Guest Speaker

Dean hosts fireside chat with president and CEO of EagleBank Susan Riel

Greg Johnson — Mon, 24 Jun 2024 14:51:19 +0000

Dean hosts fireside chat with president and CEO of EagleBank Susan Riel Greg Johnson Mon, 06/24/2024 - 10:51

In This Story

Ajay Vinzé, dean of the Donald G. Costello College of Business at ��AV, sat down with Susan Riel, president and CEO of EagleBank, for a fireside chat on the afternoon of Wednesday, April 10.

Susan Riel, president and CEO of EagleBank

In front of faculty, students, and community guests gathered on George Mason’s Fairfax Campus, their discussion covered a range of topics, from EagleBank’s evolution as a startup to a community bank, to how regional banks support the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Having been at EagleBank since 1998, Riel has held several different positions, experiencing and driving the decades-long evolution of the bank and its impact on clients.

EagleBank’s mission is to be the most trusted, experienced, and client-centric bank across the Washington, D.C., region and beyond. With clients over the years including MOM’s Organic Market and Honest Tea, EagleBank was founded on the belief that every person and business deserves individualized financial guidance from experts who care. The bank’s "Relationships FIRST" policy was echoed throughout Riel’s remarks. FIRST is an acronym, standing for flexible, involved, responsive, strong, and trusted.

Susan Riel speaks with Dean Ajay Vinzé

“Entrepreneurs depend on banks,” said Riel. Despite the current challenges for commercial real estate, resulting from many employees not returning to the office following the pandemic, she explained how the banking system is as important as ever and has continued to evolve. Fewer consumers are making banking transactions in person at the brick-and-mortar buildings, leading to a reduction of bank branches. However, with nearly everyone completing their banking needs via mobile devices, digital products are more important than ever before.

“Thinking strategically is an important part of any business,” she said. When considering a bank for employment opportunities, many job seekers think there are limited opportunities. However, Riel assured the audience that there are many professions within a bank, and especially at EagleBank. Many of the new jobs are results of this shift to a more digital banking experience.

Leadership, and especially leading as a woman, was another major theme of the discussion. When addressing how women can get ahead in the workplace, Riel said, “Speak up and share your ideas when you have them. Be open and outspoken.” But it is also advice that she would give to anyone looking to make their mark. “Don’t limit yourself,” she said. “Be open to opportunities.”

After asking his questions, Dean Vinzé opened it to the audience.

Riel spoke of the name recognition that came from naming George Mason’s EagleBank Arena and explained how EagleBank hires diverse thinkers by always attempting to hire the best person for the position.

This is the third fireside chat hosted by Dean Vinzé. The fireside chats are instrumental in providing knowledge and insights to the Costello College of Business community and forging partnerships with leaders in business.

Topics

Costello College of Business News

Guest Speaker

Campus News

partnerships

Kakenya Ntaiya speaks her truth at Mason’s annual Sojourner Truth Lecture

Shayla Brown — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 18:51:25 +0000

Kakenya Ntaiya speaks her truth at Mason’s annual Sojourner Truth Lecture Shayla Brown Wed, 03/22/2023 - 14:51

In This Story

LaNitra M. Berger, PhD

Dr. Kakenya Ntaiya, guest speaker at ��AV's Sojourner Truth Lecture. Photo by Shayla Brown/Strategic Communications.

Kakenya Ntaiya’s life was set to follow the traditional Kenyan path of ending school early in preparation for marriage and motherhood at the age of 15, but she had a different dream.

Ntaiya, who was ��AV’s 2023 Sojourner Truth Lecture guest speaker on March 2, is the founder of Kakenya’s Dream, a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to educating and advocating for young girls across rural Kenya.

“I’m really grateful to be here as we are ending the celebration of Black History Month, and also welcoming Women’s History Month since they’re two of the entities that I have within me,” she said. “In communities like ours, you find that the place of a woman is pretty low.”

