• Annual Town Hall and Reception with President Sylvia M. Burwell 
• Registration is Open! For "June Minis and July Shorts"
• Lifelong Learning at AU
• AU’s Child Development Center accepting applications for Fall 2023
• AU Continues to Be a Power Player, Five Years after Achieving Carbon Neutrality
• Six new exhibitions at the AU Museum opening June 17, 2023!
• Join AU Neighborhood Partnership
• American University Events

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at AU offers highly affordable courses throughout the academic year on subjects ranging from politics to poetry, including music, art, science, history, literature, philosophy, and more. Designed for people “50 and better,” nearly 1,600 members are active participants who join for the joy of learning with no tests and no grades. Take courses ranging from “Anatomy of a Murder” to “The Pleasures and Perils of AI in Society” or from “The Roberts Supreme Court: Recent Rulings, Politics, and Options for Reform” to “Leonard Bernstein: America’s Own Musical Genius” – these are just four of more than 55 highly affordable lifelong learning courses being held this June and July. To register for courses or obtain a catalog, go to our website: olli-dc@american.org or call 202-895-4860.  The full catalog of the June Minis and July Shorts can be found online on the OLLI website.

The American University Office of Alumni Relations is pleased to support community members who are 55+, and live in zip codes 20016, 20015, 20008 or 20007, by offering the opportunity to audit classes at the university.  The AU Alumni & Community Audit Program is a perfect way to engage with current AU students and faculty, while expanding your knowledge on a subject matter that interests you. This past semester, AU community member Rita Bloom partook in the program for her second time. Read about her story, and the impact of our audit program, here: https://www.american.edu/alumni/news/intergenerational-and-lifelong-learning-at-american-university.cfm. 

The Child Development Center provides high-quality education and care for children 2 ½ to 6 years of age. The Center is currently accepting applications for Fall enrollment for ages 2 ½ - 5 years. See https://www.american.edu/hr/cdc/admissions.cfm for eligibility and admission requirements.

Five years after AU became the first university in the country to achieve carbon neutrality, the changemaking work to reduce the university’s environmental footprint continues. 

AU reached the milestone in 2018 – two years ahead of schedule – and is also the first urban campus and research institution in the U.S. to meet the guidelines established by Second Nature, the Boston nonprofit leading sustainability efforts in higher education.  

“We’re proud to have reached our goal on carbon neutrality when we did,” said Megan Litke, Director of Sustainability. “It is a great time for all of us to celebrate what we achieved as a community, but the work doesn’t end here. We will keep pushing forward.” 

The university marked the anniversary on April 25 with a lunch-and-learn discussion on climate change. The weeklong celebration included sustainability tours and an interdisciplinary panel discussion on environmental justice, hosted by the Center for Environment, Community, and Equity. 

AU achieved carbon neutrality through a years-long commitment to emissions reduction through efficiency and behavioral changes, carbon offsets, and on- and off-site renewable energy. The campus has 10 LEED-certified buildings, seven solar panel installations, 100 percent renewable electricity, and an entire fleet of biodiesel shuttle buses. The university also announced it had divested from fossil fuels on April 20, 2020 – the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. 

According to Litke, the impact of AU’s sustainability work over the past five years equates to removing 61,000 cars from the road; taking an annual average of around 10,000 homes off the electrical grid; planting more than 4.5 million trees; and switching 10 million incandescent bulbs to LED. 

The university’s continuing efforts are informed by the five-year 2021 Sustainability Plan. The framework, which builds on AU’s 2010 Climate Plan and the 2014 Sustainability Plan, takes a holistic approach to sustainability and focuses on climate literacy, food systems, green construction, wellness, and environmental justice. AU is also committed to achieving zero waste by 2030 through the elimination of single-use plastics, increased composting and recycling, and a decrease in overall waste. 

Over the past year, AU’s sustainability work has led to the collection of 20,000 pounds of compost during the fall semester, the launch of reusable containers in TDR, the redistribution of campus furniture through a surplus program, and the donation of 2.5 tons of clothing to Mobile Hope through Project Move Out in May 2022.

American University is a member of America Is All In, a coalition of leaders supportive of climate action in the U.S.

At one with the Elements

Discover how artist Leigh Wen weaves personal and cultural histories into her practice. At One with the Elements explores her intimate bond with nature through a vibrant array of oil paintings, mixed media collages, porcelain sculptures, and thematic dresses. Her works immediately draw you in with their intricate designs and dazzling beauty.

Pilar Albarracín: Take a Knife and Open My Heart

Albarracín’s work is a condemnation of inequality, prejudice, and dualism that coexists with humor, color, and beauty — all within a parallel defense of the Spanish culture. Through the power of her videos and images, she aims to move the audience to learn more about Spanish identity and the flamenco universe and its cliches.

Lost Europe: On the Edge of Memories

The exhibition features over 75 photographs documenting the day-to-day life of Ukrainians from 1991 to 2018. Through these photographs, you’ll step into a country with a dramatic history… a place reminiscent of the poetics of a life that is disappearing forever.

Blue and Gray: This Era of Exile

Two artists — one born in the Bronx in New York City (E. Ethelbert Miller) and another in Addis Ababa (Kebedech Tekleab), Ethiopia — reflect on the nature of exile and spiritual resilience in this collaboration that treks across borders of media in poetry, sculpture, visual art, blues, and literary translation.

View from Within

Laminating clear optical glass with colored minerals to make glass sculptures is a complicated and technically advanced process done by very few glass artists. Through a vocabulary of geometric shapes and nuanced tones, Rhoda Baer produces extraordinary pieces that sing with rhythmic fullness.

Rupert Garcia and the Chicano Art Movement: Prints and Posters from the Corcoran Legacy Collection

Today, Rupert Garcia is known as a painter, pastelist, and screenprinter who has led a movement against “Yankee” culture through the production and use of posters and screenprints. This exhibition displays over 20 prints by the activist-artist and serves as an introduction to the Chicano Art Movement.

Visit the AU Museum website for more information on the upcoming Summer exhibitions

American University Events