🔖Campus Antisemitism Report Card: AU earned an “A” in the Anti-Defamation League’s third annual report, released on Tuesday. AU was highlighted as one of the “highest-rated institutions” among 150 colleges and universities evaluated across 32 criteria in three areas: administrative policies, Jewish life on campus, and campus conduct and climate concerns.

🍔Free Food: Staying on campus for spring break? AUSG is sponsoring 100 free student meals per day on the quad, March 12–14, from noon to 2 p.m.—check out the food truck schedule.

🇺🇦A Conversation with Ukraine’s Ambassador to the US: SIS’s Transatlantic Policy Center will host Ambassador Olga Stefanishyna on Tuesday, March 17, at 3:45 p.m. in the Abramson Family Founders Room.

⏳Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch: From navigating subterranean floods to honoring the legacy of Emmett Till, Bunch, CAS/BA ’74, MA ’76, returned to AU last week to champion a “rough-edged” history that balances unvarnished truth with the power of hope.

🌍Four Ambassadors, One Mission: Female diplomats convened at AU on March 5 to shatter DC stereotypes and explain why gender equality is the true backbone of global peace.

🏀AU Bracket Challenge: Join AU Now’s free March Madness bracket challenge, which closes when the action tips off on March 19. No basketball expertise is necessary to play—or win. 

🌷A Bloomin’ Good Time: On Sunday, March 15, the National Mall will become a massive garden with 150,000 flowers. Pick a free bouquet from 11:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. and take a piece of spring home with you.

🚺Who Inspires You? In honor of International Women’s Day, students are lifting up the voices and leadership of the incredible women who make campus a better place.

📖Good Reads: Dive into a curated collection of books recommended by the AU Library in honor of Women’s History Month.

🚊Are You a Metro Superfan? WMATA is turning 50 this month, and AU Now wants to hear your stories. Whether you’re a daily commuter or just a fan of the “doors closing” chime, help us celebrate this transit milestone.

🍓Farmers Market: Find fresh produce, baked treats, and homemade goods every Wednesday from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. on the quad. 

🇵🇸Film Screening: Palestinian filmmaker AnneMarie Jacir will screen her new movie, Palestine 36, on Monday, March 16, at 5:30 p.m. in the SIS Abramson Family Founders Room.

🏞️Poo-litics on the Potomac: Join the Department of Environment, Development, and Health on March 18 at 3:30 p.m. for a panel on the Potomac sewage spill and the fight to protect our local water.

🔋🧠Creative Recharge: Head to the AU Library’s crafting corner at 3:30 p.m. on March 18 to recharge and give your brain a well-deserved break. 

🎤AU’s Got Talon(t): Check out HRL’s campus-wide talent show on March 18 from 8 to 10 p.m.

📚Book Talk: Join the Department of History and Distinguished Professor Emeritus Richard Breitman on March 19 at 2:30 p.m. for a conversation exploring what Allied leaders knew and did during the Holocaust. 

⭐️An Evening with Bushra Amiwala: Join KPU, SOE, and Black Girls Vote on March 19 at 7 p.m. for a conversation with the first Gen Z elected official in the US and free food from Seoul Spice.

🏡The Right to Suburbia: Join SPA’s Metropolitan Policy Center and UMD professor Willow Lung-Amam on March 24 at 5:30 p.m. to discuss her new book, which explores how marginalized DC communities navigate the costs of redevelopment.

🛐Poynter Lecture: Register now for a powerful Kay Spiritual Life Center event on March 25 featuring Judy and Dennis Shepard, whose son was brutally murdered in a 1998 hate crime. 

🤩American(U) Idol: Whether you’re a powerhouse vocalist or just love the spotlight, sign up now to take the Bridge Café stage on March 25 at 8 p.m. 

🎨Visiting Artists Series: Artist Tania Alvarez will discuss her psychologically charged paintings and sculptures at 6 p.m., March 26, as part of the studio art MFA program series.

🎭The Two “Gentlemen” of Verona: Catch CAS professor and playwright Aaron Posner’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s first comedy on the Greenberg Theatre stage, March 26–28. Students get in free with ID.

🌠A Journey Beyond the Stars: From humble beginnings to the highest reaches of NASA, former senior executive Sandra Cauffman knows that representation is the key to innovation. Join the Office of Inclusive Excellence on March 30 at 6 p.m. for a fireside chat on breaking barriers in STEM.

