If you ask Mary Nichols what the biggest air pollution and climate challenge of the next few years will be for California and the country, she feels the answer is obvious: our “seeming inability to solve the political impasse.” During this hour- long conversation with Dan Fiorino, Director of the Center for Environmental Policy at American University, in an event co-sponsored by the American Lung Association and the American University Center for Environmental Filmmaking, the two covered topics including the value of the Clean Air Act (CAA), two new California laws regarding vehicles and vulnerable communities, the future of clean air and climate, as well as the inherent link between a sound economy and a safe, clean environment. Throughout the conversation, Nichols displayed her signature level-headedness, and forward-thinking-ness that has helped become one of the most prominent environmental regulators in history.
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Nichols emphasized the importance and success of the CAA, noting that “as federal statutes go, it was, and I think it still is, the most powerful action-forcing piece of legislation the Congress has ever passed.” Enacted at the height of bipartisan concern regarding air pollution and the environment, the CAA is sets clear limits, enables innovation, and allow citizen suits. Nichols added that the law authorizes the government to enact rules that push industry to advance technology development and innovation. Because climate change is, in effect, a form of air pollution caused by many of the same activities, the potential is there, Nichols claims, to utilize CAA in order to regulate those activities and decrease climate change effects and risk. On the question of whether the CAA needs an update, Nichols argues instead for expanding authority under the law and making compliance simpler.

And lastly, regarding future clean air challenges, Nichols sees the future EPA Administrator’s mission simply-- reverse the rejection of science and scientists. Restore respect for the laws themselves, and then get to work on using existing regulations to create cleaner air for the entire population. As she says, “there hasn’t been any serious effort to deal with climate at all in the last four years. So, I think we’re overdue for that kind of initiative.”

We can’t imagine the future of regulation in the U.S. without considering the courts, and an audience member asked Nichols to do just that, wondering where she sees potential conflict as the Supreme Court heads toward an almost-certain heavily conservative lean. While acknowledging concern, Nichols embraces a largely positive outlook for the future. While respect for administrative agencies has been eroding, there is precedent holding that agency’s interpretations are given great weight, and a reversal of that doctrine is unlikely, she claims. She also highlights the fact that the decision to allow regulation of carbon dioxide under the CAA was decided by Justice Scalia – not because of his ideology, but because he believed in the statutes and in science – leading in part to Nichols’ optimistic hope that a conservative tilt in the court is not automatically bad for the environment.

Fiorino questioned Nichols about California’s role as a leader in policy innovation such as the recently enacted AB 617 – their Community Air Protection Program, aimed at reducing exposures in vulnerable communities to mitigate the inequitable distribution of air pollution. Nichols credits a renewal of commitment to overall public health for this push, utilizing a bottom up approach in which regulators engage the public to design regulatory initiatives and decrease the inequality of power.

Fiorino’s final question centered on what advice Nichols might offer to young people. Nichols’ first response was that young people should vote. She also encouraged young people to stay idealistic and emphasized that even in polarized times, there is important and fulfilling work to be done in the public sector.

The election is days away––soon we will know what our leadership will look like for the next four years. Election night is always a rush: with rapid-fire returns and processing guidelines that vary across the 50 states and territories, and it can be hard to make sense of the results.  

But there is a method to the madness. As the shadow of poll closings moves westward, we look to indicators that help us understand the results. I wanted to share with you some of the things I plan to look for, based on my experience tracking the results of many an election night, and share my research findings. While focused on the presidential election, I also watch races in the Senate and House and down the ballot as well.  

I have voted, and like you I await what is next, but here are some things to look for on November 3, as we near the last phase of this unprecedented election season.

1. States that count ballots before election day- we will know more from them on election night. Those states include:
   • Florida, which begins processing mail ballots 22 days before the election;
   • Arizona, which starts that process two weeks before the election;
   • North Carolina, which started processing ballots on September 29;
   • Texas, whose largest counties can begin processing absentee ballots 12 days before the election;
   • Georgia, which did make mail-voting available to all voters, and allows the processing of ballots to begin two weeks in advance;
   • Ohio, which started processing mail ballots last week;
   • And Iowa, where counties can start opening the outer envelopes on absentee ballots the Saturday before Election Day.
2. The Sun Belt states:
   Several of the early-indicator states are in the Sun Belt. These states tend to lean conservative historically and voted for Trump in 2016 (AL,AZ,AR,FL,GA,LA,MI,NM,SC,TX, part of CA, NC,NV and UT). Biden is either ahead or competitive in several, according to recent polls, as the president's support among seniors, college-educated suburban voters, and women is declining.
3. Florida does not necessarily decide the election in 2020.
   Biden would still be competitive if Trump were to carry Florida and Arizona. Biden would need to win every state that Hillary Clinton won in 2016 and flip Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, each won by Trump in 2016
4. Beware the Red Mirage:

   Election night numbers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin are likely to favor Trump because of a possible advantage for Republicans with in-person voting on Election Day. Trump could be ahead in these states, only to be replaced by a "blue shift" as mail ballots, which some say could skew 2 to 1 for Biden, are eventually counted.

5. The Great Lakes Region matters - A lot:
   The traditionally Democratic states of the Great Lakes region–Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, all of which Trump won in 2016, are essential for his victory in 2020. Voters in Ohio have correctly picked every single U.S. president since 1964.

6. The Media should not make early predictions on election night 2020.
   In 2016, the AP first predicted a Trump state win at 7:05 pm ET- the media cannot call anything this early in 2020. As we move from east to west, returns from these states will be key: FL, NC, PA, WI, MI, AZ. However, media will need to make sure that votes are counted before making any conclusions or predictions.

7. Don’t just look at battleground states- look at the “battleground counties”:

   • Turnout in Detroit (MI), Milwaukee (WI), and Philadelphia (PA)––three heavily African American cities––fell in 2016, hurting the Clinton campaign. While Clinton won a large percentage of the vote in each of the three cities, this did not match what Barack Obama received in 2012.

   • 14 counties are home to a large number of white, non-college-educated voters, and thus are demographically favorable to Trump. Even though some of these counties had a longstanding record of voting Democratic, they've more recently been slipping away from the party.
     
     Macomb County, Michigan (Detroit suburbs)
     Calhoun County, Michigan (Battle Creek)

     Saginaw County, Michigan (Saginaw)
     Robeson County, North Carolina (Lumberton)
     Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania (Scranton)
     Luzerne County, Pennsylvania (Wilkes-Barre)
     Beaver County, Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh exurbs)
     Northampton County, Pennsylvania (Easton)
     Erie County, Pennsylvania (Erie)
     Eau Claire County, Wisconsin (Eau Claire)
     La Crosse County, Wisconsin (La Crosse)
     Brown County, Wisconsin (Green Bay)
     Winnebago County, Wisconsin (Oshkosh)
     Kenosha County, Wisconsin (Kenosha)

   • If Biden can win a few percentage points off Republican strongholds in Florida, such as Naples, Pensacola, and the senior development known as the Villages, it could make the difference in FL.

