Schar School Featured Stories

Annual Mason Energy Forum

Campus News

From Sea to Space: Power, Security, and AI Converge at Mason Energy Forum October 7

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 13:07:09 +0000

From Sea to Space: Power, Security, and AI Converge at Mason Energy Forum October 7 Andrew J Schappert Mon, 10/05/2026 - 09:07

Hina Kazmi

The Schar School of Policy and Government at 911�� will bring together national security, energy, technology, and regional policy experts October 7 to examine how global conflict and rapid technological change are reshaping energy policy.

The eighth annual Mason Energy Forum, “From Sea to Space: The Challenges for Energy, Trade, and National Security,” is a symposium bringing together experts from governments and key institutions to 911��’s Van Metre Hall at Mason Square in Arlington, Virginia, on Wednesday, October 7.

Richard Kauzlarich

The daylong event runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

Sessions will explore threats to global energy supplies and trade routes, the growing electricity demands of artificial intelligence (AI) and data centers, and the potential of advanced nuclear power and space-based energy systems. A complete list of topics and speakers is available online.

The discussions have implications for household energy costs, business investment, and the infrastructure communities depend on. The forum offers policymakers, energy and technology professionals, local government leaders, students, and interested residents an opportunity to better understand these developments and the decisions ahead.

Ellen Laipson

Distinguished Visiting Professor Richard Kauzlarich is codirector of the Schar School’s Center for Energy Science Policy (CESP), which is cosponsoring the symposium with the Schar School’s Center for Security Policy Studies (CSPS), directed by Professor Ellen Laipson. Aerospace expert and Schar School adjunct Hina Kazmi organized the forum alongside Kauzlarich and Laipson. Kauzlarich and Laipson will provide opening and introductory remarks, respectively.

Former Schar School professor David Hart, now senior fellow for climate and energy at the Council on Foreign Relations, is the keynote guest in a conversation with Schar School Dean Mark J. Rozell.

Organizers hope attendees leave with an appreciation for “the interconnectedness of national security, energy policy, and local infrastructure for commercial space and data centers,” Kauzlarich said.

Update: This event is now full but we hope to see everyone who registered there!

In This Story

Learn more about the Schar School

Request Schar School program information

Topics

Institute for Digital InnovAtion (IDIA)

Center for Regional Analysis

Center for Energy Science Policy

Center for Security Policy Studies

Mason Square

Fuse at Mason Square

For more information about the Upper-Level Democracy Lab Learning Community or other learning communities at the Schar School, please visit this website.

Events

Campus News

Democracy Lab students meet the governor on Richmond trip

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 14:44:12 +0000

Democracy Lab students meet the governor on Richmond trip Andrew J Schappert Wed, 09/23/2026 - 10:44

While in Richmond, Upper-Level Democracy Lab students met with Governor Abigail Spanberger. Photo provided

Just two weeks into the semester, members of the Upper-Level Democracy Lab Learning Community in 911��'s Schar School of Policy and Government traveled to Richmond, Virginia, for a full day of immersive education featuring history, government, advocacy, and public service—and interactions with both the governor and lieutenant governor of the commonwealth.

Students participated in a roundtable session with Lieutenant Governor Ghazala Hashmi. Photo provided

David Ramadan, BA Government and Politics ’93, MAIT International Transactions ’95, director of the Upper-Level Democracy Lab and a professor of practice in the Schar School, organized the packed itinerary, which included visits to the State Capitol Building and Executive Mansion and meetings with government officials.

“I wanted students to experience several dimensions of Virginia government and public policy in a single day—from the executive branch and advocacy to the history, institutions, and physical spaces where the legislative process takes place, including the House and Senate chambers,” he said. “This was the first of two Richmond trips; next semester, we’ll return while the General Assembly is in session so students can see the lawmaking process in action and engage directly with delegates and senators as legislation moves through the legislature.”

The day began with a tour of the Virginia Capitol, including the House of Delegates and Senate chambers, giving students an up-close look at the spaces where Virginia’s legislative process takes place. Next, students met with Lieutenant Governor Ghazala Hashmi and her team for a roundtable discussion. The group then gathered in the Patrick Henry Building to engage with Governor Abigail Spanberger, who spoke about her experience governing Virginia and answered students’ questions about issues facing the Commonwealth.

