The #APLU2014 App is Live. Download Now!

For the fourth straight year, APLU is offering a mobile app for Annual Meeting attendees. We've once again teamed up with CrowdCompass to develop a standalone native app for both Apple and Android users and on
the mobile web for Windows and Blackberry devices.

The Annual Meeting app allows you to network during the Annual Meeting, plan your schedule, bookmark activities, find locations in the hotel, follow and contribute to social media feeds, and much more.

To download the app, visit the Apple App Store or Google Play and search for "APLU".  After launching the app, log in by creating an account with CrowdCompass or link to an existing social media platform.

FAMU Alumnus John Michael Lee Jr. to Deliver Keynote at University’s Homecoming Convocation

Florida A&M University (FAMU) alumnus John Michael Lee Jr., vice president for the Office of Access and

Success at the Association for Public & Land-grant-Universities, will serve as the 2014 keynote speaker at its homecoming convocation on Friday, Oct. 31, 2014 in Gaither Gymnasium. Lee is a 2003 FAMU graduate with a bachelor of science degree in computer engineering from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering.

“I am so deeply humbled to have been chosen as the homecoming speaker this year. Attending FAMU was one of the best transformative decisions in my life, and my FAMU experience developed me into the leader that I am today,” said Lee. “I would not be where I am without the love and charity of the FAMU-ly! ”

APLU Secures Overflow Hotel for 127th Annual Meeting

With just a few weeks to go until the start of the 127th APLU Annual Meeting, the room block at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek (headquarters hotel) is sold out. An overflow hotel has been set up at the Wyndham Grand hotel. It's about a three-minute drive or a 14-minute walk from the headquarters hotel.

The information for booking rooms at the overflow property is below:

Wyndham Grand
14651 Chelonia Parkway
Orlando, FL 32821
Reservations: 1-800-996-3426
Hotel: 407-390-2300

Rate: $199 per night
Resort Fee: $10 (Resort Fee includes complimentary internet & Disney Shuttle)
Note: All reservations must be guaranteed for late arrival to an individual’s credit card plus a non-refundable deposit of one night’s room and tax.

Check-in: 4:00 pm
Check-out: 11:00 am


For more information on the 127th APLU Annual Meeting and to register, visit www.aplu.org/AnnualMeeting

University of California Irvine Releases Parody "Chemists Know" Video

Just when you thought Disney's megahit movie "Frozen" had gone cold, think again. A group of faculty and students in the University of California Irvine's Department of Chemistry recently released this parody video set to the music of the movie's main theme song. It's a really fun take on the importance of science and well--chemistry. Check it out and share.

Jared C. Avery Joins APLU’s Office for Access and Success

To help support the growing efforts underway in the Office for Access and Success, APLU recently welcomed Jared C. Avery, Ph.D. as the new Associate Director for Access and Success Initiatives to provide comprehensive support around equity, access, and educational excellence for college student populations and minority-serving institutions. Avery will also manage a collaboration of partnerships and initiatives; create and support original research; and engage in a host of other activities that support the mission of the office.

"Working for APLU's Office for Access and Success is a tremendous opportunity and one that aligns closely with my own interests of broadening and improving the educational pipeline for underrepresented groups at the pre-college and college levels," said Avery. "I am extremely excited to begin this journey and connect with others that share these interests."