Schar School News October 2022

What Were We Thinking? Selected Schar School Op-Eds (October 2022)

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 17:55:49 +0000

What Were We Thinking? Selected Schar School Op-Eds (October 2022) Andrew J Schappert Mon, 10/31/2022 - 13:55

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From the Hill:

Republicans Are the New Isolationists; Will U.S. Retreat From World Stage?

The GOP is becoming an isolationist party. It is no longer the party that embraces the bold foreign policy of Ronald Reagan or the Bushes. By more than two to one, Republicans endorse the view that “We should pay less attention to problems overseas and concentrate on problems here at home.” Only 30 percent of Republicans believe “It is best for the future of our country to be active in world affairs.”

—Bill Schneider

From the Washington Post:

Youngkin Won as a Pragmatic Trump Alternative. He’s Showing His Cards.

Just as he knew that he could not win last fall in centrist Virginia as a Trump acolyte, Youngkin knows he has no shot in today’s Republican Party nationally if he’s seen as a squishy fence straddler.

—Mark J. Rozell

From the National Review:

Not Over Grover: Reconsidering Cleveland

Troy Senik’s new biography of Cleveland, A Man of Iron, is a thoroughly engaging and enjoyable journey through the life and career of the ox-like man who became the only U.S. president to serve two nonconsecutive terms.

—Colin Dueck

From the Washington Post:

Spanberger’s Blast at Pelosi Carries More Benefits Than Liabilities

In Virginia’s new swingable 7th District, Spanberger has little to lose, potentially much to gain, from attacking Pelosi.

—Mark J. Rozell

From the Richmond Times-Dispatch:

Got Enough to Worry About? Think Again.

Perhaps international treaties would help, possibly lessening the potential for accidental wars caused by unintentional slip-ups in technology. In the meantime, my students and I continue to be anxious, always hoping that the next ball coming out of the urn will be a white one.

—Stephen Ruth

From the Syndication Bureau:

Untangling the Threads of Iran’s Nuclear Narrative

Those hopes were dashed when Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi addressed the United Nations General Assembly in late September, accusing the West of nuclear hypocrisy.

—Ellen Laipson

From Bloomberg Law:

Rethinking the Weinstein Clause 5 Years Post-#MeToo

The original Weinstein clause aimed to mitigate these risks, but it fell short by failing to understand and address the subtle and complex dynamics that can allow sexual misconduct to proliferate in silence, as it did at the Weinstein Company.

—Ally Coll, et. al

From Wavell Room (UK):

Nuclear War, NATO, and Russia

To be sure, there may be real operational limitations on the utility of tactical nuclear weapons for Russia. There are risks of fall-out that could blow back on actual Russian territory or land Moscow has claimed via illegal annexation. There may not be optimal targets at hand in terms of large concentrations of Ukrainian forces. Still, if the hammer is the only functional tool, it may not matter whether the problem is a nail or not; Russia may simply use what works.

—PhD Student Mike Sweeney

From the Hill:

The End of Scarcity: A Silent Threat to U.S. Well-Being

Budget process reforms most likely to succeed would do so by explicitly and saliently reminding policymakers of scarcity and the need to include both expected benefits and expected costs in budget decisions.

—Marvin Phaup

From Homeland Security Today:

What’s Behind ISIS Khorasan’s Relentless Attacks on Mosques in Afghanistan?

Similar attacks are likely to continue, but the question remains: Why is ISIS-K predominantly targeting Shia mosques in Afghanistan? The answer is complex and multifaceted.

—Mahmut Cengiz

From the National Interest:

The Abraham Accords and the Imposed Middle East Order

Despite the lofty praise, however, the Abraham Accords neither advance peace nor U.S. interests in the Middle East. Instead, they represent the formalization of a coercive political, economic, and security order designed to maintain the status quo in the region.

—PhD Candidate Jon Hoffman

From DAWN:

A Lifetime of Struggle

A man of firm convictions rooted in the ideology of the left, compromise and finding a middle ground to be part of power politics held no appeal for him. As his US-based cousin Ahmer Mustikhan told me: “Yousuf had a contempt for wealth”, and was never lured by money and power.

