2020-2021 Annual Report

 

A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN

 

At the George Washington University School of Business (GWSB), we embrace excellence in business education and research. We teach innovation while living its lessons. And we advance a social mission with impact.  
 

For the second year in a row, GWSB captured top rankings among business schools around the world. At the same time, our award-winning faculty generated research that was spotlighted in both premier academic journals and consumer publications. That scholarship propelled urgent areas of policymaking, including post-pandemic racial inequities, gender equality, bias in artificial intelligence, and organizational leadership during crises.

 

Read the Dean's Message

 

 

Dean Anuj Mehrotra

 

 

 

"

 

The GW School of Business sits at a nexus for business and government that is also a hub of the international financial network, a center for national and global leadership, and a testing ground for new ideas and ingenuity.

Anuj Mehrotra
Dean

 

 

 

By the Numbers

 

#1

#1 International Business among U.S. institutions (#2 worldwide) for the second year in a row
Financial Times Global Top 100 MBA (Full-time MBA programs) Ranking 2021

#1

#1 Women in MBA Programs among U.S. institutions and #3 worldwide (both positions are tied)
Financial Times Global Top 100 MBA (Full-time MBA programs) Ranking 2021

#2

#2 Masters in Finance among U.S. institutions (#47 worldwide) for Pre-experience Programs
Financial Times Ranking 2021

 

 

New Initiatives

 

 

handshake

 

Grants for Graduates

 

shield

 

Department of Homeland Security: Center of Excellence

 

cyber

 

6th MBA program: MBA Security Technology Transition

 

lightbulb

 

ELEVATE program partnership with CNHED

 

 

 

 

ENGAGING THE WORLD FROM THE NATION'S CAPITAL

 

The study and understanding of international business sit at the heart of the GW School of Business, which is ranked No. 1 for international business among U.S. institutions and No. 2 worldwide for its Global MBA program. Students seek out the school for its experiential learning requirements, its faculty from around the world, and its nearly 55,000-alumni network that spans the globe.

The school’s home in a global capital city also proved important. The pandemic was a disruptor, yet it also offered unprecedented front-line opportunities to deepen understanding of global business. Our students learned — in real time — how national industries, multinational corporations, and international supply chains adapted to fast-changing conditions, including border shutdowns and shipping and manufacturing turmoil.

GWSB's deeply entrenched connections to international development banks and institutions, the U.S. Department of State and other government agencies focused on world issues, foreign embassies, and international think tanks have enabled the school to continue its momentum as a place where business education is viewed through a global lens.

 

Learn How We're Engaging the World

 

 

 

Liesl Riddle

 

 

 

"

 

“Our faculty hail from more than 19 countries and have worked for organizations that impact the future of business globally, like the World Bank, the IMF, the United Nations, and the U.S. Department of State, as well as global corporations and consulting firms. Our faculty members teach from their own global experience.”

Liesl Riddle
Associate Dean of Graduate Programs and Associate Professor of International Business and International Affairs

 

 

GWSB Shows that Green Means Go

The GW School of Business unveiled a multidisciplinary sustainable energy solutions course with the Elliott School of International Affairs and funding from Sustainable GW and Duke Energy. Recent endeavors include assisting Swedish clean technology companies in bringing their products to the U.S. market. The course, in collaboration with the GW School of Engineering and Applied Science, builds engineering students’ understanding of international business and business students’ knowledge of sustainable energy.    

 

solar panels on the roof of a GW building

 

 

 

 

Meet Our Global Academic Partners

 

GWSB's 20+ academic exchange partners truly span the globe, exchanging expertise, opportunities and more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

 

With companies requiring diverse and inclusive executive teams to ramp up their competitiveness, the GW School of Business has continued its robust response. GWSB outpaces every business school in the country when it comes to women seeking Global MBAs; has recently appointed a chief diversity officer to accelerate the school’s recruitment of Black, Hispanic, and other underrepresented students, staff, and faculty; and produces a steady slate of organized roundtables, seminars, and public discussions that bring new voices forward.

With a coalition of stakeholders, including the Dean’s Diversity Council, GWSB has developed several inclusion benchmarks and actions. Over the next few years, the school plans to include an inventory of diversity and equity-related content in the curriculum and help faculty incorporate relevant material into their coursework; and feature equity and inclusion workshops every semester and cosponsor equity-linked events. The school will also form a task force to (among other initiatives) examine faculty and staff recruitment and hiring, plus student admissions processes, necessary for building a more equitable and inclusive community.

 

Read More About How We Champion Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

 

 

 

Leo Moersen

 

 

 

"

 

“Diversity and inclusion aren’t a strategy. They are more fundamental than that. They are a value at the School of Business.”

