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The Textile Museum Joins GW

The collection will be part of a new museum scheduled to open in 2014.


This Huari-style tunic from Peru is one of the more than 18,000 works from around the world owned by The Textile Museum, which will be moving to GW's Foggy Bottom Campus in 2014.

The Washington, D.C.-based Textile Museum, with its internationally acclaimed collection of more than 18,000 textiles and carpets dating from 3000 B.C., will be part of the George Washington University Museum, scheduled to open
in 2014.

GW's partnership with The Textile Museum will bring the museum's holdings to the Foggy Bottom Campus, where they will be showcased in a custom-built, 35,000-square-foot building at G and 21st streets. The new museum will include galleries, virtual displays, and space for academic and scholarly activity and
public lectures.

The university also announced that a 20,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art conservation and resource center dedicated to the study and care of the museum's historic collections will be constructed on the GW Virginia Science and Technology Campus.

At the July event to announce the Textile Museum partnership, President Steven Knapp recognized Albert H. Small, whose collection of artifacts on the history of Washington, D.C., also will be part of the new museum.

Bruce Baganz, president of The Textile Museum's board of trustees, and Ford W. Bell, president of the American Association of Museums, a nonprofit that represents more than 3,000 institutions, also offered remarks.

Dr. Baganz called the partnership "perhaps the single most important development for the museum since it opened its doors in 1925."

"This is truly a unique partnership in the museum world…that joins two pillars of Washington's cultural and educational life," Dr. Bell said.

Stay tuned for more information about The Textile Museum partnership, which will be featured in the fall edition of GW Magazine.

Making Way for the Science and Engineering Hall


President Steven Knapp prepares for demolition of the University Parking Garage with student members of Campaign GW.

William Atkins

GW President Steven Knapp took the first step toward construction of GW's Science and Engineering Hall by kicking off demolition of the University Parking Garage on June 2.

Dr. Knapp, with a hard hat and sledgehammer in hand, was joined by university trustees Mark Hughes, David Karlgaard, and Cynthia Steele Vance, as well as administrators, faculty members, and Campaign GW students, who also helped take the first swings at demolition.

The Science and Engineering Hall will be located at 22nd and H streets—the current site of the parking garage, which closed permanently on May 20. When completed, the building will nearly double the space on campus allotted to several science and engineering disciplines.

After demolition, there are three major phases for construction of the building: excavation, sheeting, and shoring from late 2011 to mid-2012; construction of foundations to grade from mid-2012 to early 2013; and construction above grade to completion from early 2013 to late 2014. Building occupancy is expected by January 2015.

For more information visit www.gwu.edu/gwsehall.

Michael Bloomberg Headlines Commencement

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg urges GW's class of 2011 to take risks, stand up for what's right in address on National Mall.


New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg addresses graduates at Commencement 2011, where he also received an honorary degree.

William Atkins

With the U.S. Capitol as a backdrop, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg urged GW's class of 2011 to continue fighting for the rights of all people during the university-wide Commencement ceremony May 15.

Mr. Bloomberg delivered the Commencement address and received an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree before an estimated 25,000 graduates, friends, and family members gathered on the National Mall. Also receiving honorary degrees were Washington arts, education, and community leader Peggy Cooper Cafritz, BS '68, JD '71, and attorney and civil rights pioneer William T. Coleman Jr.

In his address, the mayor said it must be a "bittersweet day" for students leaving GW. "It just won't be easy to leave a place where you can rub a hippo's nose, break-dance with Big George, sit in Einstein's lap, pet a dog named Ruffles, and buy a hot dog from a guy named Manouch," he said. "I can see why you love it here."

Mr. Bloomberg, who was elected mayor two months after the 9/11 attacks, spoke about Sept. 11 and its place in history. He called for more bipartisanship in politics, reminding the graduates of the unity that developed in New York and around the world in the wake of the terrorist attacks. "Our city, in fact our whole country, did not give in to fear," he said. "We came together as never before."

Recognizing the GW student body's commitment to public service, he asked the graduates to continue advocating for the rights of all people. "Even if it is not popular—especially when it is not popular—we have a responsibility to stand up for the rights of all people to express themselves as they wish, to worship how and where they wish, and to love who they wish," he said.

In welcoming remarks, President Steven Knapp congratulated the graduates, many of whom came to the university in 2007 when he did. "I started when many of you were freshmen and am proud to be with you as you receive your hard-earned degrees," he said.

