Military

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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Navy chaplain works to build international peace

Shayla Brown — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 16:52:48 +0000

Navy chaplain works to build international peace Shayla Brown Thu, 08/15/2024 - 12:52

U.S. Navy chaplain Andrew Hoyle studied hard in the classroom to complete his master of science in conflict analysis and resolution at ��AV in one year, but he hasn’t stopping learning and gaining more experience. This summer, the active-duty officer interned at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) in Washington, D.C.

For his internship, Hoyle researched religions in Africa, China, Russia, and Rio de Janeiro, among other areas, looking at how the diversity of religions are embedded in cultures throughout the United States and internationally. His work culminated in an extensive article analyzing how the Russian Orthodox Church is expanding in Africa as part of Russian international relations efforts.

U.S. Navy Chaplain Andrew Hoyle. Photo provided.

Hoyle said one of his favorite internship experiences was collaborating with the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development representatives, sharing their research and knowledge on peace building.

“The U.S. Ambassador to Suriname met with our team and talked about how indigenous peace building in Surinam helped address some of the nation’s biggest concerns,” said Hoyle.

“That was so phenomenal because I not only saw collaboration between the State Department and USIP on an official level, but on a really personal level. Seeing them address how we can do things better really reinforced to me that’s what international relations is about.”

USIP also frequently hosts forums and guest lectures on specific topics in the peacebuilding field. Hoyle’s academic advisor at George Mason’s Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, David Smith, encouraged him to attend as many as he could during his internship, he said.

“I learned so much about peace building in Africa, post-conflict societies for women in Ukraine, and how they relate to the wars happening,” Hoyle said.

“There were all kinds of interesting topics that really expanded my understanding of peacebuilding and conflict resolution on an international level.”

The United States has active-duty service members all over the world working to deter wars and build positive relationships that create stability and security, explained Hoyle.

“Those relationships happen on the international and grassroots levels, and as a military chaplain, I have a unique opportunity to be there and build those relationships through religious actor engagement,” said Hoyle.

Hoyle was able to complete his master's program in one year through the Naval Postgraduate School Civilian Institutions program.

At USIP, “I was assigned to work with the Religion Inclusive Societies Team frequently doing research on the role of military chaplains in international peace-building endeavors and how chaplains could be better leveraged to engage in those capacities,” said Hoyle.

Hoyle said his course with Carter School professor Douglas Irvin-Erickson, CONF 600 Foundations of Conflict Analysis and Resolution, laid the framework of what to expect in this field.

“The course was really foundational in my understanding of what this field is all about,” said Hoyle.

Hoyle also earned course credit with a Carter School study-abroad trip, Cambodia: Post Genocide Community Development, and Spirituality, from December 2023 to January 2024.

“We visited Buddhist monks and a monastery college, and we saw Buddhism in action culturally and did some comparison. This study-abroad experience really gave me an appetite for seeing more peacebuilding in the international community,” explained Hoyle.

Hoyle said his time with USIP will also influence his work as a chaplain.

“Throughout this internship, I observed the importance of interfaith collaboration,” he said. “One of the action guides that the team has put out is called Religion and Reconciliation, which focuses on intra- and inter-religious dialogue, and it’s something I see every day on a local level. I think that's going to be nuts and bolts for my next duty station assignment with the Navy.”

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Douglas Irvin-Erickson

David Smith

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��AV honored as a top Military Friendly University

Colleen Rich — Tue, 28 May 2024 15:21:14 +0000

��AV honored as a top Military Friendly University Colleen Rich Tue, 05/28/2024 - 11:21

��AV’s commitment to the military community was officially recognized with a top designation as a 2024-25 Gold Military Friendly® School in the latest Military Friendly listings.

George Mason was among the 243 schools recognized with “Gold” status for their leading practices, outcomes, and effective programs in the listing of the nation’s top Military Friendly® institutions for the 2024-25 school year.

“This recognition is only possible thanks to the supportive relationships we have built with individual offices, programs, and colleges,” said Jennifer Connors, director of George Mason’s Office of Military Services. “Leadership, faculty, and staff have an unwavering commitment to those who serve. Given our location in the National Capital Region, we have a deep-rooted culture of appreciation. ��AV is dedicated to ensuring that our military members, veterans, and their families receive the respect and resources they deserve.”

About 10% of George Mason students are current or former military, or military dependents. George Mason’s nursing and education online master’s programs for veterans are Top 20 nationally, and business is top 50. More than 2,000 Mason students using Veterans Affairs education benefits, and more than 100 are using Department of Defense Federal Tuition Assistance. Almost 800 use the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program.

George Mason also has about 1,000 veterans who are adjuncts, administrative and professional faculty, instructional faculty or research faculty, classified staff, or student or wage employees.

The university’s Military, Veterans, and Families Initiative strengthens bonds and builds community among veteran students, alumni and families, and supports the education, well-being and professional development of veterans.

More than 1,800 schools were evaluated from public data sources and a proprietary survey, with 537 recognized with Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards. The entire list will be published in G.I. Jobs magazine’s May issue and can also be found at militaryfriendly.com.

Methodology, criteria, and weightings were determined by Viqtory, an independent research firm that connects the military community to civilian employment and educational and entrepreneurial opportunities. Criteria included student retention, graduation rates, job placement, student loan repayment, persistence (degree advancement or transfer), and loan default rates for all students and student veterans in particular.

