An estimated 25,000 graduates, families and friends will celebrate the collegiate rite of passage on May 20.

May 14, 2012

Donning caps and gowns, approximately 5,000 George Washington University students will gather on the National Mall this weekend to celebrate GW’s 2012 Commencement.

Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor of “NBC Nightly News” and host of “Rock Center,” will address the graduates and receive an honorary degree.

GW’s Commencement Weekend, which actually spans four days from May 17 to 20, comprises dozens of events. They include the traditional Interfaith Baccalaureate, the doctoral hooding and individual school celebrations. The capstone will be the university-wide ceremony on the morning of May 20 around the Washington Monument. GW is the only school in the nation to hold its graduation on the National Mall.

“This year we are thrilled to welcome Brian Williams back to the George Washington community. He has captured the attention of our students and will be greeted warmly by them and their families,” said Lorraine Voles, vice president for external relations. “Commencement at GW is a unique experience. On the National Mall surrounded by the majesty of our capital city, our students and our honorary degree recipients show the world what being a Colonial is all about – hard work, ingenuity and a passion for changing the world.”

Students in the top 10 percent of the senior class and students in the top 1 percent of the junior class will be inducted into GW’s Phi Beta Kappa chapter, the nation’s oldest academic society, on Friday.

Rev. Brenda Girton-Mitchell, director of the U.S. Department of Education’s Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, will address graduates at the university’s Interfaith Baccalaureate on Saturday. The ceremony will also feature performances from GW’s Music Department, reflections from GW seniors and meditations from clergy representing various faith traditions.

After earning the right in the student speaker competition, senior Noreen Kassam will address her fellow graduates at the university-wide ceremony on Sunday. Ms. Kassam will graduate from the Elliott School of International Affairs with a major in international affairs and political science.

Mr. Williams, who attended GW for the fall semester of 1980, became anchor of “NBC Nightly News” in 2004, and since then has strengthened the broadcast’s position as the most-watched television newscast in the nation. In 2011, he launched “Rock Center with Brian Williams,” the network’s first primetime newsmagazine broadcast in nearly two decades.

In addition to Mr. Williams, Carlos Slim and Clarice Smith, B.A. ’76, M.F.A. ’79, will also receive honorary degrees.

An international business leader and humanitarian, Mr. Slim has made significant contributions to business and community development in Mexico and Latin America, and his extensive philanthropic work through his foundations has led to improvements and investments in education, health and the fine arts. Mr. Slim was awarded the George Washington University President’s Medal in 2009.

A renowned artist and philanthropist, Ms. Smith is a native of Washington, D.C., and a two-time George Washington alumna. She was also a member of GW’s art department faculty from 1980 to 1987. Ms. Smith has been painting professionally for 35 years and has had numerous solo exhibitions in museums and galleries in the United States and abroad. She currently serves on the Board of Commissioners at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Previous GW Commencement speakers include New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg; First Lady Michelle Obama; Rahm Emanuel, former chief of staff to President Barack Obama; former President George H.W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; and then-First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Individual schools celebrations, which span across May 18 to 20, will feature their own graduation speakers. Diane Rehm, host of National Public Radio’s “The Diane Rehm Show,” will speak to graduates of the School of Public Health and Health Services. Carmen M. Ortiz, J.D. ’81 and U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, will address graduates at the Law School celebration. And GW trustee Linda Rabbit, founder, chief executive officer and chairman of Rand Construction, will speak to graduates of the School of Business.

“The university is always thrilled to be able to celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates in such a spectacular fashion,” said Michael Peller, assistant vice president for events and venues. “There is nothing quite like being able to have the great many events leading up to our Commencement on the Mall.”

For a complete list of school celebration speakers, click here.

For a full schedule of Commencement weekend events, click here.

Paramedics from GW teach hundreds of high schoolers in Anacostia life-saving techniques.

May 14, 2012

By Kristin Hubing

Two dozen ninth and 10th graders, dressed smartly in their school uniforms, gathered on the cafeteria floor. Each student kneeled in front of a Mini-Anne – an inflatable, portable mannequin – and used the palms of their hands to pump its chest to the beat of the 1970s Bee Gees song “Stayin’ Alive.”

It wasn’t your average Tuesday morning at KIPP DC: College Preparatory, a charter school located in the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Five instructors from the American Heart Association Training Center at the George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates (MFA) led the students in a 45-minute Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillation (AED) training on May 8, part of a two-day program during which about 200 students were trained.

“Me and my ambulance are about seven to 12 minutes away from your house,” said Alex Cullen, one of the instructors who is a paramedic and current GW student, “which means that you’re going to have to do this for seven to 12 minutes.”

A chorus of groans went up around the room. “I’m tired!” “My hands hurt!” they said after a few minutes of chest compressions. Mr. Cullen reminded them that “it’s going to be a lot easier when it’s a real person who you know. You’ll feel motivated to keep going.”

The trainings were organized by ReStart DC, a program of the GW Cheney Cardiovascular Institute that aims to increase survival rates of sudden cardiac arrest, and the MFA Department of Emergency Medicine’s Training Center, which trains more than 5,000 people in CPR and resuscitation annually. The KIPP DC training was funded by an educational grant from the Medtronic Foundation.

Mr. Cullen was joined by Training Center Manager and GW graduate William “Billy” Fritz, paramedic Danielle Dunn, and EMTs Megan Krentsa , a student in the Elliott School of International Affairs, and Scott Crawford B.A./B.S. ’09. Accompanied by a video, the instructors showed students two steps to save a life: Call 911 and push hard and fast in the center of the chest. They also demonstrated how to shock the heart with an AED, which the students practiced on their Mini-Annes with non-live paddles.

"It has been such a great experience partnering with the George Washington University on this important and potentially life-saving training,” said Cheryl Borden, founding principal of KIPP DC: College Preparatory. “Our students are excited about what they learned and have been sharing that information with fellow students, staff and family.”

Mya Murphy and Faith Turner, both ninth graders at the school, said they were having a lot of fun. “It’s a good workout!” Murphy said.

“Don’t be afraid to do CPR or put an AED on someone,” Mr. Cullen urged. “It’s not going to hurt them. Trying is the best thing you can do. Does everyone know where the AED in this school is?” he asked. “Nurse’s office!” the students shouted in unison. They had already known where it was, but now they knew how to use it, too.
Lawrence Davin, a 10th grader, said CPR was not as difficult as he expected. “I’m definitely going to show my mom and dad. I don’t think they know how to do this,” he said.

As the students departed, they were each given a black t-shirt emblazoned with a phrase that captured the message of empowerment for the day: “My Hands Save Lives…What Can Yours Do?”

Nancy Brinker, CEO of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, delivers keynote at GW Women and Philanthropy Forum.

May 10, 2012

At the fourth annual GW Women and Philanthropy Forum, held Wednesday at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington, Susan G. Komen for the Cure founder and CEO Nancy Brinker delivered a keynote speech highlighting the ways that women can drive change and success in philanthropy.

The forum’s goal was to encourage “worldwide and lifelong engagement” with philanthropy, said Adrienne Rulnick, associate vice president of alumni relations and development.

George Washington President Steven Knapp thanked the forum speakers and guests for “exploring the critically important role women are playing in enhancement and preservation of human welfare through such active and visionary philanthropy.” He highlighted the university’s new Global Women’s Institute and its newly hired director Mary Ellsberg. The institute aims to enhance the roles of women and girls worldwide through research, teaching and engaged service in the areas of health, education, rights and security.

Diane Robinson Knapp introduced Ms. Brinker, who, in addition to her work with the Komen organization, served as U.S. ambassador to Hungary from 2001 to 2003, as well as U.S. chief of protocol from 2007 to 2009 under President Bush. She was also awarded the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by President Obama in 2009.

Ms. Brinker described her childhood in Peoria, Ill., growing up with her sister Suzy and a mother who strongly emphasized the girls’ responsibility to be involved in community service. Her first fundraising event was a neighborhood song-and-dance show she planned with her sister, in which 64 neighbors bought tickets to support local children diagnosed with polio.

