Since AU's early days, the University has graduated leaders and trendsetters who go on to impact the world, no matter their field.
“The same desire to make a difference and effect change that characterizes AU students is, not surprisingly, the same desire that characterizes a vast majority of AU alumni,” said Tara Lang, director of alumni relations, in an e-mail. “Current students should know that they are joining a legacy of outstanding alumni who are doing incredible things all across the world to help make the world a better place.”
Many alumni have found creative uses for their AU degrees in all majors.
One man used a political science degree for more than governing or policy writing; another applied his degree in communication to a variety of jobs in the industry, from public relations to citizen journalism to authorship.
Karl Weissenbach: Librarian, historian
Karl Weissenbach has made a career by combining political science with library science.
Weissenbach, a 1976 graduate of the School of Public Affairs, serves as the director of the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene, Kan., which holds more than 28 million pages of original “Ike” documents — 500,000 photographs, 78,000 pieces of museum art, miles of film and more.
The Eisenhower Library has begun working with School of International Service Dean Louis Goodman and University Librarian Bill Mayer to develop a research partnership, involving digitizing the Kansas library’s materials, according to Weissenbach.
Mayer hopes to make progress on the partnership during the next year, coordinating it with the 50th anniversary of Eisenhower leaving office and the eventual creation of an Eisenhower memorial on the National Mall.
“We’re still in the early stages … and we’re looking for ways to do more,” he said.
The archive digitization process will give AU students access to new information and also provide internship opportunities with the libraries, according to Mayer.
Weissenbach looks forward to working with these students, he said.
“It’s my hope that AU students will come to do original research in Abilene,” Weissenbach said. “As a student, there’s nothing better than working with original sources.”
For Weissenbach, the most fulfilling part of his work is that he runs a “world-class research institution” and gets to meet the researchers and students who travel to Kansas. He said about a third of the library’s visitors are international scholars.
“Eisenhower was an internationalist … his military and presidential career are greatly admired outside the United States,” Weissenbach said. “[He] was a unique president who … forged effective coalitions with dominant personalities at a time when it really made a difference.”
The presidential archivist was not always destined for the library, however. A Georgia native, Weissenbach graduated with an associate's degree from Reinhardt College with aspirations to become a veterinarian. After someone asked him if he would consider a university outside of Georgia for further education, he realized attending AU as an undergraduate would allow him to explore the federal government.
“I was very much interested in politics, and [AU] gave me a great opportunity to further my career,” he said. “I came for the international melting pot … it gave me a new perspective on politics and government.”
Weissenbach, who particularly recalls his dorm life experiences, said his decision to attend AU was “one of the best things that’s ever happened” and that he still harbors a “deep fondness for AU.”
“Alumni should be proud of our university,” he said. “AU has changed … People have a great AU spirit. Students want to change the world, and I think they will change the world … They will make a great difference in their communities.”
David Wheeler: Author, environmentalist
Another alum’s degree from the School of Communication has led him to pursue his environmental interests while becoming a published author.
David Wheeler, a 1995 SOC graduate, is the author of the forthcoming book, “Wild New Jersey: Nature Adventures in the Garden State,” which appeared on the cover of the Rutgers University Press Fall/Winter 2010 Catalog and is due for release in February 2011.
He is also the founder of WildNewJersey.tv, the only daily environmental and nature blog for New Jersey and the surrounding area.
Wheeler began his career in marketing and public relations and then became director of operations for the Edison Wetlands Association. Through his new job, he realized his passion for wildlife and the outdoors could be fulfilled anywhere, and especially in the Garden State.
“New Jersey specifically is a small state that has more biodiversity and diverse habitats than just about anywhere else its size in America," Wheeler said in an e-mail.
Wheeler credits his time at AU for helping shape his career and book, saying that D.C. is an “unparalleled city for a college student.”
“The classes I took in both the communications fields and in literature set the stage for me to grow both professionally and academically later on,” he said. “Taking trips with fellow students to places like Great Falls, Rock Creek Park and Ocean City made a memorable impression and kept the outdoors in my life during the college years.”
Though Wheeler has spent much time in large cities, it allows him to appreciate the range of wildlife that lives close to urban areas. Researching “Wild New Jersey” involved experiences such as tracking snakes, banding peregrine falcons on the roof of a Jersey City skyscraper and dog sledding.
“Most rewarding for me was the chance to counteract New Jersey's often negative stereotypes — the Turnpike … the pollution, the Jersey Shore connotation of our people,” he said. “To have the chance to show people what a natural treasure we have right in our own backyards is something I cherish.”
rkaras@theeagleonline.com
