Kudos Thanks to students like political science major Bishara Addison, who logged more than 300 volunteer hours this year, First Lady Michelle Obama will be GW’s 2010 Commencement keynote speaker.
History and Public Policy and Public Administration Professor Ed Berkowitz discussed health care reform on C-Span's "Washington Journal."
Political Science and International Affairs Professor Alasdair Bowie was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to fund his field research in Vietnam.
American Studies doctoral student Kathleen Brian was awarded the biennial Critoph Prize for the best graduate student paper at the Southern American Studies Association Conference.
Fourteen organizational sciences and communication students are presenting research papers this month at academic conferences in Indiana, Tennessee, and Maryland.
Doctoral candidate in history Justin Pope was awarded the American Council of Learned Societies/Mellon Dissertation Completion Fellowship.
An article by Chemistry, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Professor Akos Vertes and his colleagues was the cover story of this month's issue of The Analyst.
The Sound of Philanthropy
GW Goes "All-Steinway" with Largest Gift in Music Department History Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, the dedication of the University’s student-pianists will be matched by the quality of their instruments. As part of the largest gift in department history, the Columbian College’s Music Department will soon boast 28 new Steinway-designed pianos, making GW an official all-Steinway university. This elite designation is shared by a small number of schools nationwide, and places GW in the company of Juilliard, Yale, and the Curtis Institute of Music.
"This extraordinary gift allows us to offer our students American musical craft at its best," said Karen Ahlquist, chair of the Music Department. Read more.
Dean Barratt Joins the Blogosphere Eager to add her voice to
the online conversation and engage both the internal and external Columbian
College community, Dean Peg Barratt has now joined the blogosphere! Read
her latest entries and add the Dean's Blog to your blogroll or feedreader to
stay abreast of what's happening at GW from an insider's perspective. The Dean
welcomes your comments! Read more.
English Gains Pulitzer Prize Winner It's official! Pulitzer Prize winning author Edward P. Jones will join the Columbian College English faculty this fall, teaching creative writing beginning in the spring semester.
"Edward Jones is a top-notch addition to our English faculty, which already includes a number of nationally renowned fiction writers," said Gayle Wald, chair of the English Department. "Our undergraduates are lucky to have access to a writer of his caliber in the sort of small classroom settings that our department offers." Read more.
Columbian College Gears Up for Graduation Celebration As spring semester winds down, Columbian College is gearing up for celebration ceremonies to recognize the graduates of the College’s more than 42 departments and programs. The 2010 Celebration will be held at the Charles E. Smith Center on May 15, one day prior to the University-wide Commencement on the National Mall. Read more.
Program Spotlight: Peace Studies
Meeting the Demands of a Changing World Today's global economy and its impact on international relations and cultural relevance makes the study of conflict resolution an increasingly important area of interest. The Columbian College Peace Studies Program offers students a breadth of intellectual and experiential resources for understanding this changing world. Based on its popularity among students and growing relevance, the program’s new director, Irene Oh, is looking to expand Peace Studies beyond its current status as a minor. Read more.
Renowned Historian Named Director of Judaic Studies Program With a background that includes writing eight books and overseeing
dozens of international exhibitions on Jewish history and culture, one
would think that Jenna Weissman Joselit has seen and done it all. But,
as the Charles E. Smith Chair in Judaic Studies and Professor of
History, the soon-to-be director of Columbian College’s Judaic Studies
Program has experienced a whole new set of exciting challenges and
opportunities.
"I don't think I've ever been quite so stimulated,
intellectually as well as emotionally," said Weissman Joselit, who
joined the University in 2009. Read more.
Sun, Fun, and Summer . . . Session, That Is With sign language, dance history, Indian philosophy, American cinema, the history of mathematics, creative writing, and more, Summer Session 2010 is jammed with arts and sciences courses. Students can tap this window of opportunity to take in-demand classes that were booked in the spring and fall. Or they can get a leg up on the academic year by dispensing with a required math, writing, or science class.
"For starters, the summer classes' lineup is practical," said Diane Brewer, associate professor of speech and hearing sciences, who is handling Summer Session outreach for Columbian College. "If students want to put make-up classes or required courses behind them, this is the time to do it." Read more.
