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Department of Anthropology

Columbian College of Arts & Sciences

Research Funding and Endowments

The Department of Anthropology is deeply invested in student research from the undergraduate through the postdoctoral level. We offer a variety of grants, endowments, and awards to support students in the research projects and travel, as well as guidance on additional sources of funding.

 

Jane B. Hart Endowment

The Jane B. Hart Endowment supports a distinguished speakership and two annual awards to undergraduate students: the Hart Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement and the Hart Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Thesis.

Award Details

Outstanding Academic Achievement: There is one academic achievement for each of our three major programs (Anthropology, Archaeology, and Biological Anthropology); nomination is not necessary, as the awards are given to the student with the highest major GPA among other graduating peers.

Outstanding Thesis Award: The Anthropology Department faculty nominate several outstanding senior honors theses to be considered for the Jane B. Hart Outstanding Undergraduate Thesis Award. To be considered, theses must be nominated by the honors student's faculty advisor, with a copy submitted to the Hart Committee by early May (exact dates vary year to year). Nominated theses are reviewed by the Hart Committee, which selects the winners. 

How to Apply

Any faculty member advising an honors thesis may submit a nomination for consideration by the Hart Awards Committee. Nominating is completed in the Spring semester, but theses authored by graduates of the preceding Summer and Fall semesters are eligible. 

For their theses to be considered, students must be sure to follow all the guidelines for departmental honors.

Deadlines

Theses must be submitted by faculty for consideration to the Hart Committee by May 1, regardless of whether a student is graduating in the Spring or Fall semester. Decisions are usually announced before May 15th. 

The Columbian College is notified of Hart Award winners, and the awards are noted in students' official records. Academic achievement awards are usually shown in the Spring commencement program, but thesis awards are not due to the late-semester deadline. 

History

Jane Briggs Hart, BA '70, was an accomplished aviator, antiwar activist, and women's rights pioneer.

In the early 1960s, Hart was among a select group of women who were skilled airplane pilots with commercial ratings. She was the oldest participant in the Lovelace Foundation's Woman in Space Program, a privately funded project testing women pilots for astronaut fitness at a time when women were not allowed to become astronauts.  Hart was one of only 13 women (the Mercury 13) to pass the rigorous physical tests developed by NASA to select for their astronauts. Despite passing their the test results, NASA informed Hart and the rest of the Mercury 13 by telegram that they would not be selected for space flight. "The men just could not get it and the country lost a great opportunity", Hart commented at the time. As she told a group of Michigan college students in 2001, "all of you women engineers would have had a hell of a time trying to find a job back then. It was like they were trying to segregate space." 

Hart spoke with Vice President Lyndon Johnson and testified before Congress to promote the rights of women to serve as astronauts. In 1964, after Johnson had become President of the United States, he named Hart to the newly created Women's Advisory Committee on Aviation. 

Although she never did travel to space, Hart was among those who paved the way for the first women astronauts, witnessing Lt. Col. Eileen Collins become America's first woman pilot astronaut in 1995. Hart's opposition to the Vietnam War led to her arrest during an unauthorized Mass for the dead inside the Pentagon in 1969. She also travelled to Hanoi to gain first-hand knowledge of the effects of the air war, meeting with American prisoners of war as part of her advocacy. 

Born Jane Cameron Briggs on October 21st of 1921 in Detroit, Michigan, she took the last name Hart after marrying Lt. Col. Philip A. Hart in 1943. The Harts both harbored deep passion for politics throughout their lives, with the latter of whose service to the U.S. Army during the Second World War earned him a Bronze Star Medal, a Purple Heart, and Croix de guerre; following the war, Philip became an attorney then served as a U.S. Senator (D- Mich.) between 1959 and his passing in 1976. Both Harts were known in Washington and beyond for their work endorsing racial integration, gun control, and women's rights.

Among the many achievements of her life, Jane Hart was a founding member of the National Organization for Women in 1966, and is known as the first licensed female helicopter pilot in Michigan. In 2007, she was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame.

Hart died in 2015 at the age of 93. 