🧑🏼‍🌾Community Garden Work Day: Plant, prune, and get your hands dirty every Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. All are welcome; no gardening experience necessary.

🖼️AU Museum Exhibitions: Check out the five shows on view now. 

⛹🏽‍♀️Game On: Support our student-athletes at this week’s games.

🌙Muslim Community Life Iftar and Reflection: All are welcome to break fast with Sunnah foods and share in an evening of community prayer on Monday, March 16, at 7 p.m. in the McDowell Formal Lounge.

🧁Celebrating Disability Awareness: Stop by Kay Spiritual Life Center for cupcakes and casual conversation with the Office of Inclusive Excellence and the Disabled Student Union on Tuesday, March 17, at 2 p.m.

🫱🏾‍🫲🏽Inclusive Learning Series: Hear campus experts discuss strategies for supporting the academic success of international and non-native English-speaking students on March 18 at 1:15 p.m. 

🤍Dialogue En Blanc: Wear your best white attire and join CSB in the garden on March 20 at 12:30 p.m. for an open-air celebration of belonging, creativity, and courageous conversation. 

✨Nowruz Celebration: Ring in the Persian New Year with the Iranian Student Association on March 21 at 3 p.m. in MGSC 307.

🤼EIWA Champions: Congrats to wrestlers Maximilian Leete, SPA/BA ’25, MPA ’26, and Caleb Campos, Kogod/BSBA ’26, who dominated their weight classes at the conference tournament to punch their tickets to the NCAA Championships.  Heavyweight Emmanuel Ulrich, CAS/BA ’28, has also earned an at-large bid.

🧘🏾‍♀️Where’s the Well-Being Corner? AU peer health educators show you how to find the massage chairs and sleep pods operated by the Center for Well-Being. 

☪️Ramadan at AU Kitchen: Fuel your fast. Visit TDR for Suhoor meals and explore special dining options available across campus through March 18.

💰File Your FAFSA: Don't forget, you have until May 1 to complete your FAFSA for the 2026–27 school year. Questions? Contact the Office of Financial Aid. 

📸Update Your Headshot: Put your best face forward on Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to noon at the Career Center. 

💼Spring Job and Internship Fair: Registration is now open for the March 25 event at Bender Arena. Check out the Career Center’s upcoming workshops to polish your resume and pitch before you meet with employers.

📄Drop-In Career Advising: Get your resume and internship questions answered on the spot, weekdays from 2 to 4 p.m. No appointment necessary. 

📆Career Center: View the full spring calendar for networking, workshops, and recruitment events.

🏀🤑Understanding the Sports Betting Industry: Join Profs and Pints DC on March 19 for a conversation with Professor Matt Winkler on how legalized gambling is reshaping March Madness and the sports industry.

🎙️WAMU Live: Tune in to The Politics Hour with Kojo Nnamdi on Friday, March 13, at noon for a live broadcast of the Montgomery County Executive Democratic Primary Candidate Forum.

🇺🇸This Week in 1861: Abraham Lincoln took the oath of office as the country’s 16th president under the unfinished dome of the US Capitol.

💁🏼‍♀️Women’s History Month in DC: Celebrate with a 5K race, museum community days, and a “Let Her Cook” conversation with local business leaders.

🌸Guide to DC’s Cherry Blossoms: From AU Park to the Tidal Basin, here’s where to find blooms around the city.

🎂Happy Birthday, Lucy: The National Zoo’s oldest orangutan celebrated turning 53 last week with a special “spa themed” party.

🗓️The District Diary: Whether you’re celebrating Women’s History Month, hitting BloomFest, or playing with color at Holi, find a roundup of the best of DC this month.

📚Politics and Prose: Stay up to date with the March calendar of events.

🍻Bender Liquor License Update: Orange DC Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration placards will be posted at the entrance to Bender Arena during a 45-day notice period from March 13–April 27, the next phase of the license application process.

🍹Drink of the Month: Cool down with a mango mint lemonade at the Dav; $1 from every purchase goes to a DC nonprofit that supports the South Asian community.

🗳️Civic Excellence: AU has earned the Highly Established Action Plan Seal for the 2026 election cycle, joining 129 campuses recognized by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge for excellence in student voter engagement.

