Identifying GW’s Institutional Priorities
During the spring 2024 semester, the university held a series of community-wide, future-focused conversations. These discussions aimed to deepen our understanding of the future that GW is preparing for, including topics such as the future of the workforce, higher education, and knowledge. These conversations highlighted four recurring themes among the constituencies:
- Advancing Impactful Knowledge Production Through Interdisciplinary Excellence
- Reimagining Skill Development for the Future
- Redefining Authentic Leadership for Modern Challenges
- Turning Ideas into Action as a Premier Global Convener
Institutional Priorities:
In the fall of 2024, the GW Innovation Committee gathered additional input from the GW community through various means, including opportunities to submit idea briefs, community town halls, and informal dialogues about strategic opportunities aligned with these themes. This process resulted in three clear institutional priorities that will drive GW’s future success. This effort aimed to bring the themes to life and set them within a framework that prioritizes research, educational, and operational excellence.
Generate Scholarship with Impact:
This priority builds on thematic core elements one and four, establishing a distinctive role for GW in addressing some of society's pressing challenges, including climate change, artificial intelligence, and the preservation of democracy. GW boasts a remarkable legacy of disciplinary scholarship that produces real-world impact. Now, in our third century, our traditional strengths in policy, politics, international affairs, and law can combine with emerging strengths in science, health, and engineering, enabling us to tackle these issues in innovative and creative ways. Additionally, our unique location in Washington, D.C., positions us to be a premier convener for critical conversations that enhance the impact of basic research by applying it to develop sound policy and legislation.
Prepare Students to Be Strong and Resilient Leaders:
This priority embraces thematic core elements one, two, and three. We will leverage the expertise of GW’s faculty and staff to ensure that GW students graduate at rates equal to the nation’s top universities. This means a fully inclusive environment that provides every student with the access, support, and opportunity they need to pursue a rich interdisciplinary education that leverages the unique opportunities inherent in our location and connections, equipping them with essential skills as well as the practical and social experiences needed for success.
Strengthen Our Foundation for Excellence:
To achieve this ambitious agenda, GW must improve how we operate as a university. We will strengthen our community by building and maintaining a culture of excellence that focuses on impact and results, providing opportunities for members of our community to inform decision-making and cultivating an organizational culture characterized by collaboration, openness, and innovation.
The Steering Committee
- President Granberg's Charge to the Steering Committee
October 2, 2025
The committee is charged with receiving and reviewing interim updates on the initiatives and implementation efforts launched as part of Phase One, and ensuring these efforts remain aligned with institutional priorities and responsive to an evolving environment. The committee will also monitor progress toward the framework’s primary outcomes of expanding the research enterprise and improving student success.
In addition, the committee is charged with designing a process to source and evaluate proposals for Phase Two implementation. This process will ensure that the next round of framework activity is again shaped by broad community engagement, responsive to external conditions and budget developments, and positioned to advance GW’s key priorities and goals.
Steering Committee Members
- Alyssa Ayres, Dean, Elliott School of International Affairs
- Edward J. Balleisen, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs; Professor of History
- Kelley Bishop, Associate Vice President for Career Services
- Dayna Bowen Matthew, Dean, GW Law
- Jeffrey Brand, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Affairs and Special Programs
- Colette Coleman, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students
- Evie J. Downie, Interim Vice President for Research
- Bruno Fernandes, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
- Jay Goff, Vice President and Dean of Enrollment Management and Student Success
- John Lach, Dean, School of Engineering and Applied Science
- Scott M. Mory, Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff
- Terry Murphy, Deputy Provost for Academic Affairs
- Guillermo Orti, Department Chair and Louis Weintraub Professor of Biology; Chair of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee
- Zoe Szajnfarber, Special Advisor to the (GW) President and Provost on AI; Professor, Engineering Management and Systems Engineering
- David Unruh, Vice President, University Advancement
- Paul Wahlbeck, Dean, Columbian College of Arts and Sciences
- Julie Zito, Associate Vice President for Marketing and Interim Co-Lead, Office of Communications and Marketing
