Families, there is a lot to be excited about at AU as we prepare for the start of classes in August. The summer months on campus are relatively quiet, but we are eager to present a fun in-person All-American Welcome to all our returning and new Eagles.

We’re excited to welcome Raymond Lu-Ming Ou as the new vice president of student affairs and Bridget Trogden as our new dean of undergraduate education and academic services, both have begun their positions this month.

Additionally, we’re ecstatic about the number of first-year students who have signed up for our extensive online summer orientation program. Students are connecting with their Orientation Leaders and staff from numerous offices around campus as they get ready to start their AU journey.

Our teams are planning on celebrating Family Weekend from October 13-15 on-campus. We will post upcoming events on our Family Weekend website as they are planned.

It’s exciting to look toward the future at American University. Our community of changemakers is ready to begin a new semester — and truly a new chapter — at AU. We all look forward to being together again on campus, and we thank you, families, for all you do to help your students to succeed.

7/15: Immunization forms due*

7/15: Upload photo for One Card*

8/1: Fall bill due

8/22 - 8/31: All-American Welcome

8/22 - 8/23: On-campus move-in for first-year and new transfer students

8/24 - 8/27: On-campus move-in for upperclass students

8/28: First day of classes

*Denotes action for new AU Eagles only

The Nest Network is a group of Eagle families who volunteer with the office of New Student and Family Programs. Our goals are to foster a sense of community, share AU pride, and represent the interests of AU families. Together, we create an environment in which families can connect, discover AU, and contribute to the wellbeing of both students and families.

Volunteer Groups

Welcome of New Families: Assist in event/activity recommendations for the welcoming of new families related to summer send-offs, summer orientation, and move-in/welcome week.

Online Communications: Serve as hosts for the regional groups on the AU Parent facebook page.

Family Weekend: Assist in event/activity recommendations for Family Weekend (10/13-10/15). Assist in recruitng family volunteers for such events.

Local Family Ambassadors (DC, MD, VA): Consists of families local to the DC, MD and VA areas. Serve as a resource for families throughout the year and assist with on-campus events.

Well Wishes: Assist in activity recommendations for families to bring joy to their students at various points throughout the academic year, such as care packages, cards, and gifts.

Focus Groups: Explore current resources and evolving needs of AU Families and create an avenue for families to share feedback with the office of New Student and Family Programs and other campus departments. 

Career Connections: Assist in the career/professional development of our Eagles. Roles could include hosting AU interns, promoting job opportunities, and offering informational interviews.

The New Student and Family Programs survey will be used to help inform our work as we plan for the upcoming school year. If you have multiple students at AU, please respond based on your youngest student. This survey will take about 20 minutes to complete. Current families, if you've already completed the survey, no need to do it again, we've recorded your response. Incoming families, we recommend filling out the survey after you've participated in our office's programs for the academic year. Don't worry, we'll send you one next spring!

All survey responders will be entered into a drawing to win a prize! We'll reach out to the winners individually by July 31.

“The deep ocean is a mysterious and other worldly place where much is unknown, so of course people are drawn to it,” says Stephen MacAvoy, associate professor in American University’s Department of Environmental Science. We asked Professor MacAvoy to share his experiences in deep sea research and explain some of the dangers and rewards faced by scientists researching deep sea biodiversity.

Last April, one of the most unique spaces on AU’s campus opened in the corner of Mary Graydon Center: The Trans and Queer Cooperative, or TQ Co-Op. The TQ Co-Op provides clothes, makeup, and other supplies for trans, non-binary, gender non-conforming, and queer students at AU. Everything is available to take at no cost, allowing students on the transgender spectrum to get gender-affirming clothing for free. Students and all members of the AU community are encouraged to donate unused makeup and new clothing to keep the TQ Co-Op full.

As graduate application season gets underway, and prospective candidates are researching programs and degrees, the College of Arts and Sciences understands that graduate school is a big decision -- and that the application process can sometimes seem overwhelming. To help out our prospective candidates, we reached out to Jonathan Harper, assistant director of graduate recruitment, to ask him what advice he has for students who are thinking of applying to graduate programs in AU’s College of Arts and Sciences.

Alexander Zestos, a bioanalytical chemist and American University Professor of Chemistry, has developed a new carbon fiber microelectrode tool that can quickly and accurately measure cortisol, the body’s “stress hormone.” The sensors hold vast implications for helping researchers better understand stress and anxiety and their effects on the human body. Zestos and student authors Michelle Hadad (BS public health ’22) and Nadine Hadad (BS public health ’23) have published the results in the open access journal Biosensors.