The Triple Helix at The George Washington University

09/18/2017

Thanks to everyone who came to the ice cream social today!

06/22/2017

Hope everyone's having a great summer! Take a minute to check out this article on Henrietta Lacks written by Cassie White '20!

What do the polio vaccine, humans in space, the cosmetic industry, and nuclear bombs have in common? If you answered that they all involved the use of HeLa cells, congratulations: you are correct. …

05/21/2017

This month’s Spotlight is a special one.

Let me tell you a bit about our Chapter’s President, Jen Romanello…

I knew I wanted to be friends with Jen the day I met her. On the first day of class, we had an assignment that required us to describe ourselves. Jen’s presentation stood out amongst the other 18-21 year olds. I remember thinking she seemed to have a strong sense of self and she talked unapologetically about her strengths and about science. We became friends easily because of Jen’s ability to engage just about anybody in meaningful conversation. She promptly recruited me for The Triple Helix. As the Vice President of Outreach, I’ve been able to watch Jen grow as a leader.

Jen says her biggest takeaway from her experience with The Triple Helix was being able to watch her vision come to life. During her freshman year at GW she wanted to start a club related to bioethics that includes writing and discussion. She saw this as an outlet for the exchange of ideas and intellectual discussion on topics of science, technology, and ethics. Jen heard about The Triple Helix and decided to start a chapter at GW. In the Spring of 2014, she had no members, no organizational structure, no Executive Board, no programming, just the mission of the organization.

Over the next 3+ years she would recruit an impressive Executive Board, select competent members, and help organize engaging discussions. She has published several articles to the Triple Helix blog including one of my favorite articles: The Ethical Implications and Solutions Surrounding the Delayed Diagnosis of Endometriosis. She was thrilled that she could motivate people behind an idea for a shared goal of intellectual engagement beyond the classroom. She says that the best part of a discussion is when everyone is engaged but not everyone is agreeing. She likes when members are asking questions and challenging each other. In the future, Jen hopes that The Triple Helix continues to have members who care about the topics we discuss and want to challenge what they know.

Today, Jen will graduate from The George Washington University with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Applied Ethics. She spent her years at GW on the Pre-Med track. She hopes to go on to be a Physician and her special interests are in OBGYN or Pediatrics. As she embarks on her career journey, her experience with The Triple Helix and beyond has prepared her for her upcoming job as a life skills and physical activity coach and mentor at a Non Profit called Teens Run DC.

I imagine it must be hard for Jen to pass on a project that she has worked so hard to develop. But Jen has helped many of us grow as leaders to carry on her legacy. As she prepares for the next chapter in her life, and meets new people who she can influence and inspire, we, the Executive Board of 2017, wish her the best. Congratulations, Jen!

All the best,
Jenny Curt

And from the rest of the Executive Board…

“Jen, I appreciate your work ethic and dedication to everything you do. You're a role model and will be missed very much! Wish you the best” -Mu

"Jen, I really appreciate you being such a great friend, and your help and guidance these past three years. I wish you all the best!" -Jasmine

"Jen, I really admire your dedication, passion, and the hard work you put into everything you do, especially The Triple Helix, making this year on e-board something I'll never forget. Congrats and good luck!" –Zahra

"Jen! You have been an excellent leader for The Triple Helix! I appreciated you letting us blossom in our respective roles. I wish you the best in your future endeavors and any leadership that comes your way!!" -Fatima

04/29/2017

This weekend members of TTH@GW met with GW professor Dr. Meerzaman - to discuss careers in science and the future of medicine. Thank you Dr. Meerzaman for for taking the time to chat with us!

04/29/2017

Thank you everyone who attended our Live Movie Screening of the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks!

04/15/2017

Members of TTH@GW enjoyed speaking with Michelle Hackman - politics and science journalist - from the Wall Street Journal @ our inter-chapter event with TTH@JHU & TTH@Georgetown !

04/12/2017

DISCUSSION RECAP:
Member Cassie White (freshman) hosted her first discussion this past Sunday! We discussed how new knowledge on how acts of violence are associated with a genetic mutation can make an impact on our social and legal systems.
Some questions we discussed:
1) Should this be “evidence” in a courtroom? Should this be disclosed in court?
2) Should sentencing be longer or shorter for people with this mutation?
3) How does accountability change?

03/01/2017

March’s Spotlight Member of the Month goes to our Vice President of Programming, Eden Smalley! Eden is in charge of planning and often hosting the discussions that are central to our organization. She is excited that TTH has allowed her to develop and build her identity and experience as a leader. Entering college Eden was eager to have a group of friends to have academic, science, and current event related discussions as she had in high school. She has found this outlet at GW through her involvement in TTH.

Since joining The Triple Helix, her favorite event was the driverless car discussion she facilitated because it’s a topic she’s passionate about as a Mechanical Engineer student. What made it special was being able to hear new perspectives from philosophy and ethics and come away from the discussion with new things she never considered. She views TTH as a place to practice brain power and decision making on issues that will affect our generation.

Eden chose to be a Mechanical Engineer because it’s the broadest subset of engineering which gives her space to develop her future plans. Her ultimate career goal is to be an example for other women going into the field of engineering. She wants to work for a company that fosters empowerment of women in STEM.

Outside of The Triple Helix, Eden is the Girl Scouts chair of Kappa Delta Sorority and an avid badminton player. To conclude with a fun fact, when Eden was younger visiting family in England, she wrote a message in a bottle saying her name and address and asking for someone to write her. A month later a German woman found the bottle and they have been pen pals ever since! Eden has a collection of Christmas cards that the woman sends her every year.

We’re excited to have Eden as part of our Executive Board and chapter and proud of the contributions she has made so far!

02/23/2017

02/21/2017

02/20/2017

Discussion Recap: How can young blood effect aging?

For our second discussion of the semester we invited our members to bring a friend! Recent studies have found that the proteins in young blood can reverse or hesitate the effects of aging and Alzheimer's when transfused in older patients. Here are some questions we discussed:

1. For this to work what do you think the would be the method of getting the blood? What dynamic would that play on the economically disadvantaged?

2. How does supporting and keeping the older generation around coincide with our progressive society?

02/15/2017

TTH@GW is excited to announce that our 2x4 foot poster is now featured at District House (level B2) with over 30 other student orgs at GW!