November 2007

GW Prepares for First Inauguration in 20 Years

GW’s global community will come together November 12-17 when the University celebrates the inauguration of Steven Knapp as its first new president in two decades. Thousands of students, faculty, staff, alumni, community partners, and guests from around the world are expected to participate in the series of inaugural events and activities. (See the full schedule of events on page 10.)

“Inaugural Week marks the launch of an exciting time filled with promise,” says W. Russell Ramsey, B.B.A. ’81, chairman of the GW Board of Trustees and honorary chair of the Presidential Inaugural Committee, in a message he sent to the GW community in September. “Over the past several months, members of our University community—including students, faculty, staff, trustees, and alumni—have come together in the planning process to prepare a remarkable week. I would like to personally invite all members of the GW community to participate in celebrating our strengths and envisioning our future.”

Inaugural Week will highlight GW’s many academic accomplishments and contributions throughout its 186-year history. The itinerary of events is built on three theme days that showcase the University’s community partnerships in the metropolitan region, faculty research and scholarship, and GW’s lifelong and worldwide community.

Inaugural Week begins Monday, Nov. 12, when the Board of Regents from George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens will present Steven and Diane Knapp with a gift of two Hog Island sheep from the estate for the Knapps’ farm in Sparks, Md. Hog Island sheep are the breed George Washington raised and that roam the estate as part of its educational program. The presentation will take place on GW’s Mount Vernon Campus on Foxhall Road. All members of the GW community and their families, as well as neighborhood children, are invited to attend and will have an opportunity to pet the sheep and learn about raising sheep and farming.

GW: In and Of Washington
Tuesday, Nov. 13, is devoted to GW’s partnerships in the greater Washington community. The day will begin with a Foggy Bottom/West End and Kent/Pallisades community breakfast reception with President Knapp in the Marvin Center’s Abrahms Great Hall. Following the breakfast, in the Marvin Center Grand Ballroom, GW’s Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate School of Education and Human Development, and College of Professional Studies will present information about their D.C. partnerships. In the afternoon, the president will tour the Law School’s Community Legal Clinics, the School of Business, and the Medical Center to learn more about their regional collaborations. Members of the GW community also are welcome to join these tours.

GW: Research and Discovery
A daylong celebration of GW’s myriad research accomplishments and initiatives will be held Wednesday, Nov. 14. Highlights include a morning symposium featuring Stephen Greenblatt, professor of English at Harvard University; Vanessa Northington Gamble, University Professor of Medical Humanities; and Frank Sesno, professor of media and public affairs; a research gallery; four concurrent afternoon sessions during which GW faculty will present topical research papers; and a research and discovery reception with President Knapp.

GW: A Lifelong and Worldwide Community
The focus on Thursday, Nov. 15, turns to GW’s lifelong and worldwide community with an alumni breakfast with President Knapp at which GW alumna and U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab, Ph.D. ’93, will speak; alumni panel discussions on current topics in economics, politics, and health care; a Career Center networking session; and a luncheon with alumni that will feature remarks by GW School of Business alumnus Sen. Mike Enzi, B.A. ’66 (R-Wyo.).

Inauguration Day
The centerpiece of the week, the inauguration of Steven Knapp as GW’s 16th president, takes place on Friday, Nov. 16. The processional begins at 10:30 a.m. in the Charles E. Smith Center with faculty, staff, students, alumni, and invited guests in attendance. A reception for the entire GW community will be held in the Marvin Center’s Abrahms Great Hall at 3 p.m., offering GW students, faculty, and staff an opportunity to meet and congratulate President Knapp.

Student and faculty performances take place the evenings of Nov. 14, 15, and 16, and include a Jazz Coffeehouse, a Student Revue, and DanceWorks 2007, the semi-annual modern dance concert. The week ends with a Day of Service on Saturday, Nov. 17, with the Help the Homeless Walk-A-Thon, Jumpstart Book Drive, and the GW Student Association-sponsored Foggy Bottom Clean-Up, in which the GW community joins its Foggy Bottom and West End neighbors for a community clean-up.

For more information and the latest updates, visit the Inaugural Web site at inauguration.gwu.edu.

Other events and activities during Inaugural Week include a special exhibition, “Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way,” at the Luther W. Brady Art Gallery, featuring the University’s Gilbert Stuart painting of George Washington, circa 1800 (through Dec. 17); original pages from George Washington’s will in which he expresses his dream of a university in the nation’s capital (Nov. 13-16); and other displays of George Washington memorabilia. George Washington’s Inaugural Bible will be on display in the Charles E. Smith Center during the inauguration and afterward for public viewing.

Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu