MS Profiles

Patriot Profile: Valeria Fernandez

Rebecca Kobayashi — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 18:21:51 +0000

Patriot Profile: Valeria Fernandez Rebecca Kobayashi Tue, 04/09/2024 - 14:21

Valeria Fernandez
Year: Senior
Major: Psychology
Hometown: Woodbridge, Virginia

Valeria Fernandez’s journey as a fellow with Generation Hope’s FamilyU* began even before she arrived on campus. The mother of a three-year-old, Fernandez realized when applying to Mason that the housing application did not account for the needs of student-parents, so she raised the issue and potential solutions in a FamilyU interview. Fernandez, who had just finished an associate’s degree in psychology at Northern Virginia Community College, was selected as Mason’s FamilyU fellow for the 2022–23 cohort.

Valeria Fernandez and her daughter in the child-friendly Contemporary Student Lounge on the Fairfax Campus. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Growing into Leadership: Each FamilyU fellow develops an advocacy project during the year. To help address the gap in student-parent mental health care at Mason, Fernandez created a child-friendly support group that focused on mindfulness activities. “Even when I encountered people who would admit to having zero concept of what it’s like to be a student-parent, [Mason] was still a safe, welcoming environment.” She now has greater pride and confidence as a student-parent because of the peers and others she met at Mason who were willing to listen. For Fernandez, it was also encouraging to meet other parents who were pursuing personal dreams alongside raising children.

Advocating for a New Normal: Fernandez says some problems, like how difficult it is for student-parents to meet each other, have simple remedies, like highlighting child-friendly campus activities; but others require long-term solutions, such as changing assumptions about the typical college student. For example, inflexible online tests or assignments present challenges to student-parents with limited child care who may need to schedule an alternate time. Faculty members should recognize that students, whether parenting or working, “have lives outside of being students,” explains Fernandez. “And that doesn't mean that they have less respect for your course.”

Building Momentum: Fernandez currently works as a student-parent ambassador with Mason’s Contemporary Student Services. The mindfulness group she created grew into Student Parent Community Spaces, where student-parents can connect with each other and learn about university services. She is also working to increase student-parent visibility at Mason for potential transfer students. Sometimes her daughter even accompanies her to campus, which Fernandez says she feels comfortable doing because of relationships she is building with colleagues. She has applied to graduate programs at Mason and elsewhere with the goal of someday working in forensic psychology or perhaps pursuing teaching.

* Mason alum Nicole Lynn Lewis, MPP ’06, founded the nonprofit Generation Hope to support young parents and their children as parents pursue further education. Read more about her.

Learn about FamilyU Cohorts

Mason student Ilia Malinin is the world’s most dominant figure skater

Colleen Rich — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 18:48:00 +0000

Mason student Ilia Malinin is the world’s most dominant figure skater Colleen Rich Mon, 04/08/2024 - 14:48

An injury had slowed him down in the lead-up to the recent 2024 World Figure Skating Championships in Montreal, but ��AV’s Ilia Malinin wasn’t to be deterred.

Ilia Malinin won gold at the 2024 World Figure Skating Championships in Montreal with a record setting score in the free program. Photo provided

The 19-year-old part-time student left no doubt about who will be the likely favorite in the men’s singles competition at the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Italy, with a dominant world championship performance that included a world record-setting score of 227.79 in the free program.

In doing so, Malinin cemented himself as the man to beat in the figure skating field.

“I was surprised at how well I skated,” said Malinin, a Vienna, Virginia, resident and 2023 graduate of George C. Marshall High School. “I wasn’t sure if I could skate to my best because I’d been fighting through an injury. It was a lot of pressure because I knew it could be the best skate of my life or it could go terribly wrong.”

Considered a rising star in the sport in past years, Malinin successfully executed a record six quad jumps, including his signature quadruple axel jump that ranks as the sport’s most difficult in competition.

All quad jumps have four revolutions, except for the quad axel, which has four and a half revolutions. Malinin is the only person to have ever successfully performed a quad axel in competition, having first done so in 2022.

“I was kind of in shock,” he recalled. “The whole season, you’re working your way to get to that point. Then you get to that critical point where you could either skate your way on or off the medal stand. It felt like a relief.”

Malinin’s first world championship didn’t exactly go unnoticed by the Mason community.

