Top Ten Student Highlights from a Standout CAS Semester
Spring 2025 was a semester marked by remarkable student achievements at the College of Arts and Sciences. From NASA internships and national research awards to poetry on TikTok and sound design for a sold-out theater production, CAS students made their mark this spring. As the semester ends, were celebrating just ten of the many stories that captured the talent, drive, and creativity of CAS students in 2025.
1. CAS Student Commencement Speakers Taraji Ellington and Sidney Murray
Meet Taraji and Sidney, chosen to speak at American Universitys College of Arts and Sciences 2025 commencement
Taraji Ellington and Sidney Murray
This years College of Arts and Sciences commencement featured the inspiring voices of undergraduate student Taraji Ellington and PhD candidate Sidney Murray, who have been selected as the student speakers for the Class of 2025. Representing the range and depth of the College of Arts and Sciences academic communityfrom environmental justice and global advocacy to neuroscience and mental healthTaraji and Sidney embody what it means to be an AU Eagle.
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2. Twin Stars: Ihsan and Zaki Hawkins Graduate as AUs First Kay Scholars
Jazz, NASA, physics, and Chinese languagetwin brothers Ihsan and Zaki Hawkins made the most of their AU experience.
Ihsan and Zaki Hawkins
Its not every day you meet an undergraduate who speaks Mandarin, plays in a jazz band, and conducts space science research for NASA. But at American Universitys College of Arts and Sciences, you can meet two: fraternal twins Ihsan and Zaki Hawkins.
During their time at American University, the twins majored in Physics, minored in Chinese, performed in the AU Jazz Band (Ihsan plays the trumpet, Zaki plays the tuba), worked as undergraduate researchers for Black epiSTEMologies, and completed prestigious internships at institutions including the NASA Goddard Flight Center and Purdue University.
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3. Studio Art MFAs Exhibit Art in the TRANSIT Exhibition
Works by six graduating artists in the Studio Art MFA program on display
Julia Zhang
On view in the AU Art Museum from April 19 to May 18, AUs 2025 Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition TRANSIT presents the culminating works of six graduating artists in the Studio Art MFA program: Phaedra Askarinam, Pooja Campbell, Patricia Edwine Poku, Connor Gagne, Andr矇s Izquierdo, and Julia Cheng Zhang. This cohort employs mediums ranging from painting and ceramics to installation and performance, unified by the theme of "transit"interpreted as acts of passage, transformation, and self-discovery.
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4. Mozaik: AU Students Create Social App for Life After College
An interview with Mozaik creators Isabelle Ritz, Sophie Carter, and Gray Walsh
Isabelle Ritz, Sophie Carter, and Gray Walsh
College is filled with friendship and communitybut what happens after graduation? How do you build connections in the real world, especially in a brand-new city? Thats the challenge three AU students took on with Mozaik, a mobile app designed to foster meaningful connections in post-grad life. Isabelle Ritz 25, Sophie Carter 26, and Gray Walsh 26 based Mozaik on the idea of Third Places gathering spots outside of home (the first place) and work (the second), such as cafes, bookstores, and other welcoming spaces where people go to connect and avoid loneliness.
Full story:泭Meet Mozaik: AU Students Create Social App for Life After College
5. Meet the Winners of Record-Breaking Mathias Conference
American Universitys 35th Annual Robyn Rafferty Mathias Student Research Conference was largest-to-date and presented new AI research awards
Katharine Grace McCartha presents her winning poster, "Buried Histories: Examining Anti-Blackness in the Afterlives of Q Street"
With more than 200 participants and two newly introduced award categories focused on artificial intelligence, AUs 35th Annual Robyn Rafferty Mathias Student Research Conference marked its largest gathering to date. The conference came on the heels of AUs newly earned R1 research status, a recognition that underscores the universitys expanding research activity, and it spotlighted the original research, scholarship, and creative work of students across CAS.
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6. HIV Breakthroughs in the Izumi Lab: A CAS Conversation
An interview with undergrads Grace Hillmer, Dacia Marquez, and Hasset Tibebe, most recently published on cover of Viruses journal
Dacia, Grace, and Hasset at the Mathias Student Research Conference
CAS students are making real contributions to one of the worlds most pressing health challenges: HIV. In the Izumi Lab, students work under the guidance of Professor Taisuke Izumi on cutting-edge research aimed at curing HIV and improving the lives of those who live with it. This year, three studentsHasset Tibebe, Dacia Marquez, and Grace Hillmerled projects that have already made an impact in the scientific community, with published papers, national conference presentations, and most recently, a co-authored research study led by Hasset and Dacia featured on the cover of . In addition, Grace published an and a in Viruses journal.
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7. Instapoetry and PoetryTok: Students Rethinking Poetry for the Digital Age
In Professor Kyle Dargans Advanced Poetry Workshop, grad students are reimagining memorable poetry for our contemporary times
Heaven Santiago, Jalisa Orellana Hardy, Isabella Salcedo, Tara Hollander
Poetry used to live in books and journals. Now, its fighting for space between influencer posts, hashtags, and TikTok trends. Instead of resisting this shift, award-winning poet and AU Literature Professor Kyle Dargan is asking: What if poets leaned in? This semester, Dargans Advanced Poetry Workshop is taking a new approach to writingrather than shunning social media, students are exploring how to write poetry for these digital spaces. Read pieces by Jalisa Orellana Hardy, Isabella Salcedo, Tara Hollander, and Heaven Santiago.泭泭
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8. Bringing Sound to Life: A CAS Conversation with Samantha Farace
Student sound designer for the AU production of Sometimes the Rain, Sometimes the Sea
Sometimes the Rain, Sometimes the Sea production. Photo courtesy of Elena Zimmerman.
Samantha Farace 26 worked as sound designer AUs production of Sometimes the Rain, Sometimes the Sea, which sold out at Katzens Studio Theatre last November. In this CAS Conversation, the undergraduate audio production major shares insights into the process of sound designing.
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9. Physics Students Win First Prize at National Optical Sciences Competition
Madeleine Bartin, Evelyn Bristol, and Ally Friedman traveled to the University of Arizona with Professor Brie Anderson for national physics workshop and competition
From left to right: Dr. Brie Anderson, Evelyn Bristol, Ally Friedman, Madeleine Bartin.
Three undergraduate physics students won first place for their research poster at the Optical Sciences Winter School and Workshop 2025 at the University of Arizona. Madeleine Bartin, Evelyn Bristol, and Ally Friedman traveled to Arizona with Physics Professor Brie Anderson, who was invited to give a talk at the university. In all, more than 50 undergraduates from across the country attended the workshop, from schools including Colgate University, Illinois Weslyn University, the Rochester Institute of Technology, among many others.
Full story:泭Physics Students Win First Prize at National Optical Sciences Competition
10. Behind-the-Scenes Costume Design: A CAS Conversation with Ted Hill
Undergraduate theatre arts major shares behind-the-scenes look at designing costumes for the fall AU theatre production Sometimes the Rain, Sometimes the Sea
Photo: Ethan Kauffman
Last fall, Ted Hill (CAS 25) got a rare opportunity for a student: he worked as the costume designer for the Department of Performing Arts (DPA) production of Sometimes the Rain, Sometimes the Sea. As full designer, Hill was charged with creating the shows costumes from conception to completion. Here, Hill speaks about his background in theater and the process of creating costumes for the production.
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