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BusinessWeek ranks AU’s Kogod School of Business among top 30 undergrad programs
American University's Kogod School of Business ranks 28 out of 51 schools in BusinessWeek 's fourth annual “The Best Undergraduate B-Schools” ranking. This marks the first time the ranking has included Kogod's undergraduate program.
"We believe in investing in our students,” said Richard M. Durand, Robert and Arlene Kogod Dean of the Kogod School of Business. “Providing our students with the best resources, from outstanding faculty to a new facility in 2009, is a constant pursuit. Receiving this recognition from BusinessWeek is a wonderful acknowledgement of the Kogod community's commitment to our students.”
Kogod comes in at 10 in the area of student surveys, which is based on feedback from the school's students. Kogod ranks at 27 for academic quality and 30 for the percentage of students who participate in internships. The school also received high marks from BusinessWeek for its teaching quality (A+) and job placement (A).
“This year's BusinessWeek ranking provides an exciting and new level of recognition to American University and the Kogod School of Business,” said Lawrence P. Ward, associate dean for academic programs. “I am particularly proud of our ‘top 10' student survey ranking, which amplifies all that our outstanding faculty and staff do on a daily basis to create and sustain a challenging, highly engaged, innovative, and rewarding academic experience for our students.”
Kogod was one of three schools to make the ranking for the first time. Ohio University and Chapman University's Argyros School of Business and Economics were the others, coming in at 46 and 47 respectively.
BusinessWeek bases the ranking on nine measures, including surveys of 85,000 senior business majors and nearly 600 corporate recruiters, median starting salaries for graduates, and the number of graduates each program sends to top MBA programs. The academic quality rating for each program was calculated by combining SAT scores, student-faculty ratios, class size, the percentage of students with internships, and the number of hours students devote to class work.
“The Best Undergraduate B-Schools” is available in the March 9, 2009, issue of BusinessWeek. Expanded content, including the full ranking and methodology, interactive tables, and a discussion forum, are available on BusinessWeek.com at www.businessweek.com/bschools/undergraduate.
60,000 Hours of Community Service Vaults AU onto the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for Third Year
American University has been named to the 2008 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary service efforts. This marks the third time AU has received the accolade, being named to the honor roll
“With Distinction” in 2006 and 2007.
A total of 635 schools were named to the honor roll. Schools receiving this recognition provided exceptional community service during the past year contributing their time, resources, energy, skills and intellect in service to America.
Some of AU's community service efforts include:
Launched in 2006, the honor roll is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. Honorees for the award were chosen based on a series of selection factors including scope and innovativeness of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service, and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses.
AU Honors King, Civil Rights Through Community Service, Speaker Series
American University will celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement beginning with the observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day through AU's Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.
Students from AU's Community Service Center will spend the holiday volunteering for Emmaus Services for the Aging, a nonprofit agency in Washington, D.C., that provides a variety of services to low-income senior citizens. The students will be delivering groceries and helping with projects from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, January 19.
In honor of King's outstanding legacy of service to others, the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service is meant to strengthen the connection of the university and its students with the community. It is one of several events throughout the week to honor King.
On Thursday, January 22, AU's Office of the Chaplain and the Metropolitan Memorial Methodist Church will cosponsor the R. Bruce Poynter Lecture Series, featuring Marian Wright Edelman.
The event, in its 7th annual year, will take place at 7 p.m. in the Great Hall at the Metropolitan Memorial Methodist Church. It is free and open to the public.
Edelman, founder and president of the Children's Defense Fund, also founded the Washington Research Project and previously served as the director of the Center for Law and Education at Harvard University.
The Office of the Chaplain works closely with the campus community to foster a welcoming, hostpitable environment for the spiritual exploration and religious practices of people of all faiths. The office facilitates the university's commitment to spiritual growth, ethical discernment, and community service.
AU Institute Celebrates 25 Years of Campaign Management Training
American University's Campaign Management Institute (CMI) is celebrating 25 years of teaching students young and old the ins and outs of political campaigns. The two-week institute, created by AU's School of Public Affairs, provides students with the training needed to work in local, state, and federal political campaigns.
CMI alums have held positions in prominent local and national campaigns—including the Obama and McCain campaigns. The institute covers campaign tactics and strategies—with an emphasis on new technology—to give students a valuable foundation for a career as political activists or campaign managers.
