Staff edition

October 4, 2023

"Universities are [still] free to follow their missions, which includes ensuring that pathways of opportunity are open and accessible to all," WCL professor Lia Epperson (pictured left) said last week, during a forum on the June Supreme Court decision that upended affirmative action. The event also featured Sara Clarke Kaplan, executive director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center.

Read or watch a recap of the community forum to learn more about the consequential impacts of the decision.

SIS and Football for Peace (FfP), an international sports diplomacy foundation, teamed up to launch the first program of its kind in the United States. The Football for Peace Center will convene young people to tackle the world's most pressing social and environmental challenges. 

Why it matters: The beautiful game "touches five billion people and has the power to move masses," said Kash Siddiqi, FfP cofounder and former professional soccer player (pictured second from left).

In the latest episode of SOC's Media in the Mix podcast, environmental filmmaker David Ruck, SOC/MFA ’13, and Grace Eggleston, SOC/MA ’21, chat about their collaboration on the 2022 documentary, The Erie Situation. The film, featured in American magazine, explores the toxic algal blooms that turn the waters of Lake Erie into a dangerous blue-green soup every July until October.

Dig deeper to learn how storytelling can help change the narrative around pressing environmental challenges. 

A recent survey from AU's Sine Institute of Policy and Politics found that a large plurality of young Americans believe the outcome of the 2024 election won't make a big difference in their lives. Emma Baumgarten, SIS/BA ’26, (left) vice president of the new Voters of AU student club, is trying to get young people pumped about heading to the polls. “We don’t care who you vote for. We just hope that you vote,” she said.

The AU Museum’s founding director and curator, Jack Rasmussen, CAS/MFA ’75, MA ’83, PhD ’94, will serve as the inaugural C. Nicholas Keating and Carleen B. Keating Director. The gift to AU's Change Can't Wait campaign includes the more than 80-piece Carleen B. Keating and C. Nicholas Keating Collection, as well as endowed funds at CAS and SIS. Here, Rasmussen reflects on the museum’s community-driven mission.

😷Get the updated COVID-19 vaccine at walk-in clinics on October 15 and 22 at  Walgreens, 3301 New Mexico Avenue. Please complete paperwork prior to your appointment.

👂Share your input on the search for AU’s next president during a listening session at 1 p.m., Tuesday, October 10. You can also provide survey feedback until Thursday, October 12. 

🏒Purchase tickets for the Washington Capitals' AU Night, November 4, against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Tickets start at $49 and include a hat.  

📰SOC professor Sherri Williams spoke with USA Today about Black Americans’ relationship with news and distrust of the media. 

🗣️Virtual and in-person community forums that provide an overview of budget and enrollment projections kick off October 11. 

🏅Nominations for the 2024 alumni awards are now open. Share stories of changemaking Eagles by November 8.  

💥More than 300 students have signed up for SPA's Changemakers series—innovative “how-to” courses offered up to four times per semester

💡Derek Jones, CAS/BA ’79, is championing impact at AU through Kogod student support and Change Can’t Wait Campaign committee service. 

✍ Sign up to be a faculty or staff mentor in the 2023–24 AU Latino and Hispanic Mentorship Program. Applications close Friday, October 6.   

💉Reminder: Get your flu shot at one of AhealthyU's on-campus clinics. Registration is recommended, but not required.  

💼Last month's job and internship fair broke records, drawing more than 1,400 students and alumni. 

🥦AU’s farmers market is on the quad today. Enjoy fresh bread, produce and meat from Airlie Farm, Ethiopian dishes, and loose-leaf tea from 11 a.m.–2 p.m. every Wednesday this fall. 

💧Looking for a place to fill up your reusable water bottle? The Office of Sustainability has compiled a list of hydration stations across campus.  

More News

Wednesday, October 4, 7–8 p.m., Bender Library, lower level 

Have you ever wondered about how dating apps like Hinge and Bumble work? Get an inside look at the math behind the search for love with SOC professorial lecturer Aarushi Sahejpal. Food will be provided.

Friday, October 6, 11 a.m.–noon, Mary Graydon Center, room 245

This celebration of the vibrant Latinx/e Hispanic community at AU and beyond is hosted by the Center for Diversity and Inclusion. 

Friday, October 6, 8 p.m., and Saturday, October 7, 2 and 8 p.m., Katzen Arts Center, Studio Theatre

Directed by Nancy Bannon, Overture showcases the talents of AU's Class of 2027. Tickets are $10 for faculty and staff with ID. 

Monday, October 9, 7–8:30 p.m., Constitution Hall, room 115 

Thomas Nides, former US ambassador to Israel, will discuss our nation's bond with Israel and the state of Israeli democracy with Kogod dean David Marchick.  

Tuesday, October 10, 2:30–3:45 p.m., Mary Graydon Center, room 247, and streaming

CAS professorial lecturer Krisztina Domjan, CTRL's Artificial Intelligence in Instruction Faculty Fellow, presents this workshop for those interested in learning about how AI can improve their teaching, creative practice, and learning. 

Wednesday, October 11, noon, meet in front of SIS

Join Facilities Management and the Office of Sustainability for a conversation on energy efficiency at home and at work and a walking tour of AU's main heating plant. 

Wednesday, October 11, 6:30 p.m., Abramson Family Founders Room 

The former Sine fellow and founding executive director of the Chef Action Network presents her new book, At the Table: The Chef’s Guide to Advocacy.  

Thursday, October 12, 8:45 a.m.–noon, Butler Board Room 

This inaugural event will give faculty and students the opportunity to examine the intersection of gender and race as it relates to mentoring, career exploration, development, and thriving in the natural and social sciences. Breakfast will be provided. 

More Events

🔒SIS's Garret Martin on the Uniquely American Drama of Government Shutdowns 

Last weekend's showdown was the 22nd time since 1976 that the US has dealt with this political paralysis, the senior professorial lecturer and codirector of AU's Transatlantic Policy Center writes in the Conversation. 

✊SOE's Eugene Pringle Jr. on Why Educators Must Be on the Frontline of Social Activism

In an op-ed in the Hechinger Report, the senior professorial lecturer writes that "there is a critical need to prepare teachers to be intentional voices calling out the oppression that continues to plague our education system." 

Have a story? Share it with editor Adrienne Frank.