Georgetown Magazine: Fall 2023 by Georgetown University Advancement

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CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell (C’95, G’03) offers “hard news with heart”

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10 “HARD NEWS WITH HEART” News anchor Norah O’Donnell (C’95, G’03) reflects on journalism, justice, and making democracy work.

16 COACHES IN CONVERSATION Head basketball coaches Tasha Butts (1982–2023) and Ed Cooley on leadership, gender equity, and what’s in store for Hoya Hoops

20 GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA

Georgetown students, faculty, and alumni seek solutions through understanding and action.

26 THE MAKING OF A HOYAPRENEUR

How the entrepreneurial spirit thrives at Georgetown, at the business school and beyond

Cover photo: Phil Humnicky

CAMPUS NEWS

GUAA CORNER

ALUMNI NEWS

HOYA HIGHLIGHTS

ALUMNI AUTHORS

LIVES WELL LIVED

THE LAST WORD

Office of Advancement R. Bartley Moore (SFS’87) Vice President for Advancement Amy Levin Associate Vice President for Communications Erin Greene Assistant Vice President of Creative Georgetown Magazine Staff

Camille Scarborough, Editorial Team Lead Jane Varner Malhotra (G’21), Features Editor Elisa Morsch (G’20), Senior Director, Creative

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR This August, our team visited the Calcagnini Contemplative Center for a staff retreat. Gathering together away from the office, amid the beauty of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, we found time and space to really share how we were feeling. On that day, I was reminded that all of us are facing unseen challenges. We may put on a brave face, but our private worlds can feel fraught, even perilous. And yet, we find a way to move forward.

Rosemary Lane, Patti North, Kate Shima O’Brien (C’89), Sara Piccini, Lauren M. Poteat, Bhriana Smith

Design Team Ethan Jeon, Shikha Savdas Project Manager

It is so important to open up to one another. Our hidden worlds can feel messy but there’s always some common thread that brings us together. In this issue of Georgetown Magazine, Father Bosco notes that one common thread among Hoyas is our big hearts. We care about the people in our lives, and about our communities. We take action where we can, standing up for others who need our support.

Editorial Team Gabrielle Barone, Karen Doss Bowman, Hayden Frye (C’17), Mariel Jackson,

Hilary Koss

University Photographer

Phil Humnicky

Georgetown Magazine 2115 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20007-1253

Email: magazine@georgetown.edu Address changes: 202-687-1994 or

email alumnirecords@georgetown.edu Fall 2023, Volume 54, Number 2

Georgetown Magazine (ISSN 1074-8784) Georgetown Magazine is distributed free of charge to alumni, parents, faculty, and staff.

The diverse views in the magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or official policies of the university.

Photo: Phil Humnicky

The Calcagnini Contemplative Center provides a wel-

coming space for retreats led by the Office of Mission Sadly, as we went to press, & Ministry. It was made possible through the generosity our big hearts were broken of Arthur Calcagnini (C’54) and his wife, Nancy. to learn that our new women’s basketball head coach Tasha Butts passed away after a two-year battle with breast cancer. This is a devastating loss for the Georgetown family and for women’s basketball in general, where she left a lasting legacy as player, coach, and friend.

In this issue she is featured in conversation with new men’s basketball head coach Ed Cooley, as they sat down together in June to share their hopes for their teams. We offer our condolences to her students, fellow coaches and staff, and to her family, including her parents, Spencer Sr. and Evelyn; her brother, Spencer Jr.; and her nephew, Marquis. We welcome your thoughts at magazine@georgetown.edu. Take care. —Camille Scarborough, Editorial Team Lead

Georgetown University provides equal

opportunity in employment for all persons and prohibits discrimination and harassment in all aspects of employment because of age,

color, disability, family responsibilities, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, matriculation, national origin, personal appearance, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other factor prohibited by law. Additionally, the university will use goodfaith efforts to achieve ethnic and gender diversity throughout the workforce. The

university emphasizes recruitment of women, minority members, disabled individuals, and veterans. Inquiries regarding Georgetown University’s nondiscrimination policy may be addressed to the Director of Affirmative Action

Programs, Institutional Diversity, Equity & Affirmative Action, 37th and O Sts. NW, Suite M36, Darnall Hall, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, or call 202-687-4798. ©Georgetown University

Photo: Mathieu Génon

Amitav Ghosh, winner of India’s 2018 Jnanpith Award, spoke at Georgetown for Voices on the Environment, a series of events at the intersection of science, the humanities, and the arts.

Lecture series highlights Voices on the Environment Earlier this year, award-winning writer Amitav Ghosh spoke in Gaston Hall as part of the ongoing Voices on the Environment series. Organized by The Earth Commons, the Georgetown Humanities Initiative, the Laboratory for Global Performance & Politics, and others, the annual series brings together a slate of lectures, screenings, and events that probe the “intersection of science, the humanities, and the arts that link environmental journalism, literary writing, activist performance, and critical approaches to climate change, the environment, and language.” Ghosh, known for his groundbreaking novels and nonfiction works, blends styles and genres to explore the complex interplay between the climate crisis and the lasting legacy of colonialism. His most recent book, The Nutmeg’s Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis, traces 400 years of the production of nutmeg and mace in the Banda Islands, from the promise of prosperity, to the mass murder and plunder of colonialism, to the impacts of the climate crisis.

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“The story of the Bandalese no longer seems so distant from our present predicament,” intoned Ghosh. “The continuities between the two are so pressing and so powerful that it could even be said that the fate of the Banda islands might be read as a template for the present.” For Ghosh, the Banda Islands, a remote cluster of land in the Banda Sea, elucidate much of what is threatening the world. Rich soil, fertilized by volcanic ash, led to lush forests that provided the fertile breeding ground for the evolution of nutmeg and mace. The resulting centuries of bloodshed, strife, and extraction are lessons that cannot be forgotten. “Humanity is today even more dependent on botanical matter than it was,” said Ghosh. “The idea that modern man has freed himself from the planet is not just absurd—it’s a dangerous delusion.” • —Hayden Frye

Fauci joins Georgetown faculty This summer, infectious diseases expert and advisor to seven presidents Anthony Fauci, M.D., joined the Georgetown faculty as a Distinguished University Professor, the university’s highest professional honor that recognizes extraordinary achievement in scholarship, teaching, and service. “We are deeply honored to welcome Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, a dedicated public servant, humanitarian, and visionary global health leader, to Georgetown,” says Georgetown President John J. DeGioia. “Dr. Fauci has embodied the Jesuit value of being in service to others throughout his career, and we are grateful to have his expertise, strong leadership, and commitment to guiding the next generation of leaders to meet the pressing issues of our time.” For Fauci—a renowned physician, immunologist, and infectious disease researcher and scientific leader who navigated seven U.S. presidential administrations through infectious disease threats, including HIV/AIDS, SARS, MERS, avian influenza, swine flu, Zika, Ebola, and COVID-19—coming to Georgetown was a full circle moment. He received his early education at Jesuit institutions; married his wife, Christine Grady (NHS’74, G’93), a Georgetown alumna and chair of NIH’s Department of Bioethics, in Dahlgren Chapel; had their three children at Georgetown University Hospital; and engaged with Hoyas over the years

on campus and in virtual discussions. He calls his decision to come to Georgetown “a no-brainer.” “I asked myself, now, at this stage in my life, what do I have to offer to society? I could do more experiments in the lab and have my lab going, but given what I’ve been through, I think what I have to offer is experience and inspiration to the younger generation of students,” Fauci says. In his new role, Fauci will serve as a Distinguished University Professor in the School of Medicine’s Department of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases, an academic division that provides clinical care, conducts research, and trains future physicians in infectious diseases. He will also hold an appointment in the university’s McCourt School of Public Policy. Over the past two decades, Georgetown has emerged as a leader in global health, public policy, and law. In June 2022, the university launched the Global Health Institute to apply research, teaching, and service of the university’s many global health centers and institutes to developing concrete solutions for the health and care of global populations, with a focus on the issues of equity and development. Georgetown also recently created its first undergraduate degree in public policy, which students will be able to pursue from the university’s downtown campus in 2024. “Through his extraordinary leadership and example, Anthony Fauci leveraged his role at the National Institutes of Health to influence not only medicine but policy, saving countless lives around the world as a result,” says Maria Cancian, dean of the McCourt School of Public Policy. “We are honored to have such a distinguished practitioner, one who faced and navigated some of the world’s most pressing issues, to guide our students in becoming transformative global leaders.” •

In July 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Georgetown students had the opportunity to engage with Dr. Anthony Fauci over Zoom. Now he will be guiding students in person as a member of Georgetown’s faculty.

—Rosemary Lane

Photo: Michael Derario

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New institute on tech policy for the common good Georgetown and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation will invest $30 million to establish a nonpartisan institute that helps policymakers and tech industry leaders address pressing issues related to technology, policy, and ethics. To be located on Georgetown’s Capitol Campus in Washington, DC, the Knight–Georgetown Institute (KGI) will serve as a central hub for translating research into practical resources that legislators, journalists, and private and public sector leaders can use to tackle such information technology issues as artificial intelligence and the spread of misinformation and disinformation. “The Knight–Georgetown Institute is an exciting manifestation of Georgetown’s deep-seated expertise in issues of technology, ethics, and society and the Knight Foundation’s investment in media and democracy,” says Georgetown Provost Robert M. Groves. “The need to understand the ways technology impacts our information production systems and our democracy is vital to our shared futures.” KGI joins and expands the work of Georgetown’s Tech & Society Initiative, a cross-campus network of centers and institutes engaged in interdisciplinary collaboration, research, and action. “Georgetown’s cross-cutting investment in tech, ethics, and policy—paired with our DC location—is an early proof of concept of where we see education going in the 21st century and the impact that our work can have,” says Soyica Diggs Colbert, vice president of interdisciplinary initiatives and Idol Family Professor. “We can only imagine how much more robust things will be 10 years from now, and the Knight– Georgetown Institute is an indication of our promise.” The institute will train undergraduate and graduate students in the field of tech policy and provide a rich assortment of pre-professional, mentorship, and research opportunities to complement the Technology, Ethics, and Society minor that Georgetown began offering last year. “This is as much about the current state of the field as it is about shaping the future,” Colbert says of the institute. “Part of our advantage is that as an educational institute, we can

Photo: iStockphoto

“The need to understand the ways technology impacts our information production systems and our democracy is vital to our shared futures.” —ROBERT M. GROVES

train future computer scientists, future engineers, and future policymakers to think about the implications of what they’re doing and to ask the right questions.” Working with Georgetown’s Tech & Society Initiative on its Hilltop, Georgetown Law, and Capitol campuses, the two organizations will draw on the strength of their academic centers and networks—meeting an urgent need, says Knight President Alberto Ibargüen. “Knight Foundation and Georgetown share a commitment to building scientific and policy consensus through independent inquiry and fact-based debate,” says Ibargüen. “In that sense, Georgetown is a natural partner in this work and is perfectly situated as a convener and translator for our growing public dialogue on technology and information in the context of our democracy.” • —Rosemary Lane

CHEERS TO THAT!

