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George Mason, Howard receive $1 million from Google to launch Cybersecurity Clinic

Colleen Rich — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 19:11:38 +0000

George Mason, Howard receive $1 million from Google to launch Cybersecurity Clinic Colleen Rich Wed, 06/05/2024 - 15:11

The National Security Institute’s Cyber and Tech Center (CTC) at ��AV’s Antonin Scalia Law School and Howard University School of Business (HUSB) have been selected to receive $1 million in support from Google’s Cybersecurity Clinics Fund to establish the NSI CTC – HUSB Cybersecurity Clinic. The funding from Google.org, the company’s philanthropic arm, is part of a $25 million collaboration with the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics.

Hazel Hall at Mason Square. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

Cybersecurity clinics at higher education institutions provide free digital security services to under-resourced organizations, similar to how law or medical schools offer free community clinics. The new NSI CTC – HUSB Cybersecurity Clinic will give students from George Mason and HUSB the opportunity to learn cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI) skills in an effective, hands-on manner while simultaneously helping to protect vulnerable organizations and critical infrastructure, such as local small businesses, hospitals, schools, and nonprofit organizations, from cyber attacks.

The added opportunities for George Mason students come at a critical time and could prove beneficial in fueling the growing tech talent workforce needed for the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area. Forty-one percent of the undergraduates of the Class of 2024—and 44 percent of the graduate students—earned degrees in STEM fields and the health sciences. Computer science was among the top five majors for bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD degree recipients.

According to the World Economic Forum’s 2024 Global Risks Report, cyber insecurity remains one of the top 10 global risks over the next 10 years. Currently, there are nearly 450,000 open cybersecurity jobs available in the United States, including more than 90,000 cybersecurity jobs across the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, and demand for cyber professionals is projected to grow 32% by 2033. To ensure that communities, critical infrastructure, and businesses big and small across the United States are secure, a skilled, diverse, and AI savvy cybersecurity workforce is needed.

The NSI CTC – HUSB Cybersecurity Clinic is a jointly developed and run multidisciplinary clinic that educates and trains students from both universities on cybersecurity in a classroom and clinical setting. Thanks to the generous support of Google, the clinic will be able to provide students critical hands-on practical experience from faculty, lecturers, and mentors, enabling them to provide direct cybersecurity assistance to public critical infrastructure organizations, including state and local governments, K-12 schools, utilities, public hospitals, and small businesses within the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area—all of which are facing a barrage of cybersecurity threats without the resources to address these threats.

The region is not only a thriving tech hub, but it also houses numerous universities and other educational institutions that are training the next generation of cybersecurity practitioners. The new clinic seeks to ensure that tomorrow’s workforce is diverse, capable, and motivated to strengthen the overall cybersecurity resilience of the broader communities.

“Scalia Law is thrilled to be partnering with the Howard University School of Business and Google.org on this important effort to educate young leaders and drive positive cybersecurity outcomes in the local community,” said Ken Randall, Allison and Dorothy Rouse Dean and ��AV Foundation Professor of Law at the Scalia Law School.

“This funding from Google for a new cybersecurity clinic allows both institutions to extend our efforts to support workforce development in the region and increase exposure to this technology. The work of the clinic promises to be very impactful in addressing an important educational need in a critical technology area,” said Anthony D. Wilbon, PhD, dean of the Howard University School of Business.

“Both universities have deep ties to cybersecurity and innovation—from expert faculty to students eager to tackling tomorrow’s technology challenges—and the clinic will be a great step forward to broadening and diversifying the technology education pipeline in the region,” said Jessica Jones, deputy executive director of the National Security Institute.

“The world is in a moment where emerging technologies, like AI, are creating both new opportunities and threats in the world of cybersecurity,” said Heather Adkins, vice president of Security Engineering at Google. “It’s essential that we invest in growing a strong, diverse and widespread cybersecurity workforce to help protect everyone—from critical infrastructure to small businesses and schools.”

