Mason Spirit Spring 2023

We’re Golden

On October 15, we celebrated the Class of 1972’s 50th reunion and welcomed them as our newest group of Golden Patriots. Patriots came from as far away as North Carolina and Florida to celebrate, with many more joining the festivities virtually.

MASON SPIRIT

about the cover

The College of Public Health’s distinct combination of departments allows Mason to see public health differently and creates an interprofessional advantage for learning, research, and practice.

SPRING 2023

The 4,700+ 2022 winter graduates hailed from 63 countries, 44 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and military bases.

Mirella Guzman, pictured left, graduated with a BFA in art and visual technology.

PHOTO BY SEAN KELLEY

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PUTTING PUBLIC HEALTH FIRST

Responding to the commonwealth’s public health and workforce needs, Mason’s new interdisciplinary college, the first College of Public Health in Virginia, will benefit the region and beyond.

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LEADING THE WAY

At Mason, we believe that it will take all of us, together, to reimagine a better tomorrow. In 2022, we welcomed three new deans and a divisional dean who are helping shape the university’s strategic vision and shepherding Mason to the next level.

PROMOTING GREATER COLLABORATION BETWEEN INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENT

In November 2022, we announced the largest gift to a School of Business center from Attain Partners founder and CEO Greg Baroni and his wife, Camille. The first-of-its-kind university center will be renamed the Greg and Camille Baroni Center for Government Contracting to honor the donors.

DEPARTMENTS

ALL TOGETHER DIFFERENT

George Mason University has always been more about where we’re going than where we’ve been. And our star has never shined brighter than it shines right now.

Our outstanding programs and value continue to attract students as other colleges lose enrollment. Our research funding in fiscal year 2021 marked an increase of more than $100 million over five years. Mason students are immersed in an inclusive academic environment with no ethnic majority, learning across cultures and contexts, in a country whose makeup will soon resemble our diverse campus.

That’s why we’ve come so far so quickly and grown into the largest, most diverse, and most innovative public research university in Virginia.

Our future is just as boundless. The university’s Board of Visitors in December approved a five-year strategic direction titled “Mason Is All Together Different,” a blueprint for the outset of our second half-century.

The direction identifies five broad priorities:

■ Creating a distinctive and inclusive student experience

■ Expanding the impact of Mason’s research, scholarship, and creative enterprise

■ Partnerships for economic and social impact

■ A culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion

■ Faculty and staff success

This living document will serve as the foundation that guides our most crucial decisions and provides the flexibility to meet evolving challenges and opportunities as they arise. We know that the future of higher education is in the hands of universities that can adapt to rapidly changing student and societal needs.

Whether you are a student, faculty, staff, alumni, donor, industry leader, public official, or community member, you will see yourself as part of our future. Why? Because stakeholders from all groups were engaged in the plan’s creation through interviews, focus groups, town hall meetings, surveys, and conversations. The strategic direction can be read in more detail by scanning the QR code below.

Thanks to support from state leadership and officials, Mason plays a vital economic role in the region and is expanding impact for students and families throughout the commonwealth.

We have so much to look forward to as a university! Our strategic direction will light the way for our bright future.

Gregory Washington President, George Mason University

MASON SPIRIT

A MAGAZINE FOR THE GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY

spirit.gmu.edu

MANAGING EDITOR

Colleen Kearney Rich, MFA ’95

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Melanie Balog

Priyanka Champaneri, BA ’05, MFA ’10

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Emma Michels

CONTRIBUTORS

Maaz Abbasi

Mariam Aburdeineh, BA ’13

Shayla Brown

Alecia Bryan

Damian Cristodero

Erin Egan

John Hollis

Nathan Kahl

Rebecca Kobayashi

Buzz McClain, BA ‘77

Amanda Milewski

Anne Reynolds

Corey Jenkins Schaut, MPA ’07

Preston Williams

DESIGN AND ILLUSTRATION

Claire Brandt

Joan Dall'Acqua

Jeeun Lee Namgoong

Michaela Reilly, BA ‘21

Azriel Towner, BFA ‘19

PHOTOGRAPHY AND MULTIMEDIA

Ron Aira

Melissa Cannarozzi, MA ‘22

Evan Cantwell, MA ’10

Sierra Guard, BFA ’22

DeRon Rockingham

Cristian Torres

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Brian Edlinski

EDITORIAL BOARD

Stephanie Aaronson, BA ‘94

Deputy Vice President for Communications and Mason Media

Paul G. Allvin

Vice President for University Branding and Chief Brand Officer

Trishana E. Bowden

Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Relations

Kathleen Diemer

Associate Vice President for Advancement Relations

Robin Rose Parker

Assistant Vice President for Communications

Jennifer W. Robinson, JM ‘02

Associate Vice President for Alumni Relations

Mason Spirit is published three times a year by the Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations and the Office of University Branding. George Mason University is an equal opportunity employer that encourages diversity.

THE LITTLE SCHOOL THAT COULD

Congratulations GMU on 50 years! The black-and-white pictures in the magazine really don’t do us justice—we were definitely colorful.

[George Mason College] was my choice, first, because it was a business school—hopefully, there would be good work after graduation; second, the enrollment figure, 2,390 in 1972, meant I was still a name, not a number; third, I was already someplace else from where I grew up. I got here as a [U.S.] State Department brat in 1965. And fourth on the list was the price. The best bang for the buck of the last century, anywhere in the world.

Over the years, from the teaching part of my business, I’ve referred a lot of kids to GMU. I encourage kids to continue their education after high school anywhere they want to go—the idea being “to go.” I believe that is what a Patriot-at-heart does.

I met my wife, Mary (Class of 1980), there in 1974. I have a ton of tales about surviving and thriving, and GMU plays a huge part.

Keep on keeping on, you all are looking good!

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU.

Bill Dykes, BA ’76

SUPPORTING FIRST-GEN STUDENTS

Your article “Blazing a Trail” on Mason’s first-generation students in the Summer/Fall 2022 issue was near and dear to us. My wife, Mindy, although not a Mason alum, was the first in her family to attend college. Close to 10 years ago, we established the Mindy and Ken Sosne First Generation Scholarship. In today’s age of rising costs, every little bit helps. Please let first-generation students know this scholarship and others are in place to help them complete their college journey and show the world what Mason graduates are made of. Let’s get that money out there to those that need it.

Ken Sosne, MBA ’86

Need to change your address or update contact information with us? Or prefer not to receive the magazine in the mail any longer? Just let us know via email at development@gmu.edu

@ MASON

Keep updated on what’s going on

AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY

Many creatures migrate to warmer habitats for the winter, but no insect does so quite as uniquely and spectacularly as the monarch butterfly.

From the United States and Canada, tens of millions of monarchs fly each year to a place they—and the previous butterfly generation before them—have never been before: tall trees found in a few mountain forests in central Mexico. Their tiny wings take them on a roughly 2,500-mile transcontinental journey to these beautiful butterfly sanctuaries.

In late September, 18 undergraduates from George Mason University’s Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation (SMSC) tagged monarch butterflies on their journey south to help researchers better understand their grand migration.

“It’s important to track [their movement] because monarchs are listed as an endangered species as of this summer [by the International Union for Conservation of

Nature],” says environmental and sustainability studies major Nadia Gray.

Gray, who previously volunteered with the Norfolk Botanical Garden as a butterfly docent, says monarchs are facing threats including habitat loss, air pollution, and climate change.

“[Tagging] allows us to hopefully track some of them along the way south, but also to see what proportion of the tagged butterflies end up in central Mexico,” says Joshua Davis, assistant professor of conservation science. According to the nonprofit citizen-science program Monarch Watch, tagging also helps answer questions about the origins of monarchs that reach Mexico, the timing and pace of their migration, factors that impact their survival rates, and more.

Using aerial nets with a delicate fabric to protect the butterflies, the students spent two afternoons in the fields at SMSC’s Front Royal site capturing the insects.

“It is no small feat to catch these butterflies,” says Davis, who purchased the tags from Monarch Watch and has participated in the program with SMSC students since 2018. “If they’re going to survive this journey south, they have to be pretty robust fliers.”

Even with many people, catching monarchs can be difficult. The group learned more about butterflies and caught, identified, and released nine other butterfly species, including whites and sulfurs, and the common buckeye. Being in the field for experiential learning is one of the highlights of senior environmental science major Spencer Harman’s SMSC experience.

“I’ve been interested in SMSC since high school, and now that I’m here, it’s really interesting how specific we can get into the field of conservation,” says Harman, who grew up in Gainesville, Virginia.

“You get to have lots of hands-on experiences, and then you get to meet with conservation professionals—it’s a really whole experience for anyone who wants to be, or is interested in, being a conservationist.”

—Mariam Aburdeineh, BA ’13

SMSC student Spencer Harman (left) and assistant professor Joshua Davis tagged monarch butterflies to inform research on the insect’s migration patterns.

PHOTO BY MARIAM ABURDEINEH

SMSC students roamed the nearby fields in Front Royal and used special nets to catch monarch butterflies without harming them. The tags (bottom left), obtained from the nonprofit Monarch Watch, will enable researchers to collect data on the insects’ migration patterns.

PHOTO BY MARIAM ABURDEINEH

PHOTO BY CRISTIAN TORRES

PHOTO BY CRISTIAN TORRES

FIVE PODCAST EPISODES YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS

Ever wonder what it would be like to interview a serial killer? Or are you interested in current global affairs or politics? George Mason University President Gregory Washington regularly hits the studio with thoughtprovoking conversations with faculty members and noteworthy guest speakers. In the Access to Excellence podcast, Washington aims to educate and ask pressing questions on an array of topics that affect not only our community, but the world.

Since the inaugural February 2020 episode, more than 40 guests have shared their insights, including astrophysicist and Visiting Robinson Professor Hakeem Oluseyi, Robinson Professor Spencer Crew, and former FBI profiler Mary Ellen O’Toole. They discuss answers to critical questions such as the essential keys to effective peace building, the importance of a scientific worldview, and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s true motives in invading Ukraine. Here, we take a look at the top five most popular episodes.

PHOTO BY CRISTIAN TORRES

Episode 24. With Emergent Ventures, Tyler Cowen puts his money where his mind is. Mason economics professor and alum Tyler Cowen, BS Economics ’83, gives his two cents on his optimism about the U.S. economy, fighting climate change, and how grants can help fight COVID-19. Emergent Ventures has raised more than $60 million to date and funded more than 200 projects.

Episode 26. COVID-19 mental health crisis is the second pandemic. Director of Mason’s Center for Psychological Services Robyn Mehlenbeck educates listeners on important methods to combat stress caused by the pandemic.

Episode 33. The real story of the Pilgrims and Thanksgiving. Mason religious studies professor John Turner tells the true tale of Thanksgiving and the dark truths of enslavement and betrayal.

Other episodes welcome exciting faculty guests such as election expert Jennifer Victor, National Collaborative for Health Equity executive director Gail Christopher, award-winning novelist Helon Habila, and robotics and artificial intelligence expert Missy Cummings.

The Access to Excellence podcast is available on any of the most popular podcast platforms and at podcast.gmu.edu.

Episode 39. Russia’s war in Ukraine is tied to corruption, organized crime. Louise Shelley, founder and director of Mason’s Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center, analyzes the ties between Russia’s corruption and crime and the war on Ukraine.

Episode 20. Doing the work: Anti-racism, inclusion, and disrupting inequality. Dr. Washington talks with Wendi ManuelScott, associate professor of integrative studies and history, and Shernita Parker of Mason’s Human Resources office about leading the Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force and Mason’s continuous efforts to stop racism and create an inclusive environment for all.

—Emma Michels

PHOTO BY SHELBY BURGESS

PHOTO BY SHELBY BURGESS

PHOTO BY SHELBY BURGESS

PHOTO BY RON AIRA

PHOTO BY EVAN CANTWELL

PHOTO BY EVAN CANTWELL

FREE STROKES

Visiting artist Abi Naanseh learned about calligraphy from his father and has been practicing this skill for 22 years. Arabic calligraphy goes back thousands of years and, unlike other forms of art, is not banned in the Islamic culture. After leaving Syria to escape the violence of the Syrian civil war, Naanseh applied for an Artist Protection Fund (APF) fellowship to pursue his art freely.

He was accepted to APF in 2020, but his residency was delayed due to the pandemic. That same year, Naanseh witnessed the accidental explosion of a large amount

of ammonium nitrate at the Port of Beirut that reportedly killed at least 200 people and injured thousands. These experiences helped shape the artist Naanseh would become.

Today, Naanseh is an APF Fellow and the 2022 Artist-inResidence in Mason’s School of Art, where he can practice his craft without the dangers he would face if he were to do so in his home country.

—Shayla Brown

PHOTO BY CRISTIAN TORRES

FINDING MASON’S VOICE EN ESPANOL

If you recently caught a glimpse of the familiar green and gold on the side of a Northern Virginia bus, you may have also noticed something new. Since May 2022, Mason has invited the families of prospective Hispanic students to learn about the university in its first Spanishlanguage marketing campaign.

The campaign features Spanish-language posters on buses and at Virginia Rail Express and Metro stations in Northern Virginia, as well as social media advertising and radio marketing aimed at the Hispanic community in the greater Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Maryland area. The models in the ads are all Mason students.

In addition, radio marketing has included commercials during 2022 World Cup coverage and Spanish-language faculty interviews, which received an overwhelmingly positive response.

Spanish speakers are invited to learn more about Mason via a Spanish web presence, or to call for more information. The Office of Admissions and Enrollment and Office of University Branding, which operates the university switchboard, have both hired bilingual phone attendants to welcome callers and connect them with the offices that can help them.

Mason enrolls and graduates the largest percentage and number of Hispanic students among Virginia and Maryland public universities, which makes the expansion into Spanish-language marketing even more important.

