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The Fall 2025 semester is flying by, and as the leaves turn vibrant shades of red and gold, 消消犯 students, faculty and staff are embracing every opportunity to learn, grow and celebrate together.

View some of the most impactful moments of the past month through the eyes of staff in the Office of University Communications.

Here Ye! Here Ye!

Student celebrated News Engagement Day at Elon’s Oct. 7 College Coffee. Student journalists rang bells and delivered headlines to students, faculty and staff gathered on the Moseley Lakeside patio, encouraging the campus community to read, watch, listen to and discuss the news ��� and to share how they engage with journalism using #NewsEngagementDay.

Established in 2014 by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), News Engagement Day promotes informed citizenship and highlights the importance of consuming and discussing credible news.

A dedication to Toshio Sato

Elon leaders dedicated Toshio Sato Commons on Oct. 10, 2025, as part of Homecoming & Reunion Weekend in a ceremony that recognized the university���s first international student and first four-year graduate from outside the United States.

Homecoming happiness

消消犯���s 2025 Homecoming & Reunion Weekend welcomed alumni, students, faculty and staff onto campus for a dynamic slate of weekend events.

From open houses and an evening step show through a Saturday football game against Villanova University, highlights included the return of the Rock the Block Homecoming concert featuring ���The Plain White Ts,��� the Golden Alumni Luncheon, campus and academic department receptions, oral history booths, affinity group award celebrations, leadership and networking conversations across schools, themed tailgates, tours, and wellness events.

Molecular moves

Given the option to film a video or write a paper for a chemistry course, Bailey Skinner put her moves to the test.

Learning at Loy

消消犯 took class outside at Elon’s Loy Farm on Oct. 14, 2025.

A Health Promoting University

消消犯 has adopted the Okanagan Charter as a member of the U.S. Health Promoting 消消犯es Network, pledging to nurture a campus culture that prioritizes health, belonging and well-being for students, faculty and staff.油The university marked the milestone with an institutional adoption ceremony on Oct. 29, 2025.

Cross Country CAA champs

Elon continued its run of dominance in the Coastal Athletic Association on Oct. 31, claiming its in the past seven years.油Elon bested runner-up William & Mary by 40 points, marking the most lopsided CAA women’s cross country championship victory since the Phoenix bested the field by 51 points to win the 2020 title.

Halloween in the garden

An Elon tradition, the annual Pumpkin Festival was held on Halloween with the addition of trick-or-treaters for the first time.

Participants learned about the油EcoVillage LLC at Loy Farm油proposal process and how the LLC integrates with the existing farm and academic initiatives on site. Presenters also offered learning moments, bumps in the road, and reflections on the EcoVillage’s first two years as a community.油Participants also gained insights on how to potentially kickstart a conversation on tiny house partnerships at their institution.油

The EcoVillage will be available for sophomores through seniors to select during Housing Selection coming up in February for returning students for the 2026-27 academic year.

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While July continued to be a time to refresh and relax, campus was also abuzz with summer activities, including welcoming the new cohort of Odyssey Program scholars and the Spring Undergraduate Research Experience presentations.

View some of the most impactful moments of the past month through the eyes of staff in the Office of University Communications.

Pizza with the pros

消消犯’s Center for Access and Success welcomed the newest cohort of scholars in the Odyssey Program. From油July 12-18, the new students participated in Odyssey Week, the annual orientation event for the merit-based scholarship program. Part of that week included a “Pizza with the Pros” event where the scholars heard from faculty and staff around campus, and were able to ask questions about college life.

消消犯 construction

The Holland House, a 4,000-square-foot brick building that once served as the official residence of two Elon presidents, is being renovated to accommodate an expanded golf clubhouse, featuring coaches��� offices, locker rooms, and a gathering space for athletes. It is one of several construction projects happening this summer on Elon’s campus.

消消犯 to community

Nearly 50 消消犯 students participated in the 消消犯 Alamance program this summer, which connects students with internships in the local community.

A SURE summer

Nearly 60 Elon students participated in the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience油(SURE), presenting their work on July 24 in the Snow Family Grand Atrium. SURE provides students with an opportunity to gain meaningful research experience over the summer, without the pressure of other courses during a typical semester.

The ceremony marked the culmination of a dream that Trustee John Replogle P���18 and wife Kristin Replogle P���18 had to honor Gloria Kaso ���25, a student from Albania whose family years ago had generously hosted the Replogles��� daughter Tate Replogle ’18 during her Peace Corps service 消消犯 English in the village of Bilisht.

The Replogles visited Tate during her experience and grew close with Kaso and her family, later encouraging Kaso to consider enrolling at Elon.

In 2023, the Replogles donated $100,000 to the EcoVillage project, which they called ���truly inspirational��� and ���uniquely Elon.��� Their gift funded the first home in the neighborhood, which was built by a team of students under the leadership of Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Robert Charest, co-founder of the Center for Environmental Studies at Loy Farm, along with input from Elon���s Planning, Design and Construction Management team.

