AU in the News

Showcasing AU programs, professors, students and alumni in the news
Week of July 26 - August 1

Most politically active
American University was named the most politically active school in the country in the Princeton Review's annual 2009 rankings guide. This is the second time in three years that the university has been ranked first in this category. In addition to the number one ranking for politically active students, American University was ranked #13 for Best Quality of Life, the university’s Career Center was ranked 18 for Best Career/Job Placement Service and ranked fifth for Great College Town. (7/28/08)

Green living
American University's Nebraska Hall was featured in a front-page, above-the-fold Washington Post story about eco-living in college residence halls in the paper's Home section. Nebraska Hall, which reopened last year after renovations, is the university’s first eco-friendly residence hall. (7/31/08)

American conservatism
Allan J. Lichtman, history professor at American University, was featured in a St. Louis Post-Dispatch story about his book, "White Protestant Nation: The Rise of the American Conservative Movement," which traces the history of American conservatism back to World War I. Lichtman said the trend reached its zenith with the Bush election in 2000. (7/27/08)

FTC child-marketing budget
Kathryn Montgomery, a communications professor at American University, was quoted in an Associated Press story about the Federal Trade Commission’s $1.6 billion spending on marketing toward children in 2006. Montgomery said that the marketing had adjusted itself to target the way kids spend more of their time. "On the Internet, it's virtually an unregulated media environment and one that's hard for people to keep track of," Montgomery said. "Parents who are concerned abut their children's eating habits have to understand that you can't just look at what's happening on television. That's not the way it is anymore. It's a pervasive marketing environment.” This article appeared in more than 30 news outlets. (7/29/08)

FBI in Hollywood
Russell Williams, an artist in residence at his alma mater, American University, was quoted in a Washington Times story about the Federal Bureau of Investigation and its legacy and image in film. “I do remember, growing up in the '60s, that the image of the FBI started to change," he said of the agency’s role during the civil rights movement. “There was a kind of general attitude around campus that anyone who emphasized their First Amendment rights a little too vigorously was a tool of the communists.” (7/25/08)

Family values
Akbar Ahmed, a professor at American University, was featured with his daughter, Dr. Aminah Hoti, in a Sunday Times story about their achievements and family bond. “I consider her a lucky child,” Ahmed said. “I deeply love my four children — each, in their own way, doing remarkable things — but Amineh's always been special.” Hoti said that Ahmed “is a wonderful person in my life — a confidante and friend as well as my dad — someone with whom I can share ideas. I am truly inspired by him.” (7/27/08)

Better Wages
Brad Schiller, an economics professor at American University, was quoted in a CNNmoney.com story about Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama's different plans to provide better wages for workers. "Keep the pie growing and everyone will be better off," he said, and also suggested lowering taxes to give the economy a boost. (8/1/08)

Women and fundraising
Sarah Brewer, director of the Women & Politics Institute at American University, was quoted in a USA Today story about the low number of women fund raising for the Obama and McCain presidential campaigns. Brewer said that fewer women are involved because “they are less likely to have top jobs in high-paying fields.” (7/30/08)

New GI bill
In his opinion piece for the Chronicle of Higher Education, Milton Greenberg, professor emeritus and former interim president at American University, wrote that the 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act, or the newer version of the GI Bill of Rights, provided better opportunities for today’s military veterans and those currently serving. “It is not merely an individual benefit or reward, as deserved as that may be, or a gift to colleges and universities, but a needed contribution to the nation,” he wrote. “In addition, it will probably improve minority enrollments in higher education because of the substantial number of minority people in the military.” (7/25/08)

The FCC’s open-but-closed policy
Gary Edles, a professor of law at American University, was quoted in a Communications Daily story about the Federal Communication Commission’s practice of withholding public information adopted at open meetings, and its contradiction to the Sunshine Act. “The Sunshine Act clearly has an openness thrust to it,” he said. “But in the early days, and in the first decade after it went into effect, the courts tried to accommodate the openness provisions of the statute with the need for the government to conduct its business in the usual way.” (7/31/08)

2009
Mar	6	13	20	27
Feb	6	13	20	27
Jan	4	9	16	23	30
2008
Dec	5	12	19
Nov	7	14	21
Oct	3	10	17	24	31
Sept	5	12	19	26
Aug	1	8	15	29
July	4	11	18	25
June	6	13	20	27
May	2	9	16	23
Apr	4	11	18	25
Mar	7	21	28
Feb	1	8	15	22	29
Jan	4	11	18	25
2007
Dec	7	14	21
Nov	2	9	16		30
Oct	5	12	19	26
Sept	7	14	21	28
Aug	3	10	17	24	31
July	31
June	30
Feb	2	9
Jan	5	12	19	26