   • A turnout increase for Biden in heavily minority Flint, Michigan, which sagged in 2016, could have a huge impact. In addition, he would need to shrink the margins in GOP-leaning PA areas such as Lancaster, York, and the northern Pittsburgh suburbs.

   • Trump will need to stop the GOP decline in these Democratic trending areas, and if possible and more importantly, increase his margin there.
      

     Maricopa County, Arizona (Phoenix)
     Miami-Dade County, Florida (Miami)
     Orange County, Florida (Orlando)
     Hillsborough County, Florida (Tampa)
     Palm Beach County, Florida (West Palm Beach)
     Broward County, Florida (Fort Lauderdale)
     Duval County, Florida (Jacksonville)
     Wake County, North Carolina (Raleigh)
     Mecklenburg County, North Carolina (Charlotte)
     Allegheny County, Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh)
   • Schools out for virtual? Trump will want to pare back the strong Democratic margins in areas with major universities, such as Alachua County, Florida (University of Florida), Washtenaw County, Michigan (University of Michigan), and Dane County, Wisconsin (University of Wisconsin). The coronavirus pandemic has sown logistical chaos at many universities, making it conceivable that fewer students will be able to register to vote in these areas than previously, hurting Biden in these counties.
   • These eight counties are suburbs that were once relatively friendly to Republicans but are now turning deeper shades of blue. These are especially notable around Philadelphia (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties) and around Milwaukee (the "WOW" counties of Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington), which remained in the GOP camp in 2016 but with reduced margins. Any success in constraining Democratic gains in this area will be key to Trump winning these states again in 2020.

Five dedicated federal executives were celebrated for leadership in government at an online ceremony Oct. 21 hosted by the AU School of Public Affairs (SPA) and the Key Executive Leadership Programs.

The winners of the 2020 Roger W. Jones Award include:

• Matthew Alessandrino, assistant inspector general for investigations, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General;
• Brad Bunn, director of human resources, Defense Logistics Agency;
• Lois Greisman, associate director for marketing practices, Federal Trade Commission;
• Eileen McDaniel, executive director, Office of Management, Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals, Department of Health and Human Services; and
• Kimberly Walton, executive assistant administrator, Transportation Security Administration;

The honor, which has been awarded since 1978, recognizes Roger W. Jones, a U.S. government official who served seven presidents over 43 years, in positions such as deputy secretary of state and chairman of the Civil Service Commission.

“This prestigious award is reserved for public servants who demonstrate a commitment not only to mission, but to developing and inspiring those whom they lead,” said Patrick Malone, director of the Key Executive Leadership Programs. “This is a celebration of the most talented, diverse, educated, [and] committed workforce of any government, anywhere in the world.”

SPA Executive in Residence Sasha O’Connell moderated a discussion with the honorees about their careers, trends in public service, and the qualities of effective leadership.

“You have to know the mission, have a vision, and be held fully accountable. After that, it is all about the people,” said Greisman, whose led efforts at the FTC to shut down financial and medical product scams pitched online and over the phone. “You’ve got to create an environment that promotes learning, fosters creativity, and encourages innovation.”

During the pandemic, agencies effectively shifted to remote telework and continued serving the public, the panelists said. The efficacy of this shift may have a lasting impact on the use of technology and reducing the federal real estate footprint.

“The future is going to be complex and uncertain. The federal workforce is going to have to be resilient,” Walton said, who praised the training and dedication of public servants working for the greater good. “We will be ready. Our workforce will be more diverse [and] multigenerational, and there will be a need to reach into the private sector to make it easier for people to come in.”

McDaniel anticipates that artificial intelligence and machine learning will help agencies better predict workloads and target resources where they are most needed in real time.

“Public service will be more technology-driven as we move into the next generation,” McDaniel said. “It will be more efficient and nimble.”

In response to COVID-19, Bunn said his agency was a major player in providing personal protective equipment and delivering respirators.

“I think the future is bright. I see of lot positives––despite the challenges we faced this year,” said Bunn, a human resources practitioner focused expanding the pipeline of public servants. “If the global pandemic has shown us anything, it’s that our federal government can be responsible, agile, and innovative to bring forth solutions.”

Alessandrino, who was recognized for building an investigation team working complex financial fraud crimes at the FDIC, said he always wanted to work for the government. While civil service was not a popular career path when he graduated from college 30 years ago, he believes attitudes are changing among young people.

“It’s not an afterthought if they don’t get something else,” Alessandrino said. “The work we are doing is so impactful and important and [recent college graduates] recognize that. I think they are excited about coming to work for the government. I know I was.”

To answer the most critical problems facing society today, politicians need to come together––a seeming impossibility in the current political moment.

On October 14, faculty members from the AU School of Public Affairs discussed the challenges of bipartisanship amid pressing issues in criminal justice, education, and healthcare policy, at an online event sponsored by SPA, the Sine Institute of Policy and Politics, and No Labels, a nonpartisan group based in Washington, D.C.

Moderator Ryan Clancy, chief strategist for No Labels, said progress is difficult when political parties fail to reach consensus on a basic set of facts.

“It’s hard to agree where you are going to go as a country, if you don’t even agree where you are,” Clancy said.

On the topic of criminal justice reform, SPA Associate Professor Kareem Jordan said that while scholars agree on the definition of systemic racism, they disagree on its extent.

“You will definitely see disparity, especially among Black and Brown folks who are more likely to be arrested, convicted and incarcerated. That’s a fact,” he said. “The [conflict] is the source of that disparity. Are they offending more [often], or is it due to discrimination?”
 
An understanding of history is necessary to confront institutional racism and reach consensus on how to remedy it, Jordan continued. He also advocated for people to go beyond the data. Exposure to new communities and perspectives can break down walls and shrink differences.

This urgent need for consensus has been magnified by the global pandemic, said SPA Associate Professor Taryn Morrissey, whose research focuses on early childhood policy. The economic downturn has hurt low-income families and families of color disproportionately, leading to lasting impacts on food insecurity, stress, abuse, and neglect. With many private schools remaining open while public schools close, the achievement gap will likely widen, Morrissey said.

“Children are lacking safe havens of schools and peer networks. But these harms are not inevitable,” said Morrissey, calling for bipartisan action. “Our safety net has not changed despite the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.” 

For example, federal policymakers could agree on increased benefits for federal food assistance, and provide more funding to help schools open safely, with proper PPE, staff, and improved ventilation.

“This would help families across rural areas, urban areas, and [of] all political stripes. Everybody needs help now, particularly children in low-income families,” Morrissey said.

On public health issues, a growing distrust of government leaders has fueled the politicization of the COVID-19 response, said Assistant Professor Aparna Soni. While support for mask-wearing has been split along party lines, there are reassuringly high levels of faith in local health officials and employers, and both sides agree that healthcare needs to be more accessible and affordable. She anticipates possible progress on alternative payment methods, as well as increased funding to prevent and treat opioid dependencies.

“It’s great to have our ideologies and our loyalties,” Soni said. “But when it comes to science and health, being able to independently evaluate polices on their own merits, regardless of who originated them, is very important to be able to move forward and create the best policies for the country.”

