AU greets 52 new full-time faculty members for fall semester
AU welcomed 52 new full-time faculty members in the fall of 2006, according to American Weekly. The new faculty members received a breif orientation from deans, staff and fellow faculty. The incoming faculty members were also given a speech by second-year philosophy professor Farhang Erfani, who spoke about his first-year expriences at AU. The College of Arts and Science received 16 full-time faculty members; the Kogod School of Business, 6, Bender Library, 2; the School of International Service, 4; the School of Communication, 6; the School of Public Affairs, 3; and the Washington College of Law, 15.
-BRIAN KALISH
AU ranked top school for LGBT community
AU ranks in the top 20 of American universities for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students, according to the Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students, published Aug. 15.
Campus PrideNet, a non-profit organization representing LGBT and ally student leaders at the university level, determined the rankings of the top 100 best LGBT schools based on online interviews with more than 5,500 university members across the country. The "Top 20 Best of the Best" honor, according to Campus PrideNet executive director Shane Windmeyer, was awarded to progressive schools that have created a respectful and welcoming campus climate.
The campuses were selected based on policies, institutional support, academic and student life, housing, counseling, campus safety and recruitment and retention efforts, according to the Campus PrideNet Web site.
-JESS REAMY
SPA graduate students win Bryce Harlow Scholarships
Three graduate students from the School of Public Affairs received $6,000 scholarships from the Bryce Harlow Foundation. The recipients from AU are: Sara Arnold, a Master of Public Administration candidate from D.C.; Elizabeth Frederick, a Master of Public Policy candidate from Boise, Idaho; and Mark Yost, a Master of Public Policy candidate from Baltimore, Md.
The Foundation, which is based in Washington, awards its competitive scholarships to graduate students interested in public affairs, government relations or lobbying who work full-time in their chosen fields while attending night classes. Since the program began in 1985, 77 scholarships have been awarded to AU students.
"The Bryce Harlow Scholarship will help these students pay for graduate school but will also confirm for them that they are pursuing an honorable profession in which they can make a difference," SPA Dean William LeoGrande said in a press release this month.
"These three students exemplify American University's position as a leading center for public affairs and advocacy training," LeoGrande said.
-J.R.
Candle vigil to serve as unifying call for peace in the Middle East
The AU Students For Israel and Students for Justice in Palestine are co-sponsoring a candle-lit peace vigil tonight at 10 p.m.
Rajai Hakki, a student at AU and former Marine who has interests and experience on both sides of the Paelstinian/Israeli conflict, is speaking at the event. He has served in Iraq and has seen the effects of war first-hand.
"I think it's important to start the year off on a positive note working together with other groups in the Middle East and remembering that we are always searching for a solution to the conflict," said Bonnie Weintraub, a senior in the School of Public Affairs and president of AUSFI. The two groups are uniting for a call for peace in the region.
-REBECCA KERN
