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AU in the News

Showcasing AU programs, professors, students and alumni in the news
Week of March 1 - 7

March Madness at AU
The NCAA tournament hasn’t started yet, but with both the AU Men's and Women's basketball teams at the top of the Patriot League, flirting with their first appearance in the tournament, March madness has begun early at AU. The Washington Post took an interesting look at the men’s basketball team, which defeated rival Holy Cross on Wednesday, noting that they are among the 25 shortest teams in Division 1 basketball. Other local media has gotten in on the March madness, with the Washington Post, Washington Examiner, WTTG, WUSA, WJLA and more highlighting the Eagles’ dramatic run.

Young Voters for Obama
Barack Obama has captured millions of Americans with his campaign of hope and change. But it is one demographic with which his message strongly resonates. As the washingtonpost.com reports, a survey conducted by AU School of Communication students shows that Obama is the overwhelming favorite among young voters. “The junior senator from Illinois received 71 percent of the vote among those who had voted or were planning to vote in a Democratic primary, while Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y) received 12 percent of their primary votes.
(3/03/08)

Summerford Brings Washington Art to Katzen
Art has a way of taking on the form of its surroundings. According to a feature in the Washington Post, that’s exactly what has happened with the work of Ben L. Summerford, a former AU instructor whose work is on display at the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center. “Summerford was easily the best teacher,” said Jack Rasmussen, curator of the Katzen Arts Center. “It was all about authenticity, and the substance of the paint, and the way your brush touched canvas, and the truth of your response to the color of the light.” (3/01/08)

Doubling Up on NCAA Titles
One is not enough for AU star wrestler Josh Glenn. He has a double major: U.S. foreign policy and law & society. He also has one title as the top wrestler in the NCAA, but apparently that’s not enough either. As USA Today reports, Glenn is chasing yet another NCAA national title despite a recent leg injury. "Structurally, my leg's great. My only concern is going back to the national tournament and winning another title," says Glenn. (3/06/08)

Titles Matter
With the abundance of courses to choose from, course titles are becoming increasingly important as a way to attract students, reports the Washington Post. Thirty years ago, when American University professor Roberta Rubenstein named her class, “A Room of One’s Own: Women and Literature,” she was seeking “a thematic hook” to entice students with the reference to Virginia Woolf’s “A Room of One's Own." Today, she said, students don't always recognize the Woolf allusion, but the course title still intrigues them. (3/03/08)

Mars, We Have a Problem
With rising costs and mounting technical issues, next year’s projected mission to land a nuclear-powered rover on Mars is lagging behind schedule, reports the Associated Press. "The repercussions are more pronounced for the future of the space program," said Howard McCurdy, an American University public policy professor. "Are robots really that much more superior to human beings for going to the planets? Or are robots harder than we thought to manage?" This article appeared in 45 news outlets. (3/01/08)

Super Delegates Play a Big Role
With Hillary Clinton’s primary wins in Ohio, Texas and Rhode Island, the Democratic primary will likely continue through the summer and be decided at the Democratic National Convention, ABC News affiliates are reporting. "In the end, it's going to be those 800 super-delegates who decide this race," said Allan Lichtman, history professor at American University and political analyst. This segment appeared on 20 affiliate stations. (3/05/08)

Questions on NAFTA
In the last two weeks of the heated race between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has become a center of focus. AU School of International Service professor Robert Pastor writes in a recent Op-Ed in the Los Angeles Times, “their criticism of NAFTA is unwarranted, but it was particularly disappointing that they did not seize the opportunity to address the new North American agenda that has emerged since NAFTA.” (3/06/08)

AU in the News Archives