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

March 2010

MIT's Steve Lerman to Join GW as Next Provost
Steve Lerman, vice chancellor and dean for graduate education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has been named GW's next provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and A. James Clark professor of civil and environmental engineering. Lerman, whose appointment is effective July 1, will succeed Donald Lehman, PhD '70.   Read more.


Environmental Studies Students Flush Out D.C.
On a recent sunny Saturday, the 19 juniors and seniors that make up David Rain's "Humans and the Environment" undergraduate capstone course traced D.C.'s water supply from source to sludge. The field trip was an awareness exercise on what it takes to provide clean water and sanitation to an urban city. Read more.


Japanese Summer Institute: Movies, Museums, and Karaoke
How often do you get to take a course that includes karaoke? When students get together for the new 11-credit Summit Institute in Japanese Language and Culture, they'll be swept into an eight-week sampling of Japanese films, with cultural events and savory Japanese cuisine thrown in for good measure. Oh, yes, and there's karaoke, too. Read more.


Solving History's Mysteries
It was a simple enough question: Was the fragment of hair and skin from an animal or a human? But for Walter Rowe, chair of the Department of Forensic Sciences, the answer would be an important one, adding valuable information to the scientific effort to determine when outlaw Jesse James was killed and where he had been buried. Read more.


Advancing Diversity in Graduate Education
The inaugural fellowship awarded by GW's new chapter  of the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society has been awarded to Erin Marie Williams, a student in the Hominid Paleobiology Doctoral Program in the Department of Anthropology. GW opened the chapter as part of its broader commitment to promote diversity at the graduate level.  "We want to increase the number of doctoral students, who will in turn become models for more underserved individuals," said Tara Wallace, Columbian College associate dean for graduate studies. "The Bouchet Society provides the mentoring that is crucial for making this happen." Read more.


GW Solar Institute Gears up for Major Symposium
Preparations are underway for the second annual GW Solar Institute Symposium, "Challenges to Solar as a Leading Solution to Climate and Energy Problems." The free event on April 16 will bring together major figures in the energy arena to develop a consensus vision for the growing role of solar energy in the United States. Key industry leaders and influential decision-makers will offer real-world insight on the latest solar developments and future trajectories. The symposium will also address the role of solar energy in transportation. Read more.


Graduate Student Advocates for Her Country
Fulbright scholar and Trachtenberg School graduate student Daniela Chacon Arias plans to use her learning and experience to found a public affairs nonprofit in her native Ecuador. In her work as co-founder of Movimiento Libertario, an organization devoted to influencing public opinion and engaging youth in public affairs, and as chief of staff for the constitutional affairs committee of the Ecuadorean National Congress, she saw firsthand the apathy many of her fellow Ecuadoreans have toward the government. She believes it's critical to the future of her country that young people take an active role in politics and the government. So when Ms. Chacon Arias was ready to advocate for change in her country, she turned to The George Washington University. Read more.


The GW Corps: A Passion for Politics, Service, and Exploration
Stephen Andrew Wood, B.A. '06, was ready for a "change of pace" after living in Washington for five years, so he joined the Peace Corps. From 2007 to 2009, the philosophy major lived in West Africa and was employed as an agriculture extension agent, working with farmers, gardeners and tree orchard owners to implement techniques to improve soil fertility and crop yield. Read more.


Art History Alumna Has an Eye for the Contemporary
One of the things Tracey Wheatley Perkins loves the most about her job as chief of staff at the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston is that there is no typical routine. In the course of a day, Perkins, who graduated with a master’s in Art History in 2005, can do anything from working with visiting artists to focusing on long-term projects to ensure the ICA can maintain its "quality exhibitions, attendance and impact."

"What a lot of people don’t know about the ICA," she said, "is how focused we are on creating future leaders in the arts through our teen programs." Read more.


Columbian College to Double Its Professional Advisers
With $500,000 from GW's Innovation Task Force, Columbian College will double its number of professional advisers to 18 in the next 10 months. The increased number of advisers ensures guidance for more students more often, the Columbian College advising staff will be able to offer daytime and evening open office hours to their students.

“The addition of nine advisers to our school and other improvements will enhance advising for Columbian College students and help them be successful during their time at GW,” said Peg Barratt, dean of Columbian College. “Additionally, we will reach out to students more about our services through a variety of ways including electronic and printed materials and adding open office hours when [advisers] can meet with students.” Read more.


Student's Article Creates Buzz
Political Communication major Alec Jacobs didn't expect all the attention: When he heard Howard Dean  was speaking to GW's College Democrats last week, intern Jacobs decided to pitch the story to his editor at The Daily Caller, commentator Tucker Carlson. Jacobs' article became the second most popular story on the Daily Caller's Web site.

"Seeing my byline was, simply put, awesome. But even more awesome was seeing my article spread," Jacobs said. In the next few days, Fox Nation, an associate of Fox News, picked up the story, the article was put on the American Spectator's list of must-read articles and it was mentioned in The Wall Street Journal. "It was such a fantastic experience to have my first real byline receive so much attention," Jacobs said.


In Memoriam: Robert M. Dunn, Jr.
We note with regret the recent passing of Robert M. Dunn, Jr., Professor Emeritus of Economics. Professor Dunn retired at the end of the 2008-09 academic year after more than 40 years on the GW Economics faculty. As a scholar, Professor Dunn's published works include a popular text on International Economics, articles in numerous academic journals, and several dozen columns which appeared in The New York Times and The Washington Post.

Alumni Updates
Save the Date! September 30 — October 3 Alumni Weekend 2010
Alumni in the undergraduate classes of 2005, 2000, 1995, and 1960 and earlier, be on the lookout for your reunion newsletter,  join classmates, and get involved for what will be a memorable milestone reunion. Don't miss this opportunity to reconnect with classmates, GW, and D.C.!  Visit Alumni Weekend 2010 for more details.

Nominate Fellow Graduates for Alumni Achievement Awards
The George Washington Alumni Association Awards Committee is accepting open nominations of individuals who merit consideration for the Distinguished and Recent Alumni Achievement Awards. If you would like to nominate someone for either of these awards, click here. Nominations are due on or before April 5.

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