CCAS Cisneros Support Arts & Sciences Hero

Thanks to donors who support the engaged liberal arts,

Columbian College students and faculty have access to transformative learning and research opportunities.

Support GW Arts & Sciences

Collage of photos of the inside of the Corcoran School, a person behind a camera, a student raising her hand and a GW graduate

As we look toward Columbian College’s Bicentennial in 2021, we celebrate the pride, passion and achievements of all who have shared George Washington’s vision of creating and sustaining an extraordinary institution of higher learning in the nation’s capital.

Columbian College would not be where it is today — and could not envision where it will be in its third century — without the support of donors committed to pursuing the frontiers of knowledge and opportunity.

From annual donations to endowed gifts, we continue to look to philanthropic investment in scholarship, innovation and creativity to sustain our upward trajectory.

You Make a Difference

Cisneros Scholar Kyanna Spaulding, Class of 2020, reflects on the Cisneros Hispanic Leadership Institute and what the program means for young Latinos.

A scholarship enabled art history major Bryan Hilley, MA ’15, to make the most of GW’s connections and pursue a dream internship at the Phillips Collection.

Worrying less about loans meant Kylie Madden, a political science major and scholarship recipient, had more time to appreciate her #OnlyatGW moments.

Ways to Give

For more information on the many ways you can support our students, faculty and research, please contact the Columbian College Development Office at 202-994-7132.

Endowed faculty positions, such as the Max Ticktin Professorship of Israel Studies, provide academic honors and salary support in perpetuity, and may also offer highly-prized discretionary research funds. They enable Columbian College to attract and retain the best researchers and teachers. These positions bolster our academic reputation while providing students more opportunities to develop collaborative partnerships with elite academic scholars.

Donors can have the greatest impact in Columbian College, the largest academic unit at GW. The high cost of student debt can impede accomplishment and impact educational and career paths. But when financial burdens are lifted through scholarships, students such as Aaron Aksoz, BA ’20, are able to maximize their GW experience. Columbian College looks to philanthropic support to ease student debt burdens, increase the diversity of the student population and free current financial aid resources for other needs.

Every research project begins with an innovative idea. These creative sparks require ample resources to fund special equipment, travel stipends and laboratory time. These resources also enable a greater level of undergraduate and graduate student involvement, providing hands-on training to the next generation of investigators, such as the tuberculosis research Abby Pepin, BS ’17, conducted with Associate Professor Cynthia Dowd. Pilot funding also seeds preliminary results that may attract larger grants to help create valuable new knowledge, accelerating the pace of research and discovery.

The ever-evolving landscape of academia demands the flexibility to support creative projects, visiting professorships, lecture series, artist-in-residence programs, innovative lab tools, academic symposia, capstone courses and more. Having the resources and the flexibility to seize on options strengthens our institutional stature and an enhanced academic and research experience.

Kristen Barnes

BA '16, English

"The opportunity to study abroad was made possible because generous GW donors understand how their commitment to providing the gift of education is what makes students challenge ourselves to think more critically and globally. My scholarship motivates me to achieve my greatest ambitions so that I too can offer a helping hand to another Colonial."