2108 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20052

Thursday, March 19, 2026

View our Summer 2026 course offerings here! Registration is now open!

1911 - The first International Women’s Day is observed by over 1 million people in several European countries.

1958 - Britain’s first planetarium opens at Madame Tussaud’s, London.

1962 - Columbia Records releases Bob Dylan’s self-titled debut album.

1977 - The last episode of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” premieres on CBS.

GW to release final exam schedules on first day of classes after years of student advocacy: SGA leaders.
GW Hatchet.

What Do We Really Think of the New New Museum? Hyperallergic.

Janeese Lewis George Emerges as the Early Front-Runner for Mayor As Kenyan McDuffie Looks to Pick Up the Pace. Washington City Paper.

Image credit: Emma Elliott

This newsletter edition we spotlight Emma Elliott, a graduate student in the Museums, History and Culture program at GW. Emma’s work examines how material culture, territorial space, and institutions shape public memory across time. Grounded in cultural anthropology, history, and museum studies, Emma approaches American Studies through objects and landscapes, asking how both ancient and modern histories are constructed, preserved, and interpreted.

Emma completed her undergraduate degree in Anthropology, Archeology, and Writing. Archaeological research and collections analysis formed the foundation of her interest in material culture. As an archaeological lab researcher and analyst, she co-authored a lithic analysis of the "Prison Farm Site in Ionia County, Michigan," and participated in multiple field excavations. That work cultivated a deep respect for objects as historical evidence, but it also expanded her perspective beyond antiquity. These foundations established Emma's methodological lens for understanding how all material remains, whether prehistoric tools, national monuments, or museum collections, mediate memory and identity.

Emma also spent some time in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she engaged with heritage institutions such as the National Museum of Scotland. She has also worked with nonprofit organizations focused on cultural representation and community engagement, reinforcing her interest in public facing scholarship.

In DC, Emma has worked in Curation and Collections at the National Park Service within the National Mall and Memorial Parks division, assisting with collections connected to national monuments—supporting her research in the relationship between territorial space and stored collections, and how landscapes, archives, and objects together construct civic narratives.

Emma is particularly committed to advancing accessible and ethical museum practices. She hopes to be part of the next generation of museum professionals working to move beyond elitist narratives and reposition museums as educational, environmental, and social third spaces open to broad publics. Across time periods and disciplines, her work centers on a core question: how can institutions steward material culture responsibly while making history more inclusive and more accessible?

The First 40 Years:Ineligible Parents, U.S.-Born Children, and the Struggle for Birthright Citizenship
Metro Washington Workshop on Immigration & Race

Join MWWIR on Friday, March 20th for a presentation from Dr. Hardeep Dhillon, Assistant Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania. During this session, Dr. Dhillon will explore the persistent, decades-long quest to deny birthright citizenship to the children of immigrants, beginning with the early nativist attacks that tested the 14th Amendment in the first 40 years after its ratification. 

When: Friday, March 20, 2026; 12:00 PM
Where: Foggy Bottom

RSVP here!

Film Festival & Teach-In On U.S. Prisons, Policing,
and Abolition
AMST GSA & Beyond Walls Film Festival

When: Monday, March 23, 2026; 2:00 PM
Where: Gelman Library, 7th Floor, Teamsters Room

What Spinoza Wrought: Conatus, Entropy, & Ethics
GW Philosophy Department

In the 17th century, Spinoza took up the project first begun in Ancient Greece: to think our way toward ethics, grounding it on an objective description of nature. We’ve learned a tremendous amount about nature since Spinoza’s day. Can it be put to use in furthering Spinoza’s project? Featuring philosopher and author Dr. Rebecca Goldstein

When: Friday, March 27, 2026; 4:00 PM
Where: Duques Hall, Room 152

Institute for Middle East Studies Annual Conference
Tech Futures: The Science of Life, Death, and Ecology in the Middle East

When: Friday, April 17, 2026; 9:00-4:00 PM
Where: 1957 E St NW, Room 602

RSVP here!

Prof. Chad Heap was recently honored with a Silver Anniversary Faculty Award for 25 years at GW as part of the 16th Annual Faculty and Graduate Student Teaching Awards. The award ceremony will occur on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at 4:00 pm in the Jack Morton Auditorium.

Alum Emily Dufton’s (PhD ‘14) most recent book Addiction, Inc.: Medication-Assisted Treatment and America's Forgotten War on Drugs will be released by the University of Chicago Press on April 13, 2026. Pre-order here!

Call for Papers: The Oxonian Review is currently accepting pitches for cultural criticism, memoir, and non-academic essays. Click here to learn more // Deadline: ongoing.

Call for Applications: CCAS's Research Showcase is currently accepting abstracts for the research showcase taking place on April 15, 2026. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Mar. 20, 2026.

Call for Applications: New York Folklore is currently accepting applications for a Folklore/Folk Arts Internship. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Mar. 31, 2026.

Call for Applications: The U.S. branch of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music is pleased to offer financial support of up to $2,500 for graduate student-led events that promote wider engagement with current research on popular music. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Apr. 15, 2026. 

Call for Applications: Democracy House’s Young Leaders Summer Institute is currently accepting applications for Summer 2026. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Apr. 19, 2026.

Call for Applications: League of Filmmakers is currently inviting applications for the Industry Writing & Journalism Internship. Click here to learn more // Deadline: rolling.

Call for Applications: The Museum at Eldridge Street is seeking a Freelance Festival Coordinator for their upcoming street festival. Click here to learn more // Deadline: rolling.

Need Support?

Like what you see? Have spotlights, kudos, events, or opportunities that you would like to share? We want to hear from you! Navigate to our feedback form using the link below, or more simply, forward your tip to amst@gwu.edu.