Schar School / en Student and faculty researchers team up to drive societal change /news/2026-10/student-and-faculty-researchers-team-drive-societal-change <span>Student and faculty researchers team up to drive societal change</span> <span><span>Susan Martonik</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-10-14T12:47:47-04:00" title="Wednesday, October 14, 2026 - 12:47">Wed, 10/14/2026 - 12:47</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p class="Paragraph SCXW188811598 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">This summer, classrooms gave way to labs, field sites, and data sets as 911±¬ÁÏ faculty and students partnered to tackle some of society's most pressing challenges. The research teams explored complex issues—many aligned with the university’s </span><a class="Hyperlink SCXW188811598 BCX0" href="/grandchallenge" target="_blank"><span class="TextRun Underlined SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">Grand Challenge Initiative</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">—examining them from multiple perspectives and generating new insights to help shape future solutions.</span><span class="LineBreakBlob BlobObject DragDrop SCXW188811598 BCX0 intro-text">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW188811598 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">These </span><a class="Hyperlink SCXW188811598 BCX0" href="https://provost.gmu.edu/academics/undergraduate-education/mason-impact/summer-team-impact-projects" target="_blank"><span class="TextRun Underlined SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Summer Team Impact Projects</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">, supported by grants from </span><a class="Hyperlink SCXW188811598 BCX0" href="https://provost.gmu.edu/academics/undergraduate-education/mason-impact" target="_blank"><span class="TextRun Underlined SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Mason Impact</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">, were led by faculty members who assembled teams of undergraduate and graduate students from across disciplines. Students—who received stipends to support their participation—took part in a one-week boot camp to begin the 10-week program, along with various enrichment activities throughout the summer. The students shared their findings at the </span><a class="Hyperlink SCXW188811598 BCX0" href="https://oscar.gmu.edu/" target="_blank"><span class="TextRun Underlined SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Office of Student Creative Activities and Research</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> Summer Celebration of Student Scholarship and Impact.</span><span class="EOP SCXW188811598 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-right"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-10/writing_center_oscar_presentation.jpeg?itok=CSqqda6K" width="560" height="420" alt="Two female summer researchers standing on either side of a presentation"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Summer Team Impact Project researchers Abigail Naidoo (left) and Katelyn Mckee present at the OSCAR Summer 2026 Celebration. Photo by Susan Lawrence.</figcaption> </figure> <p class="Paragraph SCXW188811598 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">The research spanned a wide range of topics, including homelessness and climate-related challenges, using virtual reality to support health, changes in the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem, how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to better understand how people move through cities, and the impact of generative AI on student writing.&nbsp;</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW188811598 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW188811598 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Susan Lawrence and Courtney Massie, director and assistant director, respectively, of the </span><a class="Hyperlink SCXW188811598 BCX0" href="https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/" target="_blank"><span class="TextRun Underlined SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Writing Center</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">, led a project titled “Student Writers and Generative AI: Investigating Practices, Knowledge, and Critical Literacies.” Working with a team of six undergraduate students and one graduate mentor, their research examined how 911±¬ÁÏ students are integrating generative AI into their writing processes in realistic academic settings. It also explored the extent to which writers saw themselves thinking critically and the ownership they felt over their work.&nbsp;</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW188811598 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW188811598 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">While Lawrence and Massie oversaw the project, their team of students led the research-- interviewing participants, coding results, and analyzing data to generate findings.&nbsp;</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW188811598 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW188811598 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">“I conducted qualitative research using in-depth interviews and coding to determine insights about how 911±¬ÁÏ students use generative AI in their writing,” said Marisa Parikh, </span><span>an </span><a href="http://honorscollege.gmu.edu/" target="_blank" title="http://honorscollege.gmu.edu">Honors College</a><span> student majoring in public administration in the </span><a class="x_Hyperlink x_SCXW188811598 x_BCX0 x_OWAAutoLink" href="https://schar.gmu.edu/" target="_blank" title="https://schar.gmu.edu/" id="OWA10e001fa-128a-ef5a-70b1-09314e30c873"><span>Schar School of Policy and Government</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">. “One of the most valuable things I learned was how new developments in technology are impacting students today. This helped me look more long term at how institutions can promote accessibility to education for all students and use this technology as a tool to increase student success outcomes.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW188811598 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW188811598 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Lawrence spoke highly of the student researchers’ work. “Having a multidisciplinary team of student researchers was a major asset for this project,” she said. “They connected easily with participants during interviews, and their diverse perspectives on generative AI helped shape how we ultimately interpreted the data.”</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW188811598 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW188811598 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">The team has submitted their project for presentation at the International Writing Centers Association conference in October and are moving toward publishing a manuscript. Beyond its scholarly contributions, the project also highlighted the Writing Center as a valuable setting for research on writing and literacy.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW188811598 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW188811598 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Jenna Krall, associate professor of global and community health, and Marybeth Mitcham, assistant professor of global and community health, both in the </span><a class="Hyperlink SCXW188811598 BCX0" href="https://publichealth.gmu.edu/" target="_blank"><span class="TextRun Underlined SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">College of Public Health</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">, along with Fengxiu Zhang, assistant professor in the Schar School, led another Summer Team Impact Project on “Supportive Housing as Climate Resiliency: Resident, Community, and Government Perspectives.” Working with a team of nine student researchers, the project sought to understand the challenges of homelessness and environmental hazards using community health, environmental science, and policy frameworks.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW188811598 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW188811598 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">“There are huge knowledge gaps in this space, so we split our researchers into three groups to gather multiple perspectives,” said Krall. “Our team meetings became a space where the students could experiment and sandbox ideas for how to analyze the data they collected. They weren’t just checking boxes; they were helping build a knowledge base to inform future research and practice.”</span><span class="LineBreakBlob BlobObject DragDrop SCXW188811598 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2026-10/summer_team_impact_project_field_trip_to_lamb_center.jpg?itok=ZLDpWKwB" width="350" height="335" alt="A group of students pose outside for a photo"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Professor Krall's Summer Team Impact Project members take a field trip to the Lamb Center. Photo by Jenna Krall.&nbsp;</figcaption> </figure> <p class="Paragraph SCXW188811598 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">The research team presented their findings to local partners, including the Lamb Center and the City of Fairfax. Efforts are also underway to publish the research.&nbsp;</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW188811598 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW188811598 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">“The project provided me with real-life experience of how it is to work on a team, in particular building my skill of patience through the research process, understanding the reason for the project, working with colleagues, and letting creative ideas flow,” said student researcher Alex Romero Valenzuela, a community health major in the College of Public Health who is pursuing a master's degree in public health through 911±¬ÁÏ's </span><a class="Hyperlink SCXW188811598 BCX0" href="/admissions-aid/accelerated-masters" target="_blank"><span class="TextRun Underlined SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">bachelor’s-to-accelerated master's (BAM) program</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW188811598 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW188811598 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">For Krall, the experience was rewarding both professionally and personally. A 911±¬ÁÏ alum, she participated in a summer research project as an undergraduate. “I’ve wanted to apply for this grant since I started </span><span class="TextRun SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">teaching at</span><span class="TextRun SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> 911±¬ÁÏ,” she said. “It’s especially meaningful to come full circle and introduce current students to research as a potential career path.”&nbsp;</span><span class="EOP SCXW188811598 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW188811598 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW188811598 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">“The Summer Team Impact Projects provide valuable experience for all involved. Faculty can pursue research in areas of personal and professional interest, while students gain hands-on experience with research design, implementation, and analysis,” said Jesse Guessford, director of curriculum and initiatives in the Office of Undergraduate Education. “This program brings together two of 911±¬ÁÏ’s key priorities: supporting student success and creating opportunities for faculty scholarship and innovation.”&nbsp;</span><span class="LineBreakBlob BlobObject DragDrop SCXW188811598 BCX0">&nbsp;</span><br>&nbsp;</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="62a6adbc-b54f-45f1-8c7e-e1952b18b98f"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="/research"> <p class="cta__title">Explore Research at 911±¬ÁÏ <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </p> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="7424225d-e47d-46d7-a131-c12b7f1e4220"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://provost.gmu.edu/academics/undergraduate-education/mason-impact/summer-team-impact-projects"> <p class="cta__title">Explore summer research projects <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </p> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="ccbbb891-492d-4b31-a661-cd3c8edf5acc" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><hr> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:news_list" data-inline-block-uuid="29a9e1b5-4273-467d-9322-da99db11036b" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocknews-list"> <h2>Related News</h2> <div class="views-element-container"><div class="view view-news view-id-news view-display-id-block_1 js-view-dom-id-7981712d2759665aa041d0543f1c6bb5086515ba9f0134416493a36a9215ba10"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="news-list-wrapper"> <ul class="news-list"> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2026-10/student-and-faculty-researchers-team-drive-societal-change" hreflang="en">Student and faculty researchers team up to drive societal change</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">October 14, 2026</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2026-10/one-mission-many-paths-george-mason-senior-advances-youth-mental-health-through" hreflang="en">One mission, many paths: 911±¬ÁÏ senior advances youth mental health through research and outreach</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">October 6, 2026</div></div></li> <li 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href="/news/2026-05/george-mason-sends-record-number-students-national-conference-undergraduate-research" hreflang="en">911±¬ÁÏ sends record number of students to National Conference on Undergraduate Research </a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">May 26, 2026</div></div></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/16771" hreflang="en">Summer Impact</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/216" hreflang="en">Office of the Provost</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1551" hreflang="en">Mason Impact</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/271" hreflang="en">Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/336" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/17226" hreflang="en">College of Public Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2541" hreflang="en">Writing Center</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/391" hreflang="en">College of Humanities and Social Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/596" hreflang="en">Schar School</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1546" hreflang="en">Office of Student Scholarship Creative Activities and Research (OSCAR)</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/821" hreflang="en">Honors College</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Wed, 14 Oct 2026 16:47:47 +0000 Susan Martonik 346245 at Can AI expand access to legal services? This aspiring lawyer hopes to find the answer. /news/2025-09/can-ai-expand-access-legal-services-aspiring-lawyer-hopes-find-answer <span>Can AI expand access to legal services? This aspiring lawyer hopes to find the answer.</span> <span><span>sholla4</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-09-05T15:23:17-04:00" title="Friday, September 5, 2025 - 15:23">Fri, 09/05/2025 - 15:23</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p><span class="intro-text">With an associate’s degree from Northern Virginia Community College already in hand by the time she graduated high school, Sharanya Maddukuri was determined to make the most of her final two undergraduate years. Because of its </span><a href="/news/2024-09/george-mason-university-ranks-1-virginia-best-value-internships-and-upward-mobility"><span class="intro-text">top ranking in Virginia for internships</span></a><span class="intro-text">, 911±¬ÁÏ was the place for her.</span></p> <p>Maddukuri, an <a href="https://honorscollege.gmu.edu/">Honors College </a>student, is majoring in <a href="https://schar.gmu.edu/programs/undergraduate/government-and-international-politics">government and international politics</a> with a <a href="https://catalog.gmu.edu/colleges-schools/humanities-social-sciences/philosophy/ethics-ai-minor/">minor in ethics and artificial intelligence (AI)</a> and wants to attend law school. She’s already hit the ground running, landing two internships at the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) in Washington, D.C., during spring and summer semesters in 2025.</p> <h5>How did you find your internship with the LSC?</h5> <p>I’m in the [<a href="https://schar.gmu.edu/">Schar School of Policy and Government</a>] mentorship program, and I’m paired with Tim O’Shea, BA Government and International Politics ’19. He’s currently a lawyer for the government. I told him about how I was having trouble finding an internship for the spring 2025 semester, and he recommended I look at opportunities with LSC.</p> <h5>You’ve interned in two different sectors of LSC. Your first internship in the spring was with the Pro Bono Innovation Fund (PBIF). What kind of work did you do?</h5> <p>Basically, the PBIF offers grants to legal aid organizations across the nation to help them engage more lawyers and non-legal professionals in pro bono services to help close the justice gap. So, one of my main projects was a five‑month audit of the Pro Bono Innovation Fund, where I analyzed data from 30 legal aid organizations. After presenting my findings, I realized my work had sparked a genuine shift in how the team approached its largest grant, which made this project one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had.</p> <p>I also helped my supervisor plan a panel on pro bono work for the Equal Justice Conference in San Francisco, and I got to attend the conference to see the panel I had worked on for five months come to life! I had the opportunity to hear about pro bono cases all around the world, like a case of international kidnapping where private attorneys from a big law firm stepped in to provide resources and help the client. Hearing about these cases where pro bono made a difference was really inspiring.</p> <h5>In the summer, you transitioned to the Disaster Grants Program within LSC. How did your responsibilities change?</h5> <p>In the Disaster Grants Program, I mainly worked on the Legal Aid Disaster and Heartland websites, which are both resources for legal aid professionals working in disaster areas and for disaster survivors. One exciting project I did was paving the way for a site-wide content audit to support the development of an AI chatbot, which will greatly assist disaster survivors navigating the plethora of legal issues that arise after a disaster.</p> <figure role="group"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2025-09/a1364753-f818-4602-aa5d-d742baef27c2.jpeg?itok=wKP-Ghx4" width="560" height="355" alt="A woman with long dark hair stands smiling in front of a gray wall displaying the text “LSC America’s Partner for Equal Justice” and “Legal Services Corporation.”"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Maddukuri in front of the LSC sign in their office. Photo provided.&nbsp;</figcaption> </figure> <h5>You mentioned the justice gap: Is this an issue you’re passionate about?</h5> <p>Yes, definitely. The justice gap has been growing since the ‘80s, and LSC reports that low-income Americans did not receive any or enough legal help for 92% of their civil legal problems. Having been exposed to the ways that legal aid organizations and LSC are using AI, I know I want to pursue a career helping legal aid organizations incorporate AI. Using AI responsibly to help reduce the load of their intake processes for applications, developing AI self-help resources for legal advice or completing paperwork, or even chatbots that can provide translation services: Those would really help people who don’t have access to legal services, and therefore would help narrow that gap. I would love to be at the forefront of that.</p> <h5>How have your experiences at 911±¬ÁÏ helped prepare you for the responsibilities of your internships?</h5> <p>The <a href="https://schar.gmu.edu/current-students/undergraduate-learning-communities">Jurisprudence Learning Community</a> (JPLC) in the Schar School has been really helpful in equipping me with pre-law resources. The director of the JPLC, Assistant Professor <a href="https://schar.gmu.edu/profiles/sholman3">Shea Holman Kilian</a>, has been a great resource as well, particularly helping me prepare to apply for the internship. And her class is also very similar to a class you would take your first year of law school, so I feel better prepared for law school when it’s time.</p> <p>Law and Society with [assistant professor] <a href="/profiles/krichte">Kelly Richter</a> was a welcome challenge and incredibly helpful. We analyzed the dynamic relationship where society shapes the law, and in turn, the law shapes society. And since I took that course in the spring, I was learning about procedural justice and all its complications while developing this pro bono panel that talked about procedural justice. I got to use what I was learning to develop my work.</p> <p>And my courses with the Honors College prepared me with research skills that I’ve been able to use at LSC.</p> <h5>What have you gained from your time with LSC?