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College of Arts & Sciences
News & Events
When Science and Art Collide
Rebecca Kamen’s “Reveal” exhibit at AU Museum is a collaboration between artist and scientists, researchers, philosophers
AU’s Center for Israel Studies Receives $1.5 Million Gift
Will Endow Professorship for Israel and Jewish Studies
Achievements
CAS faculty are making their mark on the world. See their latest achievements, awards, and honors.
Spotlight: Meet Our Changemakers
Meet more current students.
Austin T. Farrow
MA, Arts Management and Legal Studies
About Austin
Austin T. Farrow is an arts leader determined to impact the entertainment industry through Pan-African and LGBTQ+ stories, narratives, and conversations.
My dreams are uniquely big, and that is why I am putting in all the groundwork and effort to actualize them. I plan on impacting the world on a global scale—beginning through art and ending only God knows where!
He holds a BFA in Theatre with a concentration in Acting from Howard University and acting certificates from the British American Drama Academy in London. At American University, where he is working towards an MA in Arts Management and Legal Studies, Austin is a graduate arts ambassador, focusing on conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion. He has also received a highly competitive Kennedy Center fellowship, where he works in the Social Impact Department.
Austin’s goal is to create his own art collaborative, merging the four artistic disciplines of theatre, dance, fine arts, and music. “I want to successfully start up and run a nonprofit in every facet and phase,” he says. “AU is equipping me with the necessary tools and network to make it happen. I am just beginning my second year, and I have gained so much clarity and understanding in nonprofit organization and operation.”
Austin’s dreams don’t end there. He thinks about owning his own television and radio network and film studio, engaging in philanthropic work, and even creating fashion and product lines.
Lisa Joseph
MS, Health Promotion Management
More about Lisa
Not only is Lisa Joseph on track to earn her MS in Health Promotion Management in 2022, but she has already landed her dream job.
This month, Lisa began work as the Program Coordinator of Education at the prestigious American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). At ASCO, she helps organize educational courses conducted by volunteer/partnered doctors for the pharmaceutical industries. The goal is to help patients better understand current research and new drug developments.
At American University, Lisa has worked as a graduate assistant in the Department of Health Studies, doing program development, data collection, and data analysis. She helped produce a “Faithfully Fit Toolkit” for ministries to implement into their own programs, as well as a report on how to balance food store profits with customers’ needs for fresh, healthy food. Finally, as a COVID Case Coordinator at the university, she worked on contact tracing and as a source of information for individuals who were potentially infected with the virus.
Lisa credits AU faculty for helping her to obtain her dream job at ASCO.
Each of my professors have played a key role in my success at AU. From my very first conversations with Dr. Snelling, I immediately felt supported when weighing my financial options. Since attending AU, I have had professors consistently provide wisdom and career advice, send job postings, and serve as references, supporting both my professional development and job applications.
Darian Weaver
PhD, Clinical Psychology
More about Darian
This summer, AU Clinical Psychology PhD student Darian Weaver joined the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to help research a very timely issue: how the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted alcohol use.
Darian has already held several research positions. She’s worked as a research assistant at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Most recently, she was a research coordinator at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where she focused on substance use disorders.
At the NIH, Darian worked in the laboratory of Senior Investigator Vijay Ramchandani, analyzing a survey on the pandemic and alcohol use. It revealed that approximately equal proportions of survey participants had increased and decreased their alcohol consumption during the pandemic. Those who increased their drinking reported an increase in negative life events, and those who decreased their drinking reported a decrease in negative life events. Darian hopes that the study will help researchers predict future substance use behaviors.
This fall, Darian is back to her studies at AU, focused on her future. “My goals are to continue conducting research and become a professor one day,” she says. “American University is helping me achieve my goals by allowing me to learn from many amazing professors and peers.”
Alex Lutz
MS, Chemistry
More about Alex
Alex Lutz has loved chemistry since eighth grade. Now he is an MS in Chemistry candidate at American University, and he’s received an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant to pursue exciting research on the next generation of antibiotics.
In Associate Professor of Chemistry Monika Konaklieva’s lab, Alex is synthesizing and purifying novel antibiotic compounds to test their effectiveness against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Some of the compounds have also demonstrated effectiveness in treating Alzheimer’s and other viral diseases.
Alex says he first became interested in American University because of its post-baccalaureate program. While he was studying in that program, he took a class on organic chemistry, which rekindled his love for chemistry and narrowed it down more to organic synthesis. He is planning on applying to PhD programs to continue his education in chemistry and hopes to focus on organic synthesis. He is also hoping to directly use the skills and techniques that he uses in the lab now in his future research.
“I would like to recognize and thank Dr. Monika Konaklieva for her constant support and guidance during my time as a graduate student,” Alex says. “Her constant patience and support during my research have been invaluable to me. Her guidance not only helped my selection of work, but has been vital in keeping me on track.”
Why the College of Arts & Sciences?
Students and alumni discuss distinctive features of the College, why they chose their particular degrees, and program opportunities they pursued.