—MPP Student Mushtaq Rajpar

From the Hill:

Why the Saudis and Emiratis Back Russia’s Call for Oil Production Cuts

So why take this economic risk? It may be that the Saudis and the Emiratis fear what they consider would be an even greater geopolitical risk for them: the prospect of Russia losing its war in Ukraine.

—Mark N. Katz

From the Hill:

Ten Commandments of D.C.

Remember that intelligence is estimative, not evidentiary. No one single report or piece of analysis is going tell you everything you need to know about a situation.

—Ronald Marks

From the Hill:

The Dangerous Paradox of the Religious Polarization of American Politics

Religious commitment has a lot to do with the takeover of the Republican Party by the radical right. What drives the radical right is resentment of the educated elite, who today tend to be Democrats — and resolutely secular.

—Bill Schneider

From Eurasia Review:

The Future of Iranian-Ukrainian Relations-Analysis

Thus, Tehran is expanding its relations with Moscow, whereas there is no true indication of Tehran’s willingness to improve relations with Kyiv.

—Umud Shokri

From NCT Magazine:

Controlling Novichok Nerve Agents After the Skirpal and Navalny Incidents

Since Novichok nerve agents came to public attention following a high-profile assassination attempt in 2018, the international chemical weapons nonproliferation regime has taken important, but incomplete, steps to reduce the risk of these chemical weapons proliferating.

—Gregory Koblentz, et al.

From La República:

Play With Fire

Don't the congressmen behind the attempts to remove Castillo realize their own weakness? Congress has an even lower approval rating; in recent months it has fluctuated between 8 and 15% according to national surveys.

—Jo-Marie Burt

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Schar School News October 2022

Achievements & Accolades: Schar School Faculty in the News

Andrew J Schappert — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 13:43:20 +0000

Achievements & Accolades: Schar School Faculty in the News Andrew J Schappert Fri, 10/28/2022 - 09:43

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Schar School faculty members in the news:

Jack A. Goldstone

Goldstone’s Career Achievement Award

Professor of Public Policy Jack A. Goldstone has been awarded the Distinguished Career in Political Sociology Award from the Political Sociology section of the American Sociological Association (ASA). The ASA, founded in 1905, is the national professional membership association for sociologists and others working to advance and promote sociology as a science and a profession.

Goldstone, who holds the Virginia E. and John T. Hazel, Jr. chair at the Schar School, will receive his award in early August in Los Angeles during the ASA’s 117th annual meeting.

Jo-Marie Burt

Burt’s New Leadership Post

Associate Professor of Political Science Jo-Marie Burt has been elected to serve as president of the Latin American Studies Association (LASA). LASA is the world's largest professional association for individuals and institutions engaged in the study of Latin America, with more than 13,000 members from more than 75 different countries.

Burt will first serve as vice president until May 2023 before assuming leadership as president. She will also be a member of the LASA executive council during her three-year term.

Burt, who has been a member of LASA since graduate school, has served in various offices in the organization’s leadership hierarchy, including co-chair of the 2020 LASA Congress, co-chair of the Committee on Academic Freedom and Human Rights, and was twice elected co-chair of the Peru section of LASA.

LASA's mission is to foster intellectual discussion, research, and teaching on Latin America, the Caribbean, and its people throughout the Americas, promote the interests of its diverse membership, and encourage civic engagement through network building and public debate.

Burt has been an expert witness in several cases of human rights violations before the National Criminal Court of Peru, before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and in immigration courts in the United States involving both asylum cases and cases of suspected war criminals who face extradition or deportation proceedings from the United States. In 2011, the government of Peru recognized her with the Award in Merit, in the Grade of Grand Official, for Distinguished Service in Defense of Democracy, Rule of Law, and Human Rights.

Since 2012 she has been a Senior Fellow at the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), a research and advocacy organization advancing human rights in the Americas. She was a researcher for the Peruvian Truth and Reconciliation Commission and has been an expert witness in several cases of human rights violations before the National Criminal Court of Peru, before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and in immigration courts in the United States involving both asylum cases and cases of suspected war criminals who face extradition or deportation proceedings from the United States. In 2011, the government of Peru recognized her with the Distinguished Service Award in Defense of Democracy, Rule of Law, and Human Rights.

