Elevate

Driving Global Impact Through Faculty Research and Teaching

The world needs solutions—now. Our faculty generates knowledge to advance society today and into the future. They ask the right questions, work side by side with students, and deliver real-time results. Change Can’t Wait supports these dedicated scholar-teachers at a time when their work is most critical.

$168 MILLION RAISED

$168,000,000
Bruce Johnson gives a lecture to American University students in the School of Communication
  • Empower Scholar-Teachers Who Bring Cutting-Edge Research into the Classroom

    Our faculty members are gifted professors, practitioners, mentors, and leaders in their fields. In and out of the classroom, their work cuts across disciplines to drive results. Change Can’t Wait helps us recruit and retain top faculty and supports them as they seek solutions and guide the next generation of changemakers.

    How We Do It

    01
    Attract world-class faculty in key strategic areas, including data science and analytics, health, security, and social equity
    02
    Establish endowed chairs to retain and recognize accomplished scholar-teachers whose work and reputation are vital to achieving our strategic goals
    03
    Double our number of donor-funded chairs and professorships
  • Inspire Knowledge Resolute in Action

    At AU, every intellectual pursuit has a practical application. Change Can’t Wait increases the capacity of our research centers as laboratories, innovation incubators, and transformative catalysts that advance discovery, inspire action, and shape policy at local, national, and global levels.

    How We Do It

    01
    Invest in research that advances a more equitable society through the Antiracist Research and Policy Center; the Center for Postsecondary Readiness and Success; the Center on Health, Risk, and Society; the Center for Environment, Community, and Equity; and the Center for Media and Social Impact
    02
    Expand scholarship that influences national and global technology policy through the Center for Security, Innovation, and New Technology; the Internet Governance Lab; the Kogod Cybersecurity Governance Center; and the Technology, Law, and Security Program
    03
    Accelerate high-impact scientific research by enhancing the Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, which fosters collaboration and leverages our strength in science policy
    04
    Support the Center for Environmental Filmmaking, which leverages filmmaking, photography, and new forms of media to mobilize movements that solve global environmental challenges
    05
    Further new initiatives to transform and diversify the future STEM workforce, including the Initiative for STEM Education, Equity, and Ethics and the Initiative on Women in Technology Policy
  • Spark Innovation Through Collaboration

    To ensure that our faculty can continue to tackle complex problems, we must provide well-equipped spaces fundamental to their work. With this campaign, we aim to create environments that inspire—fostering collaboration, pushing research forward, and culminating in groundbreaking innovations with meaningful impact.

    How We Do It

    01
    Continue to add and enhance state-of-the-art spaces in the recently opened Hall of Science, a hub for interdisciplinary research in biology, environmental science, chemistry, and neuroscience
    02
    Establish our Virginia-based Airlie Center as a focal point for teaching and learning, offering immersive experiences for students and convening global leaders for events around social progress, education, environmental research, and public health
    03
    Deploy teams across campus to fuel our distinctive approach to problem solving