Connect with AU through our new Assistant Vice President of Alumni Relations

As we settle into this academic year and celebrate the success of recent programs, including our annual Multicultural Alumni Reunion, I am pleased to formally share the appointment of Edwina Simms as Assistant Vice President of Alumni Relations. Edwina assumed this new position in the spring of this year, succeeding Raina Lenney as just the second person in this role at AU.

As Assistant Vice President, Edwina oversees all university-wide alumni programming and outreach efforts, partnering with AU's units, schools, and programs to foster lifelong relationships with the more than 150,000 American University alumni worldwide.

With former full-time service as both Senior Director of Multicultural and Affinity Engagement and Director of Multicultural and Affinity Engagement, Edwina has long been a familiar face on campus. Prior to this appointment, she served as Interim Assistant Vice President, during which time she demonstrated expertise in volunteer management, an inclusive and collaborative leadership style, and a deep understanding of and commitment to the university's alumni community.

Among Edwina's accomplishments at AU are the expansion of such signature programs as the Multicultural Alumni Reunion, the CBCF Ebony Eagles of Excellence event, and the annual Affinity Leadership Summit. Edwina also served for several years as a member of the President's Council on Diversity and Inclusion and was recently appointed by President Jonathan R. Alger and Vicky Wilkins, Acting Provost and Chief Academic Officer, to serve on the steering committee for The Civic Life, a university-wide initiative for civic education and engagement.

Under Edwina's leadership, the AU Alumni Association received national recognition and was honored earlier this year with the Insight into Diversity Alumni Association Inclusive Excellence Award, and the work of the Office of Alumni Relations will continue to concentrate on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

Edwina holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Central Florida and a Master of Public Administration from Strayer University. She received a certification for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from the National Diversity Council in 2018.

Edwina takes the helm in Alumni Relations with a focus on defining success measures for the next decade and beyond. As we celebrate both the close of the successful Change Can't Wait campaign and a presidential transition on campus, the Alumni Relations team will focus its energy on redefining programs to ensure the engagement of ever more alumni in the life of the university.

Visit our alumni web page or email [email protected] to connect with Edwina and the team regarding how you can get involved. We look forward to hearing from you!

- Dan Luperchio, Interim Vice President, University Advancement