AUP Magazine - Fall 2022

FALL 2022

13 Questions with the 13th President

Monttessuy Transformed

Fashion in the Liberal Arts

4 Letter from President Stephens 6 The Year in Review

AUP HIGHLIGHTS On Campus 10 Technology and the Human Future 12 Global Explorers Go the Distance 14 Alumna Leads Community Collection

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for Ukraine 15 Six Generations of Global Explorers Unite 16 Share Your Spirit 17 Alumni Give Human Rights Talks

Alumni 18 Recognizing Mexican Culture Abroad 20 Online Learning in a Post-Covid World 22 Listen Now: Alumna’s CultureBlast Podcast 23 Designing a Gala Outfit for Former President Schenck 24 How I Came to AUP: Jazz on the High Seas 26 New Master’s Program Hosts Alumnae-Led Workshops

FEATURES 28 13 Questions with the 13th President 34 Monttessuy in Motion 42 Fashion’s Place in the Global Liberal Arts 52 Class Notes

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Dear AUP Community Members,

in its beautiful campus, which stretches along the Seine and is bounded on one side by the

What a privilege it is to be able to write a few

Invalides and on the other by the Eiffel Tower

words of thanks and of greeting to the global

and the Champ de Mars. But in truth, this is a

community of The American University of Paris

place that accepts no boundaries – or for which,

as I embark upon this journey alongside you

at least, boundaries are porous. It is a place that

as the University’s 13th President. I am deeply

is as much a part of Paris as it is of the world,

grateful for this opportunity to serve AUP and

and one that invests most significantly in the

you all as we mark 60 years since our founding

personal and intellectual growth of its students.

and prepare for the next 60 – and beyond.

And while we are justifiably proud of our state-

Carrying forward the vision of AUP’s founder,

of-the-art Quai d’Orsay Learning Commons, of

Dr. Lloyd A. DeLamater, and all those who have

the new Monttessuy Center for the Arts, and of

guided and invested in the University since then,

our beautifully renovated Grenelle classrooms,

especially my immediate predecessor, Celeste

what we are most proud of is the intellectual and

M. Schenck, is both a formidable challenge and

educational experience that these facilities and

an extraordinary opportunity, and I look forward

our location in the heart of Paris make possible.

to all that we will accomplish together.

That is what drew me to AUP: its unique learning

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This is indeed a great moment of opportunity

environment; the spirit of endless curiosity and

for AUP, as we welcome our largest-ever entering

common enterprise; the desire and courage to

class. So much has changed in those 60 years

be a part of something bigger than the sum of

since our founding: AUP has grown and invested

its parts and oneself, to be a part of something

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kilian Ordelheide WRITER & COPY EDITOR Joseph Pearson PROOFREADER Amanda Murphy IMAGERY Krystal Kenney Rita Martinos Alfonso Sjogreen

innovative, creative and exciting. AUP’s unique

DESIGN Leland International

value proposition is that it offers an intellectually adventurous education, places interculturalism at the center of that endeavor, and extends a

Questions or comments? communications@aup.edu

continuous invitation to us all to be challenged, to unlearn and to rethink as a way of being at AUP, in Paris and the world, and as a way of addressing some of the most pressing questions and social challenges of our time.

For each of us, every challenge is a learning opportunity; every new discovery is a broadening of our experiences; every new encounter deepens our human understanding and empathy. That is the very essence, for me, of what it means to be at AUP and what AUP alumni are and do in the world. I am excited to get to know you all – faculty, staff, students, parents and alumni – and I am honored to think with you about the opportunities before us and about how we will shape the future of this unique University.

Sonya Stephens President of The American University of Paris

Year Review The

in

AUP’s 60th academic year saw the University emerge from Covid-19 lockdown measures with a year-long celebration of what unites us as a community. We look back at the last 12 months of on-campus life at AUP.

BAAUP’s First Birthday

FALL SEMESTER 2021

November 2021

Convocation Kicks Off 60th

Black Alumni at AUP, founded in

Anniversary

2020, is a space for Black alumni to

September 2021

come together, share their stories and support Black students on

AUP’s first major in-person event

campus and each other.

since Covid-19 lockdown measures livestreamed on YouTube.

AUP Logo Launches September 2021 The redesigned logo builds on AUP’s strong brand identity and was developed in cooperation with constituents from across the University’s global community.

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BAAUP President Marvis Hardy ‘77

ended was simultaneously

Opening of the Monttessuy Center for the Arts November 2021 AUP community members attended the first-ever live performance in the Olivia de Havilland Theater, as the renovated Monttessuy building opened to students.

Giving Day Breaks Giving

SGA Launches Fall Fest

Record

November 2021

November 2021 Organized by the Student For the second year running,

Government Association,

our community broke its own

this inclusive celebration of

giving record, as 219 donors

sharing and gratitude was

gave in support of student

held on the same day as US

scholarships.

Thanksgiving.

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SPRING SEMESTER 2022 Sonya Stephens Announced as AUP’s 13th President March 2022 Following a rigorous international search, Professor Sonya Stephens was appointed by the Board of Trustees, replacing outgoing President Celeste M. Schenck.

AUP Celebrates TEDxAUP Conference

Founding Week

Asks, “What Next?”

March 2022

December 2021 Sixty years after Dr. Lloyd

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The first student-led TEDx

A. DeLamater first signed

lecture series at AUP invited

the charter of the American

community members and

College in Paris, global

friends to address important

explorers from across

questions in the post-

six decades marked this

pandemic era.

momentous anniversary.

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AUP Students Organize Spring Arts Festival April 2022 Spearheaded by the VIVRE performing arts club and the Office of Student Leadership, this three-day celebration showcased

AUP Hosts Largest-Ever

artistic talent on campus.

Graduation May 2022 The Class of 2022 were joined by the Classes of 2021 and 2020 to walk across the stage at the Théâtre du Châtelet and celebrate their collective achievements.

Community Weekend Reunites Alumni from Across Six Decades May 2022 AUP welcomed alumni, parents and friends from throughout its history to Paris for a weekend of dinners, workshops and reunion events.

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AUP HIGHLIGHTS On Campus

New students on a Paris tour at Orientation

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Technology and the Human Future

at UNESCO, Gabriela Ramos; and French

How can we use technology for good? From

The series coincided with the initial intake of

algorithms used in hiring practices to new roles

graduate students for the MSc in Human Rights

for AI in psychotherapy, humanity’s use of

and Data Science and strengthened a university-

technology poses complex ethical conundrums.

wide initiative to engage with the challenges

Can an algorithm calculate human worth?

surrounding the ethical use of evolving

Does data stifle or accelerate creativity?

technologies.

mathematician and politician Cédric Villani.

Have technological solutions to the Covid-19 pandemic eroded our civil liberties?