She provided audience members with several pieces of advice she gained from her years as the CEO of one of the world’s largest charities. The first piece of advice, she said, was to learn on the job every single day. “The world is always changing, and it’s changing today more rapidly than ever before,” she said. The ability to learn and adapt quickly is essential.

It’s also vital that women in philanthropy truly understand the causes and issues they spend their time and money supporting, Ms. Brinker said. When she started speaking about breast cancer in the early 1980s, few women knew much about it and there was a strong sense of shame involved. Ms. Brinker spoke to every physician and scientist she met, as well as read everything she could find, to become well-versed on the topic. “I tried not to let other people do it for me, and you shouldn’t either,” she said.

Ms. Brinker also spoke about effectively responding to criticism, explaining that the most vocal and visible people—often those who lead successful organizations—are the most easily criticized. “Be open to criticism and don’t let it rattle or distract you,” she advised. “No one is served by getting bogged down in ideological conflicts, because it detracts from one’s mission.”

Women are effective fundraisers because of their strong networks, Ms. Brinker said. “Networking and being connectors is a powerful force that all of us know how to use extraordinarily well,” she said. These networks are what can transform philanthropy, and it is important to support and nurture the connections that lead to influence and change.

Finally, don’t fear mistakes, but learn from them and move forward, Ms. Brinker advised the audience. “Not all the research we’ve supported has been successful,” she said. “Some of these have led to dead ends. But we’ve been transparent about our failures as well as our successes, and we’ve learned to build trust, which allows us to keep pursuing groundbreaking efforts such as the world’s first breast cancer vaccine.”

Ms. Brinker closed her remarks by quoting American anthropologist Margaret Mead, who said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

“I hope, because of our talent, our work and our leadership, we are no longer a small group,” Ms. Brinker said. “And together we are changing the world.”

The forum also included a panel discussion with prominent female philanthropic leaders, including Cynthia Steele Vance, B.A.’79, a broadcast journalist and member of GW’s board of trustees; Madeleine Jacobs, B.S. ’68, executive director of the American Chemical Society; and Mahsa Pelosky, member of the boards of directors of several New York foundations. It also featured remarks from Nicky Goren, president and CEO of the Washington Area Women’s Foundation, and Sherri Rose, a 2005 GW graduate and winner of the GW Alumni Association’s 2011 Recent Alumni Achievement Award, about the need for the next generation of women to become involved in philanthropic advisory work.

Through GROW DC, graduate students provide nourishment to Ward 8’s youngest residents.

May 10, 2012

By Anna Miller

Alex Fortenko, M.P.H. ’11, a first-year medical student in the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, says it’s a minor miracle when he catches a meal outside of Ross Hall. Between classes, exams and studying, grocery shopping sinks to the bottom of the to-do list.

That’s why when Mr. Fortenko and his classmates get a spare moment, they’re thankful to have a Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe’s, Safeway and, on Wednesdays, a farmers market, all within a few blocks.

But across the city, the landscape is drastically different. Mr. Fortenko, his classmates Merissa Garvey and Annie Kennelly and first-year student in GW’s School of Public Health and Health Services Laura Schmucker saw this firsthand when they volunteered in Anacostia as a part of GW’s Interdisciplinary Student Community-Oriented Prevention Enhancement Service (ISCOPES) program.

The area has few grocery stores, and the ones that are there appear to sell more liquor than produce, the group noticed when visiting the neighborhood. They were also struck by the in-house nursery at the local high school —a testament to the area’s high teen pregnancy rate.

“We hear a lot about global health problems, but there are so many issues here in Washington, D.C., that need to be looked at,” said Ms. Garvey. “There are people suffering literally down the street.”

“Once we saw the disparities, we started to think about ways we could help,” said Mr. Fortenko.

It didn’t take long for the group to settle on an idea — now a project called GROW DC — that aims to reduce nutritional disparities among infants and toddlers in Ward 8, where 30 percent of children live in poverty.

Their initiative, which was featured during this year’s Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) at GW, will distribute low-cost, nutritious food to infants and toddlers of Ward 8 and educate mothers about how to make nutritious choices for their families. Their goal is to reach children before school age.

GROW DC is not just handing out healthy food—the group is committed to making its impact sustainable. The team plans to use text messaging to keep participants engaged by sending nutrition tips, information on local nutrition resources and even quiz questions that direct them to answers on social media websites.

“We want them to be just as engaged in the project as we are,” said Ms. Schmucker. “We want to ingrain good habits in these kids and mothers.”

By focusing on the area’s youngest — newborns to 3-year-olds —GROW DC strives to make an impact during some of the most critical developmental and habit-forming years of life. The students also hope to fill a gap left by other area interventions and programs like D.C.’s Overweight and Obesity Action Plan and the National School Lunch Program, which only reach children once they have entered the school system.

“We realized there was a big issue with nutrition in Ward 8, and especially for children before they enter elementary school,” said Ms. Garvey, who conducted research in pediatric nutrition before enrolling in medical school. “They are lacking that strong foundation.”

The group’s idea became reality this spring, when they attended CGI U, a national forum for college students, national youth organizations, topic experts and celebrities to develop solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems. Over the forum’s three days, Mr. Fortenko, Ms. Garvey, Ms. Kennelly and Ms. Schmucker consulted with community health leaders, networked with members of the media, developed partnerships with like-minded students and even presented their project on stage in front of thousands of people — an honor reserved for a handful of participants.

“Participating in CGI U really solidified that there’s a lot of excitement around this,” said Ms. Kennelly. “It also made us think about the project critically, like what steps we need to take in terms of funding and how the program should be structured.”

The team expects the momentum to continue to build. Throughout the summer, they will work to forge relationships with area organizations like D.C. Central Kitchen and the Capital Area Food Bank, apply for funding through grants, seek partnerships with national food companies and spread the word about their mission.

Come fall, GROW DC plans to launch its first intervention at Anacostia High School, where it will be able to reach a significant segment of the area’s young mothers. “There are about 100 moms at the school, so we think it’s a good place to start,” said Ms. Garvey.

But it won’t stop there. Eventually, the team hopes that the project will span the city, with groups of students going into schools and community-based organizations to distribute food and educate residents. They envision GROW DC becoming a GW staple like the student-run Healthcare, Education and Active Living (HEALing) Clinic.
“We are still at the very beginning of this project,” said Mr. Fortenko. “But we have high hopes for where it will go.”

The university honored retiring U.S. Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., for his 26 years of service.

May 10, 2012

When U.S. Sen. Kent Conrad figured out law school wasn’t his calling, George Washington University welcomed him into the Business School in the middle of the year, he said, with “open arms.”

Sen. Conrad, M.B.A. ’75, reminisced fondly on his time at GW on Tuesday when he was honored by his alma mater and friend and colleague Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., for his 26 years in the Senate at the GW Annual Capitol Hill Alumni Reception. Sen. Conrad remembered a particularly strong relationship with his adviser and a rewarding experience in his classes.

“In class after class, the professors were engaged, the students were engaged,” he said. “And I really enjoyed my time there.”

Sen. Reid, J.D. ’64, remembered the first time he met Sen. Conrad.

“It was 1986, and we were both running for the Senate. And we both looked at each other, I’m sure, [and said], ‘He’s going to be in the Senate?’ ” he said to laughter.

Calling Sen. Conrad “very calculating in what he wants to accomplish,” Sen. Reid lauded his colleague for his work addressing the country’s deficit. “I told Kent Conrad several years ago that I joined his church,” Sen. Reid said. “That’s the church of doing something about the deficit.”

GW President Steven Knapp, too, praised Sen. Conrad for his role in budget talks, having served as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee.

“In your 26 years in the Senate you’ve not only been a champion for North Dakota, but you played a truly powerful role in addressing important national issues, including the federal budget challenges.”