“The Hispanic populations in Virginia and at Mason have both increased significantly in recent decades,” says Eric Woodall, associate vice president of brand marketing for

POINT OF PRIDE

the Office of University Branding. “This campaign is part of our efforts to better highlight our current Hispanic student population and ensure that prospective families have materials in Spanish to help them make informed decisions.”

“We are starting a lasting dialogue with households headed by those who may not be conversant in or comfortable speaking English and are looking for way-finding to get their sons and daughters to and through college,” says Paul G. Allvin, Mason vice president for university branding and chief brand officer. “Our messaging mirrors what these families tell us they look for and find in a Mason education: flexibility, affordability, safety, and the existence of their own culture in campus life.”

Despite a nationwide increase in Hispanic college students, Hispanic young people are still the least likely among their peers to be enrolled in college or have a bachelor’s degree, according to the Pew Research Center. Taking this into account, the campaign’s first phase focused on raising parent awareness of Mason’s commitment to diversity and accessibility.

“What comes next for us is maintaining our presence in terms of Spanish-language advertising and looking to expand and strengthen our partnerships with Hispanic community organizations,” Woodall says.

—Rebecca Kobayashi

Learn more about the campaign.

The poster image above is one design featured on local transportation. It reads “Here, they will feel included. Discover why Mason is Virginia’s most diverse public university.”

In November, George Mason University’s Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC) and Amazon joined forces to help combat counterfeiting and its criminal supply chain networks by co-hosting the 2022 Bring Down Counterfeiting Public Policy Hackathon. The first-of-its-kind event, administered by Blue Clarity, challenged teams from U.S. academic institutions, companies, and other affiliations to develop innovative ideas to combat these global challenges.

Among the winners was Mason’s Team Nimbus—computer science major Pranav Reddippali, Srivatsa Krishnamurthy (their friend from the University of Virginia), and information technology major Pranay Yella—who took second place and $15,000 with their proposal for exposing counterfeit online pharmacies.

PHOTO BY JOHN BOAL PHOTOGRAPHY

STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT LEADS ON EQUALITY

Sophia Nguyen never pictured herself as a government major, but she realized that to accomplish her goal of fighting discrimination, she needed the knowledge that comes from studying policy and government.

This past summer Nguyen scored an internship at the White House, where she worked toward eliminating hate against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community before returning for her senior year at George Mason University as this year’s student body president.

Rising attacks against AAPI communities fueled Nguyen’s desire to fight AAPI hatred. The daughter of Vietnamese immigrants, she brings this same energy to Mason while participating in organizations such as the Asian Pacific American Coalition and serving as chair of the University Life Committee and the Diversity and Multicultural Affairs Committee.

Nguyen’s leadership and her ability to think differently to inspire change has not gone unnoticed by the student body. The Honors College student campaigned hard with vice president running mate Celine Apenteng, and together they secured the highest vote count of any ticket since 2014, voted in by more than 900 students. One of Nguyen’s proudest accomplishments at Mason was spearheading a well-received anti-AAPI racism panel, which brought AAPI community activists to campus to raise awareness.

After graduation, Nguyen intends to continue her fight for AAPI rights and hopes to pursue humanitarian work, particularly for people who have been affected by poverty and violence.

“I just want to help people in need and make people’s lives a little bit better,” she says.

—Maaz Abbasi

ADAM CREPELLE

Assistant Professor of Law and Director of Mason’s New Tribal Law and Economics Program

At the time of the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Adam Crepelle had just started law school. As a citizen of the United Houma Nation, Crepelle felt that the consequences of the spill hit home hard.

“The Houma were getting spilled on quite heavily by BP, and everyone in Louisiana was getting BP money, except the Houma Indians,” he says. “I assumed my professors would know how to solve this problem—but I quickly realized none of [them] knew anything about Indian law, and I couldn’t find anyone who practiced Indian law in Louisiana either.”

Crepelle took it upon himself to learn Indian law and has published widely on the subject. He now leads Mason’s Tribal Law and Economics Program, which includes a federal Indian law course and the Tribal Sovereignty Clinic, where students work directly with tribes.

What Is Indian Law?: “Tribes are separate sovereigns in the U.S. constitutional order,” says Crepelle, who serves as an associate justice on the Pascua Yaqui Tribe’s Court of Appeals. “You have the federal government, state governments, and Indian tribes.”

Because the 574 federally recognized tribes are sovereign governments, the presumption is state law does

not apply on reservations. For example, according to Indian law, to arrest someone you must determine whether the victim and perpetrator are Indians and assess the type of crime and the status of the land.

It’s More than a Class Assignment—It’s a Responsibility: “Mistakes could negatively impact the tribes and businesses conducting cases in the court,” says law student James Gray, who, while working with a judge from the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe, drafted code for an Intertribal Commercial Court about on-reservation investments and commercial disputes.

Gray says helping tribes use their sovereignty to advance their economies has been rewarding. “The program is a really exciting opportunity for the school to grow into a field that law schools have underinvested in.”

Working with Tribes: “Students benefit by being a part of this clinic because they get to work with tribes and implement policies that make a change in the real world,” Crepelle says. “They’re actually helping build institutions, writing laws for a sovereign nation.”

—Mariam Aburdeineh, BA ’13

BE THE DIFFERENCE

Mason Delivers All Together Different #alltogetherdifferent

PHOTO BY RON AIRA

LEADERSHIP GIFT HONORS DEBATE DIRECTOR’S YEARS OF SERVICE

The George Mason University debate team has a legacy as a national powerhouse, and at the core of their leadership is Warren Decker.

During the 48 years that Decker led the team, which was founded in 1974, Mason qualified for the national debate tournament 36 times. For the last decade, Mason Debate has ranked among the top two teams in the country.

“Warren has directed and coached more debate students than any other college debate coach in the country—and changed the lives of countless students,” says College of Humanities and Social Sciences dean Ann Ardis.

Mason alum Leonard Bennett, BS Finance ’89, JD ’94, was part of the debate team in the 1980s and returned to the Fairfax Campus in 2021 to help honor Decker’s years of service.

“The special skill Warren Decker has is to coach the span of debaters in this program—from the novice to the superstar—and make us all successful,” says Bennett. “He taught us to be able to speak in front of and to all types of people, no matter who was in the room.”

Bennett, founding partner of Virginia-based law firm Consumer Litigation Associates, has been a trial attorney and consumer advocate since 1994.

Bennett attributes the team’s growth and longevity directly to Decker. “When I look at our team now, I see an incredible debate program. [Warren] kept our team funded and organized for 48 years, which is not an easy feat.”

Bennett hopes to both ensure future generations of students will benefit from this pivotal experience as well as bolster Decker’s legacy, allowing the team to continue to hold on to its top national ranking. In addition to providing program and scholarship support for the debate team, Bennett’s generous gift of $1 million will create the Warren D. Decker Professorship Endowment to support the Warren Decker Director of Debate. This fund will enable the department to recruit and retain top talent to help secure Mason Debate’s excellence in coaching.

—Alecia Bryan

To learn more about Decker’s retirement and legacy, visit go.gmu.edu/debategift. To join Bennett in supporting the team, visit alumni.gmu.edu/22HSS11.

left, College of Humanities and

Sciences

From

Social

dean Ann Ardis, former Mason Director of Debate Warren Decker, and Mason alum Leonard “Len” Bennett at Decker’s retirement reception.

PHOTO BY SQUID MONTEITH

PORTRAITS FROM THE INSIDE OUT

For more than 22 years, Joe Mullins has worked as a forensic imaging specialist at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. For a decade, he has been teaching the Facial Reconstruction course to graduate students in George Mason University’s Forensic Science Program. This past spring, for the first time at Mason, he taught a forensic figure sculpting class.

The 15 students in the course started the semester with a generic plastic skull. Week by week, they sculpted different parts of their own faces, creating a portrait of themselves in clay and learning the forensic skills needed to put a face on a skull.

Mullins teaches a more comprehensive version of this course at the New York Academy of Art. The difference is the academy students are working on an actual New York cold case with unidentified remains, which have been analyzed and 3-D printed.

The Mason students are not just learning to sculpt— some for the first time—they are also getting an introduction to forensic science and anatomy. In addition to teaching specifics like tissue depth, Mullins also goes over some case studies with the class, bringing in skulls he has worked on.

“It’s an opportunity for these students to broaden their horizons,” says Mullins, who has a background in fine arts, and a “crash course on what a skull is telling you.”

Mason anthropology graduate student Veronica Hughes, who is focusing on bioarchaeology and forensics in her studies, took the class because she is interested in using her education in the forensics field.

“On the bioarchaeology side, we mostly are studying skeletal remains to determine the individual’s possible identification in life,” says Hughes, who has a bachelor’s degree in studio art. “Seeing where applications from science and art join together has helped me to understand how delicate the process is.”

Mullins is teaching the course again this spring but with a twist. Students are working on two unidentified cases from the San Diego Medical Examiners Office.

“It will be a great experience for my undergrad and graduate students seeing how these facial approximations are done in real time and to help get these victims identified.”

Students sculpted their likenesses week by week using sketches and profile photos.

—Colleen Kearney Rich, MFA ’95

PHOTO BY DERON ROCKINGHAM

CELEBRATING MASON’S FIRST WOMEN’S SPORT

The passage of Title IX in 1972 marked the beginning of athletic opportunities for women at George Mason University. Tennis, Mason’s first women’s sport, started its inaugural season in 1972–73. At the time, the university had six men’s teams: basketball, cross country, baseball, soccer, golf, and men’s tennis. Wrestling was added in 1972, along with women’s tennis.

To mark the anniversary, GoMason.com caught up with the first two women student-athletes at Mason to obtain athletics scholarships: Serena Brown, BA Art ’82, and Vicki Hutman, BA Education ’78.

In 1972, just over 300,000 girls participated in high school and college sports. In 2019, more than 3.2 million girls played high school sports.

Hutman was the first woman to earn an athletic scholarship at Mason. She arrived on the Fairfax Campus in 1974 from nearby Loudoun County High School, where she played the No. 2 singles position on the boys’ tennis team. At the time, it wasn’t uncommon to have only boys’ teams in high schools.

Brown arrived at Mason the following season after spending a year taking classes at Northern Virginia Community College. A graduate of James Madison High School, the Vienna native also played on the boys’ high school tennis team, but her journey to doing so was a little more challenging.

The high school athletic director, who was also the boys’ tennis coach, denied Brown’s request to play on the boys’ team. Her parents and another family whose daughter wanted to play high school golf at a different school filed a lawsuit through the American Civil Liberties Union against the Commonwealth of Virginia for sex discrimination.

“We won, and because we both had junior regional rankings and were good enough, we were allowed to play on the boys’ teams the next season,” Brown says.

In 1972, for the first time, the James Madison High School boys’ tennis team won the Great Falls District title, and Brown was a big part of that success.

“I grew up in the area and was thrilled to learn that [Mason] had women’s tennis scholarships,” says Brown about the Mason opportunity. “Had the scholarship not been available, I would not have pursued a four-year degree at the time.”

At Mason, Brown and Hutman were the top players in the mid- to late-1970s. They played the top two singles positions and were often paired at doubles. The duo also earned back-to-back Most Valuable Player awards.

College was a springboard for Hutman’s 30-year tennis career. She turned professional, playing in Women’s Tennis Association lower-tier professional tournaments while teaching tennis. Hutman worked at clubs in Virginia, including as director of tennis at the Country Club of Fairfax.

“Tennis has had a significant impact on how I form opinions and make decisions,” says Hutman. “It gave me strength and confidence in every facet of my life and provided me with lifelong friendships.”

Hutman would go on to earn a master’s degree in counseling from Marymount University and open a private practice from 2008 to 2015 doing sports psychology coaching for high-level athletes in the Washington, D.C., area.

The opportunity to play college tennis as a scholarship athlete was a saving grace for Brown. “Tennis was the most positive thing in my life, and it helped me get through a challenging period,” she says. “The scholarship was paramount because I would not have been able to attend college without it.”

And the doors that Mason opened for Brown enabled her to break down other barriers. She went on to work for State Farm Insurance, becoming one of only two women agents in her office.

Although small in stature—Brown was listed at 5’4” and Hutman at 5’2” on the roster—the student-athletes loomed large in their efforts to advocate for women in sports at Mason. Both served on Mason’s Title IX Student Committee in 1975.

“Colleges and universities need to continue to advance women’s sports to even the playing field,” says Brown. “The benefits are immeasurable. All life’s lessons learned on the court or field can be transferred to your business or career.”

For more alum stories on the impact of Title IX, visit go.gmu.edu/TitleIX.

CELEBRATING MASON’S HISTORY

In September, Mason alumni from across the decades shared their campus experiences at a 50th Anniversary celebration held at the Hylton Performing Arts Center and hosted by Mason’s Science and Technology Campus and the Prince William Chamber of Commerce. From left, Ron Carmichael, director of administration and operations at the SciTech Campus, poses with several alumni: Virginia State Senator Jeremy McPike , BA Government and Politics ’97; Erika Spalding , BS Marketing ’07; Debbie Jones , BA Art (Studio) ’78; Sean Connaughton , JD ’92; Lovey Hammel , BS Marketing ’88; Rex Parr , BA Psychology ’70; Tina Laguna , BS Administration of Justice ’04; and Afnan Ali , BS Computer Engineering ’20.

PHOTO BY SIERRA GUARD

A SOUND INVESTMENT

While most students were taking a break from their studies this past summer, the student managers of Patriot Real Estate Funds raised $1.25 million for the second student-managed real estate investment fund at George Mason University.

The Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship at the School of Business established the initial studentmanaged real estate investment fund in 2018 to provide students in the Master of Science in Real Estate Development (MRED) Program a unique experiential learning opportunity. Using real money raised from outside investors, this is one of only a few programs offered at universities across the country that allows students the chance to study, recommend, and manage investments in commercial real estate properties.

