The end of the semester is rapidly approaching- papers, exams, presentations- yikes! Fortunately, for us UHPers, semester’s end also marks the arrival of the always-anticipated Student Faculty Dinner. Join us on Friday, December 7th from 5pm to 7pm at Chalin’s Chinese to gorge on Crab Rangoons and other delectable treats.
$5 tickets will be on sale beginning THIS Wednesday, 11/28, in the UHP Townhouse. That’s cheaper than Chipotle, even without the guac. For less than the cost of a burrito, you can enjoy mountains of Chinese food and stimulating conversation with your favorite students, faculty and staff of the UHP. It’s really a win-win situation. Tickets will be on sale until 4 PM on Friday, 12/7 – after that, you can purchase your ticket at the door at the event. We’ll see you there!
Category: Featured
Capitol Tour Rescheduled for Friday!
Are you interested in learning about the American presidents that came before George Washington? Do you want to see the infamous Room(s) Where It Happened? Do you dare to tread on the turf of Demon Cat and the ghosts of numerous political heavyweights? Would you like to learn the artistic techniques that give the Rotunda Frieze its striking three-dimensional effect? Do you wish to see the original draft of the Fourteenth Amendment with your own eyes? Then believe me when I tell you that you want to sign up for the upcoming Capitol tour with the UHP! Join Peer Advisor Kyla for a tour of the US Capitol on Friday, November 30!
We’ll be meeting at the Capitol Visitor Center at 12:45 PM. Make sure to arrive with time to pass through security.
Sign up here!
Announcement from Professor Frawley
Dear University Honors Program students,
I am writing to let you know that I will be stepping down from my position as Director of the University Honors Program at the end of this semester. I will have a single-semester sabbatical and then return to my position in the English Department in the Fall of 2019.
This was a difficult decision for me. As I explained to the Honors faculty and staff a few weeks ago, I want more time to spend with my research and writing. That, combined with the sense that the program will grow in beneficial ways with new leadership, made me think the time was right to step away. The Honors Program will be in great hands: Professor Ingrid Creppell, currently our Deputy Director, will move into an interim Director role for next semester, during which time the provost will likely determine who best can fill the position more permanently.
Engaging with you all—whether in class, in Honors events, or in informal conversation—has been the very best part of my experience as Director. I really mean that! I sincerely thank you all for helping to make my professional life so rewarding.
Maria Frawley
Spring 2019 Registration Guide
This is not a drill, people. Spring 2018 registration is upon us! But before you can register for next semester’s classes, you have some housekeeping to do. Find out how to get your holds removed and where to find the best courses for you next semester.
Registration Schedule
***Friday, November 9: Honors Freshmen and Sophomores (Privileged Registration)***
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November 12
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Monday |
90 or more hours (credits) earned
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November 13
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Tuesday |
70 or more hours (credits) earned
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November 14
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Wednesday |
50 or more hours (credits) earned
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November 15
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Thursday |
30 or more hours (credits) earned
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November 16
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Friday |
0 or more hours (credits) earned
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Registration is open from 7AM-12AM.
Upperclassmen, if you’re not sure when you register, you can check your earned credit hours in GWeb using the following path: Student Records & Registration Menu > Student Records Information Menu > Transcripts > View Unofficial Transcripts. Make sure you’re looking at overall hours earned for the accurate total!
Urgent Hold Information
Check your record via GWeb regarding holds prior to your scheduled registration time. Any hold on your account will prevent access to registration. You can view any holds on your account by looking at: Student Records & Registration Menu > Student Records Information Menu > View Administrative Holds.
Make sure to check now and again in the days lead up to registration. Check early, and check often! BADLY TIMED HOLDS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE. DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU:
Spring Registration Advising
All honors students are encouraged to see a Honors Program Manager before registration. Make sure you are prepared with a tentative course schedule using the Spring 2019 Schedule of Classes and Honors course descriptions. As new course information and revisions become available we will update the website. Please re-check the information on the Schedule of Classes and the Honors site before you register to ensure that you’re up-to-date!
Please use our wide selection of advising dates to your advantage – plan on meeting with an advisor at a time that is most practical given your registration date. Students may discuss registration through one of the following options:
- Attend an advising pizza party in the Honors Townhouse Club Room:
Monday, November 5th from 4 to 6 p.m.
Thursday, November 8th from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m (with bagels, not pizza!)
Friday, November 9th from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m - Make an appointment with Ben or Mary online at honorsprogram.gwu.edu/make-appointment.
Congrats to our SURE Award Winners!
Congratulations to the winners of the UHP SURE Award for spring 2019! Students who win the Sigelman Undergraduate Research Enhancement Award use the funds to further their own research under faculty supervision.
These UHPers will be sharing more about their research experiences soon, so keep an eye out to learn more about their work! Snaps for Kelsie Ehalt, Claire Houchen, Mark McKibbin, and Rachel Orey from everyone at the UHP!
Kelsie will investigate how class affected the ritual practices of exorcism and look into archaeological records for more concrete information about Iron Age social structures. She also hopes to create a connection between the ancient Mesopotamian conception of exorcism and later practices, from early Jewish tradition, to Medieval demonology, to the modern portrayals in films.
