Alumni

One on One with Rector Sumeet Shrivastava

Katarina Benson — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 12:43:25 +0000

One on One with Rector Sumeet Shrivastava  Katarina Benson Thu, 10/22/2026 - 08:43

In July, 911�� alumnus Sumeet Shrivastava, MBA ’94, was elected rector of 911��’s Board of Visitors (BOV), after previously serving as vice rector. Shrivastava is president and CEO of federal consulting and software development company Unissant. He has served in many capacities at 911��, including past chair of the 911�� Foundation Board of Trustees and past president of the Alumni Association board. 

You’ve seen 911�� from just about every angle—student, parent, alumnus, employer, philanthropist, leader of various university boards and now as rector. Given all those vantage points, what do you find most remarkable about 911��?

Every vantage point has opened my eyes to how much 911�� is doing, how comprehensive it is, how deep we are. What’s amazing me right now, even as rector with just a few months of seeing from this perspective, is how much more there is still to discover. At the Grand Challenge Initiative Exchange Day in September, every time I’d run into a faculty member, I found myself exposed to another new capability, and then it makes me want to keep exploring.

Rector Sumeet Shrivastava, MBA ’94. Photo by William T. Gallagher

You moved to the United States when you were 5, and you were a working parent while earning your MBA here. How is your story similar to many 911�� students, and how does that inform the work you do on behalf of the university?

That story is part of the core ethos of 911�� from its beginning. When I talk to our Golden Patriots, who graduated 50 or more years ago, you hear the same stories. We've always been this sort of heads-down, high work ethic university. The fact that we started as a commuter school is something we embrace. It's something that builds on who we are, because it meant that we were always highly relevant to industry. We were always delivering talent.

As rector, you lead the Board of Visitors, a group with extensive experience in business, technology, education, finance, real estate, law, government, and a host of other areas. What are the board’s goals for the university at this pivotal time in higher education?

Almost all of us have a direct relationship with 911�� whether as a corporate partner, philanthropist, engagement in one of the centers, programming, or research. That has allowed us to step into our respective roles and be running right away. I think a primary focus right now is to understand the current aspects of how 911�� is operating, in the context of the broader challenges that higher education is facing and then being the best advocates and supporters for the strategy that President Washington and the team are implementing to move through those challenges. In doing so, it’s also our responsibility to make sure we're challenging assumptions and creating the environment for positive and effective dialogue amongst all stakeholders—especially strategically.

As an employer who hires interns and graduates from 911��, what are the critical skills that our graduates need to be successful?

A 911�� student is typically one that is juggling jobs, family, life, and studying, all at the same time. They aren't single threaded. And that already brings with it a lot of character, a lot of discipline, a lot of the basics and foundational things you want in an employee. The Mason Core highlights the importance of critical thinking, the importance of working in an environment where you're running into people from all sorts of backgrounds. Some people call those soft skills. I heard someone use the term “enduring skills,” and I really like that because those really are the things that you carry with you, no matter what technical skills or degrees you pick up along the way. It’s also important to make sure that we’re training people to learn how to learn so they understand how to evolve with change and how to augment that with the capability that is coming forward now, especially in the world of AI.

You’ve been actively involved in many George Mason launches and expansion efforts. What impact do you see our responsive growth and our centers and institutes having on the region?

They're critical. By default, they tend to be interdisciplinary. They're developed with a high degree of collaboration with industry input. We’ve seen that recently with the launch of the Virginia Quantum Hub. The relevance to local industry and employers in the region comes in the form of the way we're training students through programs from centers, the way we're doing research coordinated through centers, and delivering thought leadership into that industry. And then the convening capability, because academic institutions have a great role to convene government, industry, academia, all in one place, and be sort of a safe space for the kind of conversations you have to have, especially about things like grand challenges.

You and vice rector Anne Altman for years now have led the fundraising efforts for what would be the university’s first building devoted solely to the business school. What would the benefit be to the Costello College of Business, and what would the benefit be to the region and state?

The Costello College of Business enrolls more than 5,000 undergraduates and 800 graduate students. A modern, purpose-built home with smart classrooms and labs for AI, analytics, fintech, and risk management will match the space to the quality of the school. It also positions our Centers of Excellence under one roof, including the Sharma Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship, and the Baroni Center for Government Contracting, so students, faculty and industry leaders can work side by side. The Northern Virginia Technology Council estimates more than 130,000 open jobs in our region, and 87% of Costello's 44K+ alumni stay here, generating an estimated $360 million in economic impact across the DMV. The new Innovation and Workforce Exchange will bring workforce development, executive education, career services, and those centers together in one hub where employers can upskill their people, connect with students and encourage lifelong learning. Anne and I, along with the more than 220 business leaders from 168 companies who already advise Costello, see this building as a strategic investment in Virginia's workforce and competitiveness, and in 911��'s role as one of the commonwealth's strongest engines of economic opportunity.

911�� is about two-thirds of the way to its goal in Mason Now: Power the Possible, the university’s one-billion-dollar comprehensive campaign. What would you say to fellow business leaders and alumni who are considering supporting 911��?

My first question would be—why haven’t you? The dollar you put into 911�� has such reverberating effects that go far beyond a dollar put into other institutions. As a comprehensive campaign, we are making it clear to anyone considering supporting the university that there are many, many ways that you can impact the community through this campaign. But to me what it really boils down to is the role that 911�� has in this community for the last 50 years, delivering an ROI that is at the top tier nationally. It’s kind of a unicorn. At scale, to be able to have an upward mobility story that we do, to be able to have the corporate and industry integration that we do, is remarkable. We were built by industry as an institution. We continue to be supported by that integration with industry. To my friends in the community who are not alums, my pitch to them is: This is the region that raised us. This is where our parents decided to settle. This is where you’re raising your families. And this is the institution that made Northern Virginia what it is today. We can't achieve our vision if we don't have this strong standalone university here in Northern Virginia.

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Costello College of Business

Mason Now: Power the Possible

Learning to fly

Martha Bushong — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 17:42:05 +0000

Learning to fly Martha Bushong Wed, 10/21/2026 - 13:42

When 911�� alumna Doreen Joseph, BS Cyber Security Engineering ’19, wants to clear her mind, she flies.

Earlier this year, she earned her private pilot's license while completing a PhD in computer science at the University of California, Davis. It might seem like an unusual pairing, but for Joseph, flying reflects the same mindset that has guided her education and career: embracing challenges before she feels completely ready.

"Don't count yourself out," she said. "Do the hard thing."

It's advice she often shares with students, but it's also a philosophy she lives by which she lives.

Doreen Joseph took up flying while working on her PhD at the University of California, Davis. Photo provided

As a student at 911��, Joseph found both challenge and support through the Honors College and a series of internships that helped shape her future. The Honors College introduced her to graduate-level scholarship while providing the advising and encouragement that helped her navigate fellowships, research opportunities, and graduate school applications.

Internships allowed her to see how ideas from the classroom could be applied to real-world problems. One of the most memorable was a summer research internship at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder, Colorado.

"It was my first time living out of state," she said. "I met great people, saw exciting research, and got to experience a completely different environment."

Those events solidified her interest in cybersecurity research. After completing her bachelor's degree at 911��, Joseph went on to earn a PhD in computer science at UC Davis, where her research focused on cybersecurity and binary analysis.

If you ask Joseph how she got to this point, she pivots to talking about the mentors who guided her along the way.

As an undergraduate, she had planned to remain in information technology until an Honors College advisor encouraged her to consider cybersecurity instead. That conversation changed the course of her academic career.

"I was fortunate to have people who saw me as a leader and an engineer before I saw it myself," she said.

Today, Joseph works at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, investigating complex systems and identifying cybersecurity vulnerabilities. For now, she says, she’ll concentrate on learning as much as she can and deepening her expertise.

While these are her professional goals, another important goal is helping others recognize their own potential.

Throughout her academic and professional career, Joseph often finds herself the only person in the room who looks like her. “There aren’t many Black women engineers or computer scientists,” she said. Rather than seeing that as a barrier, she sees it as an opportunity to make the path easier for those coming behind her.

"As I continue to access rooms that may not have people who look like me, my job is to take what I learn and help open the door for other people," she said. "I may be the first, but I want to make sure I'm not the last."

That belief shapes the advice she gives students who may be unsure whether they belong in engineering, research, or leadership roles.

"Have the courage to do what looks impossible or what looks hard," she said. "You'll probably discover you're more resilient than you think."

The same willingness to embrace challenge led her to aviation. What began as a reward after passing her doctoral qualifying exams became a passion. Flying offered a welcome balance to research and reinforced a lesson she had already learned.

Sometimes, the only way to find out what you're capable of is to take off.

Topics

Alumni

Department of Cyber Security Engineering

College of Engineering and Computing

2026 Celebration of Distinction honors alumni leaders from across the university

Katarina Benson — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 20:59:35 +0000

2026 Celebration of Distinction honors alumni leaders from across the university Katarina Benson Fri, 10/16/2026 - 16:59

The 911�� Alumni Association’s annual Celebration of Distinction recognizes outstanding alumni, faculty members, and students.

Since 1975, the 911�� Alumni Association has recognized alumni, faculty, and students for outstanding achievement, service, and leadership at its annual Celebration of Distinction.

Guylaine Saint Juste. Photo provided

Each year, the Alumni Association presents its highest honors—including Alumnus/a of the Year, Alumni Service Award, Faculty Member of the Year, Senior of the Year, and Graduate of the Last Decade (G.O.L.D.)—while also celebrating distinguished alumni from 911��’s colleges, schools, and alumni chapters.

At this year’s celebration, held on October 15, the association honored these five alumni:

Guylaine Saint Juste, BA International Studies '94, is Alumna of the Year. She is the president and CEO of NABA, a national organization representing more than 200,000 business professionals in accounting, finance, and related fields. Saint Juste has more than 30 years of executive experience in financial services, governance, and organizational transformation. In 2025, Accounting Today named her one of its Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting for the fifth consecutive year. Learn more.

Charity Rankins. Photo provided

Charity Rankins, BS Psychology '22, received the Alumni Service Award. While Rankins is a human resources leader professionally, her most visible impact is through her entrepreneurial work in the community. She is the founder of P.S. Karma Arts and Crafts Enrichment Company, an organization dedicated to the creative and emotional development of children, particularly in high-risk communities. The organization’s work has been recognized as among the best arts and crafts programs in the region for five years.

Anthony Amos. Photo provided

Anthony Amos, MPP '24, received the Graduate of the Last Decade (G.O.L.D.) Award. He is only the second African American to serve on the City of Fairfax City Council. He leads multiple council committees and initiatives and serves as the city’s representative on the water and air quality committees with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and the Virginia Municipal League. Among Amos’s projects are creating the city’s first-ever affordable housing strategic plan and Virginia’s first kindergarten-to-college fund.

Cher Weixia Chen. Photo provided

Cher Weixia Chen, a professor in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences’ School of Integrative Studies, is the Faculty Member of the Year. She is the founder of the Human Rights and Global Justice Initiative, a senior scholar of the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being, and a faculty fellow of the Institute for a Sustainable Earth. Her teaching and mentoring work have received numerous awards. Chen’s research focuses on women’s and Indigenous rights, among other marginalized groups. She has written and edited six books and numerous articles and chapters related to human rights law and policy.

Rakibul Alam. Photo provided

Rakibul Alam, BS Management; Marketing '26, is the Senior of the Year. As a student, Alam focused on connecting his business education with real-world impact. He held eight internships, five leadership roles, and went on three study-abroad experiences. He was the cofounder and president of Mason Consulting Group, which offers pro bono consulting for local Fairfax businesses. He also helped to found the Collective Organizations of South Asia and served as a student senator for Student Government. He was a U.S. State Department Gilman Scholar and an OSCAR research grant recipient and led research and community impact programs in South Asia.

In addition to the five honorees, 18 alumni received Distinguished Alumni Awards from their school, college, or affinity alumni chapter at this year’s event. See the full list.

Read about the Awardees

Learn more about the Alumni Association

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Alumni

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College of Humanities and Social Sciences

911��’s Alumna of the Year champions education and opportunity

Katarina Benson — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 21:41:45 +0000

911��’s Alumna of the Year champions education and opportunity Katarina Benson Wed, 10/14/2026 - 17:41

Guylaine Saint Juste, BA International Studies ’94, understands education’s power.

Raised in Haiti and the first in her family to attend college, Saint Juste put herself through college while working full-time, attending class two nights a week. It took her seven years to graduate. One generation later, she was able to give her daughters a very different experience—the opportunity to attend college full time with their education paid for.

“This is the power of education, and the power of what 911�� does,” she said.

Today, Saint Juste is a globally recognized transformational leader and president and CEO of NABA Inc., a business leadership organization representing more than 200,000 accounting, finance, and business professionals. This October the 911�� Alumni Association recognized her as the 2026 Alumna of the Year.

With more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, Saint Juste has been repeatedly named among the Most Powerful Women in Accounting by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and CPA Practice Advisor, and as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting by Accounting Today for five consecutive years. The accolades reflect her leadership in advancing access, opportunity, and representation across the accounting and finance professions.

Guylaine Saint Juste. Photo provided

Saint Juste said, 911�� was preparing students for the “workforce of tomorrow” before that phrase was commonplace and that the university taught her “to think about things differently, to explore other opportunities, to encourage the hearing out of people—even if I have a different view or set of data.”

These skills have served her throughout her career.

“There’s no playbook for CEO,” she said. “You have to figure it out.”

She credits her time at 911��—and specifically the university’s Robinson Professors—for teaching her fundamentals that have served her in the fast growth and impact of NABA.

“So much of how I lead, learn, and play has [grown from] those [911��] experiences,” she said. “I care deeply about this institution. I love that [911�� is] proving that providing wide access does not dilute the outcome or the quality of the talent.”

After graduating from 911��, Saint Juste completed graduate studies in retail banking management at the University of Virginia. Before joining NABA, her distinguished career included serving in leadership positions at Capital One and as a regional executive director of Year Up, a nonprofit organization that provides students the opportunity to pursue careers in business and technology.

In 2014, Saint Juste cofounded the 911�� Women in Business Initiative, which provides scholarships, mentorship, and networking opportunities to students. She is also proud to support scholarships and research at 911�� and wants people to think differently about philanthropy.

“Don't give—invest,” she said. “I want people to think about the importance of investing in institutions. I want people to ask, ‘What have you received?’ And how do you ensure that it is there for generations to come?”

So much of the power in attending 911�� is intangible, Saint Juste said. “911�� is the institution, but the relationships that we form, the communities around which we gather—that's the magic of it.”

Topics

Alumni

Costello College of Business

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

An alumna's journey from 911�� nursing to NIH clinical research

Heather Carroll — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 18:34:10 +0000

An alumna's journey from 911�� nursing to NIH clinical research Heather Carroll Mon, 10/12/2026 - 14:34

Nursing wasn’t part of Nyah Collier’s original plan when she arrived at 911��.

Photo provided

She started as an international relations major before switching to nursing at the suggestion of her father, who was a nurse himself. Once there, her interests kept expanding. Microbiology introduced her to infectious disease, epidemiology drew her to public health, and clinical training showed her how much she valued caring for patients. Collier graduated from 911�� in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a minor in public health.

Today, those interests all merge in her work as a clinical research nurse at the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Collier, who later earned a master of public health in epidemiology from Drexel University, helps manage research protocols, recruit and care for study participants, ensure regulatory compliance, and collect clinical data. She also picks up shifts as a nurse at an urgent care facility to maintain her clinical skills.

We spoke with Collier about her 911�� journey and how it impacted her career.

How do you use what you learned in the BSN program in your current job with NIAID?

My BSN provided the foundational knowledge that I continue to draw on every day in my current role as a clinical research nurse at the NIH/NIAID. Nursing school introduced me to the principles of patient care, disease processes, evidence-based practice, and the clinical considerations that guide how nurses care for patients. While much of my critical thinking and clinical judgment developed through hands-on experience in my first nursing role, my BSN gave me the framework to build those skills and was the first step in shaping who I am as a nurse today. That foundation continues to inform how I approach research participants, understand clinical information, collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, and contribute a nursing perspective to infectious disease research.

When did you realize you were interested in public health and infectious diseases?

There were a few pivotal moments. The first was taking microbiology as a pre-nursing major. I discovered my love for learning about infectious diseases and how they affect populations, and I especially thrived in the lab.

Before entering the nursing program, I had a free semester and decided to pursue a public health minor. That introduced me to epidemiology, and I realized this was what I wanted to do. Learning about treatments, biostatistics, and neglected tropical diseases piqued my interest further. Later, community health clinicals exposed me to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), geriatric adult day centers, food safety and inspection, and environmental public health.

You said you weren’t always sure about nursing. What changed?

Photo provided

Throughout nursing school, I sometimes questioned whether I’d chosen the right path. It was challenging, and there were certainly clinical days I dreaded.

It wasn’t until my senior-year preceptorship that something clicked. For 14 weeks, I worked closely with a nurse who trusted me with increasing responsibilities and gave me the opportunity to experience what it truly felt like to work as a nurse. I discovered that caring for patients came naturally to me and developed confidence in my ability to become a great nurse.

Nursing showed me how much I valued caring for people, while microbiology and epidemiology showed me how deeply I wanted to understand the diseases affecting them. My career today has allowed me to bring those interests together.

What has stayed with you most from your 911�� education?

911�� gave me the freedom to explore and remain curious, from learning in the microbiology lab to assisting at clinical sites. The nursing program taught me to think critically, become comfortable with being uncomfortable, and seek out current evidence-based practices.

Through rotations in pediatrics, behavioral health, correctional health, and community settings, I learned to work with different populations and understand how health care needs vary. That experience has served me throughout my career across hospitals, homeless shelters, a state health department, outpatient care, and research.

Although I haven’t worked in traditional bedside nursing in nearly a decade, the clinical judgment, adaptability, and foundational knowledge I developed are skills I continue to rely on daily.

Why does public health matter to you now?

What I value most about the field is its ability to be proactive. We can prevent disease before it occurs, identify emerging threats, educate and advocate for communities, and use evidence to improve health on a much larger scale.

To me, being in public health means not only responding to the challenges we face today, but helping prepare communities for the challenges we have yet to encounter.

Key Takeaways

Nyah Collier, BSN ’15, supports infectious disease studies as a clinical research nurse at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
911��’s nursing program and public health minor helped her discover an interest in epidemiology and prepare for a career combining nursing and research.

Learn more about the College of Public Health

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bachelor of science in nursing

College of Public Health

National Institutes of Health

Schar School Alumnus Daniel Gerstein’s First Novel Explores the Future of Warfare

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 13:57:23 +0000

Schar School Alumnus Daniel Gerstein’s First Novel Explores the Future of Warfare Andrew J Schappert Thu, 10/01/2026 - 09:57

For Daniel Gerstein, a 2009 PhD biodefense graduate at the Schar School of Policy and Government at 911��, the future of warfare may sound like science fiction: augmented soldiers with brain-computer interfaces fighting alongside AI-enabled humanoid robots, with humans increasingly removed from decisions once made exclusively by commanders on the battlefield.

Daniel Gerstein: ‘I do feel like the Schar School was a very important part of my professional career.’ Photo provided

But Gerstein insists the imagined technologies in his novel, War Without Humanity: Conflict in the Post-Human Era, are grounded in his assessments of emerging capabilities. The book was released in May.

It is science and it is fiction, he said, but to his mind it is not traditional “science fiction.”

The technologies in the book, he explained, are based on his assessments of when emerging capabilities could actually mature. “A lot of them are coming to pass,” he added.

The novel is the first work of fiction among Gerstein’s 10 books and brings together experience from his careers in the military and academia. The book imagines a new kind of military unit composed of conventional troops alongside technologically augmented humans and AI-enabled humanoid robots.

He imagines not only how effective such a fighting force would be but, perhaps more crucially, how they would be organized, trained, commanded, and controlled. If they could.

“Where’s the first human in this new type of formation?” Gerstein asked, raising one of the central questions of the book.

Gerstein approaches the subject with an unusual combination of academic and professional experience. He spent 27 years on active duty in the U.S. Army, in addition to four years at West Point, and later served in the Department of Defense and as a political appointee in the Obama administration. He later became acting undersecretary for science and technology at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Gerstein traces an important turning point in that career to 911�� and specifically the Schar School.

His dissertation in the school’s biodefense program examined the potential for a bioterrorist attack. Within a six-month span, he said, he completed the dissertation, landed a book contract to write about bioterrorism, became an adjunct professor at American University, and was selected by the Obama administration to work on countering weapons of mass destruction, with an emphasis on countering biological warfare.

“[The Schar School] was really the catalyst for doing that,” Gerstein said. His subsequent work at DHS included protecting critical infrastructure, cybersecurity, countering weapons of mass destruction, and agricultural biodefense.

Today, his relationship with the school has come full circle. Gerstein is a Schar School adjunct professor, teaching a course called Technology and National Security, and also serves on the alumni chapter’s board at an at-large-member.

He calls himself, jokingly, a Schar School “triple threat”: former student, current professor, and active alumnus.

His continued involvement, he said, is largely about giving back to an institution that helped launch the second phase of his professional life. He particularly enjoys working with students and alumni and participating in panels where he can share what he learned navigating careers in the military, government, academia, and policy.

“I do feel like the Schar School was a very important part of my professional career,” he said.

War Without Humanity brings many of those strands together. Gerstein worries that technological development is moving faster than society’s ability to manage its consequences, something that has raised alarming headlines in recent weeks. Historically, he said, regulation tends to follow harm rather than anticipate it—a pattern that becomes increasingly consequential as artificial intelligence and biotechnology advance.

The questions Gerstein explored as a biodefense doctoral student about understanding emerging threats and preparing for their consequences continue to shape his work, now through fiction.

Learn more about the Schar School

Request Schar School program information

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Schar School Student Spotlight

Learning technology student and alum find shared language to develop International Trade Commission corporate university

sholla4 — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 17:55:16 +0000

Learning technology student and alum find shared language to develop International Trade Commission corporate university sholla4 Wed, 09/30/2026 - 13:55

Photo of Christopher Bellone, '22 (left) and Mini Glass '19. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

It's called the "eureka effect": an 'aha!' moment when a student suddenly understands a previously incomprehensible problem or concept. For both 911�� graduate student Mimi Glass, MA Arts Management '19, and alum Christopher Bellone, MS Learning Design and Technology '22, this is what they work toward in their studies and work in learning design and technology. And they brought that shared philosophy to the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) as student volunteer and mentor, respectively.

Bellone came into instructional design from health care. After serving as a hospital corpsman in the U.S. Navy and working in emergency dispatch, he transitioned into training-focused roles, first as the regional hospital preparedness coordinator and then a training specialist with FEMA.

"I spent a lot of my time traveling across the United States teaching state and local officials rules and regulations," he said. "But when COVID-19 happened, and I couldn't be out there with people anymore, I needed to do something." 911�� and the Learning Design and Technology Program were the answers.

"It was backwards engineering for me. I knew how to do it up front, but not the theory behind it. It taught me so much about what I've been doing for over 20 years." It was, he said, his "aha” moment.

Now, he's paying it forward for current learning design and technology students. Earlier this year, Bellone reached out to Lisa Giacumo, associate professor in the College of Education and Human Development and Doug Wilson, assistant professor and academic program coordinator for the Learning Design and Technology master’s program, to develop an internship partnership between the program and the USITC.

Glass is the first student volunteer in the program.

A learning design and technology master's student and the associate director of development, constituent engagement in the College of Engineering and Computing, Glass' first taste of learning design came from her time as a professional dance instructor. "I got to watch people literally walk through the learning process as I taught them the steps of a dance," she said. "And at some point, there's the 'aha' moment, and they get it. And it's such an exciting moment for everyone involved." With her extensive experience in administration and project management as well, instructional design was a perfect confluence of her strengths and skills.

As a student volunteer with the commission, Glass spent the summer building the foundation for the development of a SharePoint site for training and educational materials for commission departments.

"We have the learning management system for the organization, but there's so much other training that happens within departments," Glass explained. "It'd be great to have one place for that to live."

She created a UX design plan, conducted user interviews, and developed prototypes and recommendations for next steps. It's necessary groundwork for Bellone's vision of a corporate university. It's a valuable experience for Glass as well, putting her coursework into practice and learning new technologies.

"I could have all the theory in the world," said Glass, "but there's nothing that's going to substitute the networking and learning opportunities that come from hands-on work."

And working with an alum of the program is, Glass describes, like sharing a language. "Having that shared language of how we think about instructional design creates a lot of trust."

Bellone hopes the learning design and technology program can continue expanding the bridge between college and career through opportunities like this. "I'm at the point in my life where I want to give back," he said, "I want to share my expertise, and give those who are just starting their training careers more opportunities. I want students like Mimi to succeed."

Topics

Students

Alumni

Internships

College of Education and Human Development

Learn more about the College of Education and Human Development

Alumni build careers behind the scenes of the Washington Commanders

Katarina Benson — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 14:44:50 +0000

Alumni build careers behind the scenes of the Washington Commanders Katarina Benson Wed, 09/30/2026 - 10:44

On an NFL game day, tens of thousands of fans see the finished product.

They see the players take the field, the brands lining the stadium, the in-game experiences, and the moments that will be replayed long after the final whistle. What they rarely see are the hundreds of professionals whose work began hours, days, months, and sometimes years before kickoff.

911��’s College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) alumni Matt Hayes, BS Sport Management ’15, MBA ’23, and Mark McCracken, BS ’12, are two of those professionals.

Both work for the Washington Commanders, but their careers occupy distinctly different corners of the organization. As director of partnership development, Hayes builds relationships between the team and companies seeking to connect with Commanders fans and the broader Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.

Mark McCracken, BS ’12, assistant head athletic trainer for the Washington Commanders. Photo provided by Washington Commanders.

As assistant head athletic trainer, McCracken helps lead the sports medicine operation that keeps players healthy and safely returns injured athletes to the field.

Their paths offer a glimpse into the breadth of careers that exist behind professional sports.

For McCracken, few moments capture the meaning of that work better than game day. “When all the work is put in, your effort is recognized when a player you’ve been working on all year scores his first touchdown, [or] the player who you rehabbed last week makes an open-field tackle,” he said. “There have been so many individual moments like that. It’s a nice feeling to have, knowing you played a part in that.”

