Hey, You Should Really Be in Honors!

December 12, 2017Featured, General News

If you’ve got friends that would make a good fit for the University Honors Program, be a friend to them and let them know about sophomore admission to the UHP! Some quick FAQs, as well as details about the application process, are below.

Freshmen in their second semester at GW are invited to apply to join the Honors Program. The deadline is Friday, January 26, 2018.

Students accepted will enter the program their sophomore year and jump-start with a specially designed course in fall 2018. If you’d like to be part of the University Honors Program, please apply!
If you’re already in the UHP — we know you’ve got friends that would be perfect for the UHP, so encourage them to apply!
More details below; find the application here.

Please come to an info session!
We’ll be holding information sessions for interested students to ask questions and hear from Honors advisors and current students! Join us on

Thursday, January 18 at 5pm
Friday, January 19 at 2pm

All sessions will be held in the Honors Program office at 714 21st Street NW. Just walk up the steps at the brick townhouse between Hall of Government and Lisner Auditorium.
When/where/how to apply?
Applications are available online. Complete it and return it to the UHP Office at 714 21st Street NW by 5pm on January 26, 2018.
What are the requirements to apply?
The specific application materials are described in the application. Second-semester freshmen with strong GPAs should apply — the UHP requires its students to maintain GPAs high enough so that it’s mathematically possible to graduate with a 3.0. Please note that student schedules must allow for the student to take HONR 2016 Enlightenment East & West in fall 2018.
When are decisions announced?
We’ll notify applicants this semester, before registration in March.

Apply to Be a Peer Advisor!

December 12, 2017Extracurricular Opportunity, Featured, General News, Student Peer Advisors

Honors Peer Advisors are an integral part of UHP advising, providing mentorship to new Honors students and providing a student perspective for the Honors community at large. They advise on honors experiences, classes, housing, and all the facets of life at GW as a Honors student.
Are you interested in applying to be an Honors Peer Advisor? Applications are now open!

Apply here if you’re applying as a new Honors Peer Advisors
Apply here if you’re applying as a returning Honors Peer Advisors
Apply here if you’re interested in a leadership position with the Honors Peer Advisors. Please note that leadership candidates should also fill out a regular application.

The application deadline is Monday, January 22. Please contact uhppeers@gwu.edu with questions regarding the application.

Fall 2017 Extended Study Hours in the Townhouse

November 30, 2017Featured, General News

Finals are fast approaching…

Need a place to study? Come by the Townhouse for extended study hours in the Club Room! We’ll have assorted snacks and coffee (aka “the essentials”) and an overall studying environment that can’t be beat!

Check out the full schedule below:
Monday, December 11th, 9am-10pm
Tuesday, December 12th, 9am-10pm (Townhouse closed for Student Faculty Dinner 4:30-7:15)
Wednesday, December 13th, 9am-10pm
Thursday, December 14th, 9am-10pm
Friday, December 12th, 9am-10pm
Saturday, December 16th, 12-10pm
Sunday, December 17th, 12-10pm
Monday, December 18th, 9am-10pm
Tuesday, December 19th, 9am-5pm
Wednesday, December 20th, 9am-5pm
Thursday, December 21th, 9am-5pm

Fall 2017 Student-Faculty Dinner

November 27, 2017Events, Featured, General News

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 Tuesday, December 12^thfrom 5pm to 7pm at Chalin’s Chinese to gorge on Crab Rangoons and other delectable treats.

Tickets will be on sale beginning THIS Wednesday, 11/29, in the UHP Townhouse, and they’re only $5. That’s cheaper than Chipotle, even without the guac. For less than the cost of a subpar “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 Tuesday, 12/12 – after that, you can purchase your ticket at the door at the event. We’ll see you there!

December Small Group Meetings

November 21, 2017Featured, General News

It’s round III of freshman small groups! These are the last sessions of the semester so you don’t want to miss it.
We’ll be discussing:

Time management/setting priorities
Research opportunities
Student feedback for courses
Upperclass Honors housing
And more!

As always, you can register online for the most convenient time. But do it now, you busy, busy people, because spots always fill up quickly. See you in the Club Room!

SIGN UP NOW!

Congratulations to the UHP SURE Award Winners!

November 21, 2017Competitions, Featured, General News

Congratulations to the winners of the UHP SURE Award for the spring 2018 semester! 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 toward the end of the spring semester, so keep an eye out to learn more about their work!