About 50 people were in attendance during the lecture. When Ntaiya was asked why it was so important for a Black feminist to also be committed to health, she responded, “Health is everything, especially mental health, but general health is everything.”

“I grew up in a community where about 40 percent of young girls between the age of 15 and 19 give birth, 50 percent are married off during childhood, 80 percent undergo female genital mutilation (FGM), often without anesthesia,” said Ntaiya, who also was subjected to the procedure in Kenya where it is considered a rite of passage to womanhood.

“I was lucky to survive because most girls die from bleeding,” she said. “There are consequences for the bodies of these young girls.”

Despite having been subjected to FGM, Ntaiya made a deal with her father to let her forgo marriage and finish her education, promising her rural Kenyan community that she would go to school in the United States and use her education to help the village in exchange for their support.

“The commitment that Kakenya has to supporting women and girls internationally is unparalleled,” said LaNitra Berger, director of Mason’s African and African American Studies Program. “I have so much respect for the organization that she runs, and the ways in which she is completely dedicated to the cause of women and girls’ education.”

Ntaiya said she was driven to make a difference to help end child marriage in Kenya, in the absence of intervention from NGOs or other aid organizations.

“The government of course had laws in Kenya [that said we're] not supposed to be married before 18, but those are just laws in the box that are not implemented,” said Ntaiya.

In addition to educating girls and women on various topics, Kakenya’s Dream also gives boys and men the tools to help them be allies for women battling cultural norms.

“They now speak out against the practices [of the past] and we have a better future with the younger generations now sensitized about the harm of FGM,” said Ntaiya. “Young men learning about this are going to marry a woman that is not cut, and that is where we start seeing the generational change that will break the norms that have been there thus far.”

Topics

Sojourner Truth Lecture

African and African American Studies

Guest Speaker

Access to Health Services

adolescent health

Women's Health

Women's History Month

Campus News

Carter School hosts activist whose organization documents war crimes in Ukraine

Mariam Aburdeineh — Mon, 13 Mar 2023 15:31:57 +0000

Carter School hosts activist whose organization documents war crimes in Ukraine Mariam Aburdeineh Mon, 03/13/2023 - 11:31

In This Story

Karina Korostelina

Alpaslan Özerdem

Daniel Rothbart

On February 24, the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, ��AV’s Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution hosted “One Year After: Ukraine War Analysis and Prospects,” an all-day virtual event to discuss the effects of the war and potential post-war contexts.

The event featured Romantsova Oleksandra, executive director of the Center for Civil Liberties, the first Ukrainian organization to win a Nobel Peace Prize. The recognition, which the human rights organization received in 2022, was due in part to their work documenting war crimes against civilians in occupied areas of Ukraine.

Karina Korostelina (left) and Romantsova Oleksandra during the virtual event, "One Year After: Ukraine War Analysis and Prospects."

Oleksandra spoke about her work to an audience of about 50 people, and answered questions about the war via Zoom. The discussion was moderated by Karina Korostelina, professor and co-director of Mason’s Program for the Prevention of Mass Violence.

“The war in Ukraine has presented a real challenge to those who favor negotiated outcomes,” said Carter School Dean Alpaslan Özerdem in his opening remarks. “However, even if the political space is constrained for negotiations at the moment, we shouldn’t write off what conflict resolution could achieve in the future.”

Oleksandra began by explaining how her work started in 2014—around the time Russia invaded Crimea—and explained how they started with a hotline where they gathered questions about Crimea and Donbas before starting field work there.

After summer 2014, and the disputed Crimean status referendum, their mobile teams on the ground were blocked, Oleksandra said.

“They don’t give the possibility of Ukrainian human right defenders of going into the territories,” she said. “So, we collect[ed] information using the help of our partners from Belarus, from Russia, and from other countries.”

Oleksandra described various ways her team collects information, including gathering testimonials from individuals or relatives of those who have been prosecuted. The team also investigates sites where crimes occurred, and documents the aftermath with photos and video.

