Impact Stories

“Although we are one of the largest alumni chapters, we’re a very close community,” explains former Chapter President Moustapha El-Amine (BS ’89). “Many of our members have been in the US for 40-50 years; others, like me, came at the end of the civil war; and then there is a younger generation that graduated after the civil war. Our experiences on campus were very different. We all loved our times at AUB though – and all really want to help Lebanon – especially now.”

The Greater Washington, DC Chapter is deeply rooted in the DC area, which covers DC, southern Maryland, and northern Virginia, and is known informally as the “DMV.” Its members, which include many non-alumni, work at universities, the federal and state governments, the National Institutes of Health, the IMF and World Bank, embassies, and in the private sector. The chapter works closely with other groups with strong ties to Lebanon such as the USJ, IC, and LAU alumni associations – and other WAAAUB alumni chapters. In summer 2021, for example, the chapter joined forces with LAU and USJ to organize a Lebanese universities picnic that was attended by more than 150 alumni and their families. On June 11, 2022, the Baltimore and Greater Washington, DC Chapters are getting together for a joint hike at Sugarloaf Mountain.

The chapter is also very active on social media, which it uses to promote events (both DC Chapter events and those organized by other groups in the area that might be of interest to AUB alumni) – and to share news from campus. “Our WAAAUB chapters can play such an important role by helping to disseminate stories from our alma mater,” says Lina Jazi, associate vice president for alumni relations-North America and general secretary of WAAAUB. “The DC Chapter is doing a great job at this.”

The Greater Washington, DC Chapter was one of the more active WAAAUB chapters during the pandemic hosting a series of online events as part of its “Ma3Zoom 3al AUB” series, which attracted attendees from around the world. “It was a good way for us to stay in touch – and also very informative. The first topic we tackled was COVID-19, of course, but then we moved on to other topics – like the economic situation in Lebanon, the role of Arab Americans in shaping US policy, women’s leadership in the time of corona, etc.,” says El-Amine, who moderated the series. (You can watch recordings of these events on AUB’s YouTube channel.)

The chapter also fielded a team for the Battle of the Chapters – WAAAUB North American Trivia Tournament​ in May/June 2021 and came out in force for the AUB4Beirut Run in September 2021, raising more than $2,000 for the Needy Patient Fund at the AUB Medical Center. Acting Chapter President Rania Abbas Kanj (BS ’95) was among the alumni who took part in the run in 2021. “It was a great success – and a lot of fun,” she says. “It has also been wonderful to finally be able to get together in person – and indoors.”

The chapter has organized a series of very successful in-person events in recent months including an iftar/Easter dinner at the Lebanese Taverna on April 29, 2022. Plans for the future include participating in AUBCares, which the Alumni Relations Office is organizing to mobilize AUB alumni throughout North America to come together at least once during the 2022 calendar year to support a good cause in their community. “We’re also getting ready for the AUB4Beirut Run in September 2022, planning a cultural event in the fall, and look forward to getting together for an end-of-year dinner,” says Kanj.