American University President Jonathan Alger and his wife Mary Ann have settled into the university’s new residence on Nebraska Avenue, a nature preserve with extensive gardens and towering trees donated by longtime DC philanthropist Mary deLimur Weinmann. Alger became AU's president last summer, and In his first year instituted a new Civic Life Initiative that fosters civil discourse, constructive communication, problem solving, and building common ground. The Algers are committed to making AU a vibrant, engaged community anchor institution, with new opportunities for mentorship and community involvement. 

Returning to Washington after 24 years at universities in Michigan, New Jersey and rural Virginia is a homecoming of sorts for the Algers. The couple first crossed paths in Washington when both were emerging professionals — he as a young lawyer first at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, later transitioning to roles at the U.S. Department of Education and eventually serving as the in-house counsel for the American Association of University Professors. Mary Ann, with a bachelor’s degree in international business and Spanish and an MBA, built her career in the venture sector.

The two married at National Presbyterian Church, where their daughter Eleanor also was baptized. They relocated in 2000 to Ann Arbor, when Jonathan became assistant general counsel at the University of Michigan and where he coordinated one of the largest amicus brief coalitions in U.S. Supreme Court history. He next served as senior vice president and general counsel at Rutgers University, then for 12 years was president of James Madison University before becoming president of American University.

“We had always loved DC and in the back of our minds, we thought if we ever had the opportunity to come back it would be a wonderful thing for both of us,” he says. 

Alger finds his passion for law, public policy and public service aligns directly with American University’s mission (chartered by Congress in 1893) of training future public servants. “I often talk about the engaged university,” he says. “Yes, we learn theories and ideas in the classroom, but we also apply them to real-world problems and work with community partners around us to try to address those real-world issues.” A university should be an essential part of its community, he says, “the opposite of the ivory tower.”

This work stretches across the District, from sponsoring the annual 5k and fun runs at Janney and Mann elementary schools and having AU student-athletes volunteer with the neighborhood children to investigating microplastics in the Anacostia River to a unique dual-enrollment program with the District of Columbia Public Schools where high school seniors can earn up to six college credits at AU.

Civic Engagement, Civic Discourse

A major area of focus Alger brought to American University during his first year as president is incorporating a new Civic Life Initiative to help AU become a national model of civic education, engagement, and exchange. 

Step one in the initiative, he says, is teaching skills in civil discourse. “What I talk about with the students all the time is how we engage with each other really matters. That means learning how to engage in discussion and debate across differences without vilifying people who disagree with you. And it turns out those are skills that can be taught and practiced and learned. And so that is something that we're really leaning into across the entire university, trying to be very intentional about creating those opportunities for students.”

Step two in AU’s Civic Life Initiative is aimed at increasing problem-solving skills so that people from diverse backgrounds “get together and actually try to find common ground and solve problems by working together,” he says. Part three is bringing creativity and innovation into the mix through arts and design thinking. “These are the set of skills that we're focusing on. And again, to me, this is what you need to have a healthy democracy. It is to have people from very different backgrounds and perspectives learn how to live and learn and work together in peace,” Alger says.

Good Neighbors, Classes, Shuttle

Alger notes that interacting with close-by neighborhoods like Spring Valley also is an important way of integrating the school and students into the community. The Algers and larger AU community welcome neighbors to stroll the campus and note they have enjoyed meeting many who have attended the AU arboretum’s full moon tour, sporting events, art exhibits, and performances. Mary Ann notes that the University’s musicals and performing arts groups are of an exceptional quality. “Once people go to a show on our campus, they come back,” she says. Neighbors can sign up online for updates about the AU arts and performances schedules at signup.e2ma.net/signup/1989576/1899992/

As part of AU’s commitment to lifelong learning, neighbors from the surrounding communities can audit one course per semester at the university for a nominal fee. Information about the program and directions to apply are available at www.american.edu/alumni/benefits/education/alumni-audit

In addition, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at AU relies on community members to offer educational opportunities at affordable prices as well. For more information see www.olli-dc.org

The university also works to be a leader in sustainability and keeping the community both beautiful and healthy, especially through the arboretum’s expertise in botany and horticulture (AU’s campus is an accredited arboretum with more than 500 different species and varieties of plants and trees). Landscaping designers there work with university neighbors to help protect bees as well as native plants.