Secretary of Administration Traci Deshazor encountered the students during their tour and spent a few moments chatting with them. From there, the group lunched with the Virginia Automobile Dealers Association and lobbyist Don Hall to discuss how advocacy and the lobbying process work. The students finished the day with a tour of the Executive Mansion.

The day in Richmond concluded with a tour of the Executive Mansion, led by Deputy Butler Martin Townes. Photo provided

“The day’s events allowed them to connect what we discuss in class with the people, institutions, relationships, and processes involved in governing,” Ramadan said.

Sophomore Riley Fariss, a public administration major with a minor in public health and a concentration in public policy, joined the Upper-Level Democracy Lab Learning Community to build on her experience with the First-Year Democracy Lab, where she made strong connections with Schar School peers and faculty.

The highlight of the Richmond trip for Fariss, who is from Lynchburg, Virginia, was meeting Governor Spanberger, asking a question about how her office handles rural health care issues, and listening to her thoughtful response.

“It's really important to me to remind our statewide representatives of the issues facing rural Virginia,” she said. “It meant a lot to me that the governor responded very knowledgeably on the issue. She told me about how she was working on providing more incentives for physicians to work in these areas.”

Senior Nia Christy, a political science and international politics major, who is a member of both the Upper-Level Democracy Lab and the Pre-Law Learning Community, appreciated the opportunity to ask Lieutenant Governor Hashmi about dealing with sexism and Islamophobia. Originally from Pakistan, Christy says Hashmi’s answer really resonated with her.

“What stayed with me most was the message that responding to hateful comments is about more than defending yourself; it's about showing younger girls who share similar backgrounds that those comments should not simply be accepted or normalized,” Christy said. “As an immigrant woman, I thought it was powerful to hear directly from someone who has faced those challenges while continuing to pursue public service.”

For Christy, the visit meant even more because, growing up, she never imagined walking through government buildings or speaking directly with state leaders. “I felt incredibly grateful for the opportunity because I know that access to spaces like these is not something everyone gets to experience,” she said. “It reminded me how much opportunity I have been given and made me even more motivated to eventually use my education to serve and advocate for others.”

Experiences such as the trip to Richmond and the chance to make high-level connections early in students’ careers are at the heart of what the Upper-Level Democracy Lab is intended to do, says Ramadan.

“There is only so much students can learn about government from textbooks and lectures,” he said. “Experiential learning allows them to see government up close, ask difficult questions directly of practitioners and public officials, and better understand how democracy and public policy actually work. My hope is that they come away not only better informed, but also more confident about engaging with government and considering careers in public service, politics, policy, advocacy, or related fields.

Learn more about the Schar School

Request Schar School program information

In This Story

David Ramadan

Topics

Learning Communities

Pre-Law Learning Community

Upper-Level Democracy Lab

First-Year Democracy Lab

First-Year Democracy Lab Learning Community

Political Science and International Politics

public administration

Organization Development and Knowledge Management

ODKM Workshop Explores Making AI a Teammate Rather Than a Threat

Andrew J Schappert — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 14:06:42 +0000

ODKM Workshop Explores Making AI a Teammate Rather Than a Threat Andrew J Schappert Tue, 09/22/2026 - 10:06

What a SWOT looks like: Achal Sharma leads the discussion addressing ‘strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.’ Photo by Lauren Green

Instead of viewing the rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) as a threat to people, what if we considered it a mirror—one that helps clarify and strengthen what is distinctly human about organizational collaboration?

That was the question some 90 attendees addressed during a day-long workshop hosted by the Schar School of Policy and Government’s Organization Development and Knowledge Management (ODKM) Cohort 30 during its fall semester learning community, held September 12 at 911��'s Mason Square.

Held in Van Metre Hall, attendees included faculty, graduate students, alumni, and industry leaders who were drawn by the event’s title, “Reauthoring the Team: Relational Intelligence in the Age of AI.”

