By Jamie Freedman
After 125 years of education, research and scholarship, GW’s School of Engineering and Applied Science has earned a party. The school is marking its 125th anniversary this month with a line-up of special events, capped by a gala and a distinguished lecture series.
“SEAS has undergone many transformations in its lifetime, and this milestone anniversary is a perfect time to reflect on our past and position ourselves for the years ahead,” says Dean David S. Dolling, who took over the reins of the school last year. “We have a strong school and a tremendous launching pad from which to go forward.”
SEAS officially opened on Oct. 1, 1884, as the first school of science and engineering in the District of Columbia. Originally known as the Corcoran Scientific School, the institution was established by Washington banker and philanthropist William Wilson Corcoran, who had long championed the need for a scientific college in the nation’s capital. Created as a night school, SEAS was initially housed in a new, four-story building owned by Columbian University (the precursor to GW) on the southeast corner of 15th and H streets. In its early days, the school focused on a limited range of engineering disciplines, granting degrees in civil, mechanical and mining engineering.
The school grew rapidly following its 1905 transformation into the Washington College of Engineering. In 1928, the college was renamed again, this time as The George Washington University School of Engineering. With the onset of World War II, the engineering school assumed an important role in educating young military officers and became a leader in rocket and ordnance research, ranking as the eighth largest university contractor for the federal Office of Scientific Research and Development. Faculty members developed the recoilless anti-tank rifle (the bazooka), as well as a variety of short-range mortars and elements of small rockets.
In 1956, the school secured a building of its own—Tompkins Hall, on 23rd Street, equipped with modern mechanical, civil and electrical engineering laboratories, and in 1962, it acquired its current name—the School of Engineering and Applied Science. Today, SEAS is home to undergraduate and graduate programs in biomedical engineering, civil and environmental engineering, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, engineering management and systems engineering, and mechanical and aerospace engineering.
As SEAS has expanded and changed over the years, one proud constant has been the school’s sizable percentage of women students. “At the engineering school’s first commencement back in 1888, two of the six members of the graduating class were women,” Dr. Dolling says. “We’re very proud that today, a third of our undergraduate population continue to be women—a very high percentage for engineering schools.” Dr. Dolling says that another great source of pride for SEAS is the success of its graduates. “Many of our alumni are doing remarkable things, which is the ultimate test of an institution’s success,” he says.
The school launched its official anniversary celebration on Oct. 1 with a birthday party for the SEAS community complete with cake, ice cream, a SEAS trivia game and a raffle. On Oct. 29, the school will hold an invitation-only gala at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in downtown Washington, D.C. In addition, throughout the fall, the Frank Howard Distinguished Lecture Series is bringing science and engineering leaders to GW. On Oct. 12, the school welcomed Mihail Roco, chair of the National Science and Technology Council's subcommittee on Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology and senior advisor for nanotechnology at the National Science Foundation.
The series continues with lectures on Nov. 12 by Frieder Seible, a world-leader in bridge design and strategies to mitigate earthquake damage to buildings and bridges, and on Dec. 6 by Barbara Liskov, a pioneer whose work in the design of computer programming languages underpins virtually every modern computing-related convenience in people’s daily lives.
And the school isn’t resting on its laurels. Targeted SEAS growth areas include nanotechnology, biomimetics and bio-inspired engineering, high-performance computing, transportation safety, computer security and information assurance, and crisis, risk and knowledge management. “Engineering will also be a major driving force behind the growth of GW’s Virginia Campus, which is home to the National Crash Analysis Center and expanding programs in renewable and sustainable energy,” Dr. Dolling says.
“We have a wonderful opportunity here to move to the next level,” the dean continues. “I hope that a few years from now, this 125th anniversary will be seen as a period of significant growth and transformation for SEAS, as we develop new and exciting undergraduate and graduate programs, grow our research programs, and increase our national reach and reputation.”