Schar School News July 2023

Quill Camps Welcome New First-Year Students with Immersive Experiences

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 15:58:34 +0000

Quill Camps Welcome New First-Year Students with Immersive Experiences Andrew J Schappert Thu, 07/27/2023 - 11:58

Orientation season begins in earnest at ��AV in August, but for a number of rising freshmen, their first year of college began in July during Quill Camp.

Incoming freshmen from Quill Camp: Republic got a twilight tour of Washington, D.C., landmarks. Photos by Ron Aira/Creative Services.

The series of four-day camps—there are five of them, each with a different academic emphasis—bring together like-minded students who explore not just the Mason campuses but also the surrounding Washington, D.C., region. For instance, True Crime members are provided insights into the criminal justice system; studio students are provided with hands-on experience in the arts; and Project Peak participants enjoy immersive outdoor excursions. The camps are organized by Mason’s New Student and Family Programs Office.

A mid-July field trip capped off Quill Camp: Republic, which sent new students by bus into the District of Columbia to visit landmarks, tour museums, and get a general idea of where decisions are made in one of the most important political cities in the world.

Not surprisingly, many Quill Camp: Republic students are majoring in degree programs hosted by the Schar School of Policy and Government. Having some knowledge of what the vaunted “hallowed marble halls” of Washington, D.C., actually look like provides good background for government majors who will be studying policy and politics.

The camp’s activities were even insightful for those who had been to Washington before.

“I didn't see too many things that were new, but it was fun to tour them with my future classmates and colleagues,” said incoming government and international politics (GVIP) major Griffin Crouch, who lives in Arlington, Virginia, not far from the District of Columbia. “I was learning from all the other students what going to Mason would be like.”

Quill Camp: Republic’s incoming freshmen got a tour of a place some of them may work as future interns—the Capitol.

The tour of the Capitol, the dusk visit to the familiar landmarks of D.C., and an excursion into the National Museum of African American History and Culture “was a great way to see the city with a different group of people and experience everything that’s here,” he said.

“It’s been amazing,” said Charlotte Bell, a GVIP major from Richmond, Virginia. Even though, like Crouch, it was not her first visit to the nation’s capital, Quill Camp: Republic afforded “a lot of really great opportunities this week,” she said after the visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

“I never would've known what this museum was or knew of its importance” without the visit, she said. “I really gained perspective. And the monument tour we went on last night was really wonderful. It was beautiful.”

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Study Abroad Visit to U.S.-Mexico Border Immerses Students in Culture and Policy

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 17:32:03 +0000

Study Abroad Visit to U.S.-Mexico Border Immerses Students in Culture and Policy Andrew J Schappert Thu, 07/20/2023 - 13:32

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Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera

Michal McElwain Malur

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Schar School students, along with Professor Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera (far right), stand in front of one of the many murals at the National Autónomous University of México, the largest university in Latin America.

The tour of the U.S.-Mexico border included a visit to the Child Advocates San Antonio office.

They toured the SpaceX Starbase launch pad, visited with dignitaries from the Mexican government, joined U.S. diplomats at the embassy for briefings, experienced lectures at the National Autónomous University of México (UNAM), and heard from a variety of journalists and community leaders about the state of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Happily, it was not all academic business: They did get to stroll a scenic beach at Boca Chica. But the 15 Schar School of Policy and Government graduate and undergraduate students who made the week-long visit to the Texas border and Mexico City in late May didn’t mind the lack of down time during their study-abroad venture. The intention was to learn first-hand about the U.S.-Mexico border and the issues that keep that region of the world in global headlines.

“Mexico offers perhaps the richest international experience possible to students of public policy and government, regardless of their specific areas of interest and expertise,” said Michal McElwain Malur, director of external programs at the Schar School, who assembled the itinerary and helped lead the trip to the border. “Mexico allows students to explore some of the most consequential policy problems facing the U.S. today.” The Schar School will be offering another visit to the region during spring break 2024, she added.

“It was beneficial seeing the issues that are discussed in class play out in real life and watch the solutions on the ground,” said Kimberly Posada, a student in the Schar School’s Master of International Security program and a graduate of the school’s government and international politics undergraduate program. “It benefited me seeing the culture and being a part of it. I felt completely immersed by the experience and it’s a trip I will never forget—it’s been integral to academic experience.”