Leo Moersen
Professor of Accountancy and Business Law and GWSB’s Chief Diversity Officer  

 

 

Women: Leading By Example

The GW School of Business saw an extraordinary achievement this year: women made up 57 percent of the Global MBA enrollment and more than half of the combined enrollment across all GWSB graduate programs. This milestone was reached not only by leveraging our degree programs, stackable certificates, and co-curricular initiatives, but also by leading by example: Half the school’s associate deans and a third of its research center directors are women, including Professor Susan Kulp, the MBA program director. Additionally, women serve on GWSB’s Board of Advisors and the Corporate Council, lead many of the school’s student organizations, and find wide representation among the George Talks Business interviews, with 68 percent featuring women in leadership roles.

 

Mayor Bowser at George Talks Business

 

 

 

 

 

chief diversity officer

 

Appointment of first Chief Diversity Officer for GWSB

 

partner

 

New Graduate Partner for the Posse Fellowship

 

group

 

9 student groups devoted to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

 

68%

 

9 George Talks Business interviews focused on equity in technology

 

 

 

 

Full-time MBA Program was 57% women

 

 

All graduate program enrollment is more than 50% women

 

 

68% of George Talks Business guests were women

 

 

 

Juneteenth Freedom Day graphic

 

The Black MBA Association hosted “The Joy of Juneteenth” and partnered with the Dean’s Diversity Council to host the event

 

Student sitting at a laptop

 

Digital Accessibility was featured through conversations with Microsoft on both George Talks Business and the GWSB Proud Podcast 

 

 

 

 

THE IMPACT OF SCHOLARLY RESEARCH

 

As GWSB research routinely garners the attention of media around the globe and keeps the school well represented in premier research journals, faculty members continued to deepen the school’s reputation for international business research while also pioneering new work and emerging scholarship — much of which touched on issues unfolding in real time and carries far-reaching implications for policymakers and social impact alike. 

 

Read More About Scholarly Research

 

 

 

Dean Anuj Mehrotra

 

 

 

"

 

“Our faculty members inspire and engage students while deepening compelling research. The GW School of Business continues to shine in pioneering research, in thought leadership, and in research articles, case studies, and commentary featured in preeminent academic journals.”

Anuj Mehrotra
Dean

 


 

Rates of Interest Remain High in GWSB’s Research

This past year alone, GWSB’s thought leadership produced acclaimed, groundbreaking work that is advancing our understanding of the business world. Here are just some of the examples:

 

 

Family outside of a home

 

Vanessa Perry, associate dean for faculty and research and professor of marketing for the George Washington University School of Business, was the primary author for a groundbreaking report on Black home ownership and barriers to home-owning. Her research also addressed intergenerational wealth building and home-buying during COVID-19. 

 

 

Annamaria Lusardi at a podium

 

University Professor Annamaria Lusardi and the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center (GFLEC), which she leads, were recognized as one of Barron's top three Financial Empowerment initiatives of 2020. This past year they were recognized for their series of reports on—among other topics—the financial literacy fragility of women, Blacks, and Hispanics and the implications of that vulnerability during the pandemic as well as publishing a high-profile Fearless Woman study on why women shy away from stock market investment.

 

Art from transgender employee experience

 

Katina Sawyer, assistant professor of management, conducted prominent work on inclusion in transgender employee experiences. GWSB research also advanced our understanding on how COVID-19, natural disasters, political upheaval, terrorist attacks, and other shocks impact business; published work in the Harvard Business Review on the hidden benefit of long work commutes; and much more.

 

 

Awards & Recognition

GW School of Business faculty received more than 70 awards in the 2020-21 academic year. Some of the organizations providing the awards included:

  • Academy of International Business
  • Academy of Management
  • Academy of Management, International Management Division
  • Aids Cancer Specimen Resource
  • American Accounting Association Government and Nonprofit Section annual meeting Best Paper award
  • Association of Information Systems
  • Conference on Health IT and Analytics
  • Decision Analysis Journal
  • Delta Sigma Pi - Xi Rho Chapter
  • Duke Energy Innovation Fund Research
  • Hawaii Accounting Research Conference
  • Honey Nashman Spark a Life Award for Faculty Member of the Year
  • Institute of International Education
  • International Conference on Information Systems
  • International Finance and Trade Association
  • International Journal of Research in Marketing
  • Journal of Business and Psychology
  • Journal of Organizational Behavior
  • Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science
  • Management Research, Journal of the Iberoamerican Academy of Management
  • National Science Foundation
  • PCMA Foundation
  • Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology
  • Strategic Management Journal
Grants

Accountancy

  • FINRA Investor Education Foundation
  • TIAA Institute
  • Retirement Income Institute/The Alliance for Lifetime Income