Sen. Conrad has “extraordinary skill, wisdom and dedication,” Dr. Knapp added. “We’ve always been able to turn to you for help, support and guidance. So we all wish you the best in your future endeavors.”

Tuesday’s event was also a time to recognize all GW alumni for their service on the Hill. Thirteen members of Congress, including U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi, R-WY, who was at Tuesday’s event, are GW alumni, and many, many more serve as Hill staffers.

“We have this strong dedication to public service, which is reflected in what so many of you in this room have chosen to do with your career,” Dr. Knapp said. “We are an institution that was founded based on the vision of George Washington to produce citizen leaders for the new nation in the capital that he was just establishing.”

Mark Kennedy, a former congressman and director of the GW Graduate School of Political Management, said he, too, knows the crucial role the university plays in building public servants.

“We understand the importance of staff on the Hill,” he said. “Having been in Congress, there’s the old saying that staff runs the Hill. We’re pleased to have the opportunity to train as many as possible.”

Datuk Thomas George, M.P.A. ’86, has held top-ranking positions in the Malaysian government.

May 7, 2012

By Christine Cole

For more than three decades, Datuk Thomas George has led a distinguished public service career.

“Being a public administrator gives you the opportunity to serve, and not to think about yourself but to think about the community that you serve,” said Mr. George. “We must translate our goals, and visions and dreams into something definite – that is what gives us satisfaction.”

Mr. George served full terms as secretary general – the top civil service rank position in Malaysia – for both the Ministry of Works, which runs the country’s transportation infrastructure and public buildings, and the Ministry of Human Resources. He also served in high ranking positions at the National Institute of Public Administration, and he has authored books, journal articles and numerous papers on public management.

He was recruited by the UK’s Commonwealth secretariat to help improve public administration in Jamaica, Cameroon, St. Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, Kenya, Tanzania, Barbados, South Africa, Samoa and the Maldives. For his accomplishments, he was bestowed the prestigious Malaysian title “Datuk” by the king.

“I go on the principle that you should not leave life in regret, but you should do what you can do,” he says, “and I believe that I have made some difference… in the places that I’ve been.”

Given this, it’s no surprise that he was asked to return to George Washington to receive the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration’s 2012 Public Service Award.

“Thomas George has gained worldwide recognition as a model public servant,” said Bill Adams, professor of public policy and public administration, who served on the nominations committee. “And all countries — not just rapidly developing ones like Malaysia — desperately need a reliable, fair and effective public sector.”

“It was a surprise to me, and I consider it a real privilege to be given the honor,” Mr. George said. “Coming back to campus brought back very fond memories. A lot of things I learned here I used throughout my career.”

With an interest in organizations and human resources, Mr. George first came to GW as a master’s student wanting to broaden his understanding of public administration and its responsibilities. “The M.P.A. program really provided the parameters you could build on,” he recalled, specifically noting lessons on ethical principles, personal accountability and personal responsibility.

These principles, he said, need to be applied with caution. “I think it’s very important that wherever we are, we have to learn, and learn to understand context, because it is only in understanding the context that you are able to relate what [you] know and learn to bring about the change that is needed,” he said.

While reflecting on lessons learned at GW and during his career, Mr. George offered one more piece of advice for students and alumni who are working to bring about change: “We must be empathetic, we must be insightful, and most importantly we must always be learning,” Mr. George said. “Then we can be in the best position to understand and facilitate change.”

The research, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense, will focus on children of military families.

May 3, 2012

The George Washington University is working with the U.S. Department of Defense to enhance the language and cultural capabilities of children from military families in the Second Language and Culture Exposure for Children and Youth Project.

GW’s Graduate School of Education and Human Development will collaborate with the Department of Defense Office of Military Community and Family Policy and military service branches. GSEHD faculty will assess current military and civilian programs for effectiveness in enhancing language and cultural capabilities and to determine which can be expanded.

GSEHD Dean Michael Feuer said the school is “proud and honored” to support military families and their children’s education.

“It will be especially exciting to bridge our research with practice in the creation of innovative educational programming for military children,” he said.

Researchers will work in three phases during an 18-month period. In the first phase, they will review existing programs that support exposure to a second language or culture, and create a practitioner-friendly guide for expanding or creating language or culture programs for children. The second phase will be dedicated to developing training and technical assistance to support the project’s development, implementation and evaluation of children in DOD facility- and home-based child care. In the final phase, researchers will implement pilot programs and evaluate the effectiveness of the training and technical assistance components of each of those programs.

The implications for the research are wide-reaching. Studies already show that children who are exposed to a second language or culture up to age 5 are more developmentally well-rounded than those who aren’t exposed; by providing children with skills to more easily learn languages, they will be able to perform in a global environment.

The GSEHD faculty participating in the project include Joel Gomez, associate professor of education leadership and lead researcher of the project; Jaewha Choi, assistant professor of educational research methods; and Richard Lanthier, associate professor of human development.

The project, said Dr. Gomez, “is an element in strengthening early childhood education programs for this population, and our research will help determine best practices for exposing young children to language and culture.”

The project is supported by an award administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture as part of the Extension-Military Partnership. That partnership was established between USDA and DOD in 2010 to support military service members and their families.

Jim Rees, retiring president of historic Mount Vernon, awarded President’s Medal for “innovative, tenacious” leadership.

May 7, 2012

By Danny Freedman

On a night when he was serenaded by strings and feted with an eruption of fireworks over the Potomac, the man in charge of George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate also received one of his alma mater’s highest awards, the GW President’s Medal.

The celebration Friday evening in honor of Jim Rees, M.S. ’78, came as he prepared to step down this month, due to health issues, as the longtime president and chief executive officer of Mount Vernon Estate, Museum & Gardens, in Virginia about 15 miles outside D.C.

In presenting the President’s Medal, beneath a white tent in the shadow of Gen. Washington’s family home, GW President Steven Knapp called Mr. Rees “one of our university’s most distinguished alumni.”

Past recipients of the medal have included former Soviet President and Nobel Peace Prize-winner Mikhail Gorbachev, news icon Walter Cronkite, astronaut Charles J. Camarda, M.S. ’80, and jazz legend Dave Brubeck.

The citation on the award recognizes Mr. Rees’ 29 years of service at Mount Vernon, in which he “channeled George Washington himself as an innovative, tenacious and bold leader.”

Dr. Knapp noted Mr. Rees’ efforts to inspire globally the study of the first U.S. president, as well as locally, particularly at GW.

Mr. Rees was instrumental in establishing GW’s hands-on undergraduate course “George Washington and His World,” in which students utilize the 500-acre estate to study the life of Gen. Washington and the era in which he lived.

Dr. Knapp also recalled the day in 2007 when he was “greeted by a drum and fife corps in colonial garb, and Jim was there with two sheep, a male and female”--George and Martha, a gift of Hog Island sheep from the Mount Vernon Estate. They’re “feisty,” Dr. Knapp said, and “living happily” at the Knapps’ farm in Baltimore County.

Prior to becoming president of Mount Vernon in 1994, Mr. Rees had been director of development and associate director since 1983.

During his nearly three decades there, Mount Vernon’s endowment grew from $4 million to $125 million. As president, he oversaw the development and opening of the Ford Orientation Center and the Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center, and guided projects like the restoration of Washington’s distillery and gristmill.

Under Mr. Rees, more than 8 million books on leadership were sent to fifth grade classrooms in every state, and nearly 100 million teachers and students signed up to view distance-learning programs produced by Mount Vernon.

Most recently, Mr. Rees has raised more than $83 million toward the $100 million needed to finish the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington, which the organization says will serve as George Washington’s presidential library.

The estate, owned and operated by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, does not accept government funding. And in a letter last month announcing his retirement, Mr. Rees wrote that sustaining Mount Vernon through the financial support of individuals, foundations and corporations is a point of “great pride.”

