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.

 

 

 

 

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"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

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Exploring Cosmic Extremes

CCAS Dean Paul Wahlbeck discusses with Physics Professor Alexander van der Horst his research on the multi-wavelength observations.

Africa's Impact on the African American Experience

Professor of History and International Affairs Nemata Blyden spoke with CCAS Dean Paul Wahlbeck about the customs and traditions that carried over from Africa.

Watch More Research Conversations


Research Making Headlines

Tim Shenk

Whatever Happened to Coalition Building?

Why can’t modern American political systems build consensus? Timothy Shenk's new book explores how visionaries once forged majorities—and how polarization tore them apart.

Sarah Binder and Paul Wahlbeck seated onstage talking in front of a Columbian College sign

Midterm Election Results: Impact and Analysis

Sarah Binder, GW professor of political science and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, sat down with Dean Wahlbeck to discuss the midterm elections.

Two large satellites outside at night

Astrophysics Student Impacts Earth and Sky

Graduate student Sarah Chastain searches space for cosmic transients—a project that is opening the field to a diverse new generation of students and scholars.

Mohammed and his sister embrace on a couch outdoors

When Autism Research Hits Home

Luther Rice-winning neuroscience major Mohammed Almarkhan researches autism. His findings may improve the lives of millions——including his own sister.

COVID-19 Misinformation in red text on a white mask

Study: Online Battle Lost Early in COVID Crisis

A team led by Physics’ Neil Johnson revealed mainstream Facebook communities were already intertwined with anti-science groups before COVID-19 vaccines arrived.

Image of mother and daughter silhouettes holding hands in front of a fence.

Mothering Behind Bars

As more mothers are jailed for minor offenses, Sociology’s Zimife Umeh interviewed formerly incarcerated women about the trauma of institutional separation.