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Schar School Welcomes Thema Monroe-White

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 15:54:33 +0000

Schar School Welcomes Thema Monroe-White Andrew J Schappert Wed, 09/04/2024 - 11:54

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Thema Monroe-White

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‘We’ve talked about the data harm. I want to get at the solutions.’ – Thema Monroe-White

Thema Monroe-White joins ��AV this fall as an associate professor in both the Schar School and the College of Engineering and Computing. She is an artificial intelligence (AI) and policy justice scholar and the recipient of a prestigious $1 million CAREER grant, awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to early-career faculty who are trailblazers within their field.

Monroe-White focuses on the intersection of science, policy, and racial equity, working to combat bias within data science and AI by building a diverse scientific workforce. Her CAREER grant, entitled “Investigating Undergraduate Student Persistence Intentions for a Diverse Data Science Community,” is a huge step toward her goal of developing social inclusion in the scientific community. Monroe-White will investigate which interventions are most effective in encouraging underrepresented students to choose STEM majors, graduate, and subsequently stay in STEM careers. “I want to develop concrete, practical approaches for broadening participation in data science and related fields,” says Monroe-White. “Why do students persist in STEM, and how can we codify those conditions to encourage even more underrepresented students to pursue STEM careers?”

The CAREER grant builds on another NSF-funded project Monroe White brings to Mason, which examines how scientists’ background and experience influence the research topics they choose to pursue. Monroe-White's team has illustrated that a homogeneous workforce in STEM fields results in a less comprehensive exploration of scientific topics. Just as medical research focused on white male subjects until more women and researchers of color achieved authority in the field, Monroe-White's research exposes similar patterns in other fields. Preliminary research focused on scientists in the United States, and the team will now refine their algorithm and apply it to an international dataset.

Monroe-White brings her expertise in AI to George Mason at time when the university is investing in AI research and innovation. The Schar School recently secured two other seven-figure AI-related grants, one from the Department of Defense and another to create the nation’s first Center for AI Innovation for Economic Competitiveness (CAIIEC).

“Thema Monroe-White’s research understands the computational, social, and policy issues that underline artificial intelligence,” said J.P. Singh, Schar School Distinguished University Professor and principal investigator for CAIIEC. “She will greatly help us bridge disciplinary divides and train the next generation of student scholars to address the cutting-edge issues of our times.”

Monroe-White's research and teaching agenda focus both on revealing algorithmic bias and realizing AI’s capacity for positive social transformation. This will be the center of her contributions to George Mason’s new undergraduate program in technology policy, an innovative split between computer science and policy studies. In her fall course, AI: Ethics, Policy, & Society, Monroe-White asks, “Must AI tools reflect reality?” Algorithms learn from the data they are given and reflect the biases embedded in that data.

“We’ve talked about the data harms. I want to get at the solutions,” she said when asked about her goals at George Mason. “How do we round that corner and, instead of stereotyping subordination and omission, how do we get at empowerment and uplift?” AI is a powerful tool – one that has caused harm but also has enormous potential to reverse previous harms. As part of the Schar School, Monroe-White will train the next generation of computer scientists and policy practitioners to build that future.

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College of Engineering and Computing

Master of Public Administration

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A Working Mother’s Triumph: Juggling Parenting, Career, and Master of Public Administration Courses

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 28 Aug 2024 12:46:18 +0000

A Working Mother’s Triumph: Juggling Parenting, Career, and Master of Public Administration Courses Andrew J Schappert Wed, 08/28/2024 - 08:46

During her four years as a Master of Public Administration student at ��AV's Schar School of Policy and Government, Dana Staley held down a fulltime job, survived a global pandemic, and became a mother, in addition to the ample reading and writing required in a master’s program.

Dana Staley: ‘I appreciated that I was able to participate in classes in the evening so that I could still work full time.’

A year later, Staley, who graduated in 2023, has sage advice for those facing similar trying circumstances.

“If you find yourself in an impossible season of juggling too much and not knowing when rest will come again, keep going,” she said. “Keep pushing, surprise yourself, and don't be afraid to ask for help. The end will come, and it will be so worth it!”