The NSI CTC – HUSB Cybersecurity Clinic is one of 15 new clinics set to launch in 2024 at higher education institutions across the country, thanks to a collaboration from Google and the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics. In addition to the Google.org support, the tech company is offering NSI CTC and HUSB volunteer mentorship from Google employees, Google Titan Security Keys, and scholarships for the Google Career Certificate in Cybersecurity. Learn more on Google’s blog and the consortium’s website.

The announcement builds on Google’s 2023 support for 10 clinics, part of a combined commitment to launch 25 Google-supported cyber clinics nationwide by 2025. With the latest round of funding, Google.org has now committed more than $25 million toward creating the diverse and AI- and digital-security savvy workforce needed to protect critical U.S. infrastructure from cyber-attacks.

Learn more about cybersecurity at George Mason

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Antonin Scalia Law School

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Strategic Direction

Learning Laboratory for Community Health prepares graduate students to solve real-world public health challenges

Taylor Thomas — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 15:55:33 +0000

Learning Laboratory for Community Health prepares graduate students to solve real-world public health challenges Taylor Thomas Wed, 06/05/2024 - 11:55

The Learning Laboratory for Community Health at ��AV held the first in-person Learning Lab Challenge at the Inaugural Empowered Communities Conference. For the challenge, graduate research assistants (GRAs) were tasked with developing an intervention that addressed the very real public health issue of opioid use disorder among adolescents and young adults.

Over the semester, GRAs worked in interdisciplinary teams, with community stakeholders providing insights into their research process and conducting interviews with affected youth and families to determine how to best meet the community's health needs.

Ashley Wiest

“We were excited to showcase student milestones achieved, challenges overcome, and collective triumphs that define our community journey toward a healthier, more equitable future,” said Ashley Wiest, a research faculty member in the College of Public Health and the Learning Lab project coordinator.

The challenge concluded with GRAs presenting their interventions to a panel of experts, who evaluated and selected the intervention that will be implemented at the Mason and Partners (MAP) clinics. The experts included

Kadhambari Sridhar, Community Preparedness Coordinator at the Fairfax County Health Department;
Jennifer Felts, Population Health Epidemiologist specializing in substance use and mental health; and
Shannyn Snyder, an adjunct faculty in the Department of Global and Community renowned for her expertise in socioeconomic disparities and social justice issues.

Under the guidance of Lisa Gring-Pemble, an associate professor in the Costello College of Business, the winning intervention, titled "Club Culmore: A Place-Based Wellness Model for Adolescents and Young Adults," was designed by three GRAs:

Shams Hadi Al Jassar, biology major and pre-medical student
Olivia Hutton, Master of Health Administration student
Eyesha Shaikh, Master of Social Work student

Shams Hadi Al Jassar

Olivia Hutton

Eyesha Shaikh

Club Culmore presents a comprehensive seven-step approach to wellness. From mental health services to tailored social media campaigns, workforce skill development, and a dedicated medication-assisted treatment (MAT) clinic, this innovative proposal promises to address the opioid epidemic through community collaboration and tailored services for at-risk youth.

“It was rewarding to celebrate the transformative impact our Mason students have had on the landscape of community health. Their dedication, resilience, and unwavering commitment to excellence have enhanced their individual growth and enriched our community,” said Wiest.

The Learning Lab was created with support from a $1 million Health Services Research grant, made possible by Congressman Gerry Connolly of Virginia's 11th District, who shepherded the proposal through Congress. Rebecca Sutter serves as the grant's project director and principle investigator. The mission of the Learning Laboratory is to support multidisciplinary training for public health students and professionals, with special attention to marginalized communities within Northern Virginia.

The Learning Lab’s impact on students and the community

Since its inception, the Learning Laboratory has been highly successful. In the second year of the lab, students reported the lab

increased their knowledge of community stakeholders,
increased confidence in discussing core public health topics, and
significantly improved their critical thinking skills related to community health, networking and research, problem-solving, and professional development.

“The Learning Lab is dedicated to equipping students with the multifaceted skills essential for success in the workforce after graduation. Our teaching models foster proficiency in research, interviewing, data collection, administrative tasks, and community resource utilization alongside technological competencies, thus nurturing a generation of adept community health professionals,” said Wiest.

Read the Lab’s 2023-24 Impact Report.

In This Story

Shannyn Snyder, MAIS

Ashley Wiest, DNP, FNP-BC

Rebecca Sutter, DNP, APRN, BC-FNP

Lisa M. Gring-Pemble

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experiential learning

Impact

Community Health

Mason and Partners Clinic

Public Health Students

Nanofabrication Lab opens on SciTech Campus

Martha Bushong — Fri, 17 May 2024 17:15:09 +0000

Nanofabrication Lab opens on SciTech Campus Martha Bushong Fri, 05/17/2024 - 13:15

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George Mason faculty are tackling cybersecurity’s talent pipeline problem

Jennifer Anzaldi — Fri, 10 May 2024 17:01:06 +0000

George Mason faculty are tackling cybersecurity’s talent pipeline problem Jennifer Anzaldi Fri, 05/10/2024 - 13:01

If you’re a cybercriminal, the latest news on cybersecurity talent shortfalls should put a smile on your face. For example, the majority of cybersecurity leaders report that their teams are understaffed, and they have problems retaining qualified professionals.

But for Nirup Menon, a ��AV professor of information systems and operations management (ISOM), and Brian Ngac, an instructor in the ISOM area, this workforce challenge is a golden career opportunity for the young people of Northern Virginia and the Washington, D.C., area.

Nirup Menon and Brian Ngac

The pair recently won a two-year award from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), an agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, to create unique experiential learning opportunities and workshops designed to enhance cybersecurity education and workforce development.

Working closely with industry partners Mobius Consulting and Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), Menon and Ngac will recruit and help select students to work on actual cybersecurity projects. “They need to have taken some fundamental cyber class ahead of time,” Menon clarifies. “We want students with a commitment to the field. It allows you to get experience but it’s also competitive.”

Throughout the 12-week projects, students will receive mentoring both from the industry participant and from business faculty. “We run it in an agile scrum-like manner,” Ngac says. “Every week, we ask ‘What did you do?’ ‘What are you going to do?’ ‘What are the challenges that are impacting your work?’” If students run into trouble, faculty mentors can work with industry managers to help them get back on track.

“We’re trying to build not just the cyber workforce but the skills as well,” Ngac says.

Menon and Ngac have developed a specialty in this type of hands-on learning, which they have dubbed the Professional Readiness Experiential Program (PREP). More than 100 Virginia-based undergraduates and 20 industry participants have participated in PREP, which includes projects funded by two Commonwealth Cybersecurity Initiative Experiential Learning grants in collaboration with Mobius and IDA.

“PREP not only focuses on cybersecurity projects, but also works on many business process improvement projects,” says Ngac. "Honors and high-performing ISOM students work on real-world projects with industry participants on identifying technical solutions to business challenges through rigorous research, modelling, analysis, quantification, risk management, implementation planning, and, at times, execution.”

The NIST award also incorporates workshops for students who are new to cybersecurity but interested in exploring it as a career option. Workshops will be launched in collaboration with Trinity Washington University (TWU), an HBCU whose College of Arts and Sciences is women-only. For a field such as cybersecurity, which continues to face diversity challenges, the participation of organizations such as TWU is essential.

“We want to bring in students who have not thought of cybersecurity as a field, because they think it’s all engineering, hacking and coding,” Menon says. The workshops will emphasize the variety of functions that are integral to the space, such as management and auditing, in addition to engineering.

Students and industry participants in the current CCI Experiential Learning Projects

“It’s not just tech, there may be creativity involved in anticipating scams and threats,” Ngac explains. “These are different things we’ll be bringing up in the workshop in terms of roleplaying what cybercriminals might do, or how someone might try to socially engineer an attack.”

Unlike a standard grant, the NIST award is structured as a cooperative agreement in which the funding agency will collaborate in shaping and delivering programs as they evolve.

“The advantage of working with NIST is that top people work there. They are the standards body, so they have seen and surveyed a lot of industry,” Menon says. He also lauds NIST’s high-level view of cybersecurity and its implications. “They’re not just looking at technology but also public policy, human factors, etc. It’s a holistic approach.”

Organizations interested in being an industry participant (whether they have cybersecurity-focused or business process improvement-focused projects) with PREP are encouraged to contact Brian Ngac.

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Mason tapped by HRSA to lead health workforce initiatives in Virginia

Colleen Rich — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 17:09:32 +0000

Mason tapped by HRSA to lead health workforce initiatives in Virginia Colleen Rich Mon, 04/22/2024 - 13:09

As part of a federal priority to address health care workforce shortages, ��AV’s Center for Health Workforce has received $921,000 in federal funding from the Health Services Research Administration (HRSA) to serve as a catalyst and facilitator for regional health workforce planning and development.

Peterson Hall on Mason's Fairfax Campus. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

The center uses data and a collaborative model involving health and educational organizations, policy makers, community planners, and other regional stakeholders to understand local challenges related to the supply, demand, distribution, and deployment of health workers in Virginia.

This funding was allocated in the Fiscal Year 2024 Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, by Virginia Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine.

"Virginia urgently needs to expand its health workforce to meet community needs and ensure local businesses can supply essential health care services, and we appreciate the efforts of Senator Warner and Senator Kaine for moving our proposal through the Senate,” said Caroline Sutter, co-director of Mason’s Center for Health Workforce and a professor of nursing.

This strategic investment in Mason’s Center for Health Workforce will address this critical need to grow and retain the health workforce by prioritizing regional and population health recruitment and retention through evidence-based planning and targeted interventions. These targeted interventions will help regional educational and training programs identify future workers who want to stay in the area to give back and improve the region that trained them.

The new funds will help the center expand from supporting three GO Virginia regions to all nine GO Virginia regions. GO Virginia is a bipartisan, business-led economic development initiative focused on changing the way Virginia’s diverse regions collaborate on economic and workforce development activities.

"Virginia's health care system is grappling with both immediate workforce shortages and the imperative need for long-term strategic planning to build a sustainable workforce," said Sutter. "These shortages threaten to exacerbate existing health disparities and impede access to quality care in Viriginia.”

Nurses, physicians, allied health professionals, and support staff are in short supply due to increased demand from chronic staffing shortages, unfavorable or unsafe work environments, and unrelenting workloads, leading to overworked personnel and compromised patient care. Demand for health care is skyrocketing while the workforce is shrinking; in fact, 23% of physicians and at least 30% of nurses reported they would leave their jobs if they could and 50% of workers said they plan to leave their health care jobs in the next few years.

“Mason is stepping up as a leader to respond to the needs in health care workforce development in Virginia, setting a precedent for effective planning and collaboration across sub-state regions,” said Melissa J. Perry, dean of the College of Public Health.

Additionally, the center will support the development of employer-led public-private partnerships that can leverage private resources and address barriers in public needs.

“This funding will allow our teams to identify and increase bi-directional communication between employers and academic institutions or programs that train future health workers, so that future employees feel prepared and supported in their workplace, thereby retaining great talent,” said P.J. Maddox, center co-director and professor of health administration and policy at Mason.

The center has the only integrated data system in the commonwealth to help strategize with data-based decisions around health workforce recruitment and retention that employers and academic institutions can employ in each region. For example, the center has analyzed the supply and demand for today and in 10 years for behavioral health specialists for a specific region. With this information, regions can better target their recruitment and retention strategies to help keep the future workers they train in their area when they are ready to practice.

“As the first College of Public Health in Virginia and home to the highly ranked School of Nursing, Mason is bringing together education, research, and community partners for the health and well-being of all, everything that we do. We are grateful to Senators Warner and Kaine recognizing the impact the center has already had in three of Virginia’s regions and for supporting our efforts to further support our roles as an integral hub for additional health workforce centers and organizations seeking to increase health workforce across the commonwealth,” said Perry.

Because population health needs, economic conditions, and resources vary widely by region (rural, suburban, and urban), there is no one-size-fits-all set of strategies to address regional health workforce needs and population health priorities. More importantly, regional problem solving is necessary to develop strategies for improving education and career development to meet employer’s needs, expand supply, and improve retention.

