Message From the Dean — September 2021


September 30, 2021

Dear GWSB Community,

This week marks the culmination of GW Bicentennial events and the close of our first full month of the semester on campus together. I am thrilled to welcome our alumni, students, and their families to the GW Centuries Celebration Weekend and excited to participate in GW Commencement for the classes of 2020 and 2021.

As I reflect on the first several weeks of the fall semester, it has been energizing to see how engaged our community has been within and outside the classroom, online and in person. GWSB student-led organizations are thriving and outreach to alumni and connections are evident across our classrooms and co-curricular activities.

We often say that our location in the heart of Washington, D.C. empowers our student experience. The F. David Fowler Career Center’s Industry Panels last week were a great example of that connection as is the fall 2021 season of George Talks Business.

Our GWSB community thrives because our student led-organizations focus on the intersectionality of both industry and the student experience. While the beginning of the semester can be overwhelming, I invite everyone to now consider getting involved in events from GWSB student-led organizations at the undergraduate and graduate levels, in co-curricular programs, Global & Experiential Education and the events held by centers and institutes. These programs augment the student experience - connecting us to expertise from our alumni and leaders across government, society and industry.

GWSB Good News

  • Celebrating Women in STEM: Again this year GWSB hosted the executive education program Women in Bio: Boardroom Ready. Led by our Director of MBA Programs Professor Susan Kulp, GWSB provided this program for the sixth consecutive year to women in leadership. GWSB is also partnering with Globant for their second annual Globant Women in Technology Awards.  Dean Mehrotra and Vice Dean Liesl Riddle will return to the judging panel for the awards. Nominations for the awards are open through October 8. 
  • Elevating our Community: The second cohort of ELEVATE (Executive Leadership Education Venture Advancing Talented Entrepreneurs) launched last week. The kick-off included participants from both cohorts and demonstrated the importance of building community among local minority owned businesses in Washington, D.C. On Friday, October 22 our partner organization CNHED will be in person for GW October Entrepreneurship Week
  • New Graduate Certificates: In partnership with the School for Engineering and Applied Science, GW Business graduate students can now earn three new certificates from experts in Crisis Management, Environmental Management and Energy Management. Read the GW Today interview to learn more about these new graduate program offerings. 

Faculty Expertise

  • James Bailey, Hochberg Professorial Fellow of Leadership Development and Professor of Management, provided an analysis of his research in op-ed for Fast Company on how each generation feels about returning to the office; offered expertise on leadership regarding the recent dismissal of former Trump Administration officials in a Forbes article; and was quoted in The Guardian about a return to commuting to the office. 
  • Lisa Delpy-Neirotti, Director of Sports Management Programs and Associate Professor of Sport Management, was recently interviewed by Skift to discuss how brands in the travel industry investing in U.S. collegiate athletes for endorsement deals impact the business world. 
  • John Forrer, Associate Research Professor of Strategic Management & Public Policy and Associate Faculty and Director of the Institute for Corporate Responsibility, commented on the shift firms are taking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for a Marketplace article. 
  • Annamaria Lusardi, University Professor of Economics and Accountancy and Academic Director of GFLEC, was quoted in The New York Times in the article “How to Enjoy Retirement Without Going Broke,’’ and in an article for Forbes regarding the impact of financial education on teens. 

Awards & Recognition

  • Advancing Diversity: Bloomberg Businessweek interviewed Dean Mehrotra for an article examining gains in diversifying full-time MBA programs and recognized GWSB with a #2 ranking among U.S. institutions.
  • Ten Years of Excellence: For a full decade, Dr. Lusardi and the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center (GFLEC) colleagues have made a difference around the world by fostering financial education and impacting academia, policy makers and the private sector. Their research has better equipped younger generations, women and people of color to manage their personal finances and build financial resilience. Through their research and educational programs, GFLEC is creating a more equitable, informed and empowered world. 
  • Women in Leadership Advance Community: Highlighting that nine of GWSB’s graduate programs have achieved parity in enrollment for women, Liesl Riddle, Vice Dean for Strategy and Associate Professor of International Business and International Affairs, was interviewed by Insight Into Diversity on the increase of women advancing their careers and the careers of others through business education.

Events & Reminders 

Free access to the Financial Times is available to our GWSB community through our partnership with the publication and also includes a career section dedicated to business students. 

  • September 30: GW ALPFA, a professional development student organization designed for LatinX leaders in business, will hold their first general body meeting in B205 of District House starting at 6:30 p.m. ET on Thursday. 
  • George Talks Business will host interviews with Sharon Marcil, Senior Partner and Managing Director, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in Washington, D.C. on October 6; Natasha Crampton, Chief Responsible AI Officer at Microsoft, on October 13; Muriel E. Bowser, Mayor of the District of Columbia on October 21 live and in-person in the Smith Center; and Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association on October 29. 
  • October 4: UBA Cafe will be open from 9 to 11 a.m. ET on Monday, October 4 in the Duques Hall lobby. Undergraduate students can stop by and network before class.
    GWSB Student Ice Cream with the Deans is back! Stop by and grab an individually wrapped ice cream between 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. ET on FedEx Plaza (the patio between Duques and Funger Halls). Please RSVP by Sunday, October 3.
  • October 15: Graduate Student Industry Roundtables are back with the first one of the semester on Friday, October 15 from 5:45-7:15 p.m. ET. View this event and upcoming graduate engagement events for the semester. 
  • October 18-22: GW October Entrepreneurship Week will host sessions and networking in a hybrid format. Review the program and register for events throughout the week. 
  • October 19: The Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship is hosting Fatima Popal, head of the Popal Group and co-owner of local DC favorite, Lapis, for a panel on Middle-Eastern Families, Food, and Entrepreneurship. RSVP to join the virtual event from 5:00-6:15 p.m. ET on Tuesday, October 19. 
  • Professor Annamaria Lusardi will be featured in Financial Times programming for their global digital conference held by FT Live on October 19 and 20. Join the conversation around rebuilding the trust agenda in banking and what is needed in terms of financial literacy at The Banking Revolution. Registration and participation is free. 

There are many exciting events ahead in the next month, and I look forward to enjoying them with our GWSB community. Together we will stay engaged and continue to advance our impact!

Stay well and stay strong,

image - Dean Anuj Mehrotra signature

Anuj Mehrotra, Ph.D.

Dean