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

CCAS Faculty research

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.

CCAS Student Research

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.

GW CCAS top research centers and institutes

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.

Maggie Teliska

Sarah Schrup

BS '19

"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."

Faculty Books

  • Engagement for Equitable Outcomes

    Engagement for Equitable Outcomes

  • Book cover of "African Americans & Africa: A New History" by Nemata Amelia Ibitayo Blyden.

    African Americans and Africa: A New History

  • Psychoanalysis under occupation Book Cover

    Psychoanalysis Under Occupation: Practicing Resistance in Palestine

  • Reproduction Reconceived Book Cover

    Reproduction Reconceived: Family Making and the Limits of Choice after Roe v. Wade

  • Where I Have Never Been

    Where I Have Never Been: Migration, Melancholia, and Memory in Asian American Narratives of Return

  • 25 Concepts in Modern Architecture Book Cover

    25 Concepts in Modern Architecture: A Guide for Visual Thinkers

  • The Internet Trap book cover

    The Internet Trap: How the Digital Economy Builds Monopolies and Undermines Democracy

 

 

Faculty Research Conversations

Karen Gedan and Paul Wahlbeck sit and talk on stage in front of a Columbian College of Arts and Sciences logo

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.
Professor Alexander Van Der Horst and Deal Paul Wahlbeck sit on stage talking in front of a Columbian College logo

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.

 

Research Making Headlines

Sarah Calabrese, Aman Luthra and Keryn Gedan

CCAS Faculty Awarded Fulbright Scholar Honors

June 08, 2022
Psychology’s Sarah Calabrese, Biology’s Keryn Gedan and Geography’s Aman Luthra are among the newest class of prestigious scholars.
Two Milne-Edwards's sifaka lemurs, sporting the classic black and white pigmentation pattern

Hair-Raiser: Primate Fur Teases Human Evolution

May 11, 2022
Anthropology researchers combed through fur patterns in wild lemurs to cut into evolutionary mysteries of human hair growth.
Amin Arvin Attari

Alumnus Journey Spotlights Refugee Plight

May 11, 2022
Amin Arvin Attari, BS ’21, escaped Iran for a new life in the U.S. Now an NIH scientist, he sees his story in refugees fleeing conflicts worldwide.
An elderly woman patting the gloved hand of a doctor

Unionized Nursing Homes Have Lower COVID Rates

May 11, 2022
Nursing homes were at the epicenter of the pandemic, but research by Political Science’s Adam Dean shows residents and workers fared best in unionized facilities.
Courtney Sexton smiling with her large black and white hound on her lap

Jurassic Bark: Do Dogs Hold Hints to Early Language?

April 13, 2022
Anthropology PhD candidate Courtney Sexton is studying our four-legged friends to determine if puppy dog eyes and raised brows reflect a “ruff” draft of human communication.
A group of students sitting in an auditorium smiling and laughing

TSPPPA Ranks among the Best in Country

April 13, 2022
Columbian College’s Trachtenberg School increased its overall standing among public affairs schools in the U.S. News & World Report ranking of the nation’s top graduate programs.