In This Story

Melissa J. Perry, Sc.D., MHS

PJ Maddox, EdD, MSN, RN

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Campus News

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College of Public Health

CACI Scholars get a head start on success

Colleen Rich — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 19:25:42 +0000

CACI Scholars get a head start on success Colleen Rich Fri, 04/05/2024 - 15:25

CACI International Inc is once again supporting Mason students through a $200,000 gift to establish the CACI Scholars Program. The program helps selected scholars secure science, technology, engineering, or mathematics-related positions upon graduation.

Mason students participate in a career prep lab with CACI employees. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

The company has previously been a generous sponsor of Mason’s College of Engineering and Computing (CEC) and welcomes many Mason students as interns each year. CACI also employs hundreds of Mason graduates.

The CACI Scholars Program, which kicked off in fall 2023, supports 10 Mason students who are alumni of Mason’s Early Identification Program (EIP) and pursuing degrees in computer science, electrical engineering, or mechanical engineering. These scholars are identified by EIP in their senior year of high school and are welcomed into a cohort designed to support their long-term academic and career success.

Each CACI Scholar receives an annual scholarship to reduce the cost of tuition and related fees if the full need is not met through the student’s financial aid package or through a Mason Virginia Promise Grant. Scholars also receive a stipend to assist with the cost of at least one career readiness practice, such as attending a conference or completing a certification.

Scholars also work with dedicated success coaches and peer mentors at Mason, who provide tailored support for first-generation student success. Each scholar is also connected with a CACI mentor who can provide firsthand knowledge of the industry and company. The scholars are also eligible for a paid internship experience at CACI.

CACI’s Chief Technology Officer Glenn Kurowski understands the importance of widening the pipeline for skilled technology workers. “Experiential learning is the key to developing passion and engagement around your area of study—and that leads to a highly successful career,” says Kurowski. “I love working with students on their technical learning path and love getting others in our company engaged with the next generation of talent.”

Mason students in particular are well suited to fill that need for talent. “A partnership like this truly complements the students’ educational experience,” says EIP director Khaseem Davis, PhD Education ’23. “Our EIP students have worked hard to get to this point, to enrolling at Mason. This opportunity to work with CACI helps them to imagine what’s possible on the other side of their university experience.”

Jeana Plews, CACI’s vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion, agrees. “We realize that many of these students face obstacles in their pursuit of a college education, and we want to help remove some of these barriers.”

Since 1987, EIP has provided academic enrichment, personal and social development, civic engagement, and leadership training opportunities to middle and high school students who will be the first in their families to attend college. In one of the most successful demonstrations of Mason’s commitment to access, the university partners with seven public school districts in Virginia and works with more than 750 students in grades 8 to 12 and their families, taking a holistic approach to successfully navigate the path to postsecondary education.

Study at the College of Engineering and Computing

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Commonwealth Cyber Initiative’s Cybersecurity Traineeship launches careers in cybersecurity

Teresa Donnellan — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 03:36:28 +0000

Commonwealth Cyber Initiative’s Cybersecurity Traineeship launches careers in cybersecurity Teresa Donnellan Mon, 02/12/2024 - 22:36

The Commonwealth Cyber Initiative Northern Virginia Node (CCI NoVa Node) is preparing for the third iteration of its Cybersecurity Traineeship Program, which offers a seven-week course to Northern Virginia residents interested in pivoting into the cybersecurity sector followed by career support from ��AV and Northern Virginia Community College professionals.

CCI NoVa Node's region is outlined in light blue.

Course Beginnings

The program’s intensive, full-time course curriculum familiarizes trainees with subjects relevant to Information Technology and cybersecurity, such as Python, database design, SPLUNK, and AWS. Trainees attend class all day and complete homework assignments outside of class.

Keyvon Riley, Aaron Hornbuckle, and Walter WIlliams, members of the program’s first cohort, credit the program with launching their careers in tech.

“The course days go by really quickly, so practicing is important,” said Riley. “The workload was very fair and needed in order to learn as much as a person can in the allotted time.”

“Through a fast-paced learning environment, we were introduced to many concepts, processes, and tools that would be useful and relevant to entering this new environment,” said Hornbuckle. “It also prepared me by showing me how much there is to know and learn in this field, which continuously expands the longer I've worked in the industry.”

