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A Fascinating Look at America’s World’s Fairs

November 17th, 2010

A poster from “Designing Tomorrow,” curated by Laura Shiavo.

Last week, Museum Studies Professor Laura Shiavo treated me and a group of Museum Studies alumni to a guided tour through the National Building Museum’s new exhibit Designing Tomorrow: America’s World’s Fairs of the 1930s.

Schiavo, the curator of the exhibit, provided us a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at the exhibit’s creation. She and her colleagues did archival research on the fairs’ host cities—Chicago, IL (1933–34); San Diego, CA (1935-36); Dallas, TX (1936); Cleveland, OH (1936-37); San Francisco, CA (1939-40); and New York, NY (1939-40)—and even searched on eBay to find some of the original programs and brochures from the world’s fairs.

Dean Barrat and Museum studies alumni mingle at the exhibit reception.

The result is a stunning display full of photos and artifacts depicting how the World’s Fairs popularized modern design and promoted science and consumerism in America as a relief from the Great Depression. It features seven thematic galleries: Welcome to the Fairs, A Fair-going Nation, Building a Better Tomorrow, Better Ways to Move, Better Ways to Live, Better Times, and Legacies.

If you’re in the D.C. area, I encourage you to take in this captivating exhibit, which will be on display through July 2011.

Tags: Alumni, Laura Shiavo, Museum Studies, National Building Museum
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From Refugee to Author: Banaa Scholar Pens Book in Dinka

November 10th, 2010

Philosophy Professor Paul Churchill, Dean Barratt, Makwei Mabioor Deng, and Evan Faber.

I recently met an incredible young man named Makwei Mabioor Deng, GW’s first Banaa Scholar. Originally from a village in the southern Sudan, Deng and his family fled to the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya where they lived for 16 years. Deng came to GW via the Banaa scholarship program in 2008 and is now majoring in philosophy with aspirations of law school.

On top of his full load with GW, Deng recently completed a book in Dinka, the language spoken by the more than three million Jieng people in the Sudan and across the globe. His efforts will help transition Dinka from an oral language to a standardized written language, and his book has the potential to introduce written language the Jieng people.

Banaa was created by recent alumni Evan Faber, BA ’09, Justin Zorn, BA ’08, and a few of their fellow students activists during their time at GW. Arabic for “build” or “create,” Banna provides a free education to Sudanese students in the United States on the condition that they will return home to improve their country. Its mission is to improve the conflicts in Dafur and Sudan by empowering peacemakers both within and without of the countries.

GW is currently accepting applications for an additional Banaa student to begin in Fall 2011. I encourage you to learn more about Banaa.org and their efforts and view the video about Deng’s experience thus far.

Tags: Banna Scholar, Banna.org, Philosophy
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Celebrating Two Decades of Filmmaking

November 3rd, 2010

Did you know the GW Documentary Center has been making films for more than 20 years? Named one of the top ten programs in the nation for documentary filmmaking, the Documentary Center is one of only a few to focus exclusively on non-fiction film.

At its anniversary celebration last week, I rubbed elbows with filmmakers, Emmy award-winners, and former students. Many of the more than 350 graduates who trained with the Institute for Documentary Filmmaking turned out for the event. The Institute has drawn students from Bangladesh, Somalia, Nicaragua, Lebanon, Uganda, and other countries across the globe. Center Director Nina Gilden Seavey also screened her new feature 4^th and Goal, a compelling story that charted the six-year journeys of four young men in their quest to make it to the NFL. Maybe Nina, an Emmy award-winning documentarian and Columbian College alumnus (MA ’91), will garner another award for this wonderful piece of work.

Happy anniversary to all those who made this program such a success. Here’s to another 20 years of exceptional non-fiction storytelling!

Tags: Anniversary, Documentary Center, Filmmaking, SMPA
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Fall and Families Come to Campus

October 22nd, 2010

Last weekend, the campus was bursting with students and their parents, siblings, grandparents, and friends. Colonials Weekend is a time for families to visit, spend some time with their Colonial, and learn more about GW. This year’s festivities included live music and performances, pumpkin carving at the annual Octoberfest on the Mount Vernon Campus, and two performances by comedian Jimmy Fallon.

At the Parent’s Association Advisory Council meeting, I chatted with parents about our academics and the improvements we’ve made to our advising system. They were pleased to hear that we’ve doubled the number of professional advisors now available to undergraduates. On Saturday morning, nearly 500 parents and students stopped by the Dean’s Breakfast to socialize with members of our faculty and administration. I spoke to them about the special academic opportunities we offer our students, such as the Dean’s Seminars for freshmen.