Past Outstanding Undergraduate Thesis Winners

2025   Ibrahim Abdel-Rahman, Anthropology; Ella Hattem, Archaeology; Tyler Ingram, Biological Anthropology

2024   Erin Anderson, Archaeology

2023   Sarah Frieman, Anthropology; Parker Blackwell, Archaeology; Amy Longtin, Biological Anthropology; Xinyi Zhang, Linguistics

2022   Natalia Madrinan and Isabelle Samudio, Sociocultural Anthropology; Grace Schultz, Archaeology; Veronika Kulik, Biological Anthropology

2021   Vishal Nyayapathi, Anthropology; Sage Avichouser, Archaeology; Alejandra Paredes- Marin, Biological Anthropology

2020   Elias Ross- Turpin, Anthropology; Sophia Carroll, Archaeology; Caroline Friesen, Linguistic Anthropology

2019   Cecilia Chisdock, Archaeology; Thea Anderson and Lauren Anderson, Biological Anthropology

2018   Sheel Singh, Biological Anthropology

2016   Celia Greene and Deanna Johnson, Anthropology; Leah Gillon, Biological Anthropology

2015   Sarah Freeman- Wolperty and Zoë Silverman, Anthropology; Helen Gaynor and Laura Schwartz, Biological Anthropology

2014   Marielle Velander, Anthropology; Lauren Campbell, Archaeology; Alexandra Kralick, Biological Anthropology

Past Outstanding Academic Achievement Winners

2025   Ibrahim Abdel-Rahman, Anthropology; Evyn Keller, Archaeology; Madeline Bramel, Biological Anthropology

2024   Meredith Boldman, Anthropology; Erin Anderson, Archaeology; Leena Zitoun and Anna Trantas, Biological Anthropology

2023   Daria Dzen, Anthropology; Parker Blackwell, Archaeology; Emma Saaty, Biological Anthropology

2022   Fiona Carmichael, Anthropology; Sydni Haggerty and Grace Schultz, Archaeology; Hailee Bilimoria, Biological Anthropology

2021   Jane Meiter, Anthropology; Sage Avichouser, Archaeology; Claire Lavergne, Biological Anthropology

2020   Madison Wicks, Anthropology; Jennifer Quillen, Archaeology; Noelle Purcell, Biological Anthropology

2019   Cort Carlson, Anthropology; Cecelia Chisdock, Archaeology; Julie Thomasain and Kimia Zarabian, Biological Anthropology

2018   MaryKate Murphy, Anthropology; William Berkery, Archaeology; John Case Winans, Biological Anthropology

2017   William Francisco Kilgore, Anthropology; Allison Gartrell, Archaeology; Sadina Videlock- Prentice, Biological Anthropology

2016   Ashley Ohnona, Anthropology; Peri Buchl, Archaeology; Sam Johnson, Biological Anthropology

2015   Zoë Silverman, Anthropology; Ariel Polokoff and Katherine Wiliamson, Archaeology; Shobha Jagannatham and Cole Messersmith, Biological Anthropology

2014   April MacIntyre and Daniel Rosenber, Anthropology; Laurel Poolman, Archaeology; Tierney Brown, Christopher Payette, and Christian Thomas, Biological Anthropology

 

Lewis N. Cotlow Research Fund

The Lewis N. Cotlow Field Research Fund supports student research from the undergraduate through the doctoral level, in any area of anthropology. Since 1991, the endowment has supported more than 200 research projects by GW anthropology students in 55 countries.

Award Details

Currently enrolled GW students are eligible to apply. Funds may be used for travel, living expenses, research assistance and other expenses related to field research (including ethnographic, museum, or lab research); they cannot be used for tuition, equipment, or fees. If an applicant intends to participate in a field school, the Cotlow award can only be requested for costs related to travel and independent research while in attendance, not tuition. 

Awards range from the low hundreds and normally do not exceed $1,800. We seek to fund as many applicants as possible, so careful budgeting is welcome. Grant recipients are required to present highlights of their findings at a departmental conference, program seminar, or at another venue approved by their mentor.

