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Group photo of 2026-27 Emerson/McKnight Scholars

Ten Emerson/McKnight Scholars announced for 2026-27 academic year

ASHLAND, Ohio – The newest group of Emerson/McKnight Scholars—10 current students from the Ashland University Dauch College of Business and Economics (COBE)—has been named for the 2026-27 academic year. Each of the Emerson/McKnight Scholars will receive a $3,500 scholarship, an award in addition to the student’s financial aid package. To be selected for the scholarship, a student must be a business major, hold a cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher, have demonstrated…

Melanie Eichler, winner of 2025-26 Goldwater Scholarship, poses in Nick Johnson's lab.

Melanie Eichler spent academic year researching, presenting across the country as Goldwater Scholar

ASHLAND, Ohio – As Ashland University’s first-ever Goldwater Scholar, senior biochemistry major Melanie Eichler spent the 2025-26 academic year taking her undergraduate research to national stages in Houston and Atlanta while continuing to conduct research in the lab at the Kettering Science Center. Having been a recipient of one of the nation’s preeminent undergraduate awards—a Barry Goldwater Scholarship—Eichler was thrilled to take part in a series of…

graphic promoting Local Author Speaker Series

Local Authors Speaker series to conclude May 30 with event on “Writing Motherhood”

ASHLAND, Ohio – The third event of a Local Authors Speaker series, a collaboration between the Ashland University MFA in Creative Writing program and the Ashland Public Library, will take place Saturday, May 30, at 2 p.m., in the Stockwell Room of the Ashland Public Library (224 Claremont Ave.). Organized by AU’s College of Arts and Sciences, the Local Author Speaker series highlights local authors’ work and increases awareness of the MFA program. The theme…

Founders Hall

AU one of 75 in America’s Best Value Small Colleges and Universities by SmartAsset

ASHLAND, Ohio – Ashland University has been recognized again as one of the top values in higher education, ranking No. 58 overall in SmartAsset’s top-75 list of America’s Best Value Small Colleges and Universities. The data-driven ranking was released earlier this week. Using data from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard, SmartAsset evaluated more than 1,000 U.S. colleges and universities with undergraduate enrollments of fewer than 5,000…

Student presenting at 2026 URCA Symposium

2026 URCA Symposium featured new academic participation, new award

ASHLAND, Ohio – While the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (URCA) Symposium at Ashland University’s John C. Myers Convocation Center on April 22 may have looked familiar to those who have attended some of the previous 16 editions, upon closer inspection there were a couple of new features this year that added a nice twist to the annual event that is equally enlightening and entertaining. Since 2009, the URCA Symposium has provided an opportunity…

head shot of Mary Anne Carter

Chairman of National Endowment for the Arts to deliver AU commencement address May 9

ASHLAND, Ohio – The Honorable Mary Anne Carter, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), will serve as the commencement speaker for Ashland University on Saturday, May 9. The ceremony, honoring both undergraduate and graduate students, will take place at the Niss Athletic Center (905 Moss Hill Drive) beginning at 10 a.m. Carter, who will also be presented with an honorary degree (Doctor of Laws) as voted on by the AU Board of Trustees, is…

Hanna Keough poses with her award-winning "The ABC Book of Horror" work

Keough wins 2026 Senior Exhibition Award for illustrated work “The ABC Book of Horror”

ASHLAND, Ohio – Hanna Keough, from Spencer, Ohio, was chosen as the recipient of the 2026 Senior Art and Design Exhibition Award, an honor chosen by the faculty of the Department of Art and Design. The annual award, established in 2001, is given to the graduating senior whose accomplishments in art and design are judged to be the most worthy of recognition for the presentation of their senior exhibition. Keough’s illustrated work, “The ABC Book of Horror,”…

Group photo of Seven Seals Award presentation

AU honored with Seven Seals Award for its support of National Guard and Reserve

ASHLAND, Ohio – Ashland University was recently honored with the Seven Seals Award, an organization-wide recognition for meritorious leadership and initiative in support of the men and women who serve America in the National Guard and Reserve, as presented by representatives of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense program. Among the representatives in attendance for the ceremony at AU’s Jack W. Liebert Military and…

Adult student collaborating on a project

AU recognized in numerous areas by U.S. News Best Graduate School rankings

ASHLAND, Ohio – Ashland University’s Dwight Schar College of Education has been selected as a 2026 Best Graduate School by U.S. News & World Report, and for the first time, Ashland’s MBA program within the Dauch College of Business and Economics earned a series of specialty rankings from the media company that is widely respected for its education rankings. Designed for prospective students seeking professional growth and new career opportunities, the…

Leap Vathanak and Luke Bowen pose next to zebrafish

AU students excitedly prepare for upcoming URCA Symposium

By Lauren Gulden, a senior journalism digital media major and creative writing minor The annual Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Symposium, better known as URCA, at Ashland University is quickly approaching. Each year, about 100 students from within the College of Arts and Sciences present a variety of original research projects in front of an audience. This year, for the first time, students from the Dauch College of Business and Economics, the…

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