“Six quads in a single performance?” asked Tim Groseclose, an economics professor within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the holder of the Adam Smith Chair at the Mercatus Center, who knows a little something about the sport thanks to a daughter who skated. “He’s basically the Michael Jordan of figure skating—not just the best in the world, but probably will be the world’s best for quite some time … and he’s an econ student at Mason!”

Malinin is the only person to have ever successfully performed a quad axel in competition, having first done so in 2022. Photo provided

Malinin is looking ahead to the World Figure Skating Championships in Boston in March 2025, with the Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina, Italy to follow in February 2026.

In the meantime, however, he still has plenty to keep him busy in his limited free time.

Mindful of a career after his skating days are over, Malinin said he began his collegiate academic pursuits at Mason because it offers a great education near his home and his nearby training rink in Reston.

It doesn’t hurt either that a number of his close friends from high school are currently Mason students.

But being the best in the world means practicing anywhere from four to six hours daily, six times per week under the watchful eye of his parents, Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov, the two former Uzbekistan Olympic skaters who also coach their son. Malinin’s grandfather, Valery Malinin, is a former Soviet Olympic skater currently coaching in Russia.

“When I first started skating [at age 7], it was more for fun,” Malinin said. “I was around 13 when I realized that I could skate for more than just fun.”

But that means it’s imperative Malinin make the most every minute of each day, so he often brings his laptop along for use at the rink during breaks to keep up with the online introductory economics class he’s taking this semester.

Last semester, he took a class in Mason’s School of Dance within the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Although he’s yet to declare his major, Malinin hopes to eventually study civil engineering, with an eye on design or architecture.

“Hope I meet Ilia someday,” Groseclose said. “And I hope even more he takes one of my classes.”

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Mason researcher tackles 'The Politics of Innocence' in new book

Colleen Rich — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 19:38:42 +0000

Mason researcher tackles 'The Politics of Innocence' in new book Colleen Rich Fri, 04/05/2024 - 15:38

Since 1989, more than 3,000 people have been exonerated after being wrongly convicted. In his new book, The Politics of Innocence: How Wrongful Convictions Shape Public Opinion (New York University Press, September 2023), Robert J. Norris, associate professor in the Department of Criminology, Law and Society, and his coauthors explore the political dynamics that shape the innocence movement.

Robert J. Norris. Photo provided

What inspired you to write this book?

After exploring how wrongful convictions had become such a prominent advocacy issue in the criminal legal system, I was left with lingering questions about how much the public knew about [wrongful convictions] and how they responded to information about them. Around that same time, one of my coauthors and I were having lunch and discussed the first season of the podcast Serial, which was about a likely wrongful conviction. We were talking about how those sorts of stories made people nervous and wondered how common that feeling was. We began designing our first study and now, seven years later, here we are!

Was there anything that surprised you in the research for this book?

Throughout the book, we show that wrongful convictions can change people’s support for the death penalty and their trust in the criminal justice system generally. However, we were a bit surprised to find that we could not change people’s trust in police, even when explicitly telling people about the role of police in wrongful convictions. Those attitudes appear to be more entrenched and resistant to change than others. Another thing that is perhaps not surprising, but definitely heartening, is that while innocence reform is political, people across the ideological spectrum can be persuaded to support changes that would help improve our legal system. We can cut through some of the ideological noise and appeal to a variety of different people.

What are you working on now?

I’m currently working on a variety of things. Some of these projects are still related to innocence, including work on the racial history of wrongful convictions, the post-release experiences of wrongly convicted people, narrative language in wrongful convictions, and the relationship between the innocence movement and the antideath penalty movement. Other work is more generally tied to public opinion, such as the process that leads people to support punitive practices and the effects of the language we use to discuss incarcerated populations. I’m also beginning to explore some broader conceptual ideas about completely unrelated issues, which is really exciting for me.

Investigate Criminology, Law and Society programs at Mason

At the barbershop, it’s OK not to be OK

mthomp7 — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 17:14:29 +0000

At the barbershop, it’s OK not to be OK mthomp7 Fri, 03/22/2024 - 13:14

Destigmatizing mental health support and normalizing therapy in the Black community, one barbershop at a time

��AV alumnus Gary T. Taylor, MSW '15, is destigmatizing mental health support and normalizing therapy in the Black community one barbershop at a time. “Barbershops are this safe space for Black men,” says Taylor who has been working with local barbershops in the Rappahannock region of Virginia since 2022 to foster healthy discussions about mental health by educating barbers on “mental health first aid” for their patrons.

