Called to Be: The Campaign for Georgetown Prospectus
FROM THE PRESIDENT
At Georgetown, our mission calls us to bring forward the intellectual, spiritual, and institutional resources of our community in the formation of our students, the inquiry of our faculty, and our commitment to the common good.
Our response to this calling demonstrates what we are capable of and what we believe can be possible—for Georgetown and for our world. Through this campaign, we remind ourselves of who we are called to be—as members of this community— and we put that calling into action.
I hope that you will join us in this work.
Sincerely,
John J. DeGioia President, Georgetown University
Since Georgetown’s founding in 1789 , we have understood our responsibility to help meet the world’s most profound needs.
The establishment of Georgetown College (now the Georgetown University College of Arts & Sciences) to mold citizens who would play a role in shaping the young Republic
The inception of a School of Medicine to serve Washington, DC, soon providing a major training center for surgeons of the Union armies
The launch of the Community Scholars Program in the wake of the civil rights movement
The formation of the nation’s first Law Center at a Jesuit college— teaching the law in the place where laws are made
The historic hiring of a full-time rabbi in 1969, imam in 1999, and Hindu priest in 2016, developing the nation’s largest and most diverse campus ministry program
The university’s first officially recorded intercollegiate athletics competition, setting the stage for Georgetown Athletics to play an integral role in promoting formation and excellence
The transformative commitment to meet financial need as that obstacle increasingly limited educational access
Photo circa 1930
The establishment of the School of Foreign Service in the wake of WWI
The seed of the McDonough School of Business—a program within the School of Foreign Service—as DC was emerging as a center of commerce
The inauguration of the McCourt School of Public Policy in a globalizing world
The engagement of an ongoing process to more deeply understand and respond to Georgetown’s role in the injustice of slavery and its legacies
The start of the Georgetown Summer School (now, School of Continuing Studies), formalizing year-round education after wartime had dramatically disrupted academic schedules
The re-envisioning of Georgetown’s School of Nursing and School of Health to match the university’s expanding leadership in medicine, nursing, and the many dimensions of human health
That calling propels us to this day— and into the future.
Now, we are called to take on challenges that are more complex than ever.
To empower principled leaders and skilled problemsolvers. To strengthen the health and social fabric of communities worldwide. We will answer with thoughtful vision—and with action. We will become the university we are
Called
OUR CALLING AT THIS CRITICAL MOMENT
Georgetown’s drive to do its very best work in service to the common good has shaped centuries of growth and progress. Today, it animates our $3 billion campaign ambition, calling us to invest in areas of great strength for Georgetown—and even greater opportunity.
Our Commitments
Called to ENSURE OUR STUDENT COMMUNITY THRIVES
We want the world’s best students from all backgrounds to choose Georgetown and participate fully in their college experience, contributing their ambition and talents to our campus community. Our Jesuit tradition of cura personalis, care of the whole person, calls us to make that possible.
Every student brings a different constellation of financial, academic, spiritual, mental, physical, and professional needs. Meeting those needs—through scholarships and support across all dimensions of learning and formation—strengthens our university and gives the world its strongest citizens and creative thinkers.
Called to Be
“Georgetown’s
Jesuit value of people for others inspires me to make sure that I make the most of my time here and graduate with all the tools I need to be a person for others. As I get a better idea of my career goals and what I would like to accomplish in the future, I am constantly wondering how whatever path I choose will help my community.”
— Safa Wardere (C’25), scholarship recipient, first-generation college student, and participant and mentor in the Georgetown Scholars Program, which provides robust wraparound services and resources for low-income and first-generation college students
Increasing the number of philanthropically funded undergraduate scholarships is the university’s foremost fundraising priority. Scholarships help ensure that every student we choose can choose Georgetown, too, and donor support for financial aid enables us to compete with the best universities for the best talent.
Learn more about how scholarships set in motion the exponential impact of a Georgetown education at calledtobe.georgetown. edu/scholarships.
We will create an environment where every student can flourish.
“My time in the military taught me many things, but above all, professionalism, resilience, and confidence. It can be nerve-racking to start a brand new experience, especially when the military is so ordered and the path is preordained, but in the uncomfortable is where we grow.”
