April 22, 2004

MEDIA CONTACT:
Eric Solomon: (202) 994-3087, solomone@gwu.edu

           
GW TO HONOR MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY
WITH "GW AWARD" AT COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY
MAY 16

Faculty Member James Ferrer, Staff Member Mark Levine and Student Ann O'Connell will be Recognized for their Exemplary Service to GW

WASHINGTON - Continuing a popular 28-year tradition, The George Washington University has selected three members of the GW community to receive the "GW Award" for their lasting contributions to the University. The awards will be presented at the GW Commencement ceremony on the Ellipse, Sunday, May 16, at
10 a.m. This year's honorees include:

James Ferrer, director of The George Washington University Center for Latin American Issues, has worked diligently for 13 years to help the University become the "center of excellence in scholarship on Latin America."  His contributions are easily measured by the growth of the Latin American and Hemispheric Studies program, the generation of more than $1 million annually for the Minerva Scholarship Fund and the annual exchange of Latin American senior-level public officials who study economics and public policy at GW. Ferrer is as impressive in the classroom as he is in the board room. His ability to speak to all audiences, whether in English, Spanish or Portuguese, makes him an extremely popular instructor.

Mark Levine, senior assistant dean of the Community Living and Learning Center (CLLC), is a dedicated director, mentor, leader and friend to the hundreds of employees who work within one of the University?s largest non-academic units. He leads the hundreds of GW staffers folks who work with the thousands of students whose University experience is often defined by the quality of life that the CLLC provides. Levine and his staff have implemented exciting changes such as the Community Standards Initiative, which helps young people learn to manage living together. He has taken on many roles including managing the Student Judicial Services and the Center for Alcohol and Drug Education, to leading the administration in Customer Service with the "CLLC at Your Service" initiative. He also was the 2003 "GW Wall of Famer" and December SASS "Employee of the Month." 

Ann O'Connell, a dean's fellow at The George Washington University Law School, serves the GW community at large, and the Law School in particular, with an energy and willingness that drew praise from faculty, staff and students.  As a dean's fellow, she is one of 50, third-year law students who teaches legal research and writing to first-year law students. O'Connell also serves as vice president of Interscholastic Competitions on the Law School's Moot Court Board, requiring that she prepare students for competition as well as arrange travel and funding. As managing editor of The George Washington Law Review, the school's  prestigious academic journal, O'Connell ensures all research and citations are accurate and verified.

The GW Awards were established in 1976 to provide special recognition to members of the University community whose accomplishments have had a broad impact and whose service has been above and beyond that which is usual or expected.

For more news about GW, visit the GW News Center at www.gwnewscenter.org.

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