The two-week Public Affairs and Advocacy Institute, which runs simultaneously, provides undergraduate and graduate students with an intensive exploration into the art and craft of the lobbying profession. Students learn the strategies, tactics, methods, techniques, regulations, and ethics of the lobbying profession at a federal level.
Students are immersed in the process of campaign management and lobbying with daily instruction and insight from faculty, academics, professional lobbyists, campaign managers, public officials, and journalists. Speakers will provide applied and theoretical approaches to their subjects and will act as mentors to students. Public Affairs and Advocacy Institute students will work with mentors and speakers as they construct their own lobbying strategy for a public policy issue. Campaign Management Institute students will work in groups to create a campaign plan, which they will present on the final day of class.
This year, speakers for Campaign Management Institute include, Sarah Simmons, CMI alum and strategist with the McCain campaign, and Scott Goodstein, CMI alum and director of external organizing with Obama for America.
‘Is There A Santa Claus?’ Readers Behind Editorial’s Long Life
“Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.” The sentence, from American journalism's best-known editorial, the New York Sun's “Is There A Santa Claus?”, is so popular that 111 years after it first appeared in print, a major American retailer is using it as the basis for its 2008 holiday advertising campaign.
Most people assume the editorial was an immediate hit when first published in 1897 and that the Sun enthusiastically reprinted it every year at Christmastime until the newspaper folded in 1950. Not true, according to W. Joseph Campbell, a professor of journalism at American University.
“Readers, not newspaper editors, helped make sure ‘Is There A Santa Claus?' lived on,” Campbell said.
Campbell attributes the editorial's enduring appeal among readers to four main traits:
Presidential Election: Highest Turnout Since 1960
African-American voters, youth organization efforts, an angry citizenry, and a deep recession all conspired to produce both a 2008 Obama victory and the highest general election voter turnout since 1960. According to a report released by American University's Center for the Study of the American Electorate (CSAE), 131,257,542 Americans voted for president in 2008—nine million more than cast their ballots in 2004—with 63 percent of eligible voters participating.
According to the report:
“Given where the enormous rise in Democratic turnout and where those turnout increases occurred—all, with the exception of Colorado, in states (and the District of Columbia) with a large percentage of African-Americans—it is virtually certain that African-Americans were a major factor in Democratic turnout increase and Democratic victories in Indiana, North Carolina and Virginia,” said Curtis Gans, CSAE's director. “It is also virtually certain that when the Census Bureau comes out with its biennial survey on reported registration and voting, African-American turnout rates will have exceeded white turnout rates for the first time ever.”
Nick Clooney to Host SOC-Newseum Reel Journalism Series
As part of its long-term partnership with the Newseum, American University's School of Communication is getting ready to kick off the first event in the Reel Journalism film series: a December 8 screening and discussion of “Broadcast News,” a 1987 comedy about three television news broadcasters. AU School of Communication graduate and CBS News executive producer, Susan Zirinsky ('74), was the inspiration for Jane Craig, the quick-witted network news producer portrayed by actress Holly Hunter.
The Reel Journalism film series, now in its fifth year, will feature one film each month and take place in the Newseum's state-of-the-art Walter and Leonore Annenberg Theater. Programs will include screenings of the films accompanied by live discussions with prominent filmmakers, award-winning actors, and top journalists.
Zirinisky and Bob Schieffer, host of CBS's “Face the Nation,” will be at the December 8 event to discuss the film's foreshadowing of the changes in today's TV news business. The series is so popular that tickets for the general public have already sold out.
Veteran journalist and former American Movie Classics host Nick Clooney (pictured below), author of the book “The Movies That Changed Us: Reflections on the Screen,” will host the series. Clooney, who was appointed Distinguished Journalist in Residence at AU's School of Communication earlier this fall, will teach a course based on his book in spring 2009. Like the Reel Journalism film series, Clooney's appointment is part of the long-term partnership between the School of Communication and the Newseum.
The partnership with the Newseum is an invaluable resource for the School of Communication and AU as a whole. Upon its 1997 establishment in Rosslyn, Virginia, the Newseum drew the talents of School of Communication professor W. Joseph Campbell, who has worked on a variety of projects for the interactive museum of news. Campbell continues to contribute to the Newseum at its new site in D.C.: identifying the term for “news” in approximately 50 languages for the News in 100 Languages display is among his most recent efforts.