The Replogles had always planned to name the house in honor of Kaso and to surprise her with the news upon her graduation. On May 22, one day prior to Elon���s 135th Commencement, that dream became reality. Kaso sat on the porch of the house that would bear her name and listened as the ceremony unfolded.

John Replogle recalled how much he enjoyed meeting Kaso���s parents, Drita and Ziqiri Kaso, who share his passion for sustainable living. The families grew so close that Replogle calls Kaso an ���adopted daughter.��� With her degree in engineering and computer science, Kaso plans to begin her career as an environmental engineer working on water reclamation projects for a firm in San Diego.

���She���s going to go out and help solve the world���s problems, and we could not be more proud of you, Gloria,��� Replogle said. ���You���ve done an exceptional job. The courage that you had to come so far from home to make (Elon) your home, we are really thrilled and delighted to dedicate this home in your name. We want you to always feel at home here at Elon.���

Kaso teared up after hearing the news as students, faculty and staff broke into applause. She later said she was overwhelmed by the honor.

“To have an EcoVillage house at Elon named after me is more than an honor. It���s one of the greatest gifts I���ve ever received,��� Kaso said. ���It���s a reminder of how far I���ve come, of the dreams I���ve held since childhood and of the future I���m committed to building. It���s not just a recognition. It���s a responsibility I carry with deep gratitude and pride.���

Kaso also shared her gratitude for the Replogle family.

���They saw something in me before I fully saw it in myself,��� she said. ���Their belief in my potential when it was still just a quiet dream gave me the courage to dream bigger, work harder and push forward with purpose. I will carry their belief in me into every project, every challenge and every step forward. One day, I hope to pass that same gift on, to recognize potential, to uplift others and to help build a more sustainable, hopeful world.���

The EcoVillage is a dynamic living-learning community, where students learn and practice sustainable living principles. The community opened in Fall 2024 with 12 students living in the first six homes. In partnership with donors, the final six homes will be added in the future, creating an opportunity for as many as two dozen students to apply their classroom learning to tending the farm while learning sustainable principles.

The community will serve as a model for sustainable architecture and hands-on, engaged learning opportunities unavailable at many colleges and universities.

At the dedication ceremony, Replogle shared how delighted the couple were to support the project.

���My career has been built on the idea of protecting the planet, and when Kristin and I first heard about this project, we were truly inspired,��� Replogle said. ���When I graduated, our college president charged us with a very clear directive. He said, ���The world���s problems are your problems, and there are no problems that better human beings cannot fix.��� Kaso House is a source of inspiration to solve those problems. And hopefully a place like this will continue to inspire young leaders to step up and make the world���s problems their own.���

President Book called the EcoVillage ���part of a greater mission��� at Elon.

���We know we have engaged, experiential learning, but this mission was also about our students��� understanding that they���re the caretakers of the world ahead and that this sense of empowerment about how they choose to live can actually impact the world,��� Book said. ���The EcoVillage represents this effort with our students to not only learn by doing, but also to take ownership of the world. Each of these houses represents the use of creativity to respond to our impact on the world.���

Kaso House was a labor of love for 114 student ���apprentices��� who for two years worked alongside Charest to design and build the home. Charest also incorporated the project into his design courses.

���Every square inch of this house, its structure, innovative details, cabinets, furniture, were made with love and to be loved,��� he said.

Charest, an architect committed to the principles of sustainable design, and students presented the project at a national design conference, which he called, ���one of the proudest moments of my life.���

���I���m so grateful to Elon for being brave enough to support experiential learning in high stakes projects, such as (Kaso) House,��� he said. ���I spent the better part of my career designing and building good structures with apprentices. In the beginning, they do not know how to bring designs into being. After this experience, though, 114 wonderful humans became amazing designers, builders, problem solvers, leaders and so much more.���

Abi O���Toole ���26 was one of those student-apprentices and shared her experience at the ceremony.

���I think this building will always serve as a reminder that it was not just about the construction of the building, but also relationships, which I believe can teach us all that the process is just as important as the end result, especially when it comes to our role in sustainability for the planet,��� she said. ���We���ve worked hard to make eco-friendly choices throughout this build, but in the end, it���s about finding the right tools and the right materials that give us a strong foundation for the future.���

More about EcoVillage & Loy Farm

The EcoVillage living-learning community represents a major step forward in the evolution of Loy Farm, which the university acquired in 2000 from the late Bill Loy Jr., whose generous gifts to the university include Loy Center and the land upon which The Inn at Elon was built. The farm is a sustainable 消消犯 and research farm that promotes experiential learning and community outreach and is located along Front Street east of the university���s South 消消犯 and Comer Fields, where many of Elon���s intramural and club sports compete.

Each home is approximately 600 square feet and includes two bedrooms, a shared bathroom and areas for food preparation and gathering. The homes include distinctive features of sustainable design and construction, including rainwater collection systems and solar panels. An existing brick ranch house adjacent to the property was renovated to create a student commons building, with a group kitchen, laundry facilities and meeting room.