“This is where men may go to talk through things, have big debates, talk about sports. Barbershops are an important part of culture for us as Black men—just like salons are for Black women,” says Taylor. Given the trusted role that barbers often play in Black men’s lives—it seemed like a natural place to Taylor for reaching men about mental health.

Taylor has found that barbershop talks play an important role in normalizing talking about issues and going to therapy. The talks can help point participants in the right direction to get therapy resources or find substance abuse resources.

Working in partnership with the Rappahannock Area Community Service Board, Taylor realized he could bring his crisis therapy experience into the community through “barbershop talks”—informal group discussions with the barber, the shop patrons, and a trained social worker.

“Most of the time when you talk to barbers, they'll tell you they're almost de facto therapists and social workers,” says Taylor, “They're listening to their clients’ problems and maybe don’t know about resources available to help. So we wanted to equip the barbers to know what the necessary resources are just in case somebody comes in and it's a crisis or they're really struggling and they don't know where to go.”

It helps reduce stigma by normalizing that it's OK to not be OK. Therapy doesn’t mean I'm crazy or something's wrong with me,” he says.

Taylor relays to participants that seeking mental health support is just like taking your car in for an oil change to make sure it keeps running properly.

“With the rise of substance abuse and overdoses, the barbers or the folks that are coming to these barbershop talks now are getting Narcan training too. And I think that's the strengths-based approach to meet the community where they're at,” said Taylor.

To date, Taylor has completed more than five barbershop talks in the Rappahannock region and is working with female colleagues to begin salon talks this spring.

“It’s important that people who share lived experiences are leading these sessions, so the participants can relate and see themselves in the facilitator,” says Taylor. "I can speak to that direct cultural experiences of Black men and then also bring in my skill set, my knowledge, my experience, my education to help provide that education and awareness

An assistant professor at Virginia State University, Taylor is also passionate about “passing the baton” to the next generation by getting more Black people—particularly Black men—into the social work profession to meet the growing demand.

“The suicide rate for young Black men has been increasing over the past 5 to 10 years, starting from ages 9 and 10 up to the mid-20s. We’re seeing similar challenges for Black girls too. So, there is a growing need for diversity in the social work profession. That cultural awareness piece for the Black community and having more Black social workers, Black practitioners, Black Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW), it's very, very, very important as we progress in the field.”

Learn more about Taylor's work

Gary Taylor spoke to the College of Public Health about his mission is to “pass the baton” to the next generation of social workers.

Discover what it is like to have a career is social work >

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Mental Health

master of social work

This royal alumna’s foundation works to prevent poaching

Sarah Holland — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 17:29:34 +0000

This royal alumna’s foundation works to prevent poaching Sarah Holland Thu, 03/14/2024 - 13:29

Listening to Aliyah Pandolfi, BS Management ‘04, talk about her journey from entrepreneur to anti-poaching advocate, it can be easy to forget another title she holds: princess.

Pandolfi pose with one of the drone prototypes. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

Pandolfi is a descendant of one of the royal families of Kashmir—a Himalayan region occupied by foreign military forces. Her father fled to Pakistan as a child during territorial disputes and later became a Pakistani diplomat in Washington, D.C., after which he moved his family to Northern Virginia. After retirement, he earned his real estate license. Pandolfi recalls going to her father’s office, where her interest in business began.

By 18, she had started her own real estate company. Pandolfi needed her college education to fit around the full-time responsibilities of business ownership—and that’s where her journey intersected with Mason. After she earned an associate’s degree she took advantage of the university’s flexible course offerings and completed her bachelor’s while continuing her career.

Her management degree would eventually lead Pandolfi from independent business owner to an international foundation: the Kashmir World Foundation (KwF). KwF has three arms—Kashmir Academy, Kashmir Robotics, and Kashmir Rose—working toward conservation and endangered species protection through education, technological development, and art, respectively. The foundation specifically focuses on developing drones that support anti-poaching efforts. Previous projects include using drones in the African bush that could identify poachers and share their location with authorities, and drones with the real-time ability to identify sea turtle tracks and geolocate their nests.

