As Permafrost Melts, Chemistry Crew Races the Clock

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Scientists call Alaska the ground zero of global warming. As the region’s permafrost rapidly melts and toxic gases stream into the air, Chemistry Professor J. Houston Miller and his students are racing the clock, building new technology to help defuse this climate time bomb. Read more.

Econ for Dummies: Student Maps Education Strategy

From supply-and-demand to tariffs-and-trade, basic economic concepts can baffle even the brightest students and the most seasoned-scholars. But with the aid of easy-to-understand concept maps, a Luther Rice fellow may have cracked the comprehension conundrum. Read more.

Sophomore Wins Women-in-Politics Nod

Political Science major Victoria Gonçalves is a campus crusader, student government leader and proud advocate for Latino Americans. Now she’s been named one of MSNBC’s top women in college politics. From bridging gender gaps to championing immigration reform, her passions may lead her to Capitol Hill. Read more.

NASA Star Lights Up Physics Faculty

NASA Senior Scientist and National Academy of Sciences member Chryssa Kouveliotou adds star power and astrophysics expertise as the Physics Department’s newest faculty member. Among the world’s leading experts on gamma-ray bursts, her self-described “detective work” pieces together puzzles on how the universe operates. Read more.

UTeach STEM-Pipeline Reaches GW

The National Math and Science Initiative recently awarded GW $1.45 million to implement a UTeach STEM Teacher Preparation Program. Now underway in 44 universities, the program assists in building a more effective pipeline of skilled secondary math and science teachers to inspire students to pursue STEM-related careers. Read more.

Unlocking Brain Abnormalities

Scientists from the GW Institute for Neuroscience, an interdisciplinary center teaming Columbian College researchers with faculty from the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, are looking deep into the roots of brain dysfunctions—and uncovering the pathology of disorders like autism and schizophrenia. Read more.

SMPA Scholars-Partnership Offers Tuition Aid, Internship

In partnership with Widmeyer Communications and Finn Partners, the School of Media and Public Affairs launched a Scholars Program for graduate students pursuing careers in public affairs. The program includes tuition support and a paid internship with the Finn Partners-Widmeyer Communications firm. Read more.

Siemens Champions Continue Their Science Success Streak

As a high school student, Priyanka Wadgaonkar won the prestigious Siemens Competition—known as the “Super Bowl” of youth science contests. A year after capturing the $100,000 grand prize, she’s a freshman studying biology at Columbian College and reflecting on new ways to broaden her research horizons. Read more.

In the Spotlight

Barry Chiswick edited the Handbook of the Economics of International Migration (North Holland, 2015).

The GW Geography Bowl Team, comprised of Katherine Cann, Allison Carr, Raynell Cooper, Rachel Dimston, Christopher Hart and Gloriana Sojo, won the Mid-Atlantic Division Geography Bowl Competition.

Rachel Riedner’s article “Lives of In-famous Women,” published in the journal JAC, won the 2013 Elizabeth Flynn Award for the best article on feminist theory.