Casey Apicella, “Credit Culture in Cameroon: How Perceptions and Values Act as Barriers to Financial Inclusion and Credit Use in Cameroon,” international affairs
Hannah Corn, “An Examination of China’s Government Responsiveness to Internal Migration to Beijing,” international affairs
Noelle Creamer, “3D Printing for Sustainable Fashion,” costume design and technology
Hope Leone, “The Interplay of Values and Access for Relief International, OXFAM, the International Community of the Red Cross,” international affairs
Rohan Patil, “Microfluidics and the Future of the Emergency Department,” biophysics
Linda Ryan, “Site Specific, Website Specific: Translating Performance into Digital Spaces,” dance

Food for Thought w/ Prof. Kung

November 10, 2017Events, Featured, General News, Job/Internship Opportunity

Join us in the Club Room on Friday, November 17 from 12-1 PM for our third Food for Thought of the semester with Professor Kung, who will be giving a brief talk over catered lunch! Be sure to RSVP here to save your seat (and your lunch!). More information about Professor Kung’s discussion is below.

“Gravitational Waves, Colliding Neutron Stars, and Secrets in Science”

In August 2017, LIGO and Virgo observatories detected the first ever gravitational wave signal from the collision of two neutron stars. This event was quickly associated with electromagnetic radiation (light!) from a new source in a relatively nearby galaxy, NGC 4993. Rumors — and tweets — immediately began to fly through the astronomical community. But as more than 70 observatories watched the event and hundreds of papers were furiously drafted, the media and the general public was kept in the dark — even while the earlier detection of gravitational waves from colliding black holes won 3 scientists the Nobel Prize! In this talk, I’ll discuss what gravitational wave are and how they are detected, describe this exciting binary neutron star merger event, and discuss the reasons for, and ethics of, secrecy in modern science.

UHP Trivia Night

October 24, 2017Events, Featured, General News

Who was the legendary Benedictine monk who invented champagne? Which Shakespeare play features Shylock? What are the two top candy-producing companies in the U.S.?
That’s right, the UHP is hosting a trivia night!

What year was Finding Nemo released in theaters?

Join us on Friday, November 3rd for UHP trivia from 7-10 PM. We’re bringing in a professional trivia host and filling up Marvin 309 to give YOU the opportunity to show everyone how much stuff you know! I bet you know SO much stuff!

Except to which Icelandic city the volcano known as Eyjafjallajokull is closest.

Tables at the event will hold teams of up to 10. If you’re signing up with a team, each person will need to sign up individually – make sure you decide your team name before signing up! Single players or smaller teams should sign up and will be grouped together to form a full table. Snacks will be provided, as will prizes for the winning table! This event is alcohol free. This event will be capped at 100 students, so sign up sooner rather than later!

Sign up here by Wendesday, November 1st

"Ex Machina" Film Screening w/ Prof. Aviv

October 23, 2017Events, Featured, General News

Join Professor Aviv on Friday, 10/27 at 7 PM in the Club Room for a screening of Ex Machina followed by a brief discussion, titled:
Personhood and Artificial Intelligence in Ex Machina
Should we have moral obligations toward artificial intelligent humanoids? Progress in AI is already so advanced that some, like Stephen Hawking, warn that “the development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.” As the models we build become more and more like us, should we consider them persons? Do they have rights? These question and others animated the 2015 thrilling sci-fi Ex Machina directed by Alex Garland. The movie tells the story of Caleb Smith, a programmer in a software company who wins a contest to spend a week in a secluded resort working with the company CEO, Nathan Bateman. Nathan builds a humanoid robot named Ava and Caleb’s job is to find out whether the robot is capable of thoughts and consciousness. Nathan is also interested in whether Caleb can relate to Ava as a person. Sounds easy, but turns out that playing God is not that simple. Things get out of hand pretty quickly. After the movie we will have a discussion and snacks. Only humans this time, no robots are invited!
Sign up here: http://movienight2.youcanbook.me

Spring 2018 Registration Guide

October 23, 2017Featured, General News

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 10: Honors Freshmen and Sophomores (Privileged Registration)***

November 13	Monday	90 or more hours (credits) earned
November 14	Tuesday	70 or more hours (credits) earned
November 15	Wednesday	50 or more hours (credits) earned
November 16	Thursday	30 or more hours (credits) earned
November 17	Friday	0 or more hours (credits) earned

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 Officer before registration. Make sure you are prepared with a tentative course schedule using the Spring 2018 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 (and remove an advising hold, if applicable) by one of the following options:

Attend an advising pizza party in the Honors Townhouse Club Room:
Friday, November 3rd from 12 to 2 p.m.
Tuesday, November 7th from 4 to 6 p.m
Thursday, November 9th from 4 to 6 p.m
Make an appointment with Mary online at honorsprogram.gwu.edu/make-appointment.