Schar School News March 2023

A Busy Day: Two Schar School Learning Communities Tour Capitol, DOJ

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 30 Mar 2023 15:50:35 +0000

A Busy Day: Two Schar School Learning Communities Tour Capitol, DOJ Andrew J Schappert Thu, 03/30/2023 - 11:50

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Steven Pearlstein

Jennifer N. Victor

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Democracy Lab students take in the Rotunda of the Capitol building. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

As the famed Washington, D.C., cherry blossoms reached their peak bloom on a chilly Friday in late March, two groups of students from the Schar School of Policy and Government made the trip from ��AV’s Fairfax Campus to destinations in the nation’s capital. The nearly 50-or-so undergraduates making the visits represented two Schar School learning communities: While Democracy Lab took to Capitol Hill, the Jurisprudence Learning Community spent most of the day at the U.S. Department of Justice.

Members of the Democracy Lab and Lab director Jennifer Victor, center in green, pose on the Capitol steps. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

Democracy Lab Sees House Vote

With Congress in session, the day started with the Mason students seeing all 435 members of the House of Representatives at once on the House floor. For some, it was a dazzling sight.

“It’s crazy to see all of the people you see in the media right in front of you,” said first-year government and international politics (GVIP) major Zane Ryan-Hart, taking in the view. He and classmates were intrigued as they witnessed several floor votes take place, in effect moving proposals on their way into laws.

The tour, a first-time visit for most of the students, took in the Capitol Galleries, the majestic domed Rotunda, and the museum at the visitor center before dining in the Capitol cafeteria for lunch.

Robinson Professor of Public Affairs Steven Pearlstein and Schar School associate professor Jennifer Victor led the group and gave the students insights into political life on the Hill. The tour was joined by two current Schar School students currently interning in the House: GVIP major Aidan Jacobs works with U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), and public administration major Will Dagle is appointed to the office of Zach Nunn (R-IA). The legislative interns gave the students insights as to how a congressional office works and how to land an internship on the Hill.

While some students arranged meetings with their home district representatives in advance, Connecticut native Joey Rizzo, a freshman majoring in public administration, unexpectedly met his representative Jim Himes (D-CN) in the Capitol’s marble hallway. “It was cool—I got to shake his hand,” Rizzo said. On second thought, “I should have taken a photo!”

Jonathan Wroblewski, principal deputy assistant attorney general, addresses the Jurisprudence Learning Community students at the Department of Justice. Photo by Buzz McClain/Schar School of Policy and Government

The tour ended with another missed photo opportunity involving a small dog: Students stopped to pet the adorable canine, but first asked the owner for permission. It turns out it was Deco, the French bulldog being walked by his owner, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). AOC and Deco appreciated the attention.

Federal Lawyers Meet with Jurisprudence LC

Attorney General Merrick Garland was on the agenda, but he was understandably caught up in headline-making decisions. Instead, 24 students from Mason’s Jurisprudence Learning Community (JPLC) visiting the Department of Justice on Pennsylvania Avenue spent the afternoon with Garland’s engaging chief of staff, Matt Klapper, enjoyed a surprise drop-in visit from Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the very busy Southern District of New York, and experienced an extended question-and-answer session with Jonathan Wroblewski, principal deputy assistant attorney general and head of the Office of Legal Policy, the attorney general’s main policy advisor.

Those conversations came on the heels of the JPLC’s own visit to the Capitol where they had meetings in the Russell Senate Office Building with John Connolly, counsel to U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Ryan Raybould, chief counsel to U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX).

Each meeting with distinguished attorneys provided new layers of understanding as to how the DOJ operates and how lawyers become federal authorities.

Klapper caught students’ attention when he revealed he began his career as a firefighter before dovetailing into advising for U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NY). For his part, Williams was emphatic in stressing that the students should do “something that brings you joy” in the legal field. “I don’t do this for money,” the prosecutor said, “I do it for joy, for performing a public service.”

Wroblewski, a former adjunct at the George Mason School of Law (now the Antonin Scalia Law School), afforded an engaging conversation detailing a career in law, from how to determine the best practice suited for the would-be lawyer to how careers and their benchmarks for success change over time.

Sophomore GVIP student Miranda Céspedes, reflecting on her first visit to the wood-paneled rooms of the historic 1935 Art Deco building, said the federal attorneys confirmed that “I have various different avenues that I can go forward with once I get my law degree. It's definitely in my future,” she said.

Jurisprudence Learning Community students and JPLC director Ally Coll, center in white, pose for a parting shot at the DOJ. Photo by Buzz McClain/Schar School of Policy and Government

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New Arlington Director—and Mason Alum—Is Eager to Partner on Fuse Initiative

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 20:17:14 +0000

New Arlington Director—and Mason Alum—Is Eager to Partner on Fuse Initiative Andrew J Schappert Mon, 03/27/2023 - 16:17

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Ryan Touhill: ‘As a Mason alum, I am extremely proud of how the university’s continued growth is driving positive changes for the student experience and the communities…’ Photo by Buzz McClain/Schar School of Policy and Government

Slated to open in 2024 when commercial tenants move in, Fuse at Mason Square will be a transformational complex, a 345,000-square-foot tower housing research and development labs, innovation centers, business and technology incubators, and classrooms for ��AV students. The landmark project is expected to create an ecosystem of market movers, not just for the Mason campus neighborhood but for Arlington, Virginia, at large.

