| Contents
 Message from WAAAUB President
Message from the Editor
WAAAUB News
In the Spotlight
Reflections
The AUB Network
From Campus
Alumni Events
June 22, 2008
Toronto Chapter Family Picnic
11:00AM - 5:00PM
High Park
More details: linabadih@gmail.com or mahazabaneh@gmail.com
2008 Class Reunion at AUB
June 30, 2008
2008 Class Reunion
50th and 25th reunion celebration
July 1–2, 2008
Class Reunion Events
www.aub.edu/~webalumni/
classreunion.html
September 27 - 28, 2008
WAAAUB North America Chapters Meeting
Washington DC
October 10 - 11, 2008
WAAAUB Middle East Regional Chapters Meeting in Jordan
October 16, 2008
Kuwait Chapter Gala Dinner
November 7, 2008
UK Chapter Gala Dinner
November 20 & 21, 2008
WAAAUB Gulf Chapters meeting in Bahrain
November 27, 2008
Dubai Alumni Chapter Gala Dinner
January 3 - 4, 2009
WAAAUB Annual Meeting in Beirut
Pictures from Chapter Events
Dubai Chapter Annual Desert Out attended by more than 750 AUB & LAU Alumni, friends and family members
Dubai Chapter Annual Desert Out: AUB vs LAU
Washington DC Chapter Art Exhibit
Useful AUB Links
AUB Home Page
www.aub.edu
WAAAUB Home Page
www.waaaub.org
Make a Gift
http://give.aub.edu.lb
AUB On-line Community
www.aub.edu/alumni
Alumni Chapters Directory
www.waaaub.org/
chaptersdirectory.html
WAAAUB eNewsletter
www.waaaub.org/newsletter/
issue1.html
WAAAUB News
www.waaaub.org/news.html
MainGate Magazine
www.aub.edu/~webmgate
AUB Career Services
www.aub.edu/
admin-services/career-services/
|
 Message from WAAAUB President
Dear fellow alumni,
I am delighted to be writing to you today to inform you of the launch of WAAAUB’s electronic newsletter, Al Jame’a. My colleagues and I at WAAAUB sincerely hope you’ll enjoy our first issue.
Al Jame’a is not intended to replace MainGate; but rather to complement it. MainGate is our traditional quarterly printed magazine that lends itself to feature stories as well as news from AUB and around the world. Al Jame’a will provide all of you with additional – and more timely – information on upcoming events in your area, alumni news, contributions from alumni chapters, links to useful sites, and any other news that may be of interest to you – our alumni.
The newsletter will also serve as the vehicle for members of the WAAAUB Board of Directors and Alumni Council to communicate directly with AUB alumni – and for you to communicate with us.
Because this will be an eNewsletter, it will only be distributed via e-mail. I urge anyone who has not already done so to register with the AUB On-line Community and update your contact information with a current email address. This will ensure that you will receive this newsletter and keep current on the latest WAAAUB and AUB news. It will also ensure that you receive invitations to events in a timely manner.
Although AUB’s mission “to foster tolerance and respect for diversity and dialogue” is timeless, it seems particularly relevant given difficult periods in our history. I am honored and gratified to have this opportunity to work with all of you to support WAAAUB – and our University.
With warmest regards,
Dr. Khalil Makkawi
WAAAUB President
Message from the Editor
We are pleased to send you the first issue of the quarterly eNewsletter of the Worldwide Alumni Association of the American University of Beirut (WAAAUB). Published by the WAAAUB Alumni Outreach Committee in coordination with the AUB Alumni Relations Office, this newsletter is intended to supplement MainGate and keep you current on the latest WAAAUB initiatives and interesting alumni news from around the world.
This premiere issue of Al-Jame’a covers the following topics:
Message from WAAAUB President: Dr. Khalil Makkawi addresses AUBites around the world.
Message from the Editor: The Editor introduces Al-Jame’a.
WAAAUB News: Learn what WAAAUB leaders and Standing Committees have been up to since the January `08 Convention. Check out what is happening at WAAAUB chapters around the world.
In the Spotlight: Up close and personal with WAAAUB officer Outreach Committee Chair Roula Harb. In future issues we will also be bringing you profiles of AUB Alumni Chapters from around the world. Write to us at outreach-committee@waaaub.org
Reflections: AUB alumni share their views and experiences. In this issue: As part of AUB's worldwide alumni association initiative, Implementation Task Force member Dr. Shake Ketefian writes about the work that led to the establishment of WAAAUB.
The AUB Network: Have you logged in recently to search for fellow alumni and/or update your profile? Read how the AUB On-line Community is bridging the distance gap and bringing alumni together!
From Campus: AUB in the news and the latest updates from campus
 We welcome your comments, contributions and suggestions. We will make every effort to include as much of your material as possible depending on space and theme. Thank you in advance for helping make Al-Jame'a another valuable communication channel with our AUBites everywhere.
We invite you to take advantage of this opportunity to share your news and activities by writing to us: outreach-committee@waaaub.org
The Editor
[Top of page]
WAAAUB News
What are we up to?
