Gender and Policy Center

First Cohort of NEW Leadership Virginia Wraps Up Weeklong Visits with Women Leaders

Andrew J Schappert — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 16:48:02 +0000

First Cohort of NEW Leadership Virginia Wraps Up Weeklong Visits with Women Leaders Andrew J Schappert Tue, 06/25/2024 - 12:48

While some college undergraduates enjoyed downtime during the summer break, 16 students from universities in Virginia skipped the beach and spent six days in June meeting business, social, and political leaders in and around Washington, D.C., with a focus on women’s leadership in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger is surrounded in her office by the NEW Leadership Virginia cohort. Photo by Xavier Jimenez/Schar School of Policy and Government

U.S. Rep. Don Beyer makes a point during his meeting with the NEW Leadership students. Virginia House Majority Leader Charniele Herring, the NEW Leadership Virginia Faculty in Residence, is in green. Photo by Xavier Jimenez/Schar School of Policy and Government.

The weeklong residential summer program was the pilot edition of NEW Leadership Virginia, a program designed to engage students from Virginia colleges and universities with women in prominent leadership roles and allies as they shared their experiences and insights, learn about women’s participation in American policy, politics and public life, and develop and practice leadership skills. The program, the only one of its kind in Virginia, was hosted by the Gender and Policy (GAP) Center at ��AV’s Schar School of Policy and Government in partnership with the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP).

"NEW Leadership Virginia is a unique opportunity for undergraduate students in Virginia pursuing a range of academic majors to gain a sense of the possible in the public sphere,” said codirector Jill Deering, senior assistant dean for student and academic affairs at the Schar School. "This week is about building leadership skills, networks, and a supportive cohort that will serve the participants for years to come."

The cohort included students from George Mason, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC), James Madison University, the University of Virginia, the College of William & Mary, and Norfolk State University. Two participants were spring graduates while the remainder were undergraduates. Events took place from June 9 to 14.

The recipients of the ‘Women Who Mind the GAP’ Leadership Awards stand with Bonnie Stabile, second from left: From left, Doorways CEO Diana Ortiz, Director of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Civil Rights Center Naomi Barry-Perez, and President of the Consumer Technology Association Kinsey Fabrizio.

The program included an “action project” in which faculty and Schar School interns helped students research a public-facing issue, imitate a legislative hearing, and defend their team's position, with the idea being to develop public speaking and communication proficiencies, among other skills.

A highlight of the week took place on Thursday, June 13, when the program descended on Capitol Hill to speak to visit the offices of U.S. Reps. Jen Kiggans (R), Abigail Spanberger (D), Jennifer McClellan (D), and Don Beyer (D), who is also a George Mason student. While the students met in person with Spanberger, McClellan, and Beyer, they were hosted by Kiggans’ professional staff in her place.

For government and international politics major Ella Duncan-High, the week was exactly what she was hoping for. “I was looking for ways to specifically get involved and gain experience and training outside of the school year, so the summer was the perfect opportunity,” she said. “And I feel like I’m learning a lot even though I’m technically not in school right now.”

Duncan-High said her favorite part of the week was “the session where we get to role-play a press conference and judiciary hearing. I really am enjoying the hands-on experience of being able to work with not only the professors and the assistants who have real work experience with these scenarios, but also getting to work with people my age and similar interests.”

Zateya Jackson, a rising senior at VCU studying political science with a civil rights concentration, said highlights for her were meeting Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan “and my favorite speaker was Charniele Herring, the Virginia House Majority Leader and NEW Leadership Virginia Faculty in Residence, because of their backgrounds as Black women,” she said. “They encourage me to run for office and show that women of color can overcome adversity.” (Herring, who accompanied the students on their visits, is a 1993 George Mason alum in economics.)

U.S. Rep. Jennifer McClellan meets the NEW Leadership members on the steps of the Capitol. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

“My favorite was Abigail Spanberger,” said NVCC second-year business management student Karen Blanco. "When talking about confidence, Spanberger advised, ‘Don't think about it twice, just say it, and don't worry about what others would say.’ Since English is my second language, I often debate if I should speak up, but never do. So that inspired me.”

The insights offered to the students applied to many fields, not just politics. GAP Director and Schar School professor Bonnie Stabile, who accompanied the NEW Leadership students every step of the way for the week, made that point clear. “You don't have to be elected to office to exhibit leadership and make a difference,” she said. “Many industries need similar skills.”

That idea was on display during a dinner and networking event on June 12 featuring the three “Women Who Mind the GAP” Leadership awardees: U.S. Department of Labor’s Civil Rights Center Director Naomi Barry-Perez; Doorways CEO Diana Ortiz; and Consumer Technology Association President Kinsey Fabrizio, a 2003 George Mason alumna in government and international politics and Spanish.