The first fund, Patriot Real Estate Fund I, raised $750,000, and four years after launch, the 40 students who have gone through the program have fully invested the funds in 10 properties, among them a medical office property in Gainesville, Virginia, an apartment building under construction in Washington, D.C., and an established shopping center in suburban Baltimore. In June 2022, the current student managers raised $1.25 million for a new fund, which will extend this experiential learning opportunity to future generations of real estate students at Mason.

“The student fund has been one of my favorite experiences in the MRED Program,” says recent graduate Hannah Picardi, MS Real Estate Development ’22, one of this year’s fund managers. “Its real-world application is invaluable. It is an amazing educational tool and resume booster.”

Picardi says she learned how to analyze a potential investment thoroughly, how to manage that investment over time, and how to determine “if we’re getting paid for the risks we may take on.”

Rod Alemi, MS Real Estate Development ’20, agrees that the program’s educational benefits and impact on students’ careers are invaluable. “It enhances the value of the [degree] by providing real-world investment opportunities for students interested in pursuing the real estate investments and acquisitions career path,” says Alemi, who began working at a real estate investment company after graduating.

Tyler Kasak, MS Real Estate Development ’18, says dealing with real capital forced the team to be thoughtful and thorough when looking at potential investment opportunities. “Pitching a potential deal to the highly experienced investment committee taught me how to prepare and answer important questions,” says Kasak. “That experience was tough and a little nerve-wracking, but extremely rewarding.”

Find out more about the funds by emailing Eric Maribojoc, executive director of the Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship, at rmariboj@gmu.edu.

MASON NATION MEET THE

Ric Chollar’s relationship with George Mason University began in 1987 when he started teaching for the Psychology Department. In the late 1990s, he became the facilitator for an LGBTQ counseling group, and in 2001 he was hired as a consultant on what grew into the Safe Zone program. In the early 2000s, programs like Safe Zone increased LGBTQ visibility at Mason, and the LGBTQ resources staff at the time worked with faculty to institutionalize the first LGBTQ studies courses. From 2002 to 2017, Chollar was a staff member for what became the LGBTQ+ Resources Center, and he continues to teach as an adjunct.

Finding a Home at Mason: Chollar says he felt respected and encouraged by colleagues from the start, but that his time at Mason has required being humble enough to learn from mistakes. In his work, he aspires to achieve healing, compassion, justice, and liberation. “Even though it will look different for each person, how can I best support someone to become more free and more of who they know they are?”

It Takes a Village: Chollar’s involvement with Mason helps give shape to the university’s story of LGBTQ advocacy, but it’s one in which he insists there are many unsung heroes. Students initially took the lead on LGBTQ issues, and he credits the activist work of

many longtime Mason faculty and staff. LGBTQ liaisons and leaders in offices and departments across Mason are key to successful support.

Strength from Diversity: Chollar says one example of cross-university collaboration that embodies the ideals of the LGBTQ+ Resources Center was when students advocated for inviting trans-rights activist Laverne Cox to campus. The resulting event was the one of most successful Chollar has witnessed, and many students expressed finally feeling represented. “It is always important for us to work with students as whole, complicated people.”

Creating Spaces for All: Chollar encourages a balance between improving existing support and making spaces for a wider range of people. This includes acknowledging the importance of racial identity and that many LGBTQ students of color face specific oppression, as well as supporting trans and nonbinary people in leadership roles. “It’s not for us to think we’re the experts. It’s about being open to learning from others, creating space for others to learn and lead, and ultimately, it’s about learning and working together.”

PHOTO BY CRISTIAN TORRES

—Rebecca Kobayashi

RIC CHOLLAR Job: Adjunct Faculty Member, Women and Gender Studies Program, School of Integrative Studies, and Department of Social Work

LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SHADOW RESEARCHERS

During the Quantum Pathways Immersion Program in July, George Mason University physics professor Karen Sauer (above left) explained her quantum physics research to a new audience: local high school students.

The free summer program, sponsored by Mason’s Quantum Science and Engineering Center (QSEC) and the nonprofit Potomac Quantum Innovation Center, brought together rising high school seniors from around the region to participate in a weeklong job-shadowing opportunity and to learn about quantum and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) related careers from researchers at leading universities and in the industry.

In addition to visiting Sauer’s lab, students met with other Mason researchers and talked with scientists and policy professionals at MITRE, University of Maryland,

George Washington University, and the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation.

The program was organized and run by Jessica Rosenberg, an associate professor in the College of Science’s Department of Physics and Astronomy and the director of education for QSEC, and Nancy Holincheck, an assistant professor of STEM education in the College of Education and Human Development and associate director of education for QSEC.

The Quantum Pathways Immersion Program is part of QSEC’s K12 Quantum Workforce Development Project, which was funded by an appropriations bill sponsored by U.S. Representative Jennifer Wexton and aims to inspire the next generation of students to pursue the field while simultaneously preparing a diverse quantum workforce in Northern Virginia.

ROGERS NAMED INTERIM DIRECTOR OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS

Mason alum Nena Rogers, BSEd ’89, MAIS ’19, is serving as Mason’s interim assistant vice president and director of Intercollegiate Athletics while a national search for a permanent director is conducted.

Rogers has had various roles in Intercollegiate Athletics, most recently as senior associate athletic director for academic services. A standout studentathlete in track and field, Rogers was a 1988 NCAA champion and Olympic qualifier in long jump. She also earned four All-America honors competing in the long jump and triple jump for Mason. After graduating, Rogers returned to Mason in 1998 as the assistant coach for jumps and sprints for the women’s track and field program. In 2000, she transitioned to athletics administration.

Rogers replaces Brad Edwards, who left Mason in October to become CEO of NFL Alumni.

“Nena Rogers meets the moment perfectly. She is a Patriot through and through, and she brings an impeccable track record of helping students thrive as both outstanding students and athletes,” says President Gregory Washington. “She has dedicated most of her adult life to the development and well-being of Mason’s student-athletes and is a trusted hand of stability and continuity during this time of transition.”

A Virginia native, Rogers lives in Woodbridge with her husband and two daughters.

GIFT TO THE CENTER FOR GLOBAL ISLAMIC STUDIES

George Mason University announced a $3 million gift to its Center for Global Islamic Studies, which will be renamed the AbuSulayman Center for Global Islamic Studies in recognition of the donation. The gift will create new community resources and support students and research in Islamic studies.

The commitment was made by the Mirza Family Foundation, headed by Yaqub Mirza, a Mason parent, current member of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences Dean’s Advisory Board, and former George Mason University Foundation trustee.

Abdul Hamid AbuSulayman, who passed away in August 2021, was an early advocate for the study of Islam from

a global perspective. Called “a giant among giants” by Mirza, AbuSulayman was chair of the International Institute of Islamic Thought in Herndon, Virginia, a hub for scholarship and research that advances education in Muslim societies.

The AbuSulayman family has close connections to the university. Several family members are studying at or have graduated from Mason. Abdul’s daughter, Muna AbuSulayman, BA English ’95, MA English ’96, was honored as one of 50 high-achieving Alumni Exemplars, at the Alumni Association’s 50th anniversary gala.

Learn more about AbuSulayman’s life and work at go.gmu.edu/AbuSulayman.

—John Hollis

PHOTO BY RAFAEL SUANES

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EXPECTATIONS CRUSH

Mason professor Hakeem Oluseyi used “hope, hustle, and help” to become one of astrophysics’s brightest stars.

GMU.EDU/DIFFERENT

DIFFERENT ALL TOGETHER

The College of Public Health’s work on important issues, such as mental health, suicide prevention, opioid misuse, and providing health services to the underserved, is vital to our region’s future health.”

HEALTH AND WELL-BEING FOR ALL

—Tim Kaine (D-VA), U.S. Senator

A Mason nursing student assesses a child for the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) study, a nationwide public health initiative funded by the National Institutes of Health.

PUTTING PUBLIC HEALTH FIRST

Responding to the commonwealth’s public health and workforce needs, Mason’s new interdisciplinary college will benefit the region and beyond.

BY COLLEEN KEARNEY RICH, MFA ’95

InNovember 2022, George Mason University launched the first and only College of Public Health (CPH) in the Commonwealth of Virginia to meet the critical growing need for skilled, interdisciplinary health professionals and research across the state.

“Mason’s College of Public Health graduates will bring new and diverse talent to Virginia’s health workforce, addressing critical shortages and building a strong talent pipeline for the long-term health of the region,” says Mason President Gregory Washington. “Individuals, families, and communities will benefit from discoveries, clinical care, and public health practice initiatives generated by this multidisciplinary college.”

With CPH, Virginia becomes the 36th state in the country to have a college dedicated to public health and will benefit from increased community engagement, workforce development initiatives, and research of consequence with a focus on eliminating health disparities. The college enrolls more than 1,900 undergraduate and 1,300 graduate students in nationally recognized programs, including six undergraduate degrees, eight master’s degrees, five doctoral degrees, and six professional certificate programs. The college includes the School of Nursing and the departments of Global and Community Health, Health Administration and Policy, Nutrition and Food Studies, and Social Work.

AN INCLUSIVE APPROACH

Public health and health care fields are striving to better reflect and serve the nation’s diverse communities. At Mason, we believe inclusivity is our strength. To meet the region’s and the commonwealth’s needs, Mason’s College of Public Health is focused on an inclusive approach to public health education, research, and practice. Of the college’s more than 3,200 students, 60 percent are from historically underrepresented groups and 32.5 percent of its undergraduates are first-generation college students.

Left, Mason College of Public Health students use virtual reality sets in a simulation lab. Right, students study food nutrients in the Nutrition Kitchen.

Health care in Virginia is becoming increasingly more complex. Universities like Mason play a pivotal role in helping navigate our commonwealth through the challenges facing our citizens today by expanding the health workforce and keeping communities healthy.”

—John Littel, Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources

PHOTO BY SHELBY BURGESS

PHOTO BY EVAN CANTWELL

A COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH? WHY

Having a College of Public Health in the Commonwealth of Virginia will benefit those who live in the state and the region in many tangible ways.

During the pandemic, the university’s ability to respond in a health crisis and the college’s ability to respond to community needs as it related to testing and vaccinations have just been remarkable. And that is just one significant example of the role the college can and will play within the region. We will continue to engage with communities to improve health equity and access, foster workforce readiness and expand the pipeline of health care workers, and generate groundbreaking interdisciplinary research. Equity and inclusion will be at the center of all we do.

There is a nursing crisis and a health care provider crisis. That is why the college is integrally involved in several workforce initiatives to prepare the next generation of leaders across many disciplines. We’ll be able to rise to even more of that demand, caring for disenfranchised and marginalized communities, as well as addressing preventive care and the mental and behavioral health problems that most of the country has experienced.

Imagine in five to 10 years being able to reflect on the growth in leaders in public health having been trained here—leaders in health care, nursing, social work, nutrition, epidemiology, community health, and global health. Imagine being able to say, yes, the arrival of the College of Public Health was the conduit through which a whole generation of new public health leaders were equipped to provide care, advise on policy, and make decisions about how to keep the population as healthy as possible, and how to make that care accessible and equitable.

Melissa Perry Dean, College of Public Health

Mason’s proximity to Washington, D.C., and the federal health-related agencies, leading health systems, policymaking institutions, nonprofit community service organizations, and global health consulting management firms located here in Northern Virginia make it an ideal hub for researching, teaching, influencing, and improving public health and well-being.

With more than 500 partners, including Inova Health System and Sunrise Senior Living, the college is well positioned to address the full spectrum of factors that influence the public’s health and well-being throughout an individual’s lifespan.

THE INTERPROFESSIONAL ADVANTAGE

The college’s distinct combination of departments allows Mason to see public health differently and creates an interprofessional advantage for learning, research, and practice. Its interprofessional research and experiential learning fosters knowledge-sharing to improve outcomes.

CPH prepares professionals committed to delivering inclusive health and well-being through competencybased curriculum and national workforce growth initiatives. The majority of its students graduate with interprofessional research, clinical, practicum, or capstone experience that sets them apart.

“As the first and only College of Public Health in Virginia, this launch reflects our academic and research mission and the pivotal leadership role we play in population health and well-being,” says Dean Melissa J. Perry, who joined Mason in August. “Our distinctive set of degree offerings, our inclusive approach to research and education, and our commitment to experiential learning opportunities prepare students to thrive in multicultural environments.”

Here are some of the ways Mason and the college are working to make a difference in Virginia.

TEACHING AND LEARNING

Experiential learning and hands-on training are the hallmarks of a Mason education and imperative to preparing graduates to be career-ready. Through internships, practicums, research experiences, study abroad, or clinical practice, students train for their intended field and leave Mason with the confidence and skills to make

Mason social work students traveled to Capitol Hill to connect with legislators on public health issues.

PHOTO BY RON AIRA

CPH researchers are collaborating with Mason colleagues from other units on a project using virtual reality to assist those in addiction treatment and recovery.

a difference in the health of people and populations. CPH delivers these experiences to students in a variety of ways while bettering public health, as detailed below and on the following page.

Interprofessional behavioral health clinic provides real-world experience: To combat the lack of affordable mental health services, Mason opened a first-of-its-kind interprofessional clinic where psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner students and clinical psychology doctoral students deliver services in collaboration with licensed faculty. It is the only clinic in the country for affordable psychiatric medication management services that also serves as an experiential learning environment for students.

Nutrition clinic provides hands-on dietitian training: In the new nutrition clinic at Mason’s Population Health Center, students have an additional source of hands-on learning. The sliding scale clinic trains graduate students in nutrition under the direct supervision of faculty who are registered dietitians or MDs.