Decision Sciences

  • Duke University Innovation Fund
  • GW University Cross Disciplinary Research Fund
  • GW University Facilitating Fund
  • IBM Center for the Business of the Government
  • National Science Foundation
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
  • U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research
  • U.S. Department of Energy
  • U.S. Office of Naval Research

Finance

  • National Science Foundation
  • Senay Agca

Information Systems & Technology Management

  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  • U.S. Department of the Navy

International Business

  • COVID-19 Research Fund
  • Duke Energy Innovation Grant
  • U.S. Fulbright Research Scholarship Award

Management

  • 2020 Tour of Utah Cycling Race
  • BNP Paribas Tennis Tournament
  • Federation International Football Association (FIFA)
  • Global Esport Federation
  • International Olympic Committee
  • Laureus Foundation
  • Prince Faisal Bin Fahad Award for Sports Research
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Science Foundation
  • Russell Sage Foundation
  • Wasserman The Collective

Marketing

  • Henry Luce Foundation
  • National Science Foundation
  • Russell Sage Foundation

Strategic Management & Public Policy

  • National Science Foundation
  • NVivo
  • PVH Corporation Global Thought Leadership Grant
Invited Presentations

GW School of Business faculty were invited to present their research and insight at a number of conferences and institutions, including:

  • Academy of Management, Management and Education Division
  • Annual meeting of the Human Resources Association of Argentina
  • Beyond Sport
  • Brunel Business School, Brunel University London, United Kingdom
  • Central Bank of Uganda
  • Columbia University's Center for Global Governance
  • Concordia University, Canada
  • D.C. Public Schools Academy of Hospitality and Tourism
  • Eye Bank Association of America Annual Meeting
  • Fox School of Business, Temple University
  • Global Corporate Social Responsibility Summit
  • Global Law & Business Podcast
  • Goizueta School of Business, Emory University
  • Harvard Graduate School of Education. Learning Innovations Lab.
  • Health Communication Volunteer Corps
  • Hebrew University of Jerusalem
  • INFORMS Annual Meeting
  • International Federation of Scholarly Associations of Management, London, United Kingdom
  • IPADE Business School, Mexico City
  • Kogod School of Business, American University, Washington, DC
  • London Business School
  • LSE/Oxford Korea Association
  • Met-Life
  • MIS Research Seminar, Fox School of Business, Temple University
  • MIS Research Seminar, Sheldon B. Lubar School of Business, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
  • Olin Business School, Washington University.
  • Open World Ukraine Group
  • Regional Leadership Development Program
  • Responsible Research in Business and Management (RRBM)
  • Shanghai University of Finance and Economics
  • Society for Institutional & Organizational Economics
  • Suliman Olayan School of Business, American University of Beirut
  • SWEA: Swedish Women's Education Association
  • Swedish-American Cultural Union
  • United Kingdom’s Chartered Association of Business Schools, London, United Kingdom
  • United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship
  • Universidade Nove de Julho, São Paulo, Brazil
  • USA Cycling
  • Webinar Series on Sustainable Cocoa Supply Chains
  • Welcoa
  • World Sport Philanthropy Congress
Media Contributions

GW School of Business faculty provided expertise on contemporary issues in top media outlets across the U.S. and around the world, including:

  • ABC News Radio
  • Agence France Presse
  • Business News Daily
  • CNBC
  • CNN
  • CNN Money
  • Computer Weekly
  • EGYNews/Egypt National TV
  • Financial Times
  • Forbes
  • Los Angeles Times
  • Marketplace
  • New York Times 
  • Planet Forward
  • Salon
  • Slate
  • Wall Street Journal 
  • Washington Post
  • Washington Times
Publications

GW School of Business faculty provided expertise and insights through new books published between July 2020 and July 2021, including:

Accountancy

Susan L. Kulp, Amie L. Dragoo, Al L. Hartgraves, Wayne J. Morse (2021), Managerial Accounting, Cambridge Business Publishers.

Decision Sciences

Darnell, Dan, Rafael Coss, and Patrick Hall (2020), The Future of Analytics: The New Landscape of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Applications, O'Reilly Media.

Patrick Hall, Navdeep Gill, and Benjamin Cox (2020), Responsible Machine Learning: Actionable Strategies for Mitigating Risks and Driving Adoption, O'Reilly Media.

Finance

Annamaria Lusardi and Olivia S. Mitchell (2020), Remaking Retirement. Debt in an Aging Economy, Oxford University Press.

Rose Neng Lai and Robert Van Order (2021), When Housing Markets Meet Shadow Banking: Housing Bubbles Mortgage Markets and Securitization, World Scientific Publishing (Singapore).

International Business

John D. Daniels, Lee H. Radebaugh, Daniel P. Sullivan, and Reid W. Click (2021), International Business: Environments and Operations, 17th Edition, Pearson.