</h5> <p>After this experience, I’ve decided that once I become a lawyer, I’ll be doing pro bono work, no matter what. I think it instilled that culture of service and caring about the community and really help reinforce that law is where I want to be. I believe in LSC’s mission now more than ever, and having had my eye on this profession since I was 11, this experience has only made me more certain that it’s the right place for me.<br>&nbsp;</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="09bf6ac1-555a-49ca-aafe-f916783f6070"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://schar.gmu.edu/"> <p class="cta__title">Learn more about Schar School of Policy and Government <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </p> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="08167aaa-7424-4f7b-b58d-07d20b0fd5b7"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="/academics/undergraduate-programs/honors-college"> <p class="cta__title">Learn more about the Honors College <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </p> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:news_list" data-inline-block-uuid="d4fae84e-4c0a-4e7f-a560-2d10d3c8759b" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocknews-list"> <h2>Related news</h2> <div class="views-element-container"><div class="view view-news view-id-news view-display-id-block_1 js-view-dom-id-9b2ddce14a1c76c98af47e9f8d2afec965edca5cc9296f339acae64e89838b6e"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="news-list-wrapper"> <ul class="news-list"> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2026-08/business-analytics-major-pouring-foundation-future-sports-analytics" hreflang="en">This business analytics major is pouring the foundation for a future in sports analytics</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">August 19, 2026</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2025-09/can-ai-expand-access-legal-services-aspiring-lawyer-hopes-find-answer" hreflang="en">Can AI expand access to legal services? 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I knocked on doors, answered phones, worked on advertisements and expenditure tracking. It made me really curious about what it was like to be in government,” said Magesh, a <a href="https://schar.gmu.edu/programs/undergraduate/government-and-international-politics" target="_blank">government and international politics</a> major and <a href="https://catalog.gmu.edu/colleges-schools/policy-government/government-analytics-minor/">government analytics</a> minor.</span></p> <div class="align-center"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-video-embed-field field--type-video-embed-field field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="video-embed-field-provider-youtube video-embed-field-responsive-video"><iframe width="854" height="480" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" loading="lazy" title="YouTube | 911±¬ÁÏ Admissions | #ChooseMason | Daksha Magesh | 911±¬ÁÏ" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OXbZeZGZsbg?autoplay=0&amp;start=0&amp;rel=0&amp;mute=0"></iframe> </div> </div> </div> <p>The <a href="/academics/undergraduate-programs/honors-college" target="_blank">Honors College</a> student was working for federal prosecutor Manka Dhingra of the 45th District from her hometown of Seattle, Washington. Magesh says that’s where her interest in law comes from.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>“I figured that if I’m going to be a lawyer, I might as well know how the government really works, so that's part of the reason why I chose this major for my future,” she said.&nbsp;</p> <p>Since then, she has also worked for the Washington Senate Democratic Campaign and legal nonprofits, such as the Seattle Clemency Project.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;“I was working with people who were sentenced at a young age and have been in jail for a really long time. We were helping them to get clemency and rehabilitation for early releases because they've served 25 plus year sentences,” said Magesh. “They are now 50 to 60 years old and have served their sentences. It’s really time they come out and be productive members of society.”&nbsp;</p> <p>Magesh has also worked for the South Asian Bar Association, a collective of all the major South Asian lawyers in the country.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;“I'm really grateful for all the people that I worked with while I was there. They were all very welcoming and it was the first time that I got to work with people that were of the same identity as me,” said Magesh.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>“I love all of these experiences, but walking into a room and having everyone look like me in my field is incredibly rare. It was so cool,” said Magesh.&nbsp;</p> <p>Magesh also worked with Schar associate professor <a href="https://schar.gmu.edu/profiles/jvictor3" target="_blank">Jennifer Victor</a> on her Undergraduate Research Assistant Program team doing congressional caucus literature review as research for Victor’s new book.&nbsp;</p> <p>Magesh worked with Victor again as a teaching assistant for her GOVT 103: Introduction to American Government course. “I taught recitations every Friday and my class was amazing. I tried to make recitations fun with a game or interactive experience, and I got really good feedback at the end of the year. It was a great experience,” said Magesh.&nbsp;</p> <figure role="group" class="align-right"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2024-12/daksha_magesh_2.jpg?itok=ZaU6h_oY" width="373" height="560" alt="Daksha Magesh. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding."> </div> </div> <figcaption>Daksha Magesh. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding.</figcaption> </figure> <h4><strong>What’s your best memory at 911±¬ÁÏ?&nbsp;</strong></h4> <p>911±¬ÁÏ movie nights are my go-to. My friends and I just get a bunch of snacks, cuddle up on the couch, and watch something fun. I also love Mason Day. My resident advisor and close friend Kennedi took me to my first one. The weather was perfect and I remember thinking ‘oh my God, there’s a Ferris wheel and a roller coaster.’ We had such a great time.&nbsp;</p> <h4><strong>How have you grown at 911±¬ÁÏ?&nbsp;</strong></h4> <p>I really came out of my shell. I'm such an introvert and I was so scared because 911±¬ÁÏ was very intimidating, and it was hard for me to make friends at first. But I've really impressed myself with the way that I was able to connect to new people. I’m also a Schar School Liaison and secretary of the Honors Recruitment Team, so connecting with people is one of the biggest things that you have to learn and that skill is definitely something I learned from my time at 911±¬ÁÏ.&nbsp;</p> <h4><strong>What advice do you have for incoming students?&nbsp;</strong></h4> <p>The biggest thing is time management. Organize your time by keeping a calendar or a planner and writing down your assignments. Also networking and meeting people. Don’t be afraid to go up and introduce yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or cold emailing. I’ve gotten two of my biggest internships through cold emailing. And another, with the [Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia] that I got through networking. Make sure you’re talking to people, whether that's professors or professionals, in your field.&nbsp;</p> <h4><strong>What’s next for you?</strong>&nbsp;</h4> <p>I hope to pursue my legal career further. I'll definitely apply to law school in the future and be studying for the LSAT. I want to explore options on the East Coast, as I've really grown to love it. Ideally, I want to be able to work in a firm. It has always been my dream to be a lawyer and I will definitely achieve that.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="737b69e9-7da7-4e6e-a746-9154ca5c0309"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://gmu.edu/admissions-aid"> <p class="cta__title">Start your own academic journey at 911±¬ÁÏ <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </p> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="251f2918-47ba-4fa4-8aa2-d8b606660f96" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/jvictor3" hreflang="und">Jennifer N. Victor</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:news_list" data-inline-block-uuid="accca080-5e3d-41c7-b680-81c22d16901c" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocknews-list"> <h2>Related Stories</h2> <div class="views-element-container"><div class="view view-news view-id-news view-display-id-block_1 js-view-dom-id-a90c874d55cf92d1d8ead32d1e4f65ef2460f7f84df4da727be744ef511172b3"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="news-list-wrapper"> <ul class="news-list"> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2026-07/mason-korea-graduates-class-spring-2026" hreflang="en">Mason Korea graduates the Class of Spring 2026 </a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">July 6, 2026</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2026-06/graduate-student-credits-campus-community-helping-her-find-her-course" hreflang="en">Graduate student credits campus community for helping her find her course </a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">June 11, 2026</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2026-06/university-scholar-combines-art-and-conflict-resolution-build-bridges" hreflang="en">University Scholar combines art and conflict resolution to build bridges</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">June 1, 2026</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2026-05/george-mason-capitol-hill-how-environmental-policy-training-shaped-one-graduates-path" hreflang="en">From 911±¬ÁÏ to Capitol Hill: How environmental policy training shaped one graduate’s path</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">May 29, 2026</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2026-05/honors-college-student-athlete-excels-and-field" hreflang="en">This Honors College student-athlete excels on and off the field </a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">May 29, 2026</div></div></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/481" hreflang="en">Graduation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/17376" hreflang="en">Winter Commencement</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/596" hreflang="en">Schar School</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/821" hreflang="en">Honors College</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/201" hreflang="en">Community Engagement</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/14736" hreflang="en">networking</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/17206" hreflang="en">Undergraduate Research Assistant Program</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/336" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/20531" hreflang="en">Schar School News for December 2024</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/18821" hreflang="en">Schar School Student Spotlight</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Mon, 16 Dec 2024 14:59:20 +0000 sbrown79 115051 at American Society for Criminologists awards highlight special bond /news/2023-11/american-society-criminologists-awards-highlight-special-bond <span>American Society for Criminologists awards highlight special bond</span> <span><span>Damian Cristodero</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-11-13T16:35:35-05:00" title="Monday, November 13, 2023 - 16:35">Mon, 11/13/2023 - 16:35</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p><span class="intro-text"><a href="https://schar.gmu.edu/profiles/ftaxman">Faye Taxman</a>, a health services criminologist and Distinguished University Professor in 911±¬ÁÏ’s <a href="https://schar.gmu.edu/">Schar School of Policy and Government</a>, has mentored <a href="https://cls.gmu.edu/people/cappleto">C.J. Appleton</a>, a PhD student in <a href="https://cls.gmu.edu/programs/la-phd-cls">Criminology, Law, and Society</a>, since 2019.