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 A Guide to Arts and Sciences' News, Events and People

July 2010

Contents
Solving Crimes

Wanderlust and Scholarship

World-Renowned Guitarist Inspires Students

Facilitating Learning and Discovery

Examining Malaria Resistance

Human-Plant Encounters

Laying the Foundation

Alumna Pens Cookbook

Students Shine in Shakespeare

Thank You!


Columbian College Video

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Make a Difference

Upcoming Events
Evidence: What Counts?
July 14, 7:30 pm
Jack Morton Auditorium

Risk Analysis Certificate Program Information Session
July 21, 6:00 pm
GW Graduate Education Center

Art Therapy Graduate Program Information Session
Aug. 18, 2:00 pm
Alexandria, VA

Alumni Events
Discussion and Jazz Concert with Professor Kip Lornell
Aug. 5, 6:00 pm
Chicago, Illinois

Breakfast, Lecture, and King Tut Exhibit, featuring Professor Eric Cline
Sept. 19, 10:00 am
New York, NY

Statistics 75th Anniversary Celebration
Sept. 25, 8:30 am
Media and Public Affairs Building

Alumni Weekend
Sept. 30 - Oct. 3
Washington, DC

Kudos
Cleanup of Chemical and Explosive Ordnance by Richard D. Albright, MS '80, made the science bestseller list.

Chair of the Department of Classical and Semitic Languages and Literature Eric Cline, students, and alumni completed the first leg of their archeological dig in Megiddo, Israel.

Chair and Professor of Mathematics John Conway will be honored at the 2011 Southeastern Analysis Conference.

Doctoral candidate Teresa Derrick-Mills received the John L. Stanley Award and won a grant from the Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy to support her doctoral dissertation research.

American Studies doctoral candidate Ramzi Fawaz will present work from his dissertation at the Institute for Public Knowledge Dissertation Workshop on "The Workings of Gender and Power in a Heterogeneous World" in October.

Master of Public Policy student Robin Ghertner won the Marykathryn Kubat Award for Graduate Research from the American Association for Budget and Policy Analysis.

Biomedical Sciences doctoral candidate Chris Gorini received a two-year pre-doctoral fellowship from the Mid-Atlantic Affiliate of the American Heart Association.

Doctoral candidate Paaqua Grant won first place for best poster presentation at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Society for Developmental Biology.

Professor of Anthropology and International Affairs Roy Richard Grinker received the American Anthropological Association's 2010 Anthropology in Media Award.

Clinical Psychology Professor Dorothy Holmes received the 2010 Southern Illinois University Distinguished Alumni Award.

Elizabeth Saunders, assistant professor of political science and international affairs, published "The Army You Have: The Determinants of Military Mechanization, 1979-2001" (with Todd Sechser) in the June issue of International Studies Quarterly.

Undergraduate physics student Arun Selvaratnam was selected for the Minority Assistantship Program at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, funded by the Jefferson Science Association Initiatives Fund.

Elton Professor of Philosophy Emeritus Richard H. Schlagel authored the book Seeking the Truth: How Science Has Prevailed over the Supernatural Worldview.


American Studies doctoral candidate Amber Wiley received a $12,000 Minority Dissertation Fellowship in Education Research from the American Educational Research Association


Department Blogs
Anthropology Department

Chinese Program

English Department

Japanese Program

Korean Program

Medieval and Early Modern Studies

School of Media and Public Affairs

Solar Institute

Speech and Hearing Sciences

Theatre and Dance Department

Forensic Sciences: Solving Crimes One Genetic Marker at a Time
DNA helps catch the criminal. You've seen it on TV police shows, heard about it in real-life court cases and read about it in detective novels. Investigators find DNA at a crime scene then match it to someone in a law enforcement database.

But what happens when you have the DNA and no match?

According to Columbian College Assistant Professor of Forensic Science Daniele Podini, unmatched DNA can still be a powerful tool for investigators since it contains a treasure trove of information about gender, race, ancestry, eye color, skin tone or whether a person is bald or has curly hair.  Read more.


Dean's Scholars in Globalization: Engaging Students in International Collaboration
For rising sophomore Clara Pak, the Dean's Scholars in Globalization program was a transformative experience that took her and seven other Columbian College students to three Southeast Asia countries last spring to study with their counterparts from the National University of Singapore. "We met some fantastic people along the way and learned more than we ever thought we would. . . . I experienced things that other people my age can only dream about!"  Read more.


