Research & Discovery

 

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. As a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU), George Washington University is a distinguished leader in global research. 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.

13

CCAS research centers
and institutes

$21M

annual college research expenditures

500+

permanent full-time faculty members

720+

average annual
faculty media hits


Impact

 

Faculty Research

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.

 

Student Research

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.

Centers & Institutes

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.

 

 

 

 

""

"Research has definitely broadened what I know about myself and what I want to do in the future. It's really changed my perspective on my career goals, and I'm very excited to keep going on that path now."

Sarah Schrup
BS '19

 

 

Faculty Research Conversations

Paul Wahlbeck and Cynthia Dowd sitting together on a stage in front of a Columbian College of Arts and Sciences screen

Fighting Human Pathogens

In a video conversation with CCAS Dean Wahlbeck, Chemistry's Cindy Dowd discusses her work to fight disease through the development of inhibitors to human pathogens.

Chris Warshaw speaking on stage with Paul Wahlbeck in front of a Columbian College logo screen

Our Democracy at Work

In a video conversation with CCAS Dean Wahlbeck, Professor of Political Science Chris Warshaw discusses how public opinion and political outcomes impact policy.

Watch More Research Conversations


Research Making Headlines

A young male chimpanzee in the Täi Forest of Côte d ́Ivoire cracking a nut

Inside Ancient Toolkits: Partnership Seeks Primates’ Wooden Tech

A team including GW anthropologists and physicists are working in forest field sites and campus computer labs to fill a blank page of the archaeological record.

Chris Warshaw speaking on stage with Paul Wahlbeck in front of a Columbian College logo screen

Our Democracy at Work

In a video conversation with CCAS Dean Wahlbeck, Professor of Political Science Chris Warshaw discusses how public opinion and political outcomes impact policy.

Online hate network map

Study: Presidential Elections Bring Online Hate Communities Together

A research team led by Physics’ Neil Johnson detailed how major events strengthen global hate networks online and incite new content around hot-button issues.

Political Music

How Political Campaigns Send Messages through Music

Music Professor Loren Kajikawa includes Beyoncé, Stevie Wonder, Dolly Parton and more on his ‘greatest hits’ playlist.

Artist Hans Heinrich Bebie depicted an 1870s socialite hairstyling session in his painting Conversation (Group of Baltimore Girls).

Hair-Raising History: How Coifs and Cuts Styled an Era

In her new book, art historian Elizabeth L. Block, BA ’94, explains how hair helped fashion the post-Civil War nation.

Loren Kajikawa

GW's Loren Kajikawa on the History of Hip Hop and Politics in the U.S.

Loren Kajikawa, associate professor and chair of the music program at GW's Corcoran School of the Arts & Design, unpacks the history of hip hop music in U.S. politics.