Alison Jacknowitz

Announcement ·

Alison Jacknowitz Named Dean of AU’s Top-Ranked School of Public Affairs

The interim leader and long-serving public administration and policy professor will step into the permanent role on June 1.
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Group Shot at 2026 Alumni Awards

Alumni ·

AU Honors 2026 Alumni Award Recipients

The AU Alumni Association's highest honors go to four remarkable Eagles.
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Patty Caballero speaks at the 2026 AU Commencement.

Alumni ·

To the Class of 2026, You Don't Walk This Path Alone

AU Alumni Board President Patty Caballero's Commencement Address
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Jeff Gill, Wendy Melillo, Nathalie Japkowicz

Communications ·

Uncovering Coded Antisemitism Online Takes Both Human Expertise and AI Automation

The Unmasking Antisemitism project at American University uses artificial intelligence, qualitative analysis and survey experiments to develop studies and tools to detect overt and coded hate speech.
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Photo courtesy of Andrew Bennett.

In the Community ·

Abracadabra: This Magician is an AU Adjunct

How leadership consultant and SPA adjunct professorial lecturer Andrew Bennett uses the art of illusion to transform the classroom and the boardroom
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Photo by Jeff Watts.

Achievements ·

Ambition, Empathy, and Authenticity: Distinguished Speakers Inspire Class of 2026

Nearly 2,700 graduates embraced the charge to lead with curiosity and find meaning in service during American University’s 151st commencement in Bender Arena
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Jack Pavia. Photo by Ethan Kaufmann, SOC/BA '26

Political Science ·

The Ultimate Capstone: AU Senior Sets Sights on Connecticut State House

Jack Pavia, SPA/BA ’26, is trading the classroom for the campaign trail as the political science major joins a wave of Gen Z voices entering the political arena.
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Taha Vahanvaty and Ethan McBride

Achievements ·

Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges: Meet AU’s 2026 President’s Award Winners

Ethan McBride, SPA/BS ’26, takes home the university’s highest undergraduate honor for his accessibility advocacy, while Taha Vahanvaty, SPA/BA ’26, is the inaugural recipient of the President’s Award for Civic Engagement.
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AURORA News Image

Announcement ·

AURORA

SPA launches a new model for cultivating national security talent in a challenging era
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SPA Lunch and Learn

On Campus ·

Classrooms as “Nurseries” for Citizenship: SPA Faculty Bridge Career Readiness and Civic Life

During the final 250+ at American Lunch and Learn of the spring semester on April 14, panelists discussed scholarship with real-world impact.
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