Other times, the Center for Civil Liberties uses data from institutions, such as hospitals.

“We have a lot of evidence that sexual crimes happened, too, like thousands of cases. People [don’t] very directly speak about that with prosecutors or police, but they easily speak with doctors,” Oleksandra said. “That’s why we have some statistics, and we have a national line where the people can call and speak about that.”

Oleksandra’s organization has used all this information to create databases and maps of where human rights violations have occurred.

“We have now more than 33,000 cases [of] potential war crimes against humanity and crimes of genocide,” she said. “Why ‘potential’? Because at the end, only courts can give this characteristic and classification.”

“[The] International Criminal Court is working now in Ukraine,” Oleksandra said. “We support them. We give them information, but they will cover maybe 20 cases.”

Despite a backlog of cases waiting to hit the courts, the work is still worth pursuing. Oleksandra said documenting evidence is important to punish those who committed atrocities, bring justice, protect human rights, promote public awareness, influence policy, and move toward sustainable peace.

Oleksandra said their ideal is to create a new model to deal with the thousands of other cases that demand attention. She also hopes an international tribunal against crimes of aggression would be assembled to hold Russian leaders accountable, including President Vladimir Putin.

“I’m really glad to speak with people who are thinking about what happened in Ukraine and trying to understand what kind of experience Ukraine now can give all the world about war crimes,” Oleksandra said.

The session was also meaningful for attendees.

“The presentation was outstanding,” said Carter School Professor Daniel Rothbart.

“The selection of [Oleksandra’s] Center for Civil Liberties for the Nobel Peace Prize demonstrates just how vital her work is for bringing peace to this war-torn nation,” he said. “The center represents an inspiration to all of us hoping for a peaceful end to this tragic violence in Ukraine.”

Click here to watch recorded sessions from "One Year After: Ukraine War Analysis and Prospects."

Topics

Russia-Ukraine war

Ukraine

Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

Author, activist Brian P. Jones talks about Black education in DuBois lecture

Shayla Brown — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 17:18:23 +0000

Author, activist Brian P. Jones talks about Black education in DuBois lecture Shayla Brown Thu, 02/23/2023 - 12:18

In This Story

LaNitra M. Berger, PhD

Dr. Brian P. Jones speaking at Mason's 2023 W.E.B. DuBois Lecture. Photo by Shayla Brown.

When Brian P. Jones was teaching in Harlem in the early 2000s, he fought against what he saw as a movement to privatize public education, which he feared would rip the rug out from the education of his almost all Black students.

“It got me thinking about patterns of Black education and how Black students themselves have so often challenged patterns of social engineering,” said Jones. “That's what brought me all the way back to Tuskegee; there was no book on that, so I wrote the book.”

His book, “The Tuskegee Student Uprising: A History,” was the focus of his talk as ��AV’s 2023 W.E.B. Du Bois Lecture Series guest speaker hosted by the African and African American Studies Program.

Jones is currently the director of the Center for Educators and Schools at the New York Public Library.

“[The series] invites noted national scholars to come and speak about their research on the Black experience, and how it connects to the legacy of Du Bois,” said LaNitra Berger, director of African and African American Studies Program. “As soon I saw Dr. Jones’s book, I knew that it was exactly the kind of book that we would want our students to read, and the kind of conversation we would want to have as a Mason community.”

Jones, whose father went to Tuskegee, conducted six years of research on the university and its students. He and his father took a road trip to the university to dig through some of the archives, he said.

Tuskegee arose after the overthrow of Reconstruction. “Reconstruction,” Jones said, “is interesting because we're looking at a moment of Black power whose effects are democracy, and actually are of great benefit to the majority White population.”

Du Bois called this “a moment in the sun,” said Jones. It is mentioned in Du Bois’s book, “Black Reconstruction: 1860-1880,” and references the time between slavery and Jim Crow.

