Schar School News August 2021

What Were We Thinking? Selected Schar School Op-Eds (August 2021)

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 30 Aug 2021 16:54:11 +0000

What Were We Thinking? Selected Schar School Op-Eds (August 2021) Andrew J Schappert Mon, 08/30/2021 - 12:54

In This Story

From the New York Times:

What the ‘Majority Minority’ Shift Really Means for America

Stoking fears of white decline reinforces the myth that this whiteness always included all who now identify with it — as if the Irish had never been demonized, as if Italians had never endured discrimination, as if Jews had never been excluded. Through a historical lens, being white in America today is like belonging to a once-exclusive social club that had to loosen its membership criteria to stay afloat.

—Justin Gest

From CNN:

The Census Shows the GOP Base is Shrinking Fast. So Why Does Its Power Seem So Secure?

The diversification of America is unquestionable. But because the US population is moving into regions where the GOP continues to hold control, Republicans will be able to delay and minimize the political representation of ethnic minorities -- at least until 2030.

—Justin Gest

From Asia Times:

Why Afghanistan’s Security Forces Collapsed So Quickly

At the pivotal turning point in 2014, U.S. experts estimated that half of the recruits to the armed forces were illiterate. The U.S. had to launch a program to teach reading and writing to the troops before it could address other essential skills for the defense of the country.

—Ellen Laipson

From the Hill:

After the Fall of Kabul, Will There Be More Islamist Revolutions?

This does not bode well.

—Mark N. Katz

From the Washington Post:

Virginia Is the Proving Ground for the GOP’s ‘Big Lie’ and Anti-Vaccine Platforms

If Youngkin doesn’t somehow get off this Trump crazy train, he likely will be consigning the whole Virginia GOP ticket to yet another crushing defeat.

—Mark J. Rozell

From the Cipher Brief:

Remembering a True Leader Through CIA Crisis and Controversy

Were aspects of the program unpleasant? Of course, John has said so, in fact describing some of the techniques as “terrifying,” But he also has reminded us of the tenor of the times—no one in America—the President, Congress, the American people—would forgive CIA if it hadn’t done everything within the law to prevent another 9/11-style attack from happening. Period.

—Gen. Michael V. Hayden

From Inkstick Media:

The Coming Tsunami of Illicit Antiquities from Afghanistan

As Islamist extremists, they place no value on preserving their country’s long pre-Islamic past. They are all too happy to facilitate and profit from the illicit export of Afghanistan’s rich archaeological resources. Their fundamental position, demonstrated in March of 2001 when they blew up the Bamiyan Buddhas, is that the largest remains of pre-Islamic culture in Afghanistan should be destroyed in place, while smaller artifacts, such as statues, coins, jewelry, and ceramics should be sold to foreigners to raise funds.

—Louise Shelley and Ambassador Michael Gfoeller

Political Violence at a Glance:

Can the Taliban Stabilize Afghanistan?

In fact, in a forthcoming study, I find that in over half of rebel victories, new governments collapse into infighting, are overtaken by military coup d’états, or suffer major defections by ex-rebel soldiers.

—Philip A. Martin

From Bloomberg Tax:

Misperceptions About the Social Security Earnings Test Need to Be Corrected

The earnings test appears to impose a severe penalty on Social Security recipients who continue to work by adding a 50% tax to the other taxes they already face on their wages. However, the reality is quite different.

—Sita Slavov and Alan Viard

From Defense One:

Taiwan Wants Paladins. Congress Should Say No

Paladins are a bad idea. They are outdated, based on a design that dates back to the Vietnam War. They are also expensive. Taiwan will spend $750 million on 40 howitzers. That is before training, maintenance, and ammunition costs are factored in. Worst of all, Paladins will be sitting ducks in a shooting war.

—Michael Hunzeker and PhD Student Brian Davis

From Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists:

Why the FDA Should Quickly Authorize Kids’ COVID-19 Vaccines

Raising a vaccine’s safety bar much higher for children’s vaccines doesn’t correspond to the intent of a policy based on risk-benefit analysis; the United States is missing the chance at a timely pandemic response when it comes to quickly authorizing pediatric vaccines.