“Knowing that the goals of this latest effort are now within reach … is a wonderful capstone of my life’s work here at Mount Vernon,” he wrote. “However, there is still much work to be done, for the National Library and for many other worthy projects. The best parting tribute that anyone could give me would be to continue their support for this most noble of causes.”

Among other tributes Friday night, during which “Wheel of Fortune” host Pat Sajak served as master of ceremonies: the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association announced the establishment of the James C. Rees Fellowship for the study of George Washington’s leadership; the group presented Mr. Rees with its highest honor, the Ann Pamela Cunningham Medal; and Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, in a video salute, thanked Mr. Rees for a “phenomenal job,” marked by passion, poise and dignity.

A string band serenaded the diners and, afterward, on the sprawling riverside lawn of Gen. Washington’s home, the band played as fireworks crackled and sprayed color against a full-moon sky.

Closing the program before the fireworks, Mr. Sajak noted that the “gratitude and admiration” for Mr. Rees among the gathered guests is shared not just by the millions who have visited Mount Vernon but also by “the millions more yet to come.”

“You’ve left behind a big set of shoes to fill,” he said. “But thanks to the foundation you built Mount Vernon will go on bigger and stronger than ever. We thank you, we love you and for what it’s worth, I believe in miracles.”

Latest results of national survey also indicate close numbers on jobs, economy.

May 7, 2012

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama are essentially tied among voters at 48 percent and 47 percent respectively, according to a new POLITICO-George Washington University Battleground Poll released today.

“With the closing of the Republican nomination race, Mitt Romney has solidified his base in this Battleground Poll,” said Christopher Arterton, GW professor of political management. “But whether this is a ‘halo effect’ from that victory or a durable trend remains to be seen.”

In this latest POLITICO-George Washington University Battleground Poll, Romney is winning with Republicans by 88 percent, a larger margin than the 83 percent by which Obama is winning with Democrats. Romney also is winning with independents by 10 points.

“Illustrated in this data is that the primary is over and the Republicans are clearly ready to support their nominee in making Obama a one-term president,” said Ed Goeas, Republican pollster and CEO of the Tarrance Group.

Meanwhile, President Obama has a 70 percent approval rating when voters were asked how they feel about him as a person—far stronger than his overall job approval. When voters were asked about the job he is doing as president, responses were tied at 48 percent approving and disapproving. When voters compare both candidates on their ability to handle specific issues, however, President Obama holds a significant lead on standing up for the middle class, with 58 percent saying he would better handle this issue, compared with 35 percent for Romney. Obama is also favored on foreign policy issues (51 percent to 38 percent); and on sharing voters’ values (50 percent to 40 percent). In addition, he pulled ahead of Romney by a narrow margin on taxes (51 percent to 45 percent).

“Besides his dominant position on personal favorability, Obama has a wealth of opportunities on issue comparisons, where he leads on standing up for the middle class, taxes, foreign policy and ‘shares your values,’” said Celinda Lake, Democratic pollster and president of Lake Research Partners. “He needs to translate his advantage on being for the middle class to a clear economic vision and contrast, which will put him ahead on the economy and jobs to ensure victory in this election.”

Although a gender gap still exists, Romney has narrowed the gap. Obama leads among women by seven percentage points, while Romney leads among men by seven percentage points. Women over age 45 lean toward Romney, 50 percent to 45 percent. White women favor Romney over Obama 57 percent to 38 percent. Women of color and unmarried women overwhelmingly favor Obama.

The American public continues to view the economy (28 percent), government spending and the deficit (17 percent) and jobs (14 percent) as the most important issues for congressional focus. When voters were asked which presidential candidate they think will be better at handling the economy and handling jobs, Romney is slightly favored at handling the economy with 48 percent to Obama’s 45 percent, while Obama is seen as better at handling jobs, with 48 percent to Romney’s 46 percent.

The POLITICO-George Washington University Battleground Poll is a nationally recognized series of surveys conducted by Republican pollster Ed Goeas of the Tarrance Group and Democratic pollster Celinda Lake of Lake Research Partners. The George Washington University Global Media Institute, affiliated with the Graduate School of Political Management and the School of Media and Public Affairs, serves as the university’s home for the partnership. George Washington’s Gelman Library houses the data archive of the survey results dating back more than two decades.

The poll, which is distinguished from other surveys by its presentation of separate analyses from these top pollsters representing both sides of the aisle, surveyed 1,000 registered likely voters nationwide April 29 through May 3, including a protocol for reaching mobile phone users, and yielded a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent.

Click here for further analyses of these issues and full results.

Professor Abdou Youssef discusses the future of computer science.

May 7, 2012

By Ari Massefski, Class of 2015

Last fall, Apple computers announced the release of Siri, the talking iPhone assistant. For many, this electronic personal assistant was a remarkable technological advancement. But Abdou Youssef, chair of the George Washington Department of Computer Science, says Siri is only the beginning.

“It’s a preview of coming attractions,” said Dr. Youssef. “It’s very hard to predict where we’ll be in 10 years.”

The field is relatively new, but Dr. Youssef said few technological advances can compare to computer science in its impact on our lives. For that reason, he decided to devote his life to computer science research and to teaching future computer scientists the tricks of the trade.

Dr. Youssef has been on the faculty at GW for 25 years, and has been department chair for the past four. He said he chose a career in academia because it was the field in which he felt he could make the biggest difference.

“Teaching and mentoring people has a multiplying effect,” he said. “And through research, one can create knowledge and make discoveries, and in my field, we also get to apply the new knowledge and discoveries more readily for the benefit of others.”

After beginning his career in his home country at the Lebanese University, Dr. Youssef moved to the United States to gain better access to research resources.

“I can be a lot more effective and productive here, because the U.S. offers the most opportunities and resources, especially in computer science,” he said.

David S. Dolling, dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, said he relies on Dr. Youssef for counsel and insight.

“He is a tireless and extremely effective leader,” said Dr. Dolling. “He is an excellent listener, able to bring people to a consensus around an issue, and once a plan of action is formed he executes it rapidly and successfully. SEAS, and the computer science department in particular, is lucky to have such an energetic, thoughtful, dedicated and effective leader.”

Under Dr. Youssef’s leadership, the undergraduate computer science program has received grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the U.S. Air Force, among others.

“Computer science at GW is an increasingly big player in the field,” he said. “We educate a large segment of the high-tech work force in the Washington area, which is a major technology hub in the nation. Our students go to some of the best graduate programs in the country, get industry jobs in the top computer and Internet companies, such as Microsoft and Google, and get academic jobs in well-ranked universities.”

James Hahn, professor of engineering and applied science, said Dr. Youssef has been a role model and leader for everyone in the computer science department.

“His absolute integrity and respect for the students and faculty have made him well respected in the department,” said Dr. Hahn. “He really cares for each and every person, and he is able to bring out the best in everyone.”

And the department continues to grow under his leadership, adding eight new full-time professors in the last few years.

“Our faculty do very applicable cutting-edge research and make great contributions in cybersecurity, privacy, electronic voting, biomedical applications including computer-assisted surgery, networks, robotics and artificial intelligence and cloud computing,” said Dr. Youssef. “The university has always shown enthusiastic support of our research and educational initiatives.”

Outside of work, Dr. Youssef is an avid reader and has traveled to four continents. He and his wife regularly volunteer with ALIVE, Alexandrians Involved Ecumenically, and also donate their time to help out at local schools.

Dr. Youssef’s honors include six Teacher of the Year awards from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, as well as a Gold Medal from the United States Secretary of Commerce.

“It is very gratifying when one’s passions and talents are in areas of great relevance to society,” he said. “I consider myself very fortunate.”

Dr. Youssef said the future of computer science is difficult to predict but could include developments that defy belief, such as computers that can interact intelligently with humans, self-driving cars, tele-surgery, computer-controlled in-body drug delivery and robots that can do practically anything.

“Having a computer science department at GW allows us to be major contributors to one of the greatest revolutions in the history of mankind,” Dr. Youssef said. “And we’ve only just begun to tap the potential of computers to help us advance.”