Peter Mandaville. Photo by Buzz McClain/Schar School of Policy and Government

Mandaville’s Book Honored

A book edited by Professor of Government and Politics Peter Mandaville has been selected for inclusion in Oxford University Press’s Islamic Studies collection. The book, Wahhabism and the World: Understanding Saudi Arabia's Global Influence on Islam, contains analysis by leading Islamic and religious studies scholars and is one of the first comprehensive studies on how Saudi Arabia's funding affects religion around the world.

Oxford University Press will feature the book, and four others included in the campaign, in special promotions throughout the summer, with the intention of expanding the works’ reach, engagement, and awareness in the global religion community.

Solomiya Shpak. Photo by Buzz McClain/Schar School of Policy and Government

Earle and Shpak’s Chapter Honored

An article detailing how oligarchs use politics and economics to defend property from seizures written by Professor John S. Earle, PhD alumna Solomiya Shpak, et al., has been named “Best article in the field of Ukrainian history, politics, language, literature, and culture published in 2020-2021” by the American Association for Ukrainian Studies.

The paper is here. The article, The Oligarch Vanishes: Defensive Ownership, Property Rights, and Political Connections, will be published by the Quarterly Journal of Political Science. The other co-authors are Scott Gehlbach (University of Chicago) and Anton Shirikov (University of Wisconsin, Madison).

John S. Earle

Two years after graduating from the Schar School, Shpak was teaching at the Kyiv School of Economics when Russia invaded Ukraine; she and her family crossed several European countries to return to America where she is now a post-doctoral fellow at the Center for Micro-Economic Policy Research at the Schar School.

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Faculty News

Schar School News October 2022

What Drives a Sports Fan? Researching the Rise of ‘Ultras’ in European Soccer

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 15:11:03 +0000

What Drives a Sports Fan? Researching the Rise of ‘Ultras’ in European Soccer Andrew J Schappert Thu, 10/27/2022 - 11:11

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Eric McGlinchey

Jennifer N. Victor

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Andrew Strasberg. ‘His work has the potential to become integrated into a broader body of literature,’ said mentor Jennifer N. Victor.

For Andrew Strasberg, the game of soccer has always been a focal point of his life. When the Schar School senior was tasked with completing a research project for a graduate level research class, his topic of choice was a rather easy decision.

Strasberg, a bachelor of science in public administration major, combined his love of soccer with his interest in politics in a unique way. His project, “Hooligans or Honchos? Developing a Political Theory of European Ultra-ism,” explores the sociopolitical phenomenon of ultras, a type of sports fan renowned for ultra-fanatical support. Strasberg explores the existing research on ultras and proposes new methods of analysis to develop “a causal explanation of ultra-ism and its associated violence in Europe,” he said.

Strasberg’s project came into fruition with the help of Schar School Associate Professors Eric McGlinchey and Jennifer N. Victor. Strasberg created his proposal in fall 2021 while taking GOVT 500, a graduate scientific method and research design class taught by McGlinchey, who offered valuable mentorship. (��AV allows undergraduates to take 500- and 600-level courses with an instructor’s permission. “I was just interested in the class,” Strasberg said.)

While working for Victor in the Schar School’s Undergraduate Research Assistant Program (URAP), she encouraged him to submit his proposal to the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) for consideration and served as his mentor throughout the latter half of the year.

Victor says that Strasberg’s timely work is important, now and in the future.

“The study of political violence and the ways in which humans get attracted to groups that become violent is a very important topic,” she said. “His work has the potential to become integrated into a broader body of literature that helps us understand the conditions under which people turn to violence to achieve political goals.”

After his project was accepted, Strasberg joined Victor and other Schar School faculty in Chicago at the MPSA conference in April 2022. He presented his research during an undergraduate poster session and met other like-minded students also exhibiting important work.

Victor says it is rare for undergraduates to present at political science conferences such as the MPSA meeting. Strasberg said the experience allowed him to meet informed academics who offered invaluable feedback on his work.

He advises prospective or current Schar School students interested in research opportunities to pursue them.

“Do it!” he said. “Look for projects that allow you to push the boundaries of what you know and can do already. A lot of people don’t realize how willing and able professors are to help, and will go out of their way to see you succeed.”

Strasberg is now including his successful proposal in his personal statement for PhD applications. He said his class with McGlinchey and the entire URAP program provided “professionalizing resources” and gave him confidence in future endeavors.

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Undergraduate Research Assistant Program

Bachelor of Science

Master of Public Administration

Schar School News October 2022

BS in Public Administration

Bachelor of Science in Public Administration

Public Administration BS

public administration

Schar School BS in Public Administration

Schar School Students Spend a Day Solving a Crisis in the Baltics. (Don’t Worry, It Was a Simulation.)

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 26 Oct 2022 13:48:10 +0000

Schar School Students Spend a Day Solving a Crisis in the Baltics. (Don’t Worry, It Was a Simulation.) Andrew J Schappert Wed, 10/26/2022 - 09:48

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Joel Hillison, director of national security policy and strategy at the Army War College, listens in as Team USA discusses proposed action during Game 2 of the simulation. Photos by Kim Talley

Dangerous turmoil brews in an Estonian separatist state, one supported by an aggressive Russian minority in the region. Surrounding nations are concerned about an outbreak of conflict, but what’s the best way to respond while ensuring individual rights, defending democracy, dealing with a refugee crisis, and protecting the energy grid?

That was the fictional situation facing about 45 participants in an October Baltics 2028 Simulation hosted by the Schar School’s Center for Security Policy Studies and facilitated by members of the U.S. Army War College. The daylong event challenged participants to apply their knowledge of foreign policy and strategy in an effort to thwart—or at least predict—possible outcomes of a realistic crisis.

It may have looked like an elaborate board game, but the perceived danger was realistic and the correct decisions were vital, said participants.

“It was very insightful and I learned a lot about collaborative decision-making and strategy during a geopolitical crisis,” said Master of International Security student Sebastian Evans. “I highly recommend Schar School students to attend simulations in the future. An excellent event and I am very glad I attended.”

The Baltics 2028 Simulation map.

Jerad Harper, an instructor and director of regional studies at the Army War College, discusses implications of a participant’s state’s move in Game 1 of the simulation.

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Simulation

Center for Security Policy Studies

Master of International Security

Schar School News October 2022

Schar School’s Cohort of Marine Corps Fellows Visits Capitol Hill

Andrew J Schappert — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 12:39:49 +0000

Schar School’s Cohort of Marine Corps Fellows Visits Capitol Hill Andrew J Schappert Tue, 10/25/2022 - 08:39

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Members of the fifth cohort of the Marine Corps Congressional Fellows program at the Schar School respond to a question asked by U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI). Photos by Buzz McClain/Schar School of Policy and Government

Little did Alec Pourteau know when he ran for exercise on Capitol Hill while assigned as an officer at Marine Barracks Washington that someday he would be working in the renowned buildings—representing the military as a congressional fellow.

Marine Major Pourteau’s first visit to the Capitol complex took place Friday, September 30, when he and 10 of his fellow Department of Defense Fellows were briefed in the majestic Ways and Means Committee Hearing Room by two U.S. Representatives who detailed the ins-and-outs of daily life on the Hill. They also illuminated some of the expectations of congressional fellows.

The Marines in attendance for the talks by Representatives French Hill (R-AR) and Mike Gallagher (R-WI) were 11 of the Marine Corps officers that make up the fifth cohort of the Marine Corps Congressional Fellows program, an intensive and competitive fellowship that, when completed, grants the officers a Master’s in Public Policy degree from ��AV's Schar School of Policy and Government and launches their transitory careers working on the Hill.

For First Lieutenant Bridget Greene, September’s visit to the Hill was not the first, “but it was the first time I have ever met a member of Congress in person,” she said.