The new Hilltop Tap Room, located on the first floor of the Healey Family Student

Center, offers food and drinks in a comfortable environment, including an outdoor patio overlooking the Potomac River.

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Photo: Lisa Helfert

Eleanor J.B. Daugherty, an advocate for student well-being and equity with 25 years of experience in higher education, has joined Georgetown as the new vice president for student affairs.

Helping students feel at home on the Hilltop Georgetown Magazine recently met with Eleanor J.B. Daugherty, who joined the university as the vice president for student affairs in January 2023. Her focus is on helping students thrive at the university from orientation through commencement. Tell me about the Division of Student Affairs? What does it encompass? I like to think that Student Affairs is where we meet you as you leave the classroom. It encompasses how you live on campus, how you make campus your own, and how we care for you. Our staff helps with everything from new student orientation to graduation. They also support Georgetown families and students encountering challenges by providing such services as bridge housing and a food pantry. How are you enabling student success? I am exceedingly proud of and excited by the way we are using scholarship to help students thrive at Georgetown. Our research in the psychology of “belonging” is becoming a toolkit for how we welcome and support students in the residence halls—through orientation and through the use of peer mentorship models that allow students to be successful and learn from one another. There’s a very real

integration of theory and practice. We want cura personalis, or care of the whole person, to be something that is manifest and real in the student experience. How do Georgetown’s Jesuit values affect the student experience? We are all here because we believe in helping others. I see students wanting to be part of something greater than themselves. Georgetown’s values have been its foundation during the hardest of times. And every day we get to build on that. What would you like to tell students? Students need to know how much we believe in them. Though the world is more complicated than it was even five years ago, we are more inspired by the students we see every day. We believe they will transform the future, and we see ourselves as catalysts in their transformation. They are what fuel us. • —Gabrielle Barone

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TEDxGeorgetown conference brings connection, impact In Gaston Hall last April, Georgetown explored four seasons in one day—from spring themes of new ideas through a winter of overcoming obstacles—at the 2023 TEDxGeorgetown event entitled “Seasons of Change.”

Clayton Kincade (SFS’25), now a conference co-chair, has been involved for two years, and loves watching the speakers present. “When I heard about TEDxGeorgetown, I knew I needed to be a part of it. I just felt called to do it.”

The first TED Talk, in 1984, was meant to celebrate the convergence of “technology, entertainment, and design” with a series of lectures given by anyone, from a CEO to a college student, who has “ideas worth spreading.” It gave rise to independently organized events all over the world.

This year, Anna Kutbay (L’25) gave a speech focusing on “What my late-in-life autism diagnosis taught me about change.”

TEDxGeorgetown, launched in 2011, is supported by John J. DeGioia and the Office of the President.

“There are so many people who are affected by autism,” Kutbay says. “I had several students and parents come up to me after my presentation to tell me that I gave them a different perspective on their lives.” Though Kutbay has a background in public speaking and debate, she found the community atmosphere made it easier for participants who were newer to speech-giving. “The TEDxGeorgetown team was really dedicated to making sure that every speaker had a successful talk, especially when conveying personal messages.” She encourages interested participants to apply, even if they don’t have much public speaking experience or think their message will live up to the TEDx standard.

Photo: courtesy of TedX Georgetown

Anna Kutbay (L’25) talked about her late-in-life autism diagnosis and how she used it to engage in self-reflection and actualization.

“A lot of the TED Talks and great public speeches that you see look very ordinary on paper, but the delivery really creates the magic,” says Kutbay. “Doubting yourself could eliminate the chance for people to hear a new perspective.” • —Gabrielle Barone

Georgetown receives national sustainability award Georgetown has been awarded the 2023 Green Ribbon School Postsecondary Sustainability Award by the U.S. Department of Education. The university is being honored for its efforts to reduce sustainability impacts and costs, improve health and wellness, and provide environmental education. Georgetown takes a broad-based, practical approach to sustainability, including minimizing climate change emissions, increasing the energy efficiency of buildings, reducing waste, providing environmentally conscious transportation, and plant-forward dining options. Walk through campus and you will see the green roofs and vegetable gardens that make Georgetown a certified beefriendly habitat. There are other features that might not be so visible: solar panels and even bioswales—drainage channels to collect runoff and ecologically filter it before redistribution. The award also recognizes Georgetown as a co-creator of the Wellbeing Project to support social changemakers.

Photo: Shelby Gresch

Georgetown is minimizing climate change emissions by constructing energy-efficient buildings, reducing waste, and providing sustainable transportation and plant-forward dining options.

“College campuses operate like mini cities where students learn to live sustainably in green buildings, and where the university scales its impact through sustainable business decisions,” says Meghan Chapple, Georgetown’s vice president of sustainability. “As places of learning and discovery, higher education institutions have an important role to play.” •

In recent years, Georgetown established the Earth Commons Institute to accelerate education, research, and action on the most pressing environmental and sustainability challenges locally and globally. The Earth Commons has already introduced a master’s degree in Environment and Sustainability Management. —Gabrielle Barone VISIT magazine.georgetown.edu

New center to study slavery and its legacies Georgetown has launched a Center for the Study of Slavery and Its Legacies (GCSSL) to deepen its research, teaching, public programming, and interdisciplinary collaboration on the history of enslavement and its imprint. The center connects faculty and student researchers across the university and sponsors new partnerships and scholarship on slavery and its legacies at Georgetown, throughout the District of Columbia, and in Catholic communities throughout the United States. “Georgetown continues to be engaged in a long-term effort to understand and respond to our institution’s historical relationship to slavery,” says Georgetown President John J. DeGioia. “The center will support rigorous faculty and student research, innovative teaching, creative projects, and collaborative programs that sustain Georgetown’s commitment to facing our history.”

The center was first envisioned by the Working Group on Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation, a group of Georgetown faculty, staff, students, and alumni formed in 2015 to engage the university community in a process of reflection about Georgetown’s involvement in slavery and to make recommendations for future action. The internationally recognized Georgetown Slavery Archive (GSA) serves as the foundation for the center, with more than 450 items related to the history of slavery at Georgetown, slaveholding by the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus, and the lives of enslaved people held by Georgetown and the Jesuits. “It’s not just about the past—although we do want to incubate rigorous scholarship on history,” GCSSL Founding Director Adam Rothman, a professor in the Department of History and curator of the Georgetown Slavery Archive, says of the center. “We also want to think about the echoes and reverberations of the history of slavery in the present, whether that’s in political institutions, economic life, or culture.” The center is guided by a distinguished group of Georgetown faculty colleagues who bring a variety of disciplinary perspectives. For its first event last spring, the center hosted a two-part event on the Music of New Orleans with a screening of the film City of a Million Dreams, directed by Jason Berry (C’71), and a performance by the Dr. Michael White Quartet, featuring clarinetist Dr. Michael White, one of New Orleans’ most acclaimed musicians and the Rosa and Charles Keller Endowed Chair in the Humanities of New Orleans Music and Culture at Xavier University of Louisiana. Rothman spoke about the history of jazz and its connections to slavery in New Orleans.

Photo: Phil Humnicky

Students, faculty, and staff come together to participate in ongoing transcription and digitization efforts as a way to remember the injustices of enslavement and Georgetown’s own connection to the institution of slavery.

In September, the center held a special launch event in Gaston Hall that featured a live performance of Carlos Simon’s Grammy-nominated “Requiem for the Enslaved” and a discussion with the artists. • —Rosemary Lane

VEGGIES FOR OTHERS

The Earth Commons recently launched Hoya Harvest: a garden on the Regents Hall fourth floor patio managed by community volunteers using regenerative agriculture techniques. Produce from the garden is distributed via the Hoya Hub, Georgetown’s on-campus food pantry, and other partners.

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Photo: Phil Humnicky

“There is great joy, no matter how hard the work, in building, creating, and improving,” said Frank H. McCourt Jr. at his 2023 commencement address. He urged the graduating class to “engage their magnanimity.”

McCourt School of Public Policy celebrates its first decade The McCourt School celebrated its 10-year anniversary with founding donor Frank H. McCourt Jr. (C’75, Parent’05) speaking at the 2023 Commencement Ceremony before the largest cohort of McCourt graduates to date. “For me, at the end of the day, there’s only one metric that matters, and it’s this: Are we taking care of our children?” said McCourt. “Are we serving the next generation? Are we handing off a future that offers greater opportunities and a better quality of life? This is the sacred metric.” McCourt’s remarks focused on ideals and dreams for the future, calling on 2023 graduates to utilize the skills they developed, the networks they built, and the talents they honed to address society’s most pressing challenges. “More than your intellect or your acquired skills, I have faith in the size of your heart. In your capacity to meet our moment not only with your proficiency, but with your magnanimity. You have the chance to navigate a new path that is not determined by the power of technology but, rather, is guided by the aspirations of your soul,” said McCourt. In 2013, the Georgetown alumnus invested $100 million to establish the McCourt School of Public Policy. McCourt then made a second $100 million investment in 2021, half of which is devoted to scholarships to catalyze a more inclusive pipeline of public policy leaders.

Executive Chair of McCourt Global and a member of the Georgetown University Board of Directors, McCourt is the founder of Project Liberty, which seeks to transform the internet through a new, equitable technology infrastructure and rebuild social media in a way that enables users to own and control their personal data. Project Liberty’s Institute (formerly the McCourt Institute), which was launched in 2021 with founding academic partners Sciences Po in Paris and Georgetown University, aims to address critical questions on the impact of technological innovation on society, with a particular focus on public policy. Since March 2022, Georgetown has awarded more than $4 million in research grants through its partnership with Project Liberty’s Institute, supporting the work of faculty across the university with deep expertise in law, public policy, computer science, and ethics. The 2023–2024 grantees will investigate the effects of technology on individuals and society, as well as how to address the challenge of new technologies born in the information age. “This year marks a momentous occasion in the School’s history,” said Dean Maria Cancian. “We are grateful to Frank McCourt for joining us to celebrate our graduates—and for all that his leadership and generosity have enabled Georgetown and the McCourt School to achieve.” • —Mariel Jackson

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O’Donnell leads the CBS Evening News with a unique blend of information, insight, and compassion.

BY JANE VARNER MALHOTRA | DESIGN BY SHIKHA SAVDAS

hat’s going on in the world? To answer this question, many people check social media, read newspapers, or listen to the radio. For millions of Americans, nightly television news is the answer, whether on cable, public stations, or one of the major broadcast networks.

Many Hoyas are drawn to work in the field of journalism, fueled by Georgetown’s location in the nation’s capital, strength in liberal arts, and commitment to expanding the greater good. Some work behind the scenes, and others are front-page influencers and storytellers. But few have the visibility and voice of Emmy-award winning journalist Norah O’Donnell (C’95, G’03), anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News since 2019. In a world of punditry, divisiveness, and misinformation, O’Donnell offers an alternative, sharing a balanced and trusted perspective on stories carefully researched by her and her team. A sense of purpose guides her work. “Journalism has the power to educate and illuminate,” O’Donnell says. “Those are the kind of stories that are most important to me.” She credits both her parents and her Jesuit education at Georgetown for instilling the values of justice and public service that she puts into practice each day. As a journalist, she notes, one has the opportunity to research a problem, dig into it, understand it, and inspire solutions. “You can shine a light on injustice and help make change.”

