In response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the American University of Sharjah Alumni Association (AUSAA) recently held online voting to elect its new board members. With voting administered by the Office of Advancement and Alumni Affairs (OAAA), the online election was held on May 9. The following alumni officers were elected to represent the association and AUS alumni for a two-year term, which will begin on June 1:

* AUSAA President: Mohamed Alsharhan (College of Engineering, 2011)

* AUSAA Vice President: Sara Zoubi (School of Business Administration, 2018)

* AUSAA Executive of Council: Ahmed Ibrahim (College of Engineering, 2019)

* AUSAA Treasurer: Kanika Prakash (School of Business Administration, 2018)

* AUSAA Executive of Administration: Mohamed Seraj (College of Engineering, 2015)

* AUSAA Immediate Past President: Ahmed Reyami (College of Engineering, 2008)

In extraordinary circumstances such as these, the alumni’s connectedness to each other and to the university community is crucial. The online voting provided greater and easier access for alumni around the world to participate in the election.

To ensure the fairness and integrity of the elections, eligible voters received a secure link with the slate of candidates and submitted their votes online on election day, which started at 12 a.m. and ended at 5 p.m. (UAE time).

We wish the newly elected AUSAA board members all the best in their new roles.