The sense of community – shared values, deep dialogue, and service – drew Marlene RedDoor, SIS/MA ’77, to American University’s School of International Service (SIS). As an SIS graduate student, RedDoor’s worldview broadened through the exchange of ideas, experiences, knowledge, and viewpoints with faculty and classmates alike. “At SIS, I was never told what to think, but how to think for myself, critically and independently,” she reflects.

RedDoor was elected President of the SIS Graduate Student Council after her first semester at AU. She used this position to gather the culturally diverse SIS students over monthly potlucks to debate the global issues of the moment, building community and uniting students’ cultures with food. In this diverse community centered on a dedication to service, SIS demonstrated to RedDoor the power of listening and finding common ground to wage peace.

After graduating from AU, RedDoor carried the values she experienced at SIS to her lifetime career in public service. She spent over 30 years at the Environmental Protection Agency working in environmental program development and implementation. Across the multiple environmental disciplines, RedDoor’s role as a convenor influenced her community-oriented work.

RedDoor leveraged what she learned at SIS to communicate successfully across cultures, including American Indian communities. Working with federal, state, local, and tribal governments, RedDoor conducted outreach and provided education to support implementation of environmental protection and sustainability for communities. Outside of her government service, RedDoor worked part-time as a holistic bodywork therapist, specializing in cranial sacral therapy. “Throughout my life, I have devoted my work to promoting and facilitating a healthy earth and a healthy body, mind and spirit,” RedDoor says.

RedDoor has continued to invest in the SIS community that shaped her life and career. A AU President’s Circle member, RedDoor has loyally supported SIS for decades and is extending her support through her charitable estate plans. Her future bequest to AU will establish an endowed scholarship for SIS graduate students, specifically female international students and those from historically underrepresented populations in higher education. 

RedDoor shares, “I believe that education, especially for women, is most important to the development and sustainability of a nation. It’s my hope that my scholarship helps to expand women’s contributions to making the world a better place.”