OVERSEAS AND ON THE HILLTOP

Growing up in a military family, O’Donnell lived in several places, including South Korea when she was 10 years old. At this young age, she worked at a local television station recording English language instruction videos, an early start to a career in front of the camera. “That was also the beginning of having a job and having my own money,” she recalls. “I could spend it the way I wanted to—like buying cassette tapes of my favorite music.” Working and earning her own money gave her an early sense of independence, along with the opportunity to learn new things. “At Georgetown, same thing. I always had a job.” In addition to internships, O’Donnell was involved in student theater on campus, including the Mask & Bauble production of The Diviners. “As anyone who has done theater knows, it is a lot of work, and very rewarding,” she adds. She also pursued an early interest in law by winning a seat in the student government. “I wanted to help address some of the concerns shared by my friends and see if we could advocate for change on campus.” As for academics, after some intriguing required courses her first year, including Problem of God, she eventually chose philosophy for her major. “Philosophy was totally new to me. I liked the reading and writing, all the values- and moralsbased questions.”

Photo: Phil Humnicky

“That’s the beauty of a liberal arts education,” she adds. “I didn’t have a specific career choice in mind. I was able to explore my curiosity and choose a major that I found interesting and intellectually stimulating.” One of her favorite professors was Nancy Sherman, currently Distinguished University Professor and Professor of Philosophy known for her expertise in military ethics, Greco-Roman philosophy, moral psychology, and emotions. “Professor Sherman inspired me to become a critical thinker, something that is at the heart of journalism.” At times O’Donnell felt she had some catching up to do compared to her peers who seemed more prepared for college academics, she says. “I wasn’t always the best student at Georgetown,” she notes with a smile. “It felt like I had to work twice as hard, and even then I did not get the grades that my friends did. But that struggle has made me who I am. I’ve always been scrappy and resourceful. That benefits me as a journalist—it’s what this career is about.”

MAKING HER WAY

During her college internship with ABC News, she was invited to accompany legendary reporter Ann Compton to a White House press conference with President Bill Clinton (SFS’68, HON’80). “I was awestruck,” she recalls. “I’m in the White House, and everything is glowing. I thought ‘Wow, maybe I want to do this!’ That’s where I really caught the bug.” As the idea of becoming a journalist began to take hold, she sought guidance from Compton whenever she could, including while getting a lift to her Georgetown group house. “Ann said to me: Do you need a ride home? I have to go pick up my son at football practice. So I got in her station wagon and she drove me home. I can remember being in the car with her along Reservoir Road, because our townhouse was right across from the construction of the new hospital. I said, ‘What advice do you have?’ She said, ‘Get yourself a Rolodex. Start keeping track of everybody that you know. You call them up, and I’ll help you.’”

“That’s the beauty of a liberal arts education. I didn’t have a specific career choice in mind. I was able to explore my curiosity and choose a major that I found interesting and intellectually stimulating.” —NORAH O’DONNELL

Photos: courtesy of CBS News

In 2019 O’Donnell stepped up to anchor the CBS Evening News, a position held by the legendary Walter Cronkite in the 1960s and 70s.

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WIDENING THE LENS

After Georgetown, O’Donnell worked for an early politics news aggregator called The Hotline, which went out each morning by fax. “It was a deep dive into the news: reading a bunch of newspapers at six o’clock in the morning and watching the morning shows. I got a quick education into who all the pollsters were, and the best political consultants.” An appearance on C-SPAN during her time on The Hotline was “the beginning of getting me to where I am today.” O’Donnell returned to Georgetown to earn a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies, an interdisciplinary program that invites students to pursue individually tailored graduate study with a big-picture lens. She wanted to deepen and broaden her knowledge of the world, with a focus on history. “Here I am—a journalist in Washington, reporting on the most important issues not only in America, but in the world, interviewing ambassadors and presidents and reporting on decision-making in countries that I didn’t know a lot about. The master’s degree was continuing education, a way to know more about everything from the Vietnam War to national security issues.”

Hoya journalists inspire at 2023 Commencement by Hayden Frye and Jane Varner Malhotra In May, as more than 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students received their Georgetown diplomas, two Hoya journalists offered stirring speeches. Award-winning journalist Yamiche Alcindor (C’09) delivered the commencement address to the Georgetown University College of Arts & Sciences Class of 2023 and received an honorary degree. “My message to you today is simple: Cherish your relationships. Let your passions lead you to a life of purpose and service. And, be guided by hope and not fear,” Alcindor said to the assembled graduates. Alcindor is the Washington correspondent for NBC News. She most recently worked as the White House correPhotos: Phil Humnicky spondent for PBS NewsHour. Alcindor (top) and Guthrie Throughout her career, Alcinaddress graduates in May dor has been recognized for her unflinching coverage of some of America’s most pressing issues. “For steadfastly telling uncomfortable truths, for providing a resonant voice for the voiceless, and for exemplifying the very best values instilled by a Georgetown education, Georgetown confers upon Yamiche Alcindor, a daughter of immigrants and a daughter of this proud university and the College of Arts & Sciences, the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters,” her citation read. Savannah Guthrie (L’02), award-winning co-anchor of NBC News’ Today and NBC News’ chief legal correspondent, addressed the Georgetown Law Class of 2023. “Today Georgetown recognizes an exceptional journalist and attorney who has dedicated her career to helping her fellow Americans understand some of the most important events and people of our time,” said Professor Paul Butler in his introductory remarks. She received the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws. Drawing upon her own experiences facing life’s obstacles as she followed a unique path that blends law and journalism, Guthrie reminded graduates that “even your wrong decisions can be redeemed.”

In August O’Donnell traveled to Hawaii to report on the devastating fires in Maui.

VISIT magazine.georgetown.edu

“Take care of your heart and spirit as well as you take care of your mind and career,” Guthrie advised. 13

POINTS OF PRIDE

O’Donnell is particularly interested in reporting on women’s issues and issues impacting people in the military, and the intersection of the two. Her in-depth reporting on sexual assault and harrassment in the military earned her and her team an Emmy Award in 2018. “We need more women in the military, and we need more women in national security,” O’Donnell asserts. “Women can’t serve if they’re being assaulted and harassed out of those positions.” Photo: Ally Castillo / CBS News

“We’re not just reporting what’s wrong in the world. We’re conducting solutionsbased reporting—we say ‘this is what’s happening and it is an injustice.’ And that brings attention and hopefully a policy or political response that can improve people’s lives.” —NORAH O’DONNELL

Shining a light on the problem helped lead the Biden administration to name the issue of sexual assault in the military as a key priority. President Biden signed monumental legislation taking prosecution of sexual assault and other crimes out of the chain of command. Since then, the Department of Defense has launched an independent review commission with new rules for reporting sexual assault and misconduct, and a new victim response workforce. “That isn’t just because of my reporting, but we were part of what is a #MeToo movement in the military,” says O’Donnell. “And I’m very, very proud of that.” “Abuse festers in silence,” she adds. “That is why journalism is so important. We’re not just reporting what’s wrong in the world. We’re conducting solutions-based reporting. We say ‘this is what’s happening and it is an injustice.’ And that brings attention and hopefully a policy or political response that can improve people’s lives.” MENTORING THE NEXT GENERATION

In the competitive field of television news, Ann Compton’s Rolodex advice proved critical for O’Donnell’s success over the years. Relationships matter, whether they open an opportunity for an exclusive interview or provide a chance for more air time that increases visibility. As a way to pay it forward, O’Donnell is committed to mentoring the next generation of journalists. Roxanne Feitel (C’16), now an associate producer for the CBS program 60 Minutes, has worked over the years with O’Donnell, who is also a contributing correspondent for 60 Minutes, and experienced her mentorship firsthand. “Norah always makes sure that I and the other women on her CBS Evening News team have a voice, and she makes sure that our ideas are heard. Women have had a seat at the table for a couple of decades in journalism, thankfully. But it’s really important that we have people to look up to, people who are championing younger women in the field.”

Top: O’Donnell speaks with Oprah Winfrey for CBS News Sunday Morning and streaming program Person to Person with Norah O’Donnell about the media icon’s new book; Bottom: O’Donnell (right) works on questions with 60 Minutes producers Keith Sharman (left) and Roxanne Feitel (C’16) aboard the USS Nimitz in the Western Pacific. In addition to the two-part story about the U.S. Navy’s readiness amid rising tensions with China, O’Donnell anchored the CBS Evening News aboard the Navy aircraft carrier.

A government and English major from northern New Jersey, Feitel grew up watching the evening news with her mom. A journalism internship at Georgetown led to a job at a CBS News affiliate newsgathering division after graduating, and a year later she joined the CBS morning show on their overnight shift. “I was 23, so it was the perfect time to be doing something like that,” Feitel says. “You’re in the control room every single day for the show. If there’s breaking news right before airing, you

Photo: Adam Verdugo / CBS News

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“We’ve doubled-down on what we call ‘hard news with heart.’ The reminder that behind every headline is a person, a family, and a community.” —NORAH O’DONNELL

Photo: Eric Kerchner / CBS News

Photo: Adam Verdugo / CBS News

Left: Admiral Samuel Paparo walks with O’Donnell on the flight deck of the USS Nimitz. Admiral Paparo commands the U.S. Pacific Fleet; Right: O’Donnell traveled to the Ukraine-Poland border as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggered the largest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II. In the March 2022 documentary Norah O’Donnell Reports: Crisis in Ukraine, she shares firsthand accounts from Ukrainian refugees.

call people to try to get them on television. It’s high pressure, high stakes. But that’s also kind of the fun of it.” Like O’Donnell, Feitel is drawn to journalism for that bigger purpose—the desire to make a difference in the world and because she likes learning. “It feels like such a privilege to do what I do. It’s so creative and interesting. One of the things Norah says all the time is ‘tell me something I don’t know.’ Every day I wake up, and that’s what I’m trying to do—learn something I don’t know and then share that in a story.” A SEARCH FOR UNDERSTANDING

Often during interviews, O’Donnell asks the person to name their superpower. For herself, she says it’s her curiosity. “Journalism is the best job in the world, because it’s a front row seat to history. It’s always exciting. It always feeds my curiosity. You get to work with a lot of people who are also incredibly curious about the world. And you can talk to anybody and ask questions, and that’s part of your job. It changes every day.” Although she is well-known, O’Donnell views herself not as a celebrity or media personality, but as a journalist who anchors an evening news broadcast. Her behind-the-scenes reporting work to understand the story, develop good questions, find reliable sources, and fact-check everything is challenging but critical to doing the job well. “Walter Cronkite, whose seat I sit in, said journalism is what we need to make democracy work. And I believe that. People need to be able to turn on the evening news at 6:30 and think, I trust VISIT magazine.georgetown.edu

Norah O’Donnell. I want to hear what Norah says. What is the truth? That’s what we shoot for every single day. What’s challenging is that the truth is under fire.” The news world has experienced a seismic shift during the course of her career, with the advent of the internet, smartphones, and citizen journalism. “Audiences today have the news at their fingertips,” O’Donnell notes. “But there is one thing that remains the same: our commitment to the highest quality journalism. Of course, there have been ways the CBS Evening News has adapted to modern storytelling, but most importantly, we’ve doubled-down on what we call ‘hard news with heart.’ The reminder that behind every headline is a person, a family, and a community.” Recognizing the transformative power of storytelling and journalism, O’Donnell hopes to inspire others to make the world better through more understanding. She works to share perspectives and experiences that are often overlooked. “How can I use my voice for the truth and for good, and to shine a light on people who may have not received the attention that they deserve?” Her time on the Hilltop helped strengthen O’Donnell’s foundation as a person seeking justice and a leader in the field of journalism. “The liberal arts education at Georgetown enhanced what was a set of values I learned in my family, to pursue a life worth living that’s full of integrity.” •

Photos: Phil Humnicky

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BY JANE VARNER MALHOTRA I DESIGN BY ETHAN JEON

s this magazine went to press in October, we

learned the heartbreaking news that Georgetown’s

new women’s basketball head coach Tasha Butts died

after a two-year struggle with breast cancer.