The program opened with experiential learning activities including “The Invisible Colleague” and an “AI SWOT” exercise that were designed to surface assumptions about AI team members and identify core human values. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, all things to consider when connecting with AI.

Appearing via video link from California, keynote speaker Isabelle Hau, executive director of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning, set the theoretical foundation by championing “augmentation over automation” and framing “relational infrastructure” as an essential requirement for organizational flourishing in an algorithmic age.

The student-designed event was a response to the rapid emergence of AI and the turbulence it is causing as it ripples through every aspect of society.

“Every day we hear about AI and how it will supplant work we do now,” said Penny Potter, an instructor in the ODKM Program. “Often overlooked are what opportunities this disruption offers.”

The event, she said, “gave participants the opportunity to explore relational intelligence as a key capability that serves as connective tissue in organizations.”

Participant Erin Finn, a 2024 graduate of the ODKM Program, summed up the workshop experience: “It made the whole conversation about AI feel like such a natural fit for this [leadership] community and for how we might think about moving into this new era—without losing the human part of the work.”

A multidisciplinary practitioner panel featuring psychologist Kinga Mnich, organizational health strategist Judy Oyedele, Department of Defense lead knowledge management specialist Lavdjola Farrington, and leadership development professional Jason Drake grounded these concepts in practical applications spanning social psychology, executive coaching, defense knowledge governance, and public sector leadership.

In the afternoon, participants engaged in three rounds of a “1-4-All Knowledge Café.” Guided by Harvard’s Marshall Ganz's public narrative framework (Story of Self, Us, and Now) and Harvard’s John Kotter’s eight-step change model, attendees moved from individual reflection to table dialogue and room-wide synthesis.

The activation concluded with a compelling call to action led by student facilitators and supported by ODKM founding Director Tojo Thatchenkery and Potter.

Attendees were challenged with the final prompt, “What will you do differently on Monday?,” urging leaders to actively author their teams’ relational dynamics rather than allowing technology to define them by default.

The day’s activities concluded with a call to action for every leader in the room: “If you do not step up and consciously author your team’s story, the technology or the hierarchy will do it for you.”

Costello College of Business instructional associate professor Jeremy E. Plotnick contributed to this report.

In This Story

Tojo Thatchenkery

Penny Potter

Learn more about the Schar School

Request Schar School program information

Topics

ODKM

Artificial Intelligence

Faculty and Staff News

Public Service Drives Schar School Graduate in State House of Representatives Race

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 17:35:48 +0000

Public Service Drives Schar School Graduate in State House of Representatives Race Andrew J Schappert Wed, 08/26/2026 - 13:35

A year after graduating from 911��'s Schar School of Policy and Government with a degree in public administration, Dylan Morse found himself a candidate for Vermont House of Representatives.

Dylan Morse, BS Public Administration ’25, is running for state representative in Vermont.

He had been working in local elections and writing on his Substack page, which attracted some attention with readers who encouraged him to get involved in local politics.

“I wrote for fun to keep up with the habits I built at the Schar School, researching and writing,” he said. “It started to grow and I had some people reach out to me and that lit a spark in me. [Getting into politics] has always been a goal of mine, but I didn't imagine that I would do it so soon.”

Morse filed for his candidacy in May and won the August 11 primary for his seat representing the Windsor-1 district, which includes his hometown of Hartland, as well as the towns of Windsor and West Windsor. (The general election is November 3.) He spent his summer knocking on doors and attending all kinds of community events meeting and engaging with voters. Exhausting work to be sure.

“It’s one of the hardest things I've ever done because it takes a lot of work to do it right,” he said. “It's a really big time commitment and I've had to make some sacrifices elsewhere in my life. There's always the constant stress in the back of your mind, Am I doing enough?”

When he meets with constituents, Morse sometimes faces skepticism given his young age. He knows that experience is a valuable part of governing and he stresses his internship experience at the Schar School, which included working for both Vermont’s Governor Phil Scott and Senator Peter Welch.

“One of the main jobs from both of those internships was talking with constituents and trying to help them, and that’s been the entire campaign this summer,” he said. “My job is to talk to voters and learn what’s working for them, what isn't working for them.”