Morrissey agreed that policy arguments should be based on evidence and suggested that in-person collaboration is the key to nonpartisan solutions.

“Working in person offers a different dynamic than political punditry in the media or getting on social media and simply typing something that goes out into the ether,” she said.

With COVID and remote learning shaking up the academic year, AU administrators wanted to offer a little something extra to the university community. “ABetterU,” a free five-part virtual workshop series launched October 9, included a dozen professional and personal enrichment sessions for students, alumni, and faculty.

For current and beginning researchers, SPA faculty led workshops on identifying and using “good” data and the basics of creating a podcast. Other members of the AU community hosted sessions on navigating the job search in a virtual environment, time management, and intercultural understanding.

“We built this with the idea of giving students skills to benefit them in a variety of areas,” said SPA Dean Vicky Wilkins, who chaired the planning committee for the first institute.

ABetterU, which focuses more on life-skills than academics, was roughly modeled after SPA’s “Classes Without Quizzes,” a 2019 continuing education event offered to federal workers during the government shutdown, said Gihan Fernando, executive director of the AU Career Center.

“This really dovetails with the kind of place that AU is and the work of my team,” continued Fernando, who joined Dean Wilkins on the ABetterU planning team. “Part of the charge was to help give students an edge in some way and to be engaging. AU is a place where our students are strongly engaged in experiential education and have very positive outcomes with post-graduation work or going on for further education. This seemed like a natural way to move forward.”

Molly O’Rourke, executive in residence at the AU School of Communication, gave a presentation on how to make sense of political polls. She provided a checklist for the upcoming election, teaching consumers to look beyond the headlines to understand the survey methodology.

“This is what everybody is going to be talking about for the next three or four weeks,” said O’Rourke, who applauded the university for offering practical workshops for the community. “One of the hallmarks of AU is that our students are eager to take their education and go out in the world and make a difference.”

With many students learning off-campus this semester, the ABetterU committee wanted to provide an opportunity to learn more about Washington, D.C. SPA Professor Derek Hyra hosted a session on the extreme level of gentrification in the city, and discussed potential paths to equitable development.

“I talked about the redevelopment wave that is sweeping over the city, but how public policy tools can be utilized to make sure displacement is minimized and benefits for low-income people are maximized,” said Hyra. He also suggested possible points of connection for the community, including advocacy organizations where his students have volunteered in the past.

As Erik Lovece (MA/CAS ’22) searched for an internship in data analysis, he tuned into the ABetterU workshop on job networking to get tips from Scott Talen, assistant professor of communication.

“It was helpful to hear from an experienced professional about how to cultivate your LinkedIn profile beyond the standard recommendations,” Lovece said. “Because people are telecommuting, they are not constrained by location. I expect that I will be competing with people from across the country.”

Additional ABetterU sessions will be held in Spring 2021.

Experts agree that uncertainty over U.S. cyber security leadership is affecting government capacity to respond to the growing universe of cyber threats. Despite bipartisan support for the creation of a National Cyber Director, based on reports from the Cyberspace Solarium Commission (CSC), the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and others, as well as passage by the House as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in July, progress appears stalled in the Senate, which has called for further study of the issue.

A new report by SPA faculty members Sasha Cohen O'Connell and Kiran Raj provides a plan to break the impasse and call for immediate action. In The United States Needs a National Cyber Director: A Roadmap for Making it Happen in 2021, O’Connell and Raj recommend that the position be immediately created, and filled within the first 100 days of the next presidential administration.

“We took on the development of this guide to help move forward the process of creating a National Cyber Director (NCD) by summarizing the current thinking on the issue and providing concise recommendations and implementation priorities,” states the report, available publicly on October 5.

A precursor to the NCD position existed in the past, but was eliminated in 2018 in a general downsizing of the National Security Council, leaving multiple disparate agencies, such as the DHS, DOJ, and DOD to coordinate a complicated cyber policy and operations effort without a central coordination function. O’Connell and Raj argue for rebuilding better, and smarter. Instead of developing a new cyber agency or replacing existing departments, they advocate for the creation of a high-level White House entity that coordinates cyber operations and policy across the entire federal government and represents a consistent voice to external stakeholders.

“It is not just about the return of a cyber coordinator as we have known the role” said O’Connell. “We are endorsing the idea of enhanced responsibilities and authorities and also making [the director] an Assistant to the President, which is a significant change. We have laid out a roadmap, a concise summary of what’s been said and done previously, where we are today, additional implementation recommendations, and a prioritized action plan and decision document.”

O’Connell’s academic and professional background gives her particular insight into the organizational problems and solutions posed by the structure of cyber coordination. Currently an executive in residence and the director of the Terrorism and Homeland Security Policy Master’s program at SPA, she earned her MPA and PhD at AU, then spent years rising in the ranks of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with senior positions in the Strategy Management Office and the Criminal Investigative Division. More recently, O’Connell served as the organization's Chief Policy Advisor for Science and Technology and as Section Chief of the Office of National Policy. This last role, the first of its kind, led to intensive policy engagement with the National Security Council.

“While I was in that role, we worked on issues like the development of what became Presidential Policy Directive PPD 41, which articulates the roles and responsibilities of executive branch agencies and the White House for cyber critical incident response,” said O’Connell. “Throughout that process, along with similar processes focused on international hostage taking and even Arctic policy, I came to really appreciate the role the White House can and should play in supporting the expertise and energy in the departments and agencies and ensuring strategic efforts are coordinated.

Co-author Kiran Raj, JD is a senior executive in a financial technology company with experience in private legal practice and as Deputy General Counsel at the Department of Homeland Security, working directly with leaders of corporate America on the intersection of cybersecurity and privacy with law, policy, and technology. He held a similar role at the U.S. Department of Justice, as Senior Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General. Raj’s engineering and government experience combines with deep practical expertise to advise on the legal and technical aspects of the NCD recommendation.

“As an engineer working in private practice and then a lawyer working in DOJ and DHS on national security and cybersecurity matters, I saw first-hand how important it is to have senior leaders understand technology issues and be able to grasp the threat and possible solutions quickly and efficiently,” said Raj.

The demand for trained cyber professionals has transformed higher education over the last decade. O’Connell and Raj are part of a growing cyber curriculum at SPA currently offering undergraduate and graduate classes in cyber policy and cyber threats and security.

“One of SPA’s big differentiators is that we are practitioner-informed in everything we do,” said O’Connell. “To understand cyber policy issues we need to understand the players, structures as well as policy issues. So [the report] is very connected to the work we’re doing in the classroom.” In classic hands-on fashion, SPA graduate students Amber Smoyer and Bailey Fillinger and alumna Moriah Kairouz Batza contributed to the NCD report.

The United States Needs a National Cyber Director: A Roadmap for Making it Happen in 2021 reviews the relevant literature, details recommendations for structural changes, and is specific in noting the steps required to get there by spring. The report provides clarity on the national cyber director question.

“As the cyber threat continues to increase and become more sophisticated, it is even more important for the federal government to have a senior adviser to the President for cybersecurity matters” said Raj.

