The George Washington University NON-PROFIT ORG. Gelman Library, Office of Development U.S. POSTAGE 2130 H Street, NW FULTON, MO Washington, D.C. 20052 PERMIT# 38 Academic Commons CONNECTING STUDENTS TO SUCCESS “By integrating teaching, learning, and research services, GWLAI provides Welcome vital support at every point in the academic from the Dean of Libraries lifecycle.” and Academic Innovation RESEARCH • LIBRARY RESOURCES •METHODS • TECHNOLOGY our library is so vibrant!” I appreciate it when visitors to addition to our academic support services. Academic Commons “Y campus share this sentiment, something I’m hearing with connects students to the resources and services they need to TEACHING increasing frequency, because it shows that we’re truly a hub for succeed through a website and in-person concierge assistance. DEEPER AND the university community. We’re far more than just a building, An exciting development in our support for cutting-edge though. At GW Libraries and Academic Innovation (GWLAI), we’re research is the partnership between GWLAI, The New York Times, EXPLORATION LEARNING • CAREER • UNDERGRADUATE E • FACULTY the heart of students’ academic experience. and GW’s Program on Extremism to make the Islamic State (ISIS) • INTERNSHIP RESEARCH D SUPPORT By integrating teaching, learning, and research services, Files available to researchers worldwide. These documents, • GLOBAL • FELLOWSHIPS H U • INSTRUCTION GWLAI provides vital support at every point in the academic life collected directly after the fall of the “caliphate,” reveal the CITIZENRY C COUNSELING cycle. It starts with our traditional focus—research. More than day-to-day bureaucracy and revenue stream behind one of C • CURRICULUM R books and databases, GWLAI provides the tools and expertise history’s most deadly and well-organized terrorist groups. Working A DESIGN to discover new knowledge by using specialized software with translators and analysts, we will make these documents A and targeted research consultations. When faculty bring that available not just to scholars, but to all Iraqi citizens, especially to T E LAI I knowledge to class, we partner with them to design significant those people whose history they document. LIBRARIES AND O learning experiences for students through teaching and course At GWLAI, we provide students with the tools they need S E design support. In the classroom, whether online or on campus, for academic success, both inside and outside of the classroom. ACADEMIC N GWLAI ensures a modern learning environment with the right The philanthropic investment of our generous donors makes this R INNOVATION technology to engage students. When students are struggling, work possible. Your philanthropy is our bedrock, and your support they know that they can turn to GWLAI services to find help, helps GW students reach their academic goals. For that, I offer my along with a supportive place to acquire new skills in our extensive heartfelt thanks on behalf of the entire GW community. workshop program. Finally, as students translate their coursework into practical experience, we encourage deeper exploration by connecting them to undergraduate research opportunities. ACADEMIC In this issue, we highlight some of our most important SUPPORT LEARNING projects to support this full circle of the academic experience • PEER COACHING ENVIRONMENTS at GW. Academic Commons, a one-stop shop for academic Geneva Henry • WORKSHOPS & EVENTS • CLASSROOM DESIGN resources and services across the university, is the newest Dean of Libraries and Academic Innovation • RESEARCH • ONLINE LEARNING CONSULTATIONS • LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Photo: William Atkins/the George Washington University LAI.GWU.EDU/MAGAZINE | 1 Support Your Libraries Day GW LIBRARIES AND ACADEMIC INNOVAT ION WINTER 2019 Highlights the Impact of the Student Library Donation EXECUTIVEGW LIBRARIESEDITORS AND RobinAC Delaloye,ADEMIC INNO MAVA T‘06ION WINTER 2019 Tracy Sullivan, MA ‘02, MPA ‘15 hen students entered Gelman Library on April 25, 2018, On Support Your Libraries Day, library staff showed their EDITORS W they were surprised to see a sea of green flags attached to appreciation for student philanthropy by highlighting the wide- Quinn Baron, BA ‘14 chairs, study carrels, outlets, whiteboards, and many other items ranging impact of their gifts. Some students even shared on social Casey Weiss vital to the function of the libraries. Even the student employees media their reasons for contributing. CONTRIBUTORS checking out books were wearing green stickers. These 2,300 Amy Bulgrien @MsTyMiranda Leah Richardson flags indicated just some of the items that were directly funded by the Student Library Donation. Why am I opting in for @gelmanlibrary? Because weekly PHOTOGRAPHY Students don’t realize that many of the things they rely on meetings with @stemworksgw consultants have allowed me William Atkins Quinn Baron, BA ‘14 from their libraries—from small items, such as scanners and to learn software to increase my marketable skills in the job Abby Greenwalt new outlets, all the way to renovations that provide new