How to Apply

It is required to work with a faculty mentor or advisor in the Anthropology Department to prepare the application. A faculty advisor’s name who has endorsed the proposal must be provided with the application for it to receive full consideration. All our core faculty members are available for consultation about the process. 

Although some people have received two Cotlow awards, preference is given to applicants who have not already received funding. Among doctoral student applicants, preference is also given to those who have not yet advanced to candidacy with the intent that Cotlow awards may assist in completing pilot fieldwork or data collection. Awards are normally not given to applicants in the terminal year of their program. Awards for undergraduate seniors may only be considered if they are continuing enrollment in one of our Masters programs for the next year. 

Proposals are due the first Friday in February. Fill the application form, which will be sent by the department administrator via email early in the spring semester. If you have received a previous Cotlow award, please include a statement in your current application reporting the results of previous Cotlow support. Awardees are announced in March.

History

The fund was created by a $150,000 bequest from the estate of Lewis Cotlow (1898-1987), an explorer, author, and filmmaker who attended GW.
 

Among the many studies the Cotlow Fund has supported are an examination of fair trade activists in San Francisco; Mesoamerican ceramics; midwifery in Washington, D.C.; rumors of organ trafficking in Cambodia; the behavior of orphaned and non-orphaned baboons; and Hopi attempts to preserve intangible aspects of their heritage.

Past Recipients

Beth Moretzsky
Cassandra Turcotte
Emma Backe
Ferhan Guloglu
Jessica Chandras
Johnothan Reeves
Jorge Benavides
Kate McGrath
Kelly Ostrofsky
Lara Rodriguez-Delgado
Laurence Dumouchel
Lawerence Fatica
Meagan Vakiener
Scott Ross
Sean Lee
Shweta Krishnan
Victor Emmanuel Salazar Chavez

Diogo Oliveira
Elizabeth Tapanes
Enquye Negash
Evy Vourlides
Joanne Munga
Jonanthan Reeves
Karleen Ronsairo
Lara Rodriguez-Delgado
Luciana Cheung
Meagan Vakiener
Scott Ross
Sean Lee
Shweta Krishnan

Axelle Kamanzi Shimwa
Dana Burton
Elizabeth Tapanes
Emily Somberg
Eve Boyle
Karleen Ronsario
Matthew DeMaio
Robert Hildebrandt
Sarah Breault
Sylvain Nyandwi

Axelle Shimwa
Elaine Miller
Emma Backe
Inigo Acosta
Joanne Munga
Kristen Tuosto
Matthew DeMaio
Sylvain Nyandwi
Victoria Lockwood
Yaohan Wu

Carolina Fuentes
Dana Burton
Jose Gonzalez
Jowel Choufani
Kai Blevins
Matthew DeMaio
Michael Kaplan
Scott Ross
Shweta Krishnan
Tariq Adely

Alexis Uluutku
Axelle Kamanzi Shimwa
Carolina Fuentes
Courtney Sexton
Dana Burton
Ethan Karnes
Jack Richardson
Kai Blevins
Leen Alfatafta
Mackenzie Hepker
Madison Hillegas
Rachel Nelson
Sarah Richardson
Scott Ross
Sylvain Nyandwi
Terrance New 
Victor Emmanuel Salzar Chavez

Alexis Uluutku
Alison Sherwood
Anna Fenzel
Arantxa Bertholet Del Barrio
Michael Kaplan
Naomi Jones
Patrick Friday

Abigail McClain
Anya Parks-Russell
Joyce Waweru
Kate Fish
Libby Ware
Liya Lin
Maria Pelaez Sierra
Sims Patton
Victoria Rainis
Wajahat Ahmad

Anita Patane
Ariunjargal Khaltarkhuu
Helen Martin
Kaija Harlow
Maria Pelaez Sierra
Mayar Ibrahim
Nick Rosas
Sarah Bender

 

William Warren Endowment

The William Warren Endowment Fund for Fellowships provides funding for undergraduate or graduate students to do work in archaeology, paleontology and the classics. The money can be used to cover airfare, room and board and tuition expenses while doing fieldwork.