The Presidential Lecture Series, organized by the

Watch the full lecture series online

Office of the President and coinciding with the University’s 60th anniversary, sought to respond to such questions, covering topics as diverse as higher education and drone warfare.

The series took a forward-looking approach, engaging with emerging and evolving questions of technology and ethics. Speakers included former CMP of Spotify Seth Farbman; Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences Highlights

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Team AUP arrives for the Course des Lumières

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Global Explorers Go the Distance At AUP, community matters – not only do global explorers support each other, but their compassion extends across the City of Light.

Shortly after Heather Strassel ’22 arrived at AUP for an MSc in International Management, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. “At any other university I would have had to drop out,” she says. “The fact that I was able to stay in France speaks volumes about how much AUP community members care about each other.”

Heather received radiotherapy treatment at

CARES club to ensure community members had the opportunity to participate in the institute’s France-wide athletics initiative, La Course des Lumières. The 2021 event took place on November 20 and saw participants either walk four kilometers or run ten kilometers along the banks of the Seine.

The response from the community was overwhelming; students, staff and faculty members came together in solidarity with Heather and other cancer survivors across France. “There was this great energy on the day,” says Heather. “I really hope we can make it an annual AUP event.”

the Institut Curie, one of the world’s leading cancer research organizations. Following her

Support L’Institut Curie

time in the hospital, she worked with breast health educator Madeleine Bell and the AUP

Highlights

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Alumna Leads Community Collection for Ukraine When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, alumna Eleonora Balkina ’20 quickly organized.

She spearheaded, along with student Stefan Levchenko and alumna Anita Maksymchuk ’20, a university-wide collection of funds and resources to help those crossing the Ukrainian border into Romania.

Eleonora teamed up with the Office of Physical Activity and Self-Care to provide three donation boxes in the lobby of the Combes Student Life Center: one for medication, one for clothes and one for canned food. She also organized an online fundraiser, which raised over €2,500 for further medical supplies and protective gear.

Elsewhere, the Office of the President organized a roundtable discussion in support of Ukraine, where AUP faculty presented different disciplinary and geopolitical understandings of student speak directly from the border in Poland about their work with refugee relief efforts.

AUP Forum on Ukraine

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Donations collected in the American Church in Paris

the war. The event also saw an AUP professor and

Six Generations of Global Explorers Unite AUP stays with you for life – and alumni are always welcome back on campus. To celebrate the 60th anniversary, graduates from across six decades returned to Paris for AUP Community Weekend. The four-day event, organized at the University, was the largest on-campus reunion in AUP’s history. It consisted of workshops, lectures and evening soirées designed to celebrate 60 years of our global community.

Staff welcome alumni to AUP Community Weekend

One highlight, the “AUP Then and Now” panel, saw members of the Founding Classes meet with current students to discuss what has (and hasn’t) changed about the AUP experience.

Alumni from the ’60s who attended the panel spoke fondly of study trips to the French Alps and Mont Saint-Michel. “Sitting side by side with the first generation of AUP students was very refreshing,” said Sandra Lefaure ’21 and G’22, a current student who spoke on the day.

“It helped me see how AUP has changed, while always keeping its original essence.”

A huge thank you to all who attended or volunteered at this fabulous reunion event.

You can stay up to date with our alumni event calendar by visiting the AUP Global events page.

See Upcoming Events

Highlights

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Share Your Spirit Time to cheer for the home team. During Founding Week in March, our on-campus community celebrated Spirit Day – a new, university-organized annual event giving everyone a chance to wear their AUP colors with pride. Students, faculty and staff wore AUP blue and red and could stop by the Spirit Day booth in the Combes Student Life Center to take fun snaps in the AUP photo booth or participate in a campus-wide scavenger hunt to win gear with AUP’s bold new logo. Meanwhile, alumni hosted 13 different Founding Week events in cities around the world, uniting in celebration of what it means to be part of the AUP community.

Spirit Day Highlights

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Alumni Give Human Rights Talks One of the key components of the AUP master’s curriculum is the opportunity to engage directly with experts and practitioners working to address global challenges. Those experts often include AUP alumni. As part of the MA in Diplomacy and International Law and the new MSc in Human Rights and Data Science, students now have the option to take part in AUP’s Summer Institute for Professor Claudia Roda

Human Rights – an exciting new annual capstone program, which includes a lecture series hosted by practitioners in the field of human rights.

Speakers with diverse specializations addressed students on topics such as religion and human rights, global plans for eliminating genderbased violence, and rights-based approaches to digital services. Boriša Falatar ’00, Caroline Klaeth Eriksen ’08, Alex Phuong Nguyen G’12 and Charlotta Blomqvist ’17 all spoke as part of the program. Graduate student Ilka Rodriguez ’22 said the lecture series was an enriching academic experience: “The speakers’ input undoubtedly helped us see things from new perspectives and discover the ways in which human rights intertwine with other fields.”

Read the Event Summaries

Highlights

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AUP HIGHLIGHTS Alumni

Alumnus Raúl Torres represents Mexicans abroad in Congress

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Recognizing Mexican Culture Abroad Being an active member of the international community doesn’t mean forgetting your home country. Raúl Torres ’11 is Mexico’s youngest member of Congress; he represents Mexicans abroad.

“

I’m creating a network of Mexicans around the world to show what the diaspora is doing and to tell people’s stories.

Raúl is the first congressman to hold this position, as the constitution was only amended to allow for the role in 2021. He credits his international perspective, honed at AUP, with helping him reach out to Mexicans across Europe, tipping the election in his favor. “I’m creating a network of Mexicans around the world to show what the diaspora is doing and to tell people’s stories,” he explains.

As part of his responsibilities, Raúl presented, on behalf of Congress, a medal that celebrates Mexican heritage and traditions around the world: the Mérito Internacional 2021. For the first time, the medal has been awarded to a Mexican migrant living outside of the country: Miguel “Misha” Vaylon, author of the book Moi Frida, which explores Frida Kahlo’s time exhibiting in France in 1939. Vaylon comes from Coyoacán, a municipality of Mexico City, and is a proud member of the LGBT community.

Highlights

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Online Learning in a Post-Covid World The Covid-19 pandemic changed our relationship to technology, as learning shifted online in countries around the world. But not everyone was able to access the technology required to make the most of these new opportunities. “What’s important to me is bringing digital learning to children who have been historically left behind,” says Maria Lujan Tubio ’03, who works for UNICEF as an Education Specialist in the Regional Office for South Asia.

For Maria, this includes girls, due to gender biases and cultural perceptions, and children with disabilities or special educational needs.

Like many AUP alumni around the world, Maria brings her global expertise to local communities and positively impacts the lives of vulnerable populations. When Covid-19 hit, she was working for UNICEF in Timor-Leste. “Not many people in the region had a background in digital learning,” she explains. “I was very in demand.”