That was her message in a recent LinkedIn essay that caught the eye of one of Staley’s former professors, Associate Professor of nonprofit studies Mirae Kim, who vivid recalls Staley’s ambition to complete her degree, not to mention her dedication to her family.

“I could never forget her,” said Kim, who teaches in the Schar School’s Center on Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Social Enterprise. “She was one of the most engaged students in my recent semesters at George Mason.”

When Staley enrolled in the master’s program in 2019, she was working full time as the director of programs at a small nonprofit in Washington, D.C. Two years later, still deep into her studies and with a 9-month-old, she landed a position with Auxilio Partners as a nonprofit business consultant.

“I lead a team to support 15 different nonprofits nationwide in finances, human resources, risk management, compliance, and board governance,” she said, adding that her firm does the backend work “so that the organizations can focus more on their mission.”

While Staley was an exceptionally devoted student, the Schar School’s graduate programs are attractive to early- and mid-career professionals for many reasons, including location, flexibility, and higher education specialists to rely on for support. In Staley’s case, online conferences with professors were key to her success.

Dana Staley, ‘Mom with a master’s’

In fact, “I had [online] office hours to get support on an assignment,” Staley said. “I sat at my kitchen table, got on Zoom with my professor, and had my 4-month-old, Kai, in a baby bouncer next to me. It’s an image that will never be erased from my mind: All of my responsibilities tied into one simple memory.”

The success is summed up in the slogan on her favorite mug: “Mom with a master’s.”

Kim, who recalls that Zoom session vividly, understands the need for assistance beyond the classroom, as do other Schar School professors.

“It is not simply the instruction they appreciate, but when they feel supported, students are empowered to engage more,” she said.

“I appreciated that I was able to participate in classes in the evening so that I could still work fulltime,” Staley said. “I also enjoyed that many of my classmates were also working, so there were a lot of real-life experiences shared in the classroom. The professors were excellent and balanced the task of challenging us as students while understanding we all had many other responsibilities we were juggling.”

Staley closes her LinkedIn essay with this:

“Being a mom, being a student, being a professional—those are all experiences that, in their own right, are difficult...But as I look back, I am proud of what I accomplished and am forever grateful for my husband, family, friends, coworkers, and professors who cheered me on through it all.

“By the way, that Nonprofit Financial Management class has become invaluable in my work today!”

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Schar School Adjunct Professor Lee Roberts is ‘Teacher of Distinction’

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 19:22:09 +0000

Schar School Adjunct Professor Lee Roberts is ‘Teacher of Distinction’ Andrew J Schappert Thu, 08/15/2024 - 15:22

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Schar School of Policy and Government adjunct professor Lee Roberts was recognized as a 2024 Teacher of Distinction by ��AV’s Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning. Roberts is a U.S. Army strategic intelligence officer in his 17th year of active-duty service.

Schar School adjunct professor Lee Roberts receives his Teacher of Distinction award from E. Shelley Reid, executive director of engaged teaching at George Mason’s Stearns Center. Photo by John Boal Photography.

The Stearns Center, which promotes and develops innovation in teaching among the university’s faculty, recognizes Teachers of Distinction as those who have been finalists for Teaching Excellence Awards and are known for their commitment to teaching and teaching-related activities.

As an active practitioner in the field, it’s important to Roberts that the subject of international security—I-SEC—is taught the right way.

“First and foremost, students in the [Schar School’s] I-SEC program are talented, driven, and conscientious future—and in some cases current—practitioners whom it is my privilege to work with,” he said. “I want to do everything I can to help them clear a path into this professional field whether as a government servant or in an adjacent field such as think-tank analysis or security journalism.”

Roberts, who has been teaching at the Schar School since 2018, is assigned to the Joint Staff from the Defense Intelligence Agency and works in the Pentagon, located not far from the Schar School’s Mason Square Campus. That proximity allowed him to earn a master’s degree in international security in 2017—he was also a fellow at the Center for Security Policy Studies—and a PhD in political science in 2022.

His academic pursuits, as well as his teaching, inform his profession.

“Essentially, I direct the design and delivery of joint studies into future military intelligence capabilities that establish the requirements used by armed services, defense agencies, and the defense industry to develop and build those capabilities,” he said. “I primarily focus five to 15 years in the future, and I really love my job—it makes excellent use of the educational experience I got at the Schar School.