He and O’Connell hope that this package will also inform the current work happening in both the Trump and Biden transition teams in terms of setting priorities. Cyberspace Solarium Commission Executive Director Mark Montgomery agreed on report’s value, and the urgent nature of its recommendations.

"This report is an excellent review and assessment of the ongoing debate and literature surrounding the NCD position,” offered Montgomery. “It validates the Commission's position that an NCD is critical to the effective development, implementation, and oversight of a national cyber strategy."

“We can't keep talking about this for another four years,” said O’Connell. “We've looked at all the data, all the research, and all the findings, and have laid out what it should look like. You can pick pieces from the menu. But we don't need to study this anymore.”

Raj seconded this sense of urgency. “Now is the time to act,” he said. 

As cyber threats from domestic and foreign entities increase rapidly in sophistication and frequency, a new report by American University experts urges the creation of a senior position responsible for directly advising the U.S. President on matters of cybersecurity and emergent technologies, and coordinating the nation’s cyber strategy from the White House. The report recommends that the ground work to create a National Cybersecurity Director (NCD) be completed prior to the end of the year, and that new NCD leader be in place no later than the first 100 days of the next administration, whether it is Biden or a second term Trump Administration.

“The conversation about the need for an NCD is not new but also is not advancing as needed as the Senate and other entities continue to call for more study of this issue, ” said Sasha O’Connell, co-author and Executive in Residence, School of Public Affairs. “Our team took on the development of this report to help kick start the process of creating an NCD by summarizing the current thinking on the issue and providing concise recommendations and implementation priorities.”

The report’s recommendations largely align with the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 that was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on July 21, 2020, with several critical additions. According to the authors of the report, the NCD should be required to possess hands-on experience in national security, a technical or engineering background, and a record of successful leadership and stakeholder engagement in both the government and the private sector.

The authors of the report also outline the most effective structure for the NCD office and spell out the relationship between the NCD and the rest of the Executive Branch. They also refine the NCD’s role in both offensive and defensive cyber operations -- an area that has been the subject of a debate in the public and private sectors. 

“We see the upcoming election as an opportunity for the next Administration, whether it is Biden or a second term Trump Administration, to take a fresh look at governmental reforms to address the increasing complexity of cyber policy and prevalence of the cyber threat,” said Kiran Raj, report co-author and adjunct professor at American University’s School of Public Affairs . “We believe that adopting these recommendations will strengthen our cybersecurity capabilities and enhance the government’s ability to protect and secure America from cyber threats. The time to act is now.”

The highly competitive Fulbright US Scholars Program honored 11 American University alumni and one PhD student with awards to carry out self-designed research projects or teach English during the 2020–2021 academic year.

Hana Manadath, SIS/BA ’20, and Kimberly Tower, an SIS doctoral student, are slated to conduct yearlong research projects in Jordan and France, respectively, with their Fulbright Study/Research Awards. 

The alumni awarded Fulbright English Teaching Assistantships and their posting countries are Karanina Bhattacharjee, SIS/BA ’20, Malaysia; Skylar Coleman, SIS/BA ’18, Russia; Daisyarelli Martin, SPA/BA ’20 and Shay Sullivan, CAS/BA ’20, Germany; Aaron Mohabbat, SIS/BA ’20, Tajikistan; Kenya Roy, SPA/BA ’19 and Ana Santos, SIS/BA ’14, Brazil; and Henry Summ, CAS, CAS-SIS/BA ’18, Kazakhstan. Two finalists wish to remain anonymous. 

Funded through the US State Department and named after Arkansas senator J. William Fulbright, the program has been promoting international good will with student exchanges in the fields of education, culture, and science since its inception after World War II. The Fulbright program named AU a Top Producing Institution for 2019-20 among doctoral institutions in February, a distinction it has held six times since 2012-2013.  AU had 10 Fulbright scholars last year.

Forty students and alumni applied for 2020–2021 Fulbright awards, and Fulbright chose half as  finalists, alternates, or semifinalists. The Office of Merit Awards in the AU Career Center supported each candidate through the first two phases of the application process, and each had multiple faculty and staff mentors. 

Mandath credits the Office of Merit Awards team for helping her become a finalist.  “The entire office is so experienced in helping students showcase themselves in the best light possible. I wouldn’t be there without them, to be honest,” she says.   

The students selected for the Fulbright were superbly well qualified for their awards to study and teach in the more than 140 countries the program offers, says Paula Warrick, senior director of the Office of Merit Awards.  

“All of our scholars have outstanding foreign language skills and cross-cultural expertise,” Warrick says. “The English teaching assistants have an impressive level of teaching experience, and the study/research recipients have strong research experience and have forged interesting connections with scholars and practitioners in their proposed host country. It is also notable how diverse our new cohort of scholars is.”

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Fulbright program suspended disbursement of the 2020–2021 awards until at least January 1, 2021. Each AU finalist has the option to reapply for a 2021–2022 award, and many are doing so. All are considered Fulbright Scholars, a distinction that can remain on their résumés, whether they are able to complete their postings, Warrick says.
 
And what a distinction it is: “The Fulbright is one of the most well-known scholarships in the country,” says Warrick. “I think it’s a real honor to receive it.”
 
Of the uncertain times, Santos says she knows how to adapt and will work on her application for the 2021-2022 Fulbright awards. “Since we’re in the middle of a pandemic, and there’s no end in sight, my goal is just to survive and be ready for the post-pandemic world, whatever that looks like,” she says.
 
Though their plans are currently in limbo, each shared their objectives for their year as a Fulbright Scholar: 

•  Bhattacharjee, who is set on a diplomacy career, will prepare for graduate studies in international relations emphasizing East Asia, international development, and foreign policy. “As someone who is multiracial, I want to represent the multicultural part of America abroad,” she says.  

•  Coleman, who will pursue a career in international service after she earns her master’s degree in international relations with a focus on media and communications, says she wants to represent the Black experience during her time in Russia. “I’m excited to bring a greater experience of what it means to be an American to the Fulbright program,” she says. 

•  Mandath, an aspiring journalist, will explore how Syrian refugees in Jordan consume media, with a focus on the news sources they have access to and how that information informs their decision-making about whether to remain in Jordan, return to Syria, or move to a third country. 

•  Martin, who majored in Arabic and justice and law, plans to pursue a career in the US Foreign Service. A Mexican American with immigrant parents, she speaks Spanish, English, German, and Arabic. Martin taught Iraqi refugees English while a Boren Scholar in Jordan and was a resident assistant at an Arabic languages camp in Vermont and an afterschool educator at a DC elementary school.  

•  Mohabbat, a future international jurist, wants to teach English as a tool for people to better their lives. The son of a former Afghan ambassador to the US, his mother is ethnically Tajik, and he has intermediate proficiency in the language. With near-native proficiency in Dari, Mohabbat interned as a caseworker for the International Refugee Committee, where he interpreted for Afghan families. 

•  Roy aspires to explore education equity in an international context while in Brazil and will research ways “to help disadvantaged people forge new pathways out” of their situations. “Being a black woman in the United States, I saw a lot of similarities between the US and Brazil in terms of race and inequality,” she says. 

