July 10, 2008
MEDIA CONTACT: Nick Massella
(202) 994-3087; massella@gwu.edu
$1.6 MILLION GIFT-IN-KIND TO GW ESTABLISHES MIDGE SMITH CENTER FOR EVALUATION EFFECTIVENESS
Center is First of its Kind in the World to Provide Training and Education of Evaluation Effectiveness in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors
WASHINGTON - The George Washington University's Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration recently established the Midge Smith Center for Evaluation Effectiveness through a $1.6 million in-kind donation plus future sustaining funds from M. F. "Midge" Smith. Smith also has been named GW research professor of public policy and public administration and associate director of the center. The first of its kind in the world, the center creates and facilitates the use of evaluation knowledge and best practices to enhance program performance in the public and nonprofit sectors. The center also will house The Evaluators' Institute (TEI), an internationally recognized organization, which was founded in 1995 by Smith with leaders in the profession of program evaluation.
"Wise investments in public and nonprofit programs require solid assessments of their effectiveness," said Peg Barratt, dean of GW's Columbian College of Arts and Sciences and professor of psychology. "The Midge Smith Center for Evaluation Effectiveness puts The George Washington University at the forefront of providing training for those conducting and being informed by these evaluations. Having both Smith and the institute at GW will greatly enrich the university's graduate-level education and significantly increase our outreach to public and nonprofit agencies with evaluation programs tailored for education, social services, and criminal justice, and other fields."
Smith said, "The new center will continue to build on the excellence of TEI's programs and is meant to enhance our ability to meet longer-term interests in research, education, and outreach. The goal of the center is to be the premier unit in the world known for its successes in creating and facilitating use of evaluation knowledge to further effective programs in the public and nonprofit areas. The prestige, location, and research capabilities make The George Washington University an ideal fit for TEI. I greatly look forward to working with my GW colleagues, including Jed Kee, professor of public policy and public administration and co-director of the center; Kathryn Newcomer, associate director of the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration and co-director of the center; and Ann Doucette, executive director of the center."
TEI is internationally respected for its high quality of instruction, balanced curriculum, and practical relevance of the content of its courses. The faculty who teach in the programs are senior-level, internationally acclaimed, and highly sought after evaluation scholars, teachers, and practitioners. Learners come from around the world, with more than 80 countries represented. Annual programs take place in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Chicago, and two new sites will be added in 2008.
"We are honored to welcome Midge Smith to our faculty," said Newcomer. "We will benefit from her experience in program evaluation, research, and administration, and her connections to evaluation leaders and practitioners around the world."
Smith has been a leader in the field of program evaluation for nearly 30 years, partnering with GW faculty for the last decade to provide teaching support for TEI. She authored and co-authored more than 100 publications and reports on evaluation and planning, including the book Evaluability Assessment (1989); "The Profession of Evaluation," a section in the 2002 International Handbook on Educational Evaluation; and the 1994 (Evaluation Practice) and 2001 (American Journal of Evaluation) assessments of The Future of Evaluation. Smith served on many national committees, including the Government Auditing Standards Advisory Council, and has received numerous awards, among them the American Evaluation Association's Robert Ingle Service Award.
The master's degree programs offered by GW's Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration, within the university's Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, are ranked 14th in the 2009 U.S. News and World Report "America's Best Graduate Schools" guide. Created in 2003, the school has quickly established itself and is GW's focal point for public affairs education, research, and public service. Its faculty members also collaborate closely with other university departments on municipal, state, federal, and international policy initiatives. On August 1, 2007, the school was named the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration in recognition of nearly two decades of service to the university by GW President Emeritus and University Professor of Public Service Stephen Joel Trachtenberg.
In the heart of the nation's capital, The George Washington University was created by an Act of Congress in 1821. Today, GW is the largest institution of higher education in Washington, D.C. The university offers comprehensive programs of undergraduate and graduate liberal arts study as well as degree programs in medicine, public health, law, engineering, education, business, and international affairs. Each year, GW enrolls a diverse population of undergraduate, graduate, and professional students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and more than 130 countries.
For more information about The Evaluators' Institute, visit www.evaluatorsinstitute.com
For more news about GW, visit the GW News Center at www.gwnewscenter.org.
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