News & Announcements

Young Missionary Returns With Brand New Attitude 

Kellie Dehm, Washington Adventist University’s first missionary in six years, is back from Tanzania with a slew of new experiences, new perspectives and new attitude.  Dehm, who left the United States in August last year, determined to answer the call to service, spent the last 10 months at the Havila Village Orphanage in Arusha, a facility sponsored by the Emmanuel Brinklow Seventh Day Adventist Church in Ashton, Maryland.

It may come as a surprise to some that Washington Adventist University, previously known as Columbia Union College, had more structures on campus than it does today. One such structure was Columbia Hall, an administration building dedicated on February 20, 1919. It occupied the space on Flower Avenue, across from Sligo Church that is now used as a parking lot.

Washington Adventist University (WAU) alumnae and fifth grade teacher at John Nevins Andrews School (JNAS), Kimberly Terry, is one of 10 teachers selected this spring by the Alumni Awards Foundation to receive a 2012 Excellence in Teaching Award. Terry’s award includes a medallion and $2,000 sponsored by WAU. The Alumni Awards Foundation supports Seventh-day Adventist schools in North America.

Projects included continuation of the work on the Russian Bible Translation, the construction of a new media center, and a student mission outreach initiative.  A cultural tour of Red Square on May 15, punctuated the group’s tour and gave new promise to the University’s effort to reach an ever-widening international audience. 

Washington Adventist University (WAU) has tapped two of its alumni to  return to the campus as chaplains as a part of a reorganization of the Department of Ministry, designed to serve the campus community more effectively, according to Vice President Baraka Muganda. Muganda introduced his two newest hires at General Assembly on May 16, lauding them for personal and professional attributes, which he said persuaded him to hire them.

“They are both outstanding young people,” he said. “We are pleased that they have accepted the call to serve and we are expecting great things from them.”

Students will return to WAU this fall, to find to some well-needed changes to the weight room.  The facility is undergoing a significant makeover, thanks to sponsorship from University-owned radio station, WGTS 91.9. What started as a donation of a few pieces of equipment has resulted in a transformation of a much-used college facility.

Fresh off the press, Procession and Carols: A Christmas Suite for Women’s Chorus and Harp, is a new published work by maestro James Bingham, chair of Washington Adventist University’s Department of Music and director of the Columbia Collegiate Chorale and the elite choir, Pro Musica.  The work describes the story of the enunciation and birth of Christ, through the use of Medieval carols, many of which emphasize the perspective of women.

Nearly 300 graduates symbolic of New Growth Spurt

TAKOMA PARK, MD (April 30)—Slightly under 300 students passed through WAU’s Gateway to service, Sunday, April 29, on their way to demonstrate a special brand of competence and moral leadership to communities across the United States and the world.

Relatives and friends packed Sligo Seventh-day Adventist Church to witness one of the largest graduating classes in the University’s history. The numbers are symbolic of a growth spurt that WAU has been experiencing in recent years.  The Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music, and Bachelor of Science degrees were conferred on 237 students while graduates degrees in business administration, counseling psychology, professional counseling psychology, health care administration, public administration, nursing education and nursing and business leadership were conferred on 45 students.  Nineteen students received associate of applied science and associate of science degrees.

TAKOMA PARK, MD (April 30) – Washington Adventist University’s mock trial team ended their season with a win against Howard in early April and a draw against  the University of Maryland, April 22.  In a spirited competition against Howard, held in Morrison Hall Chapel, the team walked away with awards for best attorney to Asara Greaves and best witness to Angelica Carrasco.