The Georgetown community is grateful for the leadership, wisdom, and care Coach Butts offered. We are

honored to share this story of her in conversation with new men’s basketball head coach Ed Cooley, as they

sat down together in June to discuss what’s ahead for

Hoya hoops. View a video of their conversation at magazine.georgetown.edu.

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TB: Basketball has afforded me the opportunity to play all around the world and live in different countries. To make this home for me is a dream come true. I don’t think a first year head coach could ask for a better situation. EC: It’s meant to be that we’re here together, right? It’s exciting for me, after 53 years in [Providence, Rhode Island]. This feels like home after being here a short time, with the legacy and history and tradition. TB: Even though I’m leaving Georgia, my family is a family of change. In our lives that’s what we’re used to. EC: Change is hard, but I’m looking forward to this challenge that’s ahead for us both. TB: It’s exciting and unique that two programs are rebuilding at the same time, and we’ve chosen to do this together. We understand that our programs need each other, our fan bases need each other, our support systems need each other.

EC: The legacy and tradition here at Georgetown is iconic. To reestablish and rebuild our basketball programs is going to take a community effort. I can see things moving in the right direction. The alumni have been amazing. We’re all going to do this together. TB: I come from the schools of Pat Summit, of Mickie DeMoss, who were at the forefront of gender equity and Title IX, making sure our voices are heard. As I was coming up at Tennessee, we had separate athletic departments for women and men. I saw women in charge of running things and the collaboration with the two departments. That collaboration allowed everyone to win. EC: I’m so proud to see how far it’s come, but I’m also excited to see how far it’s going to go. When you look around at the balance of not just gender equity but inclusion of everything, like religion and race, I think Georgetown opens up the door of opportunity for equality. We are one, we are a family, we are united— we’ve got to make sure that we are leaders in that conversation. TB: I want to make sure that our team, our young women, know: you are important, your voice matters. You belong and there’s not a room that you should feel uncomfortable sitting in. EC: I look at equity across the board, the opportunity for men and women of different cultural backgrounds to become head coach. Times have changed and we’re part of that change. We’ve got to make sure we continue to talk about equity, equality, and balance, so our voices are not just heard, but there’s action behind our words. TB: Our game has completely changed with the transfer portal. I made some really good additions to our team through it. Do I think that it could get out of control? Absolutely. When you see over 1500 kids in that portal, the aunt in me, the caring person in me, the coach in Photo: Rafael Suanes

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me, has a concern. Where will the rest of those young men and young women go if they don’t land [at a new university]? A lot of people say, “Oh, hop in the portal when things aren’t going right.” But not everyone gets that happy ending. EC: We’re still in the infancy stage of it, still trying to see how it works. I think the portal allows kids to have opportunity and choice, but I don’t think it allows young men and women to work through adversity. It is transformational in our sport and we’ve benefited. We’re able to identify student athletes that fit our style, our philosophy. But not everybody’s going to have that level of success.

EC: Self-care, emotional wellness, and mental health is so important for all of us. My concentration is reestablishing Georgetown’s basketball program, but I have to take a step back and do a better job at self-care—not just for myself, but for the players, for my family, and for our community. If I’m not healthy as the leader, I don’t know how you can have a healthy program. TB: And I’ll say this, Coach, that I have put my health at the forefront. Because if you do your research, you know my story. [Being diagnosed with cancer] changed how I operate when it comes to my mental health, my physical health, and my wellbeing. When I got ready to take this job, one thing that you said to me was take a moment to smell the flowers. EC: Absolutely. TB: And that is something that I have held onto since. It’s as simple as every morning I start my day, make my cup of coffee, and sit at the window for 20 minutes in complete silence. And I tell our kids to do that as well. Take a moment for you, for your mental health. And when it comes to the physical part, don’t take things for granted. Understand that you have one body and you need to take care of it, whatever that means for you. Take that moment for yourself.

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EC: I’m working at it. I practice gratitude every day. TB: Yeah, it’s not easy. But it’s the same way that we tell our kids in order for them to get better, they must practice daily. It’s consistency. It’s an everyday effort to do that one thing. EC: Thank you, coach. We’re going to be here for one another. I have so much respect and look forward to us working together hand in hand. TB: I’m looking forward to us being able to have these conversations on a regular basis so that I can continue to learn and grow in this space, not only as a head coach, but as a person. Thank you for this fellowship. • Editor’s note: Darnell Haney has been named Georgetown’s interim women’s head coach. The Hoyas and Big East Conference will continue to honor Coach Butts’ memory all season, keeping her #TashaTough initiative going to bring awareness to early cancer screenings and detection.

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Content warning: story contains mention of school shootings

cross the United States, more than 120 people die each day from firearm-related injuries, which are now the leading cause of death for children and teens 19 and younger. Georgetown faculty, students, and alumni are responding to this public health crisis through a number of approaches including research, education, and activism.

Last year the university joined the 120 Initiative, an effort launched by the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area that is focused on reducing gun violence in the United States through research-based, actionable solutions. Contributing to the collaborative are a dozen Georgetown experts drawn from schools and programs across the university. They include faculty from the Center for Innovations in Community Safety at the Law Center, the School of Medicine and MedStar Washington Hospital Center’s Community Violence Intervention Program, the School of Continuing Studies, and the Health Justice Alliance. After seven months of study and debate, this spring the group shared initial recommendations. These include more community engagement and violence interruption programs, gun violence prevention education campaigns, and more safety device use and training. Importantly, they noted that these efforts will take root if combined with supportive legislation, extensive mental health services, funding for more scholarship, and continued investment in addressing systemic inequities in American society. Whether crunching statistics to improve policymaking or supporting communities affected by gun violence, Hoyas everywhere are striving to make a difference.

Supporting the development of ‘sound, evidence-based public policy’ Firearms policy research is limited by a dearth of quality data on factors such as gun ownership and nonfatal injuries from firearms. Georgetown’s Massive Data Institute (MDI) is trying to change that. Housed in the McCourt School of Public Policy, the institute is part of the university’s Tech & Society Initiative, an interdisciplinary collaboration bringing together cross-campus centers that are involved in research, understanding, and action—all at the intersection of technology, ethics, and governance. In April, MDI hosted a Fireside Chat on campus on the state of gun violence in the country. The discussion, facilitated by Georgetown faculty and students, centered on current research on gun violence, the impact of different policies, and strategies for addressing it from a public health perspective. Panelists also spoke about the effects of racism on firearms research and policy. “It was a wonderful first conversation,” says Lisa Singh, MDI director and professor of computer science. “At MDI, we not only want to advance research, but we also want to grow the community that’s thinking about these issues and how they impact our campus and the greater Washington, DC, area. We want to engage with people at other local universities to tackle these problems in the District and have thoughtful conversations that may help us understand what is true and what’s not true about gun violence.”

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The MDI hopes to address this and a wide range of social issues by bringing together experts to gather data, analyze it, and propose solutions.

#NotAGunOwner, and #suicideawareness to understand the types of conversations taking place and their value for approximating counts that are difficult to obtain in other ways.

“Our goal is not to focus on a particular policy, technology, or problem,” Singh says. “Our goal is to develop methods, approaches, and innovations that can support sound, evidencebased public policy around issues like gun violence.”

Despite limitations, their research found that “in conjunction with traditional surveys, social media is promising as a way to understand public opinion,” Singh says. Funded by a grant from the National Collaborative on Gun Violence Research, they are continuing this work with the goal of building a stronger foundation for gun policy research.

Singh and co-collaborator Carole Roan Gresenz, a professor jointly appointed in McCourt and the School of Health, are leading an MDI team in developing innovative approaches to understanding the firearms landscape. For example they are investigating methods for determining firearm-related death counts and gun ownership in different locations around the country. They explore social media data as a measurement tool, developing machine learning classifiers to help predict gun-related outcomes. They use the X (previously Twitter) interface to search for nearly 200 hashtags, keywords, and phrases, such as #Don’tTakeMyGuns,

Studying crime data to inform law enforcement strategy At some police departments across the country, data analysts collect, compile, and study statistical data, such as crime and census reports, to help agencies evaluate crime trends, patterns, and locations. Brannon Green (G’16), a graduate of Georgetown’s Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, is a law enforcement analyst with the DC Metropolitan Police Department. As part of their Research and Evaluation Branch,

Singh, who leads Georgetown’s Massive Data Institute, co-authored a recent study on using social media data to inform gun policy research.

Photo: Lisa Helfert

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Photo: courtesy of Alysha Orbach

While at Georgetown, Orbach became director of March for Our Lives DC, part of a national student-led movement organized in response to the Parkland shootings.

he primarily collects and analyzes variables related to gun violence in the District. Those factors include a wide range of details about incidents, such as the events leading up to a shooting, patterns in shooting locations, suspect and victim demographics, the types of guns involved, and trends in how and where these guns are recovered. Looking at these factors, along with broader crime data collected by other researchers in the department, helps city leadership make informed, strategic decisions to reduce crime. “Crime in any city is an ever-evolving problem,” Green says. “So it’s important to be constantly collecting data that gives us insight as to what the trends might be, and to provide a means of rethinking previous tactics and developing more focused solutions.” At Georgetown, Green studied cognitive neuroscience and brain mapping. His interest in coding and data science led him to the field of applied data in criminal justice. “As a Ph.D. scientist, I’ve been trained in how to ask questions and how to approach problems,” Green says. “I hope to use that problem-solving training to at least move the needle in helping to reduce gun violence—or violence in general. “The more that you work in the field, the more you realize that gun violence is an interconnected problem related to a lot of societal factors that are outside of the police purview,” Green adds. “Figuring out how to understand the problem or fix the problem is a much more daunting task than some people realize.”

