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. 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
$19.7M
annual college research expenditures
507
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 Books
Faculty Research Conversations
There are currently no articles available.
Research Making Headlines
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Project Advances to Research Competition Finals
Professor of Chemistry Stuart Licht and his team of researchers are finalists in the $20 million NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE competition for their C2CNT project, a low-energy, low-cost method of...
Researchers Discover Evidence of Technology and Behaviors Linked to Emergence of Human Species
Professor of Anthropology Alison Brooks led a team of international collaborators, including scientists from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, that discovered evidence of early...
Research Grants Open Doors to Discoveries
From tracking fossil footprints through Kenya to enhancing cybersecurity to preparing the next generation of math and science teachers, it’s been a banner year for major new research grants at...
A team of researchers led by Rachel Jacobs, a biological anthropologist at GW’s Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, has developed a computer-assisted recognition system that can...
New Research Grants Propel Columbian College Discoveries
From a search for malaria and tuberculosis treatments to advances in nuclear physics and mathematical knot theory, it has been a banner year for major new research grants at Columbian College....
Columbian College Researcher Identifies Oldest Textile Dyed Indigo
If it weren’t for textile dying advancements made 6,200 years ago, people today might not be wearing blue jeans as a wardrobe staple. Associate Research Professor of Anthropology Jeffrey...