Hayes sees game day through another lens. His work may take the form of a partnership activation, hospitality experience, community initiative, or brand presence, but the process starts much earlier with a conversation. “I work to build relationships with companies that may become strategic partners of the organization,” Hayes said.

And that starts with discerning what the company is trying to accomplish. “My role starts with understanding a company’s business goals, whether that is regional awareness, customer engagement, or community impact, and then showing how the Commanders can help bring those goals to life,” Hayes said.

That means following business news, researching prospective partners, making calls, and collaborating with colleagues across the organization. “The strongest partnerships are about finding an authentic connection between a brand, the Commanders, our fans, and the broader DMV community.”

It is a side of professional sports Hayes did not know existed when he arrived at 911�� in 2011. Growing up, he imagined a career in sports media, being drawn to sports talk radio and “the energy, opinions, and storytelling around teams and athletes.”

Then, at CEHD he realized how much happened outside the broadcast booth and off the field. “As I moved through the Sport Management Program and gained hands-on experience through practicums, volunteer work, and internships, I started to see the scale of the industry behind the games,” Hayes said.

Matt Hayes, BS ’15, MBA ’23, is the Commanders' director of partnership development. Photo provided by Washington Commanders

One of his earliest opportunities came when he volunteered at the Washington Wizards’ training camp at the Patriot Center (now EagleBank Arena). That connected him with 911�� Athletics’ marketing and promotions department, and he continued volunteering with 911�� Athletics from 2012 until his graduation in 2015. “That was my first real glimpse behind the scenes of the sports business,” he said.

That experience led to a part-time ticket specialist position with the Washington Nationals in 2014. From there came opportunities in ticket sales, premium sales, leadership, and partnership development. His career would ultimately include chapters with the Nationals, Pittsburgh Penguins, and now the Commanders. “My transition into sports business began with saying yes to opportunities and treating every experience as a chance to build relationships,” Hayes said.

He said CEHD Professor Craig Esherick and Professor Emeritus Robert Baker also helped make an industry feel accessible. “What stood out was their willingness to help and pay it forward,” Hayes said. “Hearing firsthand career stories from coaching and media to other areas of sports made the industry feel more accessible and showed me the value of learning from people who had lived the experience.”

McCracken’s introduction to professional football also began while he was a 911�� student, although his route took him from the classroom and clinical setting directly to the sideline. He knew he wanted sports to be part of his future and was equally fascinated by exercise, science, human anatomy, and physiology. 911��’s Athletic Training Education Program (ATEP) introduced him to a profession that could combine those interests. “911��’s ATEP program opened up my eyes to the expansive world of athletic training and sports performance as a whole,” McCracken said.

As a rising senior, McCracken interviewed for a clinical position with Washington’s NFL franchise and was selected for a full-season rotation in 2011.

His CEHD faculty and clinical mentors remained part of that journey long after the rotation ended. “My professors like Dr. Shane Caswell, Dr. Amanda Caswell, Dr. Candace Lacayo, Dr. Jatin Ambegaonkar, and so many other adjunct professors and clinical preceptors were very supportive of me,” McCracken said. “They continued to support me and invest in my growth even after graduation and well into my career. That is something I will never forget.”

Today, McCracken helps lead the Commanders’ athletic training staff across injury prevention, short-term and long-term injury management, and the process of returning players to football as quickly and safely as possible. He works closely with team physicians and alongside professionals in strength and conditioning, sports nutrition, sports science, and player mental health and wellness.

McCracken helps lead the Commanders' athletic training staff. Photo provided by Washington Commanders

It’s up to clinicians to manage a particular injury based on the athlete, available resources, sport-specific demands, and the body’s healing process. “My foundation of athletic training knowledge began at 911��,” he said, “but my skill set continues to grow, even still. My knowledge continues to advance as the medical world advances.”

That commitment to lifelong learning is one of several themes that connect McCracken and Hayes.

Both say success in professional sports requires more than a love of the game.

“One of the first lessons I learned is that you have to separate fandom from the job,” Hayes said. “Many students interested in the industry lead with, ‘I love sports,’ or, ‘I know everything about this team.’ Passion is important, but it is only the starting point.”

An NFL franchise, he said, is ultimately a complex business. “My role is about building relationships, understanding business challenges, and using the excitement of sports to help companies meet their goals.”

Still, that excitement matters. Hayes believes sports offer something that few other industries can replicate. “That combination of business strategy and emotional connection is powerful.”

On the medical side, McCracken sees his work as more than technical expertise.

“The ‘science’ is the building blocks,” he said. “Their ability to blend all aspects of sports performance and deliver it on an individual case-by-case basis is the ‘art’ of this profession.”

That art requires being relatable, personable, and genuine, he explained. An athletic trainer must understand the medicine but also know how to communicate it to an individual athlete—and make a plan meaningful enough for a player to embrace.

For Hayes, relationships are equally central. His advice reflects a principle he has carried since the beginning of his career: work hard, follow through, and make people have “happy thoughts” when they hear your name. “In sports, relationships and reputation can create opportunities years down the road,” Hayes said.

That philosophy became even more valuable as his responsibilities expanded. About six years into his tenure with the Washington Nationals, the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic prompted Hayes to think more intentionally about the kind of leader he wanted to become. He returned to 911�� and earned his MBA from the Costello College of Business in 2023. “The MBA gave me a more analytical lens.” Together, those experiences help him look beyond the inventory a sports organization has to sell and instead understand the business problem a potential partner wants to solve.