How to Apply

For information on applying, please contact the anthatemail [dot] gwu [dot] edu (Department) for more information. 

History

The endowment was created by a generous gift from William Warren, a retired Foreign Service Officer, who received a BA in 1967 from what is now the Elliott School of International Affairs. He was American Consul in Adana, Turkey, served as Charge d'Affaires of the American Embassy in the Solomon Islands and in Samoa, and held other overseas posts. Warren established two awards, the Thomas and Ola Herbert Reidling Undergraduate Award for BA or BS candidates and the Zelma Reidling Warren Bannister and William Warren Graduate Fellowship Award for M.A. and PhD candidates.

In 2008, the fund's first year, five undergraduates received awards to aid their work at Megiddo, a Bronze and Iron Age site in Israel. Since then, the Megiddo excavation continued to benefit from Warren awardees, but undergraduate and graduate students have also worked elsewhere in Asia, East Africa and North America.

Past Recipients

Andrew Moore and Joseph Stiegler
Cassandra Turcotte
Dominic White
Jack Bonatakis
Jacqueline Olson
Kelly Ostrofsky
Laura Rouse
Laurence Dumouchel
Magdalena Stuehrmann
Renee Underhill
Tristan Scholl

Alexis Clark
Amelia Villaseñor
Enquye Negash
Eve Boyle
Meagan Vakiener
Sean Lee
Timothy Enright
Tyler Johnston

Amber Nubgaard
Courtney Jirsa
Diogo Oliveira
Jonathan Reeves
Kelly Ostrofsky
Lawrence Fatica
Meagan Vakiener
Tristan Scholl

Kelly Ostrofsky
Kelsie Ehalt
Jonathan Reeves
Lauren Anderson
Noelle Purcell 
Sophia Carroll

Elizabeth Tapanes
Elly Cordiner
Joshua Porter
Sarah Breault
Shawn Denarie

Cuauhtémoc Vidal-Guzman
Karleen Ronsairo
Kelsie Ehalt
Kristen Tuosto
Rowan Sherwood
Sarah Breault

Anna Surman
Niguss Baraki
Parker Blackwell
Rebecca Sigafoos
Regan Baker
Sydney Haggerty
Terrance New

Calvin So
Emily Labrasciano
Erin Anderson
Evyn Keller
Ian Wilenszik
Jennifer Brennan
Nicole Caracappa

Joyce Waweru
Sarah Bender
Victoria Rainis

 

Ann Gordon Webster Endowment

This endowment supports the Ann Gordon Webster Award, which was created to assist women who are returning to school to pursue graduate studies in anthropology. Named in honor of Ann Gordon Webster, MA ’79, the endowment was started by Webster’s family in 1996 in honor of her 14-year teaching career with GW.

How to Apply

Grants are awarded annually in the spring on the basis of financial need and potential for making a significant contribution to anthropology. The money is intended to be used for academic books and other school-related costs for graduate students in the Anthropology Department. 

Awards are made on the basis of faculty nomination and selection by the department’s directors of graduate studies. Students should contact faculty directly by early February in order to request a nomination.

History

Ann Webster (1929–94) received a bachelor’s degree in history from Wellesley College in 1950. After marrying Harry Webster, a foreign-service officer, she spent much of the next two decades abroad, raising four children. She first began teaching in the early 1960s in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), shifting the focus from history and geography of Europe to that of Africa. In 1977, she returned to school at GW, obtaining her MA in Anthropology. She was hired as an adjunct faculty member to teach undergraduate courses, and she enjoyed great success as a teacher. She volunteered her time both within GW and in the larger community, working in an Urban League tutoring program focused on students at H.D. Cook Elementary School in Washington, D.C.

 

Mitchell Carroll Endowment

This endowment, created in memory of Mitchell Carroll, is intended to promote archaeology at GW. It is used to support lectures by distinguished visiting scholars.

 

More GW Research Funding

 

External Funding Sources