Pandolfi is known for thinking of solutions far outside the box. But she views that space of evolution and innovation as precisely where the KwF needs to be. “I want to revolutionize not just what we create, but how we think about autonomous aerial, ground, and marine systems and what they’re capable of,” she says.

That strong belief in the importance of evolution and growth is something she sees reflected in Mason.

“Both Mason and I are so different from when I was a student, but that evolution is necessary,” she says. “Resilience is inherent to being able to grow and flourish, to allow different views to be accepted and applied. I see that resilience in Mason.”

Pandolfi’s daughter, Kashmir, attended the Mason Space Exploration Center Summer Camp at the Fairfax Campus this past summer, continuing the Mason legacy.

“I continue to carry the Mason spirit wherever I go. I want to be defined not by my title, but by my legacy. I want to lead by example and bring people together to solve problems that might seem impossible.”

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Schar School ’06 MPP Alumna Lewis is 2023 ‘Washingtonian of the Year’

Andrew J Schappert — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 18:50:33 +0000

Schar School ’06 MPP Alumna Lewis is 2023 ‘Washingtonian of the Year’ Andrew J Schappert Tue, 02/20/2024 - 13:50

Studies show that one in five undergraduate college students is a parent, a situation that makes them 10 times less likely to complete a degree program than nonparents. Meanwhile, fewer than 2 percent of teen mothers who have a baby before age 18 earn a college degree before they turn 30.

Nicole Lynn Lewis: ‘My two years in the [Schar School] program really opened me up to looking at the issues that I was most passionate about through a policy lens…’

Nicole Lynn Lewis has spent the last 14 years trying to change those odds—because it wasn’t so long ago, she was among those unwed, pregnant teens trying to finish her senior year of high school and then attend college.

Fourteen years later, Lewis has helped some 450 young families in the Washington, D.C., metro region reach their education goals with financial assistance and mentoring through Generation Hope, the nonprofit she founded in 2010 after earning a 2006 Master of Public Policy degree at ��AV’s Schar School of Policy and Government.

In January, Lewis was named Washingtonian of the Year for 2023, one of 10 awards presented by the magazine to community leaders in various fields. It’s not the first major honor the author of Pregnant Girl: A Story of Teen Motherhood, College, and Creating a Better Future for Young Families has won: In 2020, Lewis was one of 31 inaugural awardees of the Black Voices for Black Justice Fund, an initiative of actress Kerry Washington and philanthropist Wes Moore, now the governor of Maryland.

My two years in the [Schar School] program really opened me up to looking at the issues that I was most passionate about through a policy lens, and understanding the role that legislation plays in shaping the lives of all of us—but especially of marginalized people who are under-resourced in our in communities,” she said of her experience at Mason.

While helping individuals in need was the driving force, lessons learned at the Schar School taught her about the implications of larger-scale policy.

“It really helped open my eyes to the systemic impact of what young families are navigating every day,” she said. “I also remember looking at policy holistically and understanding that policies don't always do what they're intended to do. It's important to really be intentional and thoughtful about not only crafting policies, but the way that they're rolled out.

“And I think that was really helpful in looking critically at policy and understanding that the intention of a policy is one thing, but what’s really important is how it plays out in the lives of the people it’s purporting to serve.”

The Schar School’s Master of Public Policy program prepares students to become leaders in influential positions in the policy world. The program addresses a vast range of public concerns and “big problems,” including terrorism, human trafficking, gender studies, environment, and others. More information can be found at the Master of Public Policy website.

Request Schar School program information

Learn more about the Schar School

Wherever I May Roam: Mason alum directs marching band to victory in Metallica competition

Sarah Holland — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 14:39:49 +0000

Wherever I May Roam: Mason alum directs marching band to victory in Metallica competition Sarah Holland Tue, 02/06/2024 - 09:39

Smoke glides across the Oakton High School football field. A black curtain—20 yards long—hangs in the center of the field with giant silver letters: “Parade to Black.”

As the opening bars of “Enter Sandman” play on vibraphones, 50 high school marching band members emerge in ’80s hair metal wigs. They join the arrangement of the hit Metallica song, head-banging in between choreography and music cues.

