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.
14
CCAS research centers
and institutes
$21.6M
annual college research expenditures
490+
permanent full-time faculty members
850+
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
Research Making Headlines
Cynthia Dowd, Associate Professor of Chemistry, is studying a promising possible treatment for malaria and tuberculosis with a five-year, $2.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health...
Triceratops Gets A Cousin: Researchers Identify Another Horned Dinosaur Species
The Ceratopsia family is growing again. A team of researchers led by, James Clark, Ronald Weintraub Associate Professor of Biology at the George Washington University and Xu Xing, professor at the...
Using Ancient DNA, Researchers Unravel the Mystery of Machu Picchu
Dramatically perched on an Andes mountain ridge some 8,000 feet above sea level in Peru, Machu Picchu is a visual wonder and a technical masterpiece. “It is breathtaking,” said Brenda Bradley, an...
Researchers Publish First Draft of Tree of Life That Will Map All Known Species
A first draft of the “tree of life” for the roughly 2.3 million named species of animals, plants, fungi and microbes has been released. The tree is a collaborative effort among 11...
Researchers Identify Signature of Microbiomes Associated With Schizophrenia
In the most comprehensive study to date, a research team led by Eduardo Castro-Nallar, a Ph.D. candidate at GW’s Computational Biology Institute (CBI), have identified a potential link between...
New Grants Pave Way for Columbian College Research and Discoveries
From scientific examinations of turtle ant colonies and orb-weaving spiders to research investigations delving deep into the cells of developing embryos and the brains of people with schizophrenia...