More often than not, Morse has been welcomed on the campaign trail.

“It's seen as a great positive that a young person is getting involved,” he said. “People are excited when I come to their door and can offer a different perspective. It's one way I’ve differentiated myself from other candidates.”

Morse’s platform focuses on securing a Vermont where everyday people can live their lives comfortably, which is getting harder to do because of costs and lack of affordable housing.

“I’m a ninth-generation Vermonter,” he said. “My family is a 9-to-5 working family. I see and hear that that life is getting harder to do. I want to do all I can to make that not be the case.”

He credits his family for instilling his passion for public service and a desire to give back, a commitment he continued to develop through his studies and internships at the Schar School. The son of a career firefighter, Morse remembers his father teaching fire safety or picking up people in an ambulance.

“I saw the meaning behind being an active part of the town and the community,” he said. “I want to chip into that. I don't want to do a job just to earn a paycheck. I want to do something that means something.”

Learn more about the Schar School

Request Schar School program information

Topics

Schar School Student Spotlight

Public Administration BS

BS Public Administration

Internships

Schar School Student Spotlight

Alumni

From Schar School Biodefense Doctoral Student to Global Health Security Leader: How Saskia Popescu is Shaping the Future of Biosecurity

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 16:33:15 +0000

From Schar School Biodefense Doctoral Student to Global Health Security Leader: How Saskia Popescu is Shaping the Future of Biosecurity Andrew J Schappert Mon, 08/24/2026 - 12:33

Learn more about the Schar School

Request Schar School program information

Standing before more nearly 1,300 delegates from 88 countries at the opening of the 4th Global Health Security Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Saskia Popescu welcomed a global community tasked with discussing some of the most pressing challenges facing global health security today. Since earning her PhD in Biodefense from 911��'s Schar School of Policy and Government in 2019, her career has spanned infection control, outbreak response, pandemic preparedness, biosecurity policy, and now global health leadership.

Saskia Popescu, who received her PhD in Biodefense from the Schar School in 2019, leads the Global Health Security Network while continuing to teach and conduct research in biosecurity. Photo provided

Today, she serves as CEO of the Global Health Security Network (GHSN), an Australian-based multidisciplinary NGO dedicated to facilitating evidence-informed policy for the detection, prevention, and control of infectious disease threats, regardless of origin.

Through her leadership at the GHSN, Popescu has helped create a platform for experts across disciplines and around the world to address the evolving challenges facing global health security, most recently by leading the planning and execution of thefourth Global Health Security conference, one of the only global health security-focused conferences.

Reflecting on the conference, Popescu highlighted the need to build a global architecture, emphasizing the importance of moving forward by addressing existing gaps, rather than focusing on what’s been lost. Additionally, she emphasized the importance of maintaining partnerships and investing in preparedness and response efforts outside of disease outbreaks or public health emergencies.

“How do we ensure that response and preparedness mechanisms are sustainable and agile in the event of shifts in policy or funding, without negatively impacting existing efforts and foreign relationships? I really want to focus on how we can be more collaborative, not just in emergent times,” she said.

When asked what conversations or themes from the conference she believes had and will continue to have the greatest impact in the months following the conference, Popescu highlighted the large number of cross-disciplinary conversations, the exposure to a wide variety of topics and expertise, and networking that often do not occur within traditional professional silos. For example, professionals working in biosecurity policy had the opportunity to learn more about the technical aspect of biosurveillance or professionals in the public health sector gained a greater understanding of military-civilian partnerships in the Indo-Pacific.

“You have high-level delegates [minsters of health, government officials] and then your boots-on-the ground subject-matter experts such as epidemiologists working in outbreak response and laboratory biosafety professionals getting to interact with each other and have those frank conversations of how policy decisions affect the people doing the work,” Popescu said.

The conference also underscored the dedication and commitment of the more than 1,200 attendees who, despite ongoing public health emergencies including the Hantavirus outbreak and the third-largest Ebola outbreak to date, along with competing funding and operational priorities, took the time to have difficult but important conversations while sharing their research and contributions in the field of global health security.