Management

Herman Aguinis (2020), Performance Management, 4th edition (Chinese translation), China Renmin University Press.

A.B. Kayes and D.C. Kayes (2021), Judgment and Leadership: A multidisciplinary approach to concepts, practice and development, Edward Elgar.

2021 Faculty Teaching Awards

Outstanding Undergraduate Faculty Awards
Helet Botha, Visiting Assistant Professor, Strategic Management & Public Policy
Chad Ho, Associate Professor of Information Systems and Technology Management
Oded Rozenbaum, Assistant Professor of Accountancy
Jorge Walter, Professor of Strategic Management and Public Policy

Peter Vaill Doctoral Faculty Award
Angela Gore, Professor of Accountancy

Outstanding Master of Accountancy Faculty Award
Colin Linsley, Teaching Professor of Accountancy

Outstanding Accelerated Master of Business Administration Faculty Award
Kyle Welch, Assistant Professor of Accountancy

Outstanding Global Master of Business Administration Faculty Award
Gastón de los Reyes, Jr., Assistant Professor of Strategic Management and Public Policy

Outstanding Online & Healthcare Master of Business Administration Faculty Award
Ayman El Tarabishy, Deputy Chair of the Department of Management, Teaching Professor of Management, Faculty Deputy Director for Master’s in Human Resource Management

Outstanding Master of Human Resource Management Faculty Award
Margaret Ormiston, Associate Professor of Management

Outstanding Master of Interdisciplinary Business Studies Faculty Award
N. Andrew Cohen, Visiting Assistant Professor of Management

Outstanding Master in Management Faculty Award
David Halliday, Teaching Assistant Professor

Outstanding MS Business Analytics Faculty Award
Refik Soyer, Mitch Blaser Distinguished Scholar in Business Analytics, Director of the Institute for Integrating Statistics in Decision Sciences, Professor of Decision Sciences & Statistics

Master of Science in Finance Teaching Excellence Award, China Renmin Program
William C. Handorf, Professor of Finance

Master of Science in Finance Teaching Excellence Award, D.C. Program
George M. Jabbour, Associate Dean for Executive Education, Program Director for the Master of Science in Finance, Professor of Finance

Outstanding Master of Science in Government Contracts Faculty Award
Jessica Tillipman, Assistant Dean for Government Procurement of Law Studies, Government Contracts Advisory Council, Professorial Lecturer in Government Contracts Law, Practice & Policy

Outstanding Information Systems & Technology Management Achievement Faculty Award
Yixin Lu, Assistant Professor of Information Systems & Technology Management

Outstanding Master of Science in International Business Faculty Award
Danny Leipziger, Managing Director of The Growth Dialogue, Professor of Practice of International Business

Outstanding Master of Science in Project Management Faculty Award
Sanjay Jain, Associate Industry Professor of Decision Sciences

Outstanding Master of Science in Sport Management Faculty Award
Ellen M. Zavian, Professorial Lecturer in Law

Outstanding Master of Tourism Administration Faculty Award
Cevat Tosun, Director of MTA Program, Eisenhower Chair and Professor of Tourism Studies and Management

Outstanding Undergraduate Faculty Awards
Helet Botha, Visiting Assistant Professor, Strategic Management & Public Policy
Chad Ho, Associate Professor of Information Systems and Technology Management
Oded Rozenbaum, Assistant Professor of Accountancy
Jorge Walter, Professor of Strategic Management and Public Policy

Peter Vaill Doctoral Faculty Award
Angela Gore, Professor of Accountancy

Outstanding Master of Accountancy Faculty Award
Colin Linsley, Teaching Professor of Accountancy

Outstanding Accelerated Master of Business Administration Faculty Award
Kyle Welch, Assistant Professor of Accountancy

Outstanding Global Master of Business Administration Faculty Award
Gastón de los Reyes, Jr., Assistant Professor of Strategic Management and Public Policy

Outstanding Online & Healthcare Master of Business Administration Faculty Award
Ayman El Tarabishy, Deputy Chair of the Department of Management, Teaching Professor of Management, Faculty Deputy Director for Master’s in Human Resource Management

Outstanding Master of Human Resource Management Faculty Award
Margaret Ormiston, Associate Professor of Management

Outstanding Master of Interdisciplinary Business Studies Faculty Award
N. Andrew Cohen, Visiting Assistant Professor of Management

Outstanding Master in Management Faculty Award
David Halliday, Teaching Assistant Professor

Outstanding MS Business Analytics Faculty Award
Refik Soyer, Mitch Blaser Distinguished Scholar in Business Analytics, Director of the Institute for Integrating Statistics in Decision Sciences, Professor of Decision Sciences & Statistics

Master of Science in Finance Teaching Excellence Award, China Renmin Program
William C. Handorf, Professor of Finance