“It was overthrown with violence, with terror, with intimidation, and murder. Schools that were built, were then burned,” said Jones. When Booker T. Washington founded the Tuskegee Institute as a teacher-training school in 1881, he downplayed the idea that Black people should fight for civil and political rights, and emphasized education, hard work, and land ownership instead.

As part of his talk, Jones shared photos that he took or found during his research. The images included student strikes from 1896 and 1903, and the statue of Booker T. Washington that greets visitors to the Tuskegee campus in Alabama that shows him holding the Veil of Ignorance over an enslaved person—some argue he is pulling it up, while others argue he is putting it down. He also shared photos of some of his interview subjects including the first Black woman elected student body president at Tuskegee, Gwen Patton.

“To me, Gwen Patton represents the political savvy of Tuskegee students whose radicalization and intellectual development was largely happening off campus. She would participate in sit-ins and other protests off campus before going back to class, said Jones.

Dr. Brian P. Jones signs copies of his book after the lecture. Photo by Shayla Brown.

During the question-and-answer portion of the lecture, a student asked Jones, “How did you feel while you were interviewing the student activist?”

“I talked to 21 former Tuskegee students and community members. I remember feeling a sense of pride that I was able to help them pass along a story that they held,” said Jones. “It’s little bit daunting to have somebody give to you something that's so important to them, and to try to do it justice.”

Du Bois touched many academic subjects including art history, education, politics, and sociology, said Berger. “His scope was so wide in terms of the ideas that he infused that naming the lecture after him allows us to invite scholars from almost any discipline.”

“There are many brilliant Black student movements across many campuses who aren’t just going to take the world as it is, they’re going to change it,” said Jones.

Topics

African and African American Studies

Guest Speaker

Campus News

African American/Black

Black African Heritage

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Discussing Dobbs: Scholars on both sides of abortion debate discuss new Supreme Court ruling

Mariam Aburdeineh — Thu, 07 Jul 2022 16:05:16 +0000

Discussing Dobbs: Scholars on both sides of abortion debate discuss new Supreme Court ruling Mariam Aburdeineh Thu, 07/07/2022 - 12:05

Learn more about Scalia Law

On the heels of the landmark Supreme Court decision involving abortion, ��AV’s Antonin Scalia Law School will host a webinar on the opinions in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization and their legal impact on Thursday, July 21, at 7 p.m.

Helen Alvaré will moderate a discussion on Dobbs v. Jackson at the law school on July 21.

The webinar, moderated by Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Helen Alvaré, will feature Kathryn (Kitty) Kolbert, a pro-choice attorney who argued on behalf of Planned Parenthood in the Casey case, which affirmed Roe’s holding about a constitutional right to legal abortion, and Erika Bachiochi, a pro-life attorney and author of numerous books and articles on pro-life feminism.

“This is a national legal conversation of great importance,” Alvaré said. “We [at Mason and the law school] are regularly part of such conversations and we pride ourselves on giving students very high-level tools for participating in all sides of a question.”

Students, faculty, staff, and the broader community are welcome to register. After the panelists speak and query each other on the Dobbs decision, its legal impact and what comes next, participants will have the opportunity to ask the panelists questions.

“There will be an opportunity to discuss not only the majority opinion, but super interesting concurrences and a dissent,” Alvaré said. “Each of them, if you’re a lawyer in this arena, is worth the price of admission.”

Pro-life attorney Erika Bachiochi is one of the event panelists.

If attendees took one thing away from this event, what would you hope for that to be?

“Acknowledging the substantial and best arguments on both sides,” Alvaré said. “Clearly, there are good arguments on both sides of this debate or it would not have persisted—not just for 49 years, but in the years before Roe.

“We want [the panelists] to get at the best legal arguments on both sides and to convey them in a way that the audience will understand that they’re substantial, and nobody can take a position without intelligently grappling with the arguments on the other side.”

What excites you about the panelists?

