Judy Arkes, an academic editor for GW and longtime staff member, died Thursday. She was 73 years old.

Provost Steven Lerman said members of the University community would greatly miss Arkes, who had worked at GW for 38 years.

“She is someone who I think made the institution better,” he said at Friday’s Faculty Senate meeting. “For those of you who knew her in your time here, she will be very much missed. Our sympathies go out to her family.”

An administrator found Arkes unconscious in her Rice Hall office on Thursday at about 11:15 a.m. Arkes was having trouble breathing and was transported to GW Hospital, according to a police report.

Lerman said Arkes accomplished a variety of tasks during her time in the Office of Academic Planning and Assessment, such as convincing the University to transfer to electronic workflows and online bulletins.