Medicine and Health Education Update

Efforts underway to restructure the GW Medical Center hit a milestone in July, when the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, the School of Public Health and Health Services, and the School of Nursing began to operate as three separate entities.

Under the new structure, the deans of the three schools report directly to Steven Lerman, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. The three schools also maintain separate budgets for their staff and operations. The dean of the medical school manages the relationships with the GW Hospital and the GW Medical Faculty Associates and has the title of vice provost for health affairs.

The restructuring was recommended by a team of independent experts, who completed an organizational assessment during the first phase of the review, and proposed implementation based on feedback from the GW community.

During the second phase of the review, the Medical Center Advisory Committee—composed of deans, students, faculty members, and senior administrative staff members from the three schools, the GW Hospital, and the MFA—examined the Medical Center's governance, finances, academic and research resources, and other services shared among the schools. In addition, President Steven Knapp and Dr. Lerman held several town hall meetings to gather feedback from stakeholders.

The multiphase review was requested last May by the Medical Center Committee of the Board of Trustees in view of the approaching 10th anniversary of the creation of the center's structure, the changing conditions of the health care marketplace as a result of local competition and health care reform legislation, and the university's commitment to raising the center's academic stature.

STAR Power

Unconventional students at the top of their fields pursue an innovative education.


Former Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes is among the 22 students in GW's STAR EMBA program.

William Atkins

A group of 22 athletes and celebrities is the first cohort of students in the GW School of Business' new STAR (Special Talent, Access, and Responsibility) Executive MBA program, which was created for students who already have a personal brand and want to translate their success into a foundation for business leadership.

The STAR students include former Olympic gold medalist Dominique Dawes, 12 current and former NFL players, a professional poker player, and two former WNBA players. The two-year program meets three times a year in two-week modules to fit into the students' busy schedules. Some classes will also be held in New York and Los Angeles.

Ms. Dawes, a 10-year member of the U.S. national gymnastics team, enrolled in the program because she wants to enhance her brand, the focus of which is to motivate young women to believe in themselves and to take control of their overall health and fitness. The former Olympian also hopes the STAR program will help her develop a sports ministry and a motivational product line for young teens and women.

"This is an opportunity I know I will capitalize off of, and I'm so excited to be a part of such an amazing, motivated group of people and learn from top professors around the globe and from GW," Ms. Dawes says. "How much better can it get?"


Duane Starks, a 10-year NFL veteran, hopes to develop business skills for a career in television production.

William Atkins

Duane Starks, a 10-year NFL veteran who spent his career with the Baltimore Ravens, Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots, and Oakland Raiders, aspires to be a television executive producer.

"I'm really looking forward to getting a better understanding of business overall, everything from product placement to negotiating," Mr. Starks says. "Being a professional athlete teaches you dedication and determination. You can't just show up and get an MBA. You have to work for it."

The program was created to serve students without a traditional higher education path. Many began undergraduate degree programs before their careers took precedence. These students will be able to work with advisers and mentors to obtain their undergraduate degrees at GW before beginning the STAR program.

"Customized programs such as STAR are the future of business education, and the GW School of Business is leading the way in innovative programs offering more opportunities tailored to specific audiences in the future," says Doug Guthrie, GWSB dean. "In the case of STAR, we are working with a very select group of professionals, who have a good deal of success and access to resources early in their careers, to become leaders and great contributors to their communities and society."

—Jennifer Eder

University Plans Renovations to Gelman Library


New design renderings show features of a planned $16 million renovation to the entrance level of the university's main library.

A first glimpse of design renderings for the new entrance level of Gelman Library shows more space for collaborative learning, spots to plug in laptops, wireless networking and printing capabilities, and librarians who specialize in electronic resource use.

These are some of the features the GW community suggested for a planned $16 million renovation to the entrance level of the Estelle and Melvin Gelman Library. The concept renderings, created by architecture firm Cox Graae & Spack, show extensive open spaces with clusters of tables and couches, rather than the individual study carrels that now populate Gelman's entrance level. There are also laptop bars with outlets, as well as more library computers dedicated to accessing electronic resources.

"When Gelman was built in the 1970s, people learned and worked differently," says Deborah Gaspar, Gelman's instruction coordinator. "Now there's an understanding that learning is a social activity. We need to give students space to exchange ideas and work together."