Portrait of gun ownership in America Georgetown professor William English grew up hunting and participating in shooting sports, and decided to write a book examining the historical and social science aspects of the gun debate. Reviewing literature that had been previously

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published, he discovered that much of the existing data on gun ownership was outdated. “I found that the most comprehensive survey of American gun ownership had been conducted back in 1994,” says English, an assistant professor of Strategy, Economics, Ethics, and Public Policy in Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business. English set out to update the profile of gun ownership trends to include new data on types of firearms that are most popular now and how gun owners are using these weapons. The resulting 2021 National Firearms Survey is the largest survey of gun owners ever conducted, collecting information from more than 16,000 across the nation. English found that about a third of U.S. adults—approximately 81.4 million people—own a firearm. On average each individual owns five firearms, and handguns are the most common type owned. The data showed that AR-15 style rifles have grown in popularity and are now owned by about 24.6 million people. The survey asked extensive questions about defensive gun use. Findings included that 56.2% of gun owners sometimes carry a gun for self-defense, with 35% indicating that they frequently carry a handgun. Additionally, 31.1% of gun owners reported having used a firearm to defend themselves or their property. Meanwhile, English says that “one of the more surprising findings, at least to me, was how diverse gun owners are.” The survey found that more than 42% of firearm owners are female. Among American racial groups, 19.4% of Asian people, 25.4% of Black people, 28.3% of Hispanic people, and 34.3% of White people own firearms. For AR-15 style rifles and magazines that hold over 10 rounds, the difference in ownership by racial group was narrower. 23

Several Georgetown alumni who work at Everytown For Gun Safety gather at the sculpture “Non-Violence” in front of the UN Headquarters in New York City. Artist Carl Frederk Reutersward created the piece in 1980 in response to the murder of his friend, John Lennon. Left to right: Carolyn Shanahan (C’12), Justin Wagner (C’03, L’06), Monisha Henley (G’10), Len Kamdang (C’98).

Photo: Jonathan Heisler

Student and alumni agents for change For Alysha Orbach (SFS’23), the issue of gun violence strikes close to home. The Austin, Texas, native recalls an incident when she was 13 years old and visited a friend whose father kept a loaded rifle stored by the front door. Her friend picked up the weapon and held it to Orbach’s head as a prank. Knowing that many children have been killed at the hands of another child playing with a gun, Orbach feels lucky to have survived. But the traumatic incident motivated her to become part of gun violence prevention efforts as a Georgetown student.

emerged in response to the Parkland shootings. Orbach advocated for her fellow Georgetown students to become involved and find ways to bring about positive changes in the greater Washington, DC, community.

After seeing reports of the deadly mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Orbach decided, “I’m not going to watch this happen anymore. I’m going to be a part of the solution.”

“We cannot say that we’re a bastion of education and an institution trying to effect change if we’re not even trying to bring about change in the places where we live,” says Orbach, who now works for Human Rights Watch, where she supports the U.S. program staff in its racial justice work. “Unfortunately, gun violence is a prevalent issue in DC that primarily affects people of color. It doesn’t affect the area immediately surrounding Georgetown and because of that, it’s easy for students to say, this is not my problem. As students of Georgetown, as alumni of Georgetown, it’s important that we become fully engaged members of our communities.”

While at Georgetown, she became director of March for Our Lives DC, a national grassroots movement that

Gun violence is a part of daily life for many DC residents, and Orbach says it’s important for members of a community

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of privilege, such as Georgetown, to connect with those most affected by gun violence—primarily people of color and those living in poverty.

focused on reducing gun violence, with topics such as “Active Bystander Intervention in Weapon Situations,” “Unarmed Civilian Protection Deployments,” and “Restorative Circles and Gun Violence.”

“Gun violence against others tends to be concentrated in urban areas or in high-poverty communities where people are facing “Nonviolence is essential to these conversations because it inadequate access to the daily means of survival,” Orbach says. roots us in a way of life, a commitment to human dignity, “Those disparities tend to follow along racial lines.” and an imagination that forms us to engage conflict constructively rather than with guns,” McCarthy says. “The ‘just The fastest-growing gun safety problem in the United States peace’ approach offers a vision, normative framework, and is the prevalence of ghost guns, according to Everytown for process that breaks cycles of violence such as gun violence Gun Safety, the largest U.S. gun violence prevention organiand builds a more sustainable peace.” zation. These homemade and untraceable weapons can be assembled in less than an hour using parts that can be purchased While the avoidance of war and the nonviolent resolution on the internet without a background check. Felons, gun of conflicts is a central objective of JUPS, courses in the traffickers, and even children are able to purchase these kits. program also focus on understanding structural injustices that lead to violence. As director of litigation strategy and trials for Everytown, attorney Len Kamdang (C’98) managed a team that sued the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to change how ghost guns are regulated by the federal government. Additionally, his team represented the city of Los Angeles in a lawsuit against Polymer 80, the biggest ghost gun manufacturer in the United States. That case was recently settled for $5 million. “We are litigators who take the battle for gun safety to the courts. That includes representing cities that pass common sense gun violence prevention laws, as well as representing shooting survivors and their families,” says Kamdang, noting that Everytown employs several Georgetown alumni. “Litigation is just one part of addressing the problem of gun violence. We are seeking accountability from the industry to reform their practices and hopefully make America a safer place.” Kamdang credits his Jesuit education—both in high school and at Georgetown—for instilling in him the value of service to others. At Georgetown, Kamdang was involved in organizations such as DC Reads and the After School Kids Program. The Friends of Lorton tutoring project, started by Patricia O’Connor, associate professor of English, gave him a chance to work and learn with an incarcerated population. “That was the biggest eye opener for me and set me on a path of social justice reform for the next 20 years,” Kamdang says.

Teaching peace and nonviolence All of this work is grounded in the university’s Jesuit tradition of cura personalis, which emphasizes a sense of profound care and responsibility for one another. In the classroom, this value comes to the fore through the offerings of Georgetown’s Program on Justice and Peace (JUPS). The transdisciplinary, cross-cultural community of students, faculty, staff, and community partners share a commitment to the university’s Jesuit mission of understanding and solving global problems, including gun violence. Eli McCarthy, who teaches ethics and nonviolent communications in JUPS and the Department of Theology and Religious Studies, also offers nonviolent skills training sessions

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“Georgetown invites us to really strive towards flourishing and the greater good of all people, which is critical when it comes to breaking cycles of violence,” McCarthy says. “And the Jesuits, particularly with their emphasis on reconciliation, can help us see the link between dignity and nonviolence so that we become the kind of people that are able to engage conflict better and are less likely to resort to physical harm. If we’re really focused on saving every life in conflict, then we’re going to be less apt to lean towards weapons or violence to solve an issue.” McCarthy also points to the value of Ubuntu, a traditional African philosophy that encourages ideals such as community equality, cooperation, sharing, and trust. “This concept emphasizes the sense that we are all deeply connected, that we are human because we belong to each other,” says McCarthy. “And that deeper spiritual cultivation is critical for advancing nonviolent practices and having a more sustainable and just peace.” •

Fernando spent long hours in the Maker Hub on campus, developing the prototype for her wearable oxygen monitor, shown on her ear. Her company, OxiWear, is a now finalist for the American Heart Association National Business Accelerator.

Photo: Phil Humnicky

BY GABRIELLE BARONE | DESIGN BY ETHAN JEON

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hrough special programs, mentorships, and even pitch competitions, Georgetown encourages undergraduates, graduate students, and alumni to follow their entrepreneurial dreams.

“Entrepreneurs come from everywhere,” says Jeff Reid, founding director of Georgetown Entrepreneurship and professor of the practice at the McDonough School of Business. “It starts with a willingness to try to solve a problem and make a difference.” For Shavini Fernando (G’18), making a difference for others began by solving a problem of her own. Fernando was misdiagnosed with asthma at age two. Due to an undiagnosed hole in the heart, at age 33 she was found to have Eisenmenger Syndrome, a circulation condition caused by a hole between the left and right ventricles that pump blood, and severe pulmonary hypertension, a type of high blood pressure that thickens muscle on the blood vessel walls. In 2015, along with her Eisenmenger’s diagnosis, Fernando was told she had two years to live. Hearing that number inspired her to take matters into her own hands. While studying at Georgetown, she invented a wearable oxygen saturation monitor that is only the size of an earring. The device aims to reduce vulnerability to hypoxia, where there are low levels of oxygen in body tissue; silent hypoxia, the type Fernando has, doesn’t alert the patient via shortened breathing, so it is difficult to track. Fernando’s invention, which monitors oxygen levels while doubling as an emergency alert system, is now the basis of her company OxiWear. Along the way, her visionary effort—which has helped extend her life well beyond her initial prognosis—was supported through the growing entrepreneurship opportunities offered at Georgetown. BUILDING SOLUTIONS AT THE MAKER HUB After her diagnosis, Fernando was unable to fly home to Sri Lanka due to her oxygen levels. She needed a permanent U.S. visa to start her life over—and she needed to be close enough to travel to Johns Hopkins, where her medical care was centered. A friend recommended the interdisciplinary Communication, Culture, and Technology master’s program at Georgetown so she could study across various fields. The hills and steps on campus put her at risk for cardiac arrest. Wishing to live independently despite her health complications, Fernando got a FitBit to monitor her heart rate. Her clinician explained that what she actually needed was a reliable oxygen monitor. When she couldn’t find a device that fit her needs, she decided to try to create something herself. “What’s the point in crying my eyes out? I’d rather be fixing the problem,” says Fernando. The seed of the idea that became OxiWear was planted. Fernando asked her technology and prototype design professor, Evan Barba, to supervise an independent study. Using Youtube

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videos and the Maker Hub—Georgetown University Library’s invention space that offers free use of tools like 3D printers, a laser cutter, and bookbinding equipment—Fernando conducted research, did experiments, and got feedback, eventually creating a working prototype that uses the ear to track oxygen levels. “I literally burned about $1,500 worth of sensors to figure out how to solder them. They are so tiny!” Fernando says. “My creation took three months. And then, at my next appointment, I told my doctor I did it.” Fernando’s doctor noted that millions of people could benefit from her work and encouraged her to commercialize the prototype. Fernando recalls that while talking about it with Don Undeen, the previous Maker Space manager, he suddenly started typing away on his computer. “Later on, I realized he was nominating me for Bark Tank,” Fernando says, referring to Georgetown’s business pitch competition inspired by the television show Shark Tank. OxiWear went on to win Bark Tank in 2018 and has been growing ever since. Earlier this year OxiWear won an Alumni Pitch Competition sponsored by the Georgetown Entrepreneurship Alliance during John Carroll Weekend in San Francisco. PITCHING IDEAS FOR PRIZES Fernando’s OxiWear company is just one of the success stories from Georgetown Entrepreneurship, a series of educational and extracurricular programs founded in 2009 in the McDonough School of Business to encourage all Georgetown students and alumni as they explore creative solutions for large-scale global problems. Bark Tank, an annual Georgetown Entrepreneurship event, offers awards through the Leonsis Family Entrepreneurship Prize. The prize is supported by Ted Leonsis (C’77, Parent’14, ’15), his wife, Lynn; his son, Zach (MBA’15); and his daughter, Elle (C’14). Leonsis is a longtime entrepreneur and investor, as well as founder, majority owner, chairman, and chief executive officer of Monumental Sports & Entertainment. Previous winners of Bark Tank include baby gear rental company Joylet (2021), cybersecurity firm Adlumin (2017), and food business MasPanadas (2019). Each year, eight Bark Tank competitors split $150,000 in award money. The Georgetown Entrepreneurship Alliance (GEA), a Georgetown University Alumni Association-run group to support entrepreneurship, runs the live GEA Alumni Pitch Competition. Prizes are funded through investors in the Georgetown Angel Investment Network (GAIN). In addition to Bark Tank and the GEA Alumni Pitch Competition, Georgetown Entrepreneurship offers a Rocket Pitch competition where students can win up to $1,500 in prize money with a concise, two-minute business pitch.