Key officials with Arlington agree, including newly appointed Director of Economic Development Ryan Touhill.

“Fuse at Mason Square will greatly enhance Mason and Arlington’s shared goal to create dynamic places where people and ideas can collide to drive innovation and economic growth,” he said after a briefing at Mason Square with university officials. “The research that is taking place at Mason in Arlington is supporting existing partners across the public and private sectors and will continue to increase Arlington’s competitive position, so we can attract new business and investment to our community.”

As it happens, Touhill is a Mason alumnus.He earned a bachelor of arts degree in government and international politics in 2006 from what is now the Schar School of Policy and Government. He later earned his master of public policy degree from George Washington University. (Touhill is not the first Schar School grad to hold this position: The late PhD alum Terry Holzheimer held the job for nearly a decade.)

Touhill was named economic development director in November of 2022 after a national recruitment search for an executive to raise and maintain the county’s competitive position in all aspects of economic growth, from business to tourism.

He is no stranger to development: Touhill attended Mason in the early 2000s, which was the beginning of an era of growth for the university. In fact, he said, he was among the first cohort of students to reside in the newly constructed Liberty Square residence hall. “When we moved in,” he recalled, “the paint was still drying.”

Mason’s accelerated expansion since then is a point of pride for Touhill. “As a Mason alum, I am extremely proud of how the university’s continued growth is driving positive changes for the student experience and the communities where Mason is located.”

In announcing Touhill’s appointment, Arlington County Manager Mark Schwartz said in a statement, “I am thrilled to have Ryan at the helm of our economic development team, leading our community through an exciting period of commercial growth post-pandemic recovery. He will be instrumental in fostering innovation and resiliency to advance economic growth and competitiveness in our community for small businesses and large corporations as well as foster real estate development, tourism, arts, and cultural amenities.”

Mason’s Fuse is positioned to do just that.

“In addition to increasing Arlington’s economic competitiveness, Fuse at Mason Square will bring vibrancy and activity to a key location within the Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor,” Touhill said, referring to a two-and-a-half mile stretch of urban and residential neighborhoods that terminates at the Potomac River, adjacent to Washington, D.C. “I’m excited that the project includes retail, coworking, and spaces for people to convene. Given today’s hybrid work and learning environment, it is increasingly important to develop neighborhoods that are attractive, dynamic, and activated.”

In addition to housing Mason’s new School of Computing, Fuse at Mason Square will be home to faculty and students working with the Institute for Digital Innovation (IDIA) and its partners.

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Ukrainian Ambassador Markarova Joins Panelists to Discuss Future of Ukraine

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 19:45:29 +0000

Ukrainian Ambassador Markarova Joins Panelists to Discuss Future of Ukraine Andrew J Schappert Thu, 03/23/2023 - 15:45

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Ukrainian ambassador Oksana Markarova will appear at Mason on March 28.

Oksana Markarova, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the U.S., is the special guest for an afternoon book presentation and panel discussion about the future of war-torn Ukraine at ��AV’s Mason Square.

Rebuilding Ukraine: Principles and Policies takes place Tuesday, March 28, at 1:30 p.m., at Mason’s Van Metre Hall, Room 113, in Arlington, Virginia. The event is free and open to the public but registration is required at this link.

Panelists for the 90-minute event, which is sponsored by the Center for Micro-Economic Policy Research at the Schar School of Policy and Government, include the authors and editors of the book by the same name:

Yuriy Gorodnichenko, professor of economics, University of California, Berkeley
Ilona Sologoub, editor of VoxUkraine
Vladyslav Rashkovan, alternative executive director of the International Monetary Fund
Tatyana Deryugina, associate professor of finance, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

The discussion is being moderated by Solomiya Shpak, a Schar School postdoctoral fellow. She was at her home in Kyiv when Russia began its invasion in the early morning hours of February 24, 2022, and traveled with her family, while pregnant, for 22 hours to escape through Romania.

“This event is a great opportunity for the audience to learn about the most pressing reconstruction challenges facing Ukraine and how the Western countries and international organization can support the reconstruction efforts in Ukraine,” Shpak said. “Forums like these are important as they bring together scholars and policymakers to facilitate the discussion of the groundwork necessary for future recovery.”

“Russian destruction of Ukraine has been enormous,” said panelist Sologoub. “Not only in productive assets and land but millions of human lives have been destroyed.”

Ukraine, she said, will need all the support it can get for its reconstruction, including the support of scientists and researchers, in order to implement the “build back better” principle.

“The reconstruction implies not only physical reconstruction but also a complete reload of institutions such as the judicial system and public service. One of the principles of reconstruction is relying mostly on the market mechanisms rather than government decisions. This requires smart policy solutions that would create correct incentives for people and firms and speed up the recovery.

