Dear Alumni,

With the temperatures heating up and the summer solstice just around the corner (for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere), we’re entering a period of quiet classrooms, time with family and friends, and out-of-office messages. 

If you’re like me, my plan for this summer is to take it all in.  

Those who read my May message last month will recall just how busy the American University Alumni Board (AUAB) and broader alumni community has been this spring. This engagement isn’t slowing down, and I’m cheering on new connections among alumni, students, and prospective Eagles this summer. Check out the Alumni Events calendar to see what’s on the schedule! 

It’s also a peak time for internships and experiential learning with students getting their feet wet in workplaces across industries. 87% of AU students complete at least one internship (with that number set to rise through the AU Ready Pledge). AU’s strong internship culture is a banner alumni wear proudly, so an important reminder: If you or your employer offer an intern program, notify AU’s Career Center. Countless AU graduates had our lives changed by an internship, so let’s make sure we pay it forward. 

This month also brought news of AU’s presidential transition. On behalf of the AU Alumni Association, I want to extend our thanks to President Jon Alger and congratulate him on his joint appointment as the inaugural America 250 Fellow with the American Council on Education (ACE) and American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). President Alger’s commitment to civic learning has positioned AU as a national leader in the space, and we are grateful for his continued university service as Senior Fellow for Civic Leadership. 

To this end, I want to offer a welcome to Dave Marchick, current dean of the Kogod School of Business, who is stepping into the role of interim president on July 1. Dave’s leadership at Kogod has been inspiring to the school’s alumni (myself included), and he plans to be an “accelerator” to all the good work happening campus wide as interim president—central to which for Dave and the AUAB are partnerships and engagement with our AU alumni network. 

And Dave takes acceleration literally, too. Two years ago, he biked across the United States to raise $100,000 for scholarships at AU, and it appears he may be gearing up for another purpose-fueled ride . . . so stay tuned! 

I want to close this month’s message with a few reminders and updates: 

• The deadline for submissions to Dear AU: A Love Letter from Alumni to Their Alma Mater has been extended to June 30. Imagine how meaningful it’ll be for the new Class of 2030 to see your alumni videos played at Opening Convocation in August! 

• Save the date and register for Golden Eagles Reunion Weekend on August 28 in which we’ll welcome the Class of 1976 and all alumni celebrating 50 years or more since graduation.  

• June 30 marks the end of the fiscal year for AU. If you’ve been thinking about making a gift to support student access and achievement this year, now is the perfect time to be counted for FY26. 

Happy Summer!  

Patty Caballero, SOC/BA ’91, Kogod/MBA ’00