WASHINGTON (February 11, 2026) – February 14th marks the day to celebrate love, Valentine’s Day, but that isn’t all that there is to the holiday. From ancient rituals to modern love languages, Valentine’s Day has a story that’s part history, part human psychology.
Experts at the George Washington University across several departments are available to provide context and analysis of the holiday. Experts can provide context on celebrating love, the social pressures around the holiday, and how it affects human behavior. To schedule an interview, please contact Skyler Sales at skylers
gwu [dot] edu (skylers[at]gwu[dot]edu) or gwmediagwu [dot] edu (gwmedia[at]gwu[dot]edu).
History
Jonathan Hsy is an associate professor of English at George Washington University, and his work broadly asks how critical theory and cultural analysis can reshape our understandings of language, identity, and disability. He has expertise in Medieval Literature and Culture and is the founding member of the Medievalists of Color and a founding executive board member of RaceB4Race, and he has held leadership positions on the MLA’s Committee on Disability Issues in the Profession and the Society for Medieval Feminist Scholarship.
Health
Laurie Theeke is the associate dean for the PhD in Nursing Program at the GW School of Nursing. Her program of research is centered on the problem of loneliness and understanding how it influences the human health experience. Through her research, she is working to better understand how we can help lonely people and to reduce the stigma associated with loneliness. She can discuss loneliness around Valentine’s Day and ways to cope with these feelings.
William Borden is a professor of medicine and health policy at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He can discuss heart health
Andrew Choi is the co-director of multimodality cardiac imaging and associate professor of medicine and radiology at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He specializes in cardiovascular imaging and prevention.
Ramesh Mazhari is an associate professor of medicine at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences. She specializes in interventional cardiology, cardiac catheterization and peripheral vascular disease.
Christian Nagy is a practicing cardiologist and assistant professor at GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences and is board-certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, interventional cardiology and adult congenital heart disease.
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