“Kitty argued the Casey decision, and I watched her argue it,” Alvaré said. “Frankly, she won that case. She lost some pieces—Roe was altered. But she preserved a constitutional right to abortion, and she was the far superior advocate. She’s formidable.”

“Erika is a sophisticated and prolific legal scholar who has occupied her time writing in-depth books and academic articles,” Alvaré said. “Her most recent book concerns the feminism of Mary Wollstonecraft. Erika is marvelous at maintaining dialogue with people who could not differ more on the subject. She’s funny, she’s quick. Kitty, too. Both of them are such marvelous, positive, intelligent and fun personalities.”

What are the panelists looking forward to?

Pro-choice attorney Kathryn (Kitty) Kolbert will speak at the Antonin Scalia Law School on July 21.

“[I’m looking forward to] a thoughtful conversation about the impact of Dobbs on women’s health and autonomy and its effect on the institutional integrity of the Supreme Court,” Kolbert said.

“I’m eager to discuss how pro-choice and pro-life feminists can work together for the sake of poor women and their children,” Bachiochi added.

How does this event speak to Mason’s values?

The goal, as with all discussions at Mason, is to provide a space for a civilized and substantive discussion where both sides are being heard and discussed rationally and deeply, Alvaré said.

“One of our contributions here is the effort to bring peace and civility,” Alvaré said. “We take great pride in the fact that we not only allow, but encourage and foment the full airing of both sides of an argument.”

“It’s the service we offer our students, our alums, and the community,” she said.

Topics

Antonin Scalia Law School

President and CEO of Inova Health System Shares Leadership Insights with Mason's Master of Health Administration Students

John Brandon Cantrell — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 19:25:07 +0000

President and CEO of Inova Health System Shares Leadership Insights with Mason's Master of Health Administration Students John Brandon C… Wed, 12/08/2021 - 14:25

In This Story

Maria Uriyo

J. Stephen Jones Encourages the Next Generation of Health Care Executives to Lead with Purpose

Master of Health Administration students enjoyed the opportunity to network with Jones following the presentation.

Master of Health Administration (MHA) students recently had the opportunity to speak with J. Stephen Jones, president and CEO of Inova Health System, one of Virginia’s largest hospital systems. Jones shared his leadership philosophy and advice with MHA students as part of the HAP 704 Executive Speaker Series, where students meet highly-respected leaders in the industry.

"All of you have chosen to pursue leadership," Jones says before sharing his perspective on the role leaders play in health care organizations.

"Leadership is usually not what people think it is," says Jones. "It's not about having power or being the boss. Leadership is about getting others to achieve something they wouldn't naturally do—or do as well—on their own; It's having an impact and making something happen that wouldn't have happened at all."

Chadwick Smith, medical director of a leading health system and online MHA student, values the Executive Speaker Series as an opportunity to learn from health executives like Jones. "Dr. Jones' discussion brought home the real-world importance of all the topics we have discussed during the past six weeks," says Smith. "I cannot think of any better presentation than the one tonight to emphasize the importance of communication, leadership, and teams in health care administration."

Nafis Labib, MHA student, found Jones' presentation highly relevant to his career goals. "One of the points that resonated the most was [the importance of] having credibility," says Labib. "My priority is to build up credibility as a health care leader so that I can impact the health care policies in my home country of Bangladesh for the better."

Jones discussed his leadership philosophy from his experience leading one of Virginia's largest health systems.

Students left the presentation feeling motivated to implement the advice they received from Jones after meeting with him.

"Dr. Jones emphasized having a leadership philosophy that inspires others to action," says Maria Uriyo, instructional assistant professor and MHA online coordinator in the Health Administration and Policy (HAP) department. "This is possible by recognizing teamwork is not about 'me' but 'we' and that successful leaders serve."

Jones' presentation was followed by a question and answer session, which generated a range of discussion topics. Students were interested in learning more about overcoming leadership challenges surrounding COVID, building credibility through education and work experience, and managing the increasing use of telehealth and ambulatory care by health care systems.