Master of Science in Finance Teaching Excellence Award, D.C. Program
George M. Jabbour, Associate Dean for Executive Education, Program Director for the Master of Science in Finance, Professor of Finance

Outstanding Master of Science in Government Contracts Faculty Award
Jessica Tillipman, Assistant Dean for Government Procurement of Law Studies, Government Contracts Advisory Council, Professorial Lecturer in Government Contracts Law, Practice & Policy

Outstanding Information Systems & Technology Management Achievement Faculty Award
Yixin Lu, Assistant Professor of Information Systems & Technology Management

Outstanding Master of Science in International Business Faculty Award
Danny Leipziger, Managing Director of The Growth Dialogue, Professor of Practice of International Business

Outstanding Master of Science in Project Management Faculty Award
Sanjay Jain, Associate Industry Professor of Decision Sciences

Outstanding Master of Science in Sport Management Faculty Award
Ellen M. Zavian, Professorial Lecturer in Law

Outstanding Master of Tourism Administration Faculty Award
Cevat Tosun, Director of MTA Program, Eisenhower Chair and Professor of Tourism Studies and Management

 

 

RE-IMAGINING BUSINESS EDUCATION

 

The GW School of Business built its infrastructure for resiliency. More than four years ago, the school took the design of its online MBA program in house. In 2019, it began offering certificates via virtual platforms. Moreover, the school had revamped its 24 graduate certificates as stand-alone or as credentials stacked atop degrees, and 10 certificate programs were taught online even before the pandemic. In other forward-looking changes, the Fall 2020 semester saw the launch of a STEM designation for students in the Global MBA and Accelerated MBA programs, which was developed based on feedback from students and from employers seeking job candidates with advanced knowledge of business management through technology.  

These investments in curriculum development, instructional design and the school’s experience in online learning, in handling virtual exams, and in maintaining academic integrity on e-platforms continues to pay off post-pandemic.

 

See How Innovation Drives Us

 

 

Susan Copp

 

 

 

"

 

“We are a global classroom, and the technology needs in one country may differ from the technology needs in another country. We also had to consider time differences around the world and how we could support students that might need help at, say 2:00 a.m. our time. We made it accessible to all students and familiar to all students and faculty. When they went from one course to another, the syllabi were online, everything looked similar and familiar.”

Susan Copp
Director, Office of Instructional Design

 

 

 

Beyond the Digital Classroom 

New Venture Competition: Student teams from the GW School of Business claimed some of the top prizes at the 2021 New Venture Competition, the third-largest collegiate entrepreneurship competition in the country. These ideas included contact-less policing at traffic stops, the commercialization of global spices, vegan substitutes for seafood, hydroponic farming in Cambodia, and an innovative cancer center in Ethiopia.

Business Concept Competitions:  The 14th Annual Pitch George Competition — one of the university’s premier entrepreneurial initiatives — was held virtually for the first time, allowing young entrepreneurs to present business ideas and win startup capital across three tiers of recognition.  

 

New Venture Competition winners

 

 

 

 

2021 RANKINGS:
Best Online MBA Programs

 

 

 

U.S. News & World Report Program Rankings

 

 

 

 

 

ENRICHING OUR STUDENT EXPERIENCE

 

A GW School of Business education encompasses a deep field of activities and interactions that enable students to experience the global business environment, forge valuable connections, explore career areas, and gain leadership experience. To sidestep pandemic barriers that undermined student interactions, students and the school expanded technology, intensified services, facilitated closer faculty-student interactions, connected with alumni who set up virtual consultancies with overseas companies, and more.

Some faculty found that teaching through online platforms intensified their interactions with students and helped them better understand competing pressures in students’ lives. Student advisors also helped the academic leadership think about student engagement. And, in ways that were not expected, students themselves stepped forward to enhance the student experience.

 

Read More About the Student Experience at GWSB

 

 

 

 

Shivraj Kanungo

 

 

 

"

 

“I think for student leaders, a wonderful learning opportunity presented itself about how to motivate your peers and others around you during the most difficult of times.”

Shivraj Kanungo
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Associate Professor of Decision Sciences

 

 

Stock Pitch: Learning With Real Money

Part of the learning experience for finance students is to research specific industry sectors and companies and then make a recommendation — a stock pitch — to their classmates. In the 2020–2021 academic year, $7.6 million worth of endowment capital was invested based on the student recommendations. Because of the pandemic, the year also saw students learning in real time how to engage with a roller coaster stock market.

The GW Investment Institute serves as a laboratory where graduate and undergraduate students in finance apply what they have learned to real investments. While some other business schools have similar programs, the GW School of Business is among the top 20 nationally when measured by the level of assets managed by students. (The Financial Times puts our master’s program in finance at No. 2 in the country.) The funds invested by the students are part of the university’s endowment capital but are held and managed separately.