•  Santos, who has interned with or worked for several media organizations since graduation, plans to work in a university setting in Brazil with future English as a Foreign Language teachers. A first-generation Portuguese American who speaks fluent Portuguese, she interned at the US Embassy in Brasilia and earned her TEFL certificate while overseas as a Peace Corps volunteer. 

•  Sullivan is interested in the intersection of literature, German language and culture, and anthropology. She was a German language coach for AU’s Center for Language Exploration, Acquisition, and Research and previously spent two years in Germany as a Gilman Scholar and a Rotary Youth Exchange ambassador.   

•  Summ, an Eagle Scout who was a Peace Corps Scholar while at AU, became interested in Kazakhstan’s trilingual language policy (Kazakh, Russian, and English) after a visit to Almaty. “I’m looking forward to supporting English learning in a new academic environment and using my Scouting experience to organize cross-cultural programs in my community,” Summ says. 

•  Tower will conduct fieldwork for her dissertation, Campaigning for Kebabs: Measuring the Effect of Imagery and Symbols in the International System. She will investigate the connection between ethnic businesses and voter registration, capturing the symbolic effect via ethnography, participant observation, and informal interviews. 

The Sine Institute, a university-wide initiative, was created in 2018, as an incubator for policy and an innovation hub for the best minds in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, the arts, and journalism. As Sine’s second year of programming draws to a close, we sat down with Director Amy K. Dacey for a conversation about the institute’s past and future, and its role in responding to one of the most challenging years in modern history.

Amy, you joined Sine almost a year after it launched. What drew you to the institute?
Well, as a graduate of American University, it is always great to get back on campus. As President Burwell was coming on to American University, she created the Sine Institute of Policy and Politics, with a generous $10 million gift from [AU alumnus and entrepreneur] Jeff Sine (SIS/BA ’76) and [advocate and journalist] Samira Sine. It was just what I was wanting to work on, taking a 360 view of the policymaking process and bringing in incredible speakers to talk about nonpartisan solutions to some of our biggest problems. I had been doing some work with students, and I think it is so important to get them engaged and involved early, so it was the perfect opportunity to do all those things.

Sine is celebrating its second anniversary! How has it grown?
We’ve worked in a lot of ways to build internal collaboration. As one of only two university-wide institutes on campus, we have built awareness among the campus community on the work we are doing, and collaborated with other AU colleges and schools, with joint events with the Washington College of Law, the School of Communications, the SPExS [School of Professional and Extended Studies] program: we’ve really reached every part of campus. We’ve also made it more student-focused, with a student advisory board, and associates who work directly with our Spring Fellows class every year.

At the same time, we’ve focused externally, bringing in incredible speakers, creating partnerships with organizations outside of campus, making sure we build relationships and make our work accessible to not only students (graduate and undergraduate), but also to faculty, staff, alumni, and community members. We have created external partnerships, as with our work with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation on criminal justice reform. Our Fellows bring in other organizations, leading to joint programs with the Bipartisan Policy Center, Common Ground Solutions, No Labels, and some other interesting groups working in the nonpartisan space.

What is Sine trying to achieve right now?
We’ve just recently opened up the application process for Spring fellows for 2021, and we’re having the necessary conversations to build a really strong cohort. This fall, in a national election year, we’re very focused on how is policy represented. We are doing a debate series [beginning September 28] to give an insiders’ view to the debate process. We are also working with faculty and outside groups to figure out some longer-term programs that dive deeper into some of these policy issues, hopefully with incredible substantive results.

What are the priorities for Sine in the next three to five years?
Looking forward, Sine certainly wants to establish an even bigger presence and awareness on campus and off campus, in the District. Though we are in the nation’s capital, another goal is to engage people out in the States, including elected officials, journalists, and civil servants at the state and local level, as well as internationally.

Finally, the great COVID question. How has Sine optimized its programming in the face of the national health, economic, and cultural challenges of 2020?
In the spring, we converted the discussions with our Fellows to online events. Even so, we were able to create a lot of interest, and we made sure we fulfilled the work of the Fellows throughout the spring semester.

Sine is also looking at the issues that have affected the country, whether global health or the financial crisis, finding new ways to address them, and getting ahead of some of the challenges facing us in the future. We have certainly become a real team partner with campus, making sure students are still getting the experience they need in this virtual world, and providing them with access to some of the great programming and people that Sine brings to campus.

Finally, I feel that Sine has really met this moment with real-time programming. Distinguished Lecturer The Honourable Joe Hockey [ambassador of Australia to the U.S.], gave us a global perspective on the pandemic and the financial crisis. In National Pride Month, we brought in Alphonso David, the president of the Human Rights Campaign, to talk about the LGBT community. We hosted Gary Cohn [former Director of the National Economic Council and chief economic advisor to President Trump], to discuss the national financial situation. One of our alumni, Philadelphia councilman Allan Domb (’77), spoke on how communities locally are dealing with these challenges. Sine looked hard at what was facing us and offered an international, national, and local perspective.

Follow Sine (@AUSineInstitute) on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for updates on events and programming, and media appearances with Director Dacey. And, sign up for our newsletter to get weekly updates on everything happening at Sine.

Rather than lecturing on the detrimental impact of a crowded planet to address overpopulation, some researchers are promoting positive psychology to appeal to families to have fewer children.

Daniel Fiorino, director of the SPA Center for Environmental Policy, hosted an online discussion on the topic on September 9. Panelists included Professor and Chair Alon Tal and Senior Lecturer Dorit Kerret, both of Tel Aviv University, and Michael Kraft, professor emeritus of political science, public affairs, and environmental studies at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

With the world adding 230,000 people a day, scholars estimate that the global population could grow from 7.7 billion today to 9.6 billion by 2050. “People need food, transportation, energy, and jobs,” said Kraft. “That translates into a tremendous demand on the resources of the world.”

Tal and Kerret recently published a paper advocating a more direct approach, emphasizing the individual benefits of limiting family size over societal gains to the environment. 

“We are trying to convince people living in countries with high fertility rates to move in a more sustainable direction,” Tal said. His previous work focused attention on overpopulation by describing collapsing ecosystems, loss of open spaces, and spiraling greenhouse gases. Kerret, however, suggested that these catastrophic messages paralyzed people instead of offering a path forward. 

“Positive sustainability” combines positive psychology and environmental policy to appeal to a family’s self interest. Research shows that relationships, educational levels, and economic opportunities improve with fewer children.

The argument needs to be less about the state of the environment and more about the very personal consideration of the quality of life with a smaller family, she said. 

“Having two children––and not more––is good for your individual well-being, your family well-being, and, of course, the biosphere. So, it’s a win-win situation,” Kerret said.

The paper examines national strategies to promote two-child families, including policies that support education and careers for women. In some developing countries, the status of women and cultural norms can be barriers to family planning: Tal noted that the empowerment of women is at the core of slowing population growth. 