Jones' presentation concluded the HAP 704 Executive Speaker Series for the fall 2021 semester. The series gave MHA students opportunities to network with prominent health care executives throughout the semester and discover new perspectives from the speaker’s vast experience in the health administration field.

Thank you to Jones and all of this semester's guest speakers for investing time to speak with our MHA students and continuing Mason's ongoing relationship with local health care organizations. Visit the HAP 704 Executive Series web page for a complete list of this semester's speakers.

Topics

Health Administration

Leadership

Guest Speaker

Inova

Race, Politics & Policy Center Opens Nov. 1; Cornel West to headline inaugural spring lecture

Mariam Aburdeineh — Mon, 25 Oct 2021 18:50:00 +0000

Race, Politics & Policy Center Opens Nov. 1; Cornel West to headline inaugural spring lecture Mariam Aburdeineh Mon, 10/25/2021 - 14:50

Michael Fauntroy. Photo by: Shelby Burgess/Strategic Communications/��AV

Since returning to ��AV earlier this year, Schar School Professor Michael Fauntroy has been ready to hit the ground running. He founded the new Race, Politics, and Policy Center that will officially launch on Nov. 1st—and said there’s a lot to be on the lookout for.

“I’m really looking forward to having a positive impact on the university and putting together a vehicle to position the university toward the forefront of our national conversation about race, politics, and public policy,” Fauntroy said.

Cornel West. Photo provided.

Fauntroy said the center will advance student learning, enlighten public discourse, and inspire civic engagement.

“We hope to be able to energize the university community,” he said, adding that students will have the chance to conduct research and work on center projects. “It’s going to be a dynamic place, one that’s working at this intersection of theory and practice.”

The center’s introductory webinar is Thursday, Nov. 4, and gives the Mason community the opportunity to hear from Fauntroy and learn more about the center, its mission, vision, and upcoming events.

A major highlight for the center will be its inaugural spring lecture on April 14 at Van Metre Hall Auditorium on the Arlington Campus with American philosopher, author, professor and political activist Cornel West.

Fauntroy said he and West will cover a variety of different topics that intersect with the Race, Politics, and Policy Center. In particular, West has often focused on the role of race, gender, and class in American society.

“He’s a profound man, and we want to give him an opportunity to share his wisdom with the audience,” Fauntroy said.

Keesha Middlemass. Photo provided.

The center isn’t just for Schar School students, Fauntroy said, but the whole university community and beyond—as the topics cut across disciplines from social justice to criminal justice policy, to health care and more.

One example of that is the center’s January event with Howard University Professor Keesha Middlemass who will speak on ex-offender reentry policies.

“[Middlemass] wrote what I consider to be one of the great books in recent years on the way in which public policy decisions can impact somebody throughout their lives,” Fauntroy said. “[Her book] ‘Convicted and Condemned: The Politics and Policies of Prisoner Reentry,’ looks at the public policies that are created that make it more difficult for people who have served their time to come out on the other side and reenter society.”

There’s a lot to unpack in that particular topic, but whether it’s food insecurity, homelessness, or any other number of potential barriers, Middlemass will address those from a public policy perspective, Fauntroy said.

Tony Affigne. Photo provided.

In April, the center will also welcome Providence College Professor Tony Affigne who will discuss Latino politics.

Fauntroy said he is motivated by wanting to make an impact for students and contribute to the national conversation on race with the center’s events and activities.

“I’m excited about what we have the potential to be, and to do, and the value we can bring to the university and the Northern Virginia community,” he said.

To learn more about the center, and sign up for email updates visit rppc.schar.gmu.edu.