—HyunJung Kim (PhD ’20)

From the Hill:

Cuomo Dynasty Ends; Search for ‘Tough Liberal’ Persists

Andrew Cuomo defied his base by defending abusive behavior that is no longer tolerated. Cuomo tried to challenge the believability of his accusers. But they turned out to be tougher than he is.

—Bill Schneider

From Lawfare:

Afghanistan, Policy Choices, and Claims of Intelligence Failure

But the reality is we lack reliable answers to many—most, in fact—of these questions. Some of them may only be known, if ever, after 40 more years—when the printed President’s Daily Briefs from this presidential term are declassified (assuming that a practice established in the Obama administration for declassifying PDBs continues). Even then, unless and until Joe Biden opens his mind and soul, we are unlikely to understand if he internalized the core judgments in any intelligence documents or briefings.

—David Priess

From Sam Magazine (Finland):

The Real News Story from America

Contrary to what news reports might lead one to believe, the gap between the political parties today is quite modest.

—Ed Rhodes

From American City and County:

Is It Finally Time to Acknowledge Broadband as a Utility?

This advocacy was successful in that today there are currently 18 states with restrictive legislation against municipal broadband networks in the United States. At one point there were as many as 21. What has changed however is that since 2003, the significance of broadband in everyday life has increased exponentially, and the pandemic only magnified the issue with too many Americans having been left out of the digital evolution.

—Alan Shark

From the Taipei Times:

Comparisons to Afghanistan Fail

The Chinese side will continue its bluster and intimidation, attempting to capitalize on Afghanistan’s fall and painting the US as a declining power. Yes, the U.S. is reducing its footprint in the Middle East, but the stated purpose is specifically to focus better on new threats posed by state actors such as China and Russia.

—Gerrit van der Weiss

From the National Interest:

The Collapse of Afghanistan Could Mean Trouble for America’s Enemies

But while there will be many who engage in recriminations over what went wrong and whether a better outcome could have been achieved, Washington will have to deal with the situation that emerges no matter how undesirable it is. The likelihood that conflict will develop between the Taliban and other U.S. adversaries may present opportunities that the United States can take advantage of. But it can only do so if it recognizes both the opportunities and the dangers of navigating conflicts between U.S. adversaries.

—Mark N. Katz

From the Washington Post:

Virginia Women May Be the Key Voters in November

Though Virginia will be a first test of how malignant Trump’s legacy remains now that he is out of the White House, it will also be a barometer of whether Cuomo’s fall, brought on by his alleged sexual harassment of female subordinates, weakens women’s support for Democrats generally.

—Mark J. Rozell

Topics

Op-Eds

News

Faculty

Schar School News August 2021

‘Civility and Kindness’: Mason, Schar School Welcomes New Students

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 15:03:43 +0000

‘Civility and Kindness’: Mason, Schar School Welcomes New Students Andrew J Schappert Wed, 08/25/2021 - 11:03

In This Story

Jennifer N. Victor

Gregory Washington

Schar School Associate Professor Jennifer N. Victor: ‘Simple acts of every day kindness can bolster democracy…’ Photos by Buzz McClain/Schar School of Policy and Government

��AV President Gregory Washington and a host of Mason student, faculty, and staff representatives welcomed the largest incoming class in the university’s history—more than 4,000 of them—at two convocations held at EagleBank Arena on Friday, August 20, challenging the newest Patriots to push themselves academically, get involved on campus, and prepare to tackle the grand challenges of our time.

With the nation’s No. 1 pep band, the Green Machine, under the direction of Mason music professor Doc Nix adding a head-bobbing soundtrack to the ceremonies, tThe university welcomed new underclassman—including second-year students who were pandemically locked out of an in-person event last year—to the campus community with words of wisdom and encouragement.

In addition to remarks by Washington, Mason provost Mark Ginsberg, and others, the key-note speaker was Schar School of Policy and Government’s associate professor Jennifer N. Victor, whose message about civility in modern times was simple, succinct, and certainly impactful.

“The threats to U.S. democracy that we’ve seen in recent years are to some extent a symptom of a breakdown of the social contract that we implicitly agree to,” she told the audience. “That contract demands that we take care of one another, share public resources, create public resources for all to share, accept losses, and help pick one another up when we fall. But if it’s that contract that’s at risk, then there is one simple way to fortify it. Kindness!

