CAS Events

STEM Events

• Environmental Science Seminar: Historian Andrew Demshuk
  October 12, 12:55 | Hall of Science 113

• Health Research Talks:
  October 13: Dr. Lilly Springer 
  November 10: Dr. Elizabeth Cotter
  Bender Library B51 | 4:30–5:15 p.m.

• Where can Engineering Physics Take You?
  October 14, 2:30 – 3:45 p.m. | Don Myers Building 213
  Dr. Elena Adams, Lander Systems Engineer for NASA’s Dragonfly mission, will share insights into her career and her work on high-impact NASA projects.
• Learn about STEM-related Undergraduate Certificates
  October 14, 5:30–6:30 p.m. | Hall of Science 113

Find more events, resources, and details in the STEM newsletter.
 

Between the Lines: Vernacular Poetry as Collective Memory
Book Talk and Workshop with Dr. Mary Rizzo
October 12 | Battelle-Tompkins Atrium
5:30 p.m. book talk, 6:30 p.m. workshop

Join the Public History Program for a book talk with Dr. Mary Rizzo on her recent publication, Baltimore's Black Arts Then & Now: Behind the Scenes of a Collaborative Public Humanities Project, followed by a hands-on poetry-writing workshop in dialogue with regional poet-ancestors through Chicory, a Baltimore Black grassroots magazine. Registration is required for the workshop portion of this event. This event is coponsored by the Department of History and the Department of Critical Race, Gender, and Culture.
Register for workshop

Center for Israel Studies presentsA Virtual Debate: "Is America Different? A Debate on the 'Myth of American Exceptionalism' for American Jews"October 15 on Zoom

This event is part of AU's 250+ Series and features

• Dr. Tony E. Michels, George L. Mosse Professor of American Jewish History, University of Wisconsin-Madison 
• Dr. Kenneth D. Wald, Distinguished Professor of Political Science Emeritus and the Samuel R. “Bud” Shorstein Professor Emeritus of American Jewish Culture and Society, University of Florida-Gainesville 
• Moderator: Dr. Lauren B. Strauss, Research Assistant Professor; Director of Undergraduate Studies, Jewish Studies Program, American University 

AU Museum Fall 2026 Exhibitions
September 5–December 6

At the center of AU Museum's fall season is a major solo showcase by Ahn Chang-Hong, one of South Korea’s most significant contemporary artists, as well as works of Islamic calligrapher Ayesha Kamal, urban photographer Norman S. Carr, and unique digital drawings by American University professor emerita Mary Garrard.

• Ahn Chang-Hong: noon-mool  
• Beyond Words: The Sacred Art of Ayesha Kamal
• Observer: The Street Photographs of Norman S. Carr  
• Double Feature: Two Graphic Narratives by Mary Garrard

Exhibitions & Events
 

Seeing America in Scale: A Humongous Photography Exhibition
On view September 5 – December 6
Kreeger Lobby, Katzen Arts Center

Organized by the Studio Art Department, Seeing America in Scale is a large-format photography exhibition celebrating diverse perspectives on American life, culture, and community through visual storytelling.
More about the exhibit

GILT by association
Paintings, Sculpture, Prints & Drawings
On view September 1 — October 11
Katzen Rotunda, Katzen Arts Center

Presented by Ward Circle Faction, a long-running collective of artists associated with American University,

A bit of GILT can accentuate the twinkle of an eye. While golden frames add gravitas and glory to old master paintings, they also come with a side of wealth. So thought Midas when he wished that all he touched would turn to gold. Today, glittering highlights and gold are rarely used for effects elevating the transcendental spirit. Inversely, GILT is becoming associated with GUILT for crushing such spirit.  

GILT by Association explores the range of these entanglements — glory, beauty, delight, honor, artifice, glitter, avarice, repression, conflict, promises of a New Golden Age, by juxtaposing artworks and inviting viewers to summon associations.

Artists: Lucy J Blankstein, Michael Graham, Marjorie Hirano, Carol A. Jason, Luciano Penay, Patricia Segnan, Romeo Segnan, Myrtle Katzen, Norman Strike, Claudia Vess, Gail Watkins, Mimi Wolford, Julie Zahn.

Curated by Claudia Vess and Lucy Blankstein

Health Studies Research Talks Series

The Department of Health Studies is launching a series of talks led by faculty members to present their research portfolios on a variety of subjects! 