“By keeping a foot in both worlds, I am able to help students realize their goals, and students’ fresh perspectives and the seminar content from the classes helps me to be a better practitioner.”

While receiving the Stearns Center’s Teacher of Distinction recognition is gratifying, it’s the success of his students that Roberts finds truly rewarding.

“I have on multiple occasions run into recent alumni in the halls of U.S. government agencies implementing America's intelligence, national security, and foreign policy priorities, and I cannot adequately describe the pride I feel in having played even a small part in their journey,” he said.

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Master of International Security

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Schar School Hosts ‘Scholar in Exile’ from Ukraine: Tetiana Khutor

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 17:26:55 +0000

Schar School Hosts ‘Scholar in Exile’ from Ukraine: Tetiana Khutor Andrew J Schappert Mon, 07/08/2024 - 13:26

‘Scholar in Exile’ Tetiana Khutor: ‘It’s hard to find any Ukrainian who is not involved in this fight.’ Photos by Ron Aira/Creative Service

When Tetiana Khutor was 5 years old she told her parents, “We have to establish an anticorruption commission that will go to all the regions of Ukraine and check everything,” she recently recalled. The Kyiv native got the idea from watching television news programs about rampant corruption in her home country in the years following the fall of the Soviet Union.

At 8 years old, her primary school classmates were so impressed with her potential that they wrote in essays, “When Tetiana is president, she will make changes for the better,” she recalled with a laugh.

Now at 31, Khutor is doing just as predicted. She is the founder of the Institute of Legislative Ideas, a Ukraine-based think tank that devises legislative strategies and policies to combat corruption, assist asset recovery, and encourage good governance. She also teaches anticorruption policy as a professor at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.

And since March, she has been a professor of practice at ��AV’s Schar School of Policy and Government as an academic participating in the New School’s New University in Exile Consortium, made up of a global group of colleges dedicated to supporting scholars facing threats at home that force them to leave or prevent them from performing meaningful work. George Mason is one of 12 in the United States participating in the program.

In her case, Khutor’s research and teaching was interrupted by Russian missile attacks.

“You cannot work in such conditions,” she said. It’s not just the danger, she said, but “you want to do everything you can to help [the war effort]. To volunteer, to help Ukrainian forces. So, thinking about science and research, for scholars, it is impossible to work in such a condition.”

As a professor of practice at the Schar School, Tetiana Khutor hopes to build support for her work in Washington, D.C.

The war has inspired Khutor to change the focus of her studies in an effort to help rebuild the country. At George Mason, she is lecturing on “the instruments of confiscation” in seized Russian assets—billions of dollars that could be used to defend and reconstruct Ukraine.

Things are happening rapidly for her. In just her first few weeks at the Schar School, she was an invited panelist at the Ukraine Action Summit on Capitol Hill, where she addressed the need for the adoption of the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act (aka the REPO Act) and the confiscation of Russian assets. The summit gathered more than 500 delegates from 47 states and convened some 350 meetings with elected officials to advocate for Ukraine. The bill was adopted.

She also served as a guest speaker in a panel discussion at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. She cowrote an op-ed in the widely read Washington media outlet, the Hill, about paying for Ukraine’s reconstruction. The piece was coauthored by Schar School postdoctoral researcher and European Union Marie Curie fellow Maurizio Geri.

Khutor came to the Schar School through the scholar in exile program at the behest of Distinguished University Professor Janine Wedel, a renowned expert on corruption in post-Soviet Russia and Central and Eastern Europe. Wedel said she admires Khutor’s “courage and sheer chutzpah in analyzing what’s happening and taking appropriate action. She’s very impressive.”

Khutor is the third Scholar in Exile to come to the Schar School in five years and the second at the invitation of Wedel. Other scholars previously hosted by the Schar School include Ararat Osipian and Anton Liagusha.

“I’m not interested in inviting someone who is just looking for a place to land” away from danger at home, Wedel said. “I’m looking for somebody who is truly accomplished and committed to the country, and Tetiana is a top-notch academic and practitioner. And she’s someone who can really contribute to the Schar School and what we’re trying to do.”

