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

 

 


Research Making Headlines

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Digital Collections Keep Student Research Alive

With the onset of COVID-19 and resulting disruptions to hands-on student research, Associate Professor of Biology...

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Ghosts of the Coast: Artists and Scientists Bring ‘Ghost Forests’ to Life

For a decade, Assistant Professor of Biology Keryn Gedan has told an ecological ghost story. The...

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‘Safety Net’ Required to Slow Biodiversity Decline

A “safety net” made up of multiple ambitious and interlinked goals is needed to tackle nature’s alarming decline, according to an international team of researchers analyzing the new goals for...

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New Mourning: How COVID Is Altering the Way We Grieve

In Indiana, a recently deceased man’s life was celebrated with a parade through his hometown, as fire trucks led lines of cars decked with balloons and banners. In New Jersey, mourners climbed to...

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Tackling Alarming Decline in Nature Requires ‘Safety Net’ of Multiple, Ambitious Goals, Researchers Say

Amy Zanne, associate professor of biological sciences, was part of an international team of researchers analyzing new goals for biodiversity being drafted by the UN’s Convention on Biological...

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Troubled Water: A Student’s Crusade to Solve Puerto Rico’s Crisis

Omar Negron-Ocasio, a graduate student, saw the need for a sustainable solution to Puerto Rico's ongoing water crisis and created water filtration company.