One of her post-pandemic projects involves integrating “universal design for learning” into digital learning practices to cater to all learning styles and increase inclusivity.

Are you working in a similar field? Let us put you in touch with Maria. Write to alumni@aup.edu.

Maria Lujan Tubio ‘03

Highlights

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Listen Now: Alumna’s CultureBlast Podcast Farah Neyeri ’84 has had a long and distinguished career in journalism – one that began at AUP with her role as editor-in-chief of The Planet student newspaper. Today, she hosts the CultureBlast podcast, in which she conducts deep-dive interviews with personalities in the world of culture, including Emma Thompson, Nile Rodgers, Nan Goldin and Ai Weiwei. It’s a perfect example of the cultural translation and cross-border engagement evident in the AUP community.

After graduating with a major in international affairs, she worked for TIME Magazine, L’Agence France Presse, the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg.

Since 2014, she has been an arts and culture writer for the New York Times. “I’ve always liked stories that juggle politics and the arts,” says Farah. “It’s what I love doing.” Her book, Takedown: Art and Power in the Digital Age, which tackles censorship in the art world, was published by Astra House Books this year. You can listen to CultureBlast at cultureblast.org or on any major podcast platform.

AUP Magazine is keen to highlight other alumni projects. If you have something to showcase, reach out to communications@aup.edu and let us know.

Listen Online

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Designing a Gala Outfit for Former President Schenck A special occasion calls for a memorable outfit.

For AUP’s 60th anniversary, Shannen Henry ’19 developed a bespoke design for then President Celeste M. Schenck as part of a fashion project in which she dressed impactful women in leadership positions. Shannen runs sustainable luxury fashion brand Kaylia, which she founded after completing her MSc in International Management at AUP. Partly inspired by Shannen’s experiences on AUP’s Sustainable Development Practicum in Auroville, India, Kaylia was established in Biella, Italy, as a creative space within which she could collaborate with other young artists, innovators and craftsmen.

“Celeste Schenck is the epitome of my clientele,” explains Shannen. “Someone who lives an intentional life, who has cultivated and refined tastes, who seeks knowledge and who appreciates art.” Schenck and Shannen spent several afternoons together in Paris, exploring design options and conducting fittings. The resulting 100% silk garment was worn by Schenck at AUP’s 60th Anniversary Gala: a fundraising event that added $100,000 to AUP’s newly established endowment.

Join Our Fashion Alumni LinkedIn Group

Highlights

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Alumnus Robert Sigmund performs in the ‘60

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How I Came to AUP: Jazz on the High Seas Arriving at AUP is an exciting time for any new student; not only do you start your educational pathway through the liberal arts, you do so in one of the world’s most exciting cities. For Robert Sigmund ’66, the excitement began long before he even set foot on French shores.

Robert is a musician, having trained in classical, jazz and bluegrass since the age of four. When he got his AUP acceptance letter, he opted for a novel approach to travelling to Paris – he played his way across the Atlantic as a jazz musician on a cruise ship. In those days, student boats were common for cross-Atlantic explorers, such as American professors taking a sabbatical in Europe. The nine-day crossing consisted of cultural activities such as language classes, conversation groups, film showings and art lectures – and, of course, musical events such as masked balls and dances.

Robert formed a jazz trio with two European musicians, borrowing instruments from the house band. They performed for one evening’s talent show night. Upon arriving in Le Havre, Robert took the train to Paris. “It was so different from the built-up American suburbs I grew up in,” explains Robert. “Magic!”

Want your journey to AUP to be featured in the magazine? Let us know at communications@aup.edu

Highlights

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Professor Claudia Roda teaches on the MSc in Human Rights and Data Science

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New Master’s Program Hosts Alumnae-Led Workshops The MSc in Human Rights and Data Science launched in the 2021–22 academic year and exposes students to both disciplines in a rigorous interdisciplinary academic environment. It includes a wide range of practicums and meetings with industry professionals – including three talks from AUP alumnae working in relevant fields.

Among them: Alex Phuong Nguyen G’12, who has a decade of experience working for UN institutions, including the Executive Office of UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Today, Alex works for Ulula – a company that uses mobile technologies to help brands gather honest opinions from workers around the world.

Alex’s workshop was on ethical considerations in data visualization, which included the consideration of accessibility and inclusivity. “Human rights and data science create a fascinating intersection,” explains Alex.

“Students should be aware that this is largely uncharted territory. You aren’t going to find a lot of existing frameworks, systems or rules on how to do things; you’ll be creating them yourself.”

Want to share your expertise with AUP students? Get in touch with alumni@aup.edu to find out how.

Highlights

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Q13

uestions

13

th

with the

President Sonya Stephens joins AUP from her previous role as President of Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. She is a scholar of 19th-century French literature and culture and a lifelong Francophile. We asked AUP alumni to send in questions for our feature interview with AUP’s 13th President.

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What led you to AUP?

prose poetry, short stories and sonnets, from

I worked in London for 15 years before moving

the 19th century right through to contemporary

to Indiana University. Some of the most exciting

fiction. I’m interested in how we interrogate

work across French cultural studies of the 19th

and reinvent preexisting forms to create new

century was happening in the United States,

forms of expression. I did my PhD on Baudelaire,

and it was important to me to develop the

but I have written on many 19th-century

connections I’d made through conference

authors and artists – I’m particularly interested

attendance, while also embracing a new system

in the intersection between the two. I’m also

of higher education. I had always been interested

interested in the ways in which culture is defined

in higher education administration and was drawn

and developed in the 19th century, particularly in

back into that work at IU. A deep interest in

relation to the city – in this case, Paris.

undergraduates and a love of the liberal arts, as well as a commitment to the work of women’s

Speaking of Paris – what are you most looking

colleges, took me to Mount Holyoke, where I held

forward to about living here?

the roles of Vice President for Academic Affairs

France has always been my spiritual home. Being

and acting President before becoming President.

in Paris means I am at the heart of my intellectual

Both my experiences in US higher education, and

interests; engaging with colleagues for whom Paris

my own academic trajectory, have had a global

is a focus is to live and breathe French studies

dimension, and I have always been interested

and to look at the world, from this place, with a

in The American University of Paris because of

diversity of perspectives and disciplines. And, of

its role in the European, American and global

course, Paris is Paris! It seems to me that it gets

higher education landscapes. The opportunity to

more beautiful every year. The investment in

continue doing the work I love at an institution

patrimoine is extraordinary. There’s also cheese!

that has always fascinated and impressed me is a

When I was learning French, being able to name

perfect combination.

the cheeses on the cheese board was a big thing for me – and continues to be. Understanding

What sparked your passion for 19th-century

systems and culture means being able to know

French literature?