Bender Library, Room B51, 4:30 – 5:15 p.m.  
Food will be served.  
RSVP for Faculty Research Series

• October 13: "Occupational Hazard? Birth Outcomes among Physician Mothers," Dr. Lilly Springer, Assistant Professor, Departments of Economics & Health Studies   
• November 10: "From Bias to Better Care: Understanding and Reducing Weight Stigma in Healthcare," Dr. Elizabeth Cotter, Undergraduate Program Director, Associate Professor, Department of Health Studies  

Hall of Science Waste Audit
October 20, 1:30–3 p.m. | Hall of Science Patio

AU's Zero Waste Office conducts monthly physical waste audits to analyze campus waste streams, reduce bin contamination, and advance circular economy goals. The campus waste diversion rate is 41%, up from 30% in 2023. Help keep the momentum going and join us for a waste audit! Volunteers will hand-sort and measure 24 hours of accumulated trash, recycling, and compost from the Hall of Science.

Co-hosted by the Office of Sustainability, Zero Waste, RECIPES Research Network, and the Center for Environment, Community, & Equity.
RSVP for Waste Audit

 

2026 Hugo J. Mueller Linguistics Lecture Fall:The Semantics of SlopAdam Aleksic

Wednesday, October 21, 5:30 p.m.
Katzen Recital Hall
Lecture followed by autograph signing and reception
RSVP for Adam Aleksic

"Slop" and "brainrot" are often dismissed as a waste of time, but both concepts gesture at an incredibly rich digital ecology worthy of academic inspection. By understanding memes like "67," "Italian brainrot," and "skibidi toilet," we can understand how meaning is constructed through social media algorithms. In this talk, linguistics influencer and New York Times best-selling author Adam Aleksic will discuss his newest book, Reality Drift (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2027), and the importance of understanding new internet speech.

Adam Aleksic is a linguist and influencer best known for creating educational videos as the "Etymology Nerd" to a following of over three million across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. His NYT bestselling book Algospeak investigates how social media is changing language.
 

The Welkin
October 22–23 and 29–30, 8 p.m.
October 24 and 31, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Greenberg Theatre

By Lucy Kirkwood
Directed by Dylan Arredondo 
 
“The Welkin continues to ring as women call out for bodily autonomy, for soul sovereignty, for justice...will we finally answer?” —Sybil Roberts  
 
A woman has been sentenced to hang. Twelve women must decide whether she lives or dies. 
 
Set in rural England in 1759, The Welkin follows Sally Poppy, who escapes the gallows only if a jury of local women determines she is pregnant. As Halley's Comet streaks across the sky, the jurors confront questions of justice, class, gender, and truth in a legal system that gives them little power but asks them to make an impossible decision. 
 
At once suspenseful, witty, and profoundly relevant, Lucy Kirkwood's The Welkin connects women across time through enduring questions of justice, power, and truth.

About the Director: Dylan Arredondo is a Helen Hayes Award–winning director and actor whose work spans many of the Washington region's leading theaters, including Signature Theatre, Ford's Theatre, Round House Theatre, and Olney Theatre Center. 
The Welkin tickets
 
Content Advisory: This production includes strong language, scenes of violence, sexual content, simulated nudity, and references to pregnancy, miscarriage, childbirth, murder, and assisted death. 

AU Symphony Orchestra
October 30, 7:30 p.m. and October 31, 5 p.m.  
Abramson Family Recital Hall

Matthew Brown, conductor 

AU Symphony Orchestra performs a variety of well-known works, including some spooky and movie related pieces for this Halloween weekend concert. Audience members are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes! 
AU Symphony Tickets

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder  
November 5–7 | Katzen Studio Theater

Directed by Karl Kippola  
Music Directed by Deborah Jacobson  

Book and Lyrics by Steven Lutwak 
Music and Lyrics by Robert L. Freedman 
Based on A Novel by Roy Horniman  

In this Tony award-winning musical comedy, the low-born Monty Navarro discovers he’s eighth in line to become Earl of Highhurst. Chances of outliving his predecessors are slim, so he takes a far more ghoulish path. Can he knock off his unsuspecting relatives without being caught? And what of love? Because murder isn’t the only thing on Monty’s mind… 

"This show combines everything I crave in an evening at the theatre -- music, comedy, and murder." "This show is such a great opportunity to dive into the Edwardian era and explore characters and values from 120 years ago -- but it has also been fascinating to see all of the ways it reflects the tensions between the top 1% and everyone else today." - Karl Kippola 
A Gentleman’s Guide tickets

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com 

2026 Public Anthropology Conference: Questions of Power at "America 250"November 6-7 | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library

A two-day, free, open-to-all event for exchanging insights, opening discussion, and sharing ideas for societal change.
Register to attend

AU Chamber Singers  International Tour Preview Concert - Portugal 
November 7, 7:30 p.m. and November 8, 3 p.m.  
Abramson Family Recital Hall 

