Contact ASA
General Inquiries: [email protected] or (202) 247-9840
Annual Meeting: [email protected]
Business and Accounting: [email protected]
Communications: [email protected]
Communities: [email protected]
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: [email protected]
Career Center: [email protected]
Membership: [email protected]
Publications and Book Store Orders: [email protected]
Research, Professional Development, and Academic Affairs: [email protected]
Sections: [email protected]
ASA has adopted a Four Day Work Week. Our hours are Monday-Thursday 9-5 Eastern.
Staff Directory
Executive Office
Heather Washington, Executive Director (she/her)
[email protected] (202) 247-9854
Heather M. Washington, PhD, is Executive Director of the American Sociological Association. She has served in key leadership positions at ASA since joining the staff in 2021. Heather began her career at ASA as Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) where she directed the ASA Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) and led efforts to advance ASA’s DEI goals. Most recently, she served as ASA Deputy Director and principal investigator on two large projects designed to support and promote sociological research: The National Science Foundation funded ASA Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant (DDRIG) and the William T. Grant Foundation funded project on recognizing and rewarding community-engaged scholarship in tenure and promotion. Heather is an accomplished researcher and teacher. Prior to joining ASA, Heather was an Associate Professor of sociology with tenure. She holds a PhD and MA in sociology from The Ohio State University. Heather is a Fellow of the ASA MFP (Cohort 38), a recipient of the American Society of Criminology minority fellowship, and a graduate of the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program.
Communications and External Affairs
Mary Spiro, Director of Communications and External Affair (she/her)
[email protected] (202) 247-9872
Mary Spiro, MS, is the Director of Communications and External Affairs at ASA. Previously, she held various communications positions at Johns Hopkins University, including the Center for Health Equity, Urban Health Institute, and Institute for NanoBioTechnology. She managed science communications and social media at the American Society for Cell Biology. She has worked as a journalist, public relations practitioner, technical editor, radio announcer, and freelance writer for numerous publications and organizations nationwide. Mary holds an MS in biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University and two BS degrees from the University of Maryland, College Park, in journalism and agronomy. She is pursuing an MBA from the Quantic School of Business and Technology.
Kirsten Hilgeford, Senior Communications Associate (she/her)
[email protected] (202) 247-9873
Kirsten Hilgeford is Senior Communications Associate and was previously Associate Editor for the National Association of College and University Business Officers’ Business Officer magazine. She spent six years as Managing Editor at Americans for the Arts and also worked as a Publications Assistant at the Association of Writers and Writing Programs. Hilgeford received a MFA in Poetry from George Mason University and a BA in English from Reed College.
Janene Martin, Web Specialist (she/her)
[email protected] (202) 247-9859
Janene Martin is Web Specialist. Before joining ASA, she worked with numerous small nonprofits on various creative and technical projects. Prior to that, she spent eight years designing and managing websites, and conducting survey research for the National Criminal Justice Association. She also worked as Research Associate at ASA. She received her BA from the University of Central Florida and MA from Georgetown University.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Catherine Yim, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion & Publications Senior Assistant (she/her)
[email protected] (202) 247-9874
Catherine Yim is the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion & Publications Assistant. She received her BA in international relations and political science from Carleton College. Prior to serving in her current role, she was ASA’s membership assistant.
Finance
Les Briggs, Director of Finance (he/him)
[email protected] (202) 247-9846
Les Briggs, CPA, is Director of Finance and has worked for the association since 2002. Before joining the ASA staff, he served as Director of Finance for the Society of Interventional Radiology and the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology Research and Education Foundation. Earlier in his career, he worked for various CPA firms providing auditing and tax services within the greater Washington, DC area. Briggs has a BS in accounting from George Mason University and acquired his CPA license in 1994.
Girma Efa, Accountant (he/him)
[email protected] (202) 247-9845
Girma Hirpassa Efa, CPA, has served as the association’s accountant since 1998. Prior to making America his home, he served in his birth country of Ethiopia as a senior management consultant on small industry projects and as a financial analyst in government agencies in charge of promoting privately owned small industries. Efa has a BA in accounting from Addis Ababa University as well as advanced diplomas and certificates in project studies, financial management and business consulting from different international institutes in Germany and the Netherlands as well as the University of the Philippines.
Governance and Administration
Mark Fernando, Director of Governance and Administration (he/him)
[email protected] (202) 247-9866
Mark Fernando has been the Director of Governance and Administration since 2017. Prior to joining ASA, he worked for 11 years at the National Communication Association, where he served in various positions including Chief Operating Officer and Senior Manager for Communications. Mark also previously worked as the Deputy Director of Communications at the National Consumers League, and an adjunct faculty member at Towson University, the University of Maryland, and the Community College of Baltimore County. He has an MA from Georgetown University in communication, culture, and technology and a BS in political science and communication studies from Towson University.