The farm has become a dynamic living-learning laboratory in keeping with Elon���s longstanding commitment to sustainability. Enhancing sustainability efforts is an important component of the Boldy Elon strategic plan, which will guide the university through 2030. Boldly Elon calls on the campus community to engage in sustainable practices to become carbon neutral by 2037, investing in renewable energy, reducing energy consumption and preparing students to lead lives that build a sustainable future.

About the Replogles

Former chairs of Elon���s Parents Council, Kristin and John Replogle have a long history of philanthropy in education, health, housing and the arts.

At Elon, their gifts have supported many key institutional priorities, including scholarship funding and construction of Founders Hall and Innovation Hall in the Innovation Quad and The Inn at Elon. In 2020, the couple established the Elizabeth ���Tate��� Replogle Endowment for Team Teaching in Religious Studies in honor of their daughter and her faculty mentors. The couple have also made a generous estate gift and are members of Order of the Oak, Elon���s planned giving society.

John is the founder and partner at Raleigh-based One Better Ventures, which advises, invests in and develops consumer brands with sustainable business models, including Burt���s Bees and Seventh Generation. He previously served as chair of Elon���s Engineering Advisory Board. Kristin Replogle serves as president of the Replogle Family Foundation.

Make an Impact

Many philanthropic opportunities are available to support the EcoVillage. To learn how you can make an impact, contact John Gardner ���01, senior director of development, at (336) 278-7432 or jgardner9@elon.edu.

EcoVillage LLC Presentation

Participants learned about the EcoVillage LLC at Loy Farm proposal process and how the LLC integrates with the existing farm and academic initiatives on site.油Participants also gained insights on how to potentially kickstart a conversation on tiny house partnerships at their institution.

AI Best Practices in Residence Life

Participants got hands-on with Chat GPT and practiced using it for a few residence life related practices. They also participated in a group brainstorm on other ways they might use AI in current or future work.

A selection of 24 photos from the year offers a look at what the Elon community accomplished in 2024.

Among the notable news from 2024:

• The accolades continued to pour in for 消消犯. In addition to a #1 ranking for 消消犯 消消犯, U.S. News and World Report also ranked Elon #1 for learning communities and first-year experiences, and Elon was ranked in the top 12 in all eight U.S. News and World Report categories of ���programs that enhance student experience.��� The Princetown Review油listed Elon Law in its 2024 guidebook of ���The Best 168 Law Schools��� and named Elon���s MBA program as one of the ���Best Business Schools for 2024.���
• Elon welcomed several new and familiar faces to university leadership. Hilton Kelly began his role as dean of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences. Associate Dean of the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business Haya Ajjan was named the next dean of the school. Anu R辰is辰nen became the inaugural director of HealthEU Initiatives and Professor of Management Mustafa Akben was named Elon���s first director of artificial intelligence integration.
• Elon broke its record for study abroad participation with a 94% participation rate among doctoral institutions, according to the 2022-23 Institute of International Education���s Open Doors Report.
• In March, Elon launched the Imagining the Digital Future Center, expanding upon the work during the past 20 years of The Imagining the Internet Center with scholar-in-residence Lee Rainie, with the Pew Research Center, now at Elon as the new center���s director.
• A new partnership with Novant Health will allow students in Elon���s Physician Assistant Studies program to undertake hands-on clinical education in the Charlotte metro area.
• Elon and eight other colleges and universities in North Carolina and Pennsylvania joined forces to bring an innovative, large-scale solar facility online in western Kentucky. The project is a significant step in Elon���s journey to carbon neutrality by 2037.
• Several new facilities opened on campus including a new EcoVillage at Loy Farm and the East Neighborhood Commons. Final renovations were also completed at the Gerald L. Francis Center to include skills labs, classrooms, student study spaces and an interprofessional lab.
• The Elon Medallion, the university���s highest honor for service, was awarded to four: Trustee Noel Allen ���69 in April and three former university leaders in August: Provost Emeritx Steven House, former Senior Associate Athletics Director Kyle Wills and former Vice President for Access and Success Jean Rattigan-Rohr.
• Elon announced a $3 million fundraising campaign to expand and enhance training and practice facilities for the men���s and women���s golf teams, creating one of the golf facilities in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) and college golf.
• Elon said farewell to the Class of 2024 with actor Ginna Claire Mason ���13, formerly Glinda in Broadway���s ���Wicked,��� delivering the 2024 commencement address, encouraging graduates to ���dream big, keep going and sing out.���
• Elon���s 17^th annual Night of the Phoenix event set a new record, raising $521,923 for Elon Athletics.
• The university welcomed several speakers to campus through the Elon Speaker Series including authors Herb Frazier, Bernard Powers and Marjory Wentworth; Habitat for Humanity CEO Jonathan Reckford; Hall of Fame baseball manager Tony La Russa; former presidential advisor David Gergen and his son Christopher Gergen; environmental activist and author Leah Thomas; Havard professor and bestselling author Arthur Brooks and retired Adm.油Mike Mullen, former chairman of the Joint chiefs of staff, who delivered the inaugural Carol Ann Walker International Lectureship.