them well enough to become integrated within

The initial interest was not so much in 19th-

them. That will also be my task at AUP.

century literature, but in language and form

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more broadly. I loved the literature of the

How can AUP help its community leverage the

19th and 20th centuries because of the way it

opportunity of the Paris 2024 Olympics?

challenges and experiments with form. How do

I think the Olympics are a wonderful

you distinguish a Baudelaire prose poem from

opportunity for everyone associated with

a short story, for example? I read all sorts of

AUP. They offer a platform to promote who

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we are and what our community can do. We

reaffirmed by employers and those who see the

have faculty on campus who have things to say

long-term value of an education that enables

about what the Games represent: What does

students to become flexible, adaptable thinkers

it mean to be a global community? How do we

and problem solvers. AUP’s contemporary

think about the Olympic Games? We also have

curriculum consists of exceptional programs

a diverse and culturally adaptive student body,

that position students to be successful all

with individuals who could both contribute to

throughout their careers. Because we know

the organization of the Games and find in them a

the liberal arts don’t just help you get your first

learning experience. We may be able to leverage

job; they enable you to evolve your skills by

the opportunity in other ways, too – for example,

encouraging adaptability and flexible thinking.

through our nascent housing program.

What will be your biggest talking point when What’s your first order of business upon arrival

promoting AUP to the French community?

at AUP?

We have a real opportunity to talk about

It’s the same as for any student arriving at

the mentored scholarship and learning that

AUP: to learn. I have so much to learn about

our students do here: the small classes, the

this amazing institution, and so my first order

close academic relationships and the personal

of business will be to listen, learn and be as

growth that comes with this kind of education

thoughtful as I can about everything I do.

in this place. There’s much to say about the global education AUP offers, about the

What do you think makes AUP unique?

innovative classroom experiences and about

The fact we are a global community within the

the opportunities that take students out of the

global community that is Paris. Students and

classroom and into the world.

faculty come together from all over the world – with such different lived experiences and

What place do you view for technology in higher

interests – in this deep learning project. Together,

education following the Covid-19 pandemic?

we reflect on contemporary and historical

During the pandemic, we were able to adapt

problems, within a liberal arts environment

quickly to online learning. Many faculty said, as

that lets us benefit from the cultural, social and

they emerged from online teaching, that they

intellectual resources of both Paris and our global

now saw the value of the flipped classroom:

community – including our global alumni network.

of enabling students to come to class ready to have a discussion. I think that will shape the

What makes the liberal arts so important?

way we teach for a long time, whether or not

The importance of the liberal arts is increasingly

we use technology as much as we did during

questioned by the public. But it is increasingly

Covid-19. There were great opportunities to bring

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experts into the classroom via Zoom. But what

philanthropic endeavors and priorities, and

I heard from students was that they missed the

through these grow the endowment.

sociability of the classroom. Those connections, those questions that you can ask your peers,

What will AUP look like ten years from now as

make all the difference in the learning curve.

it celebrates its 70th anniversary?

We mustn’t lose those informal moments of

AUP has just celebrated its 60th anniversary. As

interaction and learning.

we think about the next milestones, I’m very excited to consider how far we will travel and

Would you consider implementing the

how far we have already come. We will have a

Strategic Antiracism Action Plan from Mount

strategic planning process, of course. But my

Holyoke at AUP?

intent is that the University will continue to

There is always room for this kind of work,

grow in stature, reputation and reach as well as

and the work is different at every institution

in its educational offerings, so that it will be even

– particularly in the French context. That said,

stronger as we reach the end of the decade.

racism is racism wherever it occurs. We all

I’m looking forward to hearing the community’s

must make both a personal and institutional

vision for this next iteration of AUP and for

commitment to anti-racism. For me, the real

how we will build, together, the future of this

value of the action plan at Mount Holyoke

extraordinary university.

was the deep work that happened in creating a leadership commitment to antiracism. The

Do you have a message for the alumni who sent

collaboration involved and the commitments

in questions?

we publicly made to our community were what

Thank you! It’s been wonderful for me to have

were most important. I’ve had some early talks

questions from alumni, because it’s my first real

with AUP’s Diversity Council, and I hope we will

way of getting to know what you’re interested

pursue those conversations.

in as a community: what you care about, how you think about the institution and what you’re

What are your plans to work with the Board of

hoping for as we move forward. It’s a unique

Trustees to build AUP’s endowment?

experience as President to be in interaction

Building AUP’s financial security is important

with all constituents. I’m looking forward to

work. The endowment is vital to the institution’s

continuing the conversation with you all.

growth and will secure AUP’s long-term future. It’s the responsibility of all of us to support it. I hope

Please continue to send me your questions and

those alumni who remember their time at AUP

ideas. I’d love to hear from you.

fondly and who want to see the University grow in new and exciting ways will consider supporting

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Monttessuy in

Motion

The transformation of the former home of the AUP Library is now complete, and the Monttessuy Center of the Arts, which provides a vibrant hub on campus for the full spectrum of the fine arts and performing arts, opened to our community in time for Spring semester 2022. It is a space for creation and collaboration; faculty from the Department of Art History and Fine Arts co-produce knowledge with students, building artistic competences in purpose-built classrooms. New platforms for students’ free expression, such as exhibition spaces and the University’s first-ever auditorium, are center stage in the redevelopment. It is, above all, alive with activity – filled with moments of discovery and joy.

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Professor Jonathan Shimony helping students in a sculpture class

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1 2 4 The close working relationship between faculty and students is central to AUP’s fine arts curriculum.

Here, Professor Stephane Treilhou advises a student during an introductory painting class.

5 Professor Treilhou explains the color-mixing exercise to a group of students. Small class sizes make a fine arts education at AUP collaborative, intimate and engaging.

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1 The former AUP Library is unrecognizable, completely transformed into a purpose-built hub for artistic endeavor on campus.

2 Separate painting and sculpture classes allow for materials to be stored safely and for spaces to be better adapted to students’ needs.

3 Understanding color is a key component of Professor Treilhou’s classes. He aims to give students a strong foundation upon which to

3

build up their artistic confidence.

5 4 Fe ature s

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6 Department Chair Jonathan Shimony runs a printmaking workshop for alumni during AUP Community Weekend. Monttessuy also hosts a lithographic laboratory, allowing students to engage in this exciting, age-old printmaking practice.

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7 7 The entryway exhibition space displays student artwork, ensuring the entire community can benefit from global explorers’ creative output.

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8 Members of VIVRE performing arts club host the first live show in the Olivia de Havilland Theater at the center’s soft opening in 2021.

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9 The theater provides a versatile space to host a wide variety of student-led artistic performances.