Finally, there’s the Georgetown Entrepreneurship Challenge, the largest, most complex pitch event of the year, with winning teams moving through one of 10 preliminary rounds. The 2022 Challenge featured 89 competitors across eight Georgetown schools, including the School of Continuing Studies and the School of Foreign Service. Reid knows that not every student who pitches an idea will launch that company, and that’s okay. “A lot of the work we do is planting seeds,” says Reid, “and you never know how long it takes for those seeds to sprout. But over time, they do. To have students and former students now running successful companies is really rewarding.” Since its inaugural competition in 2017, Bark Tank ventures have raised more than $220 million and created more than 730 jobs. IN THE CLASSROOM AND BEYOND The McDonough School of Business offers a variety of undergraduate courses for the aspiring entrepreneur, including Social Entrepreneurship and Global Innovation Strategy, as well as an entrepreneurship minor. “Entrepreneurship is extremely important, in academics and the world,” says Reid. “It teaches us some of the skills that are absolutely necessary to live, like how to deal with change, disruption, ambiguity, risk, and failure.” The school supports such unique opportunities as the Georgetown Venture Fellows program, which includes both MBAs and undergraduates, offering participants a year of experiential learning in venture capital or private equity. Another resource is the Entrepreneurs in Residence mentorship program, which gives students a chance to learn from successful entrepreneurs. Students can also apply for a Summer Launch Incubator, listen to a Georgetown entrepreneur podcast called “Venture Forward,” and attend a virtual Startup Career Fair. Graduating seniors looking to begin a startup can apply for a Startup Stipend to cover student loan payments for up to two years while they create their projects. “I’m having so much fun watching the program grow,” says Reid, who previously established the entrepreneurship center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “I’m proud of Georgetown’s new programs, but I feel like we’re still just scratching the surface. I can’t wait to partner with more student organizations, more academic divisions, and more and more of our alumni.” WORKING WITH ALUMNI “Georgetown has some great advantages when it comes to entrepreneurship, from the robust alumni network to the location in DC,” Reid says. He also looks at Georgetown’s Jesuit values such as being people for others as foundational to entrepreneurship and the opportunities it provides.

“I think college students are trying to figure out what they want to do, at Georgetown and in their lives,” he adds. “Our students want to make a difference in the world. And whether they start a company when they graduate or 10 years later, or if they simply use entrepreneurial thinking in any career, our programs teach them how to take advantage of resources to be more successful.” Alumni play a large part in Georgetown’s entrepreneurship environment, from the Georgetown Angel Investment Network to the Georgetown Entrepreneurship Alliance. “Georgetown’s alumni are more than happy to advise, coach, mentor, invest, and make introductions,” says Reid. “Georgetown entrepreneurs have some really big advantages.” Alumni also support McDonough’s entrepreneurship work philanthropically. Most recently, Michael Brown (B’94) made a $3.25 million investment in Georgetown Entrepreneurship, establishing the Tamsen and Michael (B’94) Brown Family Endowed Chair in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Fund to recruit entrepreneurship expert and business professor Gerry George, as well as creating the Tamsen and Michael Brown Family Current Use Entrepreneurship Fund. Reid also wants to make sure that alumni know they can take advantage of the entrepreneurship opportunities even well after they’ve graduated. These include pitch competitions, a collaborative workspace called the Venture Lab, and the Startup Accelerator, which offers mentorship and workshops for alumni entrepreneurs early in their startup founding process. “We make sure those services continue because we don’t want anyone to feel like we just teach and advise them while they’re in school, and then they’re on their own after graduation,” says Reid. HARNESSING THE MARKET FOR GOOD The Georgetown Entrepreneurial Summit was held in October 2023 to nurture this creative spirit that so many Hoyas share. In addition to a Bark Tank competition, the event included a forum on Entrepreneurship for the Common Good and the GEA Excellence Awards. In March 2023, Georgetown hosted its inaugural Venture in the Capital Summit, exploring the intersection of venture capital, entrepreneurship, and public policy. Some entrepreneurship events focus on addressing a specific issue, like climate change or COVID-19. In 2021, Georgetown held the Plan-It Earth Ideation event, in which participants worked with mentors to create pitches and plans for addressing campus climate issues. Winning pitches that year included a campus restaurant that rewarded composting efforts and worked with local farms to provide local produce, an insurance app for small farmers who may deal with extreme weather, and a platform that incentivizes sustainable actions. In August 2020, Georgetown announced a daylong hackathonstyle event called the Georgetown Entrepreneurship COVID-19 Design Challenge, aiming to address issues and inequalities worsened by the pandemic, like underserved communities, unemployment, and education.

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“Entrepreneurship isn’t the solution to every problem, but it can be part of the solution to just about any problem,” says Reid. “If you can harness market forces to do something really good, and have social impact as part of your mission, then you can make a huge positive difference in the world.” Fernando has experienced this impact in real time as her company grows. As she and her doctor had hoped, her device has helped prolong her life and it is actively helping others.

“Some patients who bought it have emailed me saying, ‘After four years, I’m going to the gym again’ and ‘I took my first flight since I got diagnosed,’” Fernando says. “When I read those emails, I know I am doing the right thing. I can see how my invention has not only helped them live a normal life, but helped them enjoy it.” • Bhriana Smith contributed to this story.

“Entrepreneurship isn’t the solution to every problem, but it can be part of the solution to just about any problem.” —Jeff Reid, Founding Director of the Georgetown Entrepreneurship Initiative

Photo: Rafael Suanes

Photo: Georgetown University

Photo: Phil Humnicky

Clockwise from left: Located in a WeWork facility downtown, the Georgetown Venture Lab offers space and support for alumni entrepreneurs; Professor Jeff Reid launched Georgetown Entrepreneurship in 2009; Students and alumni pitch business ideas for prize money at the annual Bark Tank competition.

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Left: At John Carroll Weekend Rome in 2016, Hoyas explored the Colosseum and Forum together; Right: At John Carroll Weekend London in 2013, Professor Michael Collins led a Walking Tour of Shakespeare’s London.

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Part reunion, part adventure

John Carroll Weekends here and abroad

By Julia Farr (C’88, Parent’19, ’21, ’24), executive director of the Georgetown University Alumni Association With summer in the rearview mirror, many of you may still be basking in the memories of a great family trip. If you are already planning the next one, let me offer an idea: come to John Carroll Weekend (JCW)! In truth, that is how I think of this event: time away each spring with my Georgetown family. I’ve attended most years since I graduated, and it’s always a trip worth making. Together with my fellow alumni, as well as Georgetown parents and friends, we get a chance to visit a new city while celebrating the best of our alma mater. The roots of the weekend trace back to 1951, when the alumni association began to host an awards dinner that moved each year to a different U.S. city. The gathering honored a few alumni with the association’s highest service award, the John Carroll Award, and bestowed the Patrick Healy Award upon a friend of the university who has made dedicated, impactful service to Georgetown. Over time, the awards dinner grew

into an entire weekend of events: faculty members joined us to lead tours and “hot topic” panels; attendees took a deep dive into the history, culture, and industry of each city; and the Georgetown community reunited at gatherings large and small throughout the three days. Think tours of Boeing and Starbucks in Seattle; bird watching in Muir Woods; wine tasting at a Hoya-owned vineyard in Napa Valley; square dance lessons in Austin; moonshine tasting in Nashville; and Duck Boat tours on the Charles River in Boston. You can start your day attending a session on the impact of current Supreme Court decisions with Georgetown Law’s constitutional scholars, enjoy lunch during the annual Georgetown Entrepreneurship Alliance Pitch Competition, and wrap up your afternoon by being a part of the Provost’s reception, where you will learn about what’s happening on our campuses and in our classrooms today.

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Clockwise from left: GUAA Executive Director Julia Farr shares a laugh with Mannone Butler (B’94, L’99) and GUAA President Kelly Mulvoy Mangan (SFS’91, Parent’25) at JCW San Francisco in 2023; At John Carroll Weekend Madrid in 2006, faculty, staff, and alumni took a day trip to the ancient city of Toledo in central Spain; John Carroll Weekend London participants take in the majesty of the Globe Theatre.

What started as smaller gatherings in a limited number of U.S. cities has grown into summits of more than 1,000 Hoyas in major metropolitan centers in the U.S. and abroad. In 1993, John Carroll Weekend got its first passport and headed to London. Since then, the weekend program has traveled internationally every few years, stopping in Paris, Madrid, London (for a second time!), and Rome. From candlelight dinners for over 600 people at the Guildhall in London—feeling very much like Harry Potter’s Hogwarts refectory—to a reception at the Palacio de Linares in Madrid with His Royal Highness King Felipe (G’95), to the John Carroll Awards Dinner in the heart of Vatican City, this weekend is designed to knock your socks off in a way only Georgetown can.

more Hoyas in the host city, where JCW might be visiting; to reunite with friends from all over, friends whom they see only once a year at this very weekend, or at reunion every five years. Whatever the motivation, JCW is for all alumni, whether you graduated over six decades ago or six months ago, for all parents (current or former!), and for all those who love and support Georgetown. It’s a come-one-come-all gathering.

To capture the insider’s experience of each city, there is a host committee of local alumni, guiding the programming and opening doors to spectacular venues and private tours that provide exceptional access. John Carroll Weekends now include a choice of up to 75 different programs—something for every interest.

The pandemic presented the first hiccup in the long and storied history of John Carroll Weekends—a two-year hiatus between 2019 (Boston) and 2022 (Nashville). When the weekend came back, so did the family. And they came in big numbers. Ready to hit the international road again, John Carroll Weekend goes to Dublin, Ireland in 2024— the event’s first-ever trip to the Emerald Isle. Hoyas from all over the globe will gather in April to celebrate the John Carroll and Patrick Healy awardees at an elegant dinner in the heart of the city, to discover Dublin through the eyes of its Georgetown locals, and to participate in conversations about the most pressing matters of the day, conversations guided by the expertise of Georgetown faculty members and alumni.

What I think I love the most about these family weekends here and abroad, though, is the people they draw. Members of our Hoya family gather for so many different reasons: to learn about a city from our faculty and alumni experts; to meet

If learning to pour the perfect Guinness, strolling through St. Stephen’s Green, and visiting historic Irish castles sounds enticing, then mark your calendars for Dublin from April 18–21, 2024. The family can’t wait to see you. •

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Photo: Jonathan Heisler

Comedians Mike Birbiglia (C’00), John Mulaney (C’04), and Jim Gaffigan (B’88, Parent’26) perform to a sold-out crowd at the second annual Stand Up for Georgetown fundraising event.