It was an all-around great weekend, and I appreciate the efforts families made to join us and their students on campus for the festivities.

Tags: Colonials Weekend, fall on campus, parents, Students
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GW Launches Capitol Archaeological Institute

October 19th, 2010

Dr. Zahi Hawass and Dean Barratt at the GW Capitol Archeological Institute event.

In early October, I was proud to deliver welcoming remarks at an event marking the opening of the new GW Capitol Archaeological Institute. The institute was made possible through a generous donation by alumni Deborah Lehr, MA ‘89, and John F.W. Rogers, BA ’78. Headed by Eric Cline, chair of the Department of Classical and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, the new institute will provide a focus for our archaeology work in the Middle East (including both Israel and Jordan), Greece, Italy, Egypt, China, Africa, and Mexico.

We were honored by to have renowned archaeologist Dr. Zahi Hawass speak at the opening celebration. In 2002, Dr. Hawass was appointed Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, a government council in Egypt that oversees the cultural heritage of that country. Earlier this year, he was named Vice Minister of Culture of Egypt. His work earned him recognition as one of the world’s 100 Most Influential People by Time magazine in 2005. During the event, he spoke about excavations in the valley of the tombs and showed us pictures of a stairway that leads literally hundreds of feet into the earth.

We were also joined by Columbian College National Council member Bill Warren, who has his own strong interests in archaeology, anthropology, and stratigraphy; and Andrew Oliver, who recently donated more than 8,000 volumes on subjects pertaining to Ancient Greece, Rome and the Near East to Gelman Library.

I am excited about the prospect for new scholarship and discovery that the institute will enable. It is our hope that the Capitol Archaeological Institute will place GW at the forefront of research in this field.

Tags: alumni gift, Archaelogical Institute, Eric Cline, Gelman Library
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Alumni Achievement Awards

October 18th, 2010

Ellen Zane (left) and Vanessa Maltin (right)

The Thursday prior to Alumni Weekend, the George Washington Alumni Association recognized its distinguished alumni through the annual Alumni Achievement Awards.

I presented a Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award to Ellen Zane, BA’73. Ellen Zane is the president and chief executive officer of Tufts Medical Center and the Floating Hospital for Children. Ellen is the first woman to run the hospital in its 214-year history. Ellen is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Care Research at Tufts University School of Medicine. Ellen has served on Columbian College’s National Advisory Council for Arts and Sciences, and she was the keynote speaker last spring at GW’s Woman and Philanthropy Forum. She now serves on the Science and Engineering Complex Taskforce for GW and has recently joined the GW Board of Trustees.

We also gave the Recent Alumni Achievement Award to Vanessa Maltin, BA ’05. She has been featured as a gluten-free food expert on CNN, CNBC, Discovery Green, ABC News, and in The Washington Post. Vanessa serves as the food and lifestyle editor of Delight Magazine, sits on the Advisory Board of the Celiac Disease Program at Children’s National Medical Center, and maintains a website, Celiac Princess, that’s full of useful information and gluten-free recipes. Maltin also recently published her second book, The Gloriously Gluten-free Cookbook.

Tags: Alumni Achievement Awards
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Alumni Weekend 2010

October 15th, 2010

About 2,500 alumni and friends returned to GW for Alumni Weekend in early October. My favorite part of the festivities was the All Alumni Kick-off Party on Friday night, where I had a chance to talk to a variety of alumni, particularly those who were returning for one of the designated reunion years.

On Saturday morning, several of my dean colleagues from across the University joined in a breakfast in the ballroom with Provost Steven Lerman. I enjoyed meeting alumni and it was a treat to meet their children and families.

Another highlight of the weekend was the panel presentation, “GW Takes on Autism: Creating and Changing How We Diagnose and Treat Autism”. The disorder, which impairs language and social communication, affects approximately one out of every 110 children in the United States. On this panel, we heard from Kathleen Burgess, the Autism Clinical Supervisor in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences; Professor Lori Alderman, from the Graduate School of Education and Human Development who has served for thirty years as the coordinator for autism services in the Arlington Public Schools; and Valerie Hu from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Dr. Hu works to identify subtypes of autism and looks for genetic/biological markers that are associated with these subtypes. Her integrated approach to the research incorporates genomic, genetic, and epigenetic studies together with environmental factors. Dr. Hu’s preliminary findings are provocative and may lead us to new understanding of autism.

I hope that you all enjoyed the Alumni Weekend festivities. I invite you to share your favorite moments of the weekends in the comments.