During the NEW Leadership program, students quickly used their new skills to pursue their political interests. Ayman Habib, a rising George Mason global affairs junior is the director of administration and logistics for No Lost Generation. She thanked Beyer for supporting Virginia refugees and invited the congressman to meet the three refugee students who will be on George Mason’s Fairfax Campus this fall through the State Department’s Welcome Corps.

NEW @ Mason: There’s no question about where the NEW Leadership Virginia program took place. Photo by Buzz McClain/Schar School of Policy and Government

“I wanted to gain clarity at the policy level for our cause and expand our outreach so refugees will have federal support,” she said following the meeting with Beyer. “How fantastic would caring congresspeople be for our students?”

At the end of the week, students shared their future plans, whether academic, personal or professional, and connected on all manner of social medias with the new people they met.

The 2025 edition of the New Leadership Program Virginia takes place in June and Samantha Mendoza-Hernandez, a political science and international studies major at VCU, encourages anyone with a similar ambition to polish resumés and professional skills to apply next year.

“I think it's definitely worth it,” she said. “The program has covered ground that a lot of professionals sometimes overlook and helps with foundations like networking, rhetoric, mannerisms in the workplace, and other details. And really helps with fine-tuning and confidence going into the workforce.”

The biggest takeaway from the week for the Schar School’s Duncan-High “has been meeting people from all different backgrounds,” she said. “Everyone here has very different interests, majoring in different things that aren’t just policy and government related, and everyone is here because they all hope to be a woman in leadership in the future.

“Being surrounded by women who have big aspirations in various fields is so inspiring and is an experience I wouldn't have been able to have otherwise.”

Additional reporting by Buzz McClain

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Two Schar School Students Receive Partnership for Public Service Award

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 17:13:52 +0000

Two Schar School Students Receive Partnership for Public Service Award Andrew J Schappert Mon, 03/18/2024 - 13:13

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��AV undergraduates Minh-Dy Pham and Kalkidan Zewdu share several similarities: Both are driven, passionate about volunteering, and hail from Virginia.

Minh-Dy Pham stands in the U.S. Department of Transportation office, where she works as an intern.

This year, the two Schar School of Policy and Government students were further connected by the receipt of a high federal honor: the U.S. Department of Transportation Partnership for Public Service Award. The award recognizes young leaders in federal government and is given by the Department of Transportation and Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that provides a wide variety of career training programs and leadership exercises to help build valuable skills for future federal leaders.

Pham, a junior public administration major, received the award in fall 2023 at the start of her internship with the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Civil Rights. She has since accepted an offer to extend her internship. While she wears a lot of hats within the office, Pham focuses on compiling reports of diversity-, equity-, and inclusion-related misconduct and assisting the antiharassment coordinator.

Her involvement in DEI initiatives began in spring 2022 with the Schar School Undergraduate Research Assistant Program (URAP). Within the program, she studied under Bonnie Stabile, associate professor and founder of the Gender and Policy Center (GAP), as they researched inclusivity within public administration curriculum—an area Pham continues to study in her position in the Office of Civil Rights. She later enrolled in GOV357, a class on urban planning, which included transportation infrastructure now relevant to her internship. Through the combination of her prior experience at Mason, Pham now puts her passion for diversity and transportation policy toward the public good.

Minh-Dy Pham presents her Undergraduate Research Assistant Program poster in spring 2022.

The importance of the Partnership of Public Service Award cannot be overstated, Pham says. In addition to gaining experience in policy analysis—a career she hopes to pursue postgraduation—the award provides an opportunity for vital youth voices in the federal government.

“We are the future,” she said.

Pham’s future, in particular, looks exceptionally bright—and the Schar School has helped guide her.

“This internship would have not been possible without the Schar School,” she said. “As someone who aspires to work in the federal government after graduation, the school has immensely supported me in my career and educational pursuits.”

Kalkidan Zewdu, who received the award and began her portion of the internship in spring 2024, views leadership as integral to the role. As a Schar School senior, she has explored various options within her major, ranging from public administration to international relations. Above all, one principle has guided Zewdu through her journey: Government is a form of leadership.

“Working at the Department of Transportation has provided invaluable opportunities for me to cultivate leadership skills within government institutions—tools I plan to take with me wherever I land in public service,” she said.

Kalkidan Zewdu mans her desk at the U.S. Department of Transportation.

In particular, Zewdu credits the internship with immense educational benefit, adding the professional and intrapersonal skills provided in workshops were an attractive feature of the job.

As for the Schar School, it offered her the opportunity to explore her interests in government in broad strokes—eventually exploring diplomacy courses, law school preparation, and Mason’s study abroad programs. Mason also provided the chance for Zewdu to explore cultural initiatives in addition to academic ones. As a junior, she founded the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) Campus Ministry with the goal of connecting with other Ethiopian students through shared faith. Through EOTC, which now has 36 members, Zedwu cultivates her leadership skills both in and out of government.