Topics

Schar School

Schar School of Policy and Government

Race

Justice and Race

Politics

Faculty and Staff News

Campus News

Guest Speaker

Vice President Kamala Harris encourages Mason students to get out the vote

Mariam Aburdeineh — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 18:02:22 +0000

Vice President Kamala Harris encourages Mason students to get out the vote Mariam Aburdeineh Wed, 09/29/2021 - 14:02

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris visited ��AV’s Fairfax Campus on Tuesday to speak to students on the importance of voting, in commemoration of National Voter Registration Day.

Before appearing to hundreds of students gathered on Wilkins Plaza, the vice president spoke to Assistant Professor Samuel Frye’s integrative studies class, “Community, Culture and Change,” as a surprise guest speaker.

“I wanted to come and talk with you because you are the leaders of today and tomorrow,” Harris said. “In the tradition of George Mason, and the leadership of students at this particular university, I am a strong believer that the most important progress that our country has made has been a function of movements, and almost every one of those movements were fueled by students.”

Harris, who was welcomed by Provost Mark Ginsberg and answered student questions following her talk, also spoke on the power of community engagement, and on protecting voting rights for all citizens.

“Some of our greatest movements [as a nation] have been built not only by community, but about a way of doing policy work and organizing that is called coalition-building, knowing that the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us,” Harris said.

“One of the biggest takeaways I had from today was how [Harris] emphasized our strength in numbers,” said Sydney Howard, a junior studying social justice and human rights. “It can be discouraging to think [if] our vote matters individually, but she touched on the power we have when we stick together and the policies that we’ve already brought into fruition.”

Harris emphasized that the goal of American democracy should be unity, not uniformity, where all voices can be heard and disagreements on the issues can be explored with healthy debates.

“Your vote is an expression of your voice, and we should never support anything that would stifle somebody’s voice or take their power,” Harris said, making the case that Congress should pass the Freedom to Vote Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

The vice president also mentioned how Mason’s efforts in registering students to vote in 2020, and subsequent polling turnout, helped pave the way for change across the nation.

“Students got out and voted, and it was powerful,” Harris said. “You have demonstrated a durability to organize the power of your vote in a climate where the right to vote is being threatened.”

“I really enjoyed hearing [the vice president] talk about how each voice matters” said McKenna Beauchamp, a senior integrative studies major. “We shouldn’t push away other people’s voices because they don’t conform to the whole idea [of a particular party].”

“I'm extremely grateful for [Harris] coming out here, just showing the students that voting is important,” said Mason Student Body President Natalia Kanos. “Her presence reassures that Mason is advancing in so many ways—it puts our university in the forefront, and I'm really excited to be part of this institution, to register people to vote, to get people out there.”

Students said the opportunity to engage with the vice president was exciting and surreal, and felt it was a unique benefit afforded to them by Mason.

“Being this close to D.C.… we have the opportunity to engage with policymakers [and] change-makers firsthand,” Howard said. “They care about the quality of our education, they want to come in and assist us in that, and it’s a great opportunity.”

Topics

Campus News

School of Integrative Studies

Military Mondays series to foster community and give back to those who serve

Mariam Aburdeineh — Thu, 04 Feb 2021 19:38:10 +0000

Military Mondays series to foster community and give back to those who serve Mariam Aburdeineh Thu, 02/04/2021 - 14:38

ROTC cadets. Photo by Evan Cantwell, 2009.

To foster community connections and give back to those who have given their all for our nation, ��AV’s Military, Veterans and Families Initiative (MVFI) is hosting Military Mondays, a virtual webinar series from Feb. 8 to May 10.

“Our hope is that we could start to bring together the people who are military connected or simply want to support that community,” said MVFI Director Keith Renshaw, adding that this is of particular importance during the pandemic.

The series, which features moderated discussions, presentations and Q&As, will run every second and fourth Monday of the month at 1 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

“Each presentation is going to have a different angle and different information,” Renshaw said, such as maintaining health and wellness during the pandemic, or making a career transition from the military to the civilian sector.

“Each one will have its own flair, but hopefully all of them will have a little bit of that sense of connection and sense of here’s some things you can be doing to support yourself or support those around you who are in this community,” he added.

