Dorn Charles McGrath was the chair and Emeritus Professor of Geography and Urban and Regional Planning. He is also the Director of the Institute for Urban Development Research at The George Washington University (GW). His research focused on urban planning , historic preservation, urban environmental Issues, and parks and conservation. He was also the lead researcher for the Loudoun County Environmental Indicators Project (LEIP). McGrath received a B.A. in 1952 from Dartmouth College and a M.C.P. in 1959 from Harvard University.

In 1968, McGrath began his career at GW as an emeritus professor in the Geography Department. He has also has served on many local, national, and international taskforces, committees and advisory groups, and as an inspiring teacher. In 1999 McGrath was appointed to the Solid Waste Transfer Facility Site Selection Advisory Panel for Washington D.C.

In 2003, McGrath retired from GW after 35 years. The same year he received a lifetime achievement award from the Committee of 100 on the Federal City for improving the historical, geographical, and functional aspects of how the Washington metropolitan region looks and works.

McGrath served as President of the American Institute of Planners in 1972, was the chairman for the Committee of 100, and a member of the Middle Atlantic Division of the Association of American Geographiers. In 2003 he was inducted into the American Institute of Certified Planners.