Williams said the program exceeded his expectations: "Despite my initial nervousness due to a lack of industry understanding, I left feeling equipped with a solid foundation of cybersecurity knowledge."

Scott Wood, the associate director of IT and Business Programs at Northern Virginia Community College, who designs the course curriculum each year, adapts the course to the shifting needs of the tech sector by consulting industry partners. Next year, Wood will also incorporating guidelines set forth in “National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy,” a 2023 report from the White House.

“In addition to assessing technical skills, trainees are evaluated on participation, curiosity, creativity, communication, collaboration, and professionalism,” said Wood. “I’ve been amazed at the level of dedication and commitment from trainees in both iterations of the program. The program runs June through August, when most people are thinking about summer vacations and outdoor activities. The trainees in both programs really put in the work. They didn’t just show up for class. They took an active role in learning the skills and remained engaged throughout the seven-week program.”

Time for Internships

After completing the course, high performers in the program are placed in full-time internship roles with tech companies in Northern Virginia. Riley, Hornbuckle, and Williams each completed internships with Peraton before being offered full-time positions at the company. Riley and Hornbuckle are now cyber security systems engineers, and Williams is a UX/UI designer.

"It was an honor to gain on-the-job cybersecurity experience," Williams said. "My internship provided opportunities to shadow projects, contribute to use case development, and apply my UX/UI design skills in unexpected ways."

Riley noted that behind his success was a significant amount of work. For example, between his internship and starting his formal start date at Peraton, Riley became CompTIA Security+ certified.

“My industry landing did and still does surprise me, because cybersecurity is not for beginners,” Riley explained. “Most cybersecurity [workforce] members have five years or more in the IT field before landing a cyber role. I did not know that when I landed my role and thus had a hard time grasping the level of IT I entered into. Nevertheless, I hit the ground running and would not change it.”

Moving in New Directions

Riley will begin a master’s in information technology in the fall. “I have made the most of every opportunity since the traineeship, and it has led to my success today,” he said. “My future in tech is bright!”

Hornbuckle echoed Riley's sentiments, emphasizing the program's role in facilitating a smooth transition into his role. The program's emphasis on continuous learning resonated strongly with Hornbuckle, who noted the ever-evolving nature of the tech landscape and the importance of staying abreast of emerging trends.

A former fine arts teacher, Williams' transition into a UX/UI designer underscores the program's role as a pathway to career reinvention. "The program has undoubtedly led me to a rewarding career in tech/cybersecurity," he said, adding, "I was surprised by the opportunity to utilize my UX/UI design skills within cybersecurity. This fusion of disciplines reflects the dynamic nature of the field and the endless possibilities for professional growth."

With a curriculum designed in collaboration with industry experts and with a commitment to continuous improvement, CCI NoVa Node’s Cybersecurity Traineeship Program offers individuals seeking to break into the cybersecurity and IT sectors skills, confidence, and resources to embark on rewarding careers in technology.

“CCI created a great way to give new opportunities to those wanting a career change into cybersecurity,” said Riley. “I will always be grateful I was one of the first people to have successfully completed this program."

Topics

Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI)

Cybersecurity

NoVa Community College

information technology

internships

workforce

Students

Tech Talent Investment Pipeline (TTIP)

TTIP

Tech Talent Investment Program

Two Virginia Department of Education grants will help prepare special education teachers

Colleen Rich — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 17:30:28 +0000

Two Virginia Department of Education grants will help prepare special education teachers Colleen Rich Mon, 01/22/2024 - 12:30

Two new Virginia Department of Education grants to ��AV’s School of Education promise to facilitate a pipeline of well-qualified special education teachers in the commonwealth.

Kelley Regan. Photo by the Office of University Branding

Kelley Regan, a professor in Mason’s Special Education Program, was awarded funding to support two initiatives.

“Although these are two separate awards, they both address the preparation of provisionally licensed special education teachers serving students who access the general education curriculum,” said Regan. “One award provides these teachers with a tuition stipend, and the second award focuses on coaching their development as special educators.”