Beyond her leadership at the GHSN, Popescu continues to shape the field through research and education. Currently, she maintains an appointment as policy researcher at RAND, where her work focuses on enhancing biosecurity and resilience by aiming to identify and address key vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure and private industry. Most recently, she contributed to “Mapping the Informal Bioeconomy,” a project that assesses the informal bioeconomy, focusing on the biosecurity implications, practices, governance, and oversight of community-based biotechnology laboratories. The project was featured as one of the poster presentations at this year’s global health security conference.

In addition, Popescu serves as an adjunct professor at the Schar School in the Biodefense Program. The program prides itself on equipping its students with the skills and education to bridge the gap between science and policy by providing the knowledge and analytic skills necessary to assess the risks posed by natural and man-made biological threat and develop strategies for reducing risk to national and international security.

Popescu noted that one of the program’s greatest strengths is not only the connections fostered by the school and its leadership, but also the program’s ability to provide students with a diverse toolkit. Rather than being limited to one facet of biodefense or biosecurity, students are exposed to the many disciplines that make up the field and are encouraged to think across science, policy, and public health.

“I’d be remiss if I didn’t call out the community with the program,” she said. “I always felt supported by faculty and my peers, both in my studies but also navigating the journey that is dissertation writing and career development. The biodefense program is really the first place I felt pushed to lean into being multidisciplinary rather than pressured into a specific field or role. It was very much a divergence from trying to fit into a preconceived biodefense box and more about ‘Let’s break the box and build something that serves the complex spaces we actually exist in.’”

If you’re hoping to take a class with Popescu, you might want to get in line. Both of her classes this fall, Biodefense Strategy and Biosurveillance, are one of the few classes that currently have a waitlist!

Topics

Biodefense

BS in Public Administration

Alumni

Schar School Graduate—and Grandmother—Reaches Goal of Bachelor’s Degree

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 19:16:10 +0000

Schar School Graduate—and Grandmother—Reaches Goal of Bachelor’s Degree Andrew J Schappert Wed, 04/29/2026 - 15:16

At 72, Irma Garcia will walk across the stage to receive a bachelor’s degree decades in the making. For her, earning a bachelor's degree in public administration degree from the Schar School of Policy and Government at 911�� was never a straight path. But it was always a goal; education is very important to her family.

Irma Garcia earns her bachelor’s degree at age 72.

Originally from Puerto Rico, Garcia moved to the Washington, D.C., area in 1978 to raise her three young daughters. Settling in Virginia, she worked many different jobs—mainly in local government and nonprofits—after earning a general studies degree from Northern Virginia Community College.

“What I really wanted to do was to help people,” she said. “I started getting jobs closer to what I enjoyed, which was giving services to people in need.”

Garcia also took a couple of classes at 911�� while she worked—sometimes two jobs—and took care of her family. But she had to hit pause.

“I stopped because it was just too hard for me,” she said. “I was just tired.”

Life continued but circling in the back of Garcia’s mind was the goal of earning a bachelor's degree. Five years ago, she enrolled in the Schar School choosing public administration as her major. Her eight grandchildren, five of whom have graduated from college, encouraged her.

“They gave me all kinds of tips,” she said. “They were very happy to see me go to school.”

Garcia says she never felt hesitant about returning to the classroom as a nontraditional student.

“I love school,” she said. “I had a great time with my classmates. I was accepted and I made friendships. I just felt like I was in a room full of grandchildren. I was the abuela.”

Irma Garcia (far left) with her three daughters

Garcia notes that many of her classmates came from a similar background as hers and they too juggled jobs with academics.

“Half of my friends who go to school with me, most of them are either immigrants or their parents are,” she said. “They are working but you see them in school every day.”

Garcia took classes through the Senior Citizen Waiver Program and praises her advisors, Ann Ludwick and Jana Biever, and the Registrar’s Office for assisting her and keeping her on track.

“I had a lot of questions about what classes to take and they were very supportive,” she said. “They were very informative and always processed my requests quickly and easily.”

Now, Garcia looks forward to the Schar School's Degree Celebration on May 16. She will have her own cheering section, with one of her daughters and three grandchildren in attendance.