</span></p> <p><span><span><span>They have worked together at Mason’s </span><a href="https://www.gmuace.org/"><span>Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence</span></a><span> (ACE), of which Taxman is the director, building a professional relationship that accelerated Appleton’s evolution as a scholar and provided the center with what Taxman calls “a role model for the field.”</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>So it is with great pleasure for both that they will be honored at this week’s American Society for Criminologists (ASC) annual meeting in Philadelphia.</span></span></span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-right"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-11/faye_taxman_social_headshot.270.jpg" width="275" height="370" alt="Faye Taxman, Distinguished University Professor"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Faye Taxman. Photo by Office of University Branding</figcaption> </figure> <p><span><span><span>Taxman, part will receive the August Vollmer Award, given to someone whose scholarship and professional activities have made outstanding contributions to justice and/or the treatment or prevention of criminal or delinquent behavior.</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>Appleton will receive the Ruth D. Peterson Fellowship for Racial and Ethnic Diversity, which encourages students of color, especially from racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in the field, to enter the fields of criminology and criminal justice.</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>“For me, to be on this journey with her and to have learned from her and to see how talented and incredible she is, it’s an honor and pretty special that we both can receive something at the same time,” Appleton said.</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>“It’s awesome,” Taxman said. “It makes me very happy.”</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>Their story began in 2018, when Appleton basically cold-called Taxman in an email to ask about Mason’s PhD programs. Appleton had turned his life around after several years in correctional institutions for an assortment of drug possession and probation violations, and earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology/anthropology at Lewis &amp; Clark College, and a master’s degree in sociology from Portland State University.</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>They met later at an ASC meeting and quickly learned their visions aligned. In fact, Appleton said, “[Taxman] is the reason I chose Mason.”</span></span></span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-11/cj_appleton_headshot.270.png" width="270" height="370" alt="C.J. Appleton, PhD Student, Criminology, Law and Society"> </div> </div> <figcaption>C.J. Appleton</figcaption> </figure> <p><span><span><span>“What I see in C.J. is a person who has endured a lot of struggles in his life and benefited from good, quality rehabilitative treatment services and wants to give back to the next generation,” Taxman said. “He embraces the notion that any of us can serve our community. His way is by mentoring and helping people understand that when people in society don’t do well, there are ways to help them so they can pursue a more productive life and be a productive citizen.”</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>Appleton said Taxman immediately made him feel part of the ACE team instead of what he called “a worker bee doing tasks for other people.”</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>“I have been put in charge of various aspects and components for the last five years and because of that I have a lot of confidence, not just in my skills but in my ability to figure it out,” Appleton said. “That’s one of the biggest things I’ve gotten in my experience at Mason, just confidence that comes through being put in the fire and being supported.”&nbsp; </span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>Appleton said he is most proud of his research with a team that created </span><a href="https://www.gmuace.org/appropriateness-statement-package/#begin-searching-practices"><span>a free resource available on ACE’s website</span></a><span> that explains best practices and guidelines in administering probation conditions. That led to ongoing work with the state of Massachusetts to revamp its condition-setting practices.</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>Taxman, as Schar School dean </span><a href="https://schar.gmu.edu/profiles/mrozell"><span>Mark J. Rozell</span></a><span> said, “is a powerhouse whose work on criminal justice reform reaches well beyond the academe to inform public discourse and policymaking.”</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>“I’ve been able to develop models about how to implement improvements in how the criminal legal system can actually help people change and reduce their criminal behavior,” Taxman said. “So this award means that I am recognized, but that my work is recognized in terms of highlighting to the next generation of researchers the different ways people can pursue having an impact on public policy and engage public institutions in change.”</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>A lesson that helped lead Appleton to success.</span></span></span></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="78fdc4d2-293d-4378-8e07-9273ae01b8b5" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="30319e8d-760e-45ec-9aa1-d915d93faaee" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="fdd7d10b-7762-468f-a738-e8ad7ec4e6aa"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://schar.gmu.edu/"> <p class="cta__title">Learn more about the Schar School of Policy and Government <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </p> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="bf0aaf05-bd15-4861-84f0-19505e54d650" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:feature_image" data-inline-block-uuid="37848091-4b4f-4b63-b56d-d45061deae17" class="block block-feature-image block-layout-builder block-inline-blockfeature-image caption-below"> <div class="feature-image"> <div class="narrow-overlaid-image"> <img src="/sites/default/files/styles/feature_image_medium/public/2023-07/1.png?itok=XxbJlFdB" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/feature_image_small/public/2023-07/1.png?itok=Evso0d1P 768w, /sites/default/files/styles/feature_image_medium/public/2023-07/1.png?itok=XxbJlFdB 1024w, /sites/default/files/styles/feature_image_large/public/2023-07/1.png?itok=vSElU-7i 1280w" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 80vw,100vw" alt="&quot; 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&quot;"> </div> </div> </div><div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/ftaxman" hreflang="und">Faye S. Taxman</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:feature_image" data-inline-block-uuid="f8db716f-292b-45d6-a0fa-df6550507632" class="block block-feature-image block-layout-builder block-inline-blockfeature-image caption-below"> <div class="feature-image"> <div class="narrow-overlaid-image"> <img src="/sites/default/files/styles/feature_image_medium/public/2023-07/1.png?itok=XxbJlFdB" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/feature_image_small/public/2023-07/1.png?itok=Evso0d1P 768w, /sites/default/files/styles/feature_image_medium/public/2023-07/1.png?itok=XxbJlFdB 1024w, /sites/default/files/styles/feature_image_large/public/2023-07/1.png?itok=vSElU-7i 1280w" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 80vw,100vw" alt="&quot; &quot;"> </div> </div> </div><div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="791e0ad8-967b-4feb-aece-07448f94a557" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/596" hreflang="en">Schar School</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/391" hreflang="en">College of Humanities and Social Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1956" hreflang="en">criminology law and society</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1421" hreflang="en">diversity</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/10436" hreflang="en">Criminal Justice</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/14396" hreflang="en">Criminal Justice Reform</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/271" hreflang="en">Research</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div> </div> <div> </div> </div> Mon, 13 Nov 2023 21:35:35 +0000 Damian Cristodero 109741 at Building Businesses /news/2023-11/building-businesses <span>Building Businesses</span> <span><span>pchampan</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-11-08T12:48:06-05:00" title="Wednesday, November 8, 2023 - 12:48">Wed, 11/08/2023 - 12:48</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p><span class="intro-text">Entrepreneur <strong>Eman Pahlavani</strong>, BS Political Science ’09, says he found his time at Mason transformational and the social networking skills he developed as a student have been instrumental in his success as an entrepreneur.&nbsp;</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-right"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2023-11/230209600.jpg?itok=dZo1_MPv" width="373" height="560" alt="Mason alum Eman Pahlavani sits on a worktable in front of a red display wall with his company name Hungry"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Mason alum Eman Pahlavani is interested in creating purpose-driven companies that can make a positive impact.