“Simple acts of every day kindness can bolster democracy. The reason they can is because they strengthen the bonds of community between individuals, which improves each person’s personal sense of democracy,” Victor said.

She explained to the new students that her research in social networking has revealed that political rivals are more likely to cooperate when the connections between them are voluntary and sustained over time. Being kind helps to ensure that they are.

Victor said that even the smallest actions can help foster these connections. To demonstrate, she gave President Washington a Schar School hat as a gift, which he promptly donned.

Washington spoke to the students about the challenges the world is facing. It is an age of unprecedented change, he suggested, which also means unprecedented unknowns. It is an era where the climate lends its hand to natural disasters, and pandemics become global crises in a matter of months. It is an era where kindness can go a long way.

“The idea is that we got a little bit of time to prepare you to deal with [the world’s challenges],” he said. “And I contend to you that we are the right place to do this.”

Mason is the largest and most diverse public university in Virginia, and the freshman class bears that out, with more than 4,000 students, 56% of whom are non-white, both all-time highs. This is also the largest group of new students, counting undergraduate, graduate and law students, to ever enroll at Mason.

Mason President Washington sports his new Schar School chapeau.

Topics

Faculty

Events

Schar School News August 2021

Meet the Government Major Who Is Student Body President: Natalia Kanos

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 23 Aug 2021 17:25:32 +0000

Meet the Government Major Who Is Student Body President: Natalia Kanos Andrew J Schappert Mon, 08/23/2021 - 13:25

Student body president Natalia Kanos: ‘A university exists because of students, and I want to make sure that students are heard and represented.’ Photo by Shelby Burgess/Creative Services

Natalia Kanos, the president of the ��AV student body, is motivated by more than good grades, good degrees, and a good job. The Schar School Government and International Politics major—with a second major in conflict analysis and resolution—draws inspiration from vivid personal experience.

“Growing up in Nigeria and experiencing ineffective government and violence pushed me towards [majors in] GVIP and conflict analysis as these degrees are exactly what I need to succeed in my path,” said Kanos, a senior.

Her journey from Nigeria to Mason was not easy, Kanos said, but one motivated by determination and drive to create positive change in the world.

“Being interested in politics, I knew being as close to [Washington, D.C.] would give me the knowledge and experience I need. My goal is to help developing countries in Africa. I want to help advise leaders to create policy that will positively help its citizens.”

Now, Kanos has risen to the highest position in Mason’s student government and says she is proud of representing the student body and is passionate about enacting change on campus—and beyond—throughout her term as President.

“I want to make sure that every individual has the tool, environment, and support they need to succeed and develop as an individual,” she said. “A university exists because of students, and I want to make sure that students are heard and represented.”

Kanos’ proudest accomplishments to date are successfully running a rigorous election campaign and the student-oriented programs she has enacted since being elected, including a menstrual pilot program that will provide free menstrual products on campus beginning this fall.

Kanos has also worked as a research assistant at the Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation in the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Reconciliation and has served on the Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force as part of the Training and Development Committee.

After graduation, Kanos plans to continue her education to pursue graduate school while using the tools she has been taught in her undergraduate classes.

“These experiences have given me the knowledge, confidence and skill needed to walk in the right path,” she said. “It's given me what I need to be a well-rounded individual and to become a major force within the realm of government and international politics.”

Topics

Natalia Kanos

Schar School News August 2021

Skincare Entrepreneur Hiwot Yohannes: ‘The Schar School Empowered Me on Many Levels’

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 18 Aug 2021 13:01:51 +0000

Skincare Entrepreneur Hiwot Yohannes: ‘The Schar School Empowered Me on Many Levels’ Andrew J Schappert Wed, 08/18/2021 - 09:01

Alumna and skincare entrepreneur Hiwot Yohannes

Pharmacist and entrepreneur Hiwot Yohannes: ‘The Schar School has empowered me on many levels that I'm just forever grateful for.’

There’s an ancient adage in business: “Find a niche and fill it.” Schar School of Policy and Government alumna Hiwot Yohannes has done just that. And her niche is global.

