Dear GW Community,
It is a privilege to serve as the 19th President of the George Washington University. While I know many of you are enjoying a well-deserved summer break with family and friends, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for welcoming my wife, Sonya, and me so warmly.
As I begin my time as President, I am eager to meet members of our community, to listen, and to learn. I also want to share a bit about why I chose GW, and what excites me about this moment at our university.
I have long admired GW, and I feel very fortunate to be joining this community at such an exciting time. As you know, our institution has a storied history stretching more than 200 years, growing alongside D.C. and our nation. Today, GW is a leading research institution providing high-quality academic programs, patient care, and service that combine to advance a more just and equitable university, nation, and world. This important work has recently earned our university membership in the Association of American Universities, the gold standard in higher education. Everyone at GW should be proud of this achievement.
Our incredible community of students, faculty, staff, and alumni is transforming lives and livelihoods together. So many people benefit from the academic programs we offer, the research we conduct, and the patient care we provide. Institutions of higher education transform lives each day on an enormous scale. Remembering this gets me up every single morning. I have seen similar motivation in GW’s community, and the opportunity to work together in our third century toward a collective ambition particularly excites me.
I look forward to seeing some of you on our campuses over the summer. Sonya and I are living at the F Street House and love to walk, so we plan to be out and about getting to know the neighborhood and community as much as possible. If you see us, feel free to stop and say hello.
In the meantime, I will be working hard to meet with and hear from more members of our community. As I continue to listen, I look forward to reporting back to you what I learn.
Thank you again for welcoming Sonya and me into this community. I will be back in touch soon.
Warm regards,
Ellen M. Granberg
President