Rodney Lake, director of the GW Investment Institute, said the students’ recent stock picks outperformed the S&P 500.

graph depicting stock market fluctuations

 

 

 

 

GWSB-Affiliated Student Organizations

In addition to the student organizations linked to the School of Business, the university overall has more than 400 student organizations.

School of Business Undergraduate Student Organizations
School of Business Graduate Student Organizations

 

 

 

 

FORGING CAREER PATHS FOR FUTURE TRAILBLAZERS

 

Even with the challenges facing businesses, the school managed to maintain its landing rates — or how many job-seeking graduates become employed within a specific time frame — of 87 percent for graduate students and 88 percent for undergraduates. Recruiters that previously bypassed GW became connected to the school through virtual technology. There were more job coaching sessions, more frequent, larger and more diverse industry panels.

And Global MBA interactions with the career center rose. A record number of industry mentors and employers stepped forward. And the career center’s signature Communities of Practice — the rigorous no-credit program offering skill training, immersive experiences, and mentoring to equip graduate students for success in consulting careers — saw a dramatic jump in participation.

 

Read About How We're Committed to Career Development

 

 

 

Milinda Balthrop

 

 

 

"

 

“We had many new mentors step forward this year. I believe it’s because the pandemic, as challenging as it’s been, has put more emphasis on really connecting with people, helping, providing support, having more meaning to your work and life.”

Milinda Balthrop
Associate Program Director of the Communities of Practice at the F. David Fowler Career Center

 

 

The Importance of Mentors

Mentoring is one of the most powerful tools for making students market ready. Although the pandemic precluded in-person contact, alumni mentors from more than 25 top companies and firms stepped forward in record numbers across all the career center’s programs.

  • Alumni mentors working with the Communities of Practice helped with skills training workshops, one-on-one career discussions with students, and networking and panel events. They also facilitated pro bono project sponsorship.
  • Mentors committed to two to four hours a semester working with students. Among other things, they provided feedback on student resumes and pitches.
  • Following social media outreach in Spring 2021, the career center welcomed more than 40 new mentors.

 

Two people talking in an office

 

 

 

Communities of Practice Makes Experience Perfect


In the 2020-2021 academic year, diversity and sustainability were the focus of Communities of Practice pro bono projects. In particular, students expressed greater interest in working with Black and minority-owned businesses, with projects that involved AI and social justice issues, and with consultancies focused on environmental stewardship. Here are some of the pro bono projects: 

 

ivow logo

 

Students examined ways IVOW, which seeks to encode cultural intelligence in AI, could position itself in the market in a bid to eliminate bias from public datasets.

 

 

soul mega logo

 

Students explored how DC-based, Black-owned craft beer company Soul Mega could increase its brand recognition and expand its market position.

 

 

 

 

THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIP

 

Collaboration is essential to the success of the GW School of Business. Partnerships are enhancing the school’s reputation, expanding its academic offerings, heightening its student experience, and strengthening its social impact. Relationships spread across a spectrum that touches government, the D.C. community, and private sector entities, nonprofits, and universities all around the world enable GWSB students to engage in high-quality experiential learning projects with global companies, to make a real impact, and to garner in-the-field experience that gives them an edge when entering the workforce.

Since 2006, GWSB has hosted one of 15 federally funded Centers for International Business Education and Research (CIBERs). GW-CIBER is a cornerstone of the school’s highly ranked international business program. In 2020-21, GWSB was selected by the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate to lead a prestigious Center of Excellence in Security Technology Transition. The selection of GWSB to host the center underscores our track record in developing cutting-edge, in-demand academic programming.

 

Read More About How Partnerships Are Essential to Our Success

 

 

 

Dean Anuj Mehrotra

 

 

 

"

 

“Our campus is in the heart of one of the world’s greatest multicultural cities. Because of our school’s proximity to the federal government, leading national and international institutions, visionary nonprofits, and public and private sector decision-makers, GW School of Business students have unequaled opportunities to be part of a transforming global economy. Through our many partnerships, our school, our faculty, and our students are helping to bring positive change to the world.”

Anuj Mehrotra
Dean

 

 

 

Putting Women in the Board Room

While advancing new partnerships, the school continues to deepen its existing alliances, including the highly regarded Boardroom Ready Program. The certification program began in 2016 as a collaboration with the Women In Bio organization and continues to help female executives prepare to serve on corporate boards tailored for the life sciences community. 

The 20 women selected in fall 2020 took part in a rigorous board governance curriculum based on case studies Participants are matched with experienced board members who mentor them throughout the program. A writer also works one-on-one with each executive to craft a board-specific résumé. The program offers networking, programming focused on current industry issues, and development opportunities to advance each executive’s board service goals.