Wedel said Khutor can, given George Mason’s proximity and access to Washington, successfully work for her country while maintaining her nongovernment organization at home. “She has staff in place for that,” she said.

“She’s fighting like hell for Ukraine. The networking and groundwork that’s been laid for her here will make her efforts more effective when she goes back to Ukraine,” Wedel added. “She’ll go back with a wealth of new contacts and knowledge about how things operate here.”

Meanwhile, Khutor’s husband remains in Ukraine, contributing to the war effort by developing and producing drones for the Ukranian army.

“It’s hard to find any Ukrainian who is not involved in this fight,” she said.

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George Mason to Launch Nation’s First Center for Small Business AI Innovation with $1M Grant

Andrew J Schappert — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 14:40:17 +0000

George Mason to Launch Nation’s First Center for Small Business AI Innovation with $1M Grant Andrew J Schappert Fri, 06/28/2024 - 10:40

In a groundbreaking move set to bolster the economic competitiveness of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across Virginia, ��AV has been awarded a $1 million grant to establish the nation’s first Center for AI Innovation for Economic Competitiveness (CAIIEC).

J.P. Singh: ‘Small and medium enterprises are the backbone of the U.S. economy at the local level.’ Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

This pioneering initiative aims to place Virginia at the forefront of artificial intelligence (AI) adoption among SMEs, which often fly under the radar in discussions dominated by federal and big-tech AI advancements.

The $1 million grant, which was sponsored by Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, is directed through the U.S. Small Business Administration. The center will draw expertise from several George Mason colleges, including the Schar School of Policy and Government, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the College of Engineering and Computing.

“Small and medium enterprises are the backbone of the U.S. economy at the local level,” said the Schar School’s J.P. Singh, the Distinguished University Professor serving as principal investigator. “We will work with SMEs to strengthen their efforts in AI adoption all over Virginia and learn from global cases such as Germany, where its famed SMEs have been called ‘the hidden champions.’”

“I'm excited George Mason’s Center for AI Innovation for Economic Competitiveness is receiving $1 million in federal funding, which I was proud to have helped secure in the recent government funding bill,” said Senator Kaine. “This will help prepare small businesses and Virginians to harness AI and lead to new opportunities for economic growth and jobs in the commonwealth.”

The new center promises to provide much-needed leadership, support, and training to these enterprises, ensuring they do not get left behind in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. George Mason’s interdisciplinary team, comprising computer scientists, public policy experts, economists, environmental and medical scientists, and ethicists, is uniquely positioned to drive this initiative.

“I am proud to have helped secure funding for the Center for AI Innovation for Economic Competitiveness at George Mason,” said Senator Warner in a statement. “This investment will help position Virginia as a leader in AI development by creating programs to help small businesses and communities thrive in the digital market, marking a huge win for Virginians across the commonwealth.”

The university has long been a leader in AI research, and the center aims to extend this expertise beyond academia to make a tangible impact on local businesses.

Amarda Shehu: ‘This is much needed to better position industry in an innovative and competitive environment.’ Photo by Office of University Branding

“Here is another great example of how George Mason continues to deliver on our commitment to access and community-engaged technology diffusion, partnering with diverse communities in new and innovated ways,” said Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Economic Impact Andre Marshall. “What better way to broadly support our local and national economy by providing our small businesses with the disruptive tech and best practices that will shape our future?”

The center will both train and encourage students at George Mason to work with SMEs in Virginia, Singh added, highlighting the initiative’s educational component.

Co-principal investigator Amarda Shehu, a professor in the Department of Computer Science and a longtime AI researcher, emphasized the practical benefits the center will offer.

“As an AI researcher, I see firsthand how fast AI is moving,” said Shehu, who is also associate dean for AI Innovation in the College of Engineering and Computing and associate vice president for research at George Mason's Institute for Digital Innovation (IDIA). “I also get to see through my various interactions with industry that such a pace can be challenging, particularly for small businesses. So, we thought about how Research 1 universities, such as George Mason, can unlock the power of AI for small and medium enterprises.”

This center will do that, she said.

“To respond to AI technologies and regulatory requirements moving rapidly, the center will develop an AI toolkit to help small and medium enterprises capture and operationalize the value of AI for the enterprise,” she said. “This is much needed to better position industry in an innovative and competitive environment.”