“It’s really an accepted norm in the [skincare] industry that products that are marketed to skin of color are inferior in quality,” said Yohannes, an Ethiopian-born pharmacist who moved to the United States seven years ago. “I have traveled around the world, and I have walked into many beauty stores, department stores, and pharmacies, but I could not for the life of me find products that I was comfortable and excited to use.”

She turned her dismay into an opportunity. After four years of research, she started the New York-based Askalite Formula skincare company, dedicated, she said, “to developing effective and clean skincare products specifically for skin of color.”

In order to take her company and concept global, she needed know-how. To achieve that, Yohannes enrolled in the Master's in International Commerce and Policy (ICP) program at the Schar School of Policy and Government at ��AV, graduating in 2019. She also earned a certificate in Mason’s Global Health and Security program.

She credits Mason’s off-campus involvement with startup businesses with as the impetus to getting her company off the ground. In fact, “my first address was the Mason Community Business Partnership, which I wouldn't have known about if I wasn't a Mason student, or if I didn't have an extensive network of people,” she said. “As an immigrant, there's this information gap. So, the program just set me up to be up and running and begin pursuing my dream.”

While Askalite is based in New York, the products are manufactured in France where Yohannes found clinical testing for safety more rigorous than in the U.S.

“I have made sure that everything that goes into, literally, every piece of every ingredient that we use is clean—what we call squeaky clean. It's beyond the standard,” she said.

Yohannes credits her Schar School education for enabling her to manage such a process, including sourcing ingredients from around the world and ensuring stringent testing of products made on the other side of the Atlantic.

Coming to the Schar School from Ethiopia, where Yohannes says occupations are generally predetermined, she felt she could branch out from a traditional pharmacy career.

“When I came to the U.S., I had a clean slate. I could take my life wherever I wanted it,” she said. “And I didn't want that to be in retail pharmacy. So, I used the skill sets from the pharma space to solve the glaring problem I noticed. So that's why I felt that the Schar School’s International Commerce and Policy program was so unique and great for what I envisioned my future to be.”

She learned what she needed to know after all.

“It was life changing,” Yohannes said of the Mason experience. “The ICP was an eye-opener. The program has given me the tools that I need to navigate the country as well as the business platforms that are available.”

Now that Askalite has launched, Yohannes believes she’s well prepared for the next step in her success.

“I'm confident in being able to drive the business all the way [to the top], without a consultant or anybody because of the courses and the faculty,” Yohannes said. “The Schar School has empowered me on many levels that I'm just forever grateful for.”

Yohannes: ‘[T]he [ICP] program just set me up to be up and running and begin pursuing my dream.”

Topics

Alumni

Business

International Commerce and Policy

Hiwot Yohannes

Schar School News August 2021

Five key factors contributed to the Taliban’s ability to seize power in Kabul, Mason professor says

Colleen Rich — Tue, 17 Aug 2021 19:29:59 +0000

Five key factors contributed to the Taliban’s ability to seize power in Kabul, Mason professor says Colleen Rich Tue, 08/17/2021 - 15:29

In This Story

Ellen Laipson

As the government in Afghanistan collapsed and the Taliban seized power on the heels of the American exit from the country, Ellen Laipson, former vice chair of the U.S. National Intelligence Council and director of the international security program at the Schar School of Policy and Government, gave her assessment of the situation in an opinion piece for Asia Times. This tip sheet is adapted from that column.

“First is the political context, dating from the very beginning of the post-9/11 invasion,” Laipson, said. “Because the U.S. relied on the Northern Alliance to oust the Taliban from power in 2001, the old warlord system of regional militia and power centers was never dismantled.” This impeded both the creation of a more democratic system, and the establishment of a new security culture that would imbue Western-trained national-security forces with necessary power and prestige, she said.

“Second is the reality of the human capital available to create a modern security sector…. At the pivotal turning point in 2014, U.S. experts estimated that half of the recruits to the armed forces were illiterate.” Before the United States could address essential skills for the defense of Afghanistan, they had to teach reading and writing to troops, with the goal of bringing them to a third-grade vocabulary level. Before an automated payment system was established, “soldiers would routinely leave their posts after payday and walk to their villages to provide their meager pay to their families,” which would often mean they were gone for long periods before returning to training.