Students gain global perspective on HIV/AIDS health care: College of Public Health students traveled to Amsterdam in 2022 to study how policies and access to care affect those with HIV/AIDS. From a global public health perspective, students learned about reducing stigmas associated with sexually transmitted infections, as well as how sexual health policy and culture in Amsterdam compare to the United States.

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

Improving forensic bruise analysis: School of Nursing professor and forensic nurse Katherine Scafide has long served people who’ve experienced violence. In her research, Scafide is using alternate light sources technology to help identify hard-to-see bruising in a variety of skin tones. A $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice will help pair Scafide’s forensic bruise analysis with machine learning to improve documentation. She is working with Janusz Wojtusiak, director of Mason’s Machine Learning and Inference Laboratory, and engineering professor David Lattanzi on the project.

Preventing suicide among essential workers: A strong health care system isn’t just based on the health of its patients but is equally committed to its essential health care workers. CPH’s Farrokh Alemi and a team of researchers are studying how gender, racial/ethnic, medical history, and socioeconomic status affect suicide patterns among essential workers and whether COVID19 contributes to suicide beyond these factors. The study, supported by the Gates Foundation, Healthcare Cost Institute, and Cornell University, aims to provide evidence-based policy recommendations and a public health framework with targeted mitigation strategies, medical interventions, and other recommendations to reduce sociodemographic disparities in suicide for patients, essential workers, and health care systems.

Improving access to care through telehealth: Mason researchers Alison Cuellar and Leah Adams, MA Psychology ’10, PhD ’14, received a grant from the National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation to study health equity and the impact of Medicaid’s telehealth policy. The findings are expected to inform federal and state policymakers as they consider whether and how to extend telehealth policies and to identify remaining policy gaps—particularly among marginalized communities.

PHOTO BY EVAN CANTWELL

PHOTO BY EMMA THERESE ANDERSON

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

When organizations like the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and AmeriCorps tackle critical health care workforce shortages, they turn to Mason. In 2022, the college received several $1 million+ grants to deliver major workforce initiatives.

Building the behavioral health workforce and improving access: The $1.9 million HRSA Behavioral Health Workforce and Training grant is helping improve access to behavioral health services for underserved and rural populations through the Mason Community–Academic Partnerships in Behavioral Health program, led by the Department of Social Work. The program provides yearly stipends for master of social work students and expands the existing partnership with the Mason and Partners (MAP) Clinics. Professor Denise Hines codirects the project with Social Work chair Emily Ihara.

Preparing nurses to care for underserved populations: A $1.15 million HRSA grant helped create an interprofessional Learning Laboratory for Community Health that prepares students to work in medically underserved communities in inner cities and rural areas and with underserved populations such as aging adults and patients of color. Students design and implement evidence-based solutions and examine population health solutions for communities. School of Nursing professor Rebecca Sutter, MSN ’01, DNP ’12, leads the program.

Building workforce resiliency and well-being: A threeyear $2 million cooperative agreement with HRSA supports the mental health and well-being of current and future health care workers through in-person and virtual education and training activities. The program supports nurses, social workers, public health professionals, and practitioners in rural and underserved communities. Professor Debora Goldberg leads the program.

Training public health workers to better connect patients with care: Funded through a $2.6 million grant from the Public Health AmeriCorps program, the Mason Data and Technology Driven Public Health AmeriCorps Training Program will improve patient referrals for both health and social determinants of health needs using data analytics and community-based relationships. Sutter and Wojtusiak, director of the Center for Discovery Science and Health Informatics, lead the program.

Addressing the critical nursing shortage in the region: The School of Nursing and MedStar Washington Hospital Center have partnered to create the Future Nurse Program, which prepares nurses for clinical practice. MedStar Health will cover in-state tuition for Future Nurse Program students in Mason’s Accelerated Second Degree BSN Program who agree to work for three years as full-time licensed registered nurses at MedStar Washington Hospital Center after graduation.

Inova and Mason are long-standing partners, and we often hire Mason graduates who have knowledge of and experience with under-resourced communities.

As we strive to improve the health of the communities we are so privileged to serve, it is vital that we have the necessary diverse workforce to make this vision a reality. I look forward to our partnership with the new College of Public Health.”

—Karen

Berube, Senior Vice President and Chief of Community Health and Health Equity at Inova Health System

CPH professor Katherine Scafide (left) demonstrates her bruising identification research on Tomeka Brown-Rolle, MSN ‘16, (right) for filmmaker and humanitarian Angelina Jolie (center).

PHOTO BY EMMA THERESE ANDERSON

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

The name College of Public Health more accurately reflects the pivotal role CPH plays in the health and well-being of the community and the region. The Population Health Center houses state-of-the art facilities for telehealth, research, and delivering clinical care. Operated by Mason’s School of Nursing, MAP Clinics serve the underinsured and uninsured communities in Prince William and Fairfax Counties by providing low-barrier access to acute and chronic health care services, school physicals and childhood immunizations, screenings, and mental health services for vulnerable populations.

Innovating to meet the need of the community: MAP Clinics received the Innovative Practice or Partnership of the Year award as part of the Prince William County

Chamber of Commerce 2022 Business Awards for its trailblazing work with the City of Manassas Park Public Health Department and Prince William County Health Department.

Using social media to promote hepatitis B screening among Korean Americans: Asian Americans, who make up only 7 percent of the U.S. population, make up 50 percent of all hepatitis B (HBV) cases. Foreign-born Asian Americans face many barriers to HBV screening, vaccination, and treatment because of lack of HBVrelated knowledge, stigma, and limited access to health care due to language barriers and immigrant status. To address this public health need, a team of interdisciplinary Mason researchers, led by Professor Alicia Hong and the Korean American Outreach Group, developed “Let’s talk about liver cancer,” the first social media-based liver cancer prevention program specifically for Korean Americans.

New initiative promotes healthy aging and professional development: The college and ServiceSource Inc. have established the Northern Virginia Center on Aging, which will provide services, programs, and activities for older adults and workforce development and continuing education for the health care professionals who support them. Mason students will have access to practicums, internships, and other experiential learning opportunities on how to effectively work with older adults. The center is a recognized satellite center for the statewide Virginia Center on Aging.

Using personalized nutrition to help prevent type 2 diabetes: Professor Raedeh Basiri’s new clinical trial seeks to answer whether personalized nutrition intervention can be effective in lowering blood sugar in people with prediabetes, thereby helping to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes and related cardiovascular diseases.

Mary Cunningham, John Hollis, Michelle Thompson, and Preston Williams contributed to this article.

George Mason University plays a critical role in strengthening Northern Virginia’s health care workforce and has long been a trusted partner in our efforts to improve access to affordable health care here in Fairfax and Prince William Counties.”

—Gerry Connolly (D-VA), U.S. Representative

The Peterson Family Health Sciences Hall on the Fairfax Campus is home to the College of Public Health.

PHOTO BY EVAN CANTWELL

BACHELOR’S DEGREES DOCTORAL DEGREES

UNDERGRADUATES GRADUATE STUDENTS

MASTER’S DEGREES

CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS

ACADEMIC UNITS

TO SUPPORT STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP, FACULTY RESEARCH, AND CLINICAL CARE

IN RESEARCH AWARDS

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

STUDENTS FROM STATES, PLUS WASHINGTON, D.C., PUERTO RICO, AND 8 COUNTRIES

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WHO ARE

FIRST GENERATION

FACULTY MEMBERS

LEADING THE WAY

George Mason University welcomed three new deans and a divisional dean in 2022 who are helping shape the university’s strategic vision and shepherd Mason to the next level. Ingrid Guerra-López, the new dean of the College of Education and Human Development, and Ajay Vinzé, the new dean of the School of Business, began their roles on July 1.

Melissa Perry, the new dean of the recently renamed College of Public Health, started August 1 following the completion of a one-year Fulbright fellowship in Albania, where she focused on building capacity and training future environmental public health leaders.

Gurdip Singh, the new divisional dean of the School of Computing within the College of Engineering and Computing, also joined Mason on August 1, but he first spent the fall semester at the National Science Foundation (NSF). After completing his assignment as director of the Division of Computer and Network Systems in the NSF’s Computer and Information Science Engineering Directorate, he fully joined Mason in January 2023.

Learn more about them.

At Mason, we believe that it will take all of us, together, to reimagine a better tomorrow.

GUERRA-LÓPEZ

INGRID GUERRA-LÓPEZ, DEAN, COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Guerra-López comes to Mason from Wayne State University, where she served as the interim dean of the College of Education and a professor in the learning design and technology program in the academic division of administrative and organizational studies. She also served as the interim dean of the graduate school, special advisor on digital learning strategy and innovation, director of the Institute for Learning and Performance Improvement, and as an academic program coordinator.

“As we look at learner needs and the imperative to ensure equity in access, academic success, and economic and social mobility, we must develop a shared understanding of the future of learning and work, and the ways in which we can support physical and mental well-being and positive quality of life. Employer needs are also evolving as they seek to stay competitive by recruiting diverse talent, upskilling for competitive advantage, reskilling to reduce turnover, and retaining and growing talent through ongoing learning. These needs bring the potential for impactful partnerships for local, regional, national, and global talent and economic development.”

Find out more about Guerra-López.

PHOTO BY RON AIRA

PERRY

MELISSA PERRY, DEAN, COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH

Perry served as professor and chair of the department of environmental and occupational health in the George Washington University Milken School of Public Health. Prior to joining Mason, Perry completed an assignment in Albania as a fellow in the Fulbright International Education Program for Global Scholars working to build public health capacity in that country.

Find out more about Perry.

AJAY VINZÉ, DEAN, SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Vinzé was formerly the dean of the Trulaske College of Business at the University of Missouri. He completed his doctoral degree at the University of Arizona after earning his MBA from the University of Connecticut. Vinzé has more than 30 years of experience in academia and business development, and among his many goals for the School of Business is ensuring that Mason continues to sit at the top of technology and innovation while providing value to society.

Find out more about Vinzé.

“There is a nursing crisis, and there is a health care provider crisis. That is why the college is integrally involved in several workforce initiatives to prepare the next generation of leaders across many disciplines, including health informatics, nursing, public health, and social work. We’ll be able to rise to even more of that demand, caring for disenfranchised and marginalized communities, as well as addressing preventive care and the mental and behavioral health problems that most of the country has experienced.”

PHOTO BY RON AIRA

PHOTO BY RON AIRA

SINGH

GURDIP SINGH, DIVISIONAL DEAN, SCHOOL OF COMPUTING

Although he officially joined Mason on August 1, Singh spent the fall semester assigned to the National Science Foundation to complete his work there as director of the Division of Computer and Network Systems in the Computer and Information Science Engineering Directorate. Singh is an accomplished researcher and educator whose experience aligns with Mason’s plans for the growth and development of academic and multidisciplinary research programs in the School of Computing, completion of the new Fuse at Mason Square building, and broadening participation in the Tech Talent Investment Program.

“It’s important to continuously improve student experience, increase career readiness, and encourage impactful research. I want the School of Business to lead in creating modular education, allowing students, including lifelong learners, to customize their education to their needs. The school has done a lot of innovative and engaging collaborations with the business community, and I intend to encourage and increase these important collaborations. In addition, we need to embrace globalization and understand that we aren’t just competing within our narrow neighborhood, but nationally and internationally.”

“There is a tremendous national need to train our workforce with computing knowledge and skills, and it is important that our education programs are available to a diverse student body. Computing plays a central role in addressing societal challenges; hence, it is important that we involve people from diverse groups in designing programs and solutions that are effective in benefiting a broad cross section of society.”

Nathan Kahl, Anna Stolley Persky, and Preston Williams contributed to this story.

Find out more about Singh.

PHOTO BY RON AIRA

INDUSTRY AND PROMOTING

GREATER COLLABORATION BETWEEN

GOVERNMENT

The Baroni investment will expand opportunities for center research activities and student engagement and contribute to a new space.

In November, George Mason University announced the largest gift to a School of Business center from Attain Partners founder and CEO Greg Baroni and his wife, Camille. The first-of-its-kind university center to address business, technology, policy, and regulatory issues in government contracting, the Center for Government Contracting will be renamed the Greg and Camille Baroni Center for Government Contracting. The nonpartisan entrepreneurial center is the first donor-named center within Mason’s School of Business.

“We are grateful to the Baronis for their gift, which will help transform the center and build tomorrow’s workforce for both government and industry,” says Mason President Gregory Washington.

“Recognizing that the nation’s future success depends on a thriving and diverse education workforce, and through partnerships across industry and government, Mason sets itself apart and is focused on solutions to our biggest challenges as a nation and within the Commonwealth of Virginia.”

Mason’s Greg and Camille Baroni Center for Government Contracting, established in 2019, conducts impactful research on the broad array of critical issues facing the $500+ billion government contracting community. Center staff and affiliated faculty produce significant research ranging from commentary pieces in influential outlets to white papers and essays on pressing government contracting issues. These publications are widely read by government and industry leaders and have resulted in national and regional media coverage of center research. With its proximity to the federal government and location at the center of the Northern Virginia business corridor, the center also serves as a gathering point for industry discussions and conferences on such topics as U.S. Department of Defense budget reform, small business innovation, intellectual property policy, and defense acquisitions best practices.

The Baronis’ investment in Mason is spurred by their desire to promote a new level of innovation, entrepreneurship, and collaboration between government and industry to work together toward mutually beneficial outcomes. Greg and Camille’s gift will allow the expansion of center research activities and student engagement and contribute to a new convening space as part of Mason’s School of Business building.

“We are excited to partner with Mason to support and advance the government contracting industry,” says Greg Baroni. “Higher education is key to growing the industry and building diverse talent for tomorrow’s workforce. George Mason University is well positioned to drive innovation and collaboration, and we’re proud to be a part of this next chapter.”

EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN THE HEART OF THE FEDERAL CONTRACTING INDUSTRY

Greg Baroni, a “GovCon” industry leader recognized for providing business and technology solutions for public-sector markets, is the founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Attain Partners, a professional services company focused on delivering asset-powered, tech-enabled solutions for education, government, health care, and nonprofit organizations. He is also the founder and managing partner of Attain Capital Partners and Attain Sports & Entertainment. Greg serves as chair of the Northern Virginia Technology Council and is on the board of directors of the Professional Services Council.

He received Washington Exec’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the Pinnacle Awards, an annual program highlighting successful executives and businesses

fostering innovation for their federal government clients across the region.

Camille Baroni began her career in banking and finance as a junior portfolio manager at First American Bankshares. During various mergers and corporate changes, she quickly rose through the ranks and served as manager of Nationsbank’s Washington, D.C., Metro Region Investment Division, where she oversaw the investment, trading, and management of approximately $500 million in assets. After a successful and fast-paced career, she chose to leave the corporate world to lead operations at home and care for their three children.

“The name Baroni symbolizes innovation, commitment, and leaders at hip across a host of industries and sectors,” says Ajay Vinzé, dean of the School of Business. “Mason’s School of Business embraces these same qualities, which is evident in our research and our students. It is an honor to have our center named after a benefactor and industry leader who shares our goals.”

Jerry McGinn, the center’s executive director, agrees, saying, “This gift will propel the center onto the national scene as the preeminent leader for research, innovation, and impact in government contracting.”

Greg and Camille Baroni strongly believe in giving back to the communities in which they live and work.

From its inception, the Greg and Camille Baroni Center for Government Contracting has focused on education and training as one of its core lines of effort—including an ever-expanding range of offerings for students, government agencies, and business.

With more than 10,000 alumni working in government and business, and a prime location in the heart of the federal contracting industry, the center works closely with the School of Business’s Office of Career Services to partner with companies and government agencies in creating opportunities in a community that provides 40 percent of the local GDP.

Additional resources include an undergraduate GovCon minor, graduate-level accounting certificates, and a Student Ambassador Program connecting mentors from Advisory Board member companies to undergraduate and graduate students. The purpose of the ambassador program is to attract talent to work in the vital government contracting industry.

PHOTO PROVIDED

GATHER ’ROUND

George Mason University’s Mason Square (formerly the Arlington Campus) bustles with activity yearround. In addition to being home to the Antonin Scalia Law School, the Schar School of Policy and Government, the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, and a variety of business and arts management classes, Mason Square and its plaza has been a gathering place where the community and Mason Nation connect. Concerts, movie nights, professional networking events, yoga, and more keep Arlington folks stopping by. In 2022, the university launched the Fuse at Mason Square, a tech hub that is already connecting students, faculty, industry, and government.

PHOTO BY EVAN CANTWELL

A Biofilm Epic in the Making

Biofilms—which settle on numerous surfaces, including skin—can contain harmful bacteria and get in the way of healing wounds. A multidisciplinary team at George Mason University is developing a new technology that dissolves harmful biofilms without harsh removal methods.

Mason researchers Jeffrey Moran, Rémi Veneziano, and Monique van Hoek recently won a National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering R21 Trailblazer Award to support the work.

Although some biofilms are relatively benign, bacterial biofilms often grow on catheters, IVs, open wounds, and burn injuries, and they play a major role in many hospital infections.

“You can think of a biofilm as a ‘city for microbes.’ Biofilms are functional communities of microorganisms, such as bacteria, encased in a slime-like matrix,” says Moran, who teaches in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. “We’re going to develop a safe and effective method to remove topical biofilms that doesn’t get in the way of the body’s natural healing process.”

Moran’s primary research focus is on “nanoswimmers”—tiny particles that propel themselves in liquids or biological media. Many researchers are developing these particles to use in the body to deliver therapeutic payloads, such as antibiotics, to hard-to-reach locations.

“One major challenge with bacterial biofilms is how to make them disassemble,” says van Hoek, a microbiologist in the School of Systems Biology. “There are three major parts to a biofilm—DNA, protein, and complex sugars. Destroying any one of these often leads to biofilm collapse. My idea was to use a sugar-cleaving enzyme to attack the sugars in the biofilm and to attach this enzyme to the front of the nanoswimmers.”

To manufacture the nanoswimmers, the team is relying on Veneziano’s specialty: DNA origami, which is a method that involves precisely assembling DNA molecules into tiny two- and three-dimensional shapes. Using enzymes to dissolve the biofilms isn’t new— but attaching them to DNA origami nanoparticles is, which is the path this trailblazing team will follow.

“With DNA origami, you have the ability to produce tailor-made particles with phenomenal control over the size, shape, and the cargo they carry,” says Veneziano, of the Department of Bioengineering.

“DNA origami’s versatility will enable the particles to be decorated with various cargoes, such as antibiotics or enzymes that dissolve the biofilm matrix, leaving the bacteria vulnerable to conventional antibiotic treatments.”

From left, Mason researchers Jeffrey Moran, Monique van Hoek, and Rémi Veneziano recently won the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering R21 Trailblazer award to support their work.

PHOTO BY EVAN CANTWELL

Community Approach to Reducing Single-Use Plastic Bottles

In February 2021, a survey of two high schools in Woodbridge, Virginia, showed that a surprising number of students used three or more plastic beverage bottles a day, mostly bottles of water. This information shocked Freedom High School seniors Stephanie Ruiz Molina and Ashley Munoz-Trujillo. They realized that their school could be disposing of almost 10,000 plastic bottles a week, and they wanted to do something to help reduce that number.

Their work as a part of the collaborative community project, A Community Approach to Reducing Single-Use Plastic Beverage Bottles, earned them the prestigious President’s Environmental Youth Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

This two-year pilot project was funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Program and led by George Mason University researchers Cindy Smith, Scott Glaberman, T. Reid Nelson, and Kim de Mutsert, all members of the Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center in Woodbridge.

“What blew us away was the data the students collected,” says Smith, PhD Environmental Science and Policy ’05, who served as the project’s principal investigator. “If students in each of the 13 Prince William County high schools toss out 10,000 bottles a week, that’s almost 4.7 million single-use bottles disposed of during the school year, just for these high schools.”

Smith says the project’s goal was to raise awareness of and connect participants to the ecological impacts of debris, expand participation in clean-up efforts, and change disposable water bottle use at two high schools.

The project targeted 20 teachers and 35 high school student delegates, whose efforts could impact the behavior of thousands of students at Freedom High School, located near Neabsco Creek, one of the county’s most trash-laden waterbodies, and Patriot High School, in the Broad Run watershed.

Community partners working with Mason included Keep Prince William Beautiful, Prince William County Public Works Watershed Division, Prince William Soil and Water Conservation District, Northern Virginia Regional Commission, and both high schools.

POINT OF PRIDE

George Mason University’s College of Engineering and Computing has launched the Mason Vulnerability Scoring Framework, which publishes a continuously updated ranking of the most common global software weaknesses. The work, in conjunction with the Palo Alto Research Center, relies on the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures data and other sources of vulnerability information to create an up-to-date database that can be used to identify and mitigate risks. This line of work has resulted in multiple pending patent applications and a Best Paper Award at the 19th International Conference on Security and Cryptography.

—Colleen Kearney Rich, MFA ’95

PHOTO BY GETTY IMAGES

To Reduce Jail Populations, Increase Mental Health Services

A new study by George Mason University researchers concludes that U.S. jails are de facto mental health institutions, with nearly 10 times as many individuals with serious mental illness in prisons and jails than in state psychiatric hospitals.

Working with $3.6 million in funding from the National Institute of Mental Health, the researchers studied the size of jail populations in 3,100 U.S. counties to explore factors contributing to the overuse of incarceration in county jails in the face of increased mental health challenges within those communities.

They found that access to affordable health care services and behavioral health treatment in the community changes how the jail is used and reduces the size of the jail population.

“This study is important because it illustrates the interconnection between mental health services in the community and the size of the jail population—that is, if counties invest in expanding local health services, then they can reduce how they use their local jail,” says principal investigator Faye S. Taxman, founding director of Mason’s Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence.

Researchers included Mason biostatistician Niloofar Ramezani and collaborators from Michigan State University and the University of Central Florida.

The data is relevant “to policy makers at federal, state, and local government agencies in terms of reducing the unnecessary use of local jails,” says Taxman. “It also illustrates a connection that the number of services in the community is important to improv[ing] outcomes.”

—Buzz McClain, BA ’77

Documenting an Endangered Language

George Mason University linguist Sylvia Schreiner is on a mission to record and help maintain the Yupik language on St. Lawrence Island, and she has the support of a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER grant to do it.

Schreiner works on language documentation, which entails making a record of the different grammatical structures of a language. She and Lane Schwartz, a computational linguist and computer scientist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, are principal investigators on a pair of Documenting Endangered Languages NSF grants.

The St. Lawrence Island villages Gambell and Savoonga (Sivuquq and Sivungaq, respectively, in Yupik) are the main location of the language. Roughly 1,400 people live on the Alaskan island, and speaking Yupik is somewhat generational, which is in part why it’s in danger.

“[Schwartz] spent years in this village as a child and knew the language was under threat,” says Schreiner, who teaches in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Schreiner and her team are also working to digitize the legacy and archived materials that are available to them. One of her research assistants, Mason PhD student Ben Hunt, is building an online Yupik dictionary. These tools will allow the people of this community to authentically maintain their language from within.

“If you’re going to have a language survive, it can’t be dependent on people from the outside,” says Schreiner, who runs Mason’s Language Documentation Lab. “It has to come organically from the communities.”

—Shayla Brown

PHOTO PROVIDED

Firefighters Get an Assist from 5G-Equipped Drones Developed at Mason

A team of firefighters ascend the stairs in a high-rise engulfed in flames. The team disperses to put out the fire and search for survivors. Drones hover around the burning building and identify with pinpoint accuracy the location of each firefighter, who is wearing a sensor that sends this information back to a commander with an “eye-in-the-sky” vantage point.

The commander communicates with the firefighters, directing their movements, keeping them safe, and helping them extinguish the flames. If one member of the team hasn’t moved in several minutes, the system sends an alert to check on that person’s status.

You can imagine this scenario in a big-budget movie, but Vijay Shah, an assistant professor in Mason’s College of Engineering and Computing, is working to make it a reality. If all goes well, firefighters will have a tool like this within five years.

Funded by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Shah is collaborating with colleagues at Virginia Tech and the Arlington County Fire Department on a 5G Indoor Positioning System that may someday be used by fire departments nationwide. Firefighters in Arlington will begin testing the technology in 2025.

Advances in 5G network technology allow for this research because, compared to other legacy wireless communications, 5G provides much greater accuracy and does not rely on equipment within the building, which may be damaged during a fire. A key

development Shah and colleagues are exploiting is called “network slicing,” which sends certain pieces of information over portions of the 5G network.

“The critical information, such as location of the firefighter, is sent in one ‘slice’ and in a much smaller packet, allowing for virtually no delay in information relay,” says Shah. “Transmitting audio/video information requires more data, but any information lost there simply reduces the quality of the audio/video, which is not as important as losing someone’s location. That information would be put in another slice.”

Shah notes that 5G has key capabilities, such as support for various timing and angle-based techniques, device-to-device communication, and edge computing, which can be leveraged to locate users precisely and enable reliable communication infrastructure. Together this allows for much greater situational awareness of firefighters—and victims—by knowing their precise location and allowing for seamless communication among the firefighting team.

The drones add another level of complexity, and at least three will be needed around a building to guarantee high levels of accuracy. The team is working to ensure drone communications are synchronized precisely, as even delays as short as milliseconds may result in improper readings. Shah says that getting the independently flying drones synced up is one of the project’s biggest challenges.

—Nathan Kahl

PHOTO BY GETTY IMAGES

Recently published works by Mason faculty

Basic Statistics in Criminology and Criminal Justice: Volume 1

David Weisburd, David Wilson, Chester Britt, and Alese Wooditch, Criminology, Law and Society

Springer, 2021

The fifth edition of this introductory textbook takes a building-block approach that emphasizes the application and interpretation of statistics in research in crime and justice. This text is meant for both students and professionals who want to gain a basic understanding of common statistical methods used in criminology and criminal justice before advancing to more complex statistical analyses in future volumes.

The History and Politics of Public Radio: A Comprehensive Analysis of TaxpayerFinanced U.S. Broadcasting

James Bennett, Eminent Scholar, Economics

Springer Studies in Public Choice, July 2021

This text, which presents an informative and entertaining history of educational and public radio in the United States, examines current and often contentious debates about the mission and performance of National Public Radio.

Manufacturing Militarism: U.S. Government Propaganda in the War on Terror

Christopher Coyne, Professor, Economics, with Abigail Hall, PhD Economics ’15 Stanford University Press, August 2021

Applying a political economic approach to the incentives created by a democratic system with a massive national security state, the authors delve into case studies from the War on Terror to show how propaganda operates in a democracy.

The Folly  J Carrier, Assistant Professor, School of Art

TIS Books, September 2021

The Folly documents the quarantine-induced adventures Carrier and his two younger children had through their walks in the old forests of Washington, D.C. Through images, The Folly reveals how a global pandemic can reshape one’s views and appreciation for the beauty of life.

Lame Captains and Left-Handed Admirals: Amputee Officers in Nelson’s Navy

Teresa Michals, Associate Professor, English University of Virginia Press, November 2021

This book focuses on the lives of four distinguished Royal Navy officers who returned to sea to fight after losing an arm or a leg. Their stories shed light on the historical effects of physical impairment in this underexamined aspect of maritime history.

