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Government and Community Relations at GW
All great cities have great universities. As a long standing anchor insitution in the District of Columbia, the George Washington University is invested in the success and vitality of the Washington metropolitan area. We actively share our resources and cultivate collaboration with the communities surrounding all three of our campuses, enhancing our collective quality of life and advancing our common goals.
The George Washington University community lends a wealth of intellectual capital to policymaking, whether it occurs in the White House, the U.S. Congress, the D.C. and Virginia governments, the courts or the hundreds of agencies, associations, foundations and think tanks throughout the region. GW infuses Washington’s government-related institutions with its research, experience, and an army of dedicated interns.
OGCR Highlights
Congressional Alumni Get Firsthand Briefing on GW’s Innovative Research
The George Washington University hosted a congressional policy breakfast on Capitol Hill Thursday to brief alumni members of Congress on research at the university and to discuss the government’s role in spurring scientific innovation.
The breakfast, sponsored by Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-New York), B.A. ’06, included Reps. Darren Soto (D-Florida), J.D. ’04, William Timmons (R-South Carolina), B.A. ’06, Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii), B.A. ’98, and Jared Moskowitz (D-Florida), B.A. ’03, who joined GW leadership for the meeting at the Rayburn House Office Building on March 9.
“We face many challenges as a country and as a world, and our role is to contribute not only to the educational development but also to creating new knowledge that is going to be valuable for society,” President Mark S. Wrighton told the group. “Universities are places where that transfer of knowledge takes place, but research universities are where we create new knowledge that is especially valuable. This is a tremendous commitment that you’re making,” Wrighton continued, expressing appreciation for the congressional support of research and highlighting the role of GW alumni—three in the U.S. Senate, nine in the U.S. House of Representatives and scores more working as congressional staff.
GW has become a world-class research institution with federal research and development funding that has increased by 72% since 2009. GW has the highest federal research and development expenditures among all colleges and universities in the District of Columbia. In opening remarks, Bracey said that any issue or topic that “shapes our world, we really are exploring it at GW.”
"Conducting impactful research that will advance our society and improve the lives of people in our community and across the globe,” he said, “that’s what it really means for us to be a comprehensive global research institution.”
Wrighton highlighted the university’s progress and current research in science, technology and the social sciences, including research programs in the state-of-the-art nanofabrication center, the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health and cybersecurity. He noted that in April GW will host an all-day forum on cybersecurity with corporate, academic and government leaders, featuring Hans Vestberg, the chair and CEO of Verizon, as keynote speaker.
As chair of the House Homeland Security Committee’s Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure, Garbarino expressed interest in having his staff working more closely with GW. “We would be interested in hearing not just what you’re doing but what more needs to be done…and what else we can be doing to help expand [the relationship],” he said. Tokuda said she appreciates GW’s Department of Defense and cybersecurity research because of its strategic importance to her state. “I hope it translates into jobs back home so our kids can come to GW,” she said, “have an education, go back home, and work and build a life and future for themselves there. We are a huge DOD location, strategically important in the region.”
Read a full recap from the Congressional Breakfast on GWToday
GW Serves DC 2022 Report
Dear Members of Our D.C. Community,
I am pleased to share with you the George Washington University’s second annual GW Serves D.C. Report. For centuries, the George Washington University and our students, faculty, staff and alumni have served the District in important and meaningful ways.
As the university embarks on its third century, we are committed to strengthening the invaluable partnerships we have established across all the District’s eight wards. These collaborations are guided by our deep commitment to serve our neighbors and communities—whether in work to address health disparities, including through the forthcoming Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center, GW Health; pandemic response and expertise; policy research and advocacy; innovation and entrepreneurship; or programming and scholarships for the next generation of District leaders.
Our partnerships are driven by our mission and the needs of the District, and they are rooted in our long-term commitment to finding creative and collaborative solutions. I look forward to the continued impact we will have together improving our home here in Washington, D.C.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership.
Sincerely yours,
Mark S. Wrighton
18th President of GW