The planned Gelman renovation, which was approved as part of the university's fiscal year 2012 budget, will involve a total overhaul of the entrance level, which students and faculty members have complained is out of date and unwelcoming. "It will give a whole different feel to how the library is integrated into the university," she says.

In February, GW students participated in a design forum in which they discussed the changes they wanted to see. The new renderings incorporate many of their suggestions, says Jenny Wiley, Gelman's student liaison.

Ms. Gaspar also notes that Gelman has cut its reference collection in half as more resources have gone digital, and space previously dedicated to housing volumes and journals can be used for other things. She and other librarians also have discussed how they can better assist students in using digital resources.

"We've examined alternative staffing models that would put us there at students' points of need, instead of behind a big reference desk," she says.

Design of the space will continue through spring 2012, with construction activities expected to begin in summer 2012. In order to minimize disruption to library activities, construction is expected to take place in multiple phases over the course of three years.

Collector and Philanthropist Receives President's Medal


GW Trustee Robert G. Perry, BS '70, (left) and President Steven Knapp (right) with Albert H. Small, who was awarded the President's Medal in June.

Jessica McConnell Burt

GW honored Albert H. Small in June with the university's highest award, the President's Medal. In February, Mr. Small donated his unparalleled collection of items documenting D.C.'s history to GW.

The Albert H. Small Washingtoniana Collection includes more than 660 maps, prints, and other documents. It will be exhibited in Woodhull House, a 165-year-old campus building, and in a yet-to-be-constructed adjacent museum building. An additional gift of $5 million from Mr. Small will support construction of the museum and renovation of Woodhull House.

"Receiving the George Washington University's President's Medal is a tremendous honor," says Mr. Small, who was profiled in the last issue of GW Magazine. "I hope that my collections will offer today's students and future generations the opportunity to study the history of this great country and its national treasures."

Mr. Small, a third-generation Washingtonian, is co-founder and president of Southern Engineering Corporation. He became interested in historical collecting after serving in the Navy during World War II. He also created the Albert H. Small Documents Gallery at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

A Political Party


GW Alumni Association President Jim Core, MA '96, who works at the U.S. Department of State, talks with new men's basketball head coach Mike Lonergan at a reception for alumni in federal government.

Graduates who work in the federal government gathered at Alumni House in June for the university's third annual Alumni Reception for Federal Government Employees.

The event for GW alumni who have devoted their careers to public service in the federal government featured remarks by Tammy Duckworth, MA '92, former assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs in the Department of Veterans Affairs; Richard Sorian, BA '80, assistant secretary for public affairs in the Department of Health and Human Services; Roger Mason Jr., BS '90, associate director of national intelligence for systems and resource analyses; and new GW Men's Basketball Head Coach Mike Lonergan.

Ms. Duckworth, who was awarded GW's first Colin Powell Public Service Award in 2009, recalled her decision to pursue a master's degree at GW's Elliott School of International Affairs. Living in Southeast Asia in the 1980s, she was struck by the hardships of Vietnamese street children and remembers seeing faces on television "that looked just like mine."


Tammy Duckworth, MA '92, assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs in the Department of Veterans Affairs, speaks to alumni about her career in public service.

"Because my parents were married and I had my American citizenship as a native-born American, I had all these rights and privileges. I knew then that I wanted to go into public service and someday go into the Foreign Service and work toward becoming an ambassador," she said.

The university also held its annual GW Capitol Hill alumni reception in May, which brought together 200 GW alumni congressional staff in the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center. It was hosted by GW President Steven Knapp, U.S. Sen. Kent Conrad, MBA '75 (D-N.D.), and U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns, BS '63 (R-Fla.).

A Campus Abuzz


Jessica McConnell Burt

GW is partnering with Foggy Bottom restaurant Founding Farmers to open the largest known restaurant-owned urban apiary, or collection of bee colonies, in the nation. The restaurant has installed six beehives on the roof of Lisner Hall, two blocks away.

"This urban apiary is a natural extension of Founding Farmers' mission to minimize its impact on the environment through sustainable practices," says Dan Simons, BBA '92, who is principal of VSAG, the restaurant consulting and management firm for Founding Farmers. "We are proud to partner with GW—a powerhouse in the world of education—on a project like this."

The six hives atop Lisner Hall will join four other GW-owned hives. By the end of their second year, in 2012, each hive may produce between 20 and 120 pounds of honey. In the meantime while they aren't producing honey, GW's biology department will use them for research, tracking the flowers the bees visit and analyzing the pollen they bring back. They will also study honeybee parasites and will develop a bee behavior lab module for an introductory biology course for majors.