Since summer 2017, Claire has been working in the lab of Dr. Colin Young at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences, studying obesity and metabolic syndrome, with a brain-centric approach. Dr. Young’s lab has shown that “stressing” a certain region of the brain causes fatty liver disease in non-obese mice. This suggests that fatty liver disease may originate not in the liver but in the brain. This led to her current project, which focuses on female mice and fatty liver disease. The working hypothesis is that pre-menopausal female mice (and humans) are protected from fatty liver disease due to the role of estrogen in fat digestion (estrogen is primarily produced in the ovaries). Claire will use her SURE Award funds to present her work at the April 2019 Experimental Biology Conference in Orlando, Florida.
Mark’s research project looks at whether individuals are more likely to vote in elections when they believe their vote “matters.” A key part of political science is figuring out why people decide to vote, and what motivates people to vote. To date, research showing increased turnout associated with the idea that one’s vote “matters” has mainly focused on how the closeness of the race increases turnout. He’ll explore whether people are more likely to vote when they believe the person they vote for will actually be able to make an impact on political decisions that affect their lives.
Rachel’s research will focus on identifying the key factors that ameliorated the success of select smart cities in India, particularly focusing on how some city governments were able to overcome the barriers posed by weak institutions. Additionally, she will analyze cities that have been less successful in implementing the Smart Cities Mission to develop a more detailed understanding of what specific factors (beyond mere institutional weakness) inhibit comprehensive urban reform.
Undergraduate Research Workshop
Are you interested in learning more about the opportunities GW has to offer in undergraduate research? Have you though about getting involved with undergraduate research but are lost on how to go about doing that? Paul Hoyt O’Connor, Director of the Center for Undergraduate Fellowship and Research will be conducting a workshop on undergraduate research opportunities on Tuesday, October 23rd, from 5-6pm in the club room. Any student who is interested in learning more about undergraduate research opportunities at GW is welcome to attend!
October Small Group Meetings
Freshmen, you all are doing an AMAZING job on four year plans. Congratulations! As we wrap those up, it’s time to move on to the next advising beast: SPRING REGISTRATION! At October Small Group Meetings, we’ll answer burning questions such as:
- What is spring registration going to be like?
- How do I get rid of this registration hold on my account?
- Should I stay with my current Origins/Science faculty member or switch things up?
- Are college students still allowed to trick-or-treat?
- [Insert your non-personal, generalizable question about basically anything here]
Please RSVP for a small group meeting here. Small group meetings are first-come, first-served and they’re small (duh), so don’t procrastinate! We’ll be holding meetings on Foggy on:
- Monday, 10/22, 4-5 PM, District B118
- Tuesday, 10/23, 4-5 PM, District B118
- Wednesday, 10/24, 4-5 PM, District B118
- Thursday, 10/25, 4-5 PM, District B118
- Friday, 10/26, 10-11 AM, Marvin 407
- Friday, 10/26, 11-12 PM, Marvin 407
- Friday, 10/26, 1-2 PM, Marvin 407
- Friday, 10/26, 2-3 PM, Marvin 407
So SIGN UP NOW and we’ll see you soon! If the only meeting you can attend is full, please contact the UHP front office or email uhp@gwu.edu. If you cannot attend any of the meeting times, please schedule a one-on-one appointment with Ben or Mary here.
Take a Second Look at These Research Assistantships
Looking for ways to round out your fall semester? Interested in getting involved with research at GW? Take a second look at these research assistantships for the fall!
- Reducing the Stigma of Mental Illness and Neurodevelopmental Disorders with Prof. Grinker
- Modern Translatio Imperii with Prof. Britt
- History of Great Apes with Prof. Wood
- Sharing Economy with Prof. Liebrenz-Himes
- Cellular Phones and Inequality in Washington DC with Prof. Dent
- Knot Theory: Editing and Programming with Prof. Przytycki
- Virtual Environments and Workplaces with Prof. Behrend
- Leveraging Real Estate Education with Students’ Real-World Observations: A Diary Approach with Prof. Geurts
Honors Fall Hike *NEW DATE*
After being cancelled in anticipation of a hurricane (casual), the annual Honors Fall hike has been rescheduled!
On Sunday, October 14th, the Honors Program is hosting a $5 hike with your classmates, Prof. Ralkowski, and UHP staff, led by certified TRAiLS guide and peer advisor extraordinaire Rachel!. We’re going to Harpers Ferry, a historic town in West Virginia, complete with actors in historic garb and a big ole mountain to climb!
We’ll meet in the Foggy Bottom townhouse at 8:30 am, and the hike should last most of the day, returning to campus in the early evening. Whether you are a professional hiker or have never even scaled an escalator, come out, enjoy the fall sunshine, and get to know UHPers outside the classroom. We’ll provide lunch and guides, you provide insightful mountain talk and witty banter.
Sign up here by 10/11, and make sure to bring your $5 in cash to the Honors townhouse!
Win $500 with the SURE Award, Deadline 10/5
Did you know that Honors students have the opportunity to win up to $500 for their research? Apply for the UHP/Sigelman Undergraduate Research Enhancement (SURE) Award for your chance.
“Undergraduate Research Enhancement” may not sound the most exciting (well, to most people at least, but you are UHPers), but the funds can contribute to incredible research. Last year’s SURE Award winners used their winnings to study lasers and present their findings at a national conference and to research the influence of sports rhetoric on political campaigns. 
The application, which CLOSES 10/5, includes:
- Student Application Form
- Faculty Statement of Support
- Unofficial GW Transcript
Good Luck!
If you have any questions, reach out to Ben at benfaulkner@gwu.edu.