Before teaming with fellow students last fall to build one of the first six homes in Elon���s new EcoVillage at Loy Farm, Abi O���Toole ���26 had never held a drill or used a power saw. She���d never built window frames, stained and finished countertops, or considered fitting a custom shower and bathroom.

Now, O���Toole has done all of that and more as one of over 60 Elon students involved in the home���s design and construction.

���It was an opportunity I couldn���t pass up, and something I���d never experienced before: building a house, and one that students will live in for decades, while caring for the environment,��� said O���Toole, an environmental and sustainability studies major from Raleigh, North Carolina. ���It���s given me so much confidence to see that I���m capable of this.���

The experience revealed career paths in sustainable architecture and construction waste management, and O���Toole is eager to put her hard-earned skills to use in helping humans live more harmoniously with the planet.

That���s the ultimate goal of the EcoVillage, a dynamic living-learning community at Loy Farm that welcomed its first residents this week. Along with the single student-built home, independent contractors designed and built five others in the project’s first phase. Each home is around 600 square feet, with two bedrooms and shared common areas for two students. While they all are energy efficient,油 individual homes approach sustainability in different ways油��� from using solar energy for electricity or hot water, to capturing stormwater through cisterns for irrigation and a vegetative green roof.

In partnership with donors, an additional six sustainably designed homes will be built over the next 12 months, creating an opportunity for 24 students to apply their classroom learning to tending the farm while learning sustainable principles they will carry into the world. The innovative project inspired Elon parents John and Kristin Replogle P���18 of Raleigh to give a $100,000 naming gift toward one of the houses this spring.

The LLC will be a model for sustainable architecture and hands-on, engaged learning opportunities that are unavailable at many colleges and universities. Elon President Connie Ledoux Book emphasized those opportunities this week, calling it a “living laboratory” for students to explore responsible use of resources and “carry these practices into the world as informed global citizens.”

“The EcoVillage represents an important step forward for Elon and our community, who will visit this油hub for education about sustainable practices in油architecture and the positive impact each of us can have on the environment when we choose how we live,” Book said this week. “One of my favorite parts of this project is listening to the students and designers describe the powerful learning experiences they are having as they have designed and built the EcoVillage.���

The student-designed and -built home is a prime example of engaged learning at Elon, with students tackling real-world problems under the mentorship of faculty and staff. Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Robert Charest, an architect committed to the principles of sustainable design, led the project over two years in his design courses and managing students participating in the construction since July 2023.

���This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a real house in college,��� said Kade Iervolino ���24, who remained at Elon after graduation to complete the project and was a peer mentor to others on the build. ���We wanted this house to be beautiful and well-made. We accomplished that, and now I have a stronger sense of how to manage projects and work in a team while maximizing efficiency and making quality work.���

All in the Details

It���s easy to admire the student-built home���s design, craftsmanship and details. Some of its features include:

• 500 square feet of interior living space, and an additional 500 square feet of exterior spaces including a wrap-around porch;
• Birchwood paneling and built-in furniture with walnut accents and regionally sourced cypress decking add a natural aesthetic;
• Timber frame constructed from fir beams and raised on piers instead of a traditional foundation to minimize site impact;
• A standing seam canopy shades the home to block excess heat, and cross-ventilation reduces the need for air conditioning;
• Large, north-facing windows provide natural light while conserving energy; and
• A modern, full kitchen and versatile communal living space.

There���s more to admire beyond the specs. Elon students and Charest carefully considered every aspect of the home. When the project began in summer 2023, Charest described it as a laboratory with students building the lab. Throughout, he empowered them to ideate and collaborate on the finished design, and his 消消犯 philosophy encourages a less formal teacher-student relationship where students call him by his first name.

���At most construction sites, you come in with a prepared design and execute it. This project didn���t happen that way,��� Charest said. ���We had a blueprint and models, but about 60% of this finished home was designed and created by students on-site.���

That process allowed students to test their ideas, experiment with concepts and innovate.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a real house in college. We wanted it to be beautiful and well-made. We accomplished that, and now I have a stronger sense of how to manage projects and work in a team while maximizing efficiency and making quality work.

One of their ideas led to a key feature: floor tiles made from fir-beam remnants. They cut, sanded and finished more than 2,000 wooden tiles and hand-fit them together into a unique design that resembles parquet flooring and highlights the natural woodgrain.

���Robert let us take on a lot of responsibility for this project. When he wasn���t on site, we used what we learned from him to problem-solve on the spot. Being able to accomplish this work on our own gave us confidence in ourselves and helped us learn,” Iervolino said.

Among the aspects Charest and students are proudest of: They never used or needed a Dumpster. Construction typically creates an abundance of waste. 消消犯 repurposed, upcycled and donated leftover materials to organizations like Habitat for Humanity.