The Greenlawn, New York, native is a logistics officer by trade. It was while serving in Hawaii that she had “the opportunity to experience firsthand the evolution of the American military presence in the Indo-Pacific,” she said. “Building a strong relationship with Congress is critical to enhancing the effectiveness of the Marine Corps during this period of transformation.”

The Schar School/Marine Corps program, which began with a blistering summer session, provides the fellows with the skills in policy-making and analysis necessary for understanding and solving critical problems. Those are proficiencies likely to be required while representing military interests with members of Congress.

“Having active-duty members of our armed forces serve in congressional offices helps strengthen relationships between our armed serves and legislators,” said Noah Jacobson, a Schar School adjunct professor and assistant vice president of federal affairs for AT&T. He teaches in the cohort program and arranged the visit to Capitol Hill. “It also provides members with an expertise they would not ordinarily have.”

After a year wearing suits, ties, and dresses in the famed “hallowed halls” of Congress, the officers return to duty in uniform to complete their military obligation. In Houston-native Pourteau’s case, that’s back to the courtroom as a Judge Advocate.

“It was too good of an opportunity to not apply,” he said of the fellowship. “I’m excited to learn more about policy and government, and to get to firsthand experience with our civilian leadership on Capitol Hill next year.”

His motivation, he said, was to work in “any way I can to serve the Marine Corps and the United States at higher levels. My goal with this program is to do that. The day I feel like I’m coasting is the day it’s time to find something else to do.”

As for meeting French and Gallagher, “The members and their staffers are incredibly patriotic and passionate about their work, and they each have their own unique approach to doing what they think is best for the country,” Pourteau said. “I’m excited to get to work with them.”

“I was struck by the emphasis that they placed on fostering the intellectual curiosity of their Defense Fellows,” Greene said. “I am looking forward to learning more about defense policy issues while also expanding my aperture to include a wide range of policy areas while on Capitol Hill.

“I will certainly have a chance to apply the lessons that I am learning as a student at the Schar School,” she added.

As for the future, “I hope to have many years of service ahead of me,” said Greene. “My first instinct is always to ask myself how I can lever opportunities like this fellowship to become a more well-rounded leader and better serve junior Marines and Sailors.

“I am humbled by the chance to represent the Marine Corps as well at the Schar School and on the Hill.”

U.S. Rep. French Hill (R-AR) addresses the Marines. Alex Pourteau and Bridget Greene are to the left.

U.S. Rep. Gallagher describes what’s expected of the fellows when they serve in the Capitol.

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Marine Fellows

Noah Jacobson

Schar School News October 2022

Students

Symposium: The Arctic and International Security

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 14:39:47 +0000

Symposium: The Arctic and International Security Andrew J Schappert Mon, 10/24/2022 - 10:39

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When one thinks about the Arctic, what comes to mind is a cold and faraway world. But in fact, the Arctic has gotten hotter—not just temperature-wise (blame climate change) but also politically, environmentally, economically, and in matters of national security.

The Center for Security Policy Studies (CSPS) at the Schar School of Policy and Government will examine each of these topics during the Fifth Annual Symposium on International Security, held at ��AV’s Mason Square in Arlington, Virginia, on Thursday, October 27, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The event is open to all; lunch will be provided. Registration is required at this site.

CSPS director Ellen Laipson, who also leads the Schar School’s international security program, explains how the changes in the Arctic will affect the economy, the demographic, and security at large.

“The rules of the Arctic will have to be reset,” she said. “It will have economic ramifications and national security implications” as the region’s previously unnavigable polar seas become viable.

The symposium will present three panel discussions and a lunch-break conversation. Panelists include experts in the fields of climate change, national security, economics, and other relevant topics. Perhaps most important, they will bring into focus why the world should be concerned.