But the field of computer science still has challenges to overcome, he said, including a gender gap.

“Only 11 percent of computer science students nationwide are women,” he said. “That’s very, very low. We need to focus our attention on attracting more women and minorities to the field.”

Computer scientists must find ways to spark students’ interest in the field from a young age, he said. “It’s happening in other countries,” Dr. Youssef said. “By introducing computer science earlier, students are more likely to major in computing fields. And this should be a national priority, because if we don’t do it, the United States will fall behind and become less competitive in this critical area.”

As the field continues to grow, Dr. Youssef sees it becoming one of the most important of our time.

“While there have been many advances that have affected our lives deeply, few technologies have had the same breadth and depth of impact as computer science,” he said. “And what we have seen is just the beginning. If computer science has done so much in just 50 years, we can only imagine what it will do in the coming decades.”

Third biennial Arts in Foggy Bottom sculpture show features new works created specifically for the neighborhood.

May 3, 2012

Laura Roulet, curator of “Sculpting Outside the Lines,” the third biennial Arts in Foggy Bottom outdoor sculpture exhibit, knows D.C. and Foggy Bottom well. That’s why she wanted to make sure that the exhibit didn’t include any of what she described as “plop art.”

“‘Plop art’ are pieces you just plop down outdoors, without any relation to the actual space,” she explained. “They’re pieces that could work anywhere, in any city. For this exhibit, I wanted a different approach, so I included many artists who created site-specific works.”

Arts in Foggy Bottom, which opened on April 21 and will run through Oct. 20, was first held in 2008. A project of the Foggy Bottom Association, the show aims to introduce sculpture into the community in an accessible way. All 13 pieces in the exhibit are located within the Foggy Bottom Historic District, in the yards of homes and businesses between 24th and 26th streets and H and K streets, NW.

The majority of the 13 works on display were created specifically for “Sculpting Outside the Lines” and incorporate such materials as metals, cast concrete and found objects as well as images cast in light upon buildings and a piece made of live, growing plants.

A large piece called “#286,” created by Joseph and John Dumbacher, who are frequent exhibitors in the District, features stark black metal lines. “It has the feeling of a gateway or a portal,” Ms. Roulet said, explaining that she placed it as the first piece on the exhibit walking tour for that reason.

“Sitting in that yard, to me it echoes the cityscape and the lines of uneven rooftops. That’s an example of how putting art in a new context makes you look at it more closely and engage with it in a new way,” she said.

“Cone Tower #3,” by University of Maryland M.F.A. student Pat McGowan, uses traffic cones discarded by Baltimore Gas and Electric. In his artist’s statement, Mr. McGowan explained that the piece repurposes the cones to create something completely opposite of the objects’ originally intended purpose.

“My studio process consists of fabricating highly crafted objects that investigate issues of permanence, physical boundaries and authority within our contemporary urban society,” he said.

Ms. Roulet said she also wanted to include some figurative sculpture—art representing human or animal figures—that was distinct from the equestrian figures and likeness of famous leaders seen in many locations around D.C. That’s why she selected “Cast Angels,” a series of flat snow-angel-like pieces created by Dan Steinhilber. Mr. Steinhilber created the angels in New York City, where he invited people to make imprints that became the basis for the casts, she said. The artist often works with everyday materials like concrete—“things you could find at Home Depot,” Ms. Roulet said.

Another figurative installation is Yukiko Nakashima’s “Play Residue,” which is meant to draw associations with childhood memories and features figures entwined around fences and natural features within a resident’s yard. The piece is Ms. Nakashima’s first to be exhibited in D.C. and was created specifically for the show.

“Growing Culture,” created by Lina Vargas de la Hoz, is an unconventional piece that is actually a live garden. Housed in a suitcase-shaped container, the piece will be moved several times throughout the show’s tenure to different residents’ yards. Inside the container, various plants of different types, colors and sizes grow together.

“The container is a symbol of human mobility,” Ms. Vargas explained in her artist’s statement. “The plants are native and foreign, edible and ornamental, and stimulate cultural exchange and encourage awareness for natural food and mobility issues.”

The Foggy Bottom residents housing the piece will be responsible for the daily care and maintenance of the plants, while Ms. Vargas will help facilitate neighborhood collaboration around the piece, including sharing recipes that incorporate the edible parts of the garden.

A new media exhibit by Peter Lee and Blake Turner, titled “Craigslist Unrequited,” will be projected on a wall at 2415 Eye Street every Friday and Saturday evening from dusk until 10 p.m. The exhibit uses words and phrases drawn from the subject lines of the D.C. Craigslist “Missed Connections” section, projected in real time. An accompanying soundtrack of classic love songs will be played from a speaker mounted above the installation.

Ms. Roulet said “Sculpting Outside the Lines” is meant to be accessible to everyone, especially those without any art background. She suggested that first-time visitors in particular use the exhibit’s cell phone tour, which features a series of one-minute descriptions of each piece in the artists’ own words. In addition, artist-guided tours of the exhibit will be held the third Saturday of each month at 11 a.m., starting at New Hampshire and Eye streets, NW.

For more information and tour maps, visit www.foggybottomassociation.com

Maria Voles Ferguson, an expert on education policy, research and practice, will serve as executive director.

May 3, 2012

The Graduate School of Education and Human Development is the new home of the Center on Education Policy, an internationally renowned source of information to guide educational improvement. The center will reinforce the school’s commitment to linking research and teaching to educational policy and practice.

Maria Voles Ferguson, formerly of the nonprofit Alliance for Excellent Education, will lead the center as its executive director beginning June 4.

Founded in 1995 by Jack Jennings, CEP has become a major resource for data and analyses pertinent to decision making at all levels of education. To achieve its mission, CEP produces publications, convenes meetings, gives presentations and provides expert advice. And now more than ever, its work is crucial.

“The Center on Education Policy and GSEHD are coming together at a watershed moment in public education,” said Ms. Ferguson, adding GSEHD’s resources will significantly enhance CEP’s mission. “I look forward to working together so we can all engage more deeply in the important conversations that are driving education research and policy.”

Ms. Ferguson formerly served as vice president for policy at the Alliance for Excellent Education, a nonprofit policy and advocacy organization in D.C., and as director of the National School Boards Foundation, where she worked to support school board leadership in local communities. As a political appointee of former President Bill Clinton, Ms. Ferguson was also the director of communication and outreach services for the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education.

“Maria has a deep and wide understanding of education policy and the vital role that CEP plays in the national conversation,” said GSEHD Dean Michael J. Feuer. “Her experience will be key to moving CEP along its path of providing credible and objective information for education policymakers and the general public.”

Institute to enhance the lives of women and girls through teaching, research and service.

May 3, 2012

Mary Ellsberg has been named director of the George Washington University’s Global Women’s Institute. In this role, Dr. Ellsberg will lead the institute in its mission of enhancing the lives of women and girls by assessing and responding to challenges that this population faces. She brings more than 30 years of experience in international gender and development research and program work. Dr. Ellsberg will join the university on Aug. 1, and the center will launch in the fall.

“Mary has demonstrated how research can be employed to advance women’s rights and well-being, and I am confident that she will ensure that the work of our students and scholars has an impact in ensuring equality,” said GW Provost Steven Lerman.

The goal of the institute is to enhance the roles of women and girls worldwide through research, teaching and engaged service in the areas of health, education, rights and security. The idea for the institute originated in 2009, when GW President Steven Knapp proposed that the university investigate the possibility of launching an institute that would coordinate all university activities focused on women’s issues. A university-wide task force spent several months investigating the idea, and in 2011, a search committee was formed to conduct an international search for the institute’s first director.

Dr. Ellsberg will head the institute’s efforts in facilitating research collaborations and curriculum development and in developing financial support through grants and donations. Through cross-collaboration within the university and through external partnerships, she will work to increase the visibility of the institute.