Another point of pride: On Friday, Aug. 23, theirs was the first in the EcoVillage to receive a certificate of occupancy from inspectors. A core team of about 10 students this summer worked in shifts to put in six- and seven-day work weeks to have it move-in ready for this school year.

Learning as a Team

���Every day, I was learning something new and making decisions with high stakes. I had to learn quickly how to adapt to new situations and problem solving, and I think that was a team effort. We all supported each other in learning new things.���

��� Genevieve Nichols ���25, environmental studies major from Williamsburg, Va.

���We were able to take chances, make mistakes and learn from them. Before, I might have beaten myself up. Now, I can accept them and continue working. That was huge for me.���

��� Colin Breuer ���24, environmental and sustainability studies, Naples, Florida

���Coming into this as a project manager, I wasn���t expecting to love it as much as I did. I���ve become a lot more confident handling tools and trusting myself with measurements. You think, ���I can���t fit the whole shower. I can���t tile an entire floor.��� Then you do it. You realize how capable you are.���

��� Macey Rodrigues-Cowl ���25, a project management and marketing double major from Merrimac, Massachusetts

���There���s a passion that comes from being a part of something like this. What has been eye-opening for me is how unexpectedly fluid this process has been to result in this level of quality of construction and design. We���ve had a core group of students working on-site, and also students joining from different classes and a whole range of majors. The continuous refining of the design and decision-making on site happened organically and led to beautiful consensus.���

��� Robert Charest, associate professor of environmental studies

About Loy Farm

The EcoVillage project represents a major step forward in the evolution of Loy Farm, which the university acquired in 2000 from the late Bill Loy Jr., whose generous gifts to the university include Loy Center and the land upon which The Inn at Elon was built.

The farm has become a living-learning laboratory in keeping with Elon���s longstanding commitment to sustainability. It houses the Environmental Center at Loy Farm, where students and faculty research agricultural practices, and an active farm overseen by fulltime staff that produces harvests for Harvest Table Culinary Group (消消犯 Dining), Elon���s 消消犯 Kitchen, Allied Churches of Alamance County���s Food kitchen and the Burlington Housing Authority.

Enhancing sustainability efforts is an important component of the Boldly Elon strategic plan, which will guide the university through 2030. Boldly Elon calls on the campus community to engage in sustainable practices to become carbon neutral by 2037, investing in renewable energy, reducing energy consumption and preparing students to lead lives that build a sustainable future.

Many philanthropic opportunities are available to support the EcoVillage. To learn how you can make an impact, contact John Gardner ���01, senior director of development, at (336) 278-7432 or jgardner9@elon.edu.

A transformational environment

In her address to the university in Alumni Gym on Monday, Aug. 19, Book acknowledged an important anniversary in Elon history ��� thirty years since the launch of the油core curriculum including the Experiential Learning Requirement and Elon 101.

���Remarkably in 1994, Elon was described in much the same way as it is today, an institution where students are actively engaged both inside and outside the classroom, immersed in cutting-edge experiential opportunities and empowered to shape their future from day one,��� said Book. ���What remains constant is that all of this is grounded in a transformational environment where people and relationships are at the heart of Elon.”

During Book���s remarks, a video showcased faculty and alumni interviews from 1994 as an example of both Elon���s commitment to student success but also the university���s transformation since that time. Book noted Elon has now graduated thousands of students thanks to the commitment of faculty and staff. In fall 2024, the university will welcome more than 1,600 new students and 77 transfer students, with the Class of 2028 standing out as the most diverse incoming class in the university���s history.

Boldly Elon

Opening Day began with Rev. Kristin Boswell, university chaplain and dean of multifaith engagement, offering an invocation, followed by the ringing of the ceremonial bell by Student Government Association President Taylor Cote ’25. Three individuals were awarded the Elon Medallion, the university���s highest honor, and a record seven faculty members received endowed professorships.

With Boldy Elon, the university���s 10-year strategic plan at a midpoint, Book emphasized the importance of building upon all the lessons learned over the thirty years since 1994.

���We also embrace the mindset and action of more deliberately sharing our model of higher education across the nation during a time when the value of higher education is being questioned, and when the work we do to support every community member and the richness of the differences they bring to our campus should be met with unwavering support through their educational journey,��� said Book. ���Now more than ever, we need to be bold in our efforts to support student success.���

What���s new on campus

With the beginning of the academic year, Book also highlighted several new additions to campus, including the Loy Farm Living-Learning Community EcoVillage, the Mentoring Initiative Design Team���s first workshop, the Elon Flex Law Program in Charlotte, new programs in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business油and upgrades to campus facilities.

As artificial intelligence continues to impact industry and higher education, 消消犯 and the油American Association of Colleges and Universities have released the first edition of a student guide to navigating college in the artificial intelligence era. The guide, titled ���AI-U/v1.0,��� was developed with the collaboration and review of faculty, scholars, academic leaders and students at universities around the world.

