Fellow Eagles,

With all that’s happening in the world around us, I’m excited to share some positive news from AU. What a week it has been for our alma mater! We received a heartwarming gift from our own Dr. Kent Baker, which will name our School of Education, and the prestigious R1 designation from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, placing AU among the top research institutions in the U.S. These accomplishments will be transformational for our campus and our students and should make us all proud to be Eagles.

We are also seeing challenges for many of our fellow Eagles who work for the federal government. As the administration works to reduce the civil service's size, many Eagles face job loss and uncertainty. During times of transition and uncertainty, the strength of our alumni network is more important than ever. As American University alumni, we are responsible for supporting, uplifting, and connecting with one another. Whether through mentorship, offering advice, sharing career opportunities, or simply offering encouragement, every act of support strengthens our community. Now is the time to lean in, engage, and ensure that no fellow Eagle navigates these challenges alone.

The Office of Alumni Relations and the Career Center have programs and resources to help all AU Eagles. If you can offer your assistance in any way, please reach out to the Office of Alumni Relations. I thank you for supporting fellow Eagles.

As your president, I’m delighted to share that our 2025-26 Alumni Board convened last month for the first time, and I am excited about the work we will undertake together. The School of Communication (near and dear to my heart!) hosted us in its beautiful Media Innovation Lab, where we worked on our plans for the year and heard from staff and faculty leaders about exciting progress on campus.

In other exciting news, the Alumni Association welcomes two new affinity groups this year. Our new Jewish Alumni Alliance will be led by Saul Burk, CAS/att. ’65-’68, and a new Disability+ Alumni Alliance is chaired by Katherine Greenstein, SPA/BA ’24, CAS/MA ’26. As always, please visit the alumni website to get involved with our alliances and affinity groups.

This issue of Alumni Update also includes our traditional #AUSweethearts feature. I always enjoy these stories, as my husband (Don Lisco, CAS/BA ’91, Kogod/MBA ’99) and I also are AU Sweethearts! Among all the others, I hope you’ll enjoy the stories of Cami and Michael Smith and John and Janet Mockovciak. And my Alumni Board colleague John Antokas, Kogod/BSBA ’12, and his wife are among those featured in a Q&A style feature.

Finally, I invite you to support AU Giving Day 2025 on February 25-26. This 36-hour celebration unites Eagles worldwide to support scholarships, research, and programs that fuel student success. Your participation helps us reach our goal of 3,000 donors, unlocking additional funding for AU students, faculty, and the broader community.

No matter the size, every gift makes an impact, opening doors for innovation and scholarship opportunities for students. Together, we can make a lasting impact and ensure that AU continues to thrive for generations to come. Let’s put our talons up (#TalonsUp) and show the strength of the AU community! american.edu/givingday.

Best wishes,

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