The three panel discussions are:

How the Arctic Is Changing: Environment, Geography, and Governance

Panelists:

Erin Sikorsky, Schar School faculty member and director of the Center for Climate and Security
Marisol Maddox, Polar Institute of the Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars
Eugenie Punitcherska, Embassy of Canada

Moderator:

Schar School Associate Professor Todd Laporte

International Economic Dimensions of the Arctic

Panelists:

Lawson Brigham, University of Alaska Fairbanks and Polar Institute of the Wilson Center
Richard Kauzlarich, Schar School Distinguished Visiting Professor
Lucy Duncan, Safe Ports

Moderator:

Schar School Associate Professor Ken Reinert

The International Security Picture

Panelists:

Dave Auerswald, National War College
Doyle Hodges, Texas National Security Review
Rebecca Pincus, Polar Institute of the Wilson Center

Moderator:

Schar School Professor Ellen Laipson

Schar School Professor Mark N. Katz and Russia expert Andrey Toporov will discuss the Arctic and the U.S.-Russian relations during a lunchtime conversation.

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Events

Center for Security Policy Studies

Mason Square

Schar School News October 2022

Schar School Student’s Essay Wins First Vespa/Mason Contest

Andrew J Schappert — Fri, 21 Oct 2022 16:10:19 +0000

Schar School Student’s Essay Wins First Vespa/Mason Contest Andrew J Schappert Fri, 10/21/2022 - 12:10

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Schar School student Sara Michels and her midnight blue 2009 Vespa LX50. Photo by King W. Gillespie Photography

Many students gripe about having to write an essay as part of a class. But in Sara Michels case, her 500-word composition about how a motorized scooter would help her studies and change her life won her a 2009 Vespa LX50 valued at $1,625.

Michels is in her final year of the Master’s of International Security program at the Schar School, which means the adorable midnight blue scooter, which tops out at 30 miles an hour, will come in handy for tooling around Mason Square.

“I wrote about how I was planning on moving to Arlington soon, and having a Vespa to transport myself to and from school would really give me an affordable way to get myself and my books to and from campus,” she said.

Michels’ prized wheels—she’s yet to name “her,” she said, but Blueberry and Midnight are in the mix—are the first to be won in a collaboration among ��AV’s Mason Square complex, nearby Vespa dealership LaMoto of Washington, and the Vespa Committee of Washington, D.C., a nonprofit for Vespa enthusiasts.

“The idea for the Vespa club’s scooter gifting grew out of a conversation with staff at LaMoto of Washington,” said Vespa Committee spokesman Dave Mangano. “During the pandemic, individuals were calling asking about selling or for trade-in values for small, used 50cc Vespa.”

With a surfeit of scooters at hand, the idea to start a donation program arose and Mason “seemed like a natural partner, given their urban campus location in Arlington,” he said.

The Vespa Committee is a self-described “diverse group of scooterists who celebrate Italian/American culture.” (Vespa is made by Italy’s Piaggio.) As part of her prize, Michels has been trained by club members on how to properly care for and safely ride her scooter.

Michels said she can’t wait to “go on evening rides with the other Vespa owners in the area.”

Mangano said another Vespa earmarked for a Mason essayist is due for delivery in November. For information about the program, see this page.

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Master of International Security

Mason Square

Schar School News October 2022

Schar School Student Spotlight

Kiera Hall: Meet the MPA Student Who Founded a PAC to Help Marginalized Candidates

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 13:15:28 +0000

Kiera Hall: Meet the MPA Student Who Founded a PAC to Help Marginalized Candidates Andrew J Schappert Thu, 10/20/2022 - 09:15

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Kiera Hall: ‘Local elections can be more expensive than senate elections. It is a very broken system.’

Kiera Hall is not the typical political operative. But based on her recent success and her determination to continue it, the Schar School Master’s in Public Administration student clearly means business.

Hall, 29, is the founding executive director of Commonwealth Forward, a nimble and narrowly focused political action committee (PAC) devoted to fighting “the corrosive effects of corporate influence on our domestic process,” according to its mission statement, and supporting progressive campaigns throughout Virginia. Those would-be civic leaders include many who are marginalized by the traditional institutions that recruit and support candidates.

In the last year, Hall has raised more than $1.6 million for the cause.

While busy trying to raise donations and helping candidates all over Virginia win elections, she is also pursuing her master’s degree in public administration, which teaches the skills and insights the executive director of a PAC will need.

“Yes, I said to myself, this degree is just right for me. Folks in public administration want the world to be a better place, and that is the place for me,” she said.