Today, the Newseum has numerous School of Communication connections, such as Newseum staff members and School of Communication alums Jessica Hall ('00), Anna Frueh ('07), Katie Walker ('05), and Jerry Grossman ('68) . In addition to Reel Journalism, the Newseum collaborates with the School of Communication on several other projects, such as Discover the World of Communication, the school's summer program for high school students.
Combining five centuries of news history with exciting exhibits and technology, the Newseum is the world's most interactive museum and gives visitors a lasting appreciation for the First Amendment and America's free press. The Freedom Forum, a nonpartisan foundation dedicated to free press, free speech, and free spirit, is the main founder of the Newseum's operations.
American University's School of Communication a laboratory for professional education, communication research and innovative production across the fields of journalism, film and media arts, and public communication. The school's academic programs emphasize traditional skills and values while anticipating new technologies, new opportunities and new audiences.
President of Bolivia to give speech at American University
Bolivian President Evo Morales Ayma
Bolivian President Evo Morales Ayma will give a speech at American University at 7 p.m. Tuesday, November 18 in Room 1 of the Ward Circle Building of the American University campus in Washington, D.C. President Morales will deliver his speech in Spanish, with simultaneous interpretation into English available. Following his address, the President will take questions from the audience. The event is open to the public but seating is limited. An overflow facility in Room 2 of the Ward Circle Building will accommodate additional attendees with a live video transmission.
The event is sponsored by the Embassy of Bolivia; the Washington Office on Latin America; American University; and George Washington University’s Latin American & Hemispheric Studies Program.
President Morales was elected to Bolivia's highest office in December 2005 with nearly 54 percent of the vote, becoming the country’s first indigenous head of state. He increased his majority in a referendum in August 2008, winning 67 percent of the vote.
President Morales will be in Washington this week to speak at the Organization of American States. It will be his first time visiting Washington.
Doors to the venue will open at 6:15 p.m. As a courtesy to all in attendance, no signs or placards will be permitted in the room, and backpacks, handbags and satchels will be subject to security search.
Six New Exhibitions Showcase Regional, International Art at American University Museum
The six exhibitions opening Tuesday, November 11 at the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center reflect the museum's practice of putting regional art in an international context, providing a unique contribution to the cultural life of the Nation's Capital.
“Highlighting Washington-based artists alongside international artists echoes our university's commitment to the region while exploring the larger global issues in society,” said museum director and curator Jack Rasmussen.
Artists Jack Boul, Dalya Luttwak, and Jae Ko have all lived and worked in Washington for many years, though Luttwak and Ko were born in Israel and Korea, respectively. Their exhibitions:
The other three shows are by artists who, for the most part, made their art in their native Belgium, the Czech Republic, and every Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking country in the world. They include:
American University Honors Thomas Gottschalk and Angie Reese-Hawkins with Prestigious Awards
American University honored Thomas Gottschalk, vice chairman of AU's Board of Trustees and counsel to Kirkland & Ellis LLP, and Angie Reese-Hawkins, chief executive officer of the YMCA of Metropolitan Washington, with two of the university's most prestigious awards at this year's President's Circle Dinner on Thursday, October 23, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington.
Gottschalk, a member of the AU Board of Trustees since 1998, received the President's Award. The President's Award is given to members of the AU community who have demonstrated extraordinary philanthropy and service to the university.
Gottschalk, who served as executive vice president of General Motors (GM) between 2001 and 2007, has been a member of AU's School of International Service Advisory Board since 2004.
Angie Reese-Hawkins, a 1979 graduate of AU's School of Communication, received the Cyrus Ansary Medal. Named in honor of trustee emeritus and former board chair Cyrus A. Ansary, the medal recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions to his or her profession, public service, and philanthropy at AU and in the broader community.
During her 15-year tenure with the YMCA, Reese-Hawkins, a resident of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, has served as chief operating officer, executive vice president, development director, regional vice president, and associate executive director of membership and communications.
AU Graduate Student Wins Marine Corps Marathon
Andrew Dumm, a graduate student in the School of International Service, won the 33rd Marine Corps Marathon—his first-ever marathon—on Sunday with a time of 2 hours, 22 minutes, 42 seconds.