Stand-up comedy event raises $1.5M for GSP On May 1, 2023, the second Stand Up for Georgetown comedy fundraiser event raised $1.5 million, a successful follow-on to the 2019 concert, which raised $1 million. This year’s sold-out event at the Brooklyn Academy of Music featured performances by Jim Gaffigan (B’88), John Mulaney (C’04), and Mike Birbiglia (C’00). Nick Kroll (C’01), who was unable to attend in person, recorded a video message.

Jim Gaffigan’s father Michael Gaffigan (SFS’57, Parent’87, ‘88), a Georgetown alumnus, was a first-generation college student, and inspired event founders Jim and Jeannie Gaffigan (Parents’26) and Emily Chen Carrera (B’88) to found an event to support the Georgetown Scholars Program (GSP). GSP’s mission is to work towards a more equitable college experience for first-generation and lowincome college students, providing them with resources, mentors, and a robust support system within a tight-knit community. Thanks to sponsorship by alumni and friends, more than 130 GSP students and recent graduates were able to attend the event. “It’s incredibly powerful for our students to see comedians of this caliber talking about a program that they’re participating in, and talking about the value that first-generation students bring to our campus,” says Missy Foy, GSP’s executive director. •

Photo: Jonathan Heisler

—Gabrielle Barone

All proceeds from the event were directed to the Georgetown Scholars Program, which supports Georgetown’s first-generation and low-income college students.

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Hoya lawyers serving the Dominican Republic Out of 24 cabinet members serving Luis Abinader, President of the Dominican Republic, three of them are alumni of the Georgetown University Law Center. Roberto Alverez (L’76) is the Minister of Foreign Affairs; José Ignacio Paliza (L’06) is the Administrative Minister of the Presidency; and Luis Miguel De Camps García (L’02) is the Minister of Labor. In 2021, Alvarez gave a presentation at Georgetown entitled “The Dominican Republic: A Shining Star in a Troubled Region.” He explained that the Dominican Republic is a case of democratic success in a region plagued by problematic regimes. It retains high economic growth and has embarked on a series of reforms to strengthen democratic institutions. Earlier this year, Law Center Dean William Treanor visited the Dominican Republic to meet with the alumni, sharing with them the work of Georgetown’s Center for the Advancement of the Rule of Law in the Americas (CAROLA). Alvaro Santos, the law professor and faculty director who accompanied Treanor, told the group that CAROLA is focused on the study of Latin American law and policy. CAROLA provides a platform for critical, independent analysis of existing institutions, generates informed policy proposals about both substantive law and legal systems, and recommends practical reforms that have the potential to improve the lives of individuals, particularly those traditionally marginalized. • —Patti North

Photo: Staff Photographer, National Palace, Dominican Republic

From left to right: Roy Aguiar, Prof. Alvaro Santos, Leon Patiño (L’14), Dean William M. Treanor, José Ignacio Paliza (L’06), Luis Miguel De Camps García (L’02), Ministerial Staff, Gene Finn

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In Spring 2023, Georgetown launched Called to Be: The Campaign for Georgetown with an ambitious goal of raising $3 billion to expand Georgetown’s impact. Here are a few recent gifts that will support the university’s key commitment areas: Need-based scholarships

Two Georgetown parents gave $5 million to support needbased scholarships for undergraduate students. A portion of the gift funds programs related to equity and access in order to “help anyone who has aspirations to attend a school like Georgetown,” they say. The gift also supports programs focused on spiritual development, including immersion trips and pilgrimages. Thanks to these anonymous donors, Georgetown is ensuring that our student community thrives.

Interdisciplinary global studies

Joseph (B’93) and Abigail (SFS’96) Baratta have made an $11 million gift to the McDonough School of Business. “Over the last decade, Georgetown has made real progress in interdisciplinary studies among the schools,” explains Joe Baratta. “The conditions are now set for business school students to access the broader Georgetown curriculum.” Thanks to the Barattas, Georgetown is shaping the future of teaching, research, and learning.

New cancer prevention efforts

This past spring, the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Prevention at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center opened in DC’s Ward 8, building on a longstanding partnership between Georgetown and Ralph Lauren. The center brings comprehensive cancer resources—patient navigators, community educators, and more—to underserved communities in southeast Washington (Wards 6, 7, and 8). Thanks to The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation, Georgetown is advancing the health and security of people and the planet. Investment in ethics programming A $10.5 million gift from an alumna and her husband will establish the Technology, Ethics, & Society Chair in the College of Arts & Sciences; empower the Georgetown Ethics Lab to create programs and courses focused on Technology, Ethics, & Society; and expand financial aid. “Georgetown has always worked for the common good and social justice is part of its Ignatian mission,” says the alumna. Thanks to these anonymous donors, Georgetown is building a stronger, more ethical society.

Eric Wu (SFS’17) established a startup company to sell customized health and nutrition supplements. His next venture will feature plantbased, sustainable Asian American food products.

Photo: courtesy of Eric Wu

‘A BETTER ALTERNATIVE’ IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY In his senior year at Georgetown, Eric Wu (SFS’17)—a longtime soccer player—began to get more serious about nutrition. “I had become a quote-unquote full-fledged adult, and I had to care a little more about how I was treating my body.”

Following up on Gainful’s success, Wu created a new start-up company, Sobo Foods, offering plant-based, sustainable Asian American food products. The initial product line includes three kinds of frozen dumplings inspired by the comfort foods of China, Korea, and Japan.

Wu made his way to the local health supplement store on Wisconsin Avenue. “There were floor-to-ceiling tubs of protein powder with crazy macho names like Total War and MusclePharm.

“I’m able to tell the story about my heritage, the recipes I grew up with, the stories of my parents—stories that are shared by immigrant families across the country,” he says.

“I said to myself, ‘Who in the world is putting this in their body?’” Wu decided to come up with a better alternative. “Doing my best Breaking Bad impression, I started mixing protein powders in the basement of my apartment,” he says. Recognizing the potential of this personalized approach, Wu and his best friend from high school, Jahaan Ansari, established a start-up company, Gainful, to sell customized health and nutrition supplements. Gainful’s uniquely formulated products are made with healthy ingredients including organic brown rice protein and green tea extract. The company also offers complimentary unlimited access to its team of registered dietitians. Today, Gainful commands a 9-figure valuation and recently signed a deal with retail giant Target. “It’s the largest personalized nutrition launch that Target has ever done,” Wu notes. 34

Wu traces his passion for promoting healthy products directly back to Georgetown. “The professors encourage students not only to do amazing things in industry, but also to be the change they want to see in the world,” he says. “That’s why I think a lot of next-generation food businesses started out at Georgetown,” Wu adds, citing Sweetgreen, Phil’s Finest, Renewal Mill, and Luke’s Lobster, among others. Wu singles out School of Foreign Service vice dean and professor Mark Giordano as a special inspiration. “He opened my eyes to the concept that every time we sit down for a meal, we have an opportunity to make a decision about the environmental ramifications.” Taking those classes with Professor Giordano on the future of food, I knew it was something that I wanted to be working on at some point. I feel like I have so much energy to give to this dream.” • —Sara Piccini G EORG E TOW N M AG A Z I N E FA LL 20 23

Actor Kate Ginna (C’18) cowrote the script for a feature film called Stargazer, and is playing a lead role. She has completed another feature film script, and also co-wrote a television pilot. Photo: courtesy of Stargazer

RISING STAR In 2021, actor Kate Ginna (C’18) was tapped as the lead in the feature film Stargazer. Although she’d had plenty of theater experience, her credits included just one short film role. From one perspective, Ginna was a natural for the part— she co-wrote the script with veteran playwright and screenwriter Rob Ackerman. “But there was no discussion until pretty late about my playing the role. I think I benefited from how tight a turnaround we had because of the pandemic,” Ginna says. “With months of pre-production time, the producers might have pushed to have a big name attached.” With the casting decision made, Ginna didn’t hesitate. “The last thing I worried about was whether I could do it,” she says. “When you’re jumping off a building, you’ve already leapt.” Ginna portrays Grace Campbell, a graduate student determined to revive the story of astronomer Cecilia Payne, whose groundbreaking theory about the composition of stars was co-opted by her male mentor. When Grace turns to a seasoned journalist named Spike Randall, played by Broadway and film actor Matt Bogart, she’s in danger of having her own light extinguished. “Some people think Spike is so terrible that they lose respect for Grace,” Ginna says. “But if you’ve been a 20-year-old around someone with more power and legitimacy, it can be pretty intoxicating.” VISIT magazine.georgetown.edu

With Stargazer now enjoying success on the film festival circuit, Ginna is continuing to write while pursuing acting roles. She credits Georgetown for her “multihyphenate” career. “The theater professors took you seriously; there was no condescension. My brain fundamentally changed from having them as my teachers.” For Ginna, acting in more avant-garde plays as an undergraduate—including the world premiere of Amanuensis, directed by Maya Roth, Georgetown’s Della Rosa Term Professor of Theatre—encouraged her to take risks. Stargazer, for example, includes “fast turns and weird things” revolving around a dancer played by Stefanie (Lei Nico) Palencia (C’15). These plot twists have incurred some negative reviews along with accolades, which Ginna takes in stride. “I’d prefer there to be some level of controversy, rather than universal love,” she says. Nevertheless, positive feedback can be especially meaningful. “After one screening, a woman stopped me and said, ‘I’m so grateful for this movie.’ She’d worked for a newspaper in the ’70s and really identified with the character of Grace, and the co-opting of her voice. “That’s something you don’t forget. If one person loved the movie and felt seen by it, then it’s probably worth being made.” • —Sara Piccini 35

Alumna deliberates what’s ‘debatable’ in young adult novel Like the main characters in her latest young adult novel, That’s Debatable, Jen Doll (C’98) was deeply involved with her high school debate team in Alabama—she was even captain. In fact, she argued the same one-on-one, Lincoln-Douglas style debate that her characters do. Doll was inspired to write That’s Debatable after witnessing the 2016 presidential debates, and watching Ella Schnake’s Nationals-winning 2019 performance “Debate Like a Girl” about sexism in the debate circuit. “Growing up when I did, we just didn’t have the same language that people do today to talk about sexism and misogyny,” says Doll. “Those conversations weren’t happening the way they are now. Today’s youth are recognizing it and fighting back against it. Maybe being able to debate can help empower everyone a little more, making things feel less fraught.”

Wanting to put her rhetorical and language skills to work, Doll originally started out in the School of Foreign Science thinking she might go into law or diplomacy, but she had always wanted to be a writer, so she later switched her major to English.

“Maybe being able to debate can help empower everyone a little more, making things feel less fraught.”