The Moving City: Scenes from the Delhi Metro and the Social Life of Infrastructure

Rashmi Sadana, Associate Professor, Sociology and Anthropology

University of California Press, December 2021

The book tells the story of the Delhi Metro system and how its social impact on the city widened and deepened over its three main construction phases. As an ethnographer, Sadana aims to share the multiplicity of narratives relating to class, gender, and urban development that emerged from and about this system.

Interpersonal Skills in Organizations

Suzanne de Janasz, Professor, School of Business, with Karen Dowd and Beth Schneider

McGraw-Hill Education, 7th Edition, 2022

This text takes a thoughtful look at the key skills necessary for personal and managerial success in organizations today. Filled with exercises, cases, and group activities, the book employs an experiential approach suitable for all student audiences.

Sport for Development and Peace: Foundations and Applications

Robert E. Baker, Craig Esherick, and Pamela Hudson Baker, College of Education and Human Development

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, January 2022

The growing field of sport for development and peace (SDP) has the power and influence to make positive, global changes that

promote inclusion, advance human rights, and strengthen social and economic development. The text takes a deep dive into the history, foundations, goals, sociological aspects, and evaluations of SDP programs.

Statistical Methods for Climate Scientists

Timothy DelSole, Professor, Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Earth Sciences, with Michael K. Tippett

Cambridge University Press, February 2022  This book provides a comprehensive look at statistical methods in atmospheric, oceanic, and climate sciences that uses easy-to-read vernacular for beginner students and earlycareer researchers alike.

Suburbia in the 21st Century: From Dreamscape to Nightmare?

Katrin B. Anacker, Professor, Schar School of Policy and Government, with Paul J. Maginn

Routledge, March 2022

This book explores the evolving social, physical, and economic character of the suburbs and how structural processes, market dynamics, and government policies have shaped and transformed suburbia around the world. It highlights the continuing importance of the suburbs and the suburban dream, which lives on albeit under increasing challenges, such as the global financial crisis and structural racism.

How the World Became Rich: The Historical Origins of Economic Growth

Mark Koyama, Associate Professor, Economics, with Jared Rubin

Polity, March 2022

This volume delves into questions and theories about modern economic growth to help determine the reason behind it. It also provides guidance for economically underdeveloped countries to escape poverty through anecdotal evidence, research, and discussion.

A GIG AND A JIG

In his new book, The Beat Cop (University of Chicago Press, May 2022), George Mason University history professor Michael O’Malley recounts the life of Irish immigrant and Chicago chief of police Francis O’Neill and his influence on Irish music in the mid 1900s.

What inspired you to write this book?

O’Neill’s life was an amazing contrast between footloose freedom— he wandered the world as an itinerant sailor, he herded sheep for a while in California—and state authority. Chicago was a very violent place. As a policeman he had to stop other people from exercising certain legal and illegal freedoms. As chief of police he had to manage staff, compile statistics, issue annual reports, and handle the media. In 1900, he was on the cutting edge of modern industrial life. But then he was obsessed with folk music. There were immigrants from every county of Ireland in Chicago, and he was relentless in collecting and cataloging the tunes they played. He used his police authority to accomplish it. The combination of policing an industrial city and collecting the music of rural people was fascinating.

Was there anything in your research that surprised you?

The way Chicago operated on personal favors and cronyism. I knew this, but actually documenting it was startling. O’Neill was a talented and capable guy but was frustrated that he never got a promotion without a team of allies—alderman, judges, businessmen—who could momentarily outbid some other guy’s team. He wanted there to be a basis in merit, but the alderman’s pal got the jobs.

What is your favorite Irish song and why?

O’Neill mostly collected tunes, not songs—instrumental dance tunes with no lyrics. The tunes don’t have standard names. As a music collector, O’Neill would find the same tune with half a dozen names, or no name at all. And like a lot of folk music, Irish music is weird—both happy and sad at the same time, kind of wild feeling. My favorite might be a jig called “The Pipe on the Hob.” If I had to pick a song with lyrics, it might be “The Kerry Dances,” even though it’s very sentimental.

What are you working on now?

In 1884, the state of Virginia declared two of my ancestors—one born in Donegal, Ireland—to be Black people. I’m working on why, [as] part of a book on the relationship between genealogy and history. Millions of people find their most meaningful connection to the past through family history, and I’m exploring how the tools of genealogy have shifted over time, from local lore to government records to DNA.

—Colleen Kearney Rich, MFA ’95

PHOTO PROVIDED

Recently published works by Mason alumni

Road Mouth

Rachel Beauregard, BA Theater ’09

This poetry collection (Independently published, June 2021) was written by Beauregard while on a world tour with Irish musician Hozier. Beauregard’s poems highlight her extensive knowledge of music and the performing arts industry. She is currently a background singer for country artist Maren Morris.

Your Best Kid in 21 Days

Carolyn Jarecki, BA Business ’87

Your Best Kid in 21 Days (Independently published, June 2021) is a series of coaching exercises to build a stronger bond between parent and child within 21 days. The daily readings educate parents on their child’s behavior and emotions and how to give adequate support using the unique set of tools provided.

Jarecki is a behavioral counselor and teacher in a K–8 school in Wisconsin. She is the founder of iCareCoach, which highlights her skills as a life coach with daily plans to help individuals with various issues.

The Savage Kind: A Mystery

John Copenhaver, MFA Creative Writing ’05

In this novel (Pegasus Crime, October 2021), two unlikely friends become a crime-investigating duo after they witness a crime against their teacher and a classmate is found murdered.

Copenhaver is an award-winning writer who specializes in crime and mystery. He is a fiction professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, a crime fiction columnist for Lambda Literary, and a cohost of the radio show House of Mystery

Anthropolitics: The Rise of Homo Civilis

Christian Curtis, JD

’93

In Anthropolitics (Independently published, November 2021), Curtis acknowledges that the human brain has evolved to expand the embrace of empathy, which is the source of ethics, governance, international trade, the rule of law, and transcendent rights.

Curtis is a retired attorney, journalist, and political cartoonist. His 25 years of custody and abuse cases inspired his study of brain trauma and interest in ethics, the source of rights, and

the role of law in evolution. He lives in Yucatan, Mexico, with his wife, Viola, and their Havanese twins, Jax and Tucky.

Naked: Poems Inspired by Remarkable Women

Jennifer L. Gauthier, PhD Cultural Studies ’02

The poems in this collection (Finishing Line Press, November 2021) seek to uncover the voices of women who have been forgotten or neglected by official history. Naked was chosen as third runner-up in the 2020 New Women’s Voices poetry competition.

Gauthier is a professor of media and culture at Randolph College in southwestern Virginia. She has poems published or forthcoming in Tiny Seed Literary Journal, South 85, Gyroscope Review, Nightingale & Swallow, and HerWords, among others.

Bandun Gate

Miriam Van Scott, BA English ’92

In this paranormal novel inspired by true events (Darkstroke Books, January 2022), the protagonist fights the vengeful spirit of an executed murderess determined to steal a new body.

Van Scott is a full-time freelance writer who has been featured in more than 30 publications, television shows, and podcasts, including Good Housekeeping and the History Channel. She currently resides in Charleston, South Carolina.

Revision of a Man

Matt Smythe, MA English ’04

What it means to “be a man” has shifted in American history over time. This collection of poems (Dead Reckoning Collective, May 2022) is a reconciliation with the shifting paths of fatherhood, military service, love of the outdoors, addiction, sobriety, depression, recovery, anger, and peace.

A U.S. Army veteran and lifelong outdoorsman, Smythe is a staff writer for Free Range American. His work has appeared in Gray’s Sporting Journal, The Fly Fish Journal, and others.

GABRIELLA GRABOVSKA

Gabriella Grabovska always dreamed of attending college in the United States. Working hard on her studies, the 17-year-old from Ukraine pored over lists of American colleges before she set her sights on George Mason University. “It seemed like it was the right fit,” she says.

Escaping the War: In February 2022, Grabovska and her family left their home in Kyiv to travel to the town of Borodyanka. They had planned to return to Kyiv in a couple of days. However, the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, and Borodyanka was bombed repeatedly. The barrage destroyed roads and bridges, eliminating any way out. Grabovska and her family were trapped without electricity or heat. “It was one of the most difficult periods of my life because we had very limited amounts of food and water. We were bombed every hour. We had no way to even call our relatives to let them know we were alive.”

Feeling Supported on Campus: Grabovska feels grateful that she is safe in the United States and able to pursue her education as a member of the Mason Nation, and many are aware of what she has been through. “Sometimes when my friends see me, they will say Slava Ukraini [Glory to Ukraine], and I’m so touched in this moment,” she says.

YEAR: Freshman

MAJOR: Government and International Politics

HOMETOWN: Kyiv, Ukraine

Getting Inspired by Her Classes: A government and international politics major and member of the Democracy Lab Learning Community, she has immersed herself in her classes, is attending extracurricular and social events, and is expanding her network of friends. One of her favorite courses is GOVT 103 Introduction to American Government, taught by Mason professor Jennifer Victor, who serves as director of the Democracy Lab. Grabovska recalls being inspired by one of Victor’s early lectures. “For the first time in my entire life, I had this thought: ‘I want to be her one day.’”

Her Favorite Spot to Study: One of Grabovska’s preferred spots on campus is the Johnson Center, especially in the evenings when the building buzzes with students. “I love it. It’s motivating to study there because everyone is typing and you’re like, ‘I’ll do that too,’” she says.

Staying Connected: While Grabovska is “just looking forward to my whole new life,” the ongoing war in Ukraine and concerns about her family’s safety are never far from her thoughts. She talks to her parents daily. “I read the news every day,” she says. “I still get notifications about air alerts. So, when I see an air alert in Kyiv, I text my dad, ‘Are you in a bomb shelter?’”

—Erin Egan

PHOTO BY RON AIRA

Taking an Unconventional Path

Horace Blackman, BA American Studies and English ’93, thought he would major in business or economics when he came to Mason, but he soon changed his mind.

“I had a number of professors who were very well schooled in the classics, which gives you a fundamental education,” he says. “It got me to think, got me to learn, got me to experience things I’d never experienced before.”

Upon graduation, Blackman paired his love of learning with his interest in business and worked in commercial banking. But he was soon drawn to an unconventional path.

“I was not an engineering major, not a computer science major, but I found myself, two years later, giving speeches and telling rooms full of folks what the internet was about and how this business was going to work,” he says.

Blackman went on to earn his MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and to work in commercial consulting, where his education, plus his hands-on experience, set him up for success with clients. “A lot of them were just trying to figure out how to do this thing called the internet.”

His consulting work later expanded to the health care field, and he eventually joined the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to manage and grow its IT initiatives. For his work, he was named a 2014 Federal 100 Award winner by Federal Computer Week and GovExec.

These days, Blackman is senior vice president and business unit leader at CGI, one of the world’s largest IT and business consulting firms. He’s also using his leadership skills at his alma mater. He was elected as rector of Mason’s Board of Visitors in July 2022, after serving as vice rector for the past two years.

Since his 2017 appointment, he has helped lead Mason through a presidential search, a global pandemic, and major social upheaval. “It’s been an incredibly transformational four-and-a-half-year run,” says Blackman. “I have learned a lot.”

The foundation for his success in all ventures, he says, is his thirst for knowledge. “The day you don’t learn is a day you didn’t really grow. I got that from my time at Mason.”

In “one of the defining opportunities of a lifetime,” Blackman went to work for a small unknown company in an industry that no one had heard of. “I went to work for AOL,” he says.

Blackman was employee number 485 at America Online, which, of course, didn’t stay unknown for long. Working at one of the earliest pioneers of internet service, Blackman says his time at AOL taught him about building a business and technology.

—Anne Reynolds

“The day you don’t learn is a day you didn’t really grow. I got that from my time at Mason.”

PHOTO BY RON AIRA

1970s

Robert Clemons, BS Psychology ’75, is a full-time writer of both fiction and nonfiction. His first book, the novel The Hiroshima Agenda, was published in 2016, and his second, The Four Rivers of Eden, was published in 2019. His third and fourth books are forthcoming. He retired from the U.S. Air Force as chaplain lieutenant colonel in 2009 and from the United Methodist Church as pastor in 2011. He and his wife, Phyllis, BSW ’74, have been married for 54 years. He notes that, “We are tremendously proud of our very small college that went on to become such a large, distinguished university.”

1980s

Catherine S. Read, BA Government and Politics ’84, was elected mayor for the City of Fairfax in November. She is the first female to hold the position.

Karen Dale, BSN ’85, is chair of Volunteers of America’s National Board of Directors. Volunteers of America is a national faith-based nonprofit organization dedicated to helping those in need rebuild their lives and reach their full potential. Dale has served on the Volunteers of America board for seven years and was executive vice president of operations

for the organization from 2004 to 2008. She is market president for AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia and is chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer for the AmeriHealth Caritas family of companies.

David K. Rehr, PhD Economics ’89, was appointed by Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin to the board of directors of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and Public Policy, a bipartisan foundation that works to elevate and make accessible the humanities by sharing stories of Virginians that “deepen and enrich the state’s long and essential history.” Rehr is professor and director of Mason’s Center for Business Civic Engagement in the Schar School of Policy and Government.

1990s

Elisabeth Murawski, MFA Creative Writing ’91, is a poet who has had her works published in the spring 2022 issue of The Hudson Review, the spring/summer 2021 issue of Valparaiso Poetry Review, the winter 2021 issue of Juxtaprose Literary Magazine, and Sylvia Magazine (May 23, 2021).

Harold Geller, MAIS ’92, CERG Community College Education ’01, DA Community College Education ’05, co-wrote the revised third edition of the textbook, Renewable Energy: A First Course, with Robert

Ehrlich, Mason professor emeritus of physics, and John R. Cressman, associate professor of physics and astronomy at Mason. Geller has been an astronomy and physics teacher for more than 30 years and is currently an adjunct professor at American University.

