Georgetown University

As part of last month’s commencement celebrations, the Georgetown community came together for Lavender Graduation Celebration, an event celebrating LGBTQ and Ally undergraduate and graduate students to acknowledge their achievements, contributions, and unique experiences at Georgetown. The 2026 alumni keynote address was given by Zaid A. Zaid (SFS' 97) and the student keynote speaker was Jackie Early (C'26).

Happy Father’s Day to all of the dads and father figures in our Georgetown community! Thank you for all that you do for our Hoyas. 💙

Juneteenth is a day of celebration to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. In honor of this important holiday, we will ring the bells of Healy Hall 19 times at 12:19 p.m.

As we honor this day and celebrate independence, we also recognize the struggle — historically and in our current moment — to achieve true freedom and justice for all. Read more at https://bit.ly/3SfPo3S

Georgetown University Office of Technology Commercialization and the Office of Advancement have announced the recipients of the 2026 Evergreen Gap Fund awards, which support innovative research projects as they move from discovery toward real-world application.

This year's awardees represent disciplines across Georgetown, including medicine, oncology, law, physics, biochemistry and pharmacology. Their work addresses challenges ranging from cancer treatment and drug delivery to sustainability and neurological disease.

The awards provide critical support for promising technologies and early-stage concepts, helping researchers advance ideas with the potential to create meaningful impact. Read more about the recipients: https://bit.ly/4goZx8k

In the afternoon on Friday, March 27, Georgetown University’s Medical and Dental Building turned into a site of organized chaos, also known as Operation Outbreak, a simulation of a measles-like virus, spearheaded by M.S. in Biohazardous Threat Agents & Emerging Infectious Diseases (Biohaz, BHTA) student Curtis Hoffmann. Operation

Outbreak participants use a mobile app that spreads a Bluetooth-borne virtual pathogen based on proximity. Participants from across the university were assigned roles ranging from general population to health professionals, media and governmental agencies.

In addition to the outbreak simulation, the full day of activities at Georgetown included distinguished speakers in biosecurity, disaster management, medical humanities, and defense, who brought to life the multidisciplinary nature of outbreak science, as well as student speakers presenting their research in the morning. https://bit.ly/4v9ONzj

Trish Makovsky, assistant director of admissions at Georgetown’s McCourt School of Public Policy, never planned to work in admissions.

Makovsky began her career in clinical psychology, earning a master’s in the field before realizing, about a year in, that it wasn’t the right fit. In 2012, she moved to Washington, DC, for a second graduate degree in international education at George Washington University (GWU), planning for a career in study abroad and international student exchange.

A job in GWU’s School of Engineering and Applied Science redirected her again — this time to the admissions office, where she worked as a graduate program recruiter and discovered a passion for higher education admissions.

In 2015, Makovsky joined Georgetown, starting at the Law Center as an admissions coordinator for JD applicants and students before becoming a manager for graduate admissions, where she oversaw the coordinator team. In 2019, she began working at McCourt, where she’s been ever since.

Today, Makovsky supports applicants through every stage of the McCourt School’s admissions cycle. From conversations with prospective students in the fall to admitted student events in the spring, Makovsky travels to graduate fairs and university campuses in major U.S. cities across the country and occasionally abroad, meeting interested students where they are. She also leads McCourt’s student ambassador program, giving applicants a look into what it’s like to be a student at McCourt.

Learn more about Makovsky, who, outside of work, has visited 54 countries, runs a travel blog, trishwhotravels, focused on cultural storytelling, and reads a book a week. https://bit.ly/443HXzk

On May 25, Pope Leo XIV presented “Magnifica Humanitas,” the first encyclical of his papacy, focused on human dignity in the age of AI.

He signed the document on the 135th anniversary of his namesake Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical, “Rerum Novarum,” which called for protecting human dignity during the Industrial Revolution.

Over five chapters, Pope Leo XIV presents his vision of AI — one that is hopeful, says Kim Daniels, director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life.

On June 2, Daniels led a dialogue with fellow Catholic leaders about “Magnifica Humanitas,” or “Magnificent Humanity.”

The group discussed the significance and implications of the Pope’s words; AI and Catholic health care; the importance of focusing on the human person in emerging technologies; and how to encourage reflection and discernment offline.

Learn about Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical and what the implications and real-world applications of “Magnificas Humanitas” will be.

Pope Leo XIV Laid Out His Vision for AI. What Is it and What Happens Next? - Georgetown University Learn about Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, his vision for AI and what the implications of “Magnificas Humanitas” will be.

With up to 6.5 million people traveling for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the risk of disease outbreaks increases as people converge in dense urban areas.

This summer, Georgetown is hosting the Health Security Operations Center (HSOC), which tracks possible disease outbreaks in World Cup sites across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

While a public health operations center for mass gathering events is usually sponsored by a government, the HSOC is breaking new ground as an independent organization to address an unmet need during this year’s World Cup.

Georgetown Center to Track Infectious Disease for 2026 World Cup - Georgetown University The center will track wastewater, air travel, and other sources of data to monitor possible outbreaks of diseases during the tournament.

Only 80 days left until Georgetown Football is back on Cooper Field 🏈 Enjoy this photo from a game back in 1970!