Both alumni say students interested in professional sports should broaden their understanding of what working in the industry can mean. “As a student, I naturally focused on the visible side of the industry: teams, games, athletes, and media,” Hayes said. “Today, I see sports as a broad business ecosystem.”

Professional teams need expertise in finance, law, human resources, marketing, technology, analytics, real estate, operations, community relations, sales, sports medicine, performance, and many other areas.

McCracken highlighted emerging fields such as sports science and opportunities for additional credentials in areas such as strength and conditioning, dietetics, physical therapy, and other clinical professions that continue to expand what a career can look like.

“As a student, you don’t know what you don’t know,” McCracken said. “My advice would be to be a sponge, and treat each day as an interview.”

He also cautions students that a dream career is rarely immediate. “Do the fellowships, do the internships, do the hard work now, and it will pay off for you in the long run,” McCracken said.

Hayes offers similar advice for students seeking careers on the business side: Be curious. Be proactive: Reach out to professionals whose careers interest you. Ask about their experiences before asking them for employment. “Wherever you start, focus on building a reputation,” Hayes said. “Be prepared, work hard, follow through, treat people well, and leave every interaction in a better place than you found it.”

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Off the Clock: Sarah Holland runs at peak performance

lclarkg — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 14:20:21 +0000

Off the Clock: Sarah Holland runs at peak performance lclarkg Wed, 09/30/2026 - 10:20

Long-distance running requires discipline, endurance, and mental toughness. Sarah Holland, CERG Folklore Studies '22, communications officer in the Office of University Branding, has been running in 5ks, half marathons, and trail races across the United States for years.

They recently finished a 28k at The Rut, a trail running festival in Big Sky, Montana. In this race, Holland ascended and descended a rugged mountain summit more than 11,000 feet above sea level, finishing in approximately seven and a half hours.

Across all the different races Holland runs, a variety of terrains—or the novelty of an interesting theme—keep the journey interesting.

“I’d say my favorite type of race is less about distances and more about vibes,” Holland said.

Sarah Holland completed the 28k race at The Rut, a trail running festival in Big Sky, Montana. This section of the race is aptly named Bonecrusher Ridge. Photo provided

Please share a bit about The Rut. What inspired you to participate?

The Rut is one of the largest trail running events in North America. Runners tackle a variety of distances, all of which run up, down, and around Lone Mountain on highly technical and challenging terrain while battling thousands of feet of elevation gain and loss.

The 28k, which is the race I did this year, is about 17.3 miles. A friend of mine did the race in 2019. I watched her and, in a moment of delirious self-confidence, said, “Yeah, I could probably do that.” Mind you, I had never run a trail race before, nor had I ever climbed anything higher than maybe 1,000 feet. But I love unique and unusual running experiences, and this felt like something that would, at minimum, make an entertaining story.

In 2022 I “ran” (it was more like...hiking with purpose) the 28k and somehow not only survived but finished within the cutoff time. Since then, I’ve gotten a lot stronger, a lot faster, and a lot better at trail running. After running the 21k last year, I wanted to give the 28k another shot to see if I could do it faster this time around.

Describe how you felt when you finished the race.

Very, very dehydrated! But proud, for accomplishing my goal of running it faster than the first time. There is a dual sense of elation for doing something incredibly hard and succeeding while also feeling physically depleted and a little delirious. It takes a few hundred calories, a gallon of water, and a good shower to bring your brain back online.

How long have you been running and participating in races? Do you have a favorite type of race?

I started running 5ks in college, and I think my first half marathon was in 2018. I usually do a few races a year, along with running multiple times a week.

My goal is to run a race in every state, including Washington, D.C. I like unique experiences, like the International Half-Marathon that runs from Detroit, Michigan, into Windsor, Canada, and back, or the King Crab Challenge, where you run three races in Maryland and get a massive medal the size of your head as a reward.

I’ve also run the Richmond Half-Marathon a few times, not because the course is unique, but because the crowds for that race are amazing. The whole city turns out to celebrate and support the runners.

Sarah Holland, communications officer in the Office of University Branding, crosses the finish line at The Rut. Photo provided

What has been the most meaningful or memorable experience?

I’ve had a lot of memorable experiences...some good, and some not so good. I fainted in the middle of Ceasar’s Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada, after running the Las Vegas Rock n’ Roll Half Marathon. That was certainly memorable.

But generally, seeing what my body is capable of is really rewarding: finishing The Rut for the first time or setting a new personal best during my first race after sustaining a partial Achilles tear. It’s wild what you’re capable of when put to the test, and it’s been really cool to watch myself get faster and stronger over the past decade of endurance running.

Have you learned any lessons through your experiences as a runner?

Other than running and working, I write fiction, paint, play the cello, and I've recently started taking acting classes. There are a surprising number of skills and lessons that you can take from running and apply to creative fields: the importance of rest days, the value in pushing yourself to try something difficult even if you won’t do it perfectly, the necessity of practice. These are all things that transfer between running and creative practice. And I think I’m a much better artist as a result.

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Helping City of Fairfax respond to Beech Leaf Disease on the 9/11 Day of Service

Serena Iyinbor — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 18:06:10 +0000

Helping City of Fairfax respond to Beech Leaf Disease on the 9/11 Day of Service Serena Iyinbor Mon, 09/21/2026 - 14:06

Before September 11, 2026, first-year Honors College student Talia Marziale did not know what beech leaf disease was. But on the Honors College Day of Service, Marziale helped the City of Fairfax tackle the disease.