Photo by Dave Custer.

“Enter Sandman” concludes the eight-and-a-half-minute medley of Metallica’s most popular songs, performed by Oakton High School’s marching band and color guard. Directed by Mason alum Jamie VanValkenburg, BM ’97, MM ’00, the Marching Cougars won the approval of Metallica itself, winning the small high school category in the inaugural “For Whom the Band Tolls!” marching band competition, beating out more than 450 other competitors. Other than praise and acclaim from the gods of metal themselves, the band will also receive a prize of $15,000 for instruments and equipment.

“It’s surreal. I grew up listening to Metallica,” VanValkenburg said. “Their albums were huge when I was in middle and high school, so when I saw the initial announcement on social media about the competition, I thought doing a Metallica show and entering their competition would be fun. I never expected that we would win.”

Jamie VanValkenburg, BM ’97, MM ’00, director of the Marching Cougars. Photo by Dave Custer.

VanValkenburg, an upstate New York native, chose Mason at the encouragement of his middle school band director, whose college band director was Anthony Maiello, University Professor of Music in the Dewberry School of Music in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Before he came to Mason, Maiello taught a number of future New York band directors at SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music, in northern New York state.

“Once he moved to Mason, those directors encouraged their students who showed interest in majoring in music to look into Mason,” VanValkenburg explained. “We joked that in the Mason music department, if you weren’t from Virginia, you were probably from New York.”

VanValkenburg met his future wife at Mason, also from Upstate New York and with a Maiello connection, Holly (Constantine) VanValkenburg, BA Music ‘00. Maiello was also the conductor for VanValkenburg’s New York All-State high school band.

While Maiello brought VanValkenburg to Mason, it was retired professor Roger Behrend who put VanValkenburg on the path to teaching. “Behrend insisted that those of us interested in music performance get our degrees in music education,” VanValkenburg said. “It would ensure we had a plan if we were unable to sustain a career in performance. It was some of the best advice I ever got.”

VanValkenburg still draws on the lessons from his time at Mason. In particular, he remembered Maiello’s influence. “Professor Maiello had very high standards, but he knew how to rehearse a band to meet those standards. He taught us how to reach those heights, and that’s something I try to emulate. He was incredibly inspiring on the podium, and I owe a lot to him.”

The Oakton High School marching band performs their award-winning show "Parade to Black" at the VBODA State Marching Band Assessment. Photo by Dave Custer.

VanValkenburg isn’t the only Mason alum in the Oakton High School community: Multiple members of the band staff are either alumni or current students of Mason, including the marching band music arranger Kent Baker, BA Music ’21 ; percussion arranger Nick Kraemer, BM Music Education ’15; percussion instructors Ricky Carrero, BA Sociology ’17, and Bronson Rodriguez, BA Music ‘23; and color guard instructor Malcolm Wood, BM Music Education ’23. Current Mason students on staff include Elaine Hopkins and Carly Wolfrey. Together, they created the winning Oakton High School performance.

Putting together a marching band show is a months-long endeavor, which VanValkenburg compared to a “1,000-piece puzzle.” Students are given the music arrangement near the end of the school year to learn over the summer. At marching band camp in August, they learn the drill and choreography, and develop the show as an ensemble. The show learned at band camp would be their show for the full season, including football games and competitions, which runs through October.

The road to this victory wasn’t easy. School music programs are still feeling the impacts of COVID-19, including reduced student numbers and loss of group performance skills.

“For a full year, none of them were able to play together. Once back in person, they didn’t know how to listen to each other, how to work as an ensemble anymore,” he explained. “And the process of virtual band was so painful we saw a lot of students not continue with their music programs.”
VanValkenburg suspects that recovery will take a few more years, but he hopes that this victory will encourage student interest.

“I’ve heard from directors around the county that after the winners were announced, their middle school students came into class all abuzz with the news. It’s awesome that everyone is as excited about this as we are,” he said.

Learn more about the Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music

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Meet the Mason Nation: Doug McKenna, University Registrar

Lauren Reuscher — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 17:32:48 +0000

Meet the Mason Nation: Doug McKenna, University Registrar Lauren Reuscher Tue, 01/09/2024 - 12:32

Doug McKenna

Job: University Registrar

Many things change over the years at a college or university, but the university registrar serves as the guardian of something permanent.

