The Science and Engineering Hall Opens, Launching a New Era of Scientific Inquiry and Discovery at GW

WOMEN IN WAR /// A PAINTER'S LIFE /// ANCIENT WINE THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE WINTER 2015 The Science and Engineering Hall opens, launching a new era of scientific inquiry and discovery at GW. 147234v1_WASWE_GWMagazinePrintAd_9x10.875_F.indd 1 11/7/14 10:59 AM CONTENTS GW MAGAZINE WINTER 2015 A MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS In South Sudan, Global Women’s Institute Director Mary Ellsberg (far right) met with International Rescue Committee workers to help plan a study of gender-based violence. [Features] [Departments] 32 / Research Capital 3 / Editor’s Note The Science and Engineering Hall is set to open to a mosaic of researchers—from biologists to 4 / Postmarks aerospace engineers—seeking common ground in pursuit of uncommon solutions. / By Lauren Ingeno / 7 / GW News / Philanthropy Update 40 / The Portrait Maker 56 Esteemed realist painter, teacher and “incurable people-watcher” Bradley Stevens, BA ’76, MFA ’79, 60 / Alumni News gives us a view behind the brushes. / By Bill Glovin, BA ’77 / 46 / Acts of War On the sidelines of the civil strife that has long embroiled the people of South Sudan, women and girls are in the crosshairs. / By Danny Freedman, BA ’01/ 50 / The Blank Canvas On the cover: In the remains of a 3,800-year-old palace, archaeologists seek clues about social, political and Photo illustration by COURTESY ELLSBERG MARY economic life in ancient Canaan. / By Lauren Ingeno / William Atkins, John McGlasson gwmagazine.com / 1 SIGN UP TO RECEIVE THE LATEST NEWS from GW Today via e-mail Be Informed Be Connected Be Notified gwtoday.gwu.edu FROM THE EDITOR managing editor Danny Freedman, BA ’01 assistant editor Ruth Steinhardt contributors Street-level windows aim GW Today staff: Keith Harriston (senior to invite onlookers into the managing editor), Brittney Dunkins, Science and Engineering Lauren Ingeno, James Irwin, Julyssa Hall’s three-story “high Lopez bay,” which will be used to test massive bridge beams, INTERN among other things. Rebecca Manikkam university photographer Jessica McConnell Burt photo editor A ‘Fair Trade’ Comes to Life William Atkins DEsIgN It’s hard to imagine now, but there was a time when I held the Science and GW Marketing & Creative Services Engineering Hall in my hands. art directors Dominic Abbate, BA ’09 Of course, it was maybe a foot tall and made of wood. But even then—before John McGlasson, BA ’00, MFA ’03 approval from the city, before the old parking garage came down and the cranes came up, before the fancy microscopes moved in, when it was just a model held up president of the university by glue and grand ideas—it still felt like something big. Steven Knapp vice president for external Five years later, it finally is. In fact, the whole operation has been enormous. relations Architects and engineers labored over the delicate nature of large-scale Lorraine Voles, BA ’81 construction in the middle of a city, bounded by residence halls, a busy associate vice president for thoroughfare and a subway stop. The building rose with the help of a crane so communications Sarah Gegenheimer Baldassaro large that another crane was needed to assemble it—and that crane was built with executive director for the help of a third crane. Hundreds of construction workers helped give shape to editorial services the building, as did hundreds of administrators, faculty members and staff. Rachel Muir While it soon will be occupied by a remarkably diverse array of scientists and GW Magazine (ISSN 2162-6464) engineers, and their work rightly shines in talk of the building, in the end this is published quarterly by the Division is a building for all of us. Its specialty labs, like the three-story “high bay” and of External Relations, the George the imaging suite, are GW-wide facilities that could spark creative endeavors Washington University, Rice Hall Suite 501, Washington, D.C. 20052. from other academic corners of the university. For students it will be a place Our phone number is 202-994-5709; fax to be exposed to new things, or simply a place to be—as one architect put it 202-994-5761; email [email protected]. back in December 2010, the building was conceived of as “a pathway and also PosTmaster Please send all a destination.” And the discoveries made within the building stand to benefit change-of-address notices to GW Magazine, GW Alumni Records Office, everyone in the GW community, whether you’re an alumnus, a staff member or a 2100 M St., NW, Suite 315, Washington, patient at the hospital. DC 20052. Notices can also be sent to us There are a lot of reasons to feel good about the building, and countless others at gwu.edu/~alumni/update, via email to [email protected], or 202-994-3569. we’ve yet to find out. But the most elegant I’ve heard is also the simplest. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, At a city zoning hearing in March 2011, where the university was making its D.C., and additional mailing offices. case for the building and the future it could bring, a neighborhood resident told Opinions expressed in these pages are those the commissioners that the Science and Engineering Hall was “a more than fair of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect official positions of the university. trade for a parking garage.” © 2014 The George Washington University It is learning where there was none, momentum where things only stood still. The George Washington University is an equal opportunity/affirmative Danny Freedman, BA ’01 action institution. WILLIAM ATKINS managing editor Volume 25, Issue 2 gwmagazine.com / 3 POSTMARKS A Smash Hit at Lisner I enjoyed your overview of seven decades of Lisner Auditorium (“Stage Presence”) in the fall issue. One major event you overlooked, however, was when Of all the big appearances at the Hulk nearly destroyed the Lisner over the years, perhaps building, as documented in the none has been as large—or May 1972 issue (#151) of The as berserk—as the Incredible Incredible Hulk. Hulk, who showed up at the As you can see in the auditorium in a 1972 comic book. newspaper ad in the second panel of the first page, Ant-Man was scheduled to appear at Lisner. When he failed to show, Bruce Banner became angry, [Spring 2015 Issue Preview] turned into the Hulk and nearly wrecked the auditorium. I'm glad they were able to repair and restore the building. ... And the Baby Makes Three Stuart Gorenstein, BA '74 For our spring issue, we’re opening time Magazine and online. (Submissions may be Guilderland, NY capsules from the day that sons and edited for space and clarity.) daughters became mothers and fathers, and we want to hear from you. Can’t-Miss Wednesdays Tender or funny, sweet or sad, we’re asking Send us your stories at magazine@ Reading Mary Dempsey’s article GW alumni to take us inside the day that gwu.edu or go to the Contact Us page on Lisner Auditorium in the fall it all changed—in 300 words or less—and on our website, magazine.gwu.edu. issue brought back such great we’ll publish some of the responses in GW times and memories of my days at GW. COURTESY MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT 4 / gw magazine / Winter 2015 There would be concerts on Voices: Lessons for Living at the [update] Wednesday evenings that cost $2 End of Life by Eric Lindner, and we never knew who would BBA ’81 (“Before Death, Lessons be performing. I recall seeing the for Life,” summer 2013). How Lettermen, and the place going I wish copies could be made crazy with dancing in the aisles available to every assisted living with the Four Tops. Perhaps the facility, hospital room and home best surprise of all was when the bedroom where an ill family curtain opened one Wednesday member lies, because the book evening and we were treated to is such a powerful testimony to Joe Cocker, on his “Mad Dogs hospice volunteers. and Englishmen” tour along with I had to learn about hospice some 20 musicians, including care the hard way, in dealing future greats Rita Coolidge and with my 93-year-old father who Leon Russell. suffered from dementia, heart Thanks and keep it coming! disease and myriad related When we profiledGW astrobiologist Pascale Ehrenfreund in Bernard J. Peters, BA ’68, illnesses while residing in an the spring 2014 issue (“Plenty of Space but no Room for Error”), MS ’73 acute care facility. When I excitement was budding anew for her and the other scientists Vero Beach, Fla. finally enlisted their services, working on the European Space Agency’s Rosetta mission. After the hospice volunteers kept reawakening Rosetta from a two-and-a-half-year, deep-space me informed and they kept hibernation last January, excitement reached a global fever It’s About Being Present, him comfortable and properly pitch in the fall as the Rosetta orbiter chased down the comet Not Presents medicated. When his last 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and, in a stunning first, landed a As a recent alumnus I am moments arrived, they facilitated probe, named Philae, on its surface. pleased to hear of the university’s long-distance calls whereby he Follow the latest from the mission at rosetta.esa.int. successful fundraising heard my voice, my goodbyes and campaign (“Making History, my declaration of love. One Experience at a Time”). I recently gave copies of [new addition] As an environmentalist I am Mr. Lindner’s book to each of overwhelmingly proud of this my dad's caregivers. What a issue’s article regarding GW’s wonderful gift he has given to us.

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