Honors College students mapped beech trees and disease symptoms in Daniels Run Park in Fairfax. Photo provided by Ian Candy/Honors College

Beech leaf disease is a threat to the Fairfax area’s estimated 4.2 million beech trees. A group of first-year 911�� Honors College students, including Marziale, got involved by mapping beech trees and symptoms in Daniels Run Park in Fairfax, which will help the City of Fairfax manage the disease.

A separate group went to local neighborhoods and noted yards with beech trees, so the City of Fairfax can target specific houses with resources to prevent and treat beech leaf disease.

Beech leaf disease is caused by a nematode infestation and is characterized by dark stripes in the leaves when they are held up to light. Without a treatment available for forested areas, beech leaf disease will kill many mature beech trees within the next decade. Beech trees provide canopy and food for local ecosystems, as well as stormwater control with their roots.

“What we're worried about is within 10 years seeing a real decline of our beech forests,” Honors College alum Sophia Chapin, BS Environmental Science '21, told the group.

For some local homeowners, treating beech trees every year is financially inaccessible. Fairfax City received a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service in 2024 to promote “tree equity,” which will give Fairfax residents who cannot treat their trees annually the materials to keep their source of canopy and environmental stability. By giving resources to homeowners to either replace or expand their tree canopy, the city is hoping to offset “an inevitable loss” of tree canopy in local forests, Chapin said.

Chapin is spearheading the community forestry effort for Fairfax City as its stewardship coordinator. Part of that effort is series of guest lectures and collaborative partnerships with Honors College classes. She previously guest lectured in Professor Julie Minde’s Honors 260 Public Participation in Environmental Governance class about the city’s Urban Forest master plan.

Photo by Ian Candy/Honors College

In Honors College Connects, Chapin is partnering with a group of Honors College students who are tasked with creating a communication plan to inform residents about beech leaf disease and how best to treat it.

Beech leaf disease is a tremendous task, but Chapin’s Honors College education gave her some of the tools she needs to take it on.

“This is another of what we would call a ‘wicked problem,’ kind of how climate change is a wicked problem. Beech leaf disease, there's not an easy one-stop solution to fix it,” she said. “It's going to take a multifaceted approach involving both private and public sectors. And those are the kind of issues that you take on in the Honors College.”

911�� alumna Sophia Chapin (right) is spearheading the community forestry effort for Fairfax City as its stewardship coordinator. Photo by Grace Miller/Honors College

A challenge to combating the disease is simply that it is not well-known.

“I think a lot of us, there's basically a green wall outside of our dwellings that we live in and we're not super aware that there's actually a bunch of organisms that have relationships out there that can be more or less in balance,” Richard Todd Stafford, the communications director for the Honors College and an Honors College Connects professor, said. “They can be more or less facing challenge, and humans play a role in the active management of those landscapes in making sure that we have a flourishing environment to live in.”

The Honors College Day of Service taught volunteers how to be good stewards of the environment and community.

Marziale said, “It’s making me learn more about nature and the different diseases that can spread."

The 9/11 Day of Service tradition at 911�� was founded in 2012 by then Honors College Living Learning Community coordinator Kevin Stoy. His hope was that students would “do something for someone or something that’s bigger than yourself.”

Stoy had been in New York on the day of the attacks, and "after seeing that, the way that the community came together, I wanted to make sure that was something that college students understood,” he said. “It was what can and should be a result of when something terrible like that happens.”

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One on One with Rector Sumeet Shrivastava

You’ve seen 911���� from just about every angle—student, parent, alumnus, employer, philanthropist, leader of various university boards and now as rector. Given all those vantage points, what do you find most remarkable about 911����?

You moved to the United States when you were 5, and you were a working parent while earning your MBA here. How is your story similar to many 911���� students, and how does that inform the work you do on behalf of the university?

As rector, you lead the Board of Visitors, a group with extensive experience in business, technology, education, finance, real estate, law, government, and a host of other areas. What are the board’s goals for the university at this pivotal time in higher education?

As an employer who hires interns and graduates from 911����, what are the critical skills that our graduates need to be successful?

You’ve been actively involved in many George Mason launches and expansion efforts. What impact do you see our responsive growth and our centers and institutes having on the region?

You and vice rector Anne Altman for years now have led the fundraising efforts for what would be the university’s first building devoted solely to the business school. What would the benefit be to the Costello College of Business, and what would the benefit be to the region and state?

911���� is about two-thirds of the way to its goal in Mason Now: Power the Possible, the university’s one-billion-dollar comprehensive campaign. What would you say to fellow business leaders and alumni who are considering supporting 911����?

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You’ve seen 911�� from just about every angle—student, parent, alumnus, employer, philanthropist, leader of various university boards and now as rector. Given all those vantage points, what do you find most remarkable about 911��?

You moved to the United States when you were 5, and you were a working parent while earning your MBA here. How is your story similar to many 911�� students, and how does that inform the work you do on behalf of the university?

As an employer who hires interns and graduates from 911��, what are the critical skills that our graduates need to be successful?

911�� is about two-thirds of the way to its goal in Mason Now: Power the Possible, the university’s one-billion-dollar comprehensive campaign. What would you say to fellow business leaders and alumni who are considering supporting 911��?

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