Innovation Task Force Identifies New Priorities

The Innovation Task Force entered phase three this summer in full swing, with $23.4 million in recurring savings and new revenue already identified toward the university-wide initiative's $60 million goal.

President Knapp established the ITF in 2009 to propel GW to the next level of excellence by generating savings and new revenue through improved business operations and reinvesting them in programs aimed at enhancing GW's academic and research enterprise. To date, $6.3 million of ITF funds have been budgeted for investment in the university's top academic priorities. Provost Steven Lerman recently announced that ITF funds will be allocated to three academic priorities this fiscal year—undergraduate advisers for the Elliott School of International Affairs, graduate teaching assistants for the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, and faculty compensation and research packages. Last year, ITF investments doubled the number of undergraduate advisers at Columbian College and funded an electronic degree audit program, enabling students to monitor their progress toward graduation.

Phase two concluded with the selection of six new initiatives slated for implementation:

• Building energy efficiency—Creating a comprehensive campus capital improvements energy project aimed at maximizing energy efficiency;

• Executive education—Developing and implementing a series of contemporary seminars for executive education students managed by the School of Business;

• Healthy campus—A university-wide effort to deploy a comprehensive health management and wellness program for employees;

• International summer—Developing an intensive summer community experience for international students;

• Master's degree in research administration—Creating a new academic program in research administration; and

• Retention and trajectory to graduation—Enhancing the GW student experience by implementing a strategic university-wide retention program.

Implementation planning is underway for the six top innovation ideas generated by the GW community in the first year of the initiative. Highlights include:

• Five new, ITF-inspired study abroad programs will debut within the next two years: a four-year international scholars program for 25 freshmen annually; a yearlong program focused on Africa, featuring semesters in London and Africa; a semester abroad at Tel Aviv University focusing on Israeli culture; an international business program in Buenos Aires, Argentina; and new study abroad opportunities for science and engineering students.

• GW is on track to secure significant savings—more than $6 million per year—by leveraging costs through strategic sourcing.

• The ITF is committed to reducing the amount of off-campus space leased by the university by two-thirds by 2017, an initiative that will potentially yield more than $3 million per year in recurring savings.

For all the latest ITF news, visit the ITF website at www.gwu.edu/~itf.

—Jamie L. Freedman

A Freshman Welcome


Jessica McConnell Burt

Members of the Colonial Inauguration Cabinet perform a skit on stage at Lisner Auditorium during one of the summer CI sessions. About 500 incoming freshmen participate in each of the three-day orientation sessions, which include activities ranging from meeting with advisers and faculty members to touring residence halls to a late-night party with snacks from D.C. food trucks. The class of 2015 was selected from more than 21,500 prospective students, the largest applicant pool in the university's history. More than 7,200 students were accepted this year, resulting in an admit rate of 32.6 percent, the second lowest admit rate in George Washington's history.

Law School Welcomes A New Dean


Law School Dean Paul Schiff Berman

Nick Gingold

Paul Schiff Berman, former dean of Arizona State University's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, began his tenure as the dean of GW Law in July.

Dean Berman, who was selected from an extensive nationwide search, focuses his scholarship on the ways in which globalization affects the interaction of legal systems. His new book, Global Legal Pluralism: A Jurisprudence of Law Beyond Borders, will be published later this year by Cambridge University Press.

His scholarly career includes stints as the Jesse Root Professor of Law at the University of Connecticut School of Law and as a visiting professor and visiting research scholar at Princeton University's Law and Public Affairs program. He graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University in 1988 and earned his law degree in 1995 from New York University. After receiving his degree, he served as a law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

In addition to his career in academia, Mr. Berman has served as artistic director or as administrative director of three nonprofit theater groups in New York.

Mr. Berman will be joined at the Law School by his wife, Laura A. Dickinson, who previously served as Arizona State University's Foundation Professor of Law and as director of its Center for Law and Global Affairs. Ms. Dickinson is a graduate of Harvard University and received her law degree from Yale Law School before clerking for Supreme Court Justices Harry Blackmun and Stephen Breyer. At GW, she will serve as Oswald Symister Colclough Research Professor of Law.