Andrew Fingall, BS Public Administration ’95, is commander of the 325th Comptroller Squadron, 325th Fighter Wing, Tyndall Air Force Base, Panama City, Florida. His work has included rebuilding the installation after it was damaged by Category 5 Hurricane Michael in 2018. The base is a training facility for F-22 Raptor pilots.

Joanne Langan, MSN ’95, PhD Nursing ’99, had a book, Preparing Nurses for Disaster Management: A Global Perspective, published by Elsevier. Langan has been a nurse educator for 35 years and is currently a professor at the Valentine School of Nursing at Saint Louis University in Missouri.

Vanessa Cardenas, BA Government and Politics ’96, MPA ’02, is executive director of America’s Voice, a leading immigration advocacy organization. She had been serving

as acting deputy director since September 2022. In her new position, she also is executive director of America’s Voice Educational Fund.

Marisa Cleveland, BA Speech Communication and Rhetoric ’97, MAIS ’01, and Simon Cleveland, BS Marketing and Management ’98, co-wrote There Is No Box, published in November by BenBella Books. The book is a practical guide for leaders with comprehensive tools to “prove that leading isn’t just something you do—it’s a lifestyle.” Marisa, who received her doctorate in organizational leadership from Northeastern University, is executive director of the Seymour Agency. Simon, who also received a doctorate in organizational leadership from Northeastern and a PhD in information systems from Nova Southern University, is a consultant and managing partner of Simeris Alliance, which he founded with Marisa. The company provides project management and digital information consulting.

David Guggenheim, PhD Environmental Science and Public Policy ’98, published The Remarkable Reefs of Cuba (Prometheus, November 2022). Guggenheim is a

What’s New with You?

marine scientist, educator, and submarine pilot who has made appearances on television shows such as Good Morning America and 60 Minutes and many others. He is also the founder and president of the nonprofit Ocean Doctor, based in Washington, D.C.

Jeannie Jennings, BSW ’98, is firm administrator for Royer Caramanis, a law firm in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Sheri Keyser Kent, BA Communication ’99, MA Telecommunications ’02, and her husband, Derek, welcomed daughter Savannah Rose on July 4, 2022, in Los Angeles, California.

Audrey Thornton, BS Psychology ’99, MS New Professional Studies ’02, works in grief counseling, an interest fueled by personal loss, certified training, and her undergraduate degree.

2000s

Jennifer Arvin Furlong, BA Communication ’01, MA ’05, co-wrote Cracking the Code

(continued on page 50)

We are interested in what you’ve been doing since you graduated. Moved? Gotten married? Had a baby? Landed a new job? Received an award? Submit your class notes to alumni.gmu.edu/whatsnew. In your note, be sure to include your graduation year and degree.

Greetings, Mason Nation!

I hope 2023 is off to a great start for everyone in our Patriot community. As we embark on the next 50 years in the life of our alma mater, I hope you will engage in both the George Mason University Alumni Association and with the numerous Mason entities that welcome alumni involvement.

There is no greater occasion for alumni involvement than Homecoming. I was excited to welcome so many Patriots back to campus! I hope you rekindled old friendships, made new connections, and headed home with a renewed dedication to Mason as an alum.

Homecoming and other programming and events sponsored by the Alumni Association are all about you. We strive to meet your needs socially and professionally.

To that end, the Alumni Association adopted a new strategic plan that focuses efforts in five key areas—engaging alumni, strengthening Mason, leveraging partnerships, investing in students, and making data-driven decisions.

All of these areas require an engaged, dedicated alumni base, which means we need you! Your experiences as students, your professional skill sets and connections, your social and civic lives, your hobbies and interests, and your philanthropic support all combine to make what you bring to our table unique and valuable.

The university is all the better for your contributions of time, talent, and treasure, and your commitment ensures that Mason’s next 50 years will be better than the last.

To learn more about the Alumni Association and how to get involved, follow @MasonAlumni on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Check out our website at alumni.gmu.edu or scan the QR code for the Alumni Association calendar of events.

I look forward to seeing you on campus or at a future Mason event. In the meantime, please reach out with questions, concerns, or suggestions. My email is alumpres@gmu.edu.

With Patriot Pride, Christine Landoll, BS ’89, MS ’92 President, George Mason University Alumni Association

with international best-selling author Jim Britt and Kevin Harrington of the television show Shark Tank. The book is the tenth edition of the Amazon best-selling series and was lauded by Tony Robbins as “offering valuable entrepreneurial insights that will strengthen your life, your business, and your effectiveness overall.”

Kenneth Geoffrey Harris, MBA ’01, and his wife, MaryLea Harris, are owners of Solaire Homebuilders in central Oregon. Founded in 1995, Solaire specializes in netzero-energy homes. Harris is a LEED Accredited Professional and has more than 20 years of homebuilding experience.

John Crane, MBA Market and Business Development ’02, wrote The One-Number Budget: Why Traditional Budgets Fail and What to Do About It, published by Tenjan. He is a financial advisor and owner of Crane Financial LLC.

Laura Wheeler Poms, MA Industrial/Organizational Psychology ’03, MPH Epidemiology ’10, PhD Industrial/Organizational Psychology ’12, was appointed the director of Mason Core in the fall. As director, she implements updates to the Mason Core, and manages and communicates about the program to its various constituents. She also is a professor of global and community health in the College of Public Health.

Tarren Smarr Thornton, BS Administration of Justice ’03, MA Criminology, Law and Society ’13, is head coach for Mason’s cheerleading program. She also is an adjunct professor at Lord Fairfax Community College and a professor of criminal justice at Strayer University.

Jacob Hemphill, BA English ’04, and his band SOJA won

the 2022 Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album for Beauty in the Silence. The album was released in September 2021 on ATO Records and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart. SOJA has been nominated for two other Grammys for Best Reggae Album—Amid the Noise and Haste, released in 2014, and SOJA: Live in Virginia, released in 2016.

Christopher Warren, JD ’05, MA History ’11, PhD History ’22, is vice president of collections and senior curator of the National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri. He was previously director of curatorial affairs for the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum and has held senior roles at Arlington National Cemetery, the Library of Congress, U.S. Air Force History and Museum Program, and the Naval History and Heritage Command. Warren is a U.S. Air Force veteran who served for seven years as an intelligence officer.

Renee Di Pilato, MPA ’06, received the Public Leadership Award from the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation in April 2022. She is director of Libraries and Historical Resources for Sarasota County, Florida. She received her doctorate in managerial leadership and informational professions from Simmons University in 2016.

Mari Byrne, BSW ’07, is a partner at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP in the civil litigation practice in the firm’s New York City office. She represents clients in a wide range of civil litigation matters, including complex commercial and contractual disputes, securities litigation, bankruptcy-related litigation, and class actions.

(continued on page 52)

New Coach Brings a Major League Advantage

As the new coach of George Mason University’s baseball team, Shawn Camp, BA Sociology ’21, has a wealth of knowledge from which to pull.

Not just because of his 11-year major league career as a pitcher, but because he played, as he says, under two of the game’s most prominent managers: Cito Gaston with the Toronto Blue Jays and Joe Maddon with the Tampa Bay Rays.

From Gaston, Camp says he will take an open-door policy. “But if you went into his office,” he says of Gaston, “you’d better own up to the things you’ve done wrong.”

From Maddon, it’s being a players’ coach. “He could talk to you about anything,” Camp says.

Underlying everything is Camp’s longtime relationship with Bill Brown, BA Government and Politics ’80, who stepped down in July after 41 years leading the Patriots and who has known Camp since he attended Brown’s baseball camp as a child.

“It’s like my life has come full circle,” says Camp, who spent the past two seasons as the team’s pitching and associate coach. “This is where I started as a 9-year-old kid running around the field at baseball camp and playing for a man I absolutely looked up to. I wouldn’t be here today without him and his leadership.”

Camp’s ties to Mason are deep. A native of Fairfax, Virginia, he played for Mason from 1995 to 1997. He also finished his sociology degree in 2021, something he says was important to him as he took classes throughout his playing career.

As for the type of team Camp wants to build, he says it starts with players who want to play for each other and who can support a strong clubhouse. He also wants speed and athleticism so that pitchers are confident the defense behind them will do its job.

But Camp also knows he has a duty beyond recruiting and helping his assistants fine-tune the on-field performance.

“You have to be real to them,” he says of the players. “Players want to feel they can talk to you about certain things, not always about baseball. I tell them all the time, ‘What you do with your life is more important to me than on the field.’”

—Damian Cristodero

“Players want to feel they can talk to you about certain things, not always about baseball. I tell them all the time, ‘What you do with your life is more important to me than on the field.’”

PHOTO BY MASON ATHLETICS

Michael Nagy, BA, Government and International Politics ’07, is a full-time instructor of political science at Central Virginia Community College. He teaches in the dual enrollment and early college programs for the surrounding K-12 school divisions. For the previous 15 years, he was a social studies teacher and department chair at Rustburg High School.

Delia Racines, MEd

Curriculum and Instruction ’07, PhD Education ’14, wrote

her first book, Trust as the Core of Instructional Leadership, published by Solution Tree. It is available through Solution Tree or Amazon.

Earnest Porta, MA History ’08, was re-elected mayor of the town of Occoquan, Virginia, for a seventh term.

Lindsey Campbell, BS Sport Management ’09, MS Sport and Recreation Studies ’12, is chief development officer for American University Athletics.

Tara Guido Smiroldo, BA Communication ’09, gave birth to twins—Cruz Alexander and Aiden Kai— in September 2022.

2010s

Mattie Albert Gullixson, BS Economics ’11, is regional alliance manager at Zscaler, where she supports local and state governments and educational institutions. The company helps IT move away from legacy network infrastructure to achieve modern workplace enablement, infrastructure modernization, and security transformation.

Amanda Martin Bellido, BA English ’12, is a self-employed writer and editor at Latchkey Copy. She writes marketing copy for landing pages, digital and print ads, social media, and email funnels, and also provides content writing services for blog posts, newsletters, and articles.

Anamaria Berea, PhD Computational Social Science ’12, was chosen by NASA as one of a 16-member research group studying unidentified aerial phenomena, commonly called UFOs. The team will use unclassified data to examine how the data is gathered by the public, local government, and other sources. Berea is an associate professor in Mason’s Department of Computational and Data Sciences.

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2022–23

Emily Shevlin Cooper, BS Criminology ’14, is director of development for Turtle Island Restoration Network. She welcomed her second son, Owen Matthew, this year.

Jessica Smith, BA Philosophy and Communication ’14, was selected a Baltimore Community Fellow at Open Society Institute–Baltimore, where she will be the inaugural Lois Blum Feinblatt Mental Health Fellow. The 18-month fellowship will facilitate her project Mindful Ministries Collective, which will provide mental health resources to faith-based organizations that serve youth. A mental health advocate, Smith is the founder of the Mental Health Emergency Fund, which awards stipends to

(continued on page 54)

Christine Landoll, BS ’89, MS ’92, President

Scott Hine, BS ’85, President-Elect

Sumeet Shrivastava, MBA ’94, Immediate Past President

Darcy Kipp Kim, BS ’02, MPA ’20, Vice President, Alumni Engagement

Melissa Lewis, BA ’04, MA ’09, Vice President, Student Engagement

Janay Phillips, BA ’09, Vice President, Volunteerism

Ailsa Ware Burnett, BS ’93, MA ’96, MPA ’08, Vice President, Partnerships and Sponsorships

Cathy Lemmon, BA ’86, MA ’93, Historian

Keith Callahan, BS ’86, Treasurer

Steve Kann, BA ’85, Director-at-Large (2021-23)

Jimmy Martin, BA ’07, Director-at-Large (2021-23)

Molly McLaurin, BA ’08, Director-at-Large (2021-23)

J. Thomas Hennessey Jr., PhD ’97, Directorat-Large (2022-24)

Halleh Seyson, BS ’00, Director-at-Large (2022-24)

Kristen Taylor, BA ’88, Director-at-Large (2022-24)

Deidra Bailey, BA ’09, MEd ’11, President, Black Alumni Chapter

Fitz Shipp, MS ’12, President, Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution Alumni Chapter

David P. Brown, PhD ’04, President, College of Engineering and Computing Alumni Chapter

Cheryl Rice, BA ’98, JD ’91, President, College of Humanities and Social Sciences Alumni Chapter

Kathi Huddleston, PhD ’08, President, College of Public Health Alumni Chapter

Mark Monson, BS ’74, President, College of Science Alumni Chapter

Molly Grimsley, BA ‘81, President, College of Visual and Performing Arts Alumni Chapter

Sawyer Dullaghan, BS ’15, President, Green Machine Ensembles Alumni Chapter

Melissa Alberto, BA ’19, President, Honors College Alumni Chapter

Michael D. Marino, BA ’11, President, Lambda Alumni Chapter

Daniel Logroño, BS ’20, President, Latino Alumni Chapter

Brennan Georgianni, MPP ’16, President, Schar School of Policy and Government Alumni Chapter

Pamela Maines, MBA ’09, President, School of Business Alumni Chapter

Chris Jones, MA ’99, President, Veterans Alumni Chapter

If you would like to become involved in the Alumni Association, please contact the Office of Alumni Relations at alumni@gmu.edu.

Birds of a Feather

The pilot reported that his plane had hit something in the air big enough to knock a hole in the side of the wing. But when Carla Dove, MS Biology ’94, PhD Environmental Science and Public Policy ’98, received the strike sample’s DNA results from the lab, she was stumped. “It kept coming back as whitetail deer…we sent it three times.”

The case of the deer in the sky was just one of the 10,000 bird strike cases Dove’s team investigates every year in the Feather Identification Lab at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. As program manager, Dove identifies the specific birds involved in collisions, with samples coming to her from various branches of the U.S. military, commercial airlines, and more.