Faculty Spotlight: World-Renowned Guitarist Inspires Students
Adjunct Professor of Music Berta Rojas is an international performer and gifted artist. A native of Paraguay, Rojas has been performing classical guitar since the age of seven in some of the world's most prominent venues. She brings her vast experience and voracious appetite for learning to her students, inspiring them to pursue and build upon  their talent.

"Berta Rojas provides our students with a huge body of music, superb musicianship, ambition for their progress, and an enthusiastic and inspiring personality," said Karen Ahlquist, professor and former chair of the Music Department. "She brings to Columbian College an international reputation for artistry and performance excellence in the world of classical guitar." Read more.


Science and Engineering Complex: Facilitating Learning and Discovery
GW has completed initial architecture and engineering work for a building dedicated to science and engineering learning and discovery. A recently released report outlines the size and scope of the ambitious project, which will nearly double the amount of space dedicated to the science and engineering disciplines currently housed in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering and Applied Science. Read more.


Examining Malaria Resistance
Felicia Gomez, M.Phil. '08, a student in the Columbian College's hominid paleobiology doctoral program, has won a $10,000 dissertation writing fellowship from the American Anthropological Association to  complete her dissertation on the evolutionary history of malaria-related genes. Gomez is studying DNA samples from 15 African populations, examining specific genes that have mutated to affect the adhesiveness of red blood cells. This genetic variation is thought to play a role in malaria resistance. Read more.


Chaucer's Plants and Sir Walter Raleigh's Soundtracks
Scholars have observed that the 17th-century Dutch landscape painter Jacob van Ruisdael was so accurate that botanists can identify the flora in his paintings. Mike Smith, a graduate student in the Department of English, has found similar precision and relevance in medieval literary botanical references. By examining topics such as poisonous plants and grafting, Smith sheds light on what he calls "human-plant encounters."

Smith's dissertation, which is tentatively titled "Vegetable Love: Desiring Plants in the Middle Ages," is one of five projects funded this summer by Columbian College's Medieval and Early Modern Studies Institute. Read more.


Dean's Seminars: Laying the Foundation For Academic Success
Like many freshmen adjusting to the rigors of college academics, Ruben Gonzalez, BS '07, learned during his first weeks on campus that being a high school honor student doesn't necessarily translate to success in a GW classroom. However, a Dean's Seminar on Abe Lincoln and the careful mentoring of its instructor, History Professor Tyler Anbinder, helped Gonzalez thrive at GW and become a successful consultant for the federal government.

"The Dean's Seminars offer an opportunity to establish a unique bond between student and a well-respected university professor," said Gonzalez, a political science major. "In one sense, it's a freshman's time to shine, but it's also a great time to identify possible weaknesses and seek help and guidance early." Read more.


From the Dean's Blog: Alumna Pens Gluten-Free Cookbook
I had lunch with alumna Vanessa Matlin, BA '05, last week, and she presented me with an autographed copy of her Gloriously Gluten-Free Cookbook. The inscription read:

"Dear Dean Barratt,
I truly owe all of my success with this book to the inspiring professors I had during my time at GW. I only hope I can give back to future students as much as I was given during my time at GW. Enjoy the recipes."

It was so gratifying to read and hear about how her 2005 BA in Journalism helped prepare her for a successful career as a writer. Read more.


Bravo! Students Shine in Shakespeare Theatre
The Academy for Classical Acting (ACA), which represents an unprecedented collaboration between Columbian College and The Shakespeare Theatre Company, recently wrapped up its academic year with student performances of King Lear by William Shakespeare and The Malcontent by John Marston. "I had the opportunity to attend both performances and was completely carried away into Shakespeare's time with stories that are still so relevant for today," said Columbian College Dean Peg Barratt.

Now in its tenth year, the ACA remains the only Masters of Fine Arts program in the United States dedicated solely to classical acting. Read more.


Thank You!
"This scholarship allows me the opportunity to study and not worry about the financial ramifications of doing so. I have only one real responsibility-to succeed in my schoolwork. It equips me to pursue my dream of being a physician, and allows me to devote myself fully to my studies."

-Willard Applefeld, Biology '11
Recipient of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry Fund



 

 

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