GW students in top 10 in studying abroad participation

GW has the 10th-largest percentage of students studying abroad in the country, according to the Institute for International Education. During the 2003-2004 academic year, the latest in which statistics are available, 41.9 percent (919 students) of juniors studied abroad.

Several other research institutions were mentioned in the report, including New York University, which led the country for the second consecutive year and sent 2,475 to study throughout the world. Other institutions ahead of GW on the list include Michigan State University (2,269 students), UCLA (2,034 students) and the University of Texas-Austin (2,011 students).

“As GW has always been associated with an international presence, it is natural that our students are among the most enthusiastic for studying abroad,” said Donna Scarboro, assistant vice president for Special and International Programs, in a news release.

During the 2003-2004 school year, GW students studied abroad in 48 different countries in an array of programs, the release said.

-Angel Castaner

Space Institute gets $400,000 grant from federal agency

GW’s Space Policy Institute in the Elliott School of International Affairs has been awarded an 18-month, $400,000 grant to continue research dealing with satellite-derived weather and remote sensing information. The grant comes from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

“This grant will allow the Space Policy Institute to expand our scope to include other energy production and management areas, such as renewable resources, oil and gas facilities,” said Space Policy Institute Director John M. Logsdon in a news release last week.

The project will be led by Ray Williamson and Henry Hertzfeld, both Elliott School research professors. A symposium will be held during the venture to assess the benefits of Earth observation in dealings with the economy and also how to improve future planning.

Researchers hope to be able to explore both forecasting and warning systems for various natural disasters. Also, the study will examine the consequences of satellite-derived weather and climate information on water resource management.

-Lizzie Wozobski