“As president and cofounder, I wanted to create a place where other Ethiopian students who grew up speaking English could find each other,” she said.

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Schar School’s Bonnie Stabile Commemorates International Women’s Day at the White House

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 17:11:18 +0000

Schar School’s Bonnie Stabile Commemorates International Women’s Day at the White House Andrew J Schappert Wed, 03/01/2023 - 12:11

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Bonnie Stabile: ‘I look forward to the opportunity to represent the Schar School and GAP among this group of like-minded leaders…’

First Lady Jill Biden and Secretary of State Anthony J. Blinken have invited Schar School of Policy and Government associate professor Bonnie Stabile to attend the 2023 International Women of Courage Awards. The ceremony recognizing 12 women from around the world for their efforts advocating for human rights, women’s equality, and social progress, often in the face of great personal risk, takes place at the White House on March 8.

For Stabile, who is associate dean for student and academic affairs at the Schar School, the event is an appropriate way to commemorate International Women’s Day: Stabile is the founding director of the Gender and Policy (GAP) Center at ��AV’s Schar School. The center studies underrepresentation of women in positions of influence and power in the public sphere, as well as identifies policy inequities for women and other underrepresented groups.

The awards are given through the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). Stabile delivered the keynote address in December to the IVLP delegation from Pakistan.

“I am delighted to be able to attend to cheer on the dozen courageous award recipients who were nominated by embassies around the world,” Stabile said. “I also look forward to the opportunity to represent the Schar School and GAP among this group of like-minded leaders to strengthen and expand our growing network of contacts and collaborators…I am glad that our GAP connection with IVLP led to this further opportunity.”

March 8 is a busy day for Stabile and the GAP Center. A few hours after attending the 2 p.m. ceremony at the White House, Stabile will moderate a panel discussion based on Schar School 2006 public policy graduate Nicole Lynn Lewis’ book, Pregnant Girl: A Story of Teen Motherhood, College, and Creating a Better Future for Young Families. Lewis is the founder and chief executive of Generation Hope, a nonprofit that provides teen parents with mentors, emotional support, and funding to thrive in higher education.

Joining Stabile and Lewis on the Van Metre Hall stage at Mason Square in Arlington will be Anne Hedgepeth, policy and advocacy leader of Child Care Aware America and a Schar School alumna (MPP ’13), and Delegate Charniele Herring (D), a Mason alumna (BA Economics ’93) and former chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

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Shafuq Naseem: Seizing Opportunities, Winning Honors

Andrew J Schappert — Tue, 17 May 2022 15:17:02 +0000

Shafuq Naseem: Seizing Opportunities, Winning Honors Andrew J Schappert Tue, 05/17/2022 - 11:17

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Shafuq Naseem: ‘I’m really fortunate to have met such inspiring and kind student-leaders who are willing to take the time and support me and the work I am doing.’

It’s been quite an active junior year for Shafuq Naseem. While many Schar School of Policy and Government students are busy enough with their studies, Naseem took on a new role as a research assistant for a project that she helped conceptualize—and for that her effort and other achievements, she received the Gender and Policy Center (GAP) Leadership Award.

That was just one of the honors bestowed on the government and international politics major this year. In October, Naseem was one of only 68 students in the country chosen to attend the Harvard Kennedy School’s Public Policy and Leadership Conference.

Naseem, it would seem, has made the most of the opportunities afforded by the Schar School and ��AV.

In addition to attending the highly competitive conference at Harvard, the Springfield, Virginia, native has broadened her experience, made meaningful relationships, and assisted those in need throughout her college career, all while maintaining a parent-pleasing GPA.

She spent 10 weeks in the fall of 2021 as an intern for the American Civil Liberties Union’s (ACLU) Women’s Rights Project. And this spring semester, she wrapped up an internship with Workplace Fairness, a worker’s rights resource organization.

Naseem gets her physical exercise amid her academic and extracurricular activities by running whenever she has the chance. Would she also have time to join a club? Well, actually, not only does she belong to a club, but she founded it—in her freshman year.

“It’s the Patriot Period Project,” she said. “Our mission is to address menstrual equity and period poverty on Mason's campuses.”

The pilot program, which distributes free menstruation products at campus bathrooms, began in the fall of 2021 and is expected to continue into 2022. Of course, at the time of founding the organization, the then-first-year student would hardly know the intricate ins-and-outs of beginning a brand-new, student-operated organization at a large academic institution such as Mason, and for that she worked with a network of student leaders with more experience, including the present and past student body presidents.

“I’m really fortunate to have met such inspiring and kind student-leaders who are willing to take the time and support me and the work I am doing. Many have become some of my closest friends at Mason,” she said of the relationships she’s developed. “I definitely owe it to a lot to my family, friends, and professors who continue to support me.”