“I think giving yourself the freedom to try things out is important. You shouldn’t feel like a failure if they don’t work out. Maybe you always dreamed of being a chemist, but you get into the chemistry lab and think ‘This is not what I thought it would be.’ You don’t have Photo: Kelly Hoolihan to stay there. Open yourself up to change in order to be your best self.” After graduating from Georgetown, she eventually wound up as a staff writer at The Wire, a companion to The Atlantic, analyzing young adult literature in a column called “YA for Grownups.” Soon Doll was approached by a literary agent who asked if she wanted to write books of her own. She’s since published three, including 2018’s Unclaimed Baggage, and contributed to The New York Times, L.A. Times, New York Magazine, and others. “My debate experience in high school really made me into a writer,” Doll says. “I suddenly felt like I had a voice and I could speak about what mattered to me. That’s probably the most important thing to learn. You can’t change everything, but at least you can say what you mean and share your viewpoint with others.” • —Gabrielle Barone

Jen Doll (C’98) started her career analyzing young adult literature in a column called “YA for Grownups.” Now she writes her own novels, including Unclaimed Baggage, Save the Date, and That’s Debatable.

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Photo: Lisa Helfert

Bill Raskin served as an Army Special Forces career officer, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel with 20 years on active duty. Now he is the author of a futuristic thriller entitled Cardiac Gap and a play called The Team Room.

Alumni collaborate on stage play about Army Special Forces on 9/11 Though they took different paths after graduation, Bill Raskin (C’89, G’11), Ray Ficca (C’89), and Michael Hare (C’89) recently reunited for a new project. Following a 20-year career in Army Special Forces, Raskin wrote a play called The Team Room which captures three days in the life of an Army Special Forces team that responds in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. The play explores the country’s rapid transition from peace to war, and the experience of young special operators in their first combat deployment.

“With my early ‘retirement,’ writing has been a very meaningful way to do something positive and constructive.” Raskin’s Georgetown classmates immediately wanted to get involved. Ficca, the play’s director, started his career as a Broadway actor, but returned to DC to serve as president of the National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts. Hare, the play’s producer, is a career business executive with a passion for nonprofit arts. Raskin started writing at age 44 as a way of searching for new meaning after the intensity of Army life. His first project was a novel called Cardiac Gap. “I grew up in Texas and there’s a

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syndrome there with former high school quarterbacks feeling like the best part of their lives may be over by the age of 20,” he shared. “So, with my early ‘retirement,’ writing has been a very meaningful way to do something positive and constructive.” Raskin explained that his Georgetown education helped him “capture the overseas ground truth in writing for major U.S. commands and policy makers. Even in an era of video communication, no one’s going to go back and look at those video archives, so you’d better be able to capture it in an understandable way in writing, with facts and recommendations that someone might make use of.” The Team Room premiered this October at The Keegan Theatre in Washington, DC. Net proceeds from the play will go to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, which supports children of fallen special operators who died in the line of duty. • —Kate Shima O’Brien

Lives Well Lived honors a few alumni who have recently passed away. We share with you these portraits of alumni who have made an indelible impact living day to day as people for others. Memories collected by Patti North. You can find a more complete list at alumni.georgetown.edu/in-memoriam.

Ruth McDonough Fitzpatrick

Ruth Fitzpatrick (C’75), activist for the ordination of women priests in the Catholic Church, passed away June 15 at age 90.

Prefect of Discipline, secretary of the Board of Directors, member of the Board of Regents, and chairman of extracurricular activities from 1916 to 1928.

“Our mom absolutely loved Georgetown,” her son Michael (now U.S. Ambassador to Ecuador) recalled. “To her it meant: pursuit of knowledge; faith; and putting both that knowledge and one’s faith into action with service to the Church and its community. And given the university’s interGrowing up in an extended national dimensions and her own life on multiple continents, Irish-Catholic family that contained a nun and a priest, she saw the Church and Georgetown as having global reach, and responsibility. She was perhaps never happier than her Ruth felt called to the priesthood as a teenager. When she learned that she would be denied that vocation because of her years studying, and then working, at the Hilltop.” gender, Ruth spent most of her career leading the national She graduated in 1975 with a degree in theology and then movement advocating for equal treatment of women and worked on campus for a time, before earning her Master’s men in the Church, including the priesthood. in Divinity from Washington Theological Union in 1979. When the Women’s Ordination Conference was established, In 1955, she married John R. Fitzpatrick Jr., a DC native and Ruth was hired as national coordinator, serving 1977–1978 infantryman who served in World War II, Korea, and Vietand again 1985–1995, “Our hopes were high,” she told the nam. When he was stationed in Naples, Italy, Ruth led tours author Linda Brandi Cateura for her book Catholics USA: of the Vatican for military families. The couple returned to Makers of a Modern Church (1989). “At the time we honestly the DC-area, settling in Fairfax, Virginia, and had three thought women would be ordained within five years.” The children, John, Michael (C’81), and P. Kelly. After John’s group now has more than 3000 dues-paying members. retirement from the Army, he started law school at Catholic University and Ruth enrolled in the Georgetown College of “She made a conscious decision to stay and do the hard work Arts and Sciences. to push the Church forward on full equality for women,” her son John said. “She loved the church and wanted to see it In choosing Georgetown, Ruth followed in the footsteps of her do better by women.” In addition to her children, Ruth is father, uncles, and great-uncle Vincent S. McDonough, S.J. survived by a sister and six grandchildren. (“Father Mac”) who was Georgetown’s director of Athletics,

Joseph E. Jeffs

Joseph E. Jeffs (C’49), Georgetown University’s Librarian from 1960 to 1990, passed away on April 22.

He was born July 1, 1924, in Philadelphia. After serving with the US Army Air Corps in Europe during World War II, he earned a B.S. from Georgetown in 1949 and soon became assistant librarian at Dumbarton Oaks Research Library. With a master’s of science in library science from Catholic University, he joined the staff at Georgetown University Library in 1954, where he was promoted to University Librarian in 1960.

As University Librarian, he oversaw the construction of Lauinger, helped to modernize the cataloging system, and established the Special Collections and Archives Division. He also worked tirelessly to enhance the library’s collections, and in 1983, he accepted the library’s one millionth volume. He was also a defender of human rights and peace, joining the 1963 March on Washington, serving as chair of Rockville, Maryland’s Human Rights Commission in 1966, and working for years advocating for local anti-discrimination laws. In 1989, he received the John Carroll Award from the Georgetown University Alumni Association. Contributions in honor of Joe Jeffs can be made to the Joseph and Jeannine Jeffs Book Endowment Fund at the Georgetown University Library.

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Marcia G. Cooke

Marcia G. Cooke (SFS’75), former federal judge and the first Black and first female president of the Georgetown Alumni Association, passed away on January 27 of cancer. After graduating from the School of Foreign Service and receiving her law degree from Wayne State University, she began her career as staff attorney for Neighborhood Legal Services in Michigan. She worked as director of professional development training for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami in 1992 and later became executive assistant U.S. Attorney. Then-Governor Jeb Bush appointed her inspector general for Florida, and in 2004 she became a federal judge in Miami. She was the first female Black federal judge in Florida. Winner of the 2000 John Carroll Award, Judge Cooke served on Georgetown’s Board of Governors, the Board of Regents, and Board of Directors. She was a founding member of the Georgetown University African American Advisory Board, and from 1996 to 1998, she served as president of the Georgetown University Alumni Association, the first woman to hold that role. As her friend Conan Louis (SLL’73, M’78, L’86) recalled, “Marcia’s intellect was exceeded only by her sense of humor. Most of all, Marcia was a fiercely loyal and thoughtful friend you could always count on to help you contextualize life’s greatest challenges, insisting all along the way that nothing is serious enough to permit it to steal your life’s joy.”

Francis X. Van Houten, M.D.

Francis X. (Rusty) Van Houten (M’65) passed away April 30 in Concord, Massachusetts, at the age of 83. Adopted at birth, Rusty was abandoned by his adoptive father and later orphaned when his adoptive mother died after battling cancer. A neighbor family took him in while he completed his studies on scholarship at Archbishop Stepinac High School, a roundtrip commute of 60 miles by bus. He graduated with honors and attended College of the Holy Cross, again on scholarship, where he met his wife of 55 years, Marjorie. He graduated cum laude with a degree in pre-med and went on to enter Georgetown School of Medicine, again on scholarship. His son Paul recalled “Rusty switched to pre-med from engineering after his mother passed away from cancer. He was always grateful to Georgetown for the opportunity to pursue his passion and lead a purpose-driven life.” After graduating in 1965, he began his internship at the University of Pittsburgh, where he developed an interest in radiology. He joined the Navy during the Vietnam era and served on a destroyer and in a MASH unit. Rusty began his residency in internal medicine at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, before pursuing radiology in private practice, with a career that spanned 30 years. He was an outstanding husband and father to his sons Paul (C’88, L’92) and Scott, son-in-law Tom Flynn, daughter-in-law Christina (C’89), and four grandchildren. The family welcomes memorial donations to the Van Houten Family Endowed Scholarship Fund at Georgetown School of Medicine. •

VISIT magazine.georgetown.edu

THE LAST WORD

Father Bosco, S.J., on the role of

imagination and big hearts

Photo: Phil Humnicky

One of the things I love most about my job as vice president for Mission & Ministry is inviting students, faculty, and staff to consider the role of the imagination in living out the Jesuit values that animate the spirit of Georgetown. For it is through our imaginations that we come to understand our faith, our values, our world, and our place in it. The imagination is a central component of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. When, for instance, Ignatius invites an individual to begin their retreat, he counsels, “here it will be to imagine the great capacity and circuit of the world, in which there are so many and such different people.” He asks us to consider with awe and wonder the vastness of our world and our small share in it, placing us in a spiritual vision larger than just ourselves. At my first audience with Pope Francis in 2013, the Pope noted that the key to Jesuit education is “nurturing a magnanimous heart and putting it at the service of one’s intellect, one’s imagination.” For if you have a small or cold heart, he said, so too will your imagination be cold and deformed, oblivious to the needs of the world. On the other hand, a big and gracious heart can help us imagine new possibilities for making our world a better place. I think this is what we offer students at Georgetown: the opportunity to shape and nurture their big hearts so that they will do wonders with their particular gifts and talents in serving the common good.

“For it is through our imaginations that we come to understand our faith, our values, our world, and our place in it.”

This past May, I had my second audience with Pope Francis. At this meeting, he imparted to a room full of writers, poets, and professors that “we need the genius of new language, powerful stories and images, writers, poets, and artists capable of proclaiming to the world the message of the Gospel.” This is also part of our mission at Georgetown. Whether in history or literature, science or technology, medicine or law, business or politics, we are here to share new ways of exploring the human condition, new ways to understand the issues of contemporary life, and new ways of responding to the hunger for spiritual and transcendent significance in the world. • —Father Mark Bosco, S.J.

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BEHIND THE SCENES | Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska addressed the Georgetown community on September 21, 2023. She called for the world to continue to pay attention to the war in Ukraine and underscored the dire conditions Ukrainian students face. “I understand that there might be some fatigue. But to turn a blind eye would mean to turn your back to your own future,” said Zelenska. “No one can feel safe in a world where might is right, where who is strong is who is in charge.”

Photo: Phil Humnicky