American University announced that President Jonathan Alger plans to step down after two years, transitioning into a new America 250 fellowship role focused on democracy and education. Alger’s last day as president is June 30. In the same leadership shift, American University’s Board of Trustees unanimously selected David Marchick, dean of the Kogod School of Business, as interim president starting July 1. Marchick is credited with building Kogod into a fast-moving AI-focused business education model, including a rapid curriculum retooling described as “private sector speed.” AU’s announcement also positions Marchick’s interim presidency as a continuation of Kogod’s AI-first approach, while Alger’s America 250 fellowship places higher education’s civic role back in the center of the institution’s institutional identity. For faculty and students, the key operational question is continuity: maintaining momentum on AI-related academic and administrative initiatives during the interim period while the presidency transition plays out.