Not Business as Usual
•  By Heather O. Milke

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Alumni Events and Activities

2005 Alumni Travel
Program Vacations

Panama Canal Cruise

Crystal ship in the Panama area

From Jan. 26 to Feb. 6, alumni will experience one of the greatest wonders of the engineering world, the Panama Canal, on an ocean-to-ocean Caribbean cruise.


Alumni Campus Abroad: Yucatan Valley, Mexico

Chichen Itza ruins

From March 3 to March 10, travelers will stay at the four-star Villa Mercedes in Merida, the cultural and commercial center of the Yucatan Valley. Explore Mexico’s colonial past through educational events.


Alumni Campus Abroad: Chianti Region, Italy

Castle of Santa Maria Novella

From May 8 to May 16, Colonials will experience the best Italy has to offer by staying in a Tuscan villa in the heart of the Elsa Valley. They will also visit Florence—the birthplace of the Renaissance and home to some of the world’s most beautiful artistic and architectural treasures.


British Isles Cruise

Castle in Dublin, Ireland

From June 30 to July 11, alumni will explore the British and Irish shores, visiting Belfast and Dublin in Ireland; Dartmouth and Portland in England; as well as the most famous landmarks of London.


Alumni Campus Abroad: Provence, France

From Sept. 6 to Sept. 14, enjoy a private tour of the Chateau D’Ansouis, walk in the footsteps of Cezanne, and get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of Aix-En Provence, including a panel discussion with local residents.


Germany’s Holiday Markets

Rothenburg market

From Nov. 29 to Dec. 7, travelers will be treated to Germany hospitality and participate in unique holiday festivities. Local food specialties and special traditions will usher in the spirit of the season.

A World of Opportunity

In response to requests and feedback by graduates, the Alumni Travel Program is back and poised to offer new global programs and services.

“The program has undergone some changes in the past few years, and by working with a new travel vendor, we are excited to offer our graduates some new and interesting opportunities,” says Scott Mory, executive director of alumni programs. “We have chosen six programs this year in South America and Europe. Any would be a good introduction for alumni to international travel with other members of the GW community. There are two options: leisure cruises, which offer luxury and relaxation, and Campus Abroad, which offers an educational component.”

The new Alumni Campus Abroad vacations give alumni the chance to learn while they relax. By attending lectures, excursions, and panel discussions, travelers become immersed in the history, culture, and daily life of an international community.

“In addition to having fun, the Alumni Campus Abroad travelers are continuing their education,” Mory says.

The two cruise vacations combine the amenities of cruise travel with exciting adventures at ports of call and the chance for travelers to connect with fellow Colonials.

“Through the cruises, alumni can make new friends and become more connected with the University, as well as expand their travel horizons,” Mory says.

For more information on the program, please visit www.alumni.gwu.edu and click on Education Programs. For more information on specific trip packages, please contact the director of Alumni Education Programs, Shannon Mouton, at (202) 994-6435 or smouton@gwu.edu. Travelers are encouraged to book reservations 30 days in advance of an Alumni Campus Abroad program and 60 days before a cruise.


Making an Impact: The 68th Annual Distinguished Alumni Achievement Awards

GW President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg and the George Washington Alumni Association recognized four alumni with the University’s 68th Annual Distinguished Alumni Achievement Awards.

The four awardees were honored at a ceremony and brunch May 15, at Washington’s Madison Hotel and also were recognized during the GW Commencement ceremony on May 16. “We are very proud of this year’s award recipients. They serve as role models for current students and young graduates,” Trachtenberg noted at the commencement ceremony.

This award is the highest form of recognition the University and the GWAA give annually to alumni. Each recipient has made a lasting impact on society through outstanding professional, volunteer, or philanthropic accomplishments. The selection process involves the GWAA, University deans and department chairs, and the president of the Student Association, among others. Prior recipients include Colin Powell, MBA ’71, Hon. DPS ’90, U.S. Secretary of State; Abby Joseph Cohen, MA ’76, chief investment strategist for Goldman Sachs; Charles Krulak, MS ’73, former commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps; John M. Shalikashvili, MS ’70, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Joseph Prueher, MS ’73, former U.S. ambassador to China. This year’s recipients are:

James C. Cacheris, Law School, LLB ’60. Cacharis is the former chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. He was appointed to that court in 1981 by President Ronald Reagan and was subsequently elevated to the position of chief judge in 1991.

Nancy B. Jackson, Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, BS ’79. The technical manager of chemical and biological sensing for the Imaging Department of Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, N.M., Jackson is at the forefront of the war on terrorism, working directly with the Department of Homeland Security.

Allyn E. Kilsheimer, School of Engineering and Applied Science, BS ’63. CEO of KCE Structural Engineers since 1972 and executive vice president of KTLH Engineers since 1995, Kilsheimer was selected by the U.S. Department of Defense to lead the reconstruction and restoration of the Pentagon after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack.

Jung-Sook Kim, Graduate School of Education and Human Development, EdD ’88. Kim is serving her third term as a member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea. In May 2002, she was elected to serve as a member of the Supreme Council of the Grand National Party.

Recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Achievement Awards gathered on May 15 in the Dolly Madison Ballroom of the Madison Hotel in Washington to receive their awards. From left to right: Nancy B. Jackson, Jung-Sook Kim, GW President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, Allyn E. Kilsheimer, James C. Cacheris, and Robert Efrus, immediate past president of the GWAA.

GWAA Offers a New Benefit

GW Alumni in the New York area now have a new place to hang their hats and mingle with fellow alumni. The George Washington Alumni Association and the Office of Alumni Programs have created a relationship with the Princeton Club of New York. Like alumni of Columbia and New York universities, who also enjoy Princeton Club privileges, GW alumni are now able to partake of the club’s extensive facilities. These include coffee and newspapers in the Prospect Lounge, fine dining in the President’s Room, a library offering both tranquility and more than 10,000 volumes, and a fitness center with squash courts. There are also comfortable overnight accommodations at reasonable rates. Membership in the Princeton Club includes reciprocal benefits at more than 51 affiliated clubs around the world.

Membership in the Princeton Club is just one way to stay connected to GW, recharge your Colonial spirit, and strengthen friendships. GW alumni can also take advantage of numerous Washington based benefits and services offered through the GWAA, including membership in the University’s premier athletic facility, access to University libraries, and special group discounts on a variety of life, health, auto, and home insurance products. Future articles will feature these and other benefits available to GWAA members.

For information on joining the Princeton Club and on other GWAA benefits, please visit the Online Alumni Community at www.alumni.gwu.edu or call 1-800-Alumni-7.

GWAA President Takes Office

Kristen Betts, EdD ’98, took office as president of the George Washington Alumni Association at the association’s June board meeting. Betts heads Research Strategies International, which offers strategic consultation services to corporations, educational institutions, and the U.S. government. Betts plans to focus the board’s energies on developing relationships between alumni and students, on reaching out to alumni worldwide, and on supporting and strengthening the University. “The success of the GWAA is dependent on the support of our alumni,” Betts noted at the meeting. “I invite all alumni to join us at our upcoming events and to find ways to assist us to connect, reconnect, and advance GW.”

Kristen Betts makes a point during her presentation on listening skills at the Women’s Leadership Conference, held in March on GW’s Mount Vernon Campus.

Honoring Service to GW

Each year the University and the George Washington Alumni Association GWAA honor four alumni for distinguished service to GW. These Alumni Service Awards go to those individuals who advance GW’s mission through dedicated and long-term volunteer efforts in support of University and alumni programs. This year’s awardees were recognized at a reception on June 9, in the University’s 1957 E Street building on campus, “We are very proud of this year’s award recipients as they continue to represent GW in their professional endeavors as well as through continued contributions to the University,” GW President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg said. “They have given their time and energy back to GW in an immeasurable way over the years and are an inspiration to all of us.”

Marilyn K. Gowing, CCAS, PhD ’81. Gowing’s activism extends over more than two decades, ever since she received her doctorate in psychology. In her former position as director of personnel resources and development at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, she arranged for GW graduate students to access data for theses and dissertations. Gowing also founded service learning and internship positions for GW undergraduates. Additionally, she endowed the Gowing Travel Award, providing travel grants enabling doctoral students in industrial and organizational psychology to present papers at professional conferences.

Robert E. Kemelhor, SEAS, BS ’49. Kemelhor has been a board member of GW’s Engineering Alumni Association since 1995. After retiring from The Johns Hopkins University, he organized and created the Senior Scientists and Engineers, an organization of scientists, engineers, educators, physicians, and other professionals who volunteer their services to support the needs of government, education, and the community. Today, he serves as the SSE vice chairman for grant programs.

Joseph A. Kiehl, ESIA, BA ’72, MA ’86. Kiehl has been involved in alumni activities since the 1990s, when he hosted the GW baseball team in his Florida home, was a mentor to an Elliott School of International Affairs graduate student, and served as the school’s representative to the GWAA. In 2000, his interest in Africa led him to organize an event for the Elliott School that featured Rwanda’s National Security Adviser and head of intelligence discussing key issues with faculty and students. Kiehl organized school events in January 2002, featuring Kofer Black, head of the CIA’s Counterterrorism Division, and in April 2003, at the Ethiopian Embassy.

William V. Quinn, GWSB, MBA ’92. Quinn is president of the School of Business Alumni Association and a member of the school’s Board of Advisors. Under his leadership, the association has begun an aggressive recruiting effort and has created an ambitious event schedule to create broader networking possibilities between alumni and current students and to provide alumni with opportunities to become more involved with the University, thus supporting the business leaders of the future.

This year’s recipients of Alumni Service Awards gather with GW and GAAA officials on June 9 to receive their awards. From left to right: Joseph A. Kiehl; Marilyn K. Gowing; Joseph Hall, GW’s former interim vice president for advancement; Robert E. Kemelhor; William V. Quinn; and Kristen S. Betts, GWAA president.

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