At the SpaceX Starbase.

Claire Luff, a research associate at the nonprofit Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade and a student in the international security master’s program, said she appreciated the opportunity to travel and earn three credits toward her degree while doing so.

“I was not able to study abroad in undergrad, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to go abroad during my graduate studies,” said Luff. “The Schar School made it so easy to take a class that will apply towards my degree.”

While Luff was taken with “the beauty and history of Mexico City,” also memorable, she said, were “connecting with the UNAM students and hearing a lecture from Dr. Laura Carlsen about the war on drugs” from a different perspective. Carlsen is the director of the nonprofit Americas Program, a think tank studying foreign policy in Central and Latin America.

It was at UNAM that the U.S. students found themselves in the role of protagonists in a moderated exchange of ideas in an academic exercise, said Schar School professor Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, a foremost expert on border issues who accompanied the tour. “It was interesting to see the students confront difficult issues, but it was a great experience for them all,” she said.

“Experiencing a new culture and understanding attitudes of people from other nations is key to getting the full picture of America's place in the world, which as someone who is pursuing international security is very important,” Luff said. “I think study abroad helps to expand critical thinking skills.”

Like Luff, Posada was also taken by Mexico City’s vibrant beauty, in all of its dimensions.

“I felt immersed by the cultural experience,” she said. The visit “helped me understand and view the Mexican perspective on security issues and enhanced my understanding of the political, cultural, and economic situation that faces Mexico today. I absolutely enjoyed my time meeting the various professors and discussing security issues with UNAM students.

“I would highly recommend study abroad opportunities to other students because of how much you get to learn outside of a classroom setting,” Posada said.

Study abroad opportunities are important to a Schar School education, no matter the level or degree program. Trips include programs in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. To learn more about the school's study abroad programs, visit this site.

Posing at the mural adorning the Central Library at the National Autónomous University of México.

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Schar School’s Aly Rayle Nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 14:24:37 +0000

Schar School’s Aly Rayle Nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year Andrew J Schappert Thu, 07/13/2023 - 10:24

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Schar School of Policy and Government student athlete Aly Rayle has been nominated for the prestigious NCAA Woman of the Year Award. Rayle, who is enrolled in the Schar School’s Global Commerce and Policy master’s program, is a standout pitcher on ��AV’s softball team, which won its first-ever Atlantic 10 conference championship in the season that concluded in June. She is the first Schar School student to be nominated for the honor.

Rayle, who was named A-10 Pitcher of the Year, helped the team to the championship with a 19-9 record, posting a 2.01 ERA. She set the all-time single-season strikeouts record and became the only Patriot pitcher to have struck out 200 batters in a single season. She led the conference in overall strikeouts (242) and looking strikeouts (72). She finished the A-10 tournament with a 4-1 record, pitching 33 innings and recording 39 strikeouts to earn the A-10 Championship's Most Outstanding Player award.

The NCAA Woman of the Year Award was created in 1991 to celebrate the achievements of women in intercollegiate athletics. Now in its 33rd year, the award honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service, and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.

Rayle, who came to Mason after an undergraduate career at the University of Virginia, has set softball records in her one year as a Patriot. She is tied for first in no-hitters pitched (3) alongside Lisa Davis (1997-2000) and Marsha Boyd (1990-93), who both took four years to reach the same goal. Her 2.01 ERA puts her tied for seventh all-time with Shannon Hiltner (1997-99).

In addition in her master’s degree studies, the Herndon, Virginia native has been a leader in the softball program’s community relations efforts, donating countless hours of to a variety of causes, including mentoring students in Mason softball's partnership with Willow Springs Elementary.

In her four years at UVA, Rayle volunteered with Virginia's youth at the Madison's House, the Boys and Girls Club of Central Virginia at summer camps, and as a “buddy runner” at the local Girls on the Run races. She has been involved with the Capital Area Food Bank at both schools, packaging boxes of food for families in need.

Rayle has experiences on leadership councils and advisory committees, having been elected to Athletics Advisory Council for the 2019-20 school year and served on the team Leadership Council for two years.