The center is a collaboration between the Schar School, IDIA, the Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy, and the Center for Regional Analysis (CRA). These four entities will leverage their existing collaborative connections to jointly oversee and manage the project.

Project leaders include Singh, who is also codirector of George Mason’s Center for Advancing Human-Machine Partnership and a Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow with the Robert Bosch Academy, Berlin; Shehu; Terry Clower, CRA director; Naoru Koizumi, Schar School professor and associate dean of research and grants; and Jesse Kirkpatrick, research associate professor and codirector of the Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center.

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First Cohort of NEW Leadership Virginia Wraps Up Weeklong Visits with Women Leaders

Andrew J Schappert — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 16:48:02 +0000

First Cohort of NEW Leadership Virginia Wraps Up Weeklong Visits with Women Leaders Andrew J Schappert Tue, 06/25/2024 - 12:48

While some college undergraduates enjoyed downtime during the summer break, 16 students from universities in Virginia skipped the beach and spent six days in June meeting business, social, and political leaders in and around Washington, D.C., with a focus on women’s leadership in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger is surrounded in her office by the NEW Leadership Virginia cohort. Photo by Xavier Jimenez/Schar School of Policy and Government

U.S. Rep. Don Beyer makes a point during his meeting with the NEW Leadership students. Virginia House Majority Leader Charniele Herring, the NEW Leadership Virginia Faculty in Residence, is in green. Photo by Xavier Jimenez/Schar School of Policy and Government.

The weeklong residential summer program was the pilot edition of NEW Leadership Virginia, a program designed to engage students from Virginia colleges and universities with women in prominent leadership roles and allies as they shared their experiences and insights, learn about women’s participation in American policy, politics and public life, and develop and practice leadership skills. The program, the only one of its kind in Virginia, was hosted by the Gender and Policy (GAP) Center at ��AV’s Schar School of Policy and Government in partnership with the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP).

"NEW Leadership Virginia is a unique opportunity for undergraduate students in Virginia pursuing a range of academic majors to gain a sense of the possible in the public sphere,” said codirector Jill Deering, senior assistant dean for student and academic affairs at the Schar School. "This week is about building leadership skills, networks, and a supportive cohort that will serve the participants for years to come."

The cohort included students from George Mason, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC), James Madison University, the University of Virginia, the College of William & Mary, and Norfolk State University. Two participants were spring graduates while the remainder were undergraduates. Events took place from June 9 to 14.

The recipients of the ‘Women Who Mind the GAP’ Leadership Awards stand with Bonnie Stabile, second from left: From left, Doorways CEO Diana Ortiz, Director of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Civil Rights Center Naomi Barry-Perez, and President of the Consumer Technology Association Kinsey Fabrizio.

The program included an “action project” in which faculty and Schar School interns helped students research a public-facing issue, imitate a legislative hearing, and defend their team's position, with the idea being to develop public speaking and communication proficiencies, among other skills.

A highlight of the week took place on Thursday, June 13, when the program descended on Capitol Hill to speak to visit the offices of U.S. Reps. Jen Kiggans (R), Abigail Spanberger (D), Jennifer McClellan (D), and Don Beyer (D), who is also a George Mason student. While the students met in person with Spanberger, McClellan, and Beyer, they were hosted by Kiggans’ professional staff in her place.

For government and international politics major Ella Duncan-High, the week was exactly what she was hoping for. “I was looking for ways to specifically get involved and gain experience and training outside of the school year, so the summer was the perfect opportunity,” she said. “And I feel like I’m learning a lot even though I’m technically not in school right now.”

Duncan-High said her favorite part of the week was “the session where we get to role-play a press conference and judiciary hearing. I really am enjoying the hands-on experience of being able to work with not only the professors and the assistants who have real work experience with these scenarios, but also getting to work with people my age and similar interests.”

Zateya Jackson, a rising senior at VCU studying political science with a civil rights concentration, said highlights for her were meeting Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan “and my favorite speaker was Charniele Herring, the Virginia House Majority Leader and NEW Leadership Virginia Faculty in Residence, because of their backgrounds as Black women,” she said. “They encourage me to run for office and show that women of color can overcome adversity.” (Herring, who accompanied the students on their visits, is a 1993 George Mason alum in economics.)

