Culture and the Coronavirus: A GW Documentary Project, 2020-2021

In collaboration between the GW Library and Melani McAlister, Professor of American Studies and International Affairs, these materials document the experience and responses of the George Washington University community to the COVID crisis, while also providing a showcase for humanities and social science research on the pandemic. The project includes two components: the collection of oral histories and archival materials, and a website of exhibits and scholarship that draws in part on those materials. Culture and the Coronavirus aims to document the social and political impact of the pandemic, including the impact of choices made by government, medical practitioners, individuals, and GW itself.

The project has assembled personal memories and reflections from a broad swath of the GW community--students, staff, faculty, and alumni. Over the summer of 2020, with a small amount of funding from the American Studies department, Professor McAlister directed a research team of three students who conducted interviews with 35 GW students and faculty. Further plans involve doing more interviews, focusing particularly on staff and alumni, along with collecting and documenting other kinds of materials: photographs, emails, and journal entries.

The work continued through 2021 and expanded to include other adminstrators and GW-related individuals.