Daniel Abraham, director 

In preparation for a May 2027 tour to Portugal, please join the AU Chamber Singers for an exciting array of choral works and a cappella traditions. The program will include contemporary masterpieces for a cappella ensemble from the Latin diaspora, Europe, and North America to the traditions of gospel, American folk, and spirituals. 
AU Chamber Singers Tickets

AU Chorus  Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing: A Celebration of Our Freedom 
November 13 & 14, 7:30 p.m.
Katzen Recital Hall 

Patrick Vaughn, director
Barbara Wilkinson, collaborative pianist 
 
"Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing will fill your hearts with joy and gratitude as we reflect on the ideals of what makes our country so special." -Patrick Vaughn, AU Chorus Director 
 
As our country celebrates 250 years of independence, please join the AU Chorus for a program featuring works by American composers across several different genres, including Randall Thompson's brilliant Testament of Freedom, focused on the writings of Thomas Jefferson. Other works include settings of My Country 'Tis of Thee (arr. Forrest), America, the Beautiful (arr. Gaspard), Hymn for America (Paulus), Homeland (Stroope), the Battle Hymn of the Republic (arr. Wilhowsky), and more. Come celebrate our freedom, breadth, and depth as a nation. 
AU Chorus tickets

AU Symphonic Band 
December 6, 3 p.m. | Abramson Family Recital Hall

Matthew Brown and Aidan Dixon, conductors 

AU Symphonic Band performs a variety of classic and contemporary works from the concert band repertoire, including pieces by Norman Dello Joio, John Mackey, Robert Russell Bennett and others. AU Pep Band Director Aidan Dixon leads the ensemble along with director Matthew Brown. 
AU Symphonic Band tickets

Meltzer Trone ConferenceReimagining Shared Society
Jewish and Palestinian Citizens of Israel Challenging Fear, Mistrust, and Polarization

November 15–16, 2026
RSVP for Meltzer Trone Conference

Israeli society is a complex mosaic of ethnic, religious, and political communities, shaped by divergent histories and lived realities. 21% of Israeli citizens define themselves as Palestinians or Arabs. Contacts between Jews and Palestinians in everyday life are often restricted to business transactions, professional services, or hostile encounters. Despite growing political polarization and increasing violence, numerous organizations in Israel work towards a better understanding of the two communities.

The 2026 Annual Meltzer Trone Conference, hosted by the Meltzer Schwartzberg Center for Israel Studies at American University and co-chaired by Mohammad Darawshe, Visiting Professor at AU and Director of Strategy at the Center for Shared Society at Givat Haviva, will present a variety of views from academics, journalists, policymakers, and civil society leaders who strive for a more integrated Israeli society in these challenging times. Over two days, the conference will analyze the political, legal, and institutional forces shaping division, while highlighting grassroots initiatives and civic efforts working to bridge deep social divides. By convening diverse perspectives, the conference seeks not only to diagnose the challenges confronting Israeli society, but also to illuminate practical visions for a more resilient and genuinely shared future.

Fall Dance Concert 2026 
November 20, 7:30 p.m. and November 21, 2 p.m. 
Greenberg Theatre 

Erin Foreman-Murray, artistic director 
Dance Concert Tickets

For Better or Worse 
December 3-5 | Katzen Studio Theatre

Directed by Carl Menninger  
Written by Carl Menninger, Created by Deann Bayless, Rick Bayless, Carl Menninger and Amy Rubenstein 

What if you could shuffle the story of a relationship and watch its meaning change before your eyes? For Better or For Worse is a bold new theatrical experience where the audience chooses the order of the scenes, turning a single love story into hundreds of thousands of possible versions. Across 16 interconnected scenes, one couple navigates love, betrayal, addiction, grief, and the small moments in-between, but the sequence you experience is unlike any other performance. In Act One, you decide what happens next. In Act Two, chance takes over. Same scenes, same characters, infinite stories. 
For Better or Worse tickets

AU Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Combos  Fall for Jazz 
December 4, 7:30 p.m. | Abramson Family Recital Hall 

Joshua Bayer, director  

The American University Jazz Orchestra plays music for all eras and styles of Jazz. Experience Swing, Bebop, Latin, Funk, and Rock. AUJO concerts are a menu from the history of Jazz! 
Fall for Jazz tickets

Senior Dance Capstone 2026
December 4-5, 7:30 p.m. | Greenberg Theatre 

Erin Foreman-Murray, artistic director 
Dance Capstone Tickets

Graduate Admissions
Events & Visits

Join us for degree program ask-me-anythings and similar online events with faculty — or sessions on admissions fundamentals, virtual visits one-on-one with our staff, campus tours, and more.
Grad Admissions Events & Visits