Kogod: You've taught Kogod students for years and now oversee the undergraduate experience. What surprises you most about today's students compared to when you first started teaching?

Tara Fisher: Today's students are all creators at some level. That's so interesting to me. Anytime one of my students takes over the AU Instagram account, I get to experience campus through their lens, and it opens up so many points of connection beyond the classroom. I love it.

Kogod: What moments make you think, "This is why I love working with undergraduate students"?

Tara Fisher: Traveling with students to London is the best. They each come with a list of places they want to explore and then report back with their top picks. Frequenting their recommendations keeps me on trend.

Kogod: You wear a few different hats at AU—as a professor, an administrator, and now the parent of two Eagles. How have those perspectives shaped one another?

Tara Fisher: Having my kids around is a constant reminder that the conversations we're having in our kitchen are also happening among the students who fill my classrooms. Whether it's debating Trinity Rodman and Ben Shelton, talking about Harry Styles on Saturday Night Live, discussing Stranger Things, or arguing over whether to visit Argentina or Spain, those conversations help me stay connected to students in a different way than before.

Now that I'm the parent of two Eagles, I always see my own kids in the shoes of other students. I'm also reminded that behind every student is a parent expecting me to deliver my best, and I take that to heart.

There isn't a week that goes by where I don't ask myself, “How would I want someone to explain this to my child?” or “How can I make this topic more relatable to a 20-year-old?”

Kogod: Anyone who's spent time with you knows you're an Anglophile. Where did your love of London begin?

Tara Fisher: I lived in London while working for PricewaterhouseCoopers. I was in my early 20s and had the opportunity to travel independently throughout England and Europe, and it was life changing. There's a version of me that only exists when I cross the pond; it feels like coming home every time I land at Heathrow.

Kogod: Each year you lead students to London as part of an immersion experience. What do you hope they gain that they couldn't learn in a classroom?

Tara Fisher: Traveling helps you understand that every country views the world differently—even countries that share the same language. You have the opportunity to observe what other nations prioritize in their news cycle, the way companies adapt their marketing to different consumers, how locals follow certain rules when using public transportation, and explore menus with flavor combinations you can't find anywhere else. It's enriching in so many ways, and it simply can't be replicated in the classroom.

Kogod: Is there one place in London that every student should visit?

Tara Fisher: Borough Market. Hands down one of the best spots in all of London. Some stalls have been there for decades, while others are brand new. It ebbs and flows with the beat of the city, and you discover something different every visit. The chocolate-covered strawberries from Turnips are trending on TikTok for good reason.

Kogod: If you had one free day in London with no meetings or responsibilities, how would you spend it?

Tara Fisher: I'd start with coffee in Soho at the Algerian Coffee Stores before taking a morning walk around Primrose Hill. Then I'd head to Camden Market for lunch, hop on a canal boat to Maida Vale, and catch a matinee at Electric Cinema in Notting Hill—I missed Zendaya there by just two days on my last trip! I'd wrap up the day with dinner in South Kensington at Cambio De Tercio and finish with a stop at Fortnum & Mason for their rose and violet cream chocolates.

Kogod: Outside of work, what are you reading, watching, or listening to right now?

Tara Fisher: I'm listening to Olivia Dean—I saw her at The O2 in June. I'll watch Gilmore Girls any day, any time. And I'm reading Kate Morton novels because they let me escape into an English garden for a while.

Kogod: Is there a piece of advice that's guided you throughout your career?

Tara Fisher: Supporting Dean Evans. The term "rockstar" is often overused, but she's the real deal. I can't wait to see what she accomplishes over the next year—and I can't wait to see what dance routine she unveils on the steps of Kogod. Who wouldn't want to pull up for that?

Kogod: As interim assistant dean for undergrad, what excites you most about the year ahead?

Tara Fisher: There's a quote from Alan Turing that has always stayed with me: "Sometimes it's the people who no one imagines anything of who do the things no one can imagine."

Kogod: What do you hope students will say about their Kogod experience four years from now?

Tara Fisher: I hope they'll say it was an amazing chapter of their lives—that they met lifelong friends, grew in ways they never imagined, and had instructors and advisors who encouraged them every step of the way.