Renshaw, who first became interested in supporting the military community after a clinical psychology internship at a veterans hospital, said MVFI was born out of work already taking place at Mason.

“As I’d go around campus, I would always be connected with people who were doing something related to military veterans and families, whether it be services, education or research,” he said. “Over time, we started talking about the possibility of trying to bring all these together and that’s what sparked MVFI.”

MVFI allows each center or program to be a source of learning and inspiration for the others, Renshaw said, and to work together to generate new programs and services. It also ensures people can easily find the resources Mason offers for the military-connected community.

“What excites me most is the untapped potential we have to reach and support this population,” Renshaw said, adding that Mason is unique for its location and its large population of military-connected people.

“Mason is dedicated to using its mission as a university to better everyone who it comes into contact with, and that’s what this initiative is about,” Renshaw said. “It’s about trying to tap into that intersection of the unique type of institution that Mason is, and its ability to serve and give back to this population that’s given so much.”

Topics

Military

Military Veterans and Families Initiative (MVFI)

webinars

Guest Speaker

Campus News

What will U.S. security look like under Biden?

Mariam Aburdeineh — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 18:24:07 +0000

What will U.S. security look like under Biden? Mariam Aburdeineh Mon, 12/14/2020 - 13:24

In This Story

Michael V. Hayden

What will U.S. security look like under Biden?

Former CIA Director Leon Panetta joins Hayden Center experts to discuss

Former CIA Director Leon Panetta will join the Schar School of Policy and Government’s Michael V. Hayden Center for a virtual discussion on the future of U.S. national security under the Biden administration on Thursday, Dec. 17, at 7 p.m. via Zoom.

“It’s an inside look at the national security agenda and players of the incoming Biden administration from one of America’s living legends and quintessential public servants,” said Hayden Center Director Larry Pfeiffer, who will moderate the discussion.

In his more than 55-year career, Panetta served as a U.S. Army officer, a congressman, and supported four U.S. presidents: He was the civil rights director in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare under President Nixon; Office of Management and Budget director and White House chief of staff for President Clinton; a member of George W. Bush’s Iraq Study Group; and CIA director and Secretary of Defense under President Obama.

“He’s literally seen it all—and that kind of expertise and experience will be invaluable to our audience in understanding how things will change,” said Pfeiffer, who was Panetta’s policy chief during his time as CIA director.

The discussion and accompanying audience Q&A will focus on national security challenges in the aftermath of Trump’s presidency and in the midst of an ongoing pandemic.

It’s a topic that has been growing in relevancy.

“Even before Trump announced his run for the presidency, General Hayden had growing concern about attacks here and abroad on evidence-based institutions—intelligence, academia, science, and the law, in particular—on the reliance on ‘truth’ and ‘experts’ that has underpinned modern Western thought since the Renaissance,” Pfeiffer said. “His worry mounted with President Trump’s adoption of a neo-isolationist foreign policy, rejection of the value of American leadership on the global stage, and embrace of authoritarian leaders and values.”

Hayden, the only person to serve as both the director of the CIA and the National Security Agency, founded the Hayden Center at Mason in 2017 to create a space for dialogue about how intelligence interplays with U.S. national security.

In addition to experts like Pfeiffer, who was the director of the White House Situation Room, former CIA acting director Michael Morell, and Hayden himself, the center frequently brings in prominent members of the intelligence community as guest speakers.

It’s a unique benefit for Mason students.

“Students will get a rare opportunity to hear from and directly question this great public servant, and gain insights into how national security and foreign policy may divert significantly away from the ‘America First’ agenda of the past four years,” Pfeiffer said.

“They should also walk away with understanding how this won’t just be a third Obama term, and how the new administration recognizes that a strong American role overseas is wholly dependent on mending the health of our domestic situation—be it defeating the pandemic, dealing with economic wealth disparity and social justice issues.”

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