"GW Law School is obviously already one of the top law schools in the country, but it is far more than that," Mr. Berman says. "It is a place where students and faculty work every day to [take on] crucial challenges facing our society and to integrate their academic pursuits with law in action in our nation's capital."

A Push for Tobacco-Free Pharmacies


Assistant Professor of Medicine Vinyak Jha recently launched TobaccoFreeRx.

William Atkins

When Vinyak Jha, assistant professor of medicine, learned that the sale of tobacco had been banned in pharmacies in San Francisco and Boston, he wondered about D.C. "It didn't take long to figure out that there is no status in D.C.," he says. "In fact, hardly anyone had even heard of the issue."

Now, Dr. Jha, a pulmonary disease specialist, has started TobaccoFreeRx, a campaign to eliminate the sale of tobacco in D.C. pharmacies (including stores that contain pharmacies).

"What characterizes a place that calls itself a pharmacy is having a health care provider who is licensed by the Department of Health, whose sworn goal—and personal philosophy—is to keep people healthy," Dr. Jha says. "Unlike a convenience store or gas station, these places are operating a health care enterprise, so they shouldn't sell the same products that are going to cause the diseases for which you need the medications."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States, killing 443,000 people each year. It is the cause of 80 to 90 percent of lung cancer cases and is linked to the exacerbation of other serious illnesses like stroke and heart disease.

Dr. Jha plans to design a survey about physicians' views on the issue and to petition the D.C. Council for legislation as a member of the D.C. Tobacco Coalition, an organization that consists of representatives from the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, community groups, and others.

But legislation, he said, is not the only—or even the preferable—route to success. "If you ask for legislation, people say, 'Where is it going to end?' But if you go short of that—if you challenge health care establishments to defend their simultaneous sale of tobacco and flu vaccines; if you ask pharmacists if they feel bad that part of their salary comes from the sale of cigarettes, you might find that they are ready to join in this effort," he says. "Pharmacies could actually be taken a little more seriously as health care establishments if they weren't selling the number one cause of preventable death."

—Anna Miller


William Atkins

Discussing Bioterrorism

Former Sen. Jim Talent (R-Mo.) and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) participate in a GW Homeland Security Policy Institute-sponsored panel, "The Threat of Bioterrorism: Improving America's Response Capabilities." Other panelists included Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) and former Sen. Bob Graham (D-Fla.), who discussed national biodefense strategies, possible threats, and what "keeps them up at night" when it comes to biological attacks on the United States.

"The Avenue" Takes Shape at Former Hospital Site


"The Avenue," a revitalized complex across from the Foggy Bottom metro, contains office, residential, and retail space, including Whole Foods Market and several restaurants.

William Atkins

Square 54, the mixed-use complex that has been under construction at 2200 Pennsylvania Avenue for almost three years, is getting a new name—and nearing completion. The property, called "The Avenue," includes office, retail, and residential space and has already welcomed a number of new tenants.

Devon & Blakely, a gourmet deli and coffee shop, was, in April, the first retail tenant to open its doors. In June and July, it was joined by Circa at Foggy Bottom, a locally owned bistro; Roti, a casual Mediterranean eatery co-founded by a GW parent; and Sweetgreen, a salad and frozen yogurt restaurant. Other confirmed retailers include Whole Foods Market, a full-service grocery store set to open in September.

Ray Ritchey, executive vice president of project developer Boston Properties, says he is proud of the outcome of several years of determined work from the university, the District government, and the GW neighborhood community. "This project is a shining example of what GW, the community, and the city can accomplish by working together," he says.

Board of Trustees Elects Three New Members


(From left) GW President Steven Knapp with new board members Lee Fensterstock, Diana Henriques, BA '69, and W. Scott Amey, MS '75, and board Chairman W. Russell Ramsey, BBA '81

Jessica McConnell Burt

The university elected Scott Amey, MS '75, Lee Fensterstock, and Diana Henriques, BA '69, as its newest members of the Board of Trustees. The three began their terms in July.

Mr. Amey is owner, president, and CEO of Amyx Inc. At GW, he established and managed the SEAS Career Services Office, for which he was honored with the 2007 GW Alumni Service Award and inducted into the school's hall of fame.

Mr. Fensterstock is chairman and CEO of Fensterstock Associates, prior to which he was the founding chairman of the board of Broadpoint Securities Group and CEO of Broadpoint Securities Group and Broadpoint Gleacher. He also founded Bonds Direct Securities LLC and served as chairman and co-CEO until its sale.