���I wonder if in 2054, on Opening Day, the community will be in awe of the direction that we set in 2024,��� said Book. ���Elon���s story of transformation and impact is a continuing one, unfolding through the work each of you do every day. Our future and our ability to rise and keep our mission vibrant depend on our ability to tell Elon���s story of student impact and transformation in a way that resonates with future students, alumni and stakeholders.”

New Sights

Several new construction projects will be ready this fall ��� offering new opportunities for students, faculty and staff to live, learn and collaborate.

Loy Farm Living Learning Community

The first phase of the Loy Farm Living-Learning Community EcoVillage will open, including six sustainable houses.

The LLC will offer an opportunity for hands-on learning through horticulture, agriculture and research with the油. It will eventually include 12 sustainable homes along with a renovated ranch house that will serve as a common area. 消消犯油designed the first home油alongside Robert Charest, associate professor and chair of the Department of Environmental Studies, with input from University Planning Design and Construction Management. The remaining 11 homes are being designed and built by outside firms.

East Neighborhood Commons

消消犯 will move into East Neighborhood Commons for the first time this year. The three-story, 45,000-square-foot building will have 90 residential rooms (primarily for first-year students), faculty/staff apartments and office space. The commons will also include a ���forum,��� a large multipurpose room for class, meetings and social events. This university hopes this space will become an ���eastern gateway��� to main campus, denoting to travelers that they have arrived at Elon.

Francis Center Upgrades

The fourth and final renovation of the油Gerald L. Francis Center油will be complete for fall 2024 with the addition of an office suite for nursing faculty and an update to the commons space. The building houses油Outdoor pickleball courts are also being built near the Francis Center.

Added Academics

Elon Law Flex Program

The first students in 消消犯 School of Law���s new part-time Juris Doctor program begin taking classes this fall. The Elon Law Flex Program is offered exclusively at the 消消犯 Charlotte regional center and is the only in-person law program offered in the Queen City.

The Elon Law Flex Program is designed for the working professional and students can complete their law degree in four years. A full range of law electives will provide experiential opportunities in law clinics, publication in law journals and moot court programs and competitions.

Graduate certificate in health care analytics

Elon now offers a graduate certificate in health care analytics, a program in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business designed to meet the needs of working professionals. This certificate is ideal for those in the health care industry looking to advance their careers or for professionals eager to transition into this growing field.

Health care analytics has a, with a $110,680 anticipated median salary. The certificate could prepare professionals with the necessary experience to assume positions such as Chief Medical Information Officer, Vice President of Advanced Analytics, Senior Data Analyst, Vice President of Quality Improvement, Healthcare Analytics Advisor, Director of Analytics, Research Manager, Data Consultant and Product Developer.

Cybersecurity Minor

The Love School of Business now offers a minor in cybersecurity management, helping to prepare students to navigate and protect the digital landscape of business. This minor is designed not just for those looking to specialize in cybersecurity but also for students across various disciplines who aim to enhance their understanding of digital security from a managerial perspective.

Election 2024 at Elon

Ahead of the 2024 election, Elon President Connie Book brought together an ad hoc committee to develop a comprehensive strategy to enhance Elon���s election engagement and support. The working group���s goals had three prongs:

1. Address what Elon offered during previous election years to determine what gaps needed to be filled.
2. Look at the civic engagement opportunities the university regularly offers to determine how Elon could use resources to build greater capacity.
3. Ask how Elon could best prepare the university community for active citizenship not just for the 2024 election, but for a lifetime of civic engagement.

The committee came up with several recommendations including increased communication about the election on campus, opportunities for election-related conversations and election programming, among others. A full list of events can be found here.

Some of the Fall 2024 election event highlights include:

Student Issues Forum (co-sponsored by SGA and ENN)
Thursday, Sept. 5, 6 p.m., East Neighborhood Commons, Forum (102)

Active Citizen Series: Presidential Debate Watch
Tuesday, Sept. 10, 9 p.m., Moseley Center First Floor

ABSS Board of Education Candidate Forum
Monday, Sept. 30, 7 p.m., Paramount Theater, 128 E. Front St., Burlington
Bus transportation from 消消犯 to the Paramount Theater will be provided.

Alamance County Commissioner Candidate Forum
Tuesday, Oct. 1, 7 p.m., Paramount Theater, 128 E. Front St., Burlington
Bus transportation from 消消犯 to the Paramount Theater will be provided.

Active Citizen Series: Tracking Money in U.S. Politics and its Effect on Elections and Public Policy Featuring Hilary Braseth, Executive Director of Open Secrets
Thursday, October 17, 4:30 p.m., East Neighborhood Commons, Forum (102)

General Election
Tuesday, Nov. 5
Shuttle will run from the Center for the Arts to local polling places from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Active Citizen Series: Election Night Watch Event
Tuesday, Nov. 5, 8 p.m., Global Neighborhood Commons Great Hall

More information can be found on the Elon Votes! website.

New leadership

Hilton Kelly, dean of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences

The 2024-25 academic year will be the first at Elon for Hilton Kelly, who was油chosen in January to lead Elon���s largest academic division. Kelly comes to Elon from the University of Wisconsin-Plattville where he served as the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Education.