🏐Welcome, Coach Glenn: AU has named 2025 Division II national champion Jenny Glenn as the new head vollyball coach.

🎓Volunteer for Commencement: Sign up now to help out during spring ceremonies on May 8–9 and May 16 and give the Class of 2026 a grand exit. 

♻️Campus Race to Zero Waste: See how AU is faring, and see how small swaps—like using a reusable mug—can help AU climb the leaderboards.

🥇ACS Excellence: Chemistry student Qintao Jia, CAS/MS ’26, earned national recognition from the American Chemical Society for groundbreaking research on cancer-linked enzymes.

🌎From SIS to Seattle: Meet Sam Cho, SIS/BA ’13, the youngest and first person of color to serve as commission president of the Port of Seattle.

☕️The Connection Roast: Discover how Candy Schibli, SIS/MA ’08, transitioned from AU to launching her own successful Maryland-based coffee roastery.

⛑️Alternative Medicine’s Roots: WCL professor Lewis Grossman spoke with Undark about the deep historical origins behind the Make America Healthy Again movement.

🧑🏽‍⚖️Legal Eagles Win Big: Congratulations to the WCL Vis moot court team for defeating Harvard to secure victory in the 2026 Jack Tieder Pre-Moot competition.

🇨🇺Crisis in Cuba: CAS faculty fellow and economist Ricardo Torres was interviewed by The New York Times about President Miguel Díaz-Canel’s new proposals to fix the island’s most severe humanitarian crisis in decades.

🤖AI vs. Copyright: Linda Bloss-Baum, SOC/BA ’91, director of Kogod’s business and entertainment program, authored an Observer piece about how content protections can survive and adapt to today’s rapid technological shifts.

🤔War Powers Defined: SIS professor Jordan Tama explained Congress’s legal role in authorizing military operations amidst ongoing actions in Iran.

🏙️DC’s Next Mayor: SPA professorial lecturer Matthew Foster chatted with The Progressive Magazine about whether the District’s upcoming mayoral race will mirror recent progressive wins in New York City.

🧑🏽‍💻The Digital Risk: New research by SPA professor Brandyn Churchill reveals that increased time spent online may elevate suicide risks among teens.

📰An Unconventional Media Strategy: SOC professor Leonard Steinhorn talked with The Washington Post about President Trump’s tactic of flooding outlets with direct one-on-one calls to dominate the news cycle.

💚Public Service Future: SIS hosted a landmark symposium last month to help students navigate and preserve the federal career pipeline during a changing political landscape.

👩🏻‍🎨Creativity as a Legal Strategy: Miya Nazzaro, WCL/JD ’04, has grown her pro bono law firm’s revenue 60-fold while negotiating more than $100 million in international government contracts.

💻Impact of AI: AU’s inaugural AI Research Conference brought together 200 experts to discuss how machine learning is transforming global industry and society.

🫸🏼Pushback on Loan Caps: Bipartisan lawmakers and universities are urging the Department of Education to revise new federal student loan regulations that sharply limit borrowing for many graduate programs.

⏱️Accreditation Overhaul: The Trump administration is accelerating the recognition of new college accrediting agencies as part of a broader push to increase competition and oversight in higher education.

🧾New Pell Grant Program: New proposed rules from the Department of Education outline how students can soon use new Workforce Pell Grants to fund short-term job training programs.

👉🏽Check the federal updates page for the latest news and community resources. 

🕰️Throwback: This month in 2004, South African Nobel Laureate Desmond Tutu visited AU to share his powerful reflections on the end of Apartheid.

📽️Queer Eye: Catch Nicole Devereaux, WLC/JD ’26, as she shares her family’s transformative journey on the final season of the hit series.

🥧Pi Day: Celebrate 3.14 by taking a quiz to discover your “pie personality” or by grabbing a slice from Eater’s list of DC’s best pizza spots.

🌞Daylight Saving Time: Still nursing an extra cup of coffee after the clocks changed? You aren’t alone—but springing forward can do more than make you late for class.

🔎JFK Jr. Lookalike Contest: A real estate agent beat out hundreds of hopefuls this weekend to be crowned the ultimate doppelgänger of the American icon.

Have a story? Share it with editor Adrienne Frank.