Press Announcements

Researchers Discover New Species of Salamander From Gulf Coastal Plains Hotspot
A team of researchers led by the Department of Biological Sciences' Alexander Pyron discovered a new species of swamp-dwelling dusky salamander from the Gulf Coastal Plain of southeastern Mississippi and southwestern Alabama.

Unionized Nursing Homes Experienced Lower COVID-19 Resident Mortality and Worker Infection Rates
A study led by Political Science’s Adam Dean showed resident mortality and worker infection rates were significantly smaller than at non-unionized facilities.

First In-Person Show in Two Years: GW Corcoran School of the Arts and Design Reopens to the Public with the NEXT Generation of Artists
Emerging artists at the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design presented their work at the first, in-person major student show in two years. NEXT, an annual showcase, features graduating students’ projects in studio arts, dance, digital media, photography, sculpture and other mediums.

2021 Arthur S. Flemming Awards Recognize Exceptional Federal Employees
The Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration will join the Arthur S. Flemming Commission and National Academy of Public Administration in presenting the 73rd annual Arthur S. Flemming Awards to twelve outstanding public servants representing several federal agencies at an in-person ceremony in early June.

New Podcast Series to Confront COVID-19 Disinformation
Hosted by SMPA's Frank Sesno, the podcast “Healthy You: Confronting our Disease of Disinformation,” will talk to health and media experts about the impact of deliberate disinformation and how to prepare for a future that includes a new variant of COVID-19 and/or other infectious diseases.

Researchers’ Novel Tool to Help Develop Safer Pesticides
A research project led by Assistant Professor of Chemistry Jakub Kostal has led to the development of a new computational model that screens pesticides for safety, performance and how long they endure in the environment. The approach will aid in designing the next-generation of safer chemicals.

New Study Sheds Light on Early Human Hair Evolution
Researchers in the Primate Genomics Lab at the George Washington University examined what factors drive hair variation in a wild population of lemurs known as Indriidae. Specifically, the researchers aimed to assess the impacts of climate, body size and color vision on hair evolution. The study was co-authored by Brenda Bradley, an associate professor of anthropology who directs GW’s Primate Genomics Lab.

Corrections On Facebook News Feed Reduces Misinformation
In a paper published in the Journal of Politics, Ethan Porter, assistant professor of media and public affairs and co-author of the study, found that factual corrections published on Facebook’s news feed can reduce a user’s belief in misinformation, even across partisan lines.

New Study Calls Into Question the Importance of Meat Eating in Shaping Our Evolution
A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by W. Andrew Barr, assistant professor of anthropology and lead author on the study, calls into question the primacy of meat eating in early human evolution.

Researchers Switch Off Gene to Switch On Ultraviolet in Butterfly Wings
In a study led by Arnaud Martin, assistant professor of biology, a team of researchers at the George Washington University has identified a gene that determines whether ultraviolet iridescence shows up in the wings of butterflies. In a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team showed that removing the gene in butterflies whose wings lack UV coloration leads to bright patches of UV iridescence in their wings.

Online Parenting Communities Pulled Closer to Extreme Groups Spreading Misinformation During COVID-19 Pandemic
Physics professor Neil Johnson and Political Science professor Yonatan Lupu, along with their research team, set out to better understand how the Facebook machinery helps misinformation thrive and spread through the platform's network of online communities.

New Study Suggests Healthcare Provider Biases Can Impact a Patient’s Access to Preventative HIV Drug
A new study published today reveals systematic biases among primary and HIV care providers about people who inject drugs and how those biases may impact access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a preventive, prescription-based medication that significantly reduces the risk of HIV infection through sexual behavior and injection practices. The study was led by Sarah Calabrese, an assistant professor of clinical psychology at GW.

George Washington University Experts Available for Media Interviews on Social Media and the Spread of Harmful Content