“Third are the shortcomings of the political system that evolved through contested elections and failures to confront corruption and mismanagement. Former president Ashraf Ghani, who fled the country on Sunday, failed to inspire Afghans,” Laipson said. Even though national leaders publicly embraced the World Bank and development theories, that was not enough to overcome the country’s socio-economic realities.

“A related fourth factor is captured in Biden’s exasperation with the Ghani administration and its military leaders: Where is the political will to fight?” Laipson said. Without the will, the equipment and training provided by the U.S. could only go so far, she said.

“And last but not least is the hubris of the outside players who believed their own rhetoric about the desire and the ability of the Afghans to emulate the models of a national, integrated military force that would be apolitical and loyal to the nation,” Laipson said.

For more, contact Communications Manager Buzz McClain at bmcclai2@gmu.edu.

About the Schar School

The Schar School of Policy and Government is one of the 10 schools and colleges of ��AV, with approximately 2,000 students, 90 full-time faculty members, and 23 degree and certificate programs offered on Mason’s campuses in Fairfax and Arlington, Va. Among the degree programs are government and international affairs, public policy, public administration, political science, international security, and international commerce and policy. The Schar School prepares undergraduate and graduate students to be leaders and managers who solve problems and advance the public good in all sectors and levels of government—in the United States and throughout the world.

Topics

Tip Sheet

Afghanistan

Schar School of Policy and Government

International Security

Campus News

Schar School News August 2021

National Institute of Justice Adopts New ‘Risk & Needs Assessment’ Guidelines Co-Authored by Faye Taxman

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 17:15:32 +0000

National Institute of Justice Adopts New ‘Risk & Needs Assessment’ Guidelines Co-Authored by Faye Taxman Andrew J Schappert Thu, 08/12/2021 - 13:15

ACE! director Faye Taxman

New guidelines that address the “core function in the criminal justice system” were published this summer by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs and the National Institute of Justice.

The guidelines were created by a team of corrections scholars, including the Schar School of Policy and Government’s Faye Taxman, a University Professor and director of the Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence (ACE!). Kristofer Bret Bucklen of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections and Grant Duwe of the Minnesota Departments of Corrections, along with Taxman, drafted the “Guidelines for Post-Sentencing Risk Assessment,” a study that examines the “risk and needs assessment” (RNA) instruments used by those in corrections settings for post-sentencing decision-making.

“Risk and needs assessments serve a core function in the criminal justice system,” said Jennifer Scherer, the acting director of the National Institute of Justice in Washington, D.C. “The principles that are the focus of this paper—fairness, efficiency, effectiveness, and communication—reflect a critical need to develop and implement innovative risk assessments to improve the prediction of risk.

“Guided by these principles, the checklist developed by this expert team will assist criminal justice practitioners in producing data-driven risk and needs assessments.”

The new guidelines are important as the results of RNA examinations affect rehabilitation, probation, sentencing, pretrial detention, presentencing decisions, and supportive and therapeutic treatment for those in incarceration scenarios.

“Once someone has been convicted and sentenced for a crime, corrections agencies use risk and need assessment tools to identify how likely that person is to commit another crime or violate the rules of prison, jail, or community supervision,” said a review of the researchers work published separately by the National Institute of Justice. “Correctional authorities use RNA instruments to guide decisions about programming, support, and restrictions that are intended to enhance public safety and make better use of scarce resources.”

For her part, Taxman did her Rutgers University PhD dissertation on RNA, has been consistently studying RNA, and specializes in the design and implementation of RNA, as well as analyzing data to generate evidence or to examine the effectiveness of new systems and methods to reduce recidivism.

See Taxman’s RNR Simulation Tool at www.gmuace.org/tools to see how to apply RNA to target individuals to appropriate programs and services.

Topics

Research

Criminal Justice

ACE!

Schar School News August 2021

Fulbright Researcher Jennifer Oreta Joins Schar School’s TraCCC

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 11 Aug 2021 20:46:24 +0000

Fulbright Researcher Jennifer Oreta Joins Schar School’s TraCCC Andrew J Schappert Wed, 08/11/2021 - 16:46

In This Story

Louise I. Shelley

Jennifer Oreta: ‘I want to look into the efforts and the reforms done in the security sector…’

Jennifer Oreta had heard of the Schar School of Policy and Government’s Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC) even on the other side of the world in her native country of the Philippines. When Oreta applied to and was awarded a Fulbright scholarship for research, the Schar School was her first choice.