Hall has been putting her focus not on the “big guys” of politics, she said, but on young candidates who want to run on the local level, who stand up to corruption and fight for racial, environmental, and economic justice.

”Money is a barrier to entry in politics,” she said. “Local elections can be more expensive than senate elections. It is a very broken system. It can cost more than $1 million to run for local elections.”

Fundraising is not an easy job, but Hall is committed to become a big player in the world of “smaller” local candidates whose offices are no less important than the high-profile seats of power. She also knows very well her weak points and knows how to mend them: With knowledge, which is what brought her to the Schar School.

The Schar School’s highly ranked MPA program, she said, is teaching her “how to manage people, how to be a better leader, how to do accounting for an NGO [nongovernment organization], how to run a board of directors.”

In one of her classes, she literally took the budget proposal of the professor and applied it to her organization. It worked like a charm, she reported.

Hall seems to have found her niche and her appetite for knowledge satiated at Schar School. “The best professors are there and within reach,” she said, and when she needs to learn more, “I will come back.”

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Master’s in Public Administration

Politics

Schar School News October 2022

Schar School Student Spotlight

Update: Schar School’s Popescu Appointed to Council on Strategic Risks, Wins Alumni Award

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 13:28:59 +0000

Update: Schar School’s Popescu Appointed to Council on Strategic Risks, Wins Alumni Award Andrew J Schappert Wed, 10/19/2022 - 09:28

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Gregory Koblentz

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Saskia Popescu: ‘If I could design a [biodefense] program, it would be this.’

This week, epidemiologist Saskia Popescu has been named a senior fellow at the Janne E. Nolan Center on Strategic Weapons, an institute of the Council on Strategic Risks. On Friday, October 21, she joins other noted ��AV graduates at the university’s Celebration of Distinction: Honoring Mason Excellence alumni benefit. She is this year’s Schar School of Policy and Government Distinguished Alumni Award winner. We republish our story about Popescu’s career.

How do you prepare a hospital for a mass biological event with extreme consequences, such as the coronavirus? It’s complex and can change daily, but ��AV alumna Saskia Popescu is the expert who can help.

The Schar School assistant professor has been a go-to consultant for hospitals and the World Health Organization, helping to control infections and prepare for new outbreaks.

Popescu, who earned a PhD in biodefense from Mason in 2019, also helps educate policy makers and the public. Her expertise on coronavirus and approaches to containing it are highlighted regularly by elite media outlets including the New York Times and the Washington Post. She even serves as an infection prevention consultant for larger businesses and the City of Phoenix, Arizona, in their efforts to incorporate COVID-19 safety into the workplace.

“I’ve always been fascinated by disease transmission dynamics,” Popescu said, adding that she first became interested in epidemiology at age 9, when her mom gave her a copy of The Hot Zone by Richard Preston.

“We have known about [infectious disease] for hundreds of years but still struggle against it,” she said. “Learning from [each outbreak] and being able to pivot and evolve with that is a really fascinating process to me.”

And that’s just what she gets to do each day.

The infection prevention epidemiologist from Arizona said she has built COVID-19 response and preparedness programs for hospitals from scratch, and is constantly looking at case counts and analyzing data locally and internationally to ensure she’s providing the most informed recommendations possible.

Popescu at work.

“It’s extremely hard to build a robust response and preparedness program and be able to keep it agile, respond to changes in the science and data, and do it in a way that is pragmatic,” Popescu said. “Building something with the resources at hand and in a way that follows evidence-based measures is something I really love and am proud of, and getting to problem-solve and think critically in tough, chaotic situations.”

Popescu says she was drawn to Mason’s biodefense program because it was the only one that offered what she calls a perfect intersection of science and policy.

“If I could design a program, it would be this,” she said.

“I really love the program at Mason and am grateful to teach in it [because] it reaches across multiple specialties,” Popescu said. “[Mason] instilled that it’s never just coming at a global health security problem from one view; you have to look at all these moving pieces and put together a mosaic to really understand what’s going on.”

That includes looking at prevention strategies, as well as policy and economic implications, she says.