Kelly is no stranger to North Carolina though ��� he earned his bachelor���s degree in history at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and was a full professor at Davidson College, where he held several leadership roles. He earned a doctorate from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Kelly is an interdisciplinary scholar with specialization in the sociology of education.

���I am enormously grateful for the opportunity to lead Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences,��� Kelly said. ���I have enjoyed getting to know Elon���s students, faculty, staff and administration through the search process. From the very first moment I read the Boldly Elon strategic plan ��� a strategic vision for inclusive excellence, experiential learning, global learning and student success ��� I yearned to be a part of this great university. My whole career in higher education has prepared me for this moment and I look forward to the journey ahead.���

Anu R辰is辰nen ��� director of HealthEU initiatives

Anu R辰is辰nen is the university���s inaugural Director of HealthEU Initiatives who will work to develop and implement university-wide well-being infinitives with the goal of Boldly Elon, the university���s 10-year strategic plan.

R辰is辰nen joined Elon on August 1 and was previously an assistant professor of physical therapy education and director of the Research and Innovation in Sport and Exercise (RISE) lab at Western University of Health Sciences in Lebanon, Ore. She earned a master of health sciences in exercise medicine from the University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio, Finland, in 2011 and a doctor of health sciences in public health from the University Tampere in Tampere, Finland, in 2018.

���I am very excited for the opportunity to join 消消犯 as the Director of HealthEU Initiatives,��� R辰is辰nen said. ���I would like to commend the university leadership for their commitment to campus health and well-being. Creating a national model is a challenge that I am thrilled to take on and I am looking forward to working alongside everyone in the Elon community.���

Mustafa Akben ��� director of artificial intelligence integration

While not new to Elon, Assistant Professor Mustafa Akben is stepping into a new role this academic year: inaugural director of artificial intelligence integration. Akben, currently an assistant professor of management in the Love School of Business, began his new position on July 1.

Akben will lead the integration of artificial intelligence across Elon���s academic and administrative departments,油building on six core principles the university helped establish last year油to guide higher education institutions with a rapidly evolving and groundbreaking technology.

Akben earned a doctorate in business administration from Temple University and has developed a range of AI-enhanced 消消犯 tools and methodologies.

���I envision Elon as a thriving community where AI helps administrative functions and academic excellence, all while preserving human relationships across and beyond our campus, a trait that defines Elon���s identity,��� Akben said. ���I am excited to work across departments to find solutions that facilitate processes and create fresh, innovative and welcoming experiences by partnering with faculty, staff, and students.

Monday, August 19

Opening Day
Location: Alumni Gym, Koury Athletic Center
Events start at 8:15 a.m.

Planning Week 2024 kicks off with Opening Day on Aug. 19, first with a community-wide reception on the Koury Athletic Center concourse followed by the presentation of Elon Medallions and named professorships and remarks from President Connie Book in Alumni Gym.

Since 2011, the Elon community has collected school supply items for the children in Alamance County, sponsored by the Student Government Association, Staff Advisory Council and the Kernodle Center for Civic Life. Faculty and staff can bring supplies to the president���s address or drop them off from Aug. 16-26 at various locations around campus. More information about specific items and drop-off locations is available here.

Following the president���s address at 9:45 a.m., a variety of breakout sessions will be available for all members of the Elon community, including:

• HealthEU
• National 消消犯
• Election Year Engagement
• Artificial Intelligence
• Mid-Point Review of Boldly Elon
• Mentoring Next Steps
• The Dynamic NCAA Environment and Setting a Strategic Course

All members of the Elon community are then invited to a picnic on the Lakeside Patio at noon. Members of Elon���s schools and colleges will meet from 1:30 to 4 p.m. From 3:30 to 5 p.m., members of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences will welcome the new Dean Hilton Kelly on Medallion Plaza. President Book then invites new faculty and staff to a reception at The Inn at Elon at 5 p.m.油

Tuesday, August 20

Facilitating Conversations about Election 2024 in Class
Location: Oaks 212
1:30 to 3 p.m.

The session, led by new Faculty Fellow for Civic Engagement Dillan Bono-Lunn, will familiarize faculty with campus resources for civic engagement and offer tips for 消消犯 during politically divisive times.油 The session will help faculty think through approaches to incorporating discussion of the油election, as well as strategies for responding in the moment when these issues arise.

Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education
Location: Linder 102
2 to 3 p.m.

This session will provide an overview of artificial intelligence (AI) work at Elon. Presenters will introduce recent advancements in AI and discuss AI���s implications for higher education. The results of the second-year AI readiness survey will be shared. The roadmap for AI, the resources available across campus, and pilot AI programs available for use in 消消犯 and daily work will be introduced. Participants will have time to discuss AI perceptions in small groups and will be invited to share their suggestions about how best to prepare the Elon community as we adjust to generative AI in education.

Wednesday, August 21

消消犯 Safety Discussions
Location: KOBC 101
1:30 to 3 p.m.

