer at Samsung Electronics in Noida, India where he worked closely with cross-functional teams based in multiple global locations. He was responsible for initial requirement gathering to a final product launch for client organizations.

GLC Events Director

ERIN WHITE, EVENTS DIRECTOR
GRADUATE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL – American University
Email: events@auglc.org
College of Arts & Sciences – Master of Education

Erin White is pursuing a Master’s in Education in the Education Policy and Leadership program with American. This is Erin’s first semester with the Graduate Leadership Council and hopes to gain great insight and experience in her position with the Council.

Erin graduated with a Bachelor of the Arts in Political Science from Temple University, where she was a member of her school’s Model UN, a study abroad advocate, and a member of three academic honor’s societies. During her time at Temple, she participated a summer semester study abroad program at Temple University Rome.

Born and raised in the DMV area, Erin returned home upon graduation from Temple. Following this return and prior to joining American University, Erin has been working with low-income, at-risk youth around the DC area where she currently holds a position managing a nonprofit afterschool education program. She also has worked part time in restaurants in the area since undergrad where she has gained background knowledge of event hosting and planning.

In her very little free time, Erin enjoys (more so, endures) working out, spending time with friends and family, cooking (and has sometimes been known to bake), and traveling. Her biggest passion in life is education advocacy and program development and has hopes of one day launching her own nonprofit program that targets family and youth needs and policy development on their behalf.

SOC Vice President

Mallory Payne headshot

MALLORY PAYNE, VICE PRESIDENT
Program: Master of Political Communication
Email: mp1071a@student.american.edu

TMallory is currently pursuing her Master of Arts in Political Communication. She graduated from the University of San Diego in the spring of 2016 with a B.A. in Communication Studies. Prior to coming to AU, Mallory worked at an advertising agency in Nashville, TN.

GLC International Student Liaison

R. Amalia Laksmiputri, INTERNATIONAL STUDENT LIAISON
GRADUATE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL – American University
Email: Rl6800a@student.american.edu
School of International Service – Master in Intercultural and International Communication

Amalia is a first-year international student from Indonesia, pursuing an MA in Intercultural and International Communication. She completed her bachelor degree in International Relations at Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia, and went to study abroad in Hong Kong and Singapore. During her undergraduate study, she served as the Project Manager of Cross-Cultural Understanding Club. She also had working experience interning at the Indonesian Embassy for the USA, worked as International Student Affairs officer at Global Engagement Office, and participated in an ASEAN internship in Thailand. Amalia is passionate about cross-cultural communication, public diplomacy and mental health awareness. She loves to sing, traveling and exploring the city, but she started to learn piano in Covid-19 quarantine. She is excited to serving the international graduate students at American University.

SPA Community Service Chair

Meredith Check headshot

MEREDITH CHECK, COMMUNITY SERVICE CHAIR
Program: Master of Public Policy

Meredith Check is a second year Master’s in Public Policy (MPP) candidate, focusing on gender issues within the realm of policy. Meredith is serving as the Community Service Committee Chairperson for SPA’s Graduate Student Council.

As an MPP candidate, Meredith has interned in the Government Affairs departments at Bread for the World: an anti-hunger, anti-poverty advocacy organization, and the Association for Women’s Health, Obstetrics, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN): a membership-based professional organization that is dedicated to advocating for the well-being of women and infants. At these organizations, Meredith discovered her passion for advocating for those who cannot advocate for themselves.

Before joining the AU community, Meredith participated in a fellowship year working at a non-profit in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago. There, Meredith worked with high school and college students to help them break down stereotypes they held and work through to help them understand root causes of social justice issues.

When she isn’t studying or working at her internship, Meredith works as an American Red Cross Lifeguard Instructor, and a Beachbody Coach. When she isn’t doing work of any kind, you can find Meredith cheering on the NC State Wolfpack in whatever seasonal sport it is. She received her undergraduate degrees in History and International Studies from NC State University, and Meredith grew up in Lexington, NC.

SPA Academic Affairs & Professional Development Chair

Thomas Moore headshot

THOMAS MOORE, ACADEMIC AFFAIRS & PDEV CHAIR
Program: Master of Public Policy

Tom is a first year Master of Public Policy candidate at the School of Public Affairs (SPA), concentrating in International Development. He is the Academic Affairs and Professional Development Chair of the SPA Graduate Student Council. Currently, he works as a Course Planner and Data Assistant at the American University, School of International Service.

Prior to coming to AU, Tom worked at a foreign credential evaluation organization in New York City where he assisted international students and professionals in their pursuit of higher education and employment in the United States and Canada.

Tom is from Upstate New York and graduated from the State University of New York at New Paltz with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and French. In his spare time, he can be found playing drums or playing pick-up soccer games on the National Mall.