Since the last WAAAUB convention that was held in Beirut on January 11-13, 2008 the WAAAUB leadership and its various Standing Committees are actively working to implement their agreed upon objectives.
The Outreach Committee is already contacting alumni through the alumni chapters, informal social networks, and AUB publications, including MainGate. Their main objective is to locate all AUB alumni and bring them back to the fold with updated contact information. If they “reach out” to you, please respond to their call! [Contact the committee: outreach-committee@waaaub.org]
The Chapters Committee is working to support existing chapters and to encourage the establishment of new chapters. Regional gatherings of chapters and alumni leaders with WAAAUB representatives are planned in the coming months in North America, the Middle East and the Gulf. For more information about these meetings, check the WAAAUB calendar of events. These meetings will provide chapters with the opportunity to share experiences and learn from each other. We encourage you to attend events in your region. [Contact the committee: chapters-committee@waaaaub.org]
The Programs Committee is focused on developing new programs and events, some targeting particular constituencies such as the Young Alumni. They are currently compiling an alumni benefit package (discounts, special memberships, etc.) and developing an annual alumni awards program. The committee is also working on various regional events around the globe. If you have any ideas to share, please contact the Programs Committee. They – like all of our Standing Committees – welcome your suggestions and are counting on your feedback to succeed! [Contact the committee: programs-committee@waaaub.org]
The Nominations Committee is responsible for nominating candidates to WAAAUB’s various elected bodies. They have recently concluded the election of the Alumni Board of Trustee member to the AUB Board of Trustees. [Contact the committee: nominations-committee@waaaub.org]
With enormous encouragement from the University and from AUB alumni, we are on our way to establishing a strong and dynamic association – one that will well serve our University and its alumni.
[Top of page]
WAAAUB Premises Inauguration
 |
Alumni mingle at the WAAAUB office
opening |
The Worldwide Alumni Association of the American University of Beirut inaugurated its new location on April 17, 2008 in the presence of dozens of AUB alumni and members of the alumni association board of directors' newly elected executive committee.
"Few universities in the world can boast as wide an international presence as our Alma Mater," said Former Ambassador Khalil Makkawi, the president of the WAAAUB Board of Directors, as he welcomed those attending the inaugural reception. "Our organization was established in order to tap into the wealth of talent of our alumni, for the benefit of our beloved AUB.”
The new offices, which are located at AUB Faculty 1 building, on Abdel-Aziz Street, buzzed with more than 160 AUB alumni, including: MPs Pierre Dakkash and Bassem al-Shab, Former Ministers Beshara Merhej and Saeb Jaroudi, Press Federation President Mohammed Baalbaki, Former Ambassador Abdullah BouHabib, Engineer Nazih Taleb who heads the Dar Al-Handasah Nazih Taleb and Partners consultancy firm, Mohammed Baasari who is known for his work at the Special Investigation Commission, Habib Frem, of the Syriac League, TV talk show host and producer Ricardo Karam, and Fady Saab, chairman of Trans-Mediterranean Airways (TMA).
 |
| (L to R) M. Doughan, WAAAUB
Secretary; M. Abdel Baki, WAAAUB Board
member; Dr. Makkawi, WAAAUB
President; K Doumet, WAAAUB Treasurer |
Makkawi added that the establishment of WAAAUB was a "first-time genuine effort" to reach out and connect with all AUB alumni all over the world.
"We believe that the lifeblood of this association is its alumni chapters--the home away from home...which will continue to maintain their autonomy while participating in WAAAUB activities. We are really excited that, in the short time since WAAAUB was founded... we are on our way to establishing a strong and dynamic association--one that will serve our university and its alumni well.”
[Top of page]
 In the Spotlight
A Word from the Chair of the Outreach Committee, Roula Harb
On behalf of members of the Outreach Committee, thank you for reading this first issue of our newsletter. We are pleased and excited to see this initiative come into fruition as we charge ahead with our mandate to reach out and reconnect with every alumnus and alumna around the world.
Our message is this: We know that in every region around the world, there are AUBites who are special in their communities; alumni who started making a difference the moment they walked out of the Main Gate on graduation day.
Wherever you are around the world, we know that you share our passion for AUB. If you feel like we do today, we know that a part of you never left campus. The noise from the Milk Bar is still music to your ears, and just thinking about the bench across the Green Oval on a sunny day brings you comfort on a rainy day. Yes, AUB is that special and will continue to be with you wherever you go.
This is what the Outreach Committee is all about: celebrating the AUB passion that binds us all in spirit and now through added touch points - our eNewsletter, Al Jame’a, our AUB Online Community; our chapters around the world, reunions on campus and AUB events in your regions. You can help us make this happen by keeping in touch, informing us of your whereabouts and of changes in your contact information, sharing your news with the AUB community and simply rejoining the fold if you’ve been out of touch and out of reach!
Thank you for helping us stay in touch with you. Please write to us, visit the Online Community to update your profile and let us know about lost alumni. And, please respond to “Outreach” messages from us or from fellow alumni.
