Department Newsletters
About Us
The Department of American Studies at The George Washington University is one of the nation's most rigorous and intellectually innovative departments devoted to the interdisciplinary study of American culture and society. Internationally recognized for its research, our faculty is also committed to fostering a dynamic learning environment where undergraduate and graduate students work together with faculty to better understand the culture, politics and history of the United States and its role in the world.
Department News and Events
MA student Harry Lewis moderates discussion of LGBT rights in America
MA student Harry Lewis was invited to moderate a discussion with Dennis and Judy Shepard, parents of the late Matthew Shepard, at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
Thursday March 28, 2019 | Mergen-Palmer Distinguished Lecture in American Studies
The Department of American Studies hosts Ph.D alum Dr. Megan Black of the London School of Economics to speak on her book, "The Global Interior".
Four Freedoms Writing Competition: Alternative Art Labels
The Department of American Studies invites GW undergraduates to participate in a contest to write alternative labels for artworks featured in the GW Museum's Enduring Ideals: Rockwell, Roosevelt & the Four Freedoms exhibit, on display from February 13-April 29, 2019.
Shania Stephen Interviews Michael Dyson
As part of GW's celebration of Black History Month, American Studies major Shania Stephen was elected to interview Michael Dyson!
Kimberly Probolus, PhD student points out lack of diversity in New York Times "Letter to the Editor"
The department's very own PhD candidate, Kimberly Probolus, was recently featured in the Opinion Section's "Letter to the Editor" of the New York Times, calling on the paper to diversify the letters they publish and respond to.
Alumni Spotlight: Amber Wiley, Assistant professor Professor of Art History at Rutgers University
The Society of Architectural Historians recently published a spotlight on one of our alumni, Amber N. Wiley, who graduated with her Ph.D from GW.
Monday, November 19: Dr. Barbara Ransby on the Black Feminist Roots of Black Lives Matter
Dr. Ransby visited us at the Marvin Center on Monday, November 19. In "Making All Black Lives Matter", award-winning historian and longtime activist Barbara Ransby outlines the scope and genealogy of this movement, documenting its roots in Black feminist politics and situating it squarely in a Black radical tradition, one that is anticapitalist, internationalist, and focused on some of the most marginalized members of the Black community. From the perspective of a participant-observer, Ransby maps the movement, profiles many of its lesser-known leaders, measures its impact, outlines its challenges, and looks toward its future.
PhD Alum Megan Black's The Global Interior: Mineral Frontiers and American Power Published
Megan Black, a PhD alum of the Department of American Studies, released in October her new book detailing the significance of the U.S. Department of the Interior in the 20th and 21st centuries. Read more here!
Monday, November 5: The Rise of Neoliberal Feminism
From Hillary Clinton to Ivanka Trump, more and more high-powered women are unabashedly identifying as feminists. In this talk, Catherine Rottenberg, American Studies Professor at the University of Nottingham, discussed her recently published book, offering insight into why we are witnessing this new phenomenon in which feminism has suddenly become a source of pride and cultural capital for high-profile women.
Department of American Studies
Columbian College of Arts & Sciences
2108 G Street, NW
Washington, DC 20052
Phone: 202-994-6070 | Fax: 202-994-8651
[email protected]