Examining "Extreme" Decisions During his stint as a 22-year-old waiter and tennis instructor in the summer of 1990, Assistant Professor of Organizational Sciences Nils Olsen was made an incredible offer: a client invited him to join his family at their villa in Italy, with full compensation and all expenses paid. The glitch—Olsen was told he had two days to make his decision. Although Olsen ultimately declined the offer, he still questions the choice he made decades later.
How an individual makes these decisions is the focus of Olsen’s research and teaching at the Columbian College's Department of Organizational Sciences and Communication. Read more.
Doctoral Candidate Discovers New Species of Raptor Dinosaur GW doctoral candidate in biology Jonah Choiniere and Michael D. Pittman, a graduate student at University College London, discovered a new species of raptor dinosaur, called "Linheraptor exquisitus," that will help scientists further describe the physical appearance of other closely-related dinosaurs.
“I only saw the tip of the claw sticking out of a cliff face, and it was a total surprise that the whole skeleton was buried deeper in the rock,” said Choiniere. Read more.
Scholarship Recipients Offer Their Appreciation Last month, more than 150 GW scholarship recipients participated in an event recognizing the generosity of their benefactors. Among them was Rachel Schreibman, MA '10, whose scholarship inspired her to pursue a career dedicated to helping individuals battling chronic illnesses.
"This scholarship has unlocked a great dream I have, and it has served to empower, support and enable me," said Schreibman, who worked in a dialysis unit as an art therapy intern while enrolled in Columbian College's Art Therapy Program. Read more.
"Transforming Journalism" Brings Top Media Figures to SMPA The School of Media and Public Affairs recent event "Transforming Journalism", drew an impressive panel—Tom Rosenstiel, Jim Brady, and Tina Brown—and several high-profile speakers in the news editing and digital strategy fields to discuss the current state and trends in the news media. In addition to the sold out live audience, more than 870 people across Asia, Europe, North America and South America watched a live stream video of the event. Read more.
Gurnitz Receives Trachtenberg School of Public Policy Distinguished Alumni Award Allison Gurnitz, MPA '91, co-owner and partner of Coray Gurnitz Consulting, Inc., was recently honored with the 2010 Distinguished Alumna Award by the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration. She was recognized for her achievements in the areas of public policy and public administration, her leadership in enhancing the quality of democratic governance, and her commitment to the school. Read more.
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GW Goes "All-Steinway" with Largest Gift in Music Department History
Eager to add her voice to
the online conversation and engage both the internal and external Columbian
College community, Dean Peg Barratt has now joined the blogosphere! Read
her latest entries and add the Dean's Blog to your blogroll or feedreader to
stay abreast of what's happening at GW from an insider's perspective. The Dean
welcomes your comments! 
It's official! Pulitzer Prize winning author 
As spring semester winds down, Columbian College is gearing up for celebration ceremonies to recognize the graduates of the College’s more than 42 departments and programs. The 2010 Celebration will be held at the Charles E. Smith Center on May 15, one day prior to the University-wide 
Meeting the Demands of a Changing World
With a background that includes writing eight books and overseeing
dozens of international exhibitions on Jewish history and culture, one
would think that
With sign language, dance history, Indian philosophy, American cinema, the history of mathematics, creative writing, and more, Summer Session 2010 is jammed with arts and sciences courses. Students can tap this window of opportunity to take in-demand classes that were booked in the spring and fall. Or they can get a leg up on the academic year by dispensing with a required math, writing, or science class.
During his stint as a 22-year-old waiter and tennis instructor in the summer of 1990, Assistant Professor of Organizational Sciences 
GW doctoral candidate in biology 
Last month, more than 150 GW scholarship recipients participated in an event recognizing the generosity of their benefactors. Among them was 
The School of Media and Public Affairs recent event "Transforming Journalism", drew an impressive panel—Tom Rosenstiel, Jim Brady, and Tina Brown—and several high-profile speakers in the news editing and digital strategy fields to discuss the current state and trends in the news media. In addition to the sold out live audience, more than 870 people across Asia, Europe, North America and South America watched a live stream video of the event. 