“I am delighted to be joining George Washington University,” said Dr. Ellsberg. “GW has such an impressive track record of research, education and policy engagement, as well as distinguished and deeply committed faculty to global women’s issues. I am honored to have the opportunity to contribute to shaping the agenda of the new Global Women's Institute.”

Dr. Ellsberg currently serves as vice president for research and programs at the International Center for Research on Women. Previously, she held the position of senior advisor for gender, violence and human rights at the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health. Prior to that, Dr. Ellsberg lived in Nicaragua for nearly 20 years and worked on public health and women’s rights advocacy.

Students combine tasty mock cocktails with alcohol education at annual event.

April 30, 2012

After several hours of intense mixing, tasting and judging, the Dream-A-Colada reigned supreme.

The chilly concoction—a mixture of pineapple juice, mango, honey, ice and sugar, blended into a frothy smoothie-type drink and topped with whipped cream and nutmeg—was the judges’ favorite alcohol-free cocktail at GW’s fourth annual Mix-Off competition. The Dream-A-Colada was created by students from Fight the Disease: GW Against Alzheimer’s.

More than 200 student attendees and 80 representatives from16 campus organizations participated in the Mix-Off, a mocktail competition to raise awareness about alcohol abuse and promote alcohol-free socializing. Winners received cash prizes for their organizations.

Second prize went to the Undergraduate Public Health Student Union, which created
a cocktail called Don’t Break My Heart and provided attendees with educational information about the long-term effects of alcohol on heart health. Third prize went to EMeRG’s Painkiller cocktail, which participants sampled after trying their hands at a game of “alcohol awareness pong.”

Kristen Moore, a senior majoring in psychology and pre-med and a member of GWise, a peer alcohol-education group, coordinated the 2012 Mix-Off. She said that while the event has an important educational component—all participants provided alcohol education materials along with their cocktails—she was enjoying the fun of the tropical-themed Mix-Off.

“A lot of this is just the fun of doing something different without alcohol,” she said. “We want people to enjoy themselves.”

Students from Campaign GW, who called their explosively fizzy Crystal Light, tonic and cranberry concoction Controlled Blasting, emphasized the need for students to be aware of their surroundings at all times—but especially if they chose to drink alcohol.

The Pink Stiletto Fauxito, a mocktail created by GW Women in Business, was served topped with a single blackberry and mixed with fresh mint leaves. Senior marketing major Amanda Mizrahi, president of the group, said her group wanted to raise awareness about networking opportunities that don’t include alcohol.

“So many events in the business world focus on networking receptions with alcohol,” she said. She explained that statistics show female business executives drink more alcohol than their male counterparts, and experts have hypothesized that this may be related to the stress of competing with men in high-ranking positions. “High-achieving women need to avoid false stress reducers such as alcohol,” she said.

Logan Davis, a junior and co-founder of Fight the Disease: GW Against Alzheimer’s, said her organization was new on campus this semester and she really appreciated the funds the winning mocktail provided for the group.

“We aim to make a place for people affected by Alzheimer’s,” she said, explaining that both her grandmother and mother had signs of the disease, and that she shared her story so that other students in the same position might feel open talking about it. “We raise both awareness and funds for the Alzheimer’s Association.”

Alexis Janda, associate director of GW’s Center for Alcohol and other Drug Education (CADE), said she was happy with the turnout and though the Mix-Off was a great success.

”It’s a fun way to connect with students regarding alcohol education,” she said. “It provides a perfect opportunity for substance-free fun that ‘mixes’ in some education too.”

The GW Against Alzheimer's Disease Dream-a-Colada

Blend:
2 parts mango juice
1 part crushed pineapple
2 cups of ice
1/2 cup of sugar
1 large squirt of honey

Top with a dollop of whipped creme and a shake of nutmeg

Dr. Malone-France has served as the program’s interim director since fall 2010.

April 30, 2012

Derek Malone-France, George Washington associate professor of writing and religion, has been named the executive director of the University Writing Program, a GW initiative that ensures undergraduate students build effective communications skills.

“I’m honored and tremendously excited to have the opportunity to continue to lead GW’s University Writing Program as we pursue our goal of becoming one of the preeminent writing programs in the nation,” said Dr. Malone-France, who has served since fall 2010 as the program’s interim executive director.

Peg Barratt, dean of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, shared Dr. Malone-France’s vision.

“This is a signature program of the university, and I join Derek in his vision to build upon its strengths,” said Dr. Barratt. “As we become a global, internationally diverse university, effective writing and communications skills are essential components across populations, cultures and disciplines.”

Dr. Malone-France said he is particularly interested in expanding the program’s support for specific populations of students that face special challenges either due to their writing ability or their transition into the university.

An accomplished writer and editor, Dr. Malone-France is author of the 2007 “Deep Empiricism: Kant, Whitehead and the Necessity of Philosophical Theism,” along with the forthcoming “Faith, Fallibility and the Virtue of Anxiety: An Essay in Religion and Political Liberalism.” He has also published numerous journal articles and served as editor of a two-volume anthology on political dissent.

From 2001 to 2005, Dr. Malone-France taught in the philosophy and political science departments at Duke University, and served as associate director of its Center for Teaching, Learning and Writing.

He received his doctorate in philosophy of religion and theology in 2001 from the Claremont Graduate University, and has been awarded GW’s Morton A. Bender Prize for exceptional undergraduate teaching and a Trinity College Distinguished Teaching Award.

An independent unit housed within the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, the University Writing Program is made up of three divisions: First-Year Writing, responsible for the required first-year student course; Writing in the Disciplines, which includes upper-level courses in various undergraduate majors and minors; and the Writing Center, which tutors roughly 6,000 students each year. Approximately 400 faculty members are involved in administering the program.

New SEAS marketing campaign uses superheroes to highlight ground-breaking research.

April 30, 2012

By Laura Donnelly-Smith

It’s safe to say that GW Assistant Professor Pinhas Ben-Tzvi, director of GW’s Robotics and Mechatronics Laboratory, is pretty comfortable in his roles as a researcher and teacher. After all, he’s been doing both for years. But a superhero? That was a new role for Dr. Ben-Tzvi.

In a new online comic, he stars as Robotronman, a superhero who saves the day after an earthquake by swooping in with a swarm of small autonomous robots that can locate disaster victims underneath rubble. When a robot finds someone, it sends out a signal to the other robots and to rescue workers. Then, the small robots self-assemble into a larger robot capable of lifting heavy debris off the trapped victim.

In the comic, Robotronman wears a purple-and-black superhero suit with purple laboratory goggles. And he can fly, of course. Sure, it might seem a bit campy or silly at first. The engineering depicted in the comic, however, is 100 percent legitimate. The storyline is based on the actual research Dr. Ben-Tzvi and his students are doing in GW’s Robotics and Mechatronics Laboratory.

“I was one of the first to bring this robotics research to SEAS, and I have a strong team of students and postdocs who are working day and night to produce very high-quality research,” he said. “I’m proud to represent the school and show we’re doing great things.”

Robotronman’s adventure is the first installment in a new campaign called IMPACT, designed by GW’s School of Engineering and Applied Science to draw attention to the school’s research in an unconventional and creative way, said SEAS Dean David Dolling (who makes an appearance in the first comic).

“We recognize that most people receive a huge volume of email, magazines and other material that vies for their attention, and we wanted to develop something that would stand out from the crowd and cause people to stop and take a look,” he said. “I think IMPACT does that. It’s something different and fun, but it still accomplishes our purpose, which is to show people that SEAS faculty members are doing important research.”

Joanne Welsh, SEAS director of communication, originally conceived the idea of a SEAS “IMPACT team” of superheroes in 2009, when planning a brochure to celebrate SEAS’ 125th anniversary and draw the interest of both future students and potential donors and funders. The brochure she developed with graphic designer Brian Cox featured characters such as ThermalMan, a mechanical engineer; BioWoman, a biomedical engineer; and BinaryBoy, a computer scientist. After the 125th anniversary celebration was over, the superhero concept was put aside. But, Ms. Welsh said, she always hoped that it might be brought back to life.

