In recognition of her leadership in combating antisemitism and fostering a safer, more welcoming campus environment for Jewish and Zionist students, Professor Amy K. Milligan, Batten Endowed Associate Professor of Jewish Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies at Old Dominion University, received the second Academic Engagement Network (AEN) Faculty Changemaker Award ever to be awarded.
AEN is an academic organization comprised of more than 1,300 faculty members on nearly 400 campuses who combat antisemitism and advocate for open and robust discourse on Israel.
The Faculty Changemaker Award honors AEN members who demonstrate exceptional dedication to confronting antisemitism on campus and whose actions have helped bring about positive change in their community.
This is not the first time Milligan has received recognition for her commitment to fighting antisemitism and dedication to teaching. In 2018 she received the John R. Broderick Diversity Champion Award from Old Dominion University. In 2020, she won the Jeffrey B. Spence Award for Interfaith Understanding from Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities. In 2023, Milligan accepted the Robert L. Stern Excellence in Teaching Award from Old Dominion University. In 2024, she was selected as one of 20 participants nationwide for Resetting the Table’s training on navigating difficult conversations about Israel and Palestine. In 2025, she earned the Shine a Light on Antisemitism Civic Courage Award for University Educators and Administrators from The Jewish Education Project.
“This national recognition is especially meaningful to me because it reflects work that has become such an important part of my professional and personal life: supporting Jewish and Zionist students, confronting antisemitism in higher education, promoting civil discourse, and helping create campus communities where students feel supported, empowered, and able to speak openly about their identities and their connections to Israel,” says Milligan. “I see this award not as a culmination, but as an encouragement to continue this work.”
At ODU, Milligan has worked to create a safe environment for her students. In April 2025, with initial funding from AEN, she opened the Am Yisrael CHAI Café in her office to provide Jewish students with a gathering place to find community, ask difficult questions, and talk through their experiences in a supportive environment. Her mission is to promote civil discourse on campus to create an environment where all students can speak openly about their identities, perspectives, and connections to Judaism. She has sneakers that are painted with Am Yisrael Chai and feature the Star of David, which she wears regularly while teaching and attending events. It’s just one of the many ways she truly walks the walk.
Through Milligan’s efforts, she hopes to instill in her students the courage to connect across differences while empowering them to stay true to themselves and their identities.
Milligan describes AEN’s faculty network as an important source of professional support and community that has strengthened her work as an advocate and educator.
“There is still important work to do,” says Milligan. “I remain deeply committed to educating about antisemitism and anti-Zionism and advocating for Jewish and Zionist students wherever I can.”