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Fashion’s Place

Global Liberal Arts in the

Fashion is about much more than a look. Fashion speaks to key questions in the liberal arts. It is both fiercely personal and intensely global, mapping trends and movements across the world. It helps individuals express identities, nationalities and fantasies, while giving voice to marginalized communities. It is at once industry, luxury and basic human need. At AUP, we’ve been growing our offering related to this cultural cornerstone – and alumni support and success are key to this expansion.

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The fashion industry worldwide is facing problems only the liberal arts can solve – from human rights abuses of garment workers in fast fashion to questions of sustainability and environmental degradation. Liberal arts scholars are well placed to take on these interdisciplinary challenges through encouraging the global trend toward ethical production and consumption practices. These solutions require creativity, innovation and academic rigor – all key aspects of the AUP classroom.

Paris provides the ideal backdrop to explore these topics in a historic and contemporary fashion capital. Paris Fashion Week, which takes place twice a year, provides exceptional

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networking opportunities and real-world context for studied theory, allowing students to immerse themselves in this exciting and evolving industry. Museums and archives, from the Yves St Laurent Museum to the Louis Vuitton Foundation, showcase important trends and questions, helping students connect fashion to global issues. Paris is a city in which fashion is made and remade live, on every corner and café terrasse.

Fashion studies has therefore become a vital and growing part of AUP’s global liberal arts approach.

In 2020, the Department of Communication, Media and Culture launched a minor in fashion studies, and there are plans to expand this to a major in the near future. Graduate students in the MA in Global Communications can already choose to specialize via the program’s fashion track. “Fashion is a window to the world,” says Sophie Kurkdjian, Assistant Professor of Fashion Studies at AUP. “Studying fashion at AUP provides a unique opportunity to learn about a wealth of subjects – such as history, sociology, politics, communications, business and anthropology – while acquiring key skills such as creative and critical thinking.”

Along with Professor Renate Stauss, the Program Coordinator for Fashion Studies, Kurkdjian coorganizes a regular lecture series, Fashion Talks at AUP, now in its third year. The series brings prominent industry speakers to campus both in person and via videocall, so students and other community members can gain intimate

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TRIBUTE TO KLIMT / Style: Marie Revelut

Flair Bodysuits

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Luna Park

exposure to key industry players. These talks are all available for alumni to stream through the University’s YouTube Channel. An annual conference, the Digital Multilogue on Fashion Education, provides opportunities for students and faculty to collaborate with industry insiders on wide-ranging research projects: a further example of the hands-on nature of fashion classes at AUP. Alumni are key players in helping build our global community of fashion industry professionals.

Professor Stauss has recently launched a fashion alumni LinkedIn group to facilitate networking connections and spread sustainable, ethical fashion engagement from Paris to the rest of the world. Alumni professionals have also returned to campus to engage with students through events; if you work in the world of fashion and want to get involved, don’t hesitate to let us know.

Join now: Fashion LinkedIn Group

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Luna Park

Who’s in

Fashion?

AUP alumni are working across the globe using fashion to promote design innovation and provide the fashion industry with solutions to global problems. If you want to be put in touch with any of the alumni here, or if you’d like to let us know what you’ve been up to in the fashion world, please don’t hesitate to reach out to alumni@aup.edu.

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JENNIFER OBAYUWANA ’03 Polo Limited Jennifer is Executive Director of Polo

eco-certified fabrics. Her work was recently featured in a pop-up store at the Saks Fifth Avenue department store in New York.

Flair Bodysuits

Limited, Nigeria’s foremost luxury goods company. She graduated with a BA in Business Administration from AUP in 2003.

RUBY VERIDIANO G’15 Sustainable Apparel Coalition

Jennifer on LinkedIn

Ruby is the Senior Manager of

CLAUDINE IVARI ’07 claudineivari.com

Storytelling and Global Content at the

Claudine is a bespoke

Her work includes planning their annual

luxury fashion designer

conference.

apparel, footwear and textile industry’s leading alliance for sustainable production.

based in London. Her made-to-measure designs draw on a broad range of inspiration.

Ruby’s Website

“Very often it’s nature or travel – or even a simple discussion or word,” she explains.

Claudine is looking to connect with London-

JOEL CARTER G’16 Luna Park

based alumni to expand her local network.

Joel’s business, Luna

Claudine’s Website

Park, which he started while studying at

CLÉMENCE WURTZ ’13 Flair Bodysuits Flair Bodysuits is Clémence’s ready-towear clothing company, which produces

AUP, creates clothing that addresses social issues around the world while serving as a platform for others to more easily take part in activism and volunteer service in their own communities.

More on Luna Park

clothes entirely in France and using mainly

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GLINT / Style: Catherine Rochette

Ninelle Efremova (bentrova.to)

Polo Limited

Interested in helping the next generation of AUP fashion

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Luna Park

Polo Limited

students? Contact alumni@aup.edu.

Luna Park

Flair Bodysuits

L’OFFICIEL Ukraine

Flair Bodysuits

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Alumni stories from across six continents

CLASS NOTES

La tour Eiffel vous manque? Email alumni@aup.edu to book a campus tour now.

If you have a question about the Class Notes section, or if you would like to be put in touch with any of the alumni mentioned here, don’t hesitate to contact us at alumni@aup.edu so we can facilitate the connection.

CLASS NOTES CAROL J. DABBS ’68

on an Arlington School Board committee to provide input for the expansion of

During my 35-year career at USAID, I

my neighborhood elementary school.

worked in 29 countries on international

Currently, I am on the board of directors

public health programs in gradually

and serve as treasurer of the USAID

widening circles, starting with family

Alumni Association, after a stint on the

planning and expanding to child survival

Membership Committee. I am immediate

and infectious diseases, maternal health,

past president of the Arlington, Virginia,

noncommunicable diseases, health

branch of the American Association of

financing and systems, women’s programs

University Women (AAUW), and the

and water programs. I then worked as

immediate past bylaws chair of the board

a worldwide program officer, including

of directors of AAUW Virginia. I was

on the formation of the public health

elected chair of the International Health

budget in the State Department Office

Section of the American Public Health

of US Foreign Assistance Resources.

Association effective this November, after

These assignments made good use of

serving as governing councilor, Action

both my bachelor’s degree in Spanish

Board representative, and secretary since

and French from Duke University and my

the early 1990s. I also serve on the board

master’s degree in public health policy

of the Public-Private Alliance Foundation

and management from the University of

and was active on the advisory council

North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

for the Mount Carmel House program for

Since retiring in 2011, I relish getting enough sleep, lunching with friends,

I enjoyed traveling with my nieces and

and attending plays and movies. Early

nephew to celebrate high school and

in retirement, I joined exercise classes

college graduations, to Italy, France

and two book groups, and I continue

(twice) and Japan. I visited Antarctica

to be involved in my local community,

with high school friends, collecting the

including through a neighborhood dining

seventh continent punch on my passport.

group I organize.