U.S. Rep. Jennifer McClellan meets the NEW Leadership members on the steps of the Capitol. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

“My favorite was Abigail Spanberger,” said NVCC second-year business management student Karen Blanco. "When talking about confidence, Spanberger advised, ‘Don't think about it twice, just say it, and don't worry about what others would say.’ Since English is my second language, I often debate if I should speak up, but never do. So that inspired me.”

The insights offered to the students applied to many fields, not just politics. GAP Director and Schar School professor Bonnie Stabile, who accompanied the NEW Leadership students every step of the way for the week, made that point clear. “You don't have to be elected to office to exhibit leadership and make a difference,” she said. “Many industries need similar skills.”

That idea was on display during a dinner and networking event on June 12 featuring the three “Women Who Mind the GAP” Leadership awardees: U.S. Department of Labor’s Civil Rights Center Director Naomi Barry-Perez; Doorways CEO Diana Ortiz; and Consumer Technology Association President Kinsey Fabrizio, a 2003 George Mason alumna in government and international politics and Spanish.

During the NEW Leadership program, students quickly used their new skills to pursue their political interests. Ayman Habib, a rising George Mason global affairs junior is the director of administration and logistics for No Lost Generation. She thanked Beyer for supporting Virginia refugees and invited the congressman to meet the three refugee students who will be on George Mason’s Fairfax Campus this fall through the State Department’s Welcome Corps.

NEW @ Mason: There’s no question about where the NEW Leadership Virginia program took place. Photo by Buzz McClain/Schar School of Policy and Government

“I wanted to gain clarity at the policy level for our cause and expand our outreach so refugees will have federal support,” she said following the meeting with Beyer. “How fantastic would caring congresspeople be for our students?”

At the end of the week, students shared their future plans, whether academic, personal or professional, and connected on all manner of social medias with the new people they met.

The 2025 edition of the New Leadership Program Virginia takes place in June and Samantha Mendoza-Hernandez, a political science and international studies major at VCU, encourages anyone with a similar ambition to polish resumés and professional skills to apply next year.

“I think it's definitely worth it,” she said. “The program has covered ground that a lot of professionals sometimes overlook and helps with foundations like networking, rhetoric, mannerisms in the workplace, and other details. And really helps with fine-tuning and confidence going into the workforce.”

The biggest takeaway from the week for the Schar School’s Duncan-High “has been meeting people from all different backgrounds,” she said. “Everyone here has very different interests, majoring in different things that aren’t just policy and government related, and everyone is here because they all hope to be a woman in leadership in the future.

“Being surrounded by women who have big aspirations in various fields is so inspiring and is an experience I wouldn't have been able to have otherwise.”

Additional reporting by Buzz McClain

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Summer 2024

Taiwan President Bestows Medal to Gerrit van der Wees

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 29 May 2024 12:20:36 +0000

Taiwan President Bestows Medal to Gerrit van der Wees Andrew J Schappert Wed, 05/29/2024 - 08:20

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Taiwan then-president Tsai Ing-wen, right, awards Schar School adjunct professor Gerrit van der Wees with the Order of the Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon. Photo by CNA.

Schar School of Policy and Government adjunct professor Gerrit van der Wees has been presented with a presidential medal by outgoing Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (her term ended May 20). The Order of the Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon, conferred on the former Dutch diplomat on May 19, is one of Taiwan’s highest civilian honors.

The award was given primarily for van der Wees’ founding editorship of Taiwan Communiqué, a bimonthly, prodemocracy publication covering the island’s transition to democracy beginning in 1980 to 2016. The publication played a key role in informing the U.S. Congress, the Department of State, and the international community of Taiwan’s successes and challenges.

In receiving the honor, van der Wees told the Taipan Times the publication will continue to keep records of Taiwan’s transformation for future generations. He stressed that there remained dangerous challenges for Taiwan, such as continued threats from Beijing to isolate it on the international stage.

Van der Wees has taught the History of Taiwan at ��AV’s Schar School since 2012, as well as a graduate course on Current Issues in East Asia since 2020. He continues to write commentaries on Taiwan’s history and political developments in and around Taiwan for the Taipei Times and the Diplomat.

