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Annual Mason Energy Forum

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

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

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

Hina Kazmi

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

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

Richard Kauzlarich

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

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

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

Ellen Laipson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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ODKM Workshop Explores Making AI a Teammate Rather Than a Threat

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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BS in Public Administration

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

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

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

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

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

2012 and 2015 Schar School graduate, Sen. Saddam Salim

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Sumeya Gibril: Meet the Graduating Masters Student Whose New Nonprofit Supports Survivors of Abuse

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:13:30 +0000

Sumeya Gibril: Meet the Graduating Masters Student Whose New Nonprofit Supports Survivors of Abuse Andrew J Schappert Mon, 04/06/2026 - 15:13

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Sumeya Gibril: ‘I needed an organization like mine to come in and tell me, this is what you need to do, this is how you protect yourself.’ Photos by Buzz McClain/Schar School of Policy and Government

Sumeya Gibril is working to turn her personal trauma into a way to help other women overcome their own adversity.

Sumeya Gibril: ‘I had nothing besides faith that I got this.’

The graduating master’s student in the Schar School of Policy and Government at 911�� created a nonprofit last May called the Rise Above & Be Relentless Foundation, a 501c (3) organization that assists women navigating sexual assault and domestic abuse. The support comes as short-term financial assistance, practical education, and a community built on understanding.

Gibril’s foundation is built around the help—especially financial—she didn’t have. As a survivor of domestic violence and sexual assault that began in childhood, she remembers waiting for someone to intervene. Eventually she realized, “nobody is coming to save me,” she said. “I didn’t have this foundation when I needed it.”

The inspiration for the charity, she added, “is me.”

Every other month, the organization hosts a financial literacy series, paring practical instruction with direct aid to women in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. The foundation assists women with months of utility payments, child care subsidies, and, for those with military backgrounds, legal support—terrain she knows firsthand.

As a young Army soldier, she pushed assault complaints up the chain of command all the way to Congress, she said, only to realize she was “battling the legal field of the U.S. government and the military I needed outside help. I needed an organization like mine to come in and tell me, this is what you need to do, this is how you protect yourself.”

Born in Eritrea and raised in Alexandria, Virginia, Gibril’s journey to the Schar School began at Northern Virginia Community College before transferring to 911�� and earning a Bachelor of Individualized Study degree in sustainable business in 2023. It took a while to earn the degree, she said, as she balanced studies with care for her young son who is on the autism spectrum. Managing his therapy, school, and the accompanying finances was daunting and isolating; she hopes the foundation can ease that burden for others.

The proud first-generation college student is now in her last semester in the Schar School’s Master of Global Commerce and Policy Program, which combines international relations with business to prepare graduates for a wide range of leadership positions. The program not only informs how she builds the nonprofit, but it also benefits her profession as a licensed customs broker, a position that entails the clearing of imported goods at U.S. borders.

Her studies are paying off, she said, not only in the facts and figures taught by the program’s faculty of scholars and practitioners but also in “just understanding people,” she said. “What do they want? What do they need? What’s motivating them?”

She’s also improved her writing skills at the Schar School. “I used to hate writing,” she said, “and now I love it.”

As with any nonprofit, fundraising is key. Gibril has been working with sponsors and donors and, with her board’s blessing, hosted an inaugural gala and a charity golf tournament, which called for learning the nuts and bolts of putting on a 60-player golf event.

“I had nothing besides faith that I got this,” she said of organizing her first golf tournament. That goes for much of what Gibril is creating.

The next golf tournament is September 28, 2026, in Haymarket, Virginia. Information is at the Rise Above & Be Relentless website.

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Introducing a New Minor in Lobbying and Advocacy—and Meet the Student Who Helped Create It

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 17:23:33 +0000

Introducing a New Minor in Lobbying and Advocacy—and Meet the Student Who Helped Create It Andrew J Schappert Thu, 03/12/2026 - 13:23

A new Schar School of Policy and Government undergraduate minor debuts in fall 2026: Lobbying and Advocacy is an interdisciplinary minor that develops students' understanding of policy institutions and industries, and how to influence both as a professional advocate.

Zayd Hamid: ‘It came down to building the program I wish I had access to as an undergraduate.’ Photo provided

The program, one of only two in the country and the only one in the Washington, D.C., region, will offer opportunities for experiential learning, including field projects, internships at key Washington, D.C., firms, and the 911��’s annual grassroots advocacy trip Mason Lobbies to the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond, Virginia.

The course was codeveloped by Schar School Term Professor David K. Rehr, professor of public policy and director of the Center for Business Civic Engagement, and Zayd Hamid, a master of public policy student (with an emphasis in education policy), over a multiyear process.

Rehr, a former longtime advocate for major nonprofit organizations including the National Association of Broadcasters and the National Federation of Independent Businesses, is happy to share the inspiration for the course with Hamid, who had the idea as an undergraduate in the Schar School’s public administration program.

