When the undergraduate Class of 2025 arrived at the George Washington University in fall 2021, they entered a higher education landscape irretrievably altered by the COVID-19 pandemic. But they took on unprecedented challenges and weathered global upheavals—including the rise of generative AI, a contentious presidential election in the United States and ongoing devastation in the Middle East—to reach Commencement this Sunday. Here, we remember the biggest news stories and GW Today’s most-read pieces during the last four academic years.
2021-2022
- GW celebrated a return to campus in August 2021 as students got to know their new neighborhood. The school briefly returned to virtual learning to keep the community safe, but returned to campus after Winter Break.
- GW joined the U-Pass Metro program, entitling full-time students to unlimited rides on Metrorail and Metrobus for a discounted, flat fee.
- In research news, scholars from GW Law found that electronic ankle monitors cause some of the same harms associated with traditional incarceration.
- GW was one of just four sites nationwide to administer the first mRNA HIV vaccines to human study participants in January 2022.
- February marked the 50-year anniversary of President Richard Nixon’s historic visit to China.
- The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson, which overturned landmark reproductive rights case Roe v. Wade, was leaked in May and finalized a month later. A GW study published in 2025 found an uptick in young people seeking permanent contraception in the wake of the decision.
- Elana Meyers Taylor, B.S. ’06, M.T.A. ’11, HON ’18, shared her journey to becoming the Winter Olympics’ most decorated Black athlete at 2022’s Commencement on the National Mall.
2022-2023
- A renovated Thurston Hall welcomed new residents in August.
- GW Dining opened its revamped dining hall at District House in September.
- Game-changing large language model chatbot ChatGPT-3 launched in December, prompting (no pun intended) universities nationwide to study and respond to the use of generative AI.
- In January 2023, GW selected Ellen M. Granberg as its 19th president. She was formally invested in November.
- Eric Cline, professor of classical and ancient Near Eastern studies and of anthropology, responded to misinformation in a then-popular Netflix series by discussing the real “ancient apocalypse.”
- Some tax deductions and credits created during the pandemic ended, causing confusion. Fortunately, GW experts were on hand to advise.
- Commencement speaker Bryan Stevenson, a renowned advocate for justice, urged students to “do the uncomfortable things.”
- Chef, activist, author and longtime GW partner José Andrés, HON ’14, announced the launch of the transformative Global Food Institute at GW in May.
- GW’s leadership in research, education and innovation was recognized in June by inclusion in the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU).
2023-2024
- In August, GW debuted its new visual identity as the GW Revolutionaries.
- That month also marked the 60-year anniversary of the March on Washington. GW alumnus Paul Kendrick, B.A. ’05, M.P.A. ’07, discussed the March and its impact.
- Meta launched its X (then Twitter) competitor, Threads, that summer.
- The Textile Museum announced a record-breaking $25 million anonymous gift in September.
- Actor, producer, author, activist, former trustee and GW alumna Kerry Washington, B.A. ’98, HON ’13, returned to her alma mater to discuss her book, lead a private master class for students and announce a $1 million endowed scholarship in honor of her parents.
- Violence broke out in Israel and Gaza on Oct. 7, igniting a devastating conflict that still shapes the campus, the country and the world. A February 2024 conversation on the First Amendment, focusing on speech around that violence, was one of our most-read stories.
- GW alumnus Daniel Noboa, M.P.S. ’22, won the presidential runoff election in Ecuador.
- A visiting author’s talk on how banks played a role in upholding slavery in the 19th century was one of GW Today’s most-read stories.
- The bold, university-wide Alliance for a Sustainable Future launched in November, uniting all of GW’s climate change and sustainability research, teaching and action under one banner.
- A study published in January found that malicious AI activity was likely to escalate into a daily occurrence in 2024.
- Four GW alumni were named to Forbes’ 2024 30 Under 30 list.
- A team that included GW researchers uncovered T. Rex’s earliest ancestor in North America.
- In February, GW unveiled its new state-of-the-art campus store.
- Commencement speaker Jen Psaki urged graduates to embrace mistakes.
2024-2025
- Over the summer, GW launched its Center for Interfaith and Spiritual Life.
- The U.S. presidential election between former Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump dominated fall headlines at GW and across the nation. Todd Belt, director of the political management program at the Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM), offered analysis after Trump’s victory.
- Two GW researchers were named among the world’s most highly cited for 2024.
- In January 2025, GFI founder José Andrés received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
- So romantic: Plenty of readers turned to GW Today for Valentine’s Day date guidance.
- 2024 WNBA finals MVP Jonquel Jones, B.A. ’19, was announced in March as this year’s speaker for Commencement on the National Mall—now just six days away!