New to Planning Week this year will be a discussion on campus safety, open to Elon faculty and staff.

Elon’s Imagining the Digital Future Center: How it can work with you and for you
Location: Sankey 308
2 to 3 p.m.

The Imagining the Digital Future Center is still new on campus and this session will explain its mission to do research and publish findings that are meant to be distributed widely and have notable public impact. The center hopes to work with faculty to create and publish research and have significant student involvement in the research process. Center Director Lee Rainie will use this session to solicit ideas about how the center can integrate well into campus activities.

Loy Farm Open House
Location: 2635 W. Front Street Burlington, N.C. 27215
4 to 5:30 p.m.

Come explore the new EcoVIllage Living Learning Center, a new residential neighborhood that combines sustainable architecture with small house living. 油The first phase of this neighborhood consists of six houses that provide unique sustainable design solutions for the twelve students that will be living in this neighborhood during the 2024-25 academic year.

An aerial view of EcoVillage at Loy Farm, a new living learning community that includes six two-bedroom houses that utilize sustainable design principles and sustainable materials.

An aerial view of EcoVillage at Loy Farm, a new living learning community that includes six two-bedroom houses that utilize sustainable design principles and sustainable materials.

An aerial view of EcoVillage at Loy Farm, a new living learning community that includes six two-bedroom houses that utilize sustainable design principles and sustainable materials.

Thursday, August 22

College Coffee ��� Employee Resource Groups
Location: Phi Beta Kappa Commons (Rain location: Koury Athletic Center concourse)
10:15 to 10:45 a.m.

Learn about the various Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) on campus with the academic year���s first College Coffee, a weekly tradition at Elon. College Coffee continues throughout the year on Tuesday mornings from 9:40 a.m. to 10:20 a.m.

ERGs at College Coffee include:

• Advocates for Diversity and Accessibility
• Amazing Admins
• API (Asian and Pacific Islander)
• Black
• Cultivating Emerging Professionals
• Employees with Children
• Global Connections
• Hispanic/Latinx
• Jewish
• LGBTQIA
• Remote Employees (meeting virtually @ 8:30 a.m. PST / 11:30 a.m.EST)
• Supervisors of Student Employees
• Sustainability
• Thrive after 55
• Veterans

Friday, August 23

Move-In Day

消消犯 officially return to campus on Friday, August 23. More information about Move-In Day and New Student Orientation can be found here.

Saturday, August 24

New Student Convocation
Location: Under the Oaks (Rain location: Schar Center)
9 to 10:10 a.m.

New Student Convocation marks the official opening of the academic year and welcomes the Class of 2028 and transfer students. Volunteers are needed to greet guests, assist with seating and answer general questions. You can sign up to volunteer by filling out this . The survey will close on August 16.

More Information

Name Tags

As the university starts a new academic year with some new faces, wearing name tags is important and encouraged.

Name tags for油new employees (hired since June 1) will be delivered to each office by Aug. 14. Please pick yours up from your department assistant. Employees who are unable to get to their offices prior to planning week may stop by the name tag table on Monday, Aug. 19, at the reception beginning at 8:15 a.m. in Alumni Gym. After Monday, the assistant in an employee���s area can help with name tags.

Current employees should wear the name tag they were most recently issued.

University Directory Photographs

All Elon faculty and staff members are encouraged to have their photo included in the university���s online directory. Please make plans to have a new or updated photograph taken. If you are new to Elon, if your photo is missing from the campus directory, or if your photo is more than three years old, please have a new photo taken by the Office of University Communications. No appointment is necessary, simply just drop in during a session that suits you. The portraits are taken from chest up on a gray backdrop in a photo studio.

The photo studio is located in the southwest corner of Alumni Gym, close to West Haggard Avenue.油Please enter through the external doors in the southwest corner of Alumni Gym,油

• Tuesday, Aug. 20: 2 to 4 p.m.
• Thursday, Aug. 22: 10 a.m. to noon

Once your photo is in the directory, you may download a high-resolution version for your own professional use. To do so, visit油www.elon.edu/directories. Log in at the bottom left, and the editing page will open. Beneath your photo, click the download link to download a high-resolution copy of your portrait to your computer.

Trainings for Active Violence

The 消消犯 消消犯 Safety and Police Department is offering ongoing training to our campus community on Strategies for Active Violence Situations.

Officers of the department are trained to the model of Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE). The CRASE course is designed and built on the Avoid, Deny, Defend strategy and was developed by ALERRT (Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training) in 2004. The course provides strategies, guidance, and a proven plan for surviving an active shooter event. Although Elon���s officers train to this strategy, they also take the training one step further to teach concepts about prevention within our campus community.

Upon request, an officer will visit your specific office/location to perform an assessment and take photos of your workspace. Information and photos gathered from that assessment are then built into the presentation, so the training is personal and specific to your area.

To request an assessment and training, please reach out to Community Policing Sergeant Joel Thomas at 336-278-5555 or油jthomas39@elon.edu.