</figcaption> </figure> <p>“Attending Mason was a crash course in how to think, talk, and connect with other people,” says Pahlavani. “I was a shy person when I arrived, and I really blossomed in that environment.”&nbsp;</p> <p>Born and raised in Loudoun County, Pahlavani attended Northern Virginia Community College before transferring to Mason. After graduating, he earned a juris doctor from the University of New Hampshire Law School in 2012.</p> <p>One of his first entrepreneurial endeavors was founding LiveSafe, a personal safety mobile application that has since become a global enterprise. LiveSafe was acquired by Vector Solutions in 2020.&nbsp;</p> <p>During development of LiveSafe, Pahlavani noticed the office staff didn’t have a lot of choices for workplace lunches. With that observation, a new venture was born—HUNGRY, a tech-enabled platform for office and event catering, connecting corporate clients to talented local independent chefs.&nbsp;</p> <p>“I am a business builder at heart,” says Pahlavani, founder and chief operating officer of HUNGRY. “I identify a problem and find a business solution to solve it.”</p> <p>Launched in 2017, HUNGRY has experienced exponential growth and now serves more than 15 major markets. In response to the pandemic and the changing office landscape, HUNGRY continues to innovate and has added a number of new options, including meal delivery and virtual chef experiences. This type of growth has earned them a spot on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies two years in a row.</p> <p>For Pahlavani, it’s not just about growth, it’s also about doing good. HUNGRY donates one meal for every two meals sold to help end hunger in the United States and, working with its partner Feeding America, has contributed more than half a million meals to date.&nbsp;</p> <p>“HUNGRY is a purpose-driven company dedicated to improving the lives of everyone we touch,” he says. “Every business should have a component of good.”</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="0b35feed-5615-4bd6-9028-8a94660a975e"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://schar.gmu.edu/programs/undergraduate"> <p class="cta__title">Learn About Political Science at Mason <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </p> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="d84bff1e-2a36-40cc-b73c-681584c45a30"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://gmu.edu/admissions-aid"> <p class="cta__title">Join the Mason Nation <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </p> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="f9fd31d6-dccb-40e0-8536-276f2d08291a" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:news_list" data-inline-block-uuid="d1ffcb0a-e72c-443a-afd3-ba0f2ca56ab3" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocknews-list"> <h2>Read More Alumni Stories</h2> <div class="views-element-container"><div class="view view-news view-id-news view-display-id-block_1 js-view-dom-id-8c0f7c67efe9791901cc599fb756c31974e3b9b57b69233e09e97567c1bd7078"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="news-list-wrapper"> <ul class="news-list"> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2026-10/student-and-faculty-researchers-team-drive-societal-change" hreflang="en">Student and faculty researchers team up to drive societal change</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">October 14, 2026</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2026-08/board-visitors-elects-new-executive-committee-reviews-presidents-goals-welcomes-new" hreflang="en">Board of Visitors elects new executive committee, reviews president's goals, welcomes new provost, and announces transformative gift</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">August 3, 2026</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2026-07/during-his-long-pro-basketball-career-norwood-saw-world" hreflang="en">During his long pro basketball career, Norwood saw the world </a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">July 27, 2026</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2026-04/seehorns-star-shines-bright" hreflang="en">Seehorn’s Star Shines Bright</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">July 13, 2026</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2026-07/clock-elizabeth-martelli-throws-punches-good-cause" hreflang="en">Off the Clock: Elizabeth Martelli throws punches—for a good cause</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">July 10, 2026</div></div></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/596" hreflang="en">Schar School</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/15216" hreflang="en">Mason Spirit</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/15406" hreflang="en">Mason Square</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/17516" hreflang="en">MS Profiles</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Wed, 08 Nov 2023 17:48:06 +0000 pchampan 109666 at Hispanic and Latinx Patriots share their cultural touchstones for Hispanic Heritage Month /news/2023-10/hispanic-and-latinx-patriots-share-their-cultural-touchstones-hispanic-heritage-month <span>Hispanic and Latinx Patriots share their cultural touchstones for Hispanic Heritage Month</span> <span><span>sholla4</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-10-11T18:50:26-04:00" title="Wednesday, October 11, 2023 - 18:50">Wed, 10/11/2023 - 18:50</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p><span><span><span><span><span class="intro-text">National Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated from September 15 through October 15 each year, recognizes the contributions and influence of Hispanic and Latinx Americans to United States history, culture, and achievements. </span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>Mason enrolls and graduates the Mid-Atlantic region’s </span><a href="/hola">largest population of Hispanic and Latinx students</a><span>, and we celebrate the varied and diverse contributions of our students every day through our 90% acceptance rate, an above-average graduation rate, and more than 400 student organizations. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>Meet some of our students, faculty, and staff who represent the varied experience of Hispanic and Latinx Americans.</span></span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://go.gmu.edu/3LWxIo0" target="_blank"><img alt="Hispanic and Latinx Patriots Photo Essay via Canva. An accessible PDF is available" src="/sites/default/files/2023-10/HHM_PhotoEssay_Follow_800x450.jpg"></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="91ae9f6f-e60a-4bdd-ac22-6f305290dd92"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://mymasonportal.gmu.edu/bbcswebdav/xid-294596635_1"> <p class="cta__title">View an accessible PDF version <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </p> <span class="cta__icon"> <div class="field field--name-field-cta-icon field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Icon</div> <div class="field__item"><div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-font-awesome-icon field--type-fontawesome-icon field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Icon</div> <div class="field__item"><div class="fontawesome-icons"> <div class="fontawesome-icon"> <i class="fas fa-book-open" data-fa-transform data-fa-mask style></i> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </span> </a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="5a39a9b4-2742-470d-afe4-58d80ebce858"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="/hola"> <p class="cta__title">Conoce la Universidad 911±¬ÁÏ <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </p> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="f01bab80-1c08-4813-a90d-11766f62b840" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:news_list" data-inline-block-uuid="cc64b12e-e52b-4719-9308-a38cb0e53bab" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocknews-list"> <h2>Stories from our Hispanic and Latinx community</h2> <div class="views-element-container"><div class="view view-news view-id-news view-display-id-block_1 js-view-dom-id-1e1674cc669d22d8cd7320a02ab57456945f369dccb968f4e4b450c656565295"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="news-list-wrapper"> <ul class="news-list"> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2023-10/hispanic-and-latinx-patriots-share-their-cultural-touchstones-hispanic-heritage-month" hreflang="en">Hispanic and Latinx Patriots share their cultural touchstones for Hispanic Heritage Month</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">October 11, 2023</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2023-08/new-mason-summer-program-shows-high-school-students-value-stem-degree" hreflang="en">New Mason summer program shows high school students the value of a STEM degree</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">August 15, 2023</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2022-09/film-festival-explores-way-life-various-spanish-speaking-countries" hreflang="en">Film festival explores ‘the way of life’ in various Spanish-speaking countries </a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">September 7, 2022</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2022-07/mason-teams-dominion-energy-hacu-summer-bridge-program" hreflang="en">Mason teams with Dominion Energy, HACU for Summer Bridge Program </a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">July 27, 2022</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2021-10/hispanic-heritage-month-faculty-spotlight" hreflang="en">Hispanic Heritage Month: Faculty Spotlight</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">October 12, 2021</div></div></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="2b008c91-eb2e-4be6-bf16-c2b8744395af" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/13446" hreflang="en">Hispanic Heritage Month</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/336" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/116" hreflang="en">Campus News</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1061" hreflang="en">Costello College of Business</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/391" hreflang="en">College of Humanities and Social Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/596" hreflang="en">Schar School</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/3676" hreflang="en">INTO Mason</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/12721" hreflang="en">graduate students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/17356" hreflang="en">Strategic Direction</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div> </div> <div> </div> </div> Wed, 11 Oct 2023 22:50:26 +0000 sholla4 109081 at Wilkins Lecture offers a critical look at how to solve poverty in America /news/2023-09/wilkins-lecture-offers-critical-look-how-solve-poverty-america <span>Wilkins Lecture offers a critical look at how to solve poverty in America </span> <span><span>sbrown79</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-09-27T14:45:24-04:00" title="Wednesday, September 27, 2023 - 14:45">Wed, 09/27/2023 - 14:45</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p><span class="intro-text">911±¬ÁÏ’s annual <a href="https://chss.gmu.edu/events/14791" target="_blank">Roger Wilkins Lecture</a> is a tribute to the late Robinson Professor Emeritus of History and American Culture, and Wilkins’ daughter, Elizabeth, was on hand Tuesday, Sept. 26, at the Harris Theater to introduce this year’s guest speaker, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Matthew Desmond.