Working with Regan as co-principal Investigators on one of these projects, Traineeships for Education of Special Education Personnel (Special Education-General Curriculum K-12), are Mason faculty members Pam Baker, Margaret (Peggy) Weiss, and Kristen O’Brien, all associate professors in the Special Education Program.

The goal of this grant is to maintain and expand Mason’s Cohort Outreach Program, which provides high-quality special education teacher training for employed Virginia teachers. If a school division has at least 20 employed individuals who are provisionally licensed and need to complete their Special Education: General Curriculum K-12 five-year, renewable state license, the individuals are provided a 25% discount per 3-credit class. The state grant provides teachers in these cohorts with a tuition stipend to complete a 3-credit licensure course during any single semester.

Pam Baker. Photo by Office of University Branding

The course delivery modes vary, and the Mason team collaborates with division staff and the special education advisors to support the coordination and recruitment of cohort members.

“We have had a long-standing partnership with our district partners, delivering more than 110 cohorts,” said Baker, who serves as division director of special education and disability research and the outreach program coordinator at Mason. “Support from the Virginia Department of Education for our students makes an incredible difference in how accessible our programs continue to be.”

Regan, Baker, and Weiss are also co-principal investigators on the second project titled Traineeships for Special Education Personnel: A Dynamic Coaching Outreach Program in Special Education: General Curriculum, also known as DCOP. The award supports the School of Education’s teaching internship course (EDSE 783) for provisionally licensed teachers in the cohorts.

Margaret Weiss. Photo by Office of University Branding

This grant focuses on using technology to provide provisionally licensed teachers with timely and relevant performance-based feedback while in the classroom. It also facilitates a more dynamic coaching experience during the required 10-week internship of provisionally licensed teachers enrolled in Mason’s general curriculum (K-12) licensure program.

Weiss provided an overview of the different technologies that have been integrated into this project. “We call it ‘eCoaching’ where we use email, Zoom, video capture, and bug-in-ear technology to provide delayed and immediate feedback to our students as they are teaching,” Weiss said. “It has been a great success. Our newest eCoaches value this model of supervision.”

As the program advancement liaison in the school’s Division of Special Education, O’Brien orients cohort students to their internship, supports the onboarding of university supervisors, and works with the research team to expand the eCoaching model.

Kristen O'Brien. Photo by Office of University Branding

“During the internship, the teachers receive mentoring, coaching, and supervision from an on-site experienced special education teacher and a [Mason] faculty supervisor,” said O’Brien. “In 2023, 48 provisionally licensed teachers completed on-the-job internships. Each semester, 10 to 15 faculty members supervise these internships.”

Regan said the financial support provided by this award has allowed the research team to develop a flexible model of eCoaching and a series of professional development modules on eCoaching with built-in measures of fidelity. The team is conducting research to better understand the role of the coach and how eCoaching’s professional development influences their supervisory practice.

Regan believes that the eCoaching design has the potential for more widespread use in the future. “Not all on-the-job internships use eCoaching at this time, but the research team is piloting the model, and we are encouraged by the data outcomes so far,” she said.

According to Regan, the faculty involved in these projects have taught courses in the cohort outreach model and both grant initiatives closely align with their research interests in providing high-quality teacher preparation, which aligns with Mason’s strategic goal of meeting workforce demands.

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Amazon partners with Mason and NOVA for workforce development

Colleen Rich — Wed, 24 May 2023 18:48:18 +0000

Amazon partners with Mason and NOVA for workforce development Colleen Rich Wed, 05/24/2023 - 14:48

In This Story

Kamaljeet Sanghera

Liza Wilson Durant

Students from ��AV and Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) will participate in the AmazonNext x CodePath 2023 Summer Cohort June 5 to August 19.

More than 200 Mason students applied for the cohort. Selected participants will complete CodePath Org’s Technical Interview Prep course where they will engage with real-world software topics and practice technical interviewing.

The 10-week program is a unique opportunity for students in the greater Washington, D.C., region who want to pursue tech careers. In addition to coursework, students will have opportunities to participate in Amazon workshops, receive guidance from Amazon mentors, and attend events at Amazon HQ2. Students will receive a $5,000 scholarship upon program completion.