I plan to produce a polished version of

As the years have evolved, I’ve undertaken increasing responsibilities in a variety of organizations. I’ve served as board member and secretary of my neighborhood citizen’s association and 54

formerly homeless women.

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my 10 Rules for Successful Travel, which begins with “conserve cash” and “eat when food is presented.”

Years 1968 - 1984

ELAN GARONZIK ’70 My comedy Eternity will be presented this fall during a festival of plays at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida. My drama Scenes and Revelations was produced by NYU’s Tisch School of Drama during spring 2022.

and betterhumans.org. I’ve recently finished a health book, The Switch, which was published by Simon & Schuster in 2020. My prior medical research work on supercentenarians was featured in the Science Section of the New York Times.

AMY J. MILLER ’80

LIAM O. PURDON ’70

Currently living and working in Santa Cruz, California, as a Buddhist nun in the While retired after 41 years of teaching, I’ve

Tibetan tradition of His Holiness the

managed to continue publishing. My latest

Dalai Lama at a beautiful multifaceted

publications include essays on Chopin’s “The

retreat center, Land of Medicine Buddha.

Awakening” (Mississippi Quarterly, 73.4), the

I lecture and lead retreats around

OE poem “The Ruin” (Quidditas 41) and F.

the world on Buddhist and secular

Scott Fitzgerald’s “Tender Is the Night” (F.

philosophy, meditation and mindfulness

Scott Fitzgerald Review, Volume 20).

to help people de-stress and create a happy, meaningful life. I’m usually in Paris

JAMES CLEMENT ’76

once a year teaching at our center there.

Find out more at amymiller.com.

I now run nonprofit medical research labs in Texas and Florida and have a medical office for conducting clinical

ALISON CLAY-DUBOFF ’84

trials in The Villages, Florida. The focus

After the death of my husband by use of

of our work is slowing or reversing the

the legal “Medical Aid in Dying” legislative

detrimental effects of aging. For more

act, I published my first book. It’s about

information visit antiagingclinicaltrials.org

one man’s courage and my unwavering

Class Note s

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CLASS NOTES fortitude in accompanying him to the

I am currently in India’s Northeast border

doors of death. My goal is to enlighten

region, near Myanmar, where I have also

the world on this unique choice when

accepted the post of fellow with the

faced with a universal foe: terminal illness.

Highland Institute, where I am leading

This is our story of profound love. Read an

research on Nagaland’s indigenous arts

extract at thelastdeliplatter.com.

and culture. I am also serving as visiting faculty at Visva Bharati University in West

DR. LES JOYNES ’84

Bengal and the Royal University of Bhutan and lecturing at universities around India.

JENNIFER (STANLEY) LAVOREL ’85 I have recently been promoted to Director of Asset Management Policy in the Office of Housing, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

GREGG TATE ’87 I am the recipient of the 2022 FulbrightNehru Professional and Academic Excellence Award and a Fulbright Senior Scholar at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi, where I lead novel research on transcultural collaboration in the arts. The aims of this project are to enhance our understanding of intercultural collaboration in the 21st century, especially in the context of how we now define culture. Honored by this recognition, I am also grateful to AUP for inspiring me on this journey to discover our world’s diverse heritages.

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Years 1984 - 1988

Hi, everyone! If you were at AUP anytime in the ’80s, I probably know you and

ANDY SWAY ’87

you probably know me! I was Cafeteria

After 33 years in New York, I relocated

Manager (when there was a cafeteria

my healing and hypnosis practice to

behind the church). Loved you all, and

Hollywood. I’m very excited to be in a

I hope you’re all doing well! My wife,

place without winter!

Susan, and I are waiting on our fourth grandchild. After our careers, we started

KIPPEN DE ALBA CHU ’88

a cat-sitting business, Cat Sitting by Susan, that is now employing 20 people and giving us a whole new perspective on life. The picture is with our daughter who passed away seven years ago. Still miss her every day!

SANDRA BRAMWELL ’87

In July 2022, I started a new position as CEO for the Institute for Learning Innovation (ILI), an Oregon-registered nonprofit organization that has a fully virtual office with employees based in the US, Canada and France. ILI works with I have just expanded my business, which

organizations, communities and museums

assists students in finding their paths

around the globe to expand the way that

through schools, colleges and graduate

people think about learning. We have

programs, to the New York area. We

performed research for decades and

currently also have offices in the Caribbean

apply those findings to everyday learning,

and will now attempt to broaden our

looking into who has access to it and

outreach across the Tri-State area. I stand

where and when it can be expanded. As

proud as Director of Versan Educational

CEO, I will continue to be based in Fort

Services! Find out more at versan.org.

Worth, Texas.

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CLASS NOTES ALEX ALEXANDER ’88 After being a contemporary art dealer for many years and having hosted alumni events in my gallery on La Cienega in Los Angeles, I’m now transitioning to a museum career. I have founded a contemporary museum in Long Beach California. The inaugural exhibition was held on September 10, 2022.

RASHEED KHAN ’91

social justice: the verdict is YES! (But it’s not easy.) I’m delighted to share LIDIA MAY with you. Visit lidiamay.com or find us on Instagram; we’d love to have your feedback. You can sign up for the newsletter and follow us, which is always deeply appreciated, or keep an eye on our LinkedIn where we often post jobs and internship opportunities. Also, to anyone with a compatible business interested in a future collaboration – drop me a line!

EVAN TOWNSLEY ’91

It’s amazing to still be in touch with AUP (which became AUP while I was there – it was ACP when I first came to campus). I had a pretty conventional career at the start: banking, MBA, management consulting and so forth. I started my first company in 2002, selling engineering consultancy services to industry, which did fairly well. I also served in volunteer organizations, charities and educational trusts, looking for a balance and wanting to give back.

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I recently received the Carnegie Hero Award for helping a woman who was being attacked by a huge dog. While on my way to breakfast with my three children, I heard horrible screaming, then I saw a dog trying to kill an elderly woman. I stopped my car in the street, got out, pulled a small knife, and went to help her. The account is summarized on the Carnegie Hero website.

I’ve now taken this to another level,

After making local news, I was contacted

recently co-founding a luxury fashion

by an investigator for Carnegie who spent

business as a social enterprise. It’s an

a few months looking into every aspect of

experiment to see if fashion is truly

the incident. My recovery was horrific; it

compatible with sustainability and

took two months and stopped all aspects

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Years 1988 - 1995

of my life. I’m thankful to be alive and

After 15 years at the American School of

happy that I was able to save the woman

Paris, I will be beginning a new role as the

from imminent death. I am honored to be

Director of the American section of the

a recipient of the award.

Lycée International de Saint-Germain-enLaye in September 2023.

