Alumna’s Global Mission

  • Alumna’s Global Mission: Better Schools for Girls

    From her efforts in Ghana to reforming American schools, Sally A. Nuamah, BA ’11, is a fierce advocate for helping girls obtain equal education.

When Sally A. Nuamah, BA ’11, first traveled to Ghana to study abroad during her sophomore year at Columbian College, the political science major expected to find herself in a completely different world. The child of Ghanaian immigrants, Nuamah grew up in inner-city Chicago, where her single mother stood out for her accent and her West African cooking. Nuamah, however, identified more with her working class African American neighborhood than her mother’s native country. Continue reading “Alumna’s Global Mission”

Paul Wahlbeck to Serve as Permanent CCAS Dean
The former chair of the Political Science Department and CCAS vice dean …
Untangling the Trauma-Speech Connection
How does trauma link to speech and language disorders? Sarah Hine and …

A Century of Suffrage

  • A Century of Suffrage

    As the 19th Amendment celebrates its 100th anniversary, Corrine McConnaughy examines the legacy of the women’s voting rights revolution that continues to resonate a century later.

To mark the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which barred sex-based discrimination in voting rights, we spoke to Associate Professor of Political Science Corrine McConnaughy, an expert on gender in American politics and the author of the book The Woman Suffrage Movement in America: A Reassessment. McConnaughy discussed the history of the suffrage movement, the myths behind the 19th Amendment and how the lessons of the voting rights landmark still impact lives a century later. Continue reading “A Century of Suffrage”

Can a Computer Code Catch Killers

  • Can a Computer Code Catch Serial Killers?

    Statistics alumnus Thomas Hargrove created a unique computer algorithm to bring serial killers to justice—and give peace of mind to families.

Thomas Hargrove, Grad Cert ’07, hunts serial killers. He’s tracked some of the most vicious murderers at large today, analyzing their crimes to predict when and where they might strike next. But the statistics alumnus isn’t a detective. He’s a former journalist and an expert at computer coding. Using an algorithm of his own invention, Hargrove taps a few keys on his laptop and casts a web of data to ensnare criminals. Continue reading “Can a Computer Code Catch Serial Killers?”

Fins and Limbs Tell Evolutionary Tale

  • Two mudskippers on a log

    Fins and Limbs Tell Evolutionary Tale

    How did our earliest ancestors take their first small steps from water to land? Biology’s Sandy Kawano follows “walking fish” on a giant leap for humankind.

About 400 million years ago, our early ancestors took their first hesitant steps out of the primordial seas on to land. But did they really step? Or did they crawl? Or wiggle? Those are some of the questions Assistant Professor of Biology Sandy Kawano asks in her Fins and Limbs lab, a new addition to Science and Engineering Hall that explores the biodiversity of animals through their anatomy and movements. Using high-speed digital cameras, 3D modeling and even robots, Kawano studies how animals move in different environments—their steps, strokes and slithers. Continue Reading “Fins and Limbs”

Cisneros Inspires New Generation of Student Leaders

  • Rep. Gil Cisneros speaks to Cisneros scholars at a celebration

    Cisneros Inspires New Generation of Student Leaders

    U.S. Congressman Gil Cisneros, BA ’94, is helping young people write their own success stories through leadership and academic opportunities for Latino youth. ​​​​​​​​​​

When philanthropist and U.S. Congressman Gil Cisneros, BA ’94, celebrated the GW Cisneros Scholars at a Foggy Bottom event in March, he called on each of the students within the leadership development program to use their education as a springboard for uplifting others in their communities through service and support. “It’s about helping others. . . . When you do, you’re making your community, the country and the world a better place,” said Cisneros, who, with his wife, Jacki, endowed the Cisneros Hispanic Leadership Institute in 2015. Continue reading “Cisneros Inspires New Generation”


Professor of History Dan Schwartz

‘Ghetto’: Scholar Chronicles a Word’s Tortured History

History’s Daniel Schwartz has examined the centuries-old past of the word “ghetto,” from its 16th century origins to its echoes in Nazi Germany. He traces how the term has come to symbolize both pain and pride.

The Post-Pandemic Economy: Is There a Road to Recovery?

COVID-19 has decimated the global economy. Is there a blueprint for restoring fiscal sanity? Economics’ Tara Sinclair discussed where the economy goes from here—and how to prepare for a new normal.


On COVID-19

Luke Frey wearing an n95 mask and a face helmet

Alumni Physicians on the Frontlines

As the coronavirus turned New York hospitals into crisis zones, Doctors Luke Fey, BS ’13, and Alexandra Cummings, BS ’14, confronted a global medical emergency.

Professor Michael Mann sitting in front of his computer

Researchers Chart Social Distancing

Geography’s Michael
Mann is constructing a distancing data map while, in a separate research project, Psychology’s Gabriela
Rosenblau is linking COVID beliefs and behavior.

Lending a Helping Hand

In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, Columbian College alumni are finding ways to impact lives and inspire hope in their hometowns, across the country and around the world.

Stepping Up for Communities

Meet a Columbian College student and a recent graduate who are coming to the aid of hard-hit communities by volunteering at a foodbank and making masks.


A Message from the Dean

Dean Paul Wahlbeck

Greetings to each of you, especially the newest members of our community: our Class of 2020 graduates! As the newly-appointed dean of GW’s Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, I’m proud to bring you this magazine—the first we are delivering digitally rather than in print. I hope you’ll enjoy reading about members of the Columbian College family who are stepping up and making an impact in the classroom, in the lab and in their communities. Continue reading “Dean’s Message”


Research

From understanding autism to battling climate change, read about Columbian College researchers who are making discoveries that impact our daily lives.

News

Learn more about members of the Columbian College community who are celebrating milestones and making a difference through their talent and philanthropy.

Columbian College of Arts & Sciences, The George Washington University