“I was looking for a university where there is a program on terrorism and anti-terrorism,” Oreta said. “And the track record of TraCCC is very solid when it comes to anti-corruption and anti-terrorism.”

Terrorism, Oreta notes, is a major problem in her home country.

“Terrorism is a major challenge when it comes to security, therefore it is really necessary for countries that are allied and working together be more synchronized and harmonious in their anti-terrorism operations,” Oreta explained. “I want to look into the efforts and the reforms done in the security sector—meaning the military, the police, the intelligence bodies of the countries that are allied together: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and the U.S. The U.S. is a major partner when it comes to issues of anti-terrorism.”

Oreta aims to use her research with TraCCC, led by founding director Louise Shelley, to help guide policy in the Southeast Asia region. She also hopes to submit her findings to regional partners.

“I want to make policy recommendations to the Philippine government on how we can further improve our cooperation with other Southeast Asian countries,” she said.

Additional reporting by Buzz McClain.

Topics

Terrorism

Research

Schar School News August 2021

Fulbright

Transnational Crime and Corruption Center

Thys van Schaik Retires After 25 Years at Mason, the Schar School

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 11 Aug 2021 19:23:26 +0000

Thys van Schaik Retires After 25 Years at Mason, the Schar School Andrew J Schappert Wed, 08/11/2021 - 15:23

Thys van Schaik

Matthys van Schaik came to ��AV in 1996 after earning a PhD in international studies and a master’s degree in library and information science, both from the University of South Carolina. He was drawn to Mason after seeing an ad for a position for an international affairs librarian and instructor. “It was actually the most perfect thing in the whole world,” the South Africa native said. “You could imagine the job description was written for me. And that was my stroke of luck in life.”

His joining the Mason faculty also proved fortuitous for the Schar School of Policy and Government as van Schaik—known to all as “Thys” (pronounced “teas”)—worked his way into The Institute of Public Policy (TIPP), a budding entity which became Mason’s School of Public Policy, now known as the Schar School, where he eventually became associate dean for academic affairs. He retired from the position this summer after 25 years at Mason.

Thys would never admit it, but his dedicated efforts have been instrumental in the advancement of the Schar School, particularly in designing new programs and services. He expects the school to remain the nimble, progressive-minded institution it has become. “From my point of view, we have built a strong academic and administrative operation, and I hope that will continue,” he said.

Travel, when it’s freely permitted again, is among his future plans, but for now Thys plans to play more piano and continue sharpening his skills in the kitchen and in the garden. “And I hope to do some volunteer teaching English as a second language, and volunteering in other ways,” he added.

Topics

Faculty

Retirement

Schar School News August 2021

Incoming Freshmen’s Visit to Washington Landmarks Highlight Quill Camp: Republic

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 11 Aug 2021 13:58:57 +0000

Incoming Freshmen’s Visit to Washington Landmarks Highlight Quill Camp: Republic Andrew J Schappert Wed, 08/11/2021 - 09:58

At the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C.’s West Potomac Park. Photos by Ron Aira/Creative Services

The second Quill Camp season brought together dozens of incoming students for multiday, extended orientation activities designed to immerse freshmen with college life and familiarize them with new surroundings as they embark on their academic careers at ��AV.

The idea, say the camp organizers at Mason’s Office of New Student and Family Programs, is to help new students discover friends, make connections, find mentors, meet faculty and staff members, and learn their way around the Mason campuses ahead of the stimulating rush of “regular” orientation. The students, many of them from distant home towns, selected their camp from six themes, choosing the most appropriate for their individual interests.

Quill Camp: True Crime was an immersive experience into criminal justice (including observing mock crime scenes and criminal trials); the Vision camp offered students a chance to explore leadership and service opportunities in Northern Virginia; Sneak Peak offered night-cycling and base-camping outings; and Project Peak, taking place August 15-18, takes students into the wild for a four-day, three-night camping/canoeing/multisport excursion (registration is full).