 

classroom filled with women

 

 

 

 

We're Making Exceptional Opportunities the Rule

More than 260 different companies volunteered their time and expertise to the academic and career growth of GWSB students in 2020-21.

Companies

 

 

  • Accenture
  • Africa Health Holdings
  • Ahdorned
  • AI Global
  • Allergan Athletics
  • Amalgamated Bank
  • Amazon
  • Amazon Web Services
  • American Express
  • Anthem, Inc.
  • App Dynamics
  • Aristotle
  • Assurant
  • Attain
  • Auth0
  • Bain
  • Baltimore Orioles
  • Bank of America
  • Beauty
  • Belize Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation
  • BenevolentAI
  • Biggins, Lacy, Shapiro, & Company, LLC
  • Bloomberg
  • Bloomberg LP
  • Bold
  • Boston Consultant Group
  • Brattle
  • Brookfield Asset Management
  • Brookfield Properties
  • Bruin Sport Capital
  • Burberry
  • Business Management Associates
  • Buzzfeed
  • Capco
  • Capgemini
  • Capital One
  • CBRE Hotels Advisory
  • Chaia
  • Charles Schwab Foundation
  • Chicago Cubs
  • Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
  • Citi
  • Clayton, Dubilier & Rice
  • cloudtamer.io
  • CMG Consulting
  • CNN
  • CNN International
  • Compass
  • Connections for Abused Women and Their Children
  • Consumer Technology Association
  • Contracts Consultant and Property Development
  • Cornerstone
  • Cornerstone Research
  • Crowdstrike
  • Cushman & Wakefield
  • D.C. Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking
  • Defense Contracting and Consulting Group
  • Deloitte
  • Democratic National Committee
  • Department of Homeland Security

 

 

  • Destination DC
  • Docusign
  • DOE
  • Eagle Hill Consulting
  • Edelman
  • Entrepreneur / Radio Commentator
  • Equinox Hotels
  • Ernst & Young
  • Estee Lauder Companies
  • Events by AW
  • Excel Sports Management
  • Extraordinary Journeys
  • ExxonMobil
  • EY
  • EY - Parthenon
  • FabFitFun
  • Facebook
  • Fannie Mae
  • FedEx
  • FinRegLab
  • Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
  • FRAENKISCHE
  • Franklin Templeton
  • FreddieMac
  • Freelance Software Developer and Professor of Information Systems
  • Gartner
  • General Mills
  • Glow Recipe
  • GLU
  • Goldman Sachs
  • Google
  • Gottfried International, Inc
  • Guidehouse
  • Hilton International
  • HSBC
  • IBM
  • Idahoan Foods
  • IFC
  • IMG Models
  • InFront Sports and Media Group
  • Insight Partners
  • InterContinental
  • International Finance Corporation
  • International Olympic Committee (Japan)
  • InternQueen
  • IRS
  • IVOW
  • Jackson Hewitt Tax Service
  • JAX Digital LLC
  • Jojo Accounting & Consulting LLP
  • JP Morgan Chase
  • Kalibri Labs
  • KeyBank Real Estate Capital
  • KLA Schools
  • KPMG
  • L’Oreal
  • Lemonade
  • Little Friends for Peace
  • Long Harbour LTD London
  • Macy's
  • Major League Soccer
  • Marriott International

 

 

  • Mars, Inc.
  • Maryland/Israel Development Center (MIDC)
  • Mass Mutual Investments
  • Mastercard
  • McCormick & Company
  • McKinley Advisors
  • Melwood
  • Microsoft
  • Ministry of Tunisia
  • Miura Holdings
  • Monumental Sports & Entertainment
  • Morgan Stanley
  • MRC Entertainment
  • National Credit Union Administration
  • National Hockey League
  • National Spine Health Foundation
  • National Women's Soccer League
  • Navy Federal
  • NBA China
  • NBC Sports
  • NBC Universal
  • Netta
  • New York Knicks
  • NFL
  • NFLPA
  • Northrup Grumman
  • Northwestern Mutual
  • NowThis
  • NTT Data
  • NY Yankees
  • Ogilvy & Mather
  • Ojook
  • Okta
  • Open Secrets/Center for Responsive Politics
  • Oracle
  • Our Athletes
  • Outsmart Labs
  • Palo Alto Networks
  • PCMA
  • Peapod Labs
  • Penn Interactive Ventures
  • PepsiCo.
  • Prelude Capital
  • Premiere Worldwide Marketing LLC
  • Proctor and Gamble
  • PwC
  • Quadratic Capital Management
  • Raising a Village (RAV)
  • Raytheon
  • RBC Capital Markets
  • RedPeg Marketing
  • Revolution Ventures
  • Reyets
  • Riddle and Bloom
  • Ringlet
  • RockCreek
  • Rockefeller Foundation
  • RSM
  • Rubicon
  • S&P Global
  • Salesforce
  • Salt Cay Divers