For more pictures, visit GW Alumni on Flickr.

Tags: Alumni Weekend 2010, Autism
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Statistics Celebrates 75th Anniversary

October 7th, 2010

I recently had the opportunity to join Department of Statistics faculty, alumni, and friends for a day-long symposium and reception to celebrate the department’s 75th anniversary. One of the high points for me was meeting former students, now leaders in their field. Their names read like a who’s who from a national and international perspective, and their considerable talents were palpable in this celebratory context.

The symposium consisted of several sessions led by panelists discussing theoretical and applied statistical research.

Following the symposium, attendees gathered at GW’s Alumni House to reconnect with former professors and fellow alumni, meet and interact with the department’s current students, and network with colleagues within the field of statistics. Alumni indicated that the guidance and mentorship they received from the statistics faculty, coupled with their “great” education, helped them succeed in their professions. Congratulations to all!

Tags: Alumni, Department of Statistics
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Alumna Pens Gluten-Free Cookbook

July 9th, 2010

I had lunch with alumna Vanessa Matlin last week, and she presented me with an autographed copy of her Gloriously Gluten-Free cookbook. The inscription read:

“Dear Dean Barratt,

I truly owe all of my success with this book to the inspiring professors I had during my time at GW. I only hope I can give back to future students as much as I was given during my time at GW. Enjoy the recipes.”

It was so gratifying to read and hear about how her 2005 BA in Journalism helped jumpstart her successful career as a writer. In addition to the cookbook, Vanessa is the author of the Beyond Rice Cakes: A Young Person’s Guide to Cooking, Eating & Living Gluten-Free, and she is the food and lifestyle editor of Delight Gluten-Free magazine. Her website, Celiac Princess, is devoted to educating people about Celiac Disease and full of helpful information and gluten-free recipes. A strong advocate for people with gluten-intolerance, Vanessa spent seven months in culinary school to learn and to increase knowledge of nutrition and food allergies in the culinary profession.

Tags: Alumni, cook book, journalism
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Seattle to LA to San Francisco: My West Coast Road Trip to Meet Alumni and Friends

June 28th, 2010

Dean Barratt and Clay Siegall, PhD '88

The first stop on my incredible 10-day road trip from Seattle to LA to meet alumni and friends was a visit to Clay Siegall, PhD ‘88, the president, CEO and chairman of the board of Seattle Genetics, a company using innovative antibody-based therapies with cancer. Clay has a PhD from GW in genetics, and I was fascinated to hear about the interesting things he is doing with his degree. Clay has graciously offered to host the Summer Send-Off for incoming first-year students from Seattle on their way to becoming Colonials.

From left to right: Michael Checca, BA '71; Sheldon Rapoport, BA '70; Michael Thacher, BA '70; Rhonda Thacher; Peg Barratt; Jerry Bloom, BA '74; Suzanne Marmaro; Richard Maramaro, BA '73; Paul Marmaro, BA '08

An ongoing topic of conversation during my road trip was about our Solar Institute. Among those I met was Jerry Bloom, BA ‘74, whose work at Winston-Strawn has a significant energy and solar focus. A strong advocate for exploration of alternative energy resources, Jerry has volunteered his time to serve on our institute’s advisory board, and he was a host of GW’s Solar Symposium last April.

While in LA, I was delighted to meet Gilbert Cisneros, who has a 1994 political science degree from GW and participated in the University’s Naval ROTC Program. If his name sounds familiar, it’s because he and his wife were featured on the Today show in May after winning the California State Lottery. It was fun to hear his reflections about his time here—both in and out of the classroom. Mr. Cisneros plans to come back to campus late this year or early next year to meet President Knapp.

Dean Barratt and Yawn Chiang, PhD '83

While in San Francisco, I had a lovely dinner with our National Council member Yawen Chiang, PhD ‘83, who, like Clay, has a PhD in Genetics from GW. She described her non-traditional career of beginning graduate school after she had her children and going from graduate school into industry later in life. Currently, she works for Genentech/Roche.

Dean Barratt and Jerome Nadler, BA '74

There were so many other alumni and friends I met during the course of my trip, including Sarah Catz, BA ‘77, and George Urch, BA ‘81, who are working to establish an alumni group in Orange County, and Jerome Nadler, BA ‘74,shown with his buff and blue tie!

Neil Portnow, BA '71, and Dean Barratt

I also met Neil Portnow, BA ‘71, who has a Speech Communication degree and is president of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Mr. Portnow is hosting the annual summer send-off for students in LA at the Recording Academy.

What a great send off!

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