"I knew it was my first one, and I knew it was going to be OK if I hit a wall because you usually do in your first marathon," the 23-year-old Dumm told USA Today. "So I was expecting and fearing that would happen, but being my first marathon also freed me up a little bit to make kind of a bold move."
Trailing in the race at the midway point, Dumm picked up his pace at Hains Point and held on to the lead.
"It was an early spot for a move but I was trying to get some separation," Dumm told the Washington Post. "I know Hains Point is a psychological barrier. . . . Maybe being a novice freed me up to make a bold move."
A native of Fairfax, Virginia, who attended the University of Virginia as an undergrad, Dumm was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Cross Country/Track and Field third team in 2007. A Fulbright Scholar as an undergraduate, Dumm is now pursuing a master's degree from SIS in international affairs with specialty in comparative and regional studies.
Gosh Darnit! Tina Fey's Impersonations of Sarah Palin May Have Serious Implications for McCain
Tina Fey's humorous impersonations of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live (SNL) may be no laughing matter for Palin's running mate, Senator John McCain, says Lauren Feldman (pictured below), an expert on the political effects of late-night comedy.
“When audiences are exposed to political humor or satire, they are less likely to oppose the information in the message or question whether it is fair or accurate,” says Feldman, an assistant professor at American University's School of Communication.
“Relative to more traditional direct attacks in political ads, political jokes, and other comedic portrayals that paint candidates in a negative light present greater opportunity for negative information to seep into the audiences' consciousness. Ultimately, it can affect the perceptions of a candidate.”
Because Fey's sketches accentuate Palin's folksy persona, her interview and debate performances, and her g-dropping, “gosh darnit” speaking style, they are likely to make Palin's negative traits and image characteristics more top-of-mind for viewers. This, Feldman says, can indirectly contribute to a more unfavorable rating of the McCain-Palin ticket.
So, will SNL swing the election? According to Feldman, probably not.
New Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations Named
T. Minar, new vice president of development
Following a national search, American University president Neil Kerwin has named Thomas J. Minar as the university’s new vice president of development and alumni relations. He was most recently special assistant to the president at Roosevelt University in Chicago. Minar will start October 15.
While overseeing AU’s fund-raising and alumni relations programs, Minar will work closely with the university leadership, schools and colleges, alumni, and the Board of Trustees to invigorate an effort to support AU’s strategic priorities, attract new funding, and build lifelong relationships between AU and its 100,000 alumni. Among his key responsibilities will be to successfully conclude the $200 million AnewAU campaign, build a foundation to help meet AU’s financial needs emanating from the new strategic plan and future facilities plans, and strengthen the participation of alumni in the life of the university.
“Dr. Minar brings to the position a wealth of experience in higher education fundraising, alumni affairs, constituent relations, and university administration,” said President Neil Kerwin. “We look forward to working closely with him to help AU achieve its strategic goals and even greater levels of success.”
For the past five years at Roosevelt University, in Chicago, Minar served as vice president for institutional advancement and most recently as a special assistant to the president. As the chief advancement officer for the two-campus comprehensive university, he planned, restructured, and managed the development and alumni affairs operations—securing a significant number of gifts, grants and pledges during his time there.
“I look forward to meeting more of the remarkable students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends at American University and to joining such an engaged community eager to expand the university’s growth and prominence,” said Minar.
American University selects new dean of students
American University has appointed Robert D. Hradsky as assistant vice president of campus life and dean of students. Hradsky's first day on campus will be October 20.
Since 2005, Hradsky has been vice provost for student affairs at the University of Baltimore where he oversees the university's student affairs functions, including the academic resource center, career center, international services, diversity education and programs, student involvement, counseling services, disability support, campus recreation, and the dean of students office. In 2007, the University of Baltimore transformed its mission from being a strictly upper-division university that offers post-graduate degrees to a four-year institution. Hradsky led the university's enrollment management and student affairs efforts to recruit its first freshman class in 32 years.
“One of American University's hallmarks is our student centeredness,” said Gail Hanson, vice president of campus life. “Dr. Hradsky's background in both academic and student affairs will be a great asset as we strive to make each student's overall campus experience transformative.”
