Columbian College Research Hero

At Columbian College, scholars and scientists join student researchers to challenge assumptions and

Advance the forefronts of knowledge.

Research

Discovery and innovation are a Columbian College tradition—from our century-long research partnership with the Smithsonian Institution to our state-of-the-art Science and Engineering Hall. Whether our scholars are observing celestial bodies light years from Earth or examining the roots of diseases like tuberculosis and malaria, Columbian College faculty and students are uncovering age-old mysteries and finding solutions to 21st-century challenges.

20 research centers & institutes

$15.7 million in total research expenditures in FY20

500+ Tenure-Track, Full-Time Faculty Members

50 faculty books published (annual average)

Impact

Columbian College faculty are prolific authors, awarding-winning scholars, innovators and artists. They are recipients of Guggenheims, Pulitzers and NEH fellowships, and are published in top media outlets and journals.

From labs and classrooms on campus to field sites around the globe, Columbian College students work side-by-side with world-renowned researchers and scholars on a journey of cultural and scientific discovery.

Columbian College is home to top research centers and institutes that explore an array of issues and ideas such as the origins of humankind, the inner workings of the brain and the growth of solar energy.

Maggie Teliska

PhD '04

"GW is a great place to be a scientist."

Faculty Books

News Hole: The Demise of Local Journalism and Political Engagement
African Americans and Africa: A New History
Reproduction Reconceived: Family Making and the Limits of Choice after Roe v. Wade
Where I Have Never Been: Migration, Melancholia, and Memory in Asian American Narratives of Return
25 Concepts in Modern Architecture: A Guide for Visual Thinkers
The Internet Trap: How the Digital Economy Builds Monopolies and Undermines Democracy
O Beautiful: A Novel
Psychoanalysis Under Occupation: Practicing Resistance in Palestine
Crisis Averted: PR Strategies to Protect Your Reputation and the Bottom Line

View All Faculty Books

Faculty Research Conversations

The Impact of Climate Change on Coastal Ecosystems

April 06, 2022

In a conversation with Columbian College Dean Paul Wahlbeck, Assistant Professor of Biology Keryn Gedan discusses the ways global changes in the climate have impacted sea levels, nutrient availability and marine species in the tidal wetlands of the Chesapeake Bay.

Exploring Cosmic Extremes

March 02, 2022

In a conversation with CCAS Dean Paul Wahlbeck, Physics Professor Alexander van der Horst discusses his work extracting data from space-based and ground-based telescopes around the globe.