GW Culture Buffs Explore the Best of This World and Beyond
The second year of the GW Culture Buffs program is in full swing. So far this season, more than 350 alumni have participated in events in eight cities across the United States.
This past fall, in the Washington, D.C., area community members met at the Phillips Collection, the National Zoo, the Washington Ballet, and the National Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center to participate in the Culture Buffs program, which brings together alumni, faculty, and friends for one-of-a-kind cultural experiences. Regional events took place at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Art Basel in Miami Beach, the National Aquarium in Baltimore, and a Blue Man Group performance in Orange County, Calif.
Information on spring events is available at alumni.gwu.edu/culturebuffs.
Alumni and friends gather Nov. 5 at the National Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va.
William Atkins
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On Dec. 10, NYC-area alumni and friends experience the Museum of Modern Art exhibit "194X–9/11: American Architects and the City."
Ben Solomon
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New Programs Build Colonials Career Network
In difficult economic times, a network can make all the difference for job seekers. GW has launched several new alumni career services in the past year to help connect Colonials and leverage the alumni network.
The university recently rolled out the HireGW initiative, which encourages alumni to recruit and hire fellow Colonials. The HireGW website, hireGW.com, provides more information on how to post jobs for and recruit in the GW network.
An online professional development series, GWebinars, drew more than 1,000 alumni in its first year. Alumni participated in GWebinars on topics such as "How to Make the Most of LinkedIn" and "Managing Up–How to Influence Your Boss and Accelerate Your Career Progression."
And alumni working at the U.S. Department of State, Booz Allen Hamilton, and the World Bank have hosted events to meet and build relationships with more GW community members at their organization through the new Colonial Colleagues initiative. The Colonial Colleagues program is designed to bring GW graduates together in the workplace.
For more information on these and other GW alumni career services visit alumni.gwu.edu/career.
From The GWAA President
Jim Core, MA '96
Dear Fellow Colonials,
Do you remember your GW student days? How frequently did you connect with or receive advice from an alum? Were you aware of all the GW network had to offer?
If you're like me, your answers to the above questions are: Somewhat. Not very often. No.
One of the main areas of focus for your GW Alumni Association in the coming years is to better connect with our alums-to-be (undergraduate, graduate, and professional students) to inform them about the value of the Colonials network and to build the sense of GW community.
These days, before students take their first class at GW, it's likely they will have interacted with a member of the alumni community.
More than 1,400 GW grads around the globe have volunteered to recruit and interview prospective students through the Undergraduate Admissions Alumni and Parent program. Several GW graduate programs will waive a student's application fee if the applicant is referred by an alum.
In the past few years the GWAA has taken a more active role in GW's orientation programs. We come face to face with new students during Colonial Inauguration and the Graduate Student Services Fair to personally welcome them to the alumni community.
Events for incoming students are not confined to Washington, D.C. The global Summer Send-Off series and admitted student receptions afford new students and their parents the opportunity to interact with members of the GW community. In 2011, more than 600 Colonials attended Summer Send-Offs hosted by alumni and parents in 16 states and seven countries.
Once students arrive on campus, there are even more opportunities to plug in to the alumni network.
During the past year alone, hundreds of alumni connected with nearly 3,000 current students to enhance their GW experience.
The Dinner with Alumni series allows GW grads to meet students over a meal and to interact with enthusiastic students. Fifty dinners are hosted annually, providing some 200 students with valuable alumni connections and advice.
Career-related programs, including student-alumni networking nights and the How Do I Become A… series provide undergraduate and graduate students with practical advice, new contacts, and job leads. GW graduates in New York and San Francisco host MBA students at their organizations during the annual "Career Trek" programs. And online networking—through the GW Alumni Association LinkedIn group and Career Advisor Network—has also proved fruitful.
We find that many Colonials who benefited from alumni connections as students return the favor after they graduate. This is the type of virtuous cycle we are working hard to cultivate. Yet I know the alumni community can do more.
There are multiple ways to be an advocate for your alma mater and to help the next generation of students. I challenge each of you to do something new this year—in your company, in your hometown, or online—to support prospective and current GW students. Visit alumni.gwu.edu/volunteer to get involved.
Thank you for helping to enhance the GW community.
Sincerely,
Jim Core, MA '96
President, GW Alumni Association, 2011-13
alumni.gwu.edu/gwaa