ANDREW KOCH ’94

YOUNÈS BENNANI ’95

I’ve been writing fiction since my years in Paris and have finally started to earn some high-profile publication credits. This past summer, a story of mine, “Planetfall,”

I am happy to announce my engagement

appeared in Analog Magazine along with

to Ms. Amina Boutaleb. I am looking

an interview I did with the magazine.

forward to hearing from my fellow

Another piece, “The Invention of Paper,”

friends from AUP.

adapted from the same manuscript of interconnected stories, is forthcoming

DAVID LESLIE KETCHUM ’95

in Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine.

Some of my other short stories are available at literary magazines like Split/ Lip, Hobart, F(r)iction and Puerto del Sol.

BRIAN BRAZEAU ’95 Having lived and worked in Costa Rica for the last five years, I recently started a new position at one of the oldest private bilingual schools in Cartago. I am currently teaching grammar, science and literature at the highschool level. I will likely also be working with French classes in the next school year.

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CLASS NOTES CHARLIE (RITTS) TEIXEIRA ’96

ANA NOV ’00

I have been living in Hawaii since 2002, where I have co-founded a lifestyle brand called Route 99 Hawaii, named for the highway that brings you to the North Shore of O’ahu. Route 99 Hawaii’s mission is to share “aloha” worldwide.

In October 2022, we will celebrate the first anniversary of our retail store on the North Shore. We carry unique hats

I migrated to Australia in 2013 after

and apparel, embroidered out of our

several jobs in Cambodia and more than

home shop, working with local artists and

a year in Canada in 2003. After working in

vendors. If you find yourself visiting O’ahu,

childcare centers and retail jobs for many

please stop to say “aloha.”

years, I have started another journey to

RIA DE BORJA ’97 With over a decade of experience in content marketing and creative copywriting, my company, RDB Media, does website copy, blogs, social media copy, white papers, manuals, business reports, books, press releases and editorial content for international and

be an interpreter for the Australian New South Wales department of justice and community. I am still planning to continue my career in early childhood education, but I want to retrain my interpreting and translation skills in addition to disability care.

LOUISE DE TURCKHEIM (NÉE KAHRMANN) ’04

local companies. Past clients include Louis Vuitton Paris; Les Roches Shanghai; DrCom Singapore; Stores Specialists, Inc.; Edukasyon.ph; Delbros Group; and The Good Alchemist. We make dedicated efforts toward building positive relationships while authoring content and developing content marketing strategies.

I am living in London, working in PR, communications and marketing for luxury brands. Most recently I worked as Chief

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Years 1996 - 2008

Communications Officer for the British

unique in its perspective as an interface

luxury skincare brand and celebrity

for academic exchange and the co-

favorite 111SKIN. Prior to this role, I was

production of knowledge.

Global Marketing and Communications Director for British heritage jeweler David Morris. This followed previous

KRISTINA KEENAN ’08

positions at De Beers – LVMH, Elie Saab and Parisian PR agency DM Media. I am currently consulting, specializing in luxury communications and covering PR, events and marketing. I married Alexi in 2019, and we welcomed baby daughter Cosima in 2020. I’d be delighted to hear from AUP alumni – don’t hesitate to contact alumni relations to facilitate a meeting.

CLARA RACHEL EYBALIN CASSEUS ’06 & G’09

I experienced a major career success this year as the Assistant Legislative Director for the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).

As the lead advocate for military toxic exposure issues, I worked tirelessly to pass the Honoring Our PACT Act, the most comprehensive, multigenerational toxic exposure legislation for veterans in American history. I testified twice on this issue, once before the US House Veterans Affairs Committee and once before the US Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.

I spoke at numerous press conferences

This note serves as a call to fund a chair

with comedian and veteran advocate Jon

of Caribbean Studies at the Université

Stewart, participated in media interviews,

de Jean Price-Mars (Hinche, Haïti). As an

and lobbied members of Congress for two

independent researcher, I find that the

years until the bill passed this August. This

novelty of this project is in rethinking

legislation will help millions of American

a South–North university cooperation

veterans who have been exposed to burn

based on an array of interdisciplinary

pits and other toxic substances during

courses: from the study of sustainable

their military service, providing them

development, memory, critical migration

with health care and disability benefits. I

and heritage tourism. This initiative is

couldn’t be prouder to have been a part

Class Note s

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CLASS NOTES of this movement, to have made a positive

PAULINE RODHAIN ’13

change in my country, and to continue to serve the veteran community.

FOUAD ALOBAID ’08 & G’13 I currently work in talent development for a leading Kuwaiti Bank. As part of supporting my alma mater, I would be

Hi AUP fam! I wanted to share my story as

more than happy to help coach seniors

a French expat in Los Angeles – hopefully,

or graduate students to help prepare

it will inspire some of you to follow your

their transition from studies to their

heart and make your dreams come true!

future careers. Send me a note to my

Born and raised in Paris, I always dreamed

email if interested: ff.alobaid@gmail.com.

of setting foot in the US. I knew the

Wishing recent graduates success in their

journey would be a long and challenging

upcoming endeavors!

one, but I was determined to make it happen. Now here I am, exactly where I’m

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SEBASTIANO LUSTIG ’11

supposed to be! I had a strong feeling that

As Policy Officer for the Health Security

America – and it did not disappoint! For

and Vaccination Unit of DG SANTE, my

me, 2015 was a year of change and fear, yet

responsibilities included negotiating the

also an amazing time during which many

European Health Union proposals and

opportunities arose. After completing

acting as a focal point for the European

my master’s degree in public relations

Commission on topics related to Health

and journalism at USC, I landed a job in

Security for the G7, G20 and OECD. I

entertainment for two years – before

also led on Covid-19 policy, including

following my passion for luxury fashion as

nonpharmaceutical interventions. Within

a Marketing Director at a female-owned

the European Commission, I am now a

company. (I’m very proud of that fact!)

Policy Coordinator at the newly established

Seven years and multiple palm trees later,

European Health Emergency Preparedness

I’m still here – reporting live from sunny

and Response Authority. With a background

Los Angeles! I recently got to rekindle

as a social policy professional, I have served

my friendship with other LA-based AUP

as a consultant for several international and

alumni at an anniversary reunion event.

governmental organizations including the

What an amazing feeling it was to reunite

OECD, NATO and GIZ.

with my international family!

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AUP would be a great stepping stone to

Years 2008 - 2014

DAVE BLOOM G’13

After two years leading Amazon’s “Personal Shopper” business, I was promoted to Senior Program Manager under the Amazon Fashion umbrella. Responsible for driving nascent business initiatives, including a net-new confidential beta program slated for a Q1 2023 launch, I remain passionate about balancing the

Since the summer of 2021, I’ve been working in the mine action sector with Mines Advisory Group, a global humanitarian and advocacy organization that finds, removes and destroys landmines, cluster munitions and unexploded bombs from places affected by conflict. This role is focused on raising awareness of – and

art of style and fashion with the science of data and technology. My husband, Andrew, and I also welcomed our daughter, Liliane (now three), in October of 2018. The Coloms regularly return to Paris to visit family and friends in France.