study market. #StandUp #LibrariesRock Harrison Jones, CCAS ‘19 Judy Licht spaces—are funded through the generous donations of students Ivor Prickett themselves. Students came away from our first Support Your Libraries Day Logan Werlinger The Student Library Donation is a $50 opt-in gift to the libraries with a cookie and an appreciation for just how much their gifts DESIGN/ART made through the tuition bill. It is a crucial source of income for GW improve day-to-day life in the library as well as the recognition Bill Nelson Design Libraries and Academic Innovation (GWLAI) and provides funding that they can help shape their academic experience at GW by PRESIDENT OF THE for many important aspects of what makes GWLAI essential to the supporting the Student Library Donation. UNIVERSITY student academic experience. Thomas LeBlanc Green flags indicate just some of the items directly funded PROVOST AND EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT by the Student Library Donation on Support Your Libraries FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Day. (Photos by Judy Licht Photography) Forrest Maltzman DEAN OF LIBRARIES AND ACADEMIC INNOVATION Geneva Henry The George Washington University Libraries and Academic Innovation Office of Development 2130 H Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20052 (202) 994-8928 [email protected] Please send change of address notices to us online at alumni.gwu.edu/update-your-contact-info via email to [email protected] or by post to Alumni Records 2033 K Street, NW, Suite 310 Washington, D.C. 20037 Opinions expressed in these pages are those of individuals and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the university. LAI LEARNING ENVIRONMENT ACADEMIC SUPPORT 2 | VISION WINTER 2019 LAI.GWU.EDU/MAGAZINE | 3 Making college From Freshman to Fulbright with the Center for Undergraduate more affordable Fellowships and Research today and tomorrow s a high school student, Kara Zielinski, BA ’18, applied to opened more doors for Zielinski. She was accepted as a doctoral AGW with her eye on one thing: biophysics—the unique candidate at Cornell University, deferring for a year to return intersection of biology, physics, and calculus. GW is one of the to the Germany XFEL lab, this time with the US Department of few institutions offering the discipline as a bachelor’s degree. State’s Fulbright Program. Zielinski knew it was vital to obtain experience beyond the The Fulbright Program was not on Zielinski’s radar when she erhaps you remember the sticker first academic year, the Top Textbooks it for two of my classes last semester, and classroom, leading her to her first internship as a freshman. She applied for her first grant, but Hoyt-O’Connor could see several Pshock of walking into the bookstore program has helped students save it helped me save hundreds of dollars.” spent the summer with steps ahead. “They’ll just as a freshman and seeing the price of over $70,000. Another commented, “With the escalating researchers in Arizona show you a pathway and your biology or statistics prices of books, I think it’s studying disease-causing “To be at the beginning of [this research] was be happy to support you textbook. With five classes to absolutely necessary to have proteins with an x-ray exciting, and it’s going to be exciting now for on every step of that way,” consider, one $300 textbook Just in its first academic year, the such resources available for free-electron laser (XFEL), my whole career…” Zielinski said. can break the bank. In fact, the Top Textbooks program has helped students all students and especially one of the most powerful CUFR remained escalating price of textbooks save over $70,000. the ones, like me, who would sources of x-ray. Zielinski invaluable as Zielinski is a significant concern for have a hard time affording fell in love with the research and wanted to continue, so Arizona applied to the Fulbright Program and to doctoral programs. “I’m undergraduate students, all of their course materials.” researchers introduced her to colleagues at a similar research pretty sure I emailed Paul every single day [that] summer while many of whom struggle In addition to assisting center in Germany, who then accepted her for an internship I was working on everything. I Skyped with him multiple times. to afford the $1,200 current students, GWLAI the following summer. For I was working on three or nationwide-average cost is looking to facilitate Zielinski, there was just one four applications at the same of textbooks and supplies long-term change by last question to answer: “How time, and he was very helpful each year. advocating the use of open can I fund this?” in making sure I was pacing GW Libraries and educational resources, which Zielinski met with Dr. Paul myself on all of them.” Academic Innovation (GWLAI) are high-quality educational Hoyt-O’Connor, director of These experiences provided is committed to “providing materials available as no cost the Center for Undergraduate Zielinski opportunities to all GW students with access substitutes for traditional Fellowships and Research clarify her career path.