</span>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <figure role="group"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2023-09/Wilkins1_600.jpg?itok=atZv7E-2" width="560" height="373" alt="Matthew Desmond sits backwards in a chair, grinning for the camera in his suit and tie."> </div> </div> <figcaption>Pulitzer Prize winner Matthew Desmond, guest speaker for the 2023 Roger Wilkins Lecture in Harris Theater. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding.</figcaption> </figure> <p>“After reading both of [Desmond’s] books, I have come away with a sense of a person whose passion for justice and whose hatred for injustice paralleled that of my dad,” she said. “Both men have relentlessly centered people—real people, disempowered people, poor people—in their work. Neither of them will let us look away.”&nbsp;</p> <p>The lecture, attended by about 325 people, featured Desmond’s latest book <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/poverty-by-america-matthew-desmond/1141679690" target="_blank" title="&quot;Poverty, by America&quot; book listing on Barnes and Noble">“Poverty, by America.”</a> Desmond spoke about his personal experiences with poverty throughout his life, his encounters with others affected by social-economic injustices such as eviction, and implementable government policies that could greatly decrease the number of families and individuals living in poverty.&nbsp;</p> <p>The lecture is sponsored by the <a href="https://ppe.gmu.edu/" target="_blank" title="Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Program">Philosophy, Politics and Economics</a> (PPE) Program, a collaborative effort between the <a href="https://schar.gmu.edu/" target="_blank" title="Schar School of Policy and Government">Schar School of Policy and Government</a> and the <a href="https://chss.gmu.edu/" target="_blank" title="College of Humanities and Social Sciences">College of Humanities and Social Sciences.</a>&nbsp;</p> <p>The final portion of the evening consisted of a Q&amp;A run by <a href="https://integrative.gmu.edu/people/wmanuels" target="_blank" title="Wendi Manuel-Scott's profile">Wendi Manuel-Scott</a>, professor of integrative studies and history, and a book signing by Desmond.</p> <p>One audience member asked whether mission-focused nonprofits and co-ops that are not focused on maximizing profits could help solve the housing problem.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Desmond said that it’s possible but challenging, and it would require federal guidance for wide implementation. He gave the example of a tenant union in Minneapolis that was trying to turn their buildings into a co-op and asked the landlord to sell them the buildings. He set the asking price at $7 million. They countered with a fair market price.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>“But [the landlord] got fed up because the tenants were also advocating, so he gave everyone an eviction notice. Everything came to a head—they were either going to be homeowners or homeless,” Desmond said. The tenants ultimately won and bought the buildings, and they are still a co-op today, he added.&nbsp;</p> <p>Another audience member asked why the top 1% don’t pay their fair share of taxes, which would go toward $175 billion estimated need to end poverty?&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>“One is the worry that if you tax affluent Americans too much, they will leave the country, so instead of having a little tax from them, we’d have none,” Desmond said. He also pointed to fears of empowering the Internal Revenue Service, an already troubled institution. “Some propose a whole new federal agency, that would essentially be a ‘making sure rich people pay their taxes’ bureau, and if you make under a certain amount, the bottom 95%, they will have absolutely nothing to do with you.”&nbsp;</p> <p>Desmond was also asked about the challenge of national rhetoric interfering with practical local problem-solving movements.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>“I think that polarization is both very frustrating and encouraging,” Desmond said. “Surveys show that most Americans think that minimum wage is too low, the rich aren’t paying their fair share of taxes, and most Democrats and Republicans believe that poverty is the result of structural failing, not a moral failing. That’s encouraging.”&nbsp;</p> <p>“The call for a robust antipoverty movement means we might disagree on gun rights or abortion, but we both want higher wages and fairer taxes,” he added. “That kind of movement is harder to make in America.”&nbsp;</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="63dae345-074e-4b09-8cb1-36308626cc67" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><figure class="quote"> <p>“Poverty isn’t simply the condition of not having enough money. It’s the condition of not having enough choice and being taken advantage of because of that.”<br><br> —Matthew Desmond</p> </figure> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:news_list" data-inline-block-uuid="5101f15b-1d9c-41a5-9da4-c007b40bf730" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocknews-list"> <h2>Related News</h2> <div class="views-element-container"><div class="view view-news view-id-news view-display-id-block_1 js-view-dom-id-52ae7c11c7dabb92376a28c0cc842b37bc720dc7169a3aad5b9206f8878778fe"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="news-list-wrapper"> <ul class="news-list"> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2023-09/wilkins-lecture-offers-critical-look-how-solve-poverty-america" hreflang="en">Wilkins Lecture offers a critical look at how to solve poverty in America </a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">September 27, 2023</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2023-09/pulitzer-winner-poverty-researcher-matthew-desmond-deliver-2023-roger-wilkins-lecture" hreflang="en">Pulitzer winner, poverty researcher Matthew Desmond to deliver 2023 Roger Wilkins Lecture</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">September 6, 2023</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2023-02/pandemic-emergency-food-benefits-end-nutrition-month-starts" hreflang="en">Pandemic emergency food benefits end as Nutrition Month starts</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">February 28, 2023</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2022-04/nyt-columnist-jamelle-bouie-examines-us-political-inequality-annual-wilkins-lecture" hreflang="en">NYT columnist Jamelle Bouie examines U.S. political inequality in annual Wilkins Lecture</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">April 6, 2022</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2022-03/nyt-columnist-jamelle-bouie-featured-speaker-years-roger-wilkins-lecture" hreflang="en">NYT columnist Jamelle Bouie is the featured speaker at this year’s Roger Wilkins Lecture</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">March 30, 2022</div></div></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/3626" hreflang="en">Wilkins Lecture</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/391" hreflang="en">College of Humanities and Social Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/596" hreflang="en">Schar School</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/14006" hreflang="en">Poverty and Inequalities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/116" hreflang="en">Campus News</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="e2165198-01cd-4312-9dd1-f5912f439127"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://robinsonprofessors.gmu.edu/the-wilkins-lecture/"> <p class="cta__title">Learn more about Roger Wilkins <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </p> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> Wed, 27 Sep 2023 18:45:24 +0000 sbrown79 108711 at Around Mason: Favorite Photos of the Year /news/2023-07/around-mason-favorite-photos-year <span>Around Mason: Favorite Photos of the Year</span> <span><span>lclarkg</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-07-27T10:27:50-04:00" title="Thursday, July 27, 2023 - 10:27">Thu, 07/27/2023 - 10:27</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="4cd9d8e0-5ebf-477e-a076-ec6cdca6f6e6"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="/about-mason/faculty-and-staff-news"> <p class="cta__title">Read more faculty and staff news <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </p> <span class="cta__icon"> <div class="field field--name-field-cta-icon field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Icon</div> <div class="field__item"><div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-font-awesome-icon field--type-fontawesome-icon field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Icon</div> <div class="field__item"><div class="fontawesome-icons"> <div class="fontawesome-icon"> <i class="fas fa-newspaper" data-fa-transform data-fa-mask style></i> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="b1397492-2b2f-49f3-8bc6-2a719fcf590e"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://photo.gmu.edu/"> <p class="cta__title">Check out the Mason photo library <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </p> <span class="cta__icon"> <div class="field field--name-field-cta-icon field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Icon</div> <div class="field__item"><div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-font-awesome-icon field--type-fontawesome-icon field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Icon</div> <div class="field__item"><div class="fontawesome-icons"> <div class="fontawesome-icon"> <i class="fas fa-video" data-fa-transform data-fa-mask style></i> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/vkirsch" hreflang="und">Vicki Kirsch, PhD, MSW, MA</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p><span class="intro-text">All year long, photographers in 911±¬ÁÏ’s <a href="https://oub.gmu.edu/">Office of University Branding</a> capture the moments that make Mason <strong>All Together Different</strong>. We asked our photographers to share their favorite photos from the 2022-23 school year.