Grant Administration and Program Development Staff

Director
Aurora M. Carmichael
202-274-4115
carmichael@wcl.american.ed u

Aurora Carmichael is the Director of the Office of Grant Administration and Program Development at American University Washington College of Law. She joined the staff in 1995 and is responsible for directing the law school's grantseeking efforts which seek to increase and manage external awards and contracts in support of research, training, instruction, and international programs. In 1997, she was awarded the University Award for Outstanding Staff Performance.

Aurora came to Washington, D.C. in 1992, after being selected by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute for a public policy fellowship and, thereafter, held positions with the Office of Senator Claiborne Pell from Rhode Island, the Special Assignment Unit at Cable News Network (CNN), and the Office of Senate Fair Employment Practices. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley where she received her A.B. in the Social Science Field with an emphasis in International Relations and also studied the law and economics of international relations at the Institute of Political Science at the Université de Lyon, Lumiére II in Lyon, France. She completed an M.B.A. at the Kogod School of Business at American University with a specialization in International Business and is fluent in French and Spanish.

Program Coordinator
Kris Higgins
202-274-4317
khiggins@wcl.american.edu

Kris Higgins is the Program Coordinator in the Office of Grants and Programs. Kris brings to the position a background in non-profit program creation and administration, in addition to grants management and fundraising. Kris has overseen the implementation of services for low-income individuals, children, and at-risk populations in both rural and urban environments. He is pursuing a graduate degree in documentary film through AU’s School of Communication and holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Washington, Seattle.

Grant Coordinator
Diana Dority
202-274-4219
dority@wcl.american.edu

Diana Dority is the Grant Coordinator in the Office of Grants and Programs. In her former career as a programmer/analyst and software consultant, Diana designed and implemented business applications for a variety of companies, including Crabtree & Evelyn, 3M Unitek, and the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints. However, her interest in environmental law and policy led her to return to college to pursue an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies at the University of California in Santa Cruz, and more recently to earn a paralegal certificate from Georgetown University. In between these educational pursuits, Diana gained experience in non-profit management and fundraising strategies while working at Thomas College in Waterville, Maine, initially as database and gifts coordinator and later as grants development manager.