“With this event,” she said, “we would like to encourage Mason students and faculty to think of helping Ukraine, and one way to do this would be developing such policy solutions.”

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Cabinet Posts: Two Schar School Grads Picked to Lead Maryland Environment, Natural Resources Agencies

Andrew J Schappert — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 20:11:07 +0000

Cabinet Posts: Two Schar School Grads Picked to Lead Maryland Environment, Natural Resources Agencies Andrew J Schappert Tue, 03/07/2023 - 15:11

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Environment Secretary Serena Coleman McIlwain

Maryland’s new governor has chosen two Schar School of Policy and Government graduates to serve in his cabinet. Governor Wes Moore (D) has named ��AV graduates Serena McIlwain (nee Coleman) as Secretary of Environment and Josh Kurtz as Secretary of Natural Resources. Both have been confirmed by the Maryland senate.

“With each announcement, we continue to build a cabinet that reflects the state we are humbled to serve,” said Moore in a statement about his cabinet appointments. “These leaders bring with them great knowledge and deep expertise. This is going to be Maryland’s decade, and our team will lead with service in their hearts.”

The agencies to be led by the Mason graduates work closely together to maintain and improve Maryland’s air, land, and water.

As Secretary of Natural Resources, Kurtz, a 2012 graduate of the Master of Public Policy program, takes the helm of the agency with 1,352 employees and a $578 million budget. Previously, Kurtz was Maryland executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and government relations director of the Nature Conservancy.

“Regardless of the issue at hand, one challenge we will continually face is solving complex problems with diverse stakeholders who share different views and ultimate interests,” Kurtz said in an email. “I believe, however, that we can all agree with the department’s mission: Securing a sustainable future for our environment, society, and economy by preserving, protecting, restoring, and enhancing Maryland's natural resources.”

The Schar School MPP degree, he said, helped prepare him for the new leadership position. (At the time of both Kurtz’s and McIlwain’s degree programs, the school was called the School of Public Policy.)

“My time at [Mason] equipped me with some of the tools I think I will need to be successful in bringing people together toward our goals,” he said. “As an example, at [Mason] there was a strong focus on the upfront work of learning about the intricacies of the issues and blending the data and the human component.

Secretary of Natural Resources Josh Kurtz

“This was best illustrated to me while working on a group project focused on building policy and programmatic solutions to reducing traumatic brain injuries in our service members. We developed a project that was based on medical research, statistics, and anecdotal evidence about the impacts of specific injuries. We presented our draft to our professor and he asked us: How does this impact the families of those dealing with the injuries? How about their communities?

“It really crystallized for me the need to evaluate the issue within the broader context, while finding solutions for the people who are immediately impacted.”

McIlwain, a 2003 graduate of the Master of Public Administration program, will take charge of the agency that implements and enforces environmental protection laws and programs.

Before joining Moore’s administration, McIlwain served as Undersecretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency in Governor Gavin Newsom’s (D) administration beginning in 2019. She supervised the agency’s day-to-day operations and managed a budget of $22 million, providing leadership and support to all of the boards, departments, and offices under CalEPA and CalEPA’s total budget of $4.6 billion.

“[Gov. Moore] is a person who considers Maryland home, and I can just feel his love for this state and mine, too,” McIlwain told the Washington Post. “And it just really made me want to be back here to do all of the things that I was doing in California.”

She said she read through the Maryland Climate Solutions Now Act, and “I couldn’t believe that some of those goals in that act were more aggressive than California. And I thought, ‘Wow, I need to be there to see if we could make that happen.’”

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Panelists, Stoneman Douglas Survivor, Examine Virginia’s ‘Red Flag’ Gun Laws Tuesday

Andrew J Schappert — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 15:07:37 +0000

Panelists, Stoneman Douglas Survivor, Examine Virginia’s ‘Red Flag’ Gun Laws Tuesday Andrew J Schappert Fri, 03/03/2023 - 10:07

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Mark J. Rozell

Faye S. Taxman

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Faye S. Taxman Photo by Creative Services

The Schar School of Policy and Government at ��AV and the gun safety nonprofit Safer Country will present a panel discussion addressing Virginia’s red flag gun law Tuesday, March 7, at 7 p.m. ET at Mason Square’s Van Metre Hall in Arlington, Virginia.

In addition to the local leaders on the Mason stage, David Hogg, a gun violence prevention activist and a student survivor of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, will participate in a virtual question-and-answer session during the event.

Panelists include Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano, Fairfax County Supervisor and Public Safety Committee Chair Rodney Lusk, Fairfax County Police Emergency Substantial Risk Order Coordinator Sgt. Amanda Paris, and President of the Fairfax County NAACP Sean Perryman.

Schar School dean Mark J. Rozell and Safer Country executive director Paul A. Friedman will moderate the discussion. University Professor Faye S. Taxman, founding director of the Schar School’s Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence (ACE!), will introduce the panel.

The event is free and open to the public but registration is required at this site.

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

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

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

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Bonnie Stabile

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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