Through its 16 departments AU's Office of Campus Life helps students integrate into the university's diverse living and learning community. As dean of students, Hradsky will oversee the university's student learning and development team including academic support, community service, counseling and student health centers, as well as new student programs, disability support service and judicial affairs.
Targeted Marketing of High-Calorie Foods Promotes Unhealthy Eating Habits Among African Americans
Marketing strategies may contribute to the significantly higher rates of obesity among African Americans than among Caucasians, according to a new study by Kogod School of Business professor Sonya Grier.
Targeted marketing of high-calorie foods and beverages exposes African Americans—compared to Caucasians or the general population—to more unhealthy messages about eating and limits their access to healthy foods.
“It's hard to make healthy choices when all the signals and supports in your environment tell you to do just the opposite,” said Grier. “One way to make a dent in the obesity epidemic is to reverse those messages so that marketing efforts support healthier eating among African Americans.”
The study, funded by the University of Pennsylvania's Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is the first to take a comprehensive view of food marketing strategies aimed at African Americans.
Study researchers considered the four “Ps”used by food and beverage marketers to reach particular target markets:
1. Products that are offered to a market
2. Promotions, including advertising and other types of persuasive communication
3. Place, referring to the distribution and availability of specific products
4. Price
The study, “The Context for Choice: Health Implications of Targeted Food and Beverage Marketing to African Americans,” was published in the September 2008 issue of the American Journal of Public Health.
American University's Akbar Ahmed Embarks on Cross-Country Trip for Study of Muslims in America
Akbar Ahmed, renowned anthropologist and Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies in American University's School of International Service, is taking a one-year research sabbatical to study Muslims in America and the attitudes and perceptions of Americans regarding their Muslim neighbors. The cross-country ethnographic study will take Ahmed and his team of five young Americans to more than 30 American towns and cities between September 2008 and summer 2009.
Throughout the trip, team members will be posting their thoughts as well as photos and videos from their experience to their blog.
Ahmed, who traveled throughout the Muslim world with four young Americans while writing Journey into Islam: The Crisis of Globalization , will be joined by three members from that group and two newcomers as he travels through America.
The trip will include meetings with religious leaders of all denominations, in-depth interviews with Muslims and their non-Muslim neighbors, and interfaith dialogues at leading universities across the country. From a mosque in Cedar Rapids, Iowa—the oldest existing mosque in the United states—to the bright lights of Las Vegas, Ahmed and his students will visit religious centers, community centers, and schools in small-town, rural America and big cities.
American University students and faculty at the conventions
A group of ambitious American University students, the nation’s most politically-active students according to the Princeton Review, are starting off the school year at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. Eight American University students will be working at the conventions or live blogging from the convention floor.
Three American University professors will also be attending the conventions and will be available to media for commentary.
Five students— Sam Hagedorn (DNC), Kaitlin Scanlan (DNC), Katie Smith (DNC), Dan Shorts (RNC), and Alex Knepper (RNC)—will be live blogging for politics@theEagle, a Web site created by AU’s student newspaper, The Eagle.
Dan Shorts and three other students from the School of Public Affairs Leadership Progam will also be on the floor at the conventions:
For more information about experts and students available at the conventions or to speak about the election, contact Media Relations at 202-885-5950.
Olympics end without a medal for AU assistant wrestling coach
For American University, there was more to watch in the 2008 Olympics than the world record setting, gold medal grabbing Michael Phelps. American assistant wrestling coach Brad Vering entered the Beijing Olympics as a favorite in the 84 kilogram (185-pound) division of the Greco-Roman competition.
Unfortunately, Vering's Olympic dream ended in the waning moments of a second round match against Armenia's Denis Forov. The former NCAA champion from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, who won the World Championships in 2007, was turned by Forov in the final 10 seconds to drop the match, 8-2.
While the defeat was unexpected, there was plenty for AU fans to cheer for in Vering's first match. The three-time All-American opened his second Olympic appearance with a commanding 5-1 victory over Poland's Artur Wichalkiewicz.
After dropping his second match, Vering still had a chance to wrestle for bronze, provided Forov reached the finals. His visions of the medal podium disappeared, however, as Forov was bested by Ara Abrahamian of Sweden.
Vering may be done competing in Beijing, but he still has plenty of Olympic experiences to share with the AU community. Find out about his time in Beijing and his experience wrestling on his Olympic blog.