Kraft added that although birth rates are lower in developed countries, the higher standard of living means an individual uses more resources than his or her counterpart in less-developed regions. Therefore, the path to a sustainable planet is a combination of lowering birth rates and addressing over-consumption in Western economies. The U.S. represents both challenges, with high levels of consumption as well as a projection of 56 million more people by 2050. 

“I love the [Kerret-Tal] paper because of the positive spin it puts on what has long been a contentious issue,” Kraft said. “People say we have to control the population or get people to do what they are not doing. This approach turns that around and says it’s really in people’s own best interest to do this.”

As a youth, Associate Justice of the California Board of Appeals Audrey B. Collins, SPA/MA '69, would have never guessed that she would forge a history-making career. An American University School of Public Affairs graduate, Collins became the first African-American woman to serve as Head Deputy, Assistant Bureau Director, and Assistant District Attorney after joining the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office in 1978.

In 1994, President Bill Clinton appointed Collins to the United States District Court for the Central District of California, and she served as Chief Judge of the Central District from 2009 to 2012. During that time, Collins became the first judge to declare a portion of the 9/11-inspired Patriot Act unconstitutional based on language that she found to be in conflict with the First Amendment. In 2014, she was appointed to the California Court of Appeal, where she remains today.

Over the years, Collins has been acknowledged for her many contributions to public service and social equality. On April 5, the Friends of Los Angeles County Law Library will present her with the 2017 Beacon of Justice Award, recognizing her exceptional commitment to expanding access to quality legal services for low-income people and communities.

Collins's story is unique in that not only did she come of age during the Civil Rights Movement, but she was also the granddaughter of a slave. To be only two generations removed from slavery is "very unusual for someone my age, now 71," says Collins. She was born in Chester, Pa. in 1945. But both her grandfather and father married later in life, which explains her proximity to slavery. After being freed sometime in the 1860s, her grandfather, Furman Lawrence Brodie, worked his way through school, eventually becoming a minister and teacher. "He didn't learn to read until he was 16," says Collins.

Collins was first inspired to pursue a career in law by her family's strong tradition of public service. Her father was a dentist who built a community-based practice in Chester, and her mother was a teacher. Collins describes her mother as a "brilliant woman who graduated from Howard University at the age of 20." Collins is convinced that had there been an opportunity, her mother would have become a lawyer. But growing up in Norfolk, Va., her mother experienced segregation and overt racism, something Collins encountered only when she visited. By choosing to raise Collins in Yeadon, Pa., her parents were able to shield her from that and ensure that she had the best educational opportunities possible.

Collins's interest in law became more apparent during her undergraduate studies in political science at Howard University. While she was not involved in the Civil Rights Movement directly, it was then that she recognized the need for equitable legal representation for African-Americans, especially protesters who were being detained by police. "It occurred to me at that time that the most fascinating and meaningful thing for me to do was to go to law school," says Collins. "I think, especially being at Howard, it was clear that lawyers were there on the front lines of what was happening in the Civil Rights Movement."

After completing her MA in government and public administration at American University, Collins went on to obtain a JD from UCLA in 1977, throwing her legal career into full swing. Collins would have never predicted that she would be where she is today. "I'm not a fan of the five-year plan," she says. "You don't have to have your whole life worked out. I think if you find something you love to do, something you're enthusiastic about doing, and do well, it will reveal itself."

American University's Office of Development and Alumni Relations recently launched UFUND, a crowdfunding platform just for the AU community. This is a new way for alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and friends of the university to directly fund the projects and initiatives they care about most.

AU faculty, staff, and students are planning ventures to shape the future of the community, nation, and world. By making a gift, donors support the development and success of these projects.

Currently, UFUND features five initiatives – The Eagle Innovation Fund, the DC-Area High School Ethics Bowl, an Alternative Break in Cuba, the Skills for Success Career Seminar, and production of the documentary In The Executioner's Shadow.

Members of the AU community are invited to submit new projects to be featured on UFUND.

Michael Worley, SPA/BA ’12, is the President and founder of MDW Communications, a political consulting firm based in Fort Lauderdale. He has worked on campaigns from the municipal to congressional level, from South Florida, to Georgia, to New England. The firm has won two awards this year, the 2016 Campaigns & Elections Magazine Reed Award for Best Overall Direct Mail Piece, and a Pollie Award. At 25, Michael is one of the youngest people ever to receive a Reed Award. Today it seems everything is going right for Michael and his business, and it all started from a moment of financial desperation in Michael’s junior year at AU.

Michael was an over-worked, underpaid college student with a passion for politics. A national board member for the College Democrats of America for two years, Michael transferred to AU from Miami “to be closer to the action.” To get by financially, he had three different part time jobs and an internship. But all of a sudden in late 2010, Michael learned that his roommate hadn’t been paying rent for months, and they were about to be evicted. To make matters worse, his roommate abandoned the apartment and left town, leaving Michael to take responsibility for the debt.

At a loss for what to do, Michael sought advice from his boss at a Tenlytown cigar shop. His boss suggested he monetize his communications skills and start his own business. Inspired by the idea, Michael got to work right away. He ran a search through AUCareerWeb for companies hiring paid interns, and sent each of them a business pitch, offering his services as a professional social media marketing consultant who could provide better results than an intern could, for a lower rate than an agency would charge. Among his first clients were FroZenYo, American Tap Room, and the cigar shop in Tenleytown. “Things added up so quickly,” Michael says, “I was able to get out of debt and support myself for the next two years in college.”

Now Michael has worked on almost 100 campaigns. He has three full time employees, and produces everything from advanced digital marketing, to direct mail, and now television advertising as well. “Today we produced two direct mail pieces, produced a radio spot, and placed a digital ad, all before 11 a.m.” Michael says. His team is in the thick of municipal campaigns for elections this month. “We are involved in campaigns at all levels, but the local level is where you get to really make a difference. What people don’t realize is that if you don’t vote in municipal and state elections you have no seat at the table. Real policy making and impact on the community happens in the local level.”

Michael credits his AU experience for giving him the resources he needed to succeed as an entrepreneur. “AU was a catalyst for all the things that happened,” says Michael, “AU brought together people who had [started a business] successfully, who were living proof that you can do this if you work hard enough.” When Michael graduated, his decision to continue with his business was influenced by some advice from Chip Griffin, SPA/BA '94, who was president of the AU Alumni Board at the time, and is an experienced entrepreneur. He continues to get new opportunities from fellow AU alums in the political community. Michael is an active member of his local young alumni chapter, and he regularly gives back by volunteering for new and prospective student events.

Like so many of his fellow AU alumni, Hyong Yi, SPA/BA ’94, SPA/MPA ’95, truly loves public service. When you ask him about his role as assistant city manager for the city of Charlotte, N.C., Hyong will tell you, “I love this job. This is what I am meant to do.” In his role, he is able to help run the city on a day-to-day basis, particularly with regards to all things environmental.

In high school, a class trip brought Hyong to Washington, DC from his childhood home in Pennsylvania’s Amish country. That trip combined with his love of politics sealed in his mind the fact that he wanted to attend college in the nation’s capital. In the end, American University was the only school he applied to. 