This spring, working with a team that included SEAS web developer Adam Casper and social media developer Sam Smith, who is also a senior majoring in political communications, Ms. Welsh took the superhero idea several steps further. It seemed natural to put the superheroes online, where their engineering adventures could be more widely shared. And why use generic superheroes when there were so many real-life models on the SEAS faculty? Dr. Ben-Tzvi was an easy first choice.

“His research lends itself to a good dramatic storyline, and it was fairly easy to translate it for a general audience, so they could see the results of what he does,” Ms. Welsh said. “And I had a sense that he’d be a good sport about this, and would be willing to give it a try. Because we recognized this was unorthodox and out of the ordinary.”

Mr. Smith sat down with Dr. Ben-Tzvi to talk about his research and develop a preliminary script for the first comic. “He is someone who’s fantastic at expressing the intricacies of what he does in a way that makes sense,” Mr. Smith said. “In the four minutes it takes you to read the comic, you understand the basics of Dr. Ben-Tzvi’s research.”

Their most important concern in planning the comic was ensuring that the substance behind the storyline was sound, even when simplified. Mr. Smith came up with the basic story for Robotronman, then worked with Dr. Ben-Tzvi to ensure that the depiction of the robots and their function was scientifically accurate.

Mr. Cox decided to call in a professional illustrator, Cedric Hohnstadt, who had extensive experience with character drawings, to create the actual images. When the team saw Mr. Hohnstadt’s preliminary comic panels, they were thrilled.

“There was definitely a wow factor,” Mr. Casper said. “We were instantly impressed with the quality….It came together just as I’d pictured it in my mind, and while I’d been excited the entire time, I thought, ‘This is going to be really amazing.’”

Dr. Ben-Tzvi liked the images, too.

“I didn’t imagine they were actually going to make it look like me!” he said. “I was quite impressed by the artist. He depicted all my features in such a nice way.”

The “IMPACT Team” comic has two main target audiences, Ms. Welsh explained. The first is high school students—both those who are already interested in engineering and plan to apply to engineering schools, and those who like science and math but aren’t entirely sure where to go with their interest.

“We’re showing that this is important work that engineers do—it has real impact on people’s daily lives. Showing how the robotics research that Dr. Ben-Tzvi does can actually save lives is pretty inspiring,” she said.

The second target audience is people who are interested in SEAS research itself—administrators at other research institutions, faculty members’ peers at other universities, funding agencies and federal labs. “We want to also get the word out to that audience about the serious research we’re doing. The comic is just an entry point,” Ms. Welsh said.

It’s important that the whimsical nature of the comic strip is backed up by more traditional outreach tools, Dr. Ben-Tzvi said.

“IMPACT is a non-traditional tool, but I’m also using traditional tools like presenting at conferences, editing journals, winning grants from DARPA and publishing. We’re working really hard, and I think the unorthodox tools are another way of piquing people’s attention to look deeper and see the more traditional criteria of good research.”

In the several weeks since the Robotronman installment launched, the feedback has been very good, Mr. Smith said. “Since SEAS has entered the conversation on the web at a higher level, more people are talking about GW. Other universities and professional societies have mentioned GW online. That’s a big change from a few years ago.”

Retweets about the comic have come from Stanford, MIT and the National Society of Professional Engineers, as well as from SEAS students and faculty members.

A new comic installment is planned for the early summer, and future installments will be rolled out throughout the 2012-13 academic year, starting in the fall, Ms. Welsh said.

And who might be the next featured superhero? The team isn’t giving anything away right now.

“There are five SEAS faculty members who make cameos in the first comic,” Mr. Smith said. “They may or may not become superheroes. We’ve got to keep some secrets here.”

Experts from inside and outside of university will advise research planning.

April 30, 2012

As GW continues to focus on raising its research profile and attracting first-rate faculty and students, a new Research Advisory Board, an initiative of the Office of the Vice President for Research, will provide advice and feedback.

The board’s first meeting will be May 15, when board members will meet with Vice President for Research Leo Chalupa and a number of university deans, who will provide overviews of their schools’ research outlook. The board’s 13 members come from both within and outside the university, and were invited by Dr. Chalupa because of the broad experience and varied backgrounds they bring.

“I’m delighted that such a broad range of experts agreed to serve on GW’s Research Advisory Board,” Dr. Chalupa said. “I look forward to hearing their insights and suggestions for moving GW forward in our quest to become a top-tier research institute. I am also pleased to have a number of our deans participate in the inaugural meeting to discuss their school’s current and prospective research programs.”

Board members include Philip Bourne, a professor of pharmacology at the University of California, San Diego and associate director of the RCSB Protein Data Bank; Alan Leshner, CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and executive publisher of the journal “Science” and Ferid Murad, GW university professor and Nobel laureate for medicine. Local and national organizations including the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Northern Virginia Technology Council and the GW Alumni Association are also represented.

Gina Lohr, special assistant to the vice president for research, said the board will aim to meet twice each year to review GW’s research agenda and provide feedback and direction. The board members’ role as a “brain trust” will allow the university to make wise decisions regarding research, she said.

Dr. Bourne, of UC-San Diego, said outside advisers provide insights that can sometimes go unnoticed by those within an institution.

“Advisers bring an external perspective based on their own institutions,” he said. “It creates a more vibrant research climate at GW.” In addition to his work in pharmacology, Dr. Bourne has extensive experience in developing university-industry partnerships that are mutually beneficial, a skill he said he’s happy to share with GW.

“Industry relationships are about creating partnership with industry in a way that’s most beneficial,” he explained. “That can include licensing, IT, contracts and service agreements. It’s also about entrepreneurship and placing students in entrepreneurial roles in the community.”

Dr. Leshner of AAAS, a neuroscientist, worked for many years at NIH before becoming head of the world’s largest general scientific society. He said that because he’s exposed to a wide array of science in his current position, he hopes he can be useful as an adviser.

“It’s a very good idea to have an outside advisory board,” Dr. Leshner said. “It enables you to think more broadly about what’s going on outside the confines of your local environment, and to make sure what you’re trying to do reflects best practices in other places and takes into account the broader research context.”

For questions or more information about the Research Advisory Board, please e-mail askovpr@gwu.edu

 Celebration of Duke Ellington includes discussion, concert.

April 26, 2012

With a combination of live music, audio clips of historic interviews and discussion among Duke Ellington experts, the GW community commemorated Foggy Bottom’s most famous and influential native on Monday. “Foggy Bottom’s Duke: A Tribute to Duke Ellington,” held in Jack Morton Auditorium, focused on Mr. Ellington’s local roots and the early experiences that shaped his influence as a composer, musician and “world citizen.”

George Washington President Steven Knapp welcomed GW students, faculty and community members to the event, noting that Mr. Ellington played an important role as a cultural diplomat, taking jazz around the world and representing the United States and Washington, D.C.

“This is a great opportunity to celebrate what it means for this university to be in and of the District of Columbia and in and of this neighborhood,” Dr. Knapp said. “And [we’re] proud and honored to have a connection with such a great figure of American history.”

John Hasse, curator of American music at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, spoke about Mr. Ellington’s roots in D.C. and his early musical education, including piano lessons with a teacher named Marietta Clinkscales.

At age 14, he started sneaking into Frank Holliday’s Poolroom, an establishment where African Americans of all different occupations and classes mixed—including doctors, waiters, porters, students and musicians. It was, Dr. Hasse explained, young Mr. Ellington’s first opportunity to appreciate how a diverse group of people can come together. While D.C. was, in Mr. Ellington’s youth in the early 1900s, the “undisputed center of American Negro civilization,” it was still a segregated city. Mr. Ellington’s parents, who were comfortably middle-class citizens, taught him to be proud of his race and his background and to achieve as much as he could.