</span></p> <p><span class="intro-text">As we prepare for a new academic year, let’s look back at these recent memories—skillfully frozen in time for the Mason vault.</span></p> <hr> <h2><span><span><span><span>Ron Aira, senior photographer, Creative Services</span></span></span></span></h2> <p><span><span><span>Weather can disrupt even the best laid plans</span><span><span>. </span></span><span>But according to Ron Aira, it can also create unexpected opportunities. In Aira’s favorite photos, forces of nature created powerful results. “Without the challenges of the wind and the rain, these shots would never have happened,” Aira said.</span></span></span></p> <figure role="group"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/extra_large_content_image/public/2023-07/220923504.jpg?itok=f9EzyT1C" width="1480" height="987" alt="Mason student stands in front of the Lincoln Memorial while holding a Ukrainian flag flying in the wind over her head"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding</figcaption> </figure> <p><span><span><span>Gabriella Grabovska, a first-year student in the Schar School, came to Mason from war-torn Ukraine. Aira captured her portraits in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. </span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>“It was very windy—her hair and the flag were flying all over the place,” Aira said. “I decided to go with the wind. I told her to face the wind, think about her country, and let the flag fly, thinking about what it represents to her.” </span><a href="https://schar.gmu.edu/news/2022-10/ukrainian-freshman-joins-schar-school-community-looks-forward-whole-new-life"><span>Read more about Grabovska</span></a><span>.</span></span></span></p> <hr> <figure role="group"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/extra_large_content_image/public/2023-07/230428500.jpg?itok=HJ_KIi46" width="1480" height="987" alt="Two people stand close together under a transparent umbrella within the crowd, in front of the performance stage at Mason Day. The rain is coming down."> </div> </div> <figcaption>Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding</figcaption> </figure> <p><span><span><a href="/news/2022-04/retro-mason-mason-day"><span>Mason Day is a day of celebration and fun</span></a><span>, but Mason Day 2023 was <strong>also</strong> a day of torrential rain. Aira and his equipment were getting soaked. But he watched as Mason students still enjoyed the day, not letting the rain ruin their experience. </span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>“In the downpour, I saw a moment of peace between this couple under the umbrella,” Aira said. “It was a beautiful moment of quiet serenity, in the middle of the concert and the rain coming in sideways.” </span></span></span></p> <hr> <h2><span><span><span><span>Evan Cantwell, senior photographer, Creative Services</span></span></span></span></h2> <figure role="group"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/extra_large_content_image/public/2023-07/230413320.jpg?itok=U9TQATMP" width="1480" height="987" alt="Mason social work student stands face to face with a horse from the Project Horse Empowerment Center, tenderly petting the horse's chin."> </div> </div> <figcaption>Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding</figcaption> </figure> <p><span><span><span>“Sometimes as a photographer, I get to witness students’ ‘aha’ moments, and it was amazing to see how social work students connected with each other and horses from Project Horse Empowerment Center,” Cantwell said. </span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>Each semester, Associate Professor <a href="https://publichealth.gmu.edu/profiles/vkirsch">Vicki Kirsch</a> brings students from her advanced Trauma and Recovery course to the center to learn about the emerging field of equine assisted psychotherapy. <a href="/news/2023-06/social-work-students-connect-animals-learn-how-help-trauma-survivors">Read more about their experiences</a>.</span></span></span></p> <hr> <figure role="group"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/extra_large_content_image/public/2023-07/221013232.jpg?itok=3mtfTcYY" width="1480" height="987" alt="Students group up for a selfie with a Starship Robot that has been decorated with a Halloween decal."> </div> </div> <figcaption>Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding</figcaption> </figure> <p><span><span><span>“<span><span>We were finishing up our lifestyle photo session with students and the Office of International Programs and Services, and this robot beeped by,” Cantwell said. “This photo is also a great representation of how students from so many different countries all went to classes at Mason’s Fairfax Campus.”</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span>Pumpkinbot, part of the Starship Robot fleet, appears on campus around Halloween. Because he’s somewhat elusive, those who spot him consider themselves lucky. “I’ve heard that if you take a selfie with Pumpkinbot, all your dining wishes come true,” Cantwell said.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <hr> <h2><span><span><span><span>Cristian Torres, videographer, Strategic Communications</span></span></span></span></h2> <figure role="group"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/extra_large_content_image/public/2023-07/220921909.jpg?itok=e7qrfvXw" width="1480" height="987" alt="A student is seen between tall blades of grass in a field. She is holding an aerial net with both hands as she searches for monarch butterflies."> </div> </div> <figcaption>Photo by Cristian Torres/Office of University Branding</figcaption> </figure> <p><span><span><span>In September 2022, students from the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation‘s Wildlife Ecology and Conservation program </span><a href="/news/2022-12/conservation-students-tag-monarch-butterflies-help-save-endangered-species"><span>tagged monarch butterflies on their journey south</span></a><span> to help researchers better understand their grand migration. </span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>“This was a fun day,” Torres said. “We documented one of the different opportunities that students have in the field, capturing monarch butterflies to identify and tag them.” </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOZJ_bkcQvY"><span>Watch the video</span></a><span>.</span></span></span></p> <hr> <figure role="group"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/extra_large_content_image/public/2023-07/230210902%20.jpg?itok=FYqJBYYG" width="1480" height="987" alt="A group of students stand together on stage and pose during the Homecoming tip off party and lip sync battle"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Photo by Cristian Torres/Office of University Branding</figcaption> </figure> <p><span><span><span>Torres took photos at the Homecoming Tip Off Party in February 2023. “This was my first Homecoming at Mason,” Torres said. “I found the energy of the students celebrating together exciting. The event was full of happy faces, with everyone rooting for each other in the Lip Sync Battle.” </span><a href="/news/2023-02/fired-homecoming-2023"><span>See more photos from Homecoming events</span></a><span>.</span></span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/456" hreflang="en">Around Mason (E-Files)</a></div> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/206" hreflang="en">Faculty and Staff News</a></div> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/116" hreflang="en">Campus News</a></div> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/18366" hreflang="en">Mason Day</a></div> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6446" hreflang="en">Homecoming</a></div> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/806" hreflang="en">Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation</a></div> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1196" hreflang="en">Starship Robots</a></div> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/596" hreflang="en">Schar School</a></div> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/3031" hreflang="en">Social Work</a></div> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/17226" hreflang="en">College of Public Health</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Thu, 27 Jul 2023 14:27:50 +0000 lclarkg 106786 at Peraton awards scholarships to Honors College students with interests in national security /news/2023-06/peraton-awards-scholarships-honors-college-students-interests-national-security <span>Peraton awards scholarships to Honors College students with interests in national security</span> <span><span>sholla4</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-06-16T11:04:42-04:00" title="Friday, June 16, 2023 - 11:04">Fri, 06/16/2023 - 11:04</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><h2><span><span><span><a href="https://www.peraton.com/news/peraton-partners-with-mason-to-fuel-next-generation-workforce/"><span><span><span>Peraton</span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span>, a Virginia-based national security company, awarded 10 911±¬ÁÏ </span></span></span></span><a href="https://honorscollege.gmu.edu/"><span><span><span>Honors College</span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span> students the Stu Shea Peraton Scholarship in National Security at the Honors College’s 15th Annual Research Exhibition and Awards Ceremony.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h2> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Peraton is one of the largest employers in the Washington, D.C., region, according to the Washington Business Journal. Funded by a generous donation from the Peraton Corporation, the Stu Shea Peraton Scholarship in National Security awards each recipient up to $10,000 to provide financial support for their studies and academic enrichment.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-right"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-06/Peraton%20scholarship%20thumbnail.jpg" width="400" height="400" alt="Matt McQueen, Chief Communications and Engagement Officer at Peraton, shakes hands at the awards ceremony."> </div> </div> <figcaption>Matt McQueen, chief communications and engagement officer at Peraton, shakes hands at the awards ceremony. Photo by Honors College</figcaption> </figure> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>“As national security challenges continue to evolve, we need to tap into the full breadth and depth of our academic partnerships to meet the call,” said Stu Shea, chairman, president and CEO of Peraton. Shea spoke at Mason’s </span></span></span></span><a href="/news/2022-05/stu-shea-qa"><span><span><span>2022 Spring Commencement</span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span> and is a former member of the College of Science Advisory Board. “Students from nontraditional backgrounds bring new perspectives, fresh ideas, and unique solutions to the workforce enabling our nation to remain competitive and proactively address increasingly more complex customer mission needs.”