Nick Clooney Joins AU's School of Communication
Nick Clooney, veteran journalist and television host, joins the faculty at American University this fall as American University School of Communication and Newseum Distinguished Journalist in Residence. Clooney’s appointment is part of a long-term partnership between the School of Communication and the Newseum, the interactive museum of news in Washington, D.C.
During his career, Clooney has been a broadcast journalist; a newspaper columnist; a television series writer, producer, and host; a documentary filmmaker; an Emmy Award winner for commentary; a candidate for Congress; the author of three books; and a human rights activist. He recently travelled with his son, Academy Award-winning actor George Clooney, to Darfur to make A Journey to Darfur, a documentary about genocide in the conflict-ridden region of Sudan.
“Nick Clooney is natural fit for AU’s School of Communication,” said Larry Kirkman, dean of the school. “His professional experiences bridge all three of our academic divisions: journalism, public communication, and film and media arts. Nick's appointment is an excellent example of how the School of Communication’s longstanding partnership with the Newseum strengthens both of our institutions.”
“We are going to create memorable, meaningful and important programming and have a good time along the way,” said Joe Urschel, executive director of the Newseum.
This fall, Clooney will teach Opinion Writing, and in spring 2009 he will teach Films that Changed Us, a new course based on his book, The Movies That Changed Us: Reflections on the Screen (Atria, 2002). The book analyzes the significance of such iconic American films as The Birth of a Nation, The Jazz Singer, Dr. Strangelove, Stagecoach, The Graduate, Star Wars, and Saving Private Ryan.
As part of the school-Newseum partnership, Clooney will host the fifth annual AU School of Communication-Newseum Reel Journalism Film Festival and other events at the Newseum. The Newseum moved into its new $450 million home at 555 Pennsylvania Ave. in Northwest Washington in April 2008.
“After a news career that stretches back to the Eisenhower administration, I'm looking forward to joining American University’s School of Communication and the Newseum to work with a new generation of prospective journalists” said Clooney.
J-Lab Moves to American University; Draws $2.4m Grant from Knight Foundation
J-Lab: The Institute for Interactive Journalism has moved to American University's School of Communication, where it will expand its operations with the help of a $2.4 million grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to American University.
J-Lab helps journalists and citizens use digital technologies to develop new ways of participating in public life. J-Lab provides award and seed money to professional journalists, citizens, and new media entrepreneurs for innovations in journalism and community news startups; builds e-learning Web sites for interactive and citizen journalism; and engages in training and research.
“I am excited that we have the opportunity to expand our programs in a place as full of energy and focus on innovation as AU's School of Communication,” said Jan Schaffer, J-Lab's executive director and one of the nation's leading journalism reform thinkers. “Our new affiliation is a good fit for J-Lab's mission, which is to help transform journalism for today and reinvent it for tomorrow.”
At its new home, J-Lab will use the Knight grant to:
J-Lab’s J-Learning and the Knight Citizen News Network are Web-based, comprehensive community journalism instruction programs; its McCormick New Media Women Entrepreneurs project provides seed funding and support for original news ideas proposed by women; and the New Voices project provides start-up funding and instruction for pioneering community news ventures in the United States. The Knight-Batten Awards recognize innovations in journalism and are one of the profession’s most prestigious honors.
American University students were ranked the "Most Politically Active," and the university is one of the nation’s best institutions for undergraduate education, according to The Princeton Review in the newly released 2009 edition of its annual book, ‘ The Best 368 Colleges.’
In addition to the number one ranking for politically active students, American University was ranked #13 for Best Quality of Life, the university’s Career Center was ranked 18 for Best Career/Job Placement Service and ranked fifth for Great College Town.
Only about 15 percent of America’s 2,500 four-year colleges and two Canadian colleges are in the book. It has two-page profiles of the schools and student survey-based ranking lists of top 20 colleges in more than 60 categories. Princeton Review released the rankings on its Web site on July 28; the print edition will hit newsstands August 5.
"We chose schools for this book primarily for their outstanding academics,” said Robert Franek, Princeton Review's vice president of publishing. “We evaluated them based on institutional data we collect about the schools, feedback from students attending them, and our visits to schools over the years. We also consider the opinions of independent college counselors, students, and parents we hear from year-long. Finally, we work to have a wide representation of colleges in the book by region, size, selectivity, and character."
