The George Washington University Department of Athletics unveiled the members of the 2025 Hall of Fame class who will be enshrined on Dec. 5 as the university celebrates the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Charles E. Smith Center.
Elected by a group of 11 after a public nomination process, the 2025 Hall of Fame Class includes: Jessica Adair (women's basketball), Yinka Dare (men's basketball), Atakan Destici (men's water polo), Fran Dias (men's tennis), Lauren Whyte (volleyball) and special inductee Robert Chernak (administration).
Here are the members of the 2025 Hall of Fame Class:
Jessica Adair, B.A. "09
In a career that spanned from 2005 to 2009, Adair put together a highly decorated career for GW Athletics' most-storied program. A three-time Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team honoree, she stands among all-time program leaders in points (12th), rebounds (11th), blocks (sixth) and free throws made (fourth). Most importantly, she helped GW win three Atlantic 10 regular season championships and advance to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament in both her sophomore and junior seasons. One of only eight women in program history who rank in the top 15 in both points and rebounds, she later became GW's first WNBA Champion with the Minnesota Lynx in 2011.
Yinka Dare
The late Dare ranks among the most dominant GW basketball players of all time. The 1993 A-10 Rookie and Newcomer of the Year, team MVP in both of his seasons played in Foggy Bottom and two-time Second Team All-Atlantic 10 player, Dare is the program leader in blocks per game. He also ranks sixth in rebounds per game as a ferocious interior presence at GW, highlighted by the team's run to the 1993 NCAA Sweet Sixteen. Dare left GW early to enter the NBA draft. He is one of two first-round NBA draft picks in the history of the program, selected 14th overall by the New Jersey Nets in 1994, he was the second-highest draft pick in school history behind Joe Holup (fifth overall in 1956).
Atakan Destici, B.A. '20
Destici is among those considered the best men's water polo player ever at GW after a decorated career in the Buff & Blue that saw him earn All-American Honorable Mention honors twice, All-Conference First Team honors four times and All-Tournament Team honors every season at GW. A three-time team MVP, he holds the school record for most assists in a career and ranks second in career points, second in field blocks, fourth in steals and fifth in goals. Destici's team won a pair of conference championships, and he was a leader on both of GW's NCAA Tournament teams, including the 2018 team that advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals.
Francisco Dias, B.B.A "15
A three-time winner of the Atlantic 10 Most Outstanding Performer award in men’s tennis, Dias was named Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team every season at GW. GW's J. Dallas Shirley Outstanding Male Student-Athlete in 2015, he holds school records in career singles wins. He also accumulated 72 wins in doubles. Dias' teams won the A-10 in 2012, 2014 and 2015 while making it to the finals in 2013. In both his final two seasons at GW, he ended the year as the #13 ranked singles player in the ITA Atlantic Region.
Lauren Whyte, B.S. '13
A four-time All-A-10 honoree in volleyball, including a First Team selection, two Second Team selections and an All-Rookie selection, the three-time Academic All-Conference honoree was also a two-time Academic All-District Team performer. A two-year captain and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee rep, Whyte ranks second in GW history in career kills behind only GW's own NCAA all-time leader in kills, Svetlana Vtyurina. She helped GW reach the conference tournament twice in her four-year career, highlighted by a 20-win junior campaign. After GW, Whyte went on to enjoy a decorated professional volleyball career overseas for nearly four years.
Robert A. Chernak, Ed.D. '97
Robert Chernak was as impactful on the history and trajectory of GW Athletics as any administrator in the university's history. He created the Division of Student Affairs and served as senior vice president for student and academic support services through which he guided multiple strategic planning processes for athletics. He oversaw the hiring of basketball coaches Mike Jarvis and Joe McKeown to spearhead GW's ascent nationally, and with Athletics Director Jack Kvancz and President Steven Joel Trachtenberg, Chernak played a key role in men's basketball's 1993 Sweet Sixteen trip, four women's basketball Sweet Sixteens, and a women's basketball's Elite Eight appearance. Upon his arrival at GW, men's basketball was coming off a 1-27 season and women's basketball had a 9-19 record. He also has an endowed scholarship named in his honor, and the scoreboard at Tucker Field is named for his family.
The induction ceremony will take place at 6 p.m. Dec. 5, with a reception to follow at 7 p.m. For further details on the evening and to purchase tickets, visit here.