“Dr. Popescu has been having a major impact both locally and nationally,” said Gregory Koblentz, director of Mason’s biodefense program. “She has a knack for explaining complex topics in a way that is easily understandable by people with no background in epidemiology.”

“Now, as an assistant professor…she has an opportunity to train the next generation of scholars and practitioners in this field,” he said. “Whether in the ICU, on Twitter, or in the classroom, Dr. Popescu exemplifies the mission of the Biodefense Program, which is to bridge the gap between science and policy to improve health security.

—Additional reporting by Buzz McClain

Topics

Biodefense

Alumni

Schar School News October 2022

Ukrainian Freshman Joins Schar School Community, Looks Forward to ‘Whole New Life’

Andrew J Schappert — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 15:41:08 +0000

Ukrainian Freshman Joins Schar School Community, Looks Forward to ‘Whole New Life’ Andrew J Schappert Tue, 10/18/2022 - 11:41

Ukrainian student Gabriella Grabovska: ‘Sometimes, when my [Mason] friends see me, they will say, Slava Ukraini [Glory to Ukraine], and I’m so touched in this moment.’ Photos by Ron Aira/Creative Services

Gabriella Grabovska always dreamed of attending college in the United States. Working hard on her studies, the 17-year-old from Ukraine pored through lists of American colleges and set her sights on ��AV’s Schar School of Policy and Government.

“It seemed like it was the right fit,” she said. “The level of education, the community. It’s a perfect match for me.”

Grabovska felt the strong support of Mason Nation even before she set foot on campus.

Last February, she and her family left their home in Kyiv to travel to the town of Borodyanka. They had planned to return to Kyiv in a couple of days. However, the Russian invasion of Ukraine began and Borodyanka was bombed repeatedly. The barrage destroyed roads and bridges, eliminating any way out. Grabovska and her family were trapped without electricity or heat.

“It was one of the most difficult periods of my life because we had very limited amounts of food and water,” she said. “We were bombed every hour. We had no way to even call our relatives to let them know we were alive.”

She and her family managed to escape to Ternopil, where they remained for more than two months. They finally returned to Kyiv and Grabovska wrote about her terrifying experience in an Instagram post.

“So many people from George Mason supported me,” she said of the post. “They said that my story was eye-opening. They finally realized what the war was really like and I was so grateful to all of them because they started donating money to support Ukraine.”

A government and international politics major and member of the Democracy Lab learning community, she’s immersed herself in her classes, attended extracurricular and social events, and expanded her network of friends.

“I love the people here,” she said. “I’m really interested in talking to lots of people. I’m 100 percent extroverted so it was easy for me.”

One of her favorite courses is GOV 103, taught by Jennifer Victor, an associate professor who also serves as the director of the Democracy Lab. Grabovska recalls being inspired by one of Victor’s early lectures.

“For the first time in my entire life, I had this thought, I want to be her one day,” she said. “She is a professional in her area of interest. She is so energetic. She is always ready to answer our questions.”

One of Grabovska’s preferred spots on campus is the Johnson Center, especially in the evenings when the building buzzes with students.

“It’s kind of motivating to study there because everyone is typing and you’re like, I’ll do that too. I love it,” she said.

While Grabovska is “just looking forward to my whole new life,” the ongoing war in Ukraine and concerns about her family’s safety are never far from her thoughts. She talks to her parents daily.

“I read the news about Ukraine and the war every day,” she said. “I still get notifications about air alerts. So, when I see an air alert in Kyiv, I text my dad, Are you in a bomb shelter?”

Grabovska feels grateful that she is safe in the U.S. and able to pursue her education as a member of the Schar School community, many of whom are aware of what she has been through.

“Sometimes, when my friends see me, they will say, Slava Ukraini [Glory to Ukraine], and I’m so touched in this moment,” she said. “That’s so cool. They understand what’s going on and they support us. That’s just Mason Nation and I’m happy I ended up at this university.”

Grabovska’s journey to Mason was fraught with danger: ‘We were bombed every hour. We had no way to even call our relatives to let them know we were alive.’

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Schar School News October 2022

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