EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Kate Griffin
Kate (she/her) has a PhD in American Studies and has held leadership roles in social change and nonprofit organizations for more than twenty years. Before joining the ASA in 2024, she served as the Associate Director at Bringing Theory to Practice, a national higher education innovation initiative, where she led projects related to humanities-based civic engagement and transformative institutional change in higher ed. Kate previously served as Executive Director of the Amah Mutsun Land Trust, an Indigenous land trust devoted to traditional ecological stewardship and Indigenous leadership development in Northern California, as well as the Arts Alliance of Northern New Hampshire, a rural arts and culture organization. Since 2020 she has also been an ICF-certified leadership coach, working with emerging and established leaders in higher education, public arts and humanities, and social change. As Executive Director, she leads all programs and operations of the ASA, bringing her experience in organizational development, relationship-building, and changemaking strategy to the ASA’s work of supporting scholars, teachers, and practitioners. Kate is based in California.
deputy DIRECTOR
Todd Rosendahl
Todd Rosendahl (he/him) joined the ASA team in August 2025 as Deputy Director. He has over a decade of professional experience in academia and social justice non-profits leading statewide and national programmatic and administrative initiatives. At the ASA, Todd oversees organizational operations, administration, human resources, and finances, and is project manager of the association’s annual conference. Holding a Ph.D. in Musicology, he also teaches courses in music history, popular music, and world music cultures. Todd is based in North Carolina.
PROGRAM MANAGER
Chris Shell
Chris (she/they) joined the ASA team in 2023. She manages all aspects of the association’s digital and visual identity, including the design and production of its website, newsletter, conference materials and publications, and the American Quarterly cover. She also assists with varied aspects of the conference, including disability access coordination. Chris holds a Ph.D. in American Studies and brings to the ASA a robust background in pedagogy and instruction, strategic conference planning, and institutional marketing within graduate-level academic administration. Chris is based in Utah.
OPERATIONS Manager
Rowan Champaco Larkin
Rowan Larkin (they/them) joined the ASA team in August 2025 as the Operations Assistant, with over 7 years of experience in project coordination and administrative excellence. Rowan holds a B.A. in Sociology from Ithaca College. Rowan serves as the first point of contact for the ASA and provides member, officer, and executive support, logistical coordination, and grant management, as well as supporting the organization’s operations, administrative, and program needs. Rowan is based in Western New York.