— Arthur Milhomens (B’24), veteran and first-generation student. Georgetown University is a proud participant in the Yellow Ribbon Program in partnership with the Department of Veteran Affairs to enhance access and affordability for militaryconnected students
“My role is to accompany student-athletes, coaches, and staff in support of their ongoing spiritual growth and formation. That means meeting them where they are. I walk alongside them and try to provide a compassionate presence in the midst of the joys and the challenges they encounter in their sports and in their overall lives.”
— Tony Mazurkiewicz, chaplain to Georgetown Athletics and part of Georgetown’s Office of Mission & Ministry, which provides inclusive pastoral care for students, faculty, and staff of all faiths
SPOTLIGHT
COMMUNITY SCHOLARS PROGRAM
“The Community Scholars Program helps firstgeneration, low-income students establish community and increase their social capital and confidence so they can thrive in a highly competitive, affluent, elite atmosphere. The program has really elevated the university as a national institution dedicated to community and diversity.”
— Charlene Brown-McKenzie (C’95, G’23), a Community Scholars Program alumna who now serves as senior associate dean of students and executive director of access and success
Housed within the Division of Student Affairs, the Community Scholars Program plays a crucial role in Georgetown’s ongoing university-wide effort to build a more just world for all people to prosper and thrive.
Called to SHAPE THE FUTURE OF TEACHING, RESEARCH, AND LEARNING
Our faculty, and their interactions with students, fuel the Georgetown learning experience. Their discoveries push the boundaries of existing fields. Their work across disciplines allows the university to engage with complex global challenges.
We must invest in these outstanding scholars, welcome additional experts, and empower them to develop new models of teaching and research. Georgetown has long been a driving force in educational innovation—and we are ready for even greater impact.
Called to Be
“What brought me to Georgetown was the ability to do cutting-edge research and mentor students. Here, I get the best of both worlds.”
—
Karah Knope, an inorganic chemist in Georgetown’s College of Arts & Sciences and a 2022 recipient of the Provost Distinguished Associate Professor award, which honors faculty who are pushing the limits of knowledge in their field and transmitting their passion for this work to their students and the general public
We will set the standard for 21 st century higher education.
“The GBE course proved to me that being successful in global business is not only about applying the frameworks, but also about understanding cultural differences and developing the right mindset.”
— Tianlun Hao (MBA’17), on the McDonough School’s Global Business Experience (GBE) program, which enables students to travel abroad and gain a global perspective as they consult within an industry or with specific Fortune 500 companies
“Living downtown, using public transit regularly, and interacting with people off-campus are all experiences that help evolve how students see themselves and their place within the city.”
— Abigail Lewis, director of The Capitol Applied Learning Labs (CALL) program, which provides undergraduates the chance to live, study, and work in downtown Washington, DC, for an entire semester
SPOTLIGHT
GLOBAL HEALTH
“A highlight of the global health major was the expertise of the professors. Many brought their extensive careers at international organizations or in research to life in the classroom through guest speakers and examples. Having this connection between classroom learning and global health practice not only helped me realize I wanted to do a Ph.D. but also helped me gain the skills and background necessary to pursue it.”
— Sara Rotenberg (NHS’20), a Rhodes Scholar; global health graduate; and participant in the Global Health Student Fellows Program, the Georgetown Global Health Institute’s premier mentored-research program
The university-wide Georgetown Global Health Institute is a central force in Georgetown’s ambition to educate a new generation of global health experts, facilitate collaboration, and build a world where all people can lead healthy and productive lives.
Called to ADVANCE THE HEALTH AND SECURITY OF PEOPLE AND THE PLANET
Georgetown’s campuses are home to an array of students, scholars, and practitioners leading the charge toward a healthier, more secure future for our communities and our common home. The university’s Jesuit tradition—our responsibility to care for the whole person, to protect our planet, to serve one another—guides and fuels this work.
We have decades of momentum. An internationally recognized academic health and science center. Renowned expertise in global health. Deep engagement with the environmental, social, and physical determinants of well-being.
Building on these strengths, we will enter a new era of action as Georgetown researchers, clinicians, policy experts, and students contribute to a better human condition, locally and globally.
Called to Be
“We analyze policies and practices used throughout the world to prevent, detect, and respond to emerging health threats before they become international crises. We ask and answer questions like: What kind of systems do you need in place to have countries working together? How do you think about the types of capacity that will be required at the municipality level? What does this mean for travel and trade?”