As a student, Hyong was driven and hardworking. He completed his undergraduate degree in just three years, then went on to complete his MPA in only one more. He was also a member of the University Honors Program, lived in a Living Learning Center in Anderson Hall, and still managed to study abroad in London for a semester. 

When asked to reflect on his time at AU, Hyong extols the virtues of studying abroad and says he thinks it should be mandatory for all college students. Although he was born in Korea, Hyong spent the majority of his life before college living in Pennsylvania, and he loved the opportunity to live overseas for a semester, studying, traveling, and immersing himself in everyday life in London. 

Upon completing his studies at AU, Hyong went on to work in DC government for several years. While living and working in DC, Hyong met the love of his life, Catherine Zanga. He and Catherine eventually settled in Charlotte and had two children, Anna and Alex.

In November of 2014, Catherine passed away after a 16-month battle with cancer. To mark the one-year anniversary of her passing, Hyong wrote 100 love notes and he, Anna, and Alex stood on the street and passed them out to strangers as they walked by. The notes chronicle the love story of Hyong and Catherine and, when read in order, tell the story of their courtship and marriage followed by their struggle with Catherine’s illness and ending with what Hyong wishes he could say to her now. 

The story received international attention in news and media outlets, and Hyong is thrilled. In addition to the physical notes that were distributed, Hyong gathered all the notes along with photos in a digital monument to Catherine’s life that can be found at 100lovenotes.com and plans to turn the project into a book to be released this year. His hope is that part of Catherine’s legacy will be to encourage people all over the world to write their own love notes and share their feelings with their loved ones before tragedy hits and it is too late.

"American University's School of Public Affairs was top 10 in the nation for their public affairs program, and I knew that's where I wanted to be," says Chris Quintyne, SPA/BA '07, of his decision to attend AU. "I was born and raised in this area, but I wanted a unique experience," he adds. Chris didn't have to wait long to find just that.

While a student as AU, Chris was a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., Beta Beta Chapter. "I met amazing, lifelong friends. It was a really supportive community and I am still very active with the fraternity today," he says. 

When asked about his academic experience, he remembers the exact moment things clicked for him on AU's campus.

"Dr. Andrea Lang in SPA is the reason I became a justice major. She was very nurturing, and I could bring anything to her and receive great feedback," Chris recalls. "Any class she taught, I was taking it." 

Dr. Lang's mentorship propelled Chris to further his education past earning his bachelor's degree from AU. Chris holds a law degree and master's degree in public administration from Southern University Law Center. During his academic journey, Chris always looked for ways to either intern or work where law and policy intersect. He served as a law clerk in the Louisiana House of Representatives for the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus, held internships with the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, and worked as a deputy clerk at DC Superior Court.

Chris is currently the management assistant for the town of Chevy Chase, Maryland. Previously, he served as assistant town administrator for Capitol Heights, Maryland. During that time, he served a period as acting town administrator. He ran the day-to-day operations of the town's municipal government, supervised the department heads and all staff, drafted legislation that went before the Town Council, and secured hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant funding for the town's infrastructure projects. "I think it was that experience in public service that really gave me the opportunity to utilize all of the tools that I acquired from AU and my professional degrees," says Chris. 

"AU ingrained in me a desire to pursue a career in public service by providing me the opportunity to pursue substantive work experience in government while I was a student. That experience was pivotal in shaping my career interests and the work that I am currently doing in local government," Chris shares. Now he is an Alumni Admissions Volunteer, a member of the Black Alumni Alliance, and a member of the American University Alumni Board.

When asked how he manages to balance everything on his plate, Chris reflects on what he tells both himself and students he meets: "To whom much is given, much is required. If you work hard, give back to your community, and try to be a resource to support and be helpful to other people, I believe you will find yourself in a great position."

“Having more diversity in the workforce will give a company or organization better results, have people collaborating better together, and ultimately impact the bottom line,” says Darlene Slaughter, SPA/MSHR ’93, who was recently named chief diversity officer at United Way Worldwide after spending many years at Fannie Mae, where she was also chief diversity officer.

The United Way is the world’s largest privately-funded nonprofit organization. Its mission is to create community solutions in support of education, income, and health. United Way is engaged in nearly 1,800 communities across more than 40 countries and territories worldwide.

At United Way Worldwide, the leadership and support organization for the global network, Darlene is responsible for ensuring diversity and inclusion are valued both at United Way Worldwide as well as all local United Ways. She represents the United Way at conferences, highlighting its efforts to reach across cultural boundaries. She also helps recruit and develop talent for the organization and travels to local United Way offices as a guest speaker or to create a strategy if they are struggling to reach a particular community of people.

“It’s a dream job because it encompasses everything from being the classroom teacher, to helping organizations think about how they are designed, to mentoring, and being a spokesperson for the United Way. … It’s an honor,” Darlene says.

Darlene’s dedication to diversity stemmed from her lifelong desire to be a teacher. She received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Howard University, and although she never taught in a classroom, Darlene always found herself in jobs that required her to educate others. She loved working with and teaching people, so it only seemed natural to pursue her master’s degree in human resources and organizational development.

“You learn about organizations and systems and human behavior but ultimately, the program itself is all about you, the individual, and what role you play in the world and how you create change in the world. It was enlightening to learn about yourself and what makes you the way you are, and then how you can use yourself as a tool to help others. It’s very powerful,” she says. “You are the change agent that organizations need; that’s what the degree is all about.”

Darlene has returned to campus and spoken to current students in the program through her friendship with Professor Mark Clark. She has also mentored students she met in Professor Clark’s classroom, always happy to answer questions or offer advice. She likes to give back, she says, because, “To this day, I look back and see that the work I am doing today absolutely is informed by everything I learned at AU.”

When a catastrophic disaster hits a region of the world and the United States is sending assistance, chances are American University alumna Mia Beers, SPA/MPA '10, is a crucial piece of the puzzle. 

This past year, she says, has seen an unusually high amount of disasters, which means that instead of staying in D.C. to coordinate the government response, Mia and many other USAID staff have been deployed in the field.

In November and December of 2014, Mia was asked to lead the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) tasked with helping coordinate and support the U.S. government's response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Mia was based in Liberia but oversaw teams on the ground in that country as well as Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Mali.

As team leader, she worked in partnership with the CDC, U.S. Public Health Service, and Department of Defense to provide treatment units, medical supplies such as personal protective equipment, and direct funding to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and United Nations agencies. Her team also provided critical information to teams on the ground and the media, monitoring the outbreak and reporting on the evolving situation.

"There is a really incredible group of people from the U.S. government -– USAID and other agencies –- responding to Ebola in West Africa," Mia says. "I was just one of many people working on the response. The United States should be proud of its efforts in West Africa."

In any given year, USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance will send humanitarian aid to people on behalf of U.S. citizens in response to between 60 and 80 disasters. Four major efforts at the moment include: helping West Africa respond to Ebola, aiding those affected by the South Sudan conflict, working with victims of the Syrian conflict, and assisting displaced populations in Iraq.