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Fellowship Honoring Oppenheimer Biographer Goes to J. Luis Rodriguez

Andrew J Schappert — Tue, 28 May 2024 17:20:52 +0000

Fellowship Honoring Oppenheimer Biographer Goes to J. Luis Rodriguez Andrew J Schappert Tue, 05/28/2024 - 13:20

��AV Assistant Professor J. Luis Rodriguez has been presented with the inaugural Martin J. Sherwin Fellowship by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Rodriguez, who specializes in global governance and nuclear arms control, is one of the first faculty members appointed to the Schar School of Policy and Government’s new undergraduate International Security and Law bachelor of arts degree program.

J. Luis Rodriguez is the inaugural Sherwin Fellow at the Wilson Center. Photo provided

“We are thrilled to welcome Luis Rodriguez, a rising star in the field of nuclear proliferation research, to the Wilson Center’s community this summer,” said Christian Ostermann, director of the history and public policy program at the Wilson Center. “Luis’ project centers on issues dear to the work and legacy of the late Martin J. Sherwin and will strengthen the center’s focus on one of the most important international security threats and its deeper, global history.”

Sherwin's biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer, American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer—with coauthor with Kai Bird—won a Pulitzer Prize in 2006 and inspired the 2023 Academy Award-winning film by Christopher Nolan. Sherwin also served as a senior advisor and lead instructor at the Wilson Center’s Nuclear History Boot Camp, mentoring hundreds of international doctoral students. He was also a University Professor of History at George Mason from 2007 until his death in 2021.

Rodriguez's selection followed an intensive peer-review process by an international advisory board.

During his Wilson Center tenure, Rodriguez will focus on his project, “Negotiated Inequality: Latin America and the Making of the Nuclear Club.” His distinguished academic background includes a PhD in political science from Johns Hopkins University and notable publications in esteemed journals such as International Affairs and Third World Quarterly. In 2022-23, he was a Stanton Fellow at Stanford University.

The International Security and Law major is a one-of-kind degree program that prepares graduates to become leaders when they are needed most: in the face of crisis. This dynamic program combines national and international security and law and is designed to help students understand how to most effectively respond to crises—from weather disasters to cyber attacks to nuclear proliferation and more.

Information about the program can be found at this page.

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The full text of the study is available on the American Journal of Public Health website.

Study: More Medicaid Needed for Incarcerated Individuals with Substance Abuse Disorders

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 22 May 2024 16:31:54 +0000

Study: More Medicaid Needed for Incarcerated Individuals with Substance Abuse Disorders Andrew J Schappert Wed, 05/22/2024 - 12:31

A new study examining how state Medicaid programs are helping people with substance use disorders (SUD) uncovered the need to expand the programmatic features to assist individuals who are transitioning in and out of the criminal justice system.

Faye Taxman: ‘There is a clear need for more states to adopt such initiatives, particularly given the high risk of overdose deaths in this population.’

The study, “State Medicaid Initiatives Targeting Substance Use Disorder in Criminal Legal Settings, 2021,” was published in the American Journal of Public Health and was cowritten by Faye Taxman, director of the Advancement for Correctional Excellence (ACE!) at the Schar School of Policy and Government at ��AV.

In 2021, a survey was sent to all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. The survey asked if they had any special programs for individuals with SUD in the criminal justice system, including jails, prisons, and community corrections. An impressive 90 percent of those contacted responded to the survey.

The survey found that most states did not have specific Medicaid programs targeting people with SUD in the criminal justice system.

However, 18 states and Washington, D.C., introduced at least one type of Medicaid initiative. The most common efforts involved providing medication to treat opioid addiction before release and helping individuals sign up for Medicaid.

Another frequent initiative involved making it easier for individuals to keep their Medicaid by suspending rather than canceling their benefits when they are incarcerated. The least common initiative involved coordinating care for individuals with SUD.

“There is a clear need for more states to adopt such initiatives, particularly given the high risk of overdose deaths in this population,” said Taxman. “This has implications for new policies that states can apply for in terms of [Social Security Act] Section 1115 waivers to enhance Medicaid funding for those in the criminal legal system.”

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