—Additional Reporting by Buzz McClain/Schar School of Policy and Government

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Schar School Scholar Warns of Existential Threats to Humanity by Terrorists

Andrew J Schappert — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 14:38:45 +0000

Schar School Scholar Warns of Existential Threats to Humanity by Terrorists Andrew J Schappert Fri, 07/07/2023 - 10:38

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As artificial intelligence and drones become increasingly ubiquitous, Zachary Kallenborn—a policy fellow at ��AV's Schar School of Policy and Government—stands at the cutting edge of researching how terrorists might use these emerging technologies to wipe out humanity.

Zak Kallenborn: His job is to be ‘interested in the highest risk scenarios that could have the biggest effect on society.’

In the last few days, he’s received coverage in Forbes and Newsweek for an essay he co-wrote that dissects the threat of existential terrorism to our national security—and the world.

Kallenborn is also featured in a new documentary series debuting on Netflix in July, Unknown: Killer Robots, which examines how AI represents, or not, a threat to mankind.

The rapidly circulating peer-reviewed study that has gripped the media describes existential terrorism as the desire to inflict damage of a magnitude so catastrophic that it threatens humanity’s survival. Even if the likelihood of such an event is minor, Kallenborn said it is vital to ask, “What if terrorists wanted to destroy all of humanity—what would that look like?” Most terrorists, he noted, are likely not interested in humanity’s annihilation “because [they] have constituencies and things they want to achieve.” Still, the possibility lingers.

As an officially proclaimed Army Mad Scientist—one of a network of experts exploring advanced warfare capabilities—and an authority on drone swarms and killer robots, it’s his job to be “interested in the highest risk scenarios that could have the biggest effect on society,” he said. Yet, Kallenborn maintains a flair for the comedic. He describes himself in his Twitter bio as an “analyst in horrible ways people kill each other.”

Before graduating high school, Kallenborn was a published mathematician, but he was still looking for “something that would be directly useful for people’s day-to-day lives,” he said. Studying the “horrible” ways we kill one another was something he stumbled on in college. “My notion of national security was like Jack Bauer-style guys,” he said referencing the action television show 24. “I didn’t really see it as an academic thing.”

But after hearing a talk on cybersecurity in his freshman year at the University of Puget Sound in Washington, he was hooked. Promptly adding a major in international relations, Kallenborn interned in chemical and biological warfare at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, California, where he developed a fascination with cataclysmic terrorism. (Later, by coincidence, he discovered drone swarm technology was not science fiction and quickly set out to become an expert on the topic.)

While drones are not a new technology, Kallenborn noted that their capacity for integration with artificial intelligence could form drone swarms capable of communicating and collaborating autonomously. Moreover, their affordability and versatility make them a formidable weapon of war.

In the war in Ukraine, for example, drones offer an inexpensive alternative for air combat weapons. Russia, he said, has “been using cheap drones to essentially saturate Ukrainian defenses.” Likewise, Kallenborn says Ukrainian forces have used drones to guide artillery strikes.

“The problem is that current artificial intelligence is very brittle,” he said. “Researchers have shown that a single pixel change can cause a mission vision system to confuse a stealth bomber with a dog.” In the event of an error, “you get not only death to civilians … but we also have escalation dynamics that come along with that.”

So, will drones and AI eventually destroy us all? After a chuckle, Kallenborn calmly replied, “No. But I think it’s a plausible enough scenario that it’s worth taking seriously.”

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Mason Alum Katie Rose Is Crowned Miss Virginia 2023

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 06 Jul 2023 17:19:54 +0000

Mason Alum Katie Rose Is Crowned Miss Virginia 2023 Andrew J Schappert Thu, 07/06/2023 - 13:19

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Michal McElwain Malur

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Miss Virginia 2023 Katie Rose: ‘I am forever thankful, proud, and humbled to call myself a George Mason Patriot.’ Photo by David Hungate/Roanoke Times

Katie Rose, a 2018 graduate of the Schar School of Policy and Government at ��AV, won the crown as the 70th Miss Virginia on Saturday, July 1, in a pageant held at the Berglund Center in Roanoke, Virginia. She accepted the title and sash from Miss Virginia 2022 Victoria Chuah.

Rose, who competed as Miss Loudoun County, performed a ballet routine during the talent competition. Along with the title, Rose was awarded a $20,000 scholarship as well as a spot in the Miss America pageant later this year.

