May 2015
CEO Delivers SIS Commencement Address
CEO Delivers SIS Commencement Address
Robert Smith, founder, chairman, and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, delivered the 2015 SIS commencement address. Emily Ham, SIS/MA ’15—an IR Online student—and Anjali Mehta, SIS/BA ’15, were the student speakers.
President’s Award Goes to SIS Student
SIS Honors Retiring Senior Faculty Members
Candace Evilsizor, SIS/BA ’15, received the President’s Award, the highest honor awarded to an AU undergraduate student, for her work on migration issues in the United States and abroad.
Students Receive University Awards
Three SIS students received University Student Awards: Davina Durgana, SIS/PhD ’15, received the Outstanding Scholarship at the Graduate Level Award; Candace Evilsizor, SIS/BA ’15, received the Fletcher Scholar Award (in addition to the President’s Award); and Essarayoss Mean, SIS/BA ’15, received the Carlton Savage Award.
Graduate Believes in Public Service
William “Andy” Hatcher, SIS/BA ’15, is a veteran, a former marine, an amputee, and an honors student--and an inspiration to his classmates. Hatcher credits SIS with strengthening his belief in public service.
IR Online Celebrates First Graduating Class
The MA in International Relations Online degree, which began enrollment in May 2013, celebrated its first class of graduates. IR Online student Emily Ham, SIS/MA ’15, an active duty officer in the U.S. Navy who is stationed at NATO headquarters in Belgium, spoke at commencement.


Assistant Secretary of State Visits SIS
Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Evan Ryan visited SIS on April 16 for a discussion about international exchange programs and public diplomacy with Assistant Vice President of Campus Life and Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer Fanta Aw. Watch the video.


SIS Honors Distinguished Retiring Faculty
SIS honored retiring professors Gordon Adams, Ronald Fisher, Clarence Lusane, James Mittelman, and Abdul Aziz Said on April 30. The faculty members discussed their scholarship, academic and policy contributions, and remarkable careers with Dean James Goldgeier and an enthusiastic audience. Watch the video.


Congratulations

Hurst Adjunct Professorial Lecturer Eric Novotny received the AU Award for Outstanding Teaching in an Adjunct Appointment.

Read about SIS faculty and staff awards.

Read about SIS student awards and student fellowships and scholarships.

Deborah Carey, SIS/BA ’17 was named a Woman of the Year by Her Campus American University.

The AU Model UN team, led by Assistant Professor David Bell Mislan, received four awards at the New York University Conference.

Four SIS/BA students received awards at the 2015 SIS Undergraduate Research Symposium, organized by Assistant Professor Aaron Boesenecker, the SIS Undergraduate Research Coordinator.

Five SIS/BA students presented their research at the 2015 National Conference on Undergraduate Research at Eastern Washington University under the direction of Assistant Professor Aaron Boesenecker, the SIS Undergraduate Research Coordinator.

Stay Connected

Congratulations, graduates!

The SIS commencement was held on May 10. View highlights here.

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Alumni

Welcome to our newest alumni!

Keep in touch by updating your information. Update by midnight on May 13 to enter our special raffle!
What are you doing next? Tweet with #AUSISGrad2015Where2Now or post on Facebook.
Graduates: did you receive your SIS graduation gift? If not, please email [email protected].

Stay up to date on alumni news and events.
Keep up with your classmates on the Class Notes page.
Become an SIS alumni volunteer.

Save These Dates:
Nationals Baseball Game with Dean James Goldgeier, May 22
Joint Alumni Party in San Diego, June 9
SIS Alumni, Families, and Friends Barbecue, June 20

Research

Assistant Professor Guy Ziv: The Triumph of Agency over Structure: Shimon Peres and the Israeli Nuclear Program, International Negotiation, May 5

Assistant Professor Simon Nicholson and Michael Thompson: Strange Bedfellows: Climate Engineering Politics in the United States, Geoengineering Our Climate Working Paper and Opinion Article Series, April 21

Commentary

Professor Gordon Adams: Democracy-Pushing Is Not Cutting-Edge Foreign Policy, Foreign Policy, May 11

Distinguished Practitioner in Residence Lt. Gen. David Barno (Ret.) and Distinguished Scholar in Residence Nora Bensahel: The Anti-Access Challenge You’re Not Thinking About, Strategic Outpost, War on the Rocks, May 5

Associate Professor Cathy Schneider: Five Myths About Riots, The Washington Post,
May 1

Professor Akbar Ahmed: What Europe Should Learn From Bosnia, The Huffington Post, April 30

Faculty Fellow Linda Rabben: Police Abuse is a Problem Across Globe, The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 28

Dean James Goldgeier: The Hillary Clinton Doctrine, The National Interest, April 21

Ibn Khaldun Chair Research Fellow Harrison Akins: To Combat the 'New Anti-Semitism,' Europe’s Jews and Muslims Must Work Together, The Huffington Post, April 22

Distinguished Practitioner in Residence Lt. Gen. David Barno (Ret.) and Distinguished Scholar in Residence Nora Bensahel: Female Rangers Will Lead the Way, Sooner or Later, Strategic Outpost, War on the Rocks, April 21

Assistant Professor Stephen Tankel: India in Afghanistan: Tackling a Thorny Issue, War on the Rocks, April 20

Professor Gordon Adams: The Iran Long Game: Bush vs. Obama, Foreign Policy,
April 14

Scholar in Residence Johanna Mendelson Forman: After Petrocaribe, New Sources Key to Caribbean Energy Security, World Politics Review, April 10

Scholar in Residence Johanna Mendelson Forman: Should Food Security be a National Security Issue? Stimson Center, April 9

Professor Clarence Lusane: Black Caucus Should Support U.S.-Iran Deal, The Progressive, April 8

Distinguished Economist in Residence Arturo Porzecanski: Why Chapter 9 for Puerto Rico is a Bad Idea, The Hill, April 8

Adjunct Professor Hrach Gregorian: Boko Haram, a Presidential Election, and the Price of Corruption in Nigeria, CDFAI, April 1

Read more media mentions.


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