In its profile on American University, The Princeton Review quotes extensively from students the company surveyed. Their candid comments include, “This school lives, breathes, eats, and sleeps politics,” a club exists “for just about every type of person you can think of,” because of the school’s location, politics “infect the campus.” “Watching CNN” and “working on the Hill” are everyday activities for many students and “Social justice and community-service groups” are also “very popular.”
AU SOC Professor Named Hometown Hero for Charity Work With Students
The Washington Mystics honored American University assistant professor of communication Gemma Puglisi as a “Hometown Hero” on Tuesday, July 8 for her work with the United Nations (UN) Foundation's Nothing But Nets campaign to prevent malaria. The award, given before the Mystics game against the Fever, was in recognition of Puglisi's work with 20 students in her public relations portfolio class, who created campaigns to raise awareness of Nothing But Nets.
“Her students are lucky to have a leader in Gemma, a teacher who helped them to prepare a professional portfolio showcasing their work before graduation,” said the Mystics announcer before the Verizon Center crowd. “Her kind spirit and work with the campaign has allowed the Nothing but Nets campaign to raise awareness in groups they might not have been able to reach. The Washington Mystics salute Gemma for all of her work with the campaign and wish her the best of luck in her future efforts.”
The PR portfolio students were asked to work in small groups to create unique public relations campaigns for Nothing But Nets , an idea Puglisi got from former student Kate Kovarovic, who interned at the UN Foundation during her time at American University . Through outreach to the D.C. and American University communities, Puglisi and her students were able to land 436,100 media impressions which allowed Nothing but Nets to reach a far greater audience.
"It's so hard for me to find the right words to describe all of this,” she said. “I was so surprised and honestly, honored to have received the recognition outside the classroom.”
Puglisi was joined at the game by two of her PR portfolio students, Halley Ofner and Kimberly Beauman.
“My students are such an inspiration and I was so thrilled that they were a part of it,” added Puglisi. “They deserve
so much and I'm honored to have been their professor. My thanks to the Mystics and the UN Foundation for recognizing what we do each day as teachers.”
Nothing But Nets is a grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa. The campaign, which sends bed nets to villages in Africa, has teamed up with the Mystics, the WNBA, the National Basketball Association's NBA Cares, The People of the United Methodist Church, and Sports Illustrated.
“I was very excited to be working with such a worthy campaign,” said Ofner, who graduated in May with a degree in public communication. “It was so upsetting to hear about the death and illness that comes from an insect and how preventable that illness could be if only funds were available.”
While the project demanded that students create a strong PR campaign with little money, Beauman, who also graduated in May, found that a little ingenuity and targeted campaigns allowed them to get the word out. “ Especially on a campus as active and civic-minded as AU, it is easy to get the public involved and excited about activities that benefit a charity,” said Beauman, who now plans to attend the London School of Economics to work towards a masters in Politics and Communication.
Molly Kenney and James Valvo, juniors in the School of Public Affairs, have been named 2008 Truman Scholars by the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation in recognition of their commitment to a life of public service, leadership and academic accomplishment. The prestigious scholarship provides the students with $30,000 for graduate studies.
This is the second year in a row that American University has produced two Truman Scholars. The students will receive their awards at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library in Independence, Mo., on May 18.
A former chef at a top four-star restaurant in Detroit , Mich. , 2008 Truman Scholar James
Valvo traded his knives for textbooks. At AU, Valvo has developed an interest in government ethics and legislation and currently works full time for Americans for Prosperity as an assistant for policy and public affairs. With his Truman Scholarship, Valvo plans to pursue a law degree and hopes to land a position as a senior legal consultant for a senator on the appropriations, finance or budget committees.
Scholar Molly Kenney is a law and society major, minoring in communications, from Medway , Mass. As co-president of the Peace and Empowerment Project (a student club), she dramatically increased the budget through fund raising and lobbying, which enabled the group to fund business and life skills training for three African women. Kenney has her sights set on law school and has focused her work on prisoner rehabilitation. She has interned with the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia and participated in an alternative spring break trip focused on prison justice. Kenney is currently studying abroad at the London School of Economics.
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