As a teenager, Mr. Ellington took a job as a “soda jerk” in the Poodle Dog Café, located on Georgia Avenue. At the time, the Poodle Dog had a not-often-sober piano player, Dr. Hasse said, and sometimes the café owner would get frustrated with him and throw him out, allowing Mr. Ellington to take over on the piano. He composed his first tune, the “Soda Fountain Rag,” during that time. He also started studying music with Henry Grant, who taught music at Dunbar High School, had a solo piano career, worked with church choirs and edited the Negro Musician magazine.

“For someone so well trained in European classical music, Grant was unusual,” Dr. Hasse said. “He didn’t condescend to or scorn popular music.” His influence on Mr. Ellington’s future was profound, and he helped the young musician jump-start his career.

After Dr. Hasse’s presentation on Duke Ellington’s early life, he was joined by GW professors Alison Crockett and Jon Ozment, both members of the music faculty.

Mr. Ozment said he believed Mr. Ellington was actually quite underrated as a pianist, because of the overwhelming focus on his accomplishments as a composer and bandleader.

“I’ve been rediscovering his piano playing, and I really love what he does,” he said. “I think he was perhaps underrated because his other achievements were so great. His piano playing was kind of taken for granted for years.”

Ms. Crockett talked about introducing students to Mr. Ellington’s music and how it can be a challenge for them.

“Some of his music I use quite a bit teaching specific tools about pitch. But with the lyrics, there’s so much storytelling going on in his music… I end up teaching a lot about lyricism and the melodic with his music. It takes a while, like any other set of information, for you to hear it enough…about two years in, [the students] say, ‘Ahhhhhhh, I see what it is he’s doing.’”

The event closed with a live concert of five selections of Mr. Ellington’s music, including his famous “Take the A Train” and “Satin Doll.” Mr. Ozment (piano) and Ms. Crockett (vocals) were joined by GW faculty musicians Herman Burney on bass, Alejandro Lucini on drums and Peter Fraize, director of jazz studies in the Department of Music, on saxophone.

Dick Golden, GW’s special assistant for broadcast operations and university events, who served as master of ceremonies for the celebration, said Mr. Ellington’s influence extended far beyond his music itself.

“He was one of America’s greatest ambassadors, touring the world for almost half a century with his unique orchestra and exposing millions to music uniquely American, created in a country that offered its citizens freedom of expression,” he said.

School of Nursing creates innovative partnership with Dabney S. Lancaster Community College to increase the number of primary care providers in rural areas.

April 26, 2012

Nurses living in the Shenandoah Valley will now have an opportunity to earn advanced degrees from the George Washington School of Nursing through a new partnership with Dabney S. Lancaster Community College (DSLCC).

Jean Johnson, SON dean, signed a memorandum of understanding with Richard Teaff, president of Dabney S. Lancaster Community College in Clifton Forge, Va., Monday that will allow DSLCC students or alumni to earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree from GW while still serving the communities they live in. The program is also open to any registered nurse with an associate’s degree.

“We all know there is a shortage of nurses in Virginia locally and nationally,” said Dr. Teaff. “Having the opportunity for registered nurses to get their baccalaureate and master’s degree by staying in their home area is a plus for the students and for all of us that live in the area. It’s a real win for the commonwealth of Virginia.”

To address the challenges with access to primary care regionally and nationally, Dr. Johnson and Ellen Dawson, SON senior associate dean for academic affairs, approached DSLCC, which offers an associate’s degree nursing program, last spring about working together to offer an innovative educational program. GW’s new associate’s degree to master’s degree online program offers two concentrations to prepare students to be either a family nurse practitioner or nurse midwife.

"This innovative public-private partnership directly addresses Governor Bob McDonnell’s call for more Virginians earning degrees, particularly in high demand fields like health care,” said Virginia Secretary of Education Laura Fornash. “Ensuring underserved communities receive the medical care they need is important to the health of our communities as well as the commonwealth of Virginia. This partnership represents a firm commitment from two schools of excellence and will serve as a model for the rest of the commonwealth as well as the nation.”

The program will also provide more obstetric care to the area, which currently has no practicing obstetricians. Women have to drive almost an hour on mountain roads to Roanoke, Va., to receive obstetric care or deliver in the local emergency room. Shenandoah University will provide the certified-midwifery coursework for the program.

“Educating just four new nurses a year will create approximately 20,000 new primary care visits a year,” said Dr. Dawson, who hopes to get 10 students for the first cohort.

Students enrolled in the GW AD-MSN three-year part-time program will complete their coursework online, and DSLCC will open their computer lab to students in need of Internet access. Students will complete clinical rotations at a practice site near their home communities, and GW faculty will conduct site visits. All the while, students are expected to keep working as registered nurses in their home communities. If necessary, students may exit the program midway with a bachelor of science in nursing (B.S.N.) degree and have the option of returning for their master’s at a later date.

“We feel very fortunate to be in this partnership and look forward to continuing to explore additional ways that we can work together,” said Dr. Johnson.

Michelle Browning, a 48-year-old registered nurse who received her associate’s degree in nursing from DSLCC in 1994, has wanted to further her education so she can make more of a difference in her community.

“This area is in so much need of this program,” said Ms. Browning. “As an associate degree nurse, you can only go so far.”

GW’s online graduate programs are ranked in the top third of several categories in US News & World Report’s online education programs for 2012, and the school’s faculty credentials and training ranks number one nationally.

Mark Hepler, a current DSLCC nursing student, husband and father of three children, said the new program will make it possible for him to further his career and earn an advanced degree.

“There’s not a lot of opportunity for graduate programs around here so I think it’s going to open up doors for a lot of people in our community,” said Mr. Hepler.

Blast planned for once each weekday for four to six months.

April 26, 2012

As part of the excavation required for construction of the Science and Engineering Hall, once-daily controlled blasting activities are planned for weekdays beginning today, and will continue for four to six months. The extent of the blasting will depend on the amount of rock at the site—located between 22nd, 23rd, H and Eye streets—as well as other site conditions.

This type of work is common in D.C. for construction of new buildings in areas where rock formations lie near the surface, said Alicia Knight, senior associate vice president for operations. Controlled blasting also occurred at 2200 Pennsylvania Avenue, now home to The Avenue apartment and retail complex, and at the Institute for Peace building at 23rd Street and Constitution Avenue, NW.

“Controlled blasting activities were always anticipated as part of this project. We have put into place protocols to monitor noise and vibrations to ensure compliance with regulatory limits and also to ensure the integrity of adjacent structures,” Ms. Knight said.

The blasts are expected to occur at approximately 10:30 a.m. each weekday. Air horns will sound at 15, five and one-minute increments prior to each blast and following the blast to indicate “all clear.” Weighted mats will be used on the blasting site to control dust and vibrations.

Blasting activity may not happen on every weekday, depending on excavation progress. On the university’s Reading Days and exam days, construction activities at the site won’t begin until 9 a.m., and no construction will take place on May 5, 12 or 19.

The noise level from the blasts is expected to be comparable to a large truck passing by. Those very near the construction site may also feel a vibration comparable to a door slam or a large truck driving down the street. In addition, weather conditions, such as high humidity or the presence of cloud cover, can cause the air movement from a blast to seem more severe than under other weather conditions.

Residential housing and nearby office buildings will not be directly affected by the blasting. However, those near the area may hear the air horns and the controlled blasts. Individuals near the construction site when an air horn sounds should follow instructions from site personnel and obey any additional signage that may be posted.

Sidewalks adjacent to the site may be closed temporarily during the blasting events, beginning at the five-minute air horn. Adjacent streets also may be temporarily closed at the direction of D.C. Metropolitan Police, beginning at the one-minute air horn.
For detailed updates on Science and Engineering Hall construction, visit the GW Neighborhood website’s Square 55 page. To see a video of controlled blasting during construction of The Avenue in 2008, visit GW’s campus development website at www.neighborhood.gwu.edu/cd.