Aurora University Office of Alumni Relations and Engagement

Registration for Homecoming 2024 is now open! Return to campus on September 27-29 for a weekend of celebrating and connecting with your fellow alumni. Visit aurora.edu/homecoming to view the up-to-date schedule and register for events.

Happy National Mascot Day to our favorite Spartan, Sammy! Share your photos with Sammy Spartan in the comments below.

AU named to list of 20 beautiful campuses The university was named among 20 beautiful college campuses in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, joining Duke University, Harvard University, Indiana University—Bloomington, the University of Washington, and others. The list highlights colleges known for stunning architecture, picturesque ...

“Earning my Plus One master’s degree right after graduating with a bachelor’s was really beneficial. AU’s Plus One program introduced me to topics and information that apply to my career today. My law coursework was especially valuable as it helped me understand how the court system works. And because the graduate program was only one year long, I was able to start looking for a job sooner and consider more options. It definitely made me more qualified and prepared for the workforce.” – Ana ’20 Criminal Justice, ’21 MS in Criminal Justice

Visit aurora.edu/experienceau to hear from more Spartans.

We hope to see you back on campus this September! Stay tuned for more information regarding registration, accommodations, and the full weekend schedule.

Congratulations to our newest alumni!

Aurora University names Paaige Turner, PhD, as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs Aurora University named Paaige Turner, PhD, to the new position of provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, effective July 1.

AU baseball alum Chris Roycroft ‘19 made his MLB debut for the St. Louis Cardinals against the New York Mets tonight. Roycroft struck out two (Francisco Lindor and Harrison Bader) in his one inning of work. Congratulations Chris and on becoming the first Spartan in the MLB!

The women of Delta Sigma Theta gathered this weekend for their 35th reunion! The celebration began with fellowship on campus and meeting current members of the Black Student Union.

“I graduated high school early, so I wasn’t only facing the challenges of being a first-generation student, but also the challenges that came with starting college at 17. AU worked with me through every question and obstacle I had. I never had a doubt that I would accomplish my dreams here on campus.

Being a first-generation student means being able to have opportunities that my parents never had. I feel privileged, proud, and happy. AU has supported me in so many ways — educationally, financially, and emotionally — and I will be forever grateful for that. I hope to pay it forward one day and support other first-generation students as they reach their educational goals, just as AU helped me,” said Jennifer ’24, Accounting.

Learn how you can help provide the resources needed for today’s students to achieve their educational dreams through the Future Promise Fund here: https://bit.ly/40GvS0C

Congratulations to our newest cohort of Noyce Scholars! As an AU Noyce Scholar, the five students who are studying to become STEM teachers in high-need school districts will receive scholarships for the last two years of their secondary STEM education degree and the opportunity to participate in a variety of professional development and summer programs. Visit aurora.edu/noyce for more information about the benefits of the program and how to apply for the next cohort.

Crimi Auditorium will be filled with music next week! Join us for the Instrumental Ensembles Concert on April 24 at 7:30 p.m. and the Spring Choral Concert on April 25 at 7:30 p.m. Reservations are not required for these free performances.

We are excited to celebrate our Spartan alumni and current student-athletes during the following senior day games. We hope to see you there!

Saturday, April 20
Baseball — Noon and 2:30 p.m., Jim Schmid Field
Softball —Noon and 2 p.m., Spartan Athletic Park
Women’s Lacrosse — 1 p.m., Spartan Athletic Park

Saturday, April 27
Men’s Lacrosse — 2 p.m., Spartan Athletic Park

If you can't attend in person, you can cheer on the Spartans in real time via the live stats and live video on athletics.aurora.edu.

The world-renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis will fill Crimi Auditorium with music on Sunday, April 21, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. Learn more about the event and how to purchase tickets at https://bit.ly/49vWh3R.

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis to perform at Aurora University Aurora University welcomes the world-renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis (JLCO) to the stage of Crimi Auditorium in the Institute for Collaboration on Sunday, April 21, 2024, at 7:30 p.m.

MLB video game introduces female players for the first time Recently released video game "MLB: The Show" lets you play as a woman on the baseball diamond. NBC News' Dana Griffin speaks with the player who inspired the new female character about what this means for the future of the sport.

Tickets are on sale now for “An Evening with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis” on Sunday, April 21, at 7:30 p.m. in Crimi Auditorium. Join us for an evening of large-ensemble jazz at its pinnacle, led by a beloved jazz master—trumpeter extraordinaire and 9-time Grammy Award-winner Wynton Marsalis. All proceeds will be directed to the Future Promise Fund, which supports students who are the first in their family to attend college. Purchase tickets today at https://bit.ly/3PIzwmu.

“A lot of the kids we deal with are developing into really good people, and the fact that they can play soccer at a high level is just a plus. I see myself in them. I was exactly like these kids, and having gone through the same experience—that’s why I do this,” said Joseph Dadara '18, who serves as soccer director at the Aurora Township Youth Center and the Aurora Eagles Soccer Club. Read our latest blog to see how the finance graduate is helping pave the way for local low-income youth to play soccer.