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Mason students overall are exceptionally well-positioned to succeed in the national security work envisioned by Peraton: the university is ranked No. 9 in the world in cybersecurity and is the largest producer of tech talent among four-year higher education institutions in Virginia, as well as being the No. 1 most ethnically diverse public institution in Virginia. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Laila Salguero, Peraton’s chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer, noted that, “Mason has distinguished itself as one of the most diverse and inclusive incubators for next-generation talent in the nation.” </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>The selected Honors College students represent a breadth of majors within the </span></span></span></span><a href="https://cec.gmu.edu/"><span><span><span>College of Engineering and Computing</span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span>, </span></span></span></span><a href="https://chss.gmu.edu/"><span><span><span>College of Humanities and Social Sciences</span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span>, and </span></span></span></span><a href="https://schar.gmu.edu/"><span><span><span>Schar School for Policy and Government</span></span></span></a><span><span><span><span>. All recipients credit the Honors College’s multidisciplinary approach to learning, research, and civic engagement and the diversity of their cohorts as critical to their growth as scholars and their future success in the workplace. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2023-06/layan%20wahdan%20peraton%20scholarhisp%20in%20copy.jpg?itok=6HEtwA2B" width="350" height="350" alt="Layan Wahdan, one of the scholarship winners, holds her awards plaque."> </div> </div> <figcaption>Layan Wahdan, one of the scholarship winners, holds her award plaque.&nbsp;Photo by Honors College</figcaption> </figure> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>“The interdisciplinary Honors College courses have shaped the way I think about approaching problems in bioengineering,” said Layan Wahdan, junior bioengineering major and one of this year’s scholarship recipients. For Wahdan, the scholarship will support her in preparation for applying to medical school upon graduation. “I am confident that my studies will uniquely prepare me to help support national security.”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Aarush Sivaram Jambunathan, a junior majoring in international security and law, hopes to meaningfully contribute to national security in ways that “would not only reflect my experiences as an immigrant, but would ensure that people like me have a voice in the future of the United States.”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>“With this generous support, Peraton enables the Honors College to support the development of the next generation of leaders,” said Zofia Burr, dean of the Honors College. “These scholarships show Peraton’s commitment to helping us cultivate a diverse and inclusive community of future professionals who are ready to respond to tomorrow’s multidimensional national security challenges.”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><strong><span><span><span><span>Stu Shea Peraton Scholarship in National Security Recipients</span></span></span></span></strong></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Fariha Ali, senior, information technology </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Moneem Bhuiyan, junior, information technology</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Harshita Vivek Chaudhari, junior, cybersecurity engineering </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Dulguun Gantumur, senior, global affairs</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Rida Hasan, junior, cybersecurity engineering</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Aarush Sivaram Jambunathan, junior, international security and law</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Berk Kasimcan, junior, bioengineering</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Sebastian Rodionov, senior, government and international politics</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Layan Wahdan, senior, bioengineering</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><em><a href="https://honorscollege.gmu.edu/who-we-are/students/honors-college-awards/peraton">Learn more about the scholarship recipients here.</a>&nbsp;</em></p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/821" hreflang="en">Honors College</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/18136" hreflang="en">Honors College Award Ceremony</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/4056" hreflang="en">Scholarships</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/391" hreflang="en">College of Humanities and Social Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/596" hreflang="en">Schar School</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/3071" hreflang="en">College of Engineering and Computing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/336" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Fri, 16 Jun 2023 15:04:42 +0000 sholla4 105966 at Internships helped this Mason grad hone in on her career goals /news/2022-12/internships-helped-mason-grad-hone-her-career-goals <span>Internships helped this Mason grad hone in on her career goals</span> <span><span>ckearney</span></span> <span><time datetime="2022-12-08T12:25:23-05:00" title="Thursday, December 8, 2022 - 12:25">Thu, 12/08/2022 - 12:25</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p class="contentpasted0"><span class="intro-text">Aloana Hall knew she wanted to study and practice law. She also knew she did not want to work in juvenile defense because, as she thought, “It’s going to be so emotionally taxing.”</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-right"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2022-12/221129507.jpg" width="350" height="525" alt="headshot of Aloana Hall"> </div> </div> <figcaption>University Scholar Aloana Hall. Photo by Creative Services</figcaption> </figure> <p class="contentpasted0"><span><span><span><span><span><span>But after her experience as a legal intern at the DC Volunteer Lawyers Project, the </span></span></span><span><a href="https://schar.gmu.edu/programs/undergraduate/government-and-international-politics"><span><span>government and international politics</span></span></a></span><span><span><span> major at 911±¬ÁÏ changed her mind. Yes, working with juveniles was emotional, as she feared. “But it also is so rewarding,” she said, “and so I feel like I’m doing something good.” </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="contentpasted0"><span><span><span><span><span><span>Hall, a member of the </span></span></span><span><a href="https://honorscollege.gmu.edu/"><span><span>Honors College</span></span></a></span><span><span><span> and a </span></span></span><span><a href="https://honorscollege.gmu.edu/admissions/university-scholars"><span><span>University Scholar</span></span></a></span><span><span><span>, added to her résumé with an internship at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia. Her Honors College research project, examining the drought and climate change in the West, was an eye-opener as well.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="contentpasted0"><span><span><span><span><span><span>“I know a bit about climate change and rising sea levels because I’m from Virginia Beach, and it’s a problem,” Hall said. “It’s so strange the idea of not enough water in the West, and I’m worrying about too much water.”</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="contentpasted0"><span><span><span><strong><span><span><span>What is your best memory of Mason?</span></span></span></strong><br><br> <span><span><span>One of my favorite memories from my time at Mason is the Spring 2022 Homecoming. Despite being in the middle of winter, it was a beautiful, warm day. I usually do not stay outside much during the winter, but I participated in the outdoor tailgate. It was great to see so many people showing school spirit and see some of my older friends who returned as alumni.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="contentpasted0"><span><span><span><strong><span><span><span>How have you grown while at Mason?</span></span></span></strong><br><br> <span><span><span>I have grown by challenging myself. I pushed myself to stay engaged and take on leadership positions in various organizations on campus. I also pushed myself to apply for internships, fellowships, and jobs despite feeling inadequate and underqualified. I have grown into someone who is not afraid to go outside their comfort zone and fail at times.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="contentpasted0"><span><span><span><strong><span><span><span>What is your best piece of advice for incoming students?</span></span></span></strong><br><br> <span><span><span>I encourage incoming students to not let their college years pass them by. Most people are in college for only a few years. So, do not let great memories, relationships, and opportunities get away from you. Reach out to professors who are researching what you are interested in, start a conversation with the person sitting beside you in class, and go to the club-interest meeting even though you do not know anyone. It is easy to keep your head down, but try to push yourself.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="contentpasted0"><span><span><span><strong><span><span><span>What’s next for you?</span></span></span></strong><br><br> <span><span><span>I am in the process of applying to law school for fall 2023.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/336" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/481" hreflang="en">Graduation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/596" hreflang="en">Schar School</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/21873" hreflang="en">Internships</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/821" hreflang="en">Honors College</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1701" hreflang="en">University Scholars</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Thu, 08 Dec 2022 17:25:23 +0000 ckearney 103486 at