“He drafted the outline of the minor and I adjusted it to maximize value for students from various 911�� departments whose students could benefit,” he said. Students in degree programs including business, communication, conflict analysis and resolution, environmental and sustainability studies, economics, and other fields would find lobbying skills useful.

“Given our location near Washington, D.C., the minor will be taught by a stable of top academics and practitioners, and graduates will be prepared to advocate effectively for meaningful and efficient change, even if they do not become full-time lobbyists themselves,” he said.

“The government,” Rehr added, “is increasingly becoming more involved in the activities of businesses, nonprofits, and other industries and professionals who understand the advocacy process who can provide innovative solutions will be increasingly valuable to their employers.”

David K. Rehr: ‘Given our location near Washington, D.C., the minor will be taught by a stable of top academics and practitioners, and graduates will be prepared to advocate effectively for meaningful and efficient change …’

For Hamid, the minor is personal. As the Honors College student's graduation approached in spring 2024, the proudly first-generation college student began thinking less about what he had accomplished as a student and more about what he would leave behind.

His college accomplishments were substantial, among them, discovering advocacy through Mason Lobbies, serving as a panelist for a congressional staff briefing on financial aid, and being named the inaugural National Institute for Lobbying and Ethics Student Advocate of the Year, an award he dedicated to Rehr.

“The nexus between all those pivotal moments in my undergraduate years was taking Dr. Rehr’s GOVT 318 Interest Groups, Lobbying, and the Political Process class,” Hamid said. “I am a direct product of the wisdom and industry insights he shared with me and of the mentorship and support he’s given me over the years…. His class and Mason Lobbies shaped the trajectory of my undergraduate experience, cultivating my interest in policy into a passion for education advocacy.”

As he considered what he could leave as a legacy, the answer became clear: “It came down to building the program I wish I had access to as an undergraduate,” he said.

Hamid, who is a graduate professional assistant with 911��’s University Life, is cochair of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia Student Advisory Committee, the commonwealth’s coordinating agency for higher education. That latter role, alongside his previous experience as the student representative on the education integrity advisory Mason Core Committee, accustomed him to academic program policies at a state and institutional level. This positioned him to support his and Rehr's proposal through 911��'s internal processes, culminating in a final vote by the Undergraduate Council in December, clearing the way for inclusion in the catalog in fall 2026

The proposal’s review was expedited and streamlined amid political shifts in Washington, which, to Hamid’s mind, created opportunities for employment for graduates.

“Federal furloughs and a changing Washington, D.C, policy landscape have resulted in more students exploring careers outside of—but adjacent to—Congress and the White House,” he said. “So, this minor also helps the Schar School meet the moment and respond to a shifting job market.”

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Four Schar School Student-Athletes Score Provost Awards—and Not for the First Time

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 21:35:57 +0000

Four Schar School Student-Athletes Score Provost Awards—and Not for the First Time Andrew J Schappert Mon, 03/02/2026 - 16:35

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Four Schar School of Policy and Government student-athletes were among the 78 from 911�� athletics who received the 2026 Peter N. Stearns Provost Scholar-Athlete Award in February. All four were awarded the distinction multiple times in their Schar School careers.

Two-Time Winners

June Johnson, the coxswain on the women’s rowing team, is a senior graduating after three years in the international security and law program. She is from Warrenton, Virginia.

June Johnson, women’s rowing, poses with her award with Interim Provost and Executive Vice President Ajay Vinzé, left, and Assistant Vice President and Director of Athletics Marvin Lewis, right.

“For me, balancing my academic and athletic schedule comes down to intentional planning and centering in purpose,” she said. “It’s also about gravitating toward things you enjoy—take classes that genuinely interest you and try every new opportunity till you find something you can’t imagine putting down.

“I love my school, my team, and what I do. Because of that, I’m always excited to work hard to elevate my community and go the extra step.”

For new and prospective students weighing options, she said, “I like the saying ‘If not now, then when? If not you, then who?’ Every day is a new opportunity and it’s always important to center in the value and reward of taking chances and putting in the effort to reach your goals.”

Learn more about Johnson’s journey in the story, ”Balancing Oars and Advocacy.”

Carly Passaro, who plays defense on the women’s soccer team, is a GVIP junior from Farmington, Connecticut.

Carly Passaro, women’s soccer

“Managing an elite athletic career with successful academic performance requires discipline and consistent effort,” she said. “Striving to perform at the highest level possible in every aspect of my life is what continually motivates me to push myself.”

Three-Time Winners

GVIP 2025 graduate Kaitlyn Bestick, a goalkeeper on the women’s lacrosse team, is a current student in the Master of Political Science program from Fredericksburg, Virginia. She will finish her Bachelor’s to Accelerated Master’s (BAM) degree program in May.

