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

January 2010

Filling in Branches on the “Tree of Life”
Massive Scientific Effort Maps Evolutionary Relationships
When Jim Clark (left) was a boy, he hunted fossils with a friend in California’s Mojave Desert. The biologist still hunts fossils, but for the last two decades he has done it in more exotic places, like China, and his discoveries have contributed to one of the planet’s biggest collaborative science initiatives: The Tree of Life, a global scientific effort to map the evolutionary relationships among all species on earth—all 1.7 million of them.

At Columbian College’s Department of Biological Sciences, three professors are actively involved in Tree of Life research: Clark, who studies dinosaurs; Guillermo Orti (right), who works with fish; and Gustavo Hormiga, who studies spiders. All three hold endowed professorships funded through the philanthropy of the late Robert L. Weintraub, PhD ’38, a GW faculty member and alumnus whose foresight and generosity has significantly advanced the study of evolutionary biology. Read more.


Geographers Redefine Immigration Trends in Cities
Washington D.C. Focus of Their Research
For generations, it was believed that most immigrants were people with limited education or training who came to the United States for economic opportunity. They landed in large metropolitan areas—New York, Los Angeles, Miami—and lived in inner cities until they could afford to move to the suburbs. New research by the Geography Department’s Elizabeth Chacko and Marie Price in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences finds that those patterns are shifting. And there’s no better example of new immigration trends than in Washington, D.C. Read more.


Faculty/Student Partnerships —
Columbian College Senior Researching D.C.'s Homeless
For Human Services major Andi Israel, GW's urban setting serves as the perfect classroom. The Gamow Undergraduate Research Fellow recipient is working with Sociology Professor Gregory Squires to examine the values, goals and self-perception of select homeless individuals in the District, focusing on what she calls the “us-versus-them perspective.” Israel will present her research findings at the 2010 Urban Affairs Association Conference in Honolulu in March. Read more.


Student Veteran Testifies on Hill
Geography Senior and Iraq war veteran Brian Hawthorne testified before the House Committee on Veterans Affairs at the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity’s Education Roundtable last month. Hawthorne is legislative director of the Student Veterans of America and founder and current president of the GW Veterans Organization, a student organization that aims to build a community for student veterans on campus, raise awareness of veterans’ issues at GW and advocate for individual or group issues with the University administration. Read more.


Hoover Scholarship Helps Students with Disabilities
GW senior Corbb O’Connor has packed an incredible amount into his years in Foggy Bottom. From leading tours of the U.S. Capitol to working for Mount Vernon Campus Life, the political communication and economics major is taking full advantage of his time at GW.

Blind since birth, O’Connor—who navigates campus with the help of his guide dog, Phoenix—is a recipient of the Mei Yuen Hoover Scholarship for students with disabilities. The scholarship was established in 1999 with a $1 million bequest from history alumnus Mei Yuen Hoover, BA ’45, who experienced various physical limitations throughout her life and was deeply committed to helping others with disabilities. Read more.

Photo by Jessica McConnell


Music Dept. Celebrates 50th Anniversary with Free Concert
It’s hard to believe that an accredited music program was once unheard of at GW. While the University cultivated a well-known band and a thriving choral group that toured internationally to perform for U.S. troops overseas, it wasn’t until 1960 when acclaimed violinist and chamber musician George Steiner founded Department of Music at the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences. Today, the department boasts a faculty of scholars and creative artists, among them well-known performers, and a host of accomplished student musicians. On February 7, a celebratory free concert marking the department’s golden anniversary will be held at the Lisner Auditorium—all are welcome to attend. Read more.


Evolutionary Neuroanatomy Lab Gets Brainy
Brains of tigers, elephants, and monkeys are considered office supplies for Associate Professor of Anthropology Chet Sherwood and his staff in GW's Laboratory for Evolutionary Neuroanatomy. One of only a small number of labs in the world to investigate brain evolution in mammals, the laboratory uses high-powered tools to collect information on the variations in brain architecture. “We examine the brains of primates and other mammals and compare them with human brains in an effort to better understand what is special about human neurobiology,” explained Sherwood. Read more.


In Memoriam: Lee Sigelman and Robert H. Smith
We note with regret the recent passing of Lee Sigelman, Columbian College distinguished professor of Political Science and interim director of the University Honors Program. A former chair of the Political Science Department and a highly respected scholar and prolific author, Dr. Sigelman was celebrated for his exacting standards and broad experience. During his nearly two-decade tenure at GW, he was awarded the Trachtenberg Prizes for both Service and Faculty Scholarship. Read more.

We also mourn the passing of Robert H. Smith, GW trustee emeritus and generous benefactor to Columbian College and the University. His most recent donation was $10 million in 2008 toward the renovation of the Charles E. Smith Center, the largest single donation in the University’s history. The Charles E. Smith Center, named for Mr. Smith’s father, was dedicated in 1976. In 1983, the Smith Hall of Art in GW’s Academic Center was named for Mr. Smith and his wife Clarice, a GW alumna and former GW faculty member. Read more.


Rice and Gamow Undergraduate Research Fellowships— Application Deadline Extended to April 1
Three additional Luther Rice Fellowships and three additional George Gamow Fellowships for projects related to sustainability are now being offered to qualified undergraduate students. Since the GW Sustainability Initiative has identified water resources to be the focus of its efforts next year, the Rice and Gamow Fellowship selection committees especially welcome proposals addressing the availability and quality of water resources. In addition, due to the increased availability of research funds, both committees are reopening the application period for fellowship proposals on any topic. The new deadline is April 1.

The Luther Rice Fellowship ($5000)—sponsored through donor support of the Dean's Fund—is open to any Columbian College undergraduate student, although special attention will be given to applications from students who will be juniors or seniors in the fall semester of 2010. The George Gamow Fellowship ($3600 for summer; $1000 for 2010-11 academic year) is open to any undergraduate student at GW. Students may not be awarded both a Rice and a Gamow in the same academic year.
 

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