 

 

  • Samalin Investment Council
  • Santander Bank
  • Save the Children US
  • Schafer Cullen Capital Management
  • SCOUT Bags
  • Seamatica Aerospace
  • Searchlight Capital Partners
  • Selby Winery
  • ServiceNow
  • Snap Inc.
  • Sole Mega
  • Sonder
  • SONY
  • Sony Music Entertainment
  • Special Olympics
  • Spotify
  • Stockholm Water Technology
  • Studio Aorta
  • Tableau
  • Teach for America
  • Tech Apprenticeships
  • Tenable
  • The Boone Group
  • The Honey Pot
  • The Nail Saloon
  • The Neustadt Group
  • The Olympic Channel
  • The Post Game
  • The Very Good Light
  • The Washington Post
  • theSkimm
  • TIAA
  • TikTok
  • Tishman Speyer
  • TLC at Discovery Inc
  • Uber
  • UN
  • Untuckit
  • UrbanStems
  • U.S. Department of Commerce
  • U.S. Department of Defense
  • U.S. Department of Energy
  • U.S. Department of the Navy
  • UST Global
  • Vanguard
  • Verizon
  • Vigilant Capital
  • Visa
  • Viva Vita
  • Walmart
  • Wander Beauty
  • Washington Mystics
  • Washington Nationals
  • Wayfair
  • Wealthology
  • Wells Fargo
  • Wolters Kluwer
  • Wyndham Hotels
  • Yankees
  • Zoomph

 

 

 

THE ALUMNI IMPACT AT GWSB

 

The GW School of Business community showed its muscle during 2020–2021 academic year as alumni gave in abundance of what is most valuable: their time and their expertise. GWSB alumni provided scholarship funding, spoke to classes over virtual platforms, offered long-distance mentoring, stepped forward to take part in the high-profile George Talks Business interview series, and supplied invaluable career advice.

As alumni continued to connect and engage, they helped GWSB generate case studies, internships, and experiential learning opportunities, and made a positive impact that included market-driven curriculum changes. The strength of our community not only channeled its philanthropy to support students, but also ultimately strengthened the entire school.

 

Read More About Our Community

 

 

 

Richard Goldstein

 

 

 

"

 

“People feel a real connection with the GW family. They want to belong to something that is great and successful.”

Richard Goldstein
Assistant Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations

 

 

Alumni in Action: GWSB Students Show Off Their Deep Thinking

Ken Chaletzky, (BBA ’71), partnered with the Tourism Economics course to tap students’ consultancy skills. Chaletzky, co-owner of Salt Cay Divers in the Turks and Caicos Islands, was interested in identifying the best tourism investment to revitalize the tiny island of Salt Cay and attract new residents, while also protecting the area’s ecosystem. The endeavor resulted in a 31-page research study in which students recommended a luxury resort as a target that would meet the island’s goals.

 

scuba diver in the ocean

 

 

 

 

2021 George Talks Business Alumni Guests

 

Kathy Warden

 

Northrop Grumman CEO and Chair Kathy J. Warden (MBA ’99) spoke about the importance of advancing women in STEM fields.

 

Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz

 

Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz (MBA ’87), chair and president of the Charles Schwab Foundation, discussed financial literacy and financial education.

 

Joanna Shields

 

BenevolentAI CEO Joanna Shields (GMBA ’87) was interviewed about creating responsible technology that benefits humanity.

Christophe G. de Taurines

 

Christophe G. de Taurines (BBA ’86), senior advisor and partner at Long Harbour LTD London, detailed his career in private equity fundraising.

 

Keeping Our Community Connected

  • Provided scholarship support
  • Served as panelists at online events
  • Mentored students
  • Provided internships
  • Judged competitions, including the Pitch George and New Venture competition
  • Participated in seminars, roundtables and workshops 
  • Provided insights through George Talks Business and the GWSB Proud Podcast 
  • Took part in GWSB-hosted Industry Roundtable networking events with students
  • Reviewed student resumes and offered career advice
  • Addressed student groups online

Alumni Funded Initiatives 

  • Alumni member of the Board of Advisors, Marvin Turner, stepped forward to make sure the school’s chapter of the National Black MBA Association regained its accreditation, which unintentionally lapsed during the early months of the pandemic. The accreditation is held by the school, not the student organization. Turner, the D.C. area director of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, was instrumental in making GW aware of the value of the national connection, which includes scholarships, a case competition and networking opportunities.
  • International alumna Isabella Zhang, donated to a new need-based scholarship for two undergraduate women a year for five years. Zhang also contributed her time and service as a member of the GWSB Board of Advisors.