— Rebecca Katz, director of the Center for Global Health Science and Security, which helps decision-makers worldwide build sustainable capacities to prevent, detect, and respond to public health emergencies
We will address urgent threats to human well-being.
“I did a semester’s worth of research into the Alaskan Arctic, and having the opportunity to visit the Arctic made everything—the issues, the people, the places—feel much more real. I now have a sense for exactly what’s at stake when thinking about the existential threat climate change poses to these communities.”
Kirk Zieser (SFS’22), on travel to Alaska as part of the School of Foreign Service’s Science, Technology and International Affairs (STIA) program. STIA draws on Georgetown’s expertise across global health, environmental studies, public policy, international affairs, and security studies to develop leaders equally conversant in science and global issues.
“In recent years, we have seen more than ever the relevance and impact of crossdisciplinary, cutting-edge research and clinical and industry expertise across the biomedical sciences.”
— Anna Tate Riegel, senior associate dean for Biomedical Graduate Education, programs spanning basic and translational biomedical science, clinical and health science, data informatics, policy and ethics, industry science, and more
SPOTLIGHT
ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
“We need to have students leave Georgetown with both the passions in their belly and knowledge in their heads to tackle environment and sustainability challenges like never before.”
— Peter Marra, founding director of the Earth Commons, Georgetown University’s Institute for Environment and Sustainability
This is a defining moment for our planet and for the university’s environment and sustainability ambitions. Led by the Earth Commons Institute in partnership with Georgetown’s Office of Sustainability, we are accelerating education, research, and action to drive the rapid change our planet needs.
Called to BUILD A STRONGER, MORE ETHICAL SOCIETY
With our location in Washington, DC, and our commitment to the common good, Georgetown is able to have an unparalleled impact on the nation’s systems, social fabric, and contributions to the world.
We graduate creative problem-solvers. Drive civic engagement. Inform the development of thoughtful policy. Promote smarter, more nimble national and global institutions.
Modern society’s pressing challenges call for coordinated action, across our campuses and with partners beyond our walls. We are committed to realizing our full potential as the premier source of dedicated public servants, ethical business leaders, and innovative legal and policy experts.
Called to Be
“So much of the political and social discourse in our nation has hardened into a rancorous noise. With these Dahlgren Dialogues, we hope that a conversation in the midst of this sacred space might offer a more prayerful posture to engage political, academic, and spiritual leaders.”
— Fr. Mark Bosco, S.J., on a panel convened by the The Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, a respected national center for conversation and debate across ideological, political, and religious lines
We will bolster the nation’s civic architecture and global impact.
“If we are committed to building a just and equitable society, it is essential that policymakers, civic leaders, and public servants represent all the communities, especially those disproportionately impacted by public policy.”
— Lisa Rawlings, president and CEO of the National Urban Fellows, which partners with the McCourt School of Public Policy to strengthen the pipeline of leaders from all racial and ethnic backgrounds.
“Working with the [Health Justice Alliance] gave me a glimpse of what real healing can look like, where you address the biological and the societal problems that are keeping someone from having a healthy life. …I no longer feel like I could practice anywhere without trying to make connections with legal advocates for my patients in need; it would not feel like complete care.”
— Robert Hagerty (G’16, M’20), now a pediatric resident physician at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital, on the Health Justice Alliance’s work training the next generation of health, law, and policy leaders to work together
CAPITOL CAMPUS
“We are excited [about] our new home on Georgetown’s Capitol Campus—to be next door to the Law Center and near so many key government institutions. This space will physically unite the McCourt School’s research centers and academic programs, serve as a new platform for innovation and collaboration, and provide a dynamic front door to Georgetown for the policy community.”
— Maria Cancian, dean of Georgetown’s McCourt School of Public Policy, on the university’s new academic building at 125 E Street
125 E Street is a landmark addition to Georgetown’s campus in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol, which is creating the physical and intellectual space for new academic programs, new students, and new avenues for impact.
CALLED TO BE A PARTNER IN THIS WORK
We invite our exceptional community of alumni, family, and friends to join us in realizing this ambition.
Thank you for supporting Georgetown—now, and always—as we strive to become the university we are called to be.
To learn more about the Called to Be campaign and opportunities to advance these commitments, please visit calledtobe.georgetown.edu or contact us at giving@georgetown.edu.