One of those faculty members is Heba F. El-Shazli, an assistant professor with the Schar School and director of undergraduate programs. As an example of how faculty members can help students achieve their goals beyond the classroom, Naseem said the Women’s Rights Project specifically mentioned in their acceptance email the powerful letter of recommendation from El-Shazli.

“It is such a wonderful feeling when one can help another—when I can help such a deserving, hard-working, and dedicated student,” said El-Shazli.

That the professor knew Naseem so well is not an accident. She was El-Shazli’s student during a summer intensive course in which 14 weeks of study is condensed into five weeks.

“Let us say it is not a kind, gentle way to be introduced to a professor and their courses,” El-Shazli confides. “Yet, Shafuq came to as many office hours as she could three to four out of the five weeks” for wide-ranging conversations that touched on everything from workers’ rights in developing countries to environmental degradation to books, with Alka Joshi’s The Henna Artist being a particular favorite in common.

This year Naseem worked alongside a student team of researchers in the Undergraduate Research Assistant Program (URAP) to help Associate Professor Bonnie Stabile, director of the Gender and Policy Center, perform advanced research on a subject titled “Pink Taxes and Period Poverty.”

The topic, Stabile said, “was brought to my attention by Shafuq.” Her inspiration and her work led to the GAP Leadership Award.

Naseem recommends all students “open yourself up to meeting new people and getting to know your professors,” she said. “Not only do they want you to succeed in the classroom, but they also want to support you outside the classroom, with professional opportunities, or anything you find interesting.”

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A Schar School Panel Addresses ‘Abortion Rights and/or Democracy?’

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 12 Jan 2022 17:13:41 +0000

A Schar School Panel Addresses ‘Abortion Rights and/or Democracy?’ Andrew J Schappert Wed, 01/12/2022 - 12:13

The spring semester at the Schar School of Policy and Government begins with a timely and important discussion about two major hot button issues facing policymakers in 2022—women’s reproductive rights and the assault on American democracy.

The program, Are Abortion Rights Essential to Democracy?, is sponsored in part by Ms. Magazine and hosted by the Schar School’s Gender and Policy Center (GAP). The hour-long webinar takes place on Friday, January 21, at 1 p.m., and is open to the public.

GAP Director Bonnie Stabile co-moderates the discussion—followed by questions from spectators—with Ms. contributing columnist Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, who is also Women and Democracy fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice.

The conversation comes at a divisive time in American culture. “As women across the country face the prospect of having their constitutional rights and reproductive autonomy curtailed,” said Stabile, “this panel will consider the question of whether and how reproductive autonomy has bearing on representative democracy, as well as tackling broader questions of justice and equity.”

Among other topics, experts from the Brennan Center for Justice’s Democracy Program and the University of California, Irvine, will discuss the implications of Texas abortion law SB 8 and the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case which has the Supreme Court considering the constitutionality of a Mississippi law that directly challenges the precedent of Roe v. Wade.

Panelists for the program include Michele Goodwin, Chancellors Professor of Law at the University of California, Irvine, and host of the podcast On the Issues with Michele Goodwin; Madiba Dennie, counsel at the Brennan Center for Democracy program; and Elizabeth Hira, Spitzer fellow and policy counsel at the Brennan Center Democracy program.

Dennie and Hira have written about the danger of criminalizing pregnancy outcomes and how the Texas and Mississippi laws that now threaten Roe are part of a long history of regulations controlling women in the U.S., including laws governing property, marriage, and reproductive rights.

Co-moderator Weiss-Wolf, a menstrual equity advocate and author of the book Periods Gone Public, has expressed that a lack of menstrual literacy on the part of mostly male policymakers has led to laws such as the Texas six-week ban, which prevents abortion when most women are unaware that they are pregnant; it also promotes faulty scientific interpretation using the "fetal heartbeat"-moniker for the bill.

Are Abortion Rights Essential to Democracy? takes place on Friday, January 21, at 1 p.m., and is open to the public.

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Reforming Criminal Justice

Andrew J Schappert — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 14:31:53 +0000

Reforming Criminal Justice Andrew J Schappert Fri, 12/03/2021 - 09:31

Screenshot by Buzz McClain/Schar School of Policy and Government

Nearly 100 viewers with an interest in criminal justice reform in the commonwealth tuned into an early December webinar on the subject, moderated by Bonnie Stabile of the Schar School’s Gender and Policy Center (GAP), and featuring Faye Taxman, director of the Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence (ACE!). Guests addressing the equity, effectiveness, and economics of incarceration included keynote speaker Jennifer Carroll Foy, former Virginia delegate and gubernatorial candidate; Bonnie Hoffman, director of public defense reform and training at the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; Claire Guthrie Gastañga, former director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia; and Edward Ungvarsky, criminal defense lawyer.
—Buzz McClain

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