Sincerely,
Roula Harb
[Top of page]
 Reflections on the Birth of WAAAUB
Shaké Ketefian, Professor - University of Michigan
AUB, BSN 1963
It is a great pleasure to share “Reflections” for this inaugural issue of the WAAAUB’s e-Newsletter. We, the members of the Implementation Task Force [ITF], were there at the birth of WAAAUB. As a group, we represented different generations of “AUBites,” whose careers had taken widely diverse paths. Yet, we were all able to come together to pursue a common goal, bound together by our commitment to AUB and its future.
Having been given the charge to develop a worldwide alumni association for AUB, we did not have any existing models that could be emulated; despite the fact that all of us knew of other such institutions and how their alumni organizations functioned, we realized [once again!] what a unique institution AUB was. Specifically, we learned how far and wide the AUB alumni are spread in the Middle East and every continent, making a difference and transforming the countries in which they resided. This led us to the realization that AUB was a truly international institution, and that the new alumni association had to be tailored accordingly.
As members of the ITF, we also learned how deeply some alumni were tied to their existing alumni chapters and therefore initially held the belief that the new worldwide association might impede or detract from their loyalties. It was only through repeated communications, including face-to-face meetings with alumni chapters, that the message became clear: WAAAUB would unify and strengthen all AUB chapters and their connection to AUB.
Service on the ITF, while challenging, provided all of us an opportunity to serve AUB in this important way, and for many of us, it helped renew our commitment to our Alma Mater. It was impressive to behold the dedication and thoughtful manner in which all involved approached the task at hand, addressed the issues and reached a consensus in working out the mechanisms by which WAAAUB would operate. Our task force included several members of the Board of Trustees, senior AUB staff, and general alumni, all of whom held major, professional positions, yet took the time to travel long distances, to meet over a number of weekends to deliberate on this important and worthy project for their Alma Mater.
I would urge my fellow alumni to become involved in WAAAUB, locally and internationally. The Association will expand in its reach and activities only with your involvement. And you will be of great support to AUB and your fellow alumni.
[Top of page]
The AUB network
AUB’s On-line Community: The one resource for AUB alumni
 Since the launch of the AUB On-line Community in 2006, AUBites all around the world have registered with ever-increasing numbers. Alumni are finding each other in the On-line Directory, updating their contact info, reviewing chapter and AUB event listings, even exploring new job opportunities. Chapters can build their own web pages at no cost and send large-scale emails to their members via the OLC.
Take a look at these statistics and you will be convinced of the power that the On-line Community has to connect alumni everywhere:
- 70.2% of AUB alumni with known email addresses are registered users of the OLC. That is a staggeringly high proportion – beating out similar statistics in most American universities!
-
 Of the 100 + countries where AUB alumni reside, over 70 different countries are represented in the users of the AUB On-line Community. From Beirut to Chile to Sweden to Indonesia: AUB’s alumni family is truly global! It makes perfect sense for us to connect electronically via the OLC.
- The majority of current registered users are graduates of the last 15 years. But we also have AUB alumni in the OLC reaching back to the classes of the 1940s, 1950s and through all the following decades.
- AUB alumni have taken 2nd and 3rd degrees at over 500 different institutions of higher education around the world. Doing research at Insead, Baylor, Damascus, Harvard, Stuttgart or Oxford? You can find fellow AUBites by searching in the OLC for their “non-AUB institutions.”
Register now and find how AUB’s On-line Community can be your link to alumni around the world. We want to hear from you: future issues of Al Jame’a will feature stories about alumni connecting through the AUB OLC. Write to us at: outreach-committee@waaaub.org
[Top of page]
From Campus
 2008 Honorary Doctoral Degrees announced
Waterbury, along with five figures that left their mark on Mideast, receive honorary doctorates [Read more]
Charles W. Hostler Student Center opens its facilities to the AUB community
 Named after former ambassador and AUB alumnus Charles W. Hostler following his $11.7 million gift, the Charles W. Hostler Student Center (CHSC) opened its facilities for use on May 23, 2008, leading in, with its ultra modern design, a new and bright era for sports and fitness at AUB. [Read more]
Visit their new website for the hours of operation, special alumni membership fees, events and more:
http://www.aub.edu/~webchsc/index.html
[Top of page]
AUB alum appointed US Ambassador
President George W. Bush intends to nominate Asif J. Chaudhry, of Washington, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Moldova. Mr. Chaudhry, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, currently serves as Deputy Administrator of the Office of Global Analysis at the Department of Agriculture. Prior to this, he served as Agricultural Minister Counselor at the United States Embassy in Cairo. Earlier in his career, he served as Assistant to the General Sales Manager of the Foreign Agriculture Service in the Office of the Administrator.
Mr. Chaudhry received his bachelor's degree from the University of Punjab, his master's degree from the American University of Beirut (MS `82 Agricultural Economics) and his PhD from Washington State University.
[Top of page]
For more of AUB in the news visit: www.aub.edu/~webinfo/news.html
|