FABIEN WULLENS G’14

funding for – these programs in the US Congress. This sort of position would not have been possible without my advanced degree from AUP. I still reside in Washington DC with my French wife, who runs two wine bars called La Jambe (which are well known to the DC alumni chapter), as well as our two daughters.

GENEVIEVE (HARTMANN) COLOM G’13

Hello, my dear AUP family! I hope everyone is doing well in these times.

After my year at AUP – and thanks to one of the courses I took in the humanitarian field – I started doing deep research on the former Pakistani Federally Administered Tribal Areas. I worked extensively on the presence of non-state armed groups in the region.

Finally, after several years of work and

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CLASS NOTES a partnership with a French editor, I

Islands of The Bahamas is a children’s

published my research as a book (in

book about my two pugs and our home

French), La réalité des groupes armés

country. Fun Fact: I got Mr. Pugsley, the

non étatiques évoluant au sein des FATA.

book’s main character, while living in Paris

One of my aims is to translate it into

as a student at AUP!

English. This work helped me enter the humanitarian sector in 2016, and I could not be more thankful for the experiences

P JOSHUA LASKEY G’16

I have had working for NGOs and the

As a cornerstone of my dissertation

United Nations in countries such as

work in humanities (University of Texas

Nigeria, Chad, Mali, Haiti, Central African

at Dallas), I will present a production of

Republic, Niger, Ivory Coast, Cameroon

Federico García Lorca’s “Mariana Pineda”

and, more recently, Ukraine.

(fall 2022), which is the play I translated as part of my MA in Cultural Translation

Last year, I started teaching in French

thesis at AUP in 2015.

business schools, and I enjoy the feeling of helping students achieve their goals, which I have been able to do notably thanks to the courses I took at AUP. I am thankful that AUP students regularly reach out to me looking for advice; some of the students I have spoken to have already reached an impressive professional level. Feel free to reach out to me if you want to connect and discuss the field of international relations!

SOYOUNG PARK ’17 I recently co-founded a tech startup in New York City called Mamakoo, which makes food guides for travelers. Each guide introduces must-try food and restaurants handpicked by local insiders like chefs, sommeliers and experienced diners, so users can easily access vetted food experiences unique to the destination. We’re currently covering 20

GABRIELLA SUIGHI G’16

destinations around the world! Unlock

Since graduating from AUP, I’ve taken

at mamakoo.com.

your first guide for free with code AUP100

jobs in marketing, working for clients like Colgate-Palmolive and Coca-Cola.

I’m now working as a Marketing Director in The Bahamas and very happy to

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DEVON KEAKULINA DEANGELO G’17

announce the publication of my first

Along with fellow AUP alum Nacera Belal,

book! The Swimming Pugs: Explore the

I am co-founding a travel technology

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Years 2016 - 2019

and creator marketplace startup called Landng. Our platform helps

GERARD ANDREW FAYLONA HERNANDEZ G’18

people experience the world through personalized itinerary discovery, powered by our creator marketplace, and we’re on a mission to make the experience of travel planning frictionless, inclusive and creative. Focused on solving the problem of travel content overwhelm when trip planning, our solution is two-

I am about to have a book published

fold. Our travel planning tool bridges the

called Problems with History and

gap between travel content discovery

Current Events: Reflections on Historical

and actionable travel itineraries, and our

Narratives from An American Who Lived

creator marketplace connects creators

in Paris. It is currently being edited but

and brands to generate actionable travel

should be published soon.

content for travelers. Landng’s database of customizable itineraries (think Pinterest for travel planning) allows on-the-go

YOUSSEF MINA ’19

users to discover, collaborate, share and activate itineraries designed by their friends, by favorite content creators and by brands – or to curate their own itineraries from scratch.

From cultural advocacy to ethical privacy

I proposed to the most amazing,

policies, Landng is committed to creating

wonderful, intelligent woman of my

a positive space for people to explore and

dreams – whom I met at AUP in Grenelle

experience the world through travel. We

during our The Islamic City (Architecture)

have recently been featured on the Forbes

class in Spring 2017. She stole my classic

Books Podcast; you can tune in to learn

seat (back corner on the left-hand side),

more about what we’re building and how

and we struck up a conversation. We just

you can join our community. The beta of

bought a home together in Williamsburg,

our platform will be live in fall 2022. Sign-

Brooklyn, and have two funny and lovable

up on our website (landng.travel) to be

mini schnauzers. Thank you, AUP, for a

informed of the launch.

life-changing class!

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CLASS NOTES LEONA FRANÇOISE CAANEN ’19

SARAH GORENFLO G’21

I have just published my second book, Being Human: Create Life by Your Own Design, which contains 24 interviewsturned-stories about overcoming life’s challenges and figuring out how to shape hardships into opportunities for growth, creating a life that fits our uniqueness. I had the pleasure of including nine AUP alumni in the book. During my time at AUP I met so many lovely and intriguing individuals who have lived and are living lives that I believe inspire others.

RENEE WALTON G’20

After an intensive job hunt following the completion of my degree, I’ve been thrilled to start a new position in refugee work. In March 2022, I moved across the United States to Houston, Texas, where I now work as a Starting Essentials Program Associate for Houston Welcomes Refugees. We partner with local resettlement agencies to provide incoming refugees with household goods and friendship, mobilizing volunteers around the area to welcome them to their new homes. It’s so fulfilling to finally have a career in the humanitarian field.

The work has been full of variety so far, and I’m excited to walk alongside my team to welcome the next thousand refugees and beyond.

I began a new position in May 2022 at the University of California, Irvine’s business school in the program services office of the fully employed MBA program.

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Years 2019 - 2021

Got an update for your fellow alumni? You could be featured in the next issue of the AUP Magazine. Whether it’s a new job, a recent wedding or a relocation across the world, we want to hear what you’ve been up to over the last year.

Visit aup.edu/class-notes to share your story.

Separate Continents Shared Interests Your former classmates may live all over the world, but keeping in touch is easier than ever.

Introducing alumni Affinity Groups: volunteer-run alumni communities where you can connect online with peers who share your passions, identities or professional fields.

Pitch us a suggestion for a new Affinity Group, and you’ll receive resources, guidance and support from our Alumni Affairs team in Paris to make it happen. Whether it’s entrepreneurship, cultural translation or international travel, you can set up connections with fellow alumni and discuss what matters most to you.

Interested? Get in touch with us at alumni@aup.edu.

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