Kaitlyn Bestick, women’s lacrosse

“Managing an academic and athletic career as intense as this one, it has been a collection of leaning on the people around me,” she said.

“The connection between the athletic and academic staff allows for a seamless transition from student-to-athlete and is without a doubt the reason I have been able to be successful.

“The lacrosse team specifically places a high emphasis on our academic success—the time set aside, and the consistent support, from our coaches makes managing this intensity much easier.”

Catilin Cardin is a team leader in co-ed cheerleading and a government and international politics (GVIP) senior from Tolland, Connecticut.

Caitlin Cardin, co-ed cheerleading

“I manage both cheerleading and academics by utilizing time-management skills and setting aside specific times throughout my day to complete my schoolwork,” she said, offering good advice for any student. “I structure my days, assigning time for my schoolwork, my job, my personal life, and my sport. While it is not easy, it is certainly achievable if you stay focused and determined.”

The Provost Scholar-Athlete Award was established in 2009 by then-Provost Peter N. Stearns to recognize student-athletes who have earned at least 38 credit hours at 911�� and achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 or higher.

“This award represents the very best of what it means to be a 911�� student-athlete,” said Assistant Vice President and Director of Athletics Marvin Lewis at the award ceremony. “Tonight is not just about athletic talent—it's about discipline, curiosity, leadership, and the mindset required to bring your best in every arena.

“Keep working hard. Keep pushing forward. And keep inspiring the people around you—because you are the standard.”

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Technology Management MS Program

The full study can be seen at this webpage.

Poverty vs. Wealth: New Study Shows Biggest Buyers and Sellers of Illicit Kidneys

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 17:55:50 +0000

Poverty vs. Wealth: New Study Shows Biggest Buyers and Sellers of Illicit Kidneys Andrew J Schappert Wed, 02/25/2026 - 12:55

The study created a map of countries playing significant roles in the buying and selling of illicit kidneys.

An international team of researchers from 911��, Harvard University, and the University of Tokyo have used artificial intelligence to map the global underground market for illegal kidney transplants, finding that the United States consistently ranks among the world’s largest illicit importers.

The Schar School’s Naoru Koizumi led the international team that studied the illicit kidney trade.

The study, led by Naoru Koizumi, a professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government, and Schar School colleagues Olzhas Zhorayev, Zifu Wang, and Meng-Hao Li, as well as Chaowei Yang, a professor in the Department of Geography and Geoinformation Science in the College of Science.

The study appears in the International Journal of Health Geographics.

Illegal organ trafficking is widely viewed by health experts as a major but poorly measured global crisis. More than 840 million people worldwide live with chronic kidney disease, and demand for transplants far exceeds supply. On average, only about 13.5 kidney transplants occur for every 255 patients who need one, according to the study. Long waiting times—sometimes up to five years—contribute to roughly seven percent of patients dying or leaving transplant lists annually.

To better understand the hidden market, the researchers analyzed more than 50,000 news articles published over 23 years. Using large language models and retrieval-augmented generation, they built what they describe as the first global, geospatial database of illegal kidney trafficking. The system identifies reported cases and assigns roles such as seller, buyer, broker and surgery location, while also tracing financial flows.

Their analysis reveals a stark global pattern. Kidney sellers most often come from lower-income or vulnerable countries including India, China, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Nigeria. Buyers, by contrast, are concentrated in wealthier nations—notably Israel, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany.

Illegal transplant surgeries most frequently occur in India, Pakistan, China, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Thailand, and Egypt, the researchers found. Brokers often operate in the same countries as sellers but also appear commonly in Western countries.

The network is fluid: About half of the countries playing major roles shift each decade due to factors such as conflict, legal changes, enforcement intensity, and corruption. One pattern, however, has remained consistent: Over the past two decades, the United States has stayed among the top three illicit kidney buyer countries, accounting for more than 7% of documented cases.

Unlike some countries that rely on narrow supply channels, U.S.-linked cases connect to a wide range of supplier nations, including Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and India—a pattern the researchers say points to structural demand pressures within wealthy health systems.

Financial data extracted in the study underscore the imbalance in the illicit market. Buyers typically pay between $50,000 and $120,000 for a kidney, while sellers often receive less than 10% of that amount. Most profits flow to brokers and organizers.

The authors say the new database enables systematic cross-country analysis that was previously impossible because evidence was fragmented and often limited to small regional studies. Future research will examine how illegal kidney prices and trafficking patterns relate to income levels, inequality, legal frameworks, and health care access.

More broadly, the researchers argue their work demonstrates how artificial intelligence can expose hidden global systems by converting scattered media reports into structured data. They say the findings could help policymakers target enforcement, strengthen international cooperation and better protect vulnerable populations.

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In This Story

Naoru Koizumi

Topics

Research

Illicit Trade