Ms. Henriques is a senior financial writer for The New York Times, where she has worked since 1989. In 2005, she was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize. She has won a George Polk Award, the Worth Bingham Prize for Investigative Reporting, and Harvard's Goldsmith Prize for her series exposing rip-offs of young military consumers. In April she published The Wizard of Lies, a book about the Bernard Madoff scandal.

After 11 years of service, Gary Granoff retired from the board. Mr. Granoff is managing director of the board of directors of Ameritrans Capital Corp., a company he founded.

At a Glance

Yellow Ribbon Program Expands

Almost all student-veterans in GW's Yellow Ribbon Program are now able to earn their degree tuition free. Thanks to an increase in the government's base pay for education benefits for Post 9/11 G.I. Bill recipients, graduate students will receive more than $10,000 extra per academic year to fund their education. With the university contributing up to 50 percent of additional expenses, a figure matched by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, graduate students will be able to receive a total of up to $27,740 in tuition support.

More than 700 student-veterans are enrolled at GW, including more than 300 who are taking advantage of the Yellow Ribbon Program, a government provision that allows higher education institutions to pair up with Veterans Affairs to help fund tuition costs.


Alberto Tolot

Maher's Colonial Comedy

Comedian and HBO host Bill Maher will headline Colonials Weekend Oct. 15 in the Charles E. Smith Center. Mr. Maher has hosted Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO for the past eight years. Before launching the show, Mr. Maher hosted Comedy Central's Politically Incorrect from 1993 to 2002.

At least three GW professors have been interviewed by Mr. Maher on his shows: Paul Butler, associate dean for faculty development at the Law School; Lawrence Wilkerson, lecturer in honors; and Cheryl Jacobus, a faculty member at the Graduate School of Political Management.

President Knapp Recognition

GW President Steven Knapp was recently honored with memberships in three distinguished institutions based in Washington, D.C.: the Council on Foreign Relations, the World Affairs Council of Washington, D.C., and the Board of the Economic Club of Washington.

The Council of Foreign Relations is an independent, nonpartisan think tank and publisher dedicated to keeping citizens educated on the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other countries. The World Affairs Councils of America is the largest nonpartisan, nonprofit, grassroots group in the U.S. dedicated to educating and engaging the public on global issues. The Economic Club of Washington offers a forum in which prominent business and government leaders can express their views on the most important economic issues of the day.

Dr. Knapp also serves on the boards of directors of the Greater Washington Urban League and the National Symphony Orchestra and the boards of trustees of the Washington National Cathedral Foundation and Al Akhawayan University in Ifrane, Morocco. He is also a member of the senior advisory board of the Northern Virginia Technology Council, the executive committee of the Council on Competitiveness, and the education committee of the Federal City Council.

Tennis Steps Up

In May, GW's men's tennis team made its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance, having earned an automatic bid after winning the Atlantic 10 Championships. Though they ultimately fell to 12th-ranked Duke, the Colonials, led by head coach Greg Munoz, finished their regular 2010-11 season with a 15–8 record and 6–0 record in the A-10.

The team also excelled in the classroom, earning the highest average GPA in GW varsity sports for the 2010-11 academic year.

SPHHS Building Receives Approval

In August, the D.C. Zoning Commission granted approval of GW's School of Public Health and Health Services project. The commission's approval allows for development of Square 39, which is located on Washington Circle at K Street, 24th Street, and New Hampshire Avenue.

The building, anticipated to open in the spring 2014 semester, will serve as a consolidated home for most of the faculty, students, and staff of SPHHS for the first time in the 14-year history of the school. The school, which is currently spread out across eight locations, has about 1,000 students. The site is currently home to the Warwick Building, which contains some programs of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences and the GW Hospital.

Documenting History


Jessica McConnell Burt

More than 150 years' worth of documents and records belonging to the National Education Association were opened to the public in May, when they became part of GW's International Brotherhood of Teamsters Labor History Research Center.

The collection encompasses more than 3,000 boxes of material, much of which relates to the NEA's work for social justice and educational equality. The materials include original signed letters from Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman and documents commemorating NEA's 1966 merger with the American Teachers Association, a predominantly black teachers' organization, during the height of the civil rights movement. Archivists have been working since 2009 to classify the material.

"If history is not documented, the opportunity to learn from it is lost forever," said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel at the collection's opening ceremony.