69传媒

Welcome back! I hope you had a relaxing and rejuvenating spring break, whether you stayed close by or traveled far away. Now that you鈥檙e back on your campus home and spring has finally sprung, you can look forward to seeing a few of the colorful reasons that AU鈥檚 campus is officially an arboretum. (Please note the daffodils already in bloom.)

Just as folks were leaving for spring break, our AU Faculty Brass (yes, our faculty have musical talents!) kicked off the first formal installation ceremony in AU history for a newly听endowed faculty chair鈥攖he Kogod Regional Innovation Chair.

From听left to right: Provost Daniel J. Myers;听Mrs. Arlene R. Kogod, Mr. Robert P. Kogod;听Dr. Brett Anitra Gilbert;听President Sylvia M. Burwell;听Dean John T. Delaney

This special occasion reflects a number of elements of our new strategy, and the implementation of it.听

First, it showcases the outstanding teaching and research here at AU and affirms how we value that work. Dr. Brett Gilbert, the first Kogod Regional Innovation Chairholder, is a leader in her field, with her work on economic geography, internationalization, and emerging 鈥渃lean energy鈥� technologies (pretty appropriate for the first university in the United States to achieve carbon neutrality).听听

Second, by highlighting our exceptional faculty, we increase our reputation and attract even more great faculty members and students.

Third, in a region that will soon be home to Amazon鈥檚 HQ2 (see Professor Gilbert鈥檚 thoughts on that decision听), the importance of being an engaged partner in the Washington region and a leader in regional innovation will only grow.

Finally, we wanted to honor the philanthropy of Bob and Arlene Kogod, who funded this chair, and the importance of faculty chairs to the future of AU.听The Kogod Regional Innovation Chair wasn鈥檛 the first time that Bob and Arlene Kogod stepped up for AU. Bob has served as a member of our Board of Trustees, and his and Arlene鈥檚 generosity to what was then called the School of Business Administration is why we call it the Kogod School of Business today.听

The Kogods are among the most generous philanthropists in all of Washington. In fact, if you head downtown to the National Portrait Gallery, chances are you鈥檒l walk through a gorgeous indoor courtyard called the Kogod Courtyard. And when you walk through the Kogod School of Business, you鈥檒l see some of the Kogod collection right there on the walls.

As we gathered to celebrate Professor Gilbert鈥檚 installation in this position, we were celebrating what AU is鈥攁n exciting student-centered research university, poised to tackle some of our newest and most cutting-edge challenges. We were also celebrating where AU鈥檚 going鈥攁nd the fact that we鈥檙e a community that is moving forward today thanks to those who have chosen, like the Kogod family, to give back.

The generosity of our entire community was on display in the Founders听Day Challenge. During 36 hours, 1,182 donors stepped up (the most ever!) and, with challenge and matching funds, brought in the most ever raised for this event. People across the community got the word out鈥攐ur Founders Day hashtag was even trending on Twitter! We saw increases in faculty, staff, student, and parent donors over last year. Thank you!

Changemakers for a Changing World

Our new Kogod Regional Innovation Chair isn鈥檛 the only part of our strategy moving forward:听听听

• DC Region Progress: meet our new assistant vice president for community & government relations, Ed Fisher. A couple fun facts about Ed鈥攈e loves '90s hip hop听and restoring his vintage 1977 Corvette.
• We鈥檙e building on AU鈥檚 strength as the university with the most politically听active students in the nation (and experts in policy as well) by launching the search for the executive director of the Sine Institute for Policy and Politics.
• Inclusive Excellence: we released our听One-Year Progress Report on AU鈥檚 Plan for Inclusive Excellence, communicating about where we are and what more we need to do.
• How AU works: we moved the fiscal year, to make it easier听and align it with our competitors.听听听
• Our board just approved the budget听that funds the strategy for two听years. In addition to funding the strategy, it kept the increase in the total cost of attendance to its lowest ever while investing millions more in financial aid.听听

Those are some of the steps we鈥檙e taking. Visit听our Strategic Plan websiteto see what else is ahead.

Recap of Crucial Conversations March 5听Event

Earlier this month, I was thankful to spend an afternoon with a rocking panel, including voices from really successful folks who didn鈥檛 pull punches as we shared the stories of their journeys through college and their careers. As Susan Rice reminded us, 鈥渞esilience is something that鈥檚 vitally important 鈥� it comes out of experience, yet it鈥檚 absolutely critical to making change and having an impact.鈥� I learned a lot, and especially enjoyed the participation of our community in the Q&A session. If you weren鈥檛 able to join us, I hope you鈥檒l take a moment to听look back at it听and share your reflections on Twitter (I鈥檓 , btw).

Our community had an engaging听conversation with听panelists听Eric Liu, founder and CEO of Citizen University;听Susan E. Rice, former national security advisor and ambassador to the United Nations; broadcast journalist Maria Elena Salinas; and听Ibram Kendi, professor and director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center.

Wonk of the Year

Back in the 1990s, while I was working at the Office of Management and Budget, I found myself working frequently with the head of the budget committee in the House of Representatives听and his staff as we balanced the federal budget for the first time in nearly three decades. Later on, I鈥檇 work with him again when, as governor of the state of Ohio, he worked to expand Medicaid coverage to his state鈥檚 residents. So I had worked with the Kennedy Political Union鈥檚 choice for 2019 Wonk of the Year听John Kasich.

Through the questions posed by our students,听we had a great dialogue. I鈥檓 thankful to the students in the Kennedy Political Union for their work to bring leaders with a wealth of experience to our campus.

Impact

• Sometimes some inspiring impact comes from a little friendly competition. That鈥檚 why I was happy to see so many students compete in the听2019 Global Health Competition听sponsored by the Department of Health Studies and the College of Arts and Sciences. Congratulations to the winning team who took on malnutrition in Vietnam鈥檚 Mekong Delta!听听
• Supporting leaders at AU: the 21^st听Century Leadership Institute is an important investment in 25 dedicated members of our staff, from all across campus, who come together to learn ways to improve their management style, to support a more inclusive and diverse workplace, and to communicate across offices and schools so we can operate every day as one AU. The program wrapped up its 5^th听year with more than 100 alumni of the program throughout campus!
• Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, a publication that has听written about diversity, multiculturalism, and inclusion in higher ed for more than 30 years, announced that our very own dean of the Washington College of Law, Dean Camille Nelson, is one of their听. Go Dean Nelson!
• Is there someone at AU who鈥檚 made an impact to you and others? Then nominate them for听one of our University Awards听through the end of this month鈥攏ominations are open for any student, faculty, staff, or alumni!

Preview of Commencement

It might feel like spring break just ended, but we鈥檙e about to have one of the best parts of the year! That鈥檚 right, it鈥檚 time to start thinking about 69传媒 University鈥檚 137^th听commencement.听

We want to make sure you have what you need to know. If you鈥檙e one of those prospective Eagle alumni, visit听our commencement website听for a helpful guide for this spring鈥檚 ceremony on Saturday, May 11, and Sunday, May 12, including a quick Commencement Countdown Checklist.

As for me, I鈥檒l be working out those arm muscles for all those handshakes. The smiling part is easy, because it is such a great event to celebrate!

Welcome back!