Even though she is semi-retired, Garcia would like to continue to give back and find a part-time position at a nonprofit organization.

“That has been what I’ve enjoyed the most,” she said, “helping people use the resources available to them to become self-sufficient.”

Garcia’s educational journey has now come full circle. While the route to a bachelor’s degree sometimes challenged her, the achievement of earning it feels wonderful.

“For me, as a single mom raising three daughters by myself, it was very hard,” she said. “But if you want to do it, you can find ways of doing it. Maybe it won’t happen immediately. I would just tell people whatever they dream, try to achieve it. It can be done.”

Learn more about the Schar School

Request Schar School program information

Topics

public administration

Class of 2026

Senior Citizen Waiver Program

Graduation

Spring Commencement

BS in Public Administration

Meet the Degree Celebration Keynote Speaker: State Senator, Schar School Graduate Saddam Salim

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 19:26:43 +0000

Meet the Degree Celebration Keynote Speaker: State Senator, Schar School Graduate Saddam Salim Andrew J Schappert Wed, 04/22/2026 - 15:26

Keynote speaker Sen. Saddam Salim on his run for Congress: ‘It’s one of those opportunities where you help a lot of people at your current job and then you see you can scale that up at the national level.’ Photos provided

Virginia State Senator Saddam Salim (D) still sounds a little surprised when he talks about coming back to campus—not as a student, but as the keynote speaker for the May 16 Schar School of Policy and Government Degree Celebration at 911��. When invited, he recalled thinking, “I’m not important enough to be doing this, but I will give it a go.”

2012 and 2015 Schar School graduate, Sen. Saddam Salim

That humility is a throughline in Salim’s story, one shaped in classrooms and experiences at the Schar School, where he earned degrees—BS in Public Administration and Master of Public Administration in 2012 and 2015, respectively—and began to see how public service as less a destination for a career than a set of options—practical, varied, and close at hand. Today, as a state senator, he draws a direct line between those experiences and the work he does in Richmond.

Born in Bangladesh, his family emigrated to the United States in 2000 after surviving the devastation of severe drought followed by a catastrophic flood. He was 8. After a year in Washington, D.C., the family was made homeless when their building was sold and converted into luxury condominiums.

Low-income and affordable housing helped the family survive in Falls Church, Virginia, as did the available community health centers and a web of public services. These experiences inform his public service to this day.

“When you are struggling, when you’re stuck, that is going to be part of life,” he said. “But you are going to realize there are so many more people that would like to lend you a hand and say, ‘Look, we got you.’”

That perspective—equal parts realism and encouragement—reflects both his personal journey and the ethos he encountered at 911��.

At the Schar School, Salim, who lives in Falls Church with his wife, Fatimah, found more than political theory—he learned how to use practical tools in the real world. An example that continues to resonate: One class offered hands-on use of sophisticated software used by key agencies in Washington. That kind of exposure, he said, translated directly into opportunity.

“For you to put that on your resumé, that was true real-life experience,” he said.

Schar School faculty members with careers beyond academia helped map the terrain and put into focus how careers unfold, he said.

“It’s not always you get a degree and you go right into government,” he said. “You can go into nonprofit, you can go into many other sectors” with a government or policy degree. That flexibility proved essential—not just for him, but for classmates who went on to roles across government, nonprofits, and even elected office.

Salim’s trajectory, which includes being honored as the 911�� University Alumni Association Alumnus of the Year in 2025, reflects another lesson he shares with students: Impact often starts closer to home. After experiencing the range and complexity of federal work, he scaled back and realized he could make a more immediate difference at the state and local levels of government. His Schar School education, he said, “really fits in any of these levels.”

Starting locally allowed him to build relationships, experience, and a record that could grow over time. He now serves on several committees in the Virginia General Assembly, including Rehabilitation and Social Services, Courts of Justice, Privileges and Elections, and Agriculture, Conservation, and Natural Resources.

Circumstances being what they are, current political headwinds have afforded him with another way to apply his penchant for public policy to a larger field. In early April, Salim, who works as a federal financial management contractor, announced he would be running as a candidate for Congress, joining a crowded field of Virginia Democrats vying for a seat in a newly created district in Northern Virginia.