Cara Racin, Governance and Administration Senior Assistant (she/her)
[email protected] (202) 247-9849
Cara Racin is the Governance and Administration Assistant. She received her BA from West Virginia University with a major in English and a minor in Women and Gender Studies.
Meeting Services
Michelle Randall, Director of Meeting Services (she/her)
[email protected] (202) 247-9848
Michelle Randall, CMM, CMP, has been Director of Meeting Services since 2017. She spent the previous nine years as Director of Convention and Meetings at the National Communication Association. She has worked in meeting planning in various sectors for more than 20 years. Randall has a BA in English and communication from the University of Michigan.
Heather Young, Meeting Services Associate (she/her)
[email protected] (202) 247-9871
Heather Young, CMP, is the Meeting Services Associate. Prior to joining ASA in 2021, she worked in the hospitality industry for over 10 years as a Sales and Event Manager. She holds an MA in Arts Management and a BA in English from George Mason University.
Membership
Hedy Ross, Director of Membership (she/her)
[email protected] (202) 247-9865
Hedy Ross, CAE, MBA, MS, is the Director of Membership. Prior to joining ASA, she spent four years as Director of Membership and Communications for the American College of Nurse-Midwives. She has devoted most of her career to supporting the missions of nonprofit organizations. She served as Director of Publications and Communications for The Obesity Society, Development Manager for The Wildlife Society, and Member Relations Program Manager for Inteleos, a global medical certification nonprofit. She received an MBA in Marketing and MIS from the University of Maryland. She received an MS in Statistics and a BS in Psychology and Statistics from the George Washington University.
Cheryl Ardovini, Membership Manager (she/her)
[email protected] (202) 247-9860
Cheryl Ardovini is the Membership Manager. Prior to joining ASA, she worked as the manager of Membership and Marketing for the Society for American Archaeology. She has also served as the Events Coordinator for a Town’s Parks and Recreation Department, a Meeting Planner and Registration Coordinator for the American Statistical Association, and the Administrator of Member and Chapter Relations for the National Association of Women Business Owners. Ardovini has a MS from George Mason University in Sport and Recreation Studies and a BA from James Madison University with a major in Communication Studies and a minor in Anthropology.
Ayla Schnier, Membership Assistant (she/her)
[email protected] (202) 247-9842
Ayla Schnier is the Membership Assistant. Prior to joining ASA, she was the Development Coordinator at American University’s School of Public Affairs. She received her BA in Global Studies and Spanish from St. Lawrence University.
Publications
Karen Gray Edwards, Director of Publications (she/her)
[email protected] (202) 247-9858
Karen Gray Edwards is Director of Publications, a role in which she has served for more than 20 years. She also served as ASA’s Director of Membership for 15 of those years and held several other positions at the association prior to that.
Research, Professional Development, and Academic Affairs
Aaryn L. Green, Interim Director of Research, Professional Development, and Academic Affairs (she/her)
[email protected] (202) 247-9857
Aaryn L. Green, PhD, is the Interim Director of Research, Professional Development, and Academic Affairs. Prior to joining ASA, she worked in student affairs and diversity, equity, and inclusion, and worked as a diversity and equity consultant for various educational and health organizations. Green completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at John Carroll University and was a visiting lecturer of sociology at Case Western Reserve University. She is a three-time alum of the University of Cincinnati, where she received her BA, MA, and PhD all in sociology.
Berfu Aygenc, Interim Assistant Director of Research, Professional Development, and Academic Affairs (she/her)
[email protected] (202) 247-9852
Berfu Aygenc, Ph.D., is the Interim Assistant Director of Research, Professional Development, and Academic Affairs. Before joining ASA, she taught courses at NYU and Columbia University and participated in several institutional research projects. She completed her M.A. and Ph.D. in sociology at the New School for Social Research and her BSc. with a major in sociology and a minor in history at the Middle East Technical University. She received several grants and fellowships, including the Fulbright Scholarship.
Carolyn Vasques Scalera, Program Officer, ASA Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant Program (she/her)
[email protected] (202) 247-9847
Carolyn Vasques Scalera, PhD, is Program Officer and co-PI for the ASA Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant program. Previously, she was a professorial lecturer in the Sociology Department at George Washington University, where she also served as Director of the Office of Community Service. Prior to that, she was Director of Diversity Initiatives at the American Association for Higher Education. Vasques Scalera received her PhD in sociology from the University of Michigan and a BA in sociology and anthropology from Fairfield University.
Mattin Avalon, Assistant, Research, Professional Development, and Academic Affairs (he/they)
[email protected], (202) 247-9861
Mattin Avalon is the Research, Professional Development, and Academic Affairs Assistant . In 2020 they graduated from Winthrop University and received their BA in Sociology with a concentration in Anthropology. They were awarded numerous scholarships including the McNair scholarship with research focused on identity, material culture, and spirituality.