Rose graduated from Mason with a degree in government and international politics before attending the University of Richmond’s law school.

“[Mason] shaped me in many ways, and it is an incredible honor to call myself an alumna,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “I am forever thankful, proud, and humbled to call myself a George Mason Patriot.”

As a student, Rose joined Mason’s chapter of the Alpha Phi sorority and attended a Washington, D.C., intensive session hosted by the school’s study abroad unit. “She was a special student, very enthusiastic, dedicated, and very well organized,” said Schar School Director of External Programs Michal McElwain Malur, who accompanied the students during the spring break intensive. “She was very memorable, a serious student, a natural leader, and a role model.”

Over the course of the pageant competition season, Rose’s community service initiative has been raising awareness for domestic violence issues.

“I’ve already been able to go into schools as Miss Loudoun County and talk about my elementary-level school curriculum about building healthy relationships,” Rose said during the interview portion of the Miss Virginia competition. “And the reason I know that this works is because at the end of one of my presentations a kid actually came forward and told me that he had been abused.

“I know that I want to encourage and have a platform for every child to feel that they have a safe place to come forward if they choose to do so,” Rose said.

Additional reporting by Cooper Dehr. Reprinted with permission of the Roanoke Times.

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2007 Alumna Rose Previte Named Restaurateur of the Year

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Oct 2017 15:07:12 +0000

2007 Alumna Rose Previte Named Restaurateur of the Year Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 10/19/2017 - 11:07

Restaurateur of the Year Rose Previte on her Mason degree: 'City and local policy issues have always been my favorite. It’s exciting to see the results of your work in your community not long after doing the work.'

Rose Previte, who graduated with a Master of Public Policy degree in 2007, last week was named Restaurateur of the Year by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington. Her award-winning Compass Rose and Maydan restaurants will be joined this year by Kirby Club in Clarendon, offering Middle Eastern fare not far from Mason Square. Here we reprint a profile of Previte from 2017 detailing how her Schar School degree helped establish her restaurant career and how her travels with her husband, NPR’s David Greene, influenced her menus.

Rose Previte arrived in Washington, D.C., ready to change the world through politics, or open a restaurant, whichever came first.

"I didn’t see a way to make it [in restaurants] at the time,” she said. But her other option—“changing the world and fixing it”—required additional education, which led her to the Schar School of Policy and Government’s Master of Public Policy Program. She completed the degree as a full-time student in two years, finishing in 2007.

Flash forward: Previte’s award-winning Washington restaurant, Compass Rose, is on national “best restaurant” lists, noted as much for its sold-out, no-reservation tables as for its global “street food” theme. She collected the recipes on travels to more than 30 countries with her husband David Greene, a correspondent for National Public Radio.

This spring Previte was selected to host the Washington, D.C., area’s installment of the public television show “Check, Please!” which debuted Oct. 18 and airs each Wednesday at 8 p.m. on Washington’s WETA-TV. Previte guides a frank discussion about dining in D.C. with a panel of three guests who each ate at restaurants recommended by the other panelists.

“I’ve been sitting around a table and talking about food my entire life,” she said of her qualifications for the new venture. Her Lebanese mother ran a catering company in Ohio; her Sicilian father sold Italian sausage sandwiches at street fairs and festivals and was involved in local politics, which is where she gained her affinity for campaigning and advocacy.

While at George Mason's Schar School, she traveled to New Orleans to work on an independent study on how the city could recover after Hurricane Katrina. She also interned for Washington, D.C., City Council member Jack Evans, who was leading the effort to fund a new Major League Baseball stadium for the Washington Nationals.

“All these projects made me want to go on and work in local government after graduate school,” she said. “City and local policy issues have always been my favorite. It’s exciting to see the results of your work in your community not long after doing the work.”

After completing her Mason degree, Previte earned a fellowship that allowed her to work for the Arlington County manager for a year. From there she relocated to New York City and worked for the speaker of the city council before moving to Russia with her husband, who became NPR’s Moscow correspondent.

Her Mason experience continues to come in handy in the restaurant business.

“I say if you open a restaurant in D.C., you probably should have a master’s in public policy, because in D.C. you do your own permitting and liquor licensing,” she said. “It was some of the hardest stuff I’ve ever done in my life, but the degree really helps. I was able to do it because of my public policy degree.”