“It’s one of those opportunities where you help a lot of people at your current job and then you see you can scale that up at the national level,” he said. The party primary will be held August 4; the general election is November 3.

Salim assured us his Degree Celebration speech will not be a campaign effort. “I’m here as a sitting senator, an alumni who enjoyed his time here, and really want to empower the students in the audience,” he said.

He knows the audience will be students who are familiar with the classrooms he once sat in. The message, if his own path is any guide, is straightforward: Start where you are, use what you’ve learned, and don’t assume the path has to be linear—even if the opportunity ahead feels a larger than expected.

Learn more about the Schar School

Request Schar School program information

Topics

Master of Public Administration

International Security and Law

Graduation

Schar School Students Turn Language Barriers into Award-Winning Entrepreneurial Opportunity

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 19:44:15 +0000

Schar School Students Turn Language Barriers into Award-Winning Entrepreneurial Opportunity Andrew J Schappert Mon, 04/20/2026 - 15:44

Schar School senior Jayden Banks, left, and sophomore Anthony Even-Vaca pose with ceremonial checks at the Baylor New Venture Competition. Photo provided

Two Schar School of Policy and Government undergraduates took third place and an honorable mention award during the 14th Annual Baylor New Venture Competition in March for pitching a prototype of their medical language translation platform.

The Doctors United DPT/911�� sign at the Baylor New Venture Competition

The cofounders “really felt like the underdogs,” said Anthony Even-Vaca, a 19-year-old sophomore in the Schar School’s International Security and Law degree program at 911��. “I definitely was the youngest there.”

The national competition held at Baylor University’s Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation in Waco, Texas, drew student entrepreneurs from around the country eager to pitch their startup business ideas to panels of judges for cash awards and sage advice. Many of the competitors were doctoral students affiliated with established ventures, Even-Vaca said, heightening the sense of being underdogs in a field of seasoned innovators.

He and graduating government and international politics senior Jayden Banks took the $1,500 honorable mention prize and $500 for placing third in the elevator pitch competition for their self-funded platform, Doctors United DPT.

The idea for the language translation platform stemmed from Banks’s experience working for the last two years at the Inova Fairfax Medical Campus as a clinical technician, assisting the medical staff in patient care. He began building the app, he said, about a year-and-a-half ago after witnessing firsthand the difficulties of language barriers in a medical environment and how they can complicate even routine interactions.

“I started testing the prototype on the nurses, my coworkers, and they were super supportive of it,” he said. “I interviewed doctors, neurosurgeons, cardiac surgeons, and asked them how language barriers affect them specifically to their specialty.“

Banks and Even-Vaca became friends after working together as coaches at a swim school and then sharing a room for a week during a Schar School study-abroad program to Switzerland. Eventually, Banks recruited Even-Vaca to the Doctors United DPT project “and he immediately had ideas for it, like bringing it to refugee camps. And so we started working on it together,” Banks said.

It was during a second Schar School study-abroad trip, this one to Israel, where the work they were doing in translating medical terminology became real.

“I got sick, I couldn’t get out of bed for a day,” Even-Vaca said. “I was wondering, am I going to have to go to a doctor? I don’t know Hebrew or Arabic, and I felt a little bit hopeless.” (It turned out to be a bad cold. Still, the plane ride home was miserable.)

The app uses AI to render instantaneous translations of some 200 languages, Banks said. It was Even-Vaca’s idea, he said, to add a “confidence meter” to override AI’s sometimes questionable reliability in translations. “The judges loved it,” he said.

The cofounders are actively seeking 911�� alumni and business professors for guidance in building out the award-winning business.

“We’re trying to make more connections, networking, and raising capital,” Banks said. “We see a big demand for interpreter services in other areas, such as international forums and institutions as well as immigration law. We want to implement it around the world and bridge cultural gaps, help people, make a difference. That’s our hope, our vision.”

Request Schar School program information

Learn more about the Schar School

Topics

Class of 2026

Government and International Politics

competitions