“I’m responsible for maintaining the student record in perpetuity,” said Doug McKenna, registrar at ��AV. “At the core, the Office of the University Registrar is the steward of student academic data.”

Doug McKenna, university registrar at ��AV. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

A student’s time at the university may only last a few years, but their records last forever, thanks to the work of the registrar.

A champion for Mason

Before coming to Mason in July 2019, McKenna worked at both public and private institutions of higher education, with enrollments ranging from 12,000 to 46,000 students. But he says that Mason is a great fit for him. “The values of inclusivity, equity, and accessibility all resonate with me and align with what’s important to me personally,” said McKenna.

A full catalog of work

The Office of the University Registrar serves a broad range of functions. Publishing the catalog, building the schedule of classes, performing degree audits, completing veterans’ certifications, issuing transcripts, and awarding degrees—these are just some of the ways the office serves the university community.

Witnessing the milestones

McKenna describes the Office of the University Registrar as a tremendous vantage point to the institution, touching key moments across a student's academic journey. “I know it sounds trite, but one of the reasons that I love being the registrar is that very few days in a row are the same,” said McKenna. The office supports students, faculty, staff, and alumni. “With that many constituents, there’s always something going on.”

Meeting modern needs

At the largest and fastest growing public research university in Virginia, there are challenges, too. “Mason is catching up in terms of leveraging technology for administrative processes,” said McKenna. His office has been working to convert forms into dynamic digital workflows, making processes like grade changes and credit overloads faster and more efficient. McKenna says these changes save time for everyone.

Doug McKenna, university registrar. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

A dedicated team

No matter what each day brings, McKenna’s colleagues inspire and motivate him. “Hands down, Mason has the best people who are passionate about supporting student success, who care, who are engaged, and who are fun,” said McKenna. “There’s a real sense of joy about the work that we’re doing here.”

Learning for life

McKenna has a unique perspective as registrar: He is a student, too, pursuing his PhD in education with a specialization in higher education. “I think it’s important that I continue to study and learn as much as possible about the industry in which I work,” McKenna said. “And as a leader, to model lifelong learning for my staff.”

Registrars assemble

Beyond Mason, McKenna holds an influential role in the realm of university registrars. He helps train new registrars through the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO). An active member of the professional organization, McKenna also started hosting its podcast, For the Record, in 2019.

“While the podcast is focused on topics that affect registrars, I’ve heard from a lot of people who are either registrar-adjacent or higher education-adjacent that it has provided interesting insights into the registrar’s many roles at an institution,” said McKenna. “I love hosting it, because it’s given me the opportunity to talk to and learn from so many really smart and capable people.”

Beyond the job

Outside work, McKenna and his wife stay busy with their two active teenagers and two dogs. The arts are an important part of his life—he plays the guitar, sings, and recently sold his first piece of commissioned artwork: poured acrylics on canvas. McKenna volunteers to support the arts programs at his children's middle and high schools, as well.

Envisioning the future

He will continue working toward that PhD. “I’m on a kind of ‘dance remix’ version of the PhD, taking one course at a time while working full time and parenting full time,” McKenna said. “My goal is to be finished before my son, who is currently a junior in high school, graduates from college.”

When that day comes, he’ll have yet another timeless perspective to add to his Mason repertoire: alumni.

The Office of the University Registrar handles degree, course, grade, and other student records, working collaboratively with many other offices on campus.

Learn more about the Office of the University Registrar

Meet more of the Mason Nation

Meet the Mason Nation: Mihee Cho
June 19, 2024
Meet the Mason Nation: Kevin Brim
April 26, 2024
Meet the Mason Nation: Rachel Wernicke, associate dean and chief mental health officer
February 23, 2024
Meet the Mason Nation: Doug McKenna, University Registrar
January 12, 2024
Meet the Mason Nation: Will Gautney, assistant master electrician and Staff Senate chair
October 20, 2023

Meet more of the Mason Nation

This content appears in the Summer 2024 print edition of the Mason Spirit Magazine.

Building Businesses

Priyanka Champaneri — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 17:48:06 +0000

Building Businesses Priyanka Champaneri Wed, 11/08/2023 - 12:48

Entrepreneur Eman Pahlavani, BS Political Science ’09, says he found his time at Mason transformational and the social networking skills he developed as a student have been instrumental in his success as an entrepreneur.

