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Editor’s Note: Fall 2025
Do you know that feeling when you meet someone who inspires you? Someone who makes you think, “Wow, their energy is contagious.”
That’s how I felt when we spoke with Leila Saad ’66 and Layla Mohsen ’25 — two of our amazing alumni at different
stages of their lives, yet bound by a deep passion for the work that they do (they also coincidentally hold the same name).
At 88, Saad is a theatre icon (page 26) who has an incredible love of life. She acts, directs and makes lasting connections
with those around her. At 23, Mohsen is a software developer (page 34) at a reputable aerospace company in the United
States, shooting for the stars (literally and figuratively) and pursuing her childhood dream of working in the space industry.
The will and determination pushing both these women to become what they want to be are exemplary — and representative of our students, faculty and alumni who are constantly breaking new ground and setting high standards.
This issue is full of motivating stories like that — faculty developing the world’s first universal research protocol on
supercentenarians (page 10) and showcasing the unspoken history of Arab women designers (page 32); students who are
making the most out of their undergrad time at AUC through cocurriculars, study abroad and internships (pages 12, 18 and
20); and alumni who are well-established CEOs (page 18). We also delve into ancient Egyptian food (page 22), which doesn’t seem to be far off from what we eat today, and the future of business education (page 14). And in Fact Check (page 13), one of our students with a visual impairment guides us through the do’s and don’ts of interacting with people with disabilities based on his personal experience.
We hope this issue leaves you with a smile, a spark of inspiration and certainly a deeper connection to our beloved AUC. to watch it continue to grow.
Once an editor, always a reader. Thanks for everything