A Guide to Arts and Sciences' News, Events and People

December 2009

Archaeological Findings Link Canaanites to Greek Artisans
Fragments of ancient frescos, illustrating a Canaanite connection to the mainstream Mediterranean world, were recently unveiled by Classical and Semitic Languages and Literatures Chair Eric Cline and his counterpart, Assaf Yasur-Landau, of the University of Haifa in Israel. The two scholars led an archaeological team of students, faculty and volunteers on an expedition last summer to Tel Kabri—the site of an ancient palace in Israel—and recently presented their findings. Read more.
 

Healing Power of Art Is Focus of Expanded Art Therapy M.A. Program
Painting, drawing, and sculpting as means to express what may be verbally inexpressible is at the heart of the increasingly popular field of art therapy. At GW’s Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, the healing power of art is fully realized through an Art Therapy Program that boasts modern new studio spaces, a counseling center for hands-on immersion in therapeutic techniques, and an expanded curriculum to facilitate professional licensure upon graduation. In sum, the graduate program—which was one of the first in the nation—adds up to an unparalleled learning opportunity for prospective art therapists.  Read more.
 

Politics and Values Program: Living and Learning Together
While lively debate is not uncommon in most college classrooms, Columbian College’s Politics and Values program takes engagement to the next level through an intensive living and learning experience for a select group of 32 freshmen. The unique arrangement encourages and fosters candid exchange of ideas on political theory and practice—discussions that move beyond the classroom and onto the ninth floor of Thurston Hall, where students in the program share living space. Read more.
 

Freshman Helps Break Ground in Cardiothoracic Research
It’s not every day that a teenager is listed as an author on a cardiothoracic research paper produced by the NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. But, thanks to a coveted NIH fellowship, Columbian College freshman Caleb Seavey is part of a team pushing the frontiers of medical research. Seavey has been interning at the institute since his senior year of high school, most recently conducting research in the field of xenotransplantation—the transplantation of organs and tissues across species with the ultimate goal of increasing the supply of organs available for human transplants. Read more.
 

Human Rights Summit Organized by Roosevelt Project
Women human rights defenders from around the world are gathering in Geneva this week for the first “Courage To Lead Summit,” organized, in part, by Columbian College’s Eleanor Roosevelt Project. The three day global summit is bringing together emerging leaders to share and build on their experiences and to promote mentoring and collaboration among women who play a key role in promoting human rights worldwide. Read more.
 

Theatre and Dance Chair Joins Bidens for Reception
Theatre and Dance Chair Dana Tai Soon Burgess, who directs the premier dance company DTSB & Co., joined area art leaders at a reception in the Washington, D.C., home of Vice President Joseph Biden and his wife, Jill. “It was wonderful to have Vice President and Dr. Biden acknowledge the arts so graciously,” Burgess said. “We are in a wonderful moment in America's history regarding the arts."

Official White House Photo by David Lienemann.
 

International Perspectives Enhance Students’ Studies
GW Ranked in Top 10 for Study Abroad
Columbian College senior Marissa Moran spent her spring 2009 semester in Geneva, Switzerland, on a quest to learn more about social justice. She listened to international speakers, conducted interviews with experts and wrote a 30-page paper on how local and international media cover armed conflict. She earned 15 credits, but more importantly, gained the experience of a lifetime. Read more.
 

Historian Honored for Excellence in Classroom
In the early morning hours — before he heads off to his full-time job as a diplomatic historian at the U.S. State Department — Christopher Tudda is an engaging, accessible, and articulate part-time instructor of U.S. diplomacy at GW. Tudda was among those recently honored with a Bender Teaching Award for his dedication, guidance, and excellence in the classroom. Read more.
 

“Gov't Girl” Tells Internship Tale
Many people talk about the benefits of GW's proximity to the White House, but few students take advantage of those three short blocks for as many semesters as Stacy Parker Aab, BA ’96, did during her undergraduate years as a White House intern. “[During] those first months, I walked from Thurston Hall to the Old Executive Office Building,” said Aab. “Take that Georgetown!” Her book about the experience, “Government Girl,” will be published in January. Read more.
 

Mass Extinction Sudden, Doctoral Candidate Finds
Years of scientific debate over the extinction of ancient species in North America have yielded many theories. However, new findings from J. Tyler Faith, Hominid Paleobiology doctoral candidate at Columbian College, and Todd Surovell, associate professor of anthropology at the University of Wyoming, reveal that a mass extinction occurred in a geological instant. Read more.
 

Forum Emphasizes International Partnerships
“We are building our stature as a university that contributes to the solution of national and global problems,” declared GW President Steven Knapp at GW’s inaugural Global Forum held last month in Hong Kong. The forum brought together nearly 200 faculty, alumni, friends and experts from Asia and the U.S. to discuss the relationship between Asia and the U.S. during this time of change. Read more.
 

Excellence through Innovation
The Innovation Task Force, charged with dramatically boosting investment in learning and research over the next five years, is seeking ideas from members of the University community to help make GW more effective, efficient, and innovative. To submit your idea or learn more about this initiative and the January 20 forum, visit www.innovation.gwu.edu.
 

Networking Night Draws Hundreds
Given the current economy, the large turnout for the University-wide Alumni Career Networking Night came as no surprise to organizers.  The event drew more than 200 alumni and graduate students to the Marvin Center in November. Among those giving remarks was Frank Kent, MA ’82, chair of the GW Alumni Association’s Career Services Committee. The Columbian College graduate encouraged attendees to take advantage of the career resources available to GW alumni and students. The event was sponsored, in part, by Columbian College. Read more.

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