During the Spring 2025 semester, fellows Nina Balandina, Jack Hatcher, and Markella Lanara submitted proposals to the Luther Rice Society Advisory Committee, which supports initiatives that enhance the student experience and create distinctive “Only at GW” opportunities. Funding typically ranges from $1,000 to $10,000, with past recipients including impactful projects such as The Store, the GW Sustainability Garden, Sisters in the Academy, Alternative Breaks, and GW Trails.
The fellows submitted three proposals addressing key concerns among GW students, including interdisciplinary research, campus sustainability, and a sense of belonging among graduate students. Two of these proposals captured the committee’s attention, leading to a request that the fellows merge their ideas into a single, collaborative project focused on strengthening research and social connections within the graduate community.
The resulting proposal, titled the GW Graduate Experience & Research Network Initiative, was awarded $11,500 by the Luther Rice Society Advisory Committee. This initiative recognizes that the graduate student experience is shaped by both academic opportunity and social connection, while also addressing two pressing challenges faced by GW graduate students:
Limited interdisciplinary collaboration, which restricts the integration of diverse perspectives and methodologies in research.
Feelings of disconnection from peers and campus life, particularly among students based off campus.
To address these challenges, the fellows proposed the creation of an Interdisciplinary Research Database, allowing graduate students to share their research interests and publications, and the establishment of Research Methods and Publishing Workshops to connect researchers from across GW’s schools. In addition, the fellows are organizing monthly in-person and virtual social events to foster community and belonging among graduate students.
Stay tuned for future updates as this exciting initiative continues to develop and strengthen the GW graduate experience!