Spring Valley neighbors might also be unaware that the AU shuttle service is free and available to anyone, not only students. The Blue Route makes a circular path through campus to Tenleytown Metro with stops at Nebraska Hall, Van Ness Avenue, and the Washington College of Law Tenley Campus. The Green Route goes down Massachusetts Avenue toward the Spring Valley building with a stop at the Katzen Arts Center. Many campus visitors use the shuttle, and it’s available for all community residents who might prefer a ride to the Metro station at Tenleytown. Riders can track the shuttle’s location on an easy-to-use app that can be found online at americanuniversity.transloc.com/routes and downloaded for iPhone and Android devices.

AU Neighborhood Partnership, Coming Events

A primary conduit for AU’s engagement with the community around campus is the AU Neighborhood Partnership. Since its inception in 2018, the Partnership’s has strengthened university and neighborhood relations through facilitated discussions, information sharing, and consensus-based collaboration on issues involving campus planning and university activities of interest to adjacent neighborhoods. The AU in the Neighborhood newsletter provides updates and upcoming events to the community. The annual Community Liaison Committee meeting with President Alger will be Wednesday, September 17, at the Mary Graydon Student Center, and AU will host a Family Movie Night for neighbors on Friday, September 19, in the Woods-Brown Amphitheater.

Many in Spring Valley look forward to visiting the new Alan and Amy Meltzer Center for Athletic Performance, which is on target to open in early 2026. Community members will be able to attend events in the state-of-the-art facility, which will be the first net zero energy building in DC. The Meltzer Center will feature new competition spaces for AU volleyball and wrestling and offer wellness and gathering spaces for all AU students, faculty, and staff. While the Meltzer Center expands AU’s athletics and recreation facilities, neighbors will continue to have access to the fitness center and pool in Bender Arena (for a fee).

Intergenerational Mentorships

Potential Mentorships

American University also is working on a new strategic plan. Alger notes that one element he hopes to incorporate is building inter-generational relationships for students. Students at AU come from across the country and around the world, and many do not have local family or immediate connections when they first arrive in Washington, he says. The school would like to help students build valuable connections with people in the community, through mentorships, partnerships and community groups.

During his own undergraduate college years at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, a church community supported and encouraged him and this greatly enriched his college experience. “One of my dreams for our students,” he explains, “is that they each have some sort of mentor while they’re in school.” And these mentorships could go beyond faculty and staff, he says, because in Spring Valley and elsewhere in the city “we’re surrounded by all of these people who have really interesting backgrounds and careers.” 

In 2026, Alger notes that American University will host events related to the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the nation’s semi-quincentennial. 

These events are still in planning phases right now. “Because of the history and mission of the university,” he explains, they will “really celebrate those 250 years, where we are and where we are going. We’re really excited to be thinking about events … and we certainly want the community to be a part.” He says that the events will encompass “all aspects of our country and culture: not just political history, but the role of the arts and science and athletics and other aspects.” 

American University continues to play an important role in Spring Valley and the wider community and is looking to build even stronger connections with its neighbors.

 “We sometimes use the term ‘anchor university.’ Alger says. “An anchor institution in higher education is engaged with the people and the world around it: It plays a critical role in the health and vitality of the community. and that’s what we aspire to be. We want our students to be part of the community, and we want the community to feel they’re a part of American University.”

To learn more about upcoming events and programs at AU, visit www.american.edu/communityrelations/events-and-programs.cfm.

For more on President Alger, see https://www.american.edu/president/alger-biography.cf