Even after graduation, alumni remain a notable part of the GW community as they make their mark on the world. The Hatchet has taken a look at several alumni that have recently popped up in the forefront of national news.
Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen is the national incident commander for the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster in the Gulf Coast. He holds a master’s of public administration degree from GW and served as commandant of the Coast Guard. Allen is experienced in cleaning up natural disasters – he handled the federal response to Hurricane Katrina.
British Petroleum, the company that has been named responsible for the oil that has been leaking into the Gulf Coast for almost two months, brought on the Brunswick Group, a public relations and communications firm, in May to coordinate their public relations response. GW alumna Hilary Rosen leads the Brunswick Group. Rosen’s new connection with BP ended her role as The Huffington Post’s Washington editor-at-large. Rosen graduated from the School of Business in 1981.
Kenneth Starr, the former solicitor general known for leading the investigation that led to President Bill Clinton’s impeachment, began his tenure as Baylor University’s new president on June 1. Starr earned his bachelor of arts in 1968.
Radical cleric Anwar Al-Awlaki attended the Graduate School of Education and Human Development in 2001. Al-Awlaki is associated with the 9/11 hijackers, the Fort Hood shooting and the failed bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253. In May, Times Square bombing suspect Faisal Shahzad told investigators Al-Awlaki was an inspiration.
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Mark Schleifstein writes for the Times-Picayune, based in New Orleans, La. Schleifstein is a leading reporter on the current Gulf Coast oil spill disaster and co-authored “Path of Destruction” – a book on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the science of natural disasters and emergencies.
Former Student Association President Lamar Thorpe is running for state delegate in Maryland’s 47th District. This Democratic alumnus graduated as a Presidential Administrative Fellow – one of eight recipients of the award – in 2007 with majors in Sociology and Women’s Studies. Thorpe was also involved with the Black Student Union and the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance. While at GW, Thorpe was accused of sexual harassment but was never found guilty of that charge. He was, however, charged with lewd and indecent behavior.
Nader Modanlo is a 49-year-old Iranian businessman who allegedly provided Iran with technology aiding in the creation of a satellite that violated a U.S. trade embargo. According to the Washington Post, Modanlo came to the U.S. from Iran to study at GW and earned multiple degrees from 1979 to 1987.
On May 4, alumnus Gilbert Cisneros won a $266 million jackpot in California. Cisneros purchased the winning ticket the night before at a Hawaiian restaurant. In an interview on NBC’s Today show, Cisneros said he and his wife plan to give back to their alma maters and church.
Republican Whip Eric Cantor graduated from GW in 1985 and represents Virginia’s seventh district in Congress. Cantor is running for a sixth term and was unopposed in a primary election.
Law School graduate Jack Conway became the Democratic nominee in the U.S. Senate race in Kentucky, after winning the primary election by a slim one percent. Conway graduated in 1995.