One Goal in Mind: Paving the way for low-income youth to play soccer The sport of soccer has always provided a refuge for Joseph Dadara ’18. When he was in middle school, his family emigrated from Tanzania to the U.S. and settled in Aurora. Soccer was a way to fit in and stay out of trouble. But it was expensive—the uniforms, the dues, the travel. His parents wer...

Congratulations to Don Adams '21, '22, and Basma Outhman '21 on their recent engagement! The couple met at AU, so Don thought it only made sense to propose to Basma in our very own Crimi Auditorium.💙

Did your love story start at AU? Share it in the comments below!

Experience how art and science can create beauty together through the Schingoethe Center of Aurora University's current exhibit, "Beyond the Visible." The interactive, multimedia exhibit features prints, musical compositions, sculptures, installations, digital imagery, and virtual reality by seven Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory artists. Learn more about the exhibit here: https://bit.ly/49HfjFb

Generations of Spartans and Spartan relatives have been brought together through an ongoing therapeutic recreation project at Bardwell Residences in Aurora!

Pictured are current AU students alongside AU chair and associate professor of therapeutic recreation Kris Johnson '96 (second row from back, second from left), and Bardwell resident services coordinator Jessica Storck '22 (to the right of Johnson), with current residents Mary Dudzienski '72 (seated in front of Storck) and Pat Sullivan (two to the right from Dudzienski), the grandmother of Patrick Ward '21.

“Being a first-generation student means that I have been given the opportunity to chase a dream to make both myself and my family proud. AU has helped me develop a roadmap and provide the resources I need to reach my goals.

Academically, AU has a pathway for aspiring physical therapists like myself to earn two of the top degrees looked at by graduate physical therapy programs. Athletically, the AU wrestling program has world-level talent on the coaching staff to help me follow one of my passions.

AU has also helped me explore options to assist with financial barriers, which has allowed me to attend college,” said Luis ’26, Exercise Science and Athletic Training 3+2.

Learn how you can help provide the resources needed for today’s students to achieve their educational dreams through the Future Promise Fund here: https://bit.ly/40GvS0C

Did you know that Tom Skilling, one of today's most advanced, admired, and respected meteorologists, received the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from AU in 2015? Skilling was raised in Aurora, and he even started his TV career on Aurora's WLXT-Channel 60. His excellence in weather forecasting made him a household name in Chicagoland and across the nation. The beloved meteorologist will give his final forecast tonight during WGN TV's 10 o'clock news. Congratulations on your retirement, Tom!

“I do what I do—be it at work or through dance—because I know that I could be the change for somebody,” said Kaitlyn Prentiss ’21. Read how the therapeutic recreation and disability studies graduate taps into her passion for dance and assisting others at Special Stars Inc. NFP in Montgomery, Illinois, a nonprofit dance and movement program for children with disabilities that she helped to establish and where she serves as a board member.

A Chance to Dance: Sharing the hidden language of the soul Kaitlyn Prentiss ’21 has been dancing almost since she learned to walk. She grew up surrounded by ballet slippers, leotards, and tap shoes. She entered dance competitions. She learned to choreograph. Dancing filled her soul.

Today's the day! Join us tonight, February 22, at 7 in Crimi Auditorium as Celebrating Arts and Ideas presents "The Meeting," a one-act play directed by Rain Wilson, AU's first artist-in-residence and interdisciplinary catalyst, that tells the story of a fictional meeting between Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Register for the event here: https://bit.ly/47P87Fs

Exhibitions and Programs Main Campus: 630-892-6431 (General Information) 630-844-5533 (Admission) 800-742-5281 (Admission) 630-947-8955 (Graduate Admission)

Artist-in-Residence Rain Wilson is directing a play featuring Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in fictional dialogue. Read more about "The Meeting" before the on-campus performance on Thursday, February 22, at 7 p.m. in Crimi Auditorium at https://bit.ly/3T1LU2S.

Seats are still available for this free event, which you can register for here: https://bit.ly/47P87Fs

Bringing Two Vital Voices to the Stage Artist-in-Residence Rain Wilson is directing a play featuring Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in dialogue. She hopes it will galvanize its audience.

There's still time to register for the upcoming Celebrating Arts and Ideas presentation of "The Meeting," a one-act play directed by Rain Wilson, AU's first artist-in-residence and interdisciplinary catalyst. See the compelling story of a fictional meeting between Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Thursday, February 22, at 7 p.m. in Crimi Auditorium. This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Register for the event here:

Main Stage Events In 1965 at the height of the civil rights movement at a hotel room in Harlem, we witness the fictional but powerfully written meeting of two of the most important men of modern times: Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Differing in their philosophies, but alike in their mutual respect, the tw...