It’s work that can save lives and improve flight safety. Once the species is identified, airfield biologists work to mitigate the habitat to keep those birds from being attracted to the airfield, while engineers use the data to design safer aircraft and build models to increase awareness of this aviation hazard.

Dove has done this work for decades, going back to when she was pursuing her master’s and PhD at Mason. Mason’s flexibility, she says, was ideal. “The courses being offered at night allowed me to work during the day.”

She also credits the mentorship she received from the late Mason professor emeritus Carl Ernst. “He was extremely helpful, patient, and encouraging because he knew I was a first-generation college student and that I needed a little bit of extra help.”

Because of Dove’s work with government and military entities, Ernst advised her to look at a policy PhD. Dove says her PhD helped her advance professionally. “It helps open doors; it helps write grants. It was something that I needed for my job here.”

And her job is a busy one. In addition to the aviation industry, Dove works on everything from crime scene investigations (think evidence from a down jacket or a pillow) to identifying the feathers used on anthropological artifacts like arrow heads, spear tips, and headdresses.

As for that collision supposedly caused by a deer at 1,500 feet? Dove took another look and found a tiny feather remnant. When she observed it under the microscope, it all clicked into place.

“It turned out to be a black vulture,” she says. The bird was likely feeding on a deer just before it soared into the sky and collided with the plane. “That for me was a case of ‘mind over molecules’…you always have to have an open mind [and] think about it in the broad sense— how does all this fit?”

It all comes down to being able to think differently— just one of the ways Dove and her alma mater are birds of a feather.

—Priyanka Champaneri, BA ’05, MFA ’10

Watch an interview with Carla Dove.

PHOTO BY JAMES KEGLEY/SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

marginalized community members who need financial assistance to access mental health resources. In 2019, she was a member of the first class of the Mason Black Alumni Chapter’s Forty Under 40 honorees.

Jennifer Fisher Baird, BS Psychology ’15, is married and has two sons. Although her degree comes in handy as a stay-at-home mother, she plans to rejoin the workforce in the future. She and her family enjoy walks on campus and hope their sons will become Patriots!

David Alexander, PhD Earth Systems and Geoinformation Sciences ’16, received a Presidential Rank Award (PRA). Selected by President Biden, PRAs recognize the hard work and contributions of dedicated civil servants in the federal workforce. Alexander is the senior science advisor for resilience in the Office of Science and Engineering in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Nicholas Minster, BS Biology ’16, MS Bioinformatics and Computational Biology ’19, married Sara Nikdel on November 9, 2022, at the Point of View Retreat Center in Lorton, Virginia. They are both doctoral candidates at Mason. He is studying computational biology and she is studying systems engineering and operations research.

Danielle Badra, MFA

Creative Writing ’17, was named poet laureate of Fairfax County, Virginia. She is the author of Dialogue with the Dead (Finishing Line Press, 2015) and Like We Still Speak (University of Arkansas Press, 2021). She also is the recipient of the 2021 Etel Adnan Poetry Prize.

Emily Anne Curley, MA History ’17, and Nicholas Caesar Welsh, MA History ’17, were married on October 22, 2022, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Michella Saad, BA Marketing ’18, is a marketing and events manager, working with the U.S. Department of Defense on a government contract supporting the U.S. Navy.

2020s

Malachi Hinton, BS Community Health ’20, is a professional show jumper, owner of Rhema Sporthorses LLC, and cofounder of ShowAssist, a mobile app and equine industry resource.

Taj Kokayki, BA Film and Video Studies ’22, is an NBC page for NBC Universal. He also has been an intern on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah

Obituaries

ALUMNI

Larry R. Nicholson, BA Business and Public Administration ‘68, d. September 12, 2022

Jody D. Taylor, BS Business Administration ‘69, d. May 13, 2022

Irene A. Carpenter, BA History ‘73, d. April 22, 2022

Dennis G. Faust, MEd Elementary Education ‘73, d. June 3, 2022

David S. Allen, BS Business Administration ‘75, d. June 19, 2022

David S. Thorne, BS Business Administration ‘75, d. May 27, 2022

Vivian A. Uthe, MEd Elementary Education ‘75, d. August 24, 2022

Jo L. Comet, MEd Education Administration/Supervision ‘76, d. June 23, 2022

Mary K. Esper, MEd Elementary Education ‘76, d. August 20, 2022

Jacqueline L. Manley, BA Psychology ‘76, d. August 9, 2022

Martha R. Allen, BIS ‘77, d. April 6, 2022

Ann E. Blizard, MA Psychology ‘77, d. August 7, 2022

Ann C. Cariker, BSN ‘77, d. May 6, 2022

Barbara Ann Carroll, BSN ‘77, d. August 29, 2022

Evelyn J. Penn, BA Psychology ‘77, d. April 2, 2022

George A. Robinson, JD ‘77, d. May 10, 2022

Martha B. Varzaly, BS Business Administration ‘77, d. April 26, 2022

Patricia D. Lopez, BSEd Early Education ‘78, d. July 11, 2022

Gary P. McInturff, BS Business Administration ‘78, d. September 1, 2022

Margaret C. Merklinger, MEd Counseling and Development ’78, d. May 19, 2022

William D. Simpson, BA History ‘78, d. June 5, 2022

Daniel B. Register III, BS Business Administration ‘79, d. June 7, 2022

Joette C. Bailey, MEd Curriculum and Instruction ‘80, d. August 16, 2022

David D. Clement, JD ‘80, d. July 9, 2022

Betty M. Rumsey, BSN ‘80, d. June 1, 2022

Eleanor Engh, BS Business Administration ‘81, d. August 15, 2022

Donna J. Lewis, BS Accounting ‘81, d. September 3, 2022

James D. Pammel, MPA ‘81, d. August 6, 2022

Catherine A. Quinn, BA Psychology ‘81, d. August 1, 2022

Wanda Stralka, BSN ‘81, d. April 10, 2022

Roger A. Hayden II, JD ‘82, d. June 23, 2022

Kenneth C. Chrisman, JD ‘85, d. May 18, 2022

Brian E. FitzGerald, BSN ‘85, d. May 30, 2022

Florence J. McMahon, MSN ‘85, d. July 29, 2022

Suellen Smith, BSW ‘85, d. July 15, 2022

Hector J. Carrillo, BA Speech Communication ‘86, d. May 29, 2022

Steven L. Ludeke, BS Business Administration ‘86, d. July 4, 2022

Susan M. Keelor, CERT Gerontology ‘87, d. June 5, 2022

Frank W. Paciolla, BA English ‘87, d. August 20, 2022

Daniel P. Michaely, BS Electrical Engineering ‘88, d. June 10, 2022

Stephen D. Quatannens, BA History ‘88, JD ‘92, d. April 23, 2022

Steven E. Yeh, BS Economics ‘88, d. September 2, 2022

Clare G. Kelly, MEd Curriculum and Instruction ’89, d. August 30, 2022

William L. Klima, JD ’89, d. July 11, 2022

Duane J. Riege, MBA ‘89, d. May 12, 2022

Tyrone Weaver, BA Government and Politics ‘89, d. July 7, 2022

Pamela G. McMillie, MEd Curriculum and Instruction ‘90, d. September 21, 2022

Melinda D. Roberts, BS Marketing ‘91, d. May 25, 2022

Michele L. Speidel, BA Speech Communication ‘93, d. May 10, 2022

William S. Clark II, BA Government and Politics ‘94, d. August 9, 2022

Patricia S. Kempster, BIS ‘94, d. May 5, 2022

Jennifer T. Riordan, MEd Counseling and Development ‘94, d. July 26, 2022

Marsha A. Schubert, PhD Education ‘95, d. May 12, 2022

Nancy T. Bruns, MFA ‘96, d. June 15, 2022

Diane C. Carey, BSN ‘96, d. June 19, 2022

Robert K. Moir, JD Law ‘97, d. May 22, 2022

Matthew D. Ahart, BS Decision Science and Management Information Systems ‘99, d. September 17, 2022

Donna L. Criddle, MEd Curriculum and Instruction ‘99, d. May 24, 2022

Atlas J. Jones, MA Telecommunications ‘99, d. May 5, 2022

Mary A. Largen, BIS ‘99, d. July 20, 2022

Patra E. Wright, MPA ‘04, d. May 7, 2022

Amy V. Mallette, BA Government and International Politics ‘06, d. May 18, 2022

Stacey J. Talbot, MEd Curriculum and Instruction ‘06, d. April 18, 2022

Brian M. Connell, BS Computer Science ‘08, d. June 14, 2022

FORMER FACULTY AND STAFF

Marjorie M. Battaglia, d. June 10, 2022

John L. Gerhard, d. August 22, 2022

Daniel Gieckel, d. September 22, 2022

Richard C. Goolsby, d. August 21, 2022

Jack I. Laveson, d. August 11, 2022

Angela McGowan, d. May 27, 2022

FACULTY, STAFF, AND FRIENDS

Lara M. Harmon, BA Theater ’08, d. July 13, 2022

Mark A. Newell, MBA ‘08, d. April 22, 2022

Ian A. Bush, BS Information Systems and Operations Management ‘09, d. July 6, 2022

Sergio I. Rivera, BA Economics ‘11, BSN ‘16, d. May 28, 2022

Guilbert L. Brown, MAIS ‘12, d. August 12, 2022

Raymond M. Bulaclac, BS Marketing ‘12, d. August 19, 2022

Kadri Kallikorm-Rhodes, MPP ‘14, d. July 13, 2022

Devin H. McIntosh, MA International Commerce and Policy ‘15, d. May 2, 2022

Dylan S. Renfro, BS Management ‘22, d. May 31, 2022

Sujata Nyhan, Former Student, d. May 8, 2022

Braydon Stone, Former Student, d. June 26, 2022

Asha K. Mehrotra, d. September 24, 2022

Gerard R. Pepin, d. June 6, 2022

Jackie Petersen, d. June 12, 2022

Barry Beyer, emeritus professor of education and history, passed away on August 5, 2022, at the age of 91. Beyer contributed more than 40 years of service as an educator, from his time as a high school history teacher, to his appointments as a professor at the University of Rochester, Ohio State University, and Carnegie Mellon University. He established the first doctoral graduate program at George Mason University soon after his start in fall 1980. During his time as a professor, he had made many contributions in co-authored history textbooks and the popular history series, Adventures in Time and Place. Beyer also received the first Senior Fenwick Fellowship for his “Research Project on Analytical Thinking” proposal in 1983 that has paved the way for other recipients to display their knowledge on an array of topics. He is survived by his wife, two sons, eight grandchildren, and four great grandchildren.

Rebecca (Becky) Hartley, who held the position of assistant vice president, research integrity and assurance, in the Office of Research, Innovation, and Economic Impact, died October 16, 2022, at the age of 58. Since 2004, she had also served as assistant coach for throws for the Mason track and field team. She graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College in 1985, earning a master’s degree in 1988 and a JD in 1994, both from the University of Virginia. She was editor-in-chief of the Journal of Law and Politics at UVA and an elected member of the Raven Society. She spent 20 years in private practice at several Washington, D.C., law firms. She is survived by her husband, Paul Ammann, Mason associate professor of computer science, and son, Matthew. The family asks that donations and memorial tributes support the Becky Hartley Memorial Track and Field Scholarship, which can be sent to the George Mason University Foundation Inc., via mail to 4400 University Drive, MS 1A3, Fairfax, Virginia 22030, or online at advancement.gmu.edu/hartley.

Helen Sanders, d. July 3, 2022

Diana F. Smith, d. May 3, 2022

Kenneth W. Starr, d. September 13, 2022

Joyce K. Williams, d. June 14, 2022

Jane H. Woods, d. July 18, 2022

Janet Holmes, former program coordinator at the Graduate School of Education, passed away September 4, 2022, due to complications from brain cancer. She was a long-time resident of Fairfax County and worked at Mason for more than 15 years. She is survived by her brother, sister, son, daughter, and grandson. Any contributions to her memory can be made to the Glioblastoma Foundation.

Harry Van Trees, University Professor emeritus of electrical engineering, passed away on December 29, 2022, at the age of 92. After graduating first in his class at West Point, Van Trees served in the U.S. Army before attending Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he earned a ScD in 1961. Upon graduation, he joined the MIT faculty and published a series of textbooks on detection, estimation, and modulation theory that have educated generations of engineers over the past 45 years. In 1972, MIT “loaned” Van Trees to the U.S. Department of Defense; over the next decade he served in several senior-level positions that contributed to national security. Joining Mason in 1988, he founded and helped build Mason’s Center of Excellence in Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence. He retired from Mason in 2005 and continued his consulting work. He was elected to the National Academy of Science in 2015. He is survived by his wife, seven children, 19 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.

FINAL FOUR WATCH PARTY 2006

Were you there? On April 1, 2006, thousands of George Mason University community members gathered in the Johnson Center to cheer on the men's basketball team as they took on University of Florida in the NCAA Final Four in Indianapolis. The team's Cinderella run energized the Mason Nation, including the then 100,000+ alumni around the country. Watch parties were hosted at 69 venues in 22 states.

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Together, we can combat food insecurity at Mason—a rising, problematic trend facing a growing number of our students. In addition to lasting, long-term effects on a student’s health and well-being, food insecurity also impacts retention and timely degree completion. Simply put, students cannot thrive if their basic needs are not being met. Join us as we raise funds to ensure all students have access to resources that support their success. Make

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AT FARR’S CROSSROADS—Just off Parking Lot K on the Fairfax Campus is a redoubt, an earthen fortification, which was constructed by Confederate troops along Braddock Road in 1861, an area then known as Farr’s Crossroads. In October 2022, George Mason University dedicated the Virginia historic site and celebrated the university–community partnership, which included Bull Run Civil War Roundtable, that helped preserve it. Read more about the site at go.gmu.edu/redoubt. Photo by Joshua Cruse