“We look forward to welcoming this new cohort over the summer and using our resources to help educate students on the possibilities open to them in tech careers,” said Tiffany Blacknall Benjamin, senior manager, DEI higher education strategy and partnerships at Amazon. “It is important to us to help students develop critical skills that will give them a competitive advantage as they prepare to enter the workforce.”

The partnership between AmazonNext, CodePath, Mason and NOVA will expand and benefit the tech talent pipeline in the region and support regional universities and two-year colleges participating in the program.

"Amazon’s investment in George Mason and NOVA accelerates the development of a diverse work-ready talent pipeline for Virginia,” said Liza Wilson Durant, associate provost of strategic initiatives and community engagement at Mason. “The AmazonNext program serves as a model for industry and academic partnership to deliver the workforce of the future, with technical and professional skills that respond to the demands of emerging technologies and an interdisciplinary workforce." 

Kammy Sanghera, executive director of the Institute for Digital Innovation (IDIA), is leading Mason’s effort in the program. “Part of the IDIA’s mission is connecting students with industry members and our partnership with Amazon helps students to learn the skills necessary to be successful in the tech field after college,” she said. “By making these connections, we are supporting the growth of the tech talent pipeline that is already becoming prominent in our region.”

As part of the partnership, Amazon will sponsor technical programming, infrastructure, and strategy on campus, giving students in the Mason and NOVA communities additional opportunities for tech-related education and events.

“Our partnership with Amazon is an incredibly valuable resource for our students and campus communities,” said Chad Knights, vice president of information and engineering technologies (IET) and college computing at NOVA. “By expanding the tech-related opportunities available to students, we are helping to build critical skills and knowledge that will help students stand out as they begin their search for internships and employment opportunities in tech and innovation-related fields.”

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Nurses trained via virtual reality performed better than those trained by inpatient clinical training

Mary Cunningham — Tue, 11 Apr 2023 20:37:23 +0000

Nurses trained via virtual reality performed better than those trained by inpatient clinical training Mary Cunningham Tue, 04/11/2023 - 16:37

Lab Coordinator Bethany Cieslowski helps nursing student Katherine Gugino adjust the virtual reality headset during a VR Simulation Lab training class. Photo by: Shelby Burgess, Office of University Branding

In search of novel tactics to accommodate a larger student body and fulfill workforce demands, nursing schools are developing new approaches to optimize learning, engage learners, and provide methods to ensure competency in future nursing graduates.

A recent study by Bethany Cieslowski, associate professor of Nursing, and colleagues found that immersive virtual reality (VR) training has been shown to be as effective as inpatient training for students learning to provide care for acute care pediatric patients. The performance of student nurses who underwent immersive virtual reality training was found to be better overall than that of their counterparts who received inpatient clinical training.

“The use of VR continues to grow in clinical nursing practice; however, the existing body of evidence on VR, especially immersive virtual reality, is limited. These preliminary results offer promise and demonstrate the potential of immersive virtual reality in the future of nursing education and preparing the workforce of the future,” said Cieslowski.

Nursing student Elianna Puerto uses a virtual reality set for a new simulation platform, SimX, during a VR Simulation Lab training class. Photo by: Shelby Burgess, Office of University Branding

The average (mean) scores for students in the immersive VR training group were higher for all performance domains, with particularly notable improvements in the subdomains of infection control, initial assessment, and oxygen therapy compared to the clinic trained group. There were no significant differences between the groups in focused assessment, medication administration, and evaluation. Total performance scores were significantly higher for the VR group.

The mixed-methods without randomization pilot study examined the effectiveness of an immersive VR simulation training program to replace pediatric clinical practice for a convenience sample of junior-level prelicensure nursing students.

“The Development and Pilot Testing of Immersive Virtual Reality Simulation Training for Prelicensure Nursing Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study” was published in Clinical Simulation in Nursing in February 2023. Tanya Haas, assistant professor of nursing; Kyeung Mi Oh, associate professor of nursing; Kathleen Chang, assistant professor of Nursing; and Cheryl Oetjen, interim director of the School of Nursing were also part of the research team.

The Medical Team, Inc. Endowment for Innovations in Nursing Education Fund funded part of the research.