University photographer Ron Aira traveled in mid-July with the 20 participants in Quill Camp: Republic to capture in images their adventure to the landmarks of Washington, D.C. The students, many of them majoring in undergraduate courses taught by professors in the Schar School of Policy and Government, received a condensed tutorial in how national, state, and local governments function, in addition to visiting the international landmarks.

The familiar dome and columns of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial loom in the distance over the Tidal Basin.

Quill Camp: Republic counselors Rebecca Boyd, left, and Angele Cipriotti share a laugh from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial with the Washington Monument in the background.

Quill Camp participants pose in front of one of the most iconic statues in the world, Daniel Chester French’s Abraham Lincoln. The statue was dedicated in 1922.

New Student and Family Programs’ Jade Durant calls the campers back to the bus for the return trip to the Fairfax Campus.

Topics

Undergraduates

Quill Camp

Schar School News August 2021

John S. Earle Named University Professor by Mason Board of Visitors

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 09 Aug 2021 14:14:03 +0000

John S. Earle Named University Professor by Mason Board of Visitors Andrew J Schappert Mon, 08/09/2021 - 10:14

In This Story

John S. Earle

Mark J. Rozell

University Professor John S. Earle

Schar School of Policy and Government professor John S. Earle has been named a ��AV Professor in recognition of his national and international accomplishments in public policy research. His status as University Professor was approved by a resolution of the Mason Board of Visitors in late July.

Earle, who joined Mason in 2010, is the director of the Center for Micro-Economic Policy Research, which hosts weekly Micro-Economic Policy Seminars that bring prestigious speakers in the field to deliver policy-relevant research to students and faculty, not only from the Schar School, but also from several other universities and Mason departments. He also serves as the director of the Schar School’s PhD in Public Policy program.

Earle earned his PhD in economics from Stanford University and undergraduate degrees from Oberlin College and Conservatory. His main research interests include labor, development, and institutions, including topics such as employment policies, financial constraints, political economy, firm dynamics, productivity, post-communist transition, inequality, and entrepreneurship. Much of his research uses large, firm-level databases from the U.S. and other countries, and he has pioneered cross-country comparative studies of such data.

Earle’s accolades include election as president of the Association for Comparative Economic Studies, a Fulbright scholarship, and a National Science Graduate Fellowship. His research won the 2011 Abram Bergson Prize for “Best Paper in Comparative Economic Studies” for his paper “Did Post-Communist Privatization Increase Mortality?” In 2018, he received the Outstanding Scholar Award from the Schar School.

Earle, who came to Mason after two decades of teaching at Stanford University, the Stockholm School of Economics, and the Central European University in Budapest, is frequently published in leading journals around the world, not only in economics, but also political science, management, finance, and labor studies.

Among the numerous journals in which he has published are the Journal of Political Economy, Economic Journal, Journal of Finance, Review of Economics and Statistics, American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Academy of Management Journal, and Journal of Labor Economics.

Earle’s research has been supported by multiple grants from the National Science Foundation and the European Union as well as by private foundations, including the MacArthur Foundation and Russell Sage Foundation, among others. Working with several Schar School students and alumni, he completed a large research project on African American entrepreneurs for the U.S. Small Business Administration during 2019-20.

“Importantly,” added Schar School dean Mark J. Rozell, “these grants have funded multiple graduate students with whom he has co-written many publications, and their career successes owe much to his support and mentorship. We are very proud of John’s accomplishments and congratulate him on his achievement as University Professor.”

In his off hours, Earle can be found at a different sort of keyboard—grand piano—performing in classical recitals throughout the region. In the last year, he joined the piano studio of Linda Monson, director of Mason’s School of Music and director of keyboard studies, and recorded several recitals, duo and solo, at Alexandria’s History Museum: The Lyceum. On September 12, he returns to the Lyceum to perform a program of Piano and Friends, with wind and string instruments and voice joining him at the piano.

Earle joins other Schar School faculty members as University Professors, including Zoltan Acs, Louise I. Shelley, Faye S. Taxman, Kenneth J. Button, James Olds, and Janine R. Wedel. Previous University Professors include Kingsley Haynes, Tim Conlan, Stephen Fuller, and the late Andrew Hughes Hallett.

Topics

Faculty

Schar School News August 2021