When she isn't part of the on-the-ground response, Mia heads USAID's Humanitarian Policy and Global Engagement team, which supports U.S. disaster assistance. Her team helps with strategic communication and information dissemination, facilitates inter-agency relationships, coordinates funding, and makes policy recommendations to the U.S. government and United Nations.

Mia's interest in international affairs was sparked during her undergraduate education. After graduating from George Washington University, she got a job in Africa. "I thought I would be overseas for a short time; so did my family, but [while working for CARE in Somalia] I 'got the bug,' and didn't officially come home until 14 years later," she says. During those years, Mia worked for NGOs and USAID.

"I loved working in the field with an NGO having direct contact with communities, and when I moved to the U.S. government, I was really drawn to public service. ... My colleagues and I are proud of what we do. To say you are part of the U.S. disaster response and represent the American people is pretty amazing," she says.

When she returned to the U.S., Mia wanted to "to become an extraordinary leader -- one who inspires people to do their best and willing to take more risks." A recipient of the Donald G. Zauderer Scholarship, she enjoyed learning from her fellow students in the Key Executive Leadership Program at AU. 

"You learn from the faculty but also from each other. I learned as much from other federal managers as I learned from professors because we had so many shared experiences," she recalls.

Rosemarie Rae, SPA/MPA '09, was recently named associate vice chancellor of finance and chief financial officer at the University of California, Berkeley. As a graduate of AU's public administration and Key Executive Leadership programs in 2009, Rosemarie actually started her graduate work late in her career. "I was in my mid-forties when I joined cohort 36. It was career- and life-changing. But I do contribute the experience I had at American University as a direct link to where I am now," she says.

Coming up on her one-year anniversary at UC Berkeley, Rosemarie actually spent the last 15 to 20 years in the nonprofit sector. "I used a lot of my research experience from my cohort," she says. "So many of the things I learned have really proven to be cornerstones of what guides my work today. I spend most of my time at Berkley in strategic conversation, and I really learned the art of strategic thinking from professor Robert Tobias, director of business development for the key executive leadership program, and other AU professors," Rosemarie adds.

Rosemarie shares that most of her current work is related to finance. Her undergraduate degree is in accounting;she sat for CPA exam and passed, and this has helped her tremendously over the years. However, the brunt of her work focuses on the alignment with other C-level executives at Berkeley and how they think about resource allocations. Additionally, they spend a vast amount of time figuring out the best use of their limited resources and how it supports the institution's strategic vision. 

Prior to beginning at Berkeley, Rosemarie served as the chief financial and administrative officer of The National Trust for Historic Preservation as well as executive vice president, chief strategy officer, and CFO at Volunteers of America. Berkeley is her first job in higher education. She says, "My nonprofit experience was similar in nature to higher education, so I felt well prepared."

Before her career change, Rosemarie went back to graduate school at AU for herself. She says, "I'm originally from the east coast, and I was eager to be in an academic setting and have an opportunity to learn and explore new ideas. It was far more rewarding than I ever thought it would be."

Her advice to students is the same advice she gives now as an administrator: "You have to realize that people really do want to help you. Whether it be your professors or your peers, tap into the resources that are offered to you. Mentorship is a great thing, professors are great, but think beyond the professor to someone who is in your field. Build your career by taking an interest in a range of things that will be helpful for career advancement," she says.

Her final thought for students, "Take a leadership role every chance you get, you'll need to strengthen that muscle if you want to be in a place of power in your future."

From AU Student Government president to executive director and cofounder of the National Campus Leadership Council, Andy MacCracken, SPA/BA ’11, SPA/MA ’14, has shown a deep commitment to addressing the most pressing concerns facing this generation’s college students. 

At NCLC, Andy and his staff empower student body presidents and their teams to collaborate and tackle major issues like sexual assault, student load debt, student veterans’ affairs, and access to mental health services. NCLC connects these groups to other campuses, policymakers, and the media while providing technical assistance and professional skills trainings to ensure they are effectively lobbying for change. 

Right now, NCLC is running campus outreach for the White House’s “It’s On Us” campaign to stop campus sexual assaults. Working with approximately 300 campuses, NCLC’s role is to support the work students are already doing around education and prevention. 

Speaking of the White House, last year Andy had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to introduce President Obama ahead of the president’s remarks about executive actions that would support federal student loan borrowers. He also visited the White House as a panelist for the “It’s On Us” campaign. 

Andy served as AU’s Student Government president during his junior year. Following, he was involved with different efforts to facilitate greater collaboration among student leaders regionally and nationally. As some of those efforts began to merge into each other, Andy decided it was time to turn this side project into a full-time career.  

“A lot of what I learned in the SPA Leadership Program, Campaign Management Institute, and Public Affairs Advocacy Institute shaped my approach to starting my organization. Each of those programs are top notch in developing critical thinking and mission-focused strategy on top of hands-on experience,” Andy says. 

NCLC’s role in the higher education community continues to grow, as it hosts national student leader summits in collaboration with the White House. Students today face many issues, from employment gaps to soaring student debt, and Andy says NCLC is committed to opening dialogue and access between student leaders and policymakers. 

Alumna Sarah McBride, SPA/BA '13, is proud that American University is preparing the next generation of leaders. At 23 years old, the former Student Government president is a remarkable example of what AU's young alumni can achieve. From being the first openly transgender woman to work for the White House, to being instrumental in the passage of Delaware's Gender Identity Nondiscrimination Act, Sarah is committed to working toward equality for all. 

Sarah has loved politics since she was a teenager, and she became actively involved in campaigns in her home state of Delaware in 2006. Coming to AU was the right choice for her politically-minded career, she says, because her time at AU "made my love of politics less about 'politics' and more about what politics can do." 

As president of AU's Student Government for the 2011-12 academic year, Sarah championed student interests, including gender neutral housing and encouraging changes in AU's insurance coverage for transgender students. After completing her term as president, Sarah wrote a Facebook note, later edited into an op-ed in The Eagle, titled "The Real Me," in which she came out as being a transgender woman. 

After publishing her story, Sarah received a tremendous amount of support from the AU community. "Only at AU would I have had an experience where every single response to my coming out was positive," she says. "I wouldn't be the person I am today without AU and without my experience there. My time at AU, the relationships I developed, and the lessons I learned allowed me to live authentically." 

Sarah says she felt overwhelmed, but also inspired by the reactions she received by the AU community. "It shows us where our school can be, where our community can be, where our country can be, and that we have the capacity to get there." 

Sarah credits fellow AU students and alumni for instilling in her "a deep passion for social justice." Now an alumna, Sarah has continued to work with the university in promoting equality among students. Along with the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, Sarah helped champion a new sexuality and queer studies minor at AU, which debuted in fall 2013. 

She says that she feels a "deep responsibility" to give back to the school that has given her so much. "I want to make sure that the students who go to American for generations to come have as positive an experience as I had. I and my fellow alumni have a responsibility to do that." 

Sarah knows that the university has well prepared the next generation of leaders, saying, "If America was a little more like American, things would be a lot better for people who are currently struggling."