Mason alum Eman Pahlavani is interested in creating purpose-driven companies that can make a positive impact.

“Attending Mason was a crash course in how to think, talk, and connect with other people,” says Pahlavani. “I was a shy person when I arrived, and I really blossomed in that environment.”

Born and raised in Loudoun County, Pahlavani attended Northern Virginia Community College before transferring to Mason. After graduating, he earned a juris doctor from the University of New Hampshire Law School in 2012.

One of his first entrepreneurial endeavors was founding LiveSafe, a personal safety mobile application that has since become a global enterprise. LiveSafe was acquired by Vector Solutions in 2020.

During development of LiveSafe, Pahlavani noticed the office staff didn’t have a lot of choices for workplace lunches. With that observation, a new venture was born—HUNGRY, a tech-enabled platform for office and event catering, connecting corporate clients to talented local independent chefs.

“I am a business builder at heart,” says Pahlavani, founder and chief operating officer of HUNGRY. “I identify a problem and find a business solution to solve it.”

Launched in 2017, HUNGRY has experienced exponential growth and now serves more than 15 major markets. In response to the pandemic and the changing office landscape, HUNGRY continues to innovate and has added a number of new options, including meal delivery and virtual chef experiences. This type of growth has earned them a spot on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies two years in a row.

For Pahlavani, it’s not just about growth, it’s also about doing good. HUNGRY donates one meal for every two meals sold to help end hunger in the United States and, working with its partner Feeding America, has contributed more than half a million meals to date.

“HUNGRY is a purpose-driven company dedicated to improving the lives of everyone we touch,” he says. “Every business should have a component of good.”

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Patriot Profile: Arion Lillard-Green

Priyanka Champaneri — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 20:43:13 +0000

Patriot Profile: Arion Lillard-Green Priyanka Champaneri Tue, 11/07/2023 - 15:43

Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Year: Doctoral Student
Major: Health Services Research
Hometown: Lexington, Kentucky

The thought of hospice care can stir up many emotions, including grief, fear, or dread. But what about peace, comfort, or courage? As a former hospice chaplain, Arion Lillard-Green, MHA Health Systems Management ’21, has probably seen–and felt—all of these. When she started her doctoral program at Mason, Lillard-Green brought experience from a unique combination of disciplines: journalism, theology, and health administration. Her goal of earning a doctorate in health services research comes from a desire to bring these disciplines together to ask important questions that impact health policy.

Asking Deeper Questions: Lillard-Green studied journalism as an undergraduate because she enjoyed investigating issues and bringing truths to light. She then completed a master’s degree in theology, which pushed her to think more deeply about issues based on theological and philosophical principles. During seminary, Lillard- Green worked as a private caregiver for aging adults alongside hospice clinicians. This inspired her to complete a hospice chaplain residency program, where she spent a year learning the art of spiritual counseling in the hospital setting.

Providing Comfort: Lillard-Green spent 17 years working as a hospice chaplain. This sparked her interest in the health care field. “Although a career in health care wasn’t my initial goal, it somehow found its way into my work,” she says. She gained insight into the issues people face at the end of life: their spiritual and emotional needs and the physical realities of hospice and palliative care.

Facing Difficult Realities: Working in rural West Virginia and in Northern Virginia, she observed disparities in access to and quality of care. She counseled patients who were financially secure and who lived paycheck to paycheck. “The most significant lesson I learned during my time as a clinician is the reality that socioeconomic status determines the way we live, and it determines how we die,” Lillard-Green says.

Support for Her Work: In fall 2023 Lillard-Green earned a spot in the second cohort of the Public Voices Fellowship at AcademyHealth. This fellowship, conducted in collaboration with The OpEd Project, is dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices in public health, research, and social justice.

Rethinking the End-of-Life Journey: Lillard-Green hopes that her research will help capture the degree to which hospice and palliative care providers are meeting the needs of patients and families, along with barriers to access. “We need to find ways to collect better, meaningful data to gain a well-rounded understanding of social risk factors,” she says. “The end-of-life journey should not start at the end of life. Unfortunately, aging and dying well is a privilege that needs to be extended to all persons earlier in the health care continuum.”