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Mason honored for an innovative approach to serving contemporary students

Lauren Reuscher — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 20:50:17 +0000

Mason honored for an innovative approach to serving contemporary students Lauren Reuscher Wed, 01/31/2024 - 15:50

More about Contemporary Student Services

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��AV’s Contemporary Student Services has been recognized by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), a leading voice for student affairs, for its innovative approach to serving post-traditional and off-campus students.

Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Contemporary Student Services (CSS), part of University Life, earned the Bronze Excellence Award for supporting success in "Commuter, Off Campus, Military-Affiliated, Non-Traditional, and Other" student populations. Mason’s approach to serving these students sets it apart from other institutions of higher education. The CSS office launched in 2019 as a first-of-its-kind unit dedicated to serving the multifaceted identities of contemporary students at Mason.

The choice to include a variety of post-traditional student populations under one umbrella was intentional. At Mason, “contemporary students” include those who are adult learners (25 and older), living off-campus, transfer students, married/widowed/divorced, veteran or military-affiliated, returning to college after taking three or more years off, pregnant or parenting, or previously in the foster-care system. The definition is flexible and may continue to grow.

“Contemporary Student Services provides the latitude to evolve alongside our student population and remain flexible and inclusive,” said Joisanne Rodgers, director of Contemporary Student Services. “Mason didn't take the path of creating individual units to serve specific contemporary populations, because most contemporary students hold more than one of those identities—for example, they're a military-affiliated student parent living off-campus. The Venn diagram of contemporary student identities has a lot of intersections.”

Kids Zone in the Contemporary Student Lounge. Photo by Joisanne Rodgers/Contemporary Student Services

The Contemporary Student Lounge, in The Hub on the Fairfax Campus, is a place of refuge and support for these students. The space includes a well-equipped Kid’s Zone with age-appropriate furnishings, books, and activities. The lounge is staffed with contemporary student employees and peer mentors who help serve these students and connect them to the broader Mason community. The space has proven to be a vital resource. Last year, the lounge relocated to a larger space to accommodate the growing number of students using it.

"It's a great privilege to work with a team of innovators who not only put our students first, but also work incredibly hard to ensure we're seeing and recognizing the unique students in front of us,” Rodgers said. “The contemporary student population at Mason keeps growing, and we're honored to be part of the support network and village that advocates, celebrates, educates, and serves our contemporary students.”

Mason will be formally recognized for its work in Contemporary Student Services at the NASPA annual conference in March. View the complete list of awardees.

First-Ever Multi-Campus ‘Teach In’ Explores in Depth the Crisis in Ukraine

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 18:15:30 +0000

First-Ever Multi-Campus ‘Teach In’ Explores in Depth the Crisis in Ukraine Andrew J Schappert Wed, 03/09/2022 - 13:15

In This Story

Ukrainian national and Schar School PhD student Mariia Panga greets the Arlington audience. Arlington photos by Buzz McClain/Schar School of Policy and Government

In Fairfax, from left to right, Michael Hunzeker, Mark N. Katz, and Eric McGlinchey. Photo by Gretchen Curry/Schar School of Policy and Government

The grim realities and uncertain prospects of the war in Ukraine were examined from all fronts Tuesday night in a first-ever Schar School of Policy and Government multi-campus, in-person “teach-in,” presented by the Center for Security Policy Studies (CSPS) and cosponsored by the International Relations Policy Task (IRPT) learning community.

CSPS director Ellen Laipson moderated from a conference room in Arlington’s Van Metre Hall; a second panel convened in Fairfax’s Horizon Hall. Overflow live audiences of ��AV students, including many from the Schar School’s Democracy Lab learning community, participated in the brisk 90-minute event by asking questions of professors at both campuses.

The discussion, an event that combined audiences of graduate and undergraduate students, was broadcast in real-time via Zoom. View the recording: https://youtu.be/5FbaZQXzJkI

Professor Mark N. Katz presented a thorough examination of Russia president Vladimir Putin’s personality traits and lagging legacy and speculated on Putin’s ultimate intentions with the invasion of Ukraine.

Ellen Laipson moderates two panels from Van Metre Hall in Arlington.
Professor Janine R. Wedel, a specialist in international corruption who taught in Ukraine in 2015, put into context the ancient civilization and culture the Russians are trying to destroy with the invasion, pointing out, among other aspects, that Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv is older than Moscow.
Assistant Professor Michael Hunzeker, a Marine Corps veteran who led forces in the Iraq War, described details of the ground war that international audiences are seeing in real-time on social media. As for the Russian convoy that seems stalled as it makes its way to Kyiv, Hunzeker pointed out it took coalition forces 15 days to reach Baghdad in 2003.
Professor Desmond Dinan, a former advisor to the European Commission in Brussels, suggested the crisis strengths and unifies the European Union.
Associate Professor Eric McGlinchey, who researches Eurasian and Central Asian politics, put the current crisis into context by recalling the history of the former Soviet Republics.
Distinguished Visiting Professor Richard Kauzlarich, former ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Azerbaijan, described the uncertain diplomatic opportunities to bring the war to an end.

Ukrainian ‘scholar in exile’ Anton Liagusha sheds light on Putin’s propaganda campaign.
For her part, Laipson said the U.S. intelligence community has performed well and the decision to release intelligence on Putin’s plans denied him the element of surprise.
Associate Professor Anton Liagusha, a Ukrainian “scholar in exile” at the Schar School who studies the media’s influence on politics and culture, applied his expertise to Russia’s propaganda and warned what Putin might do in the near future.

In the most moving testimonial of the evening, Schar School PhD student and graduate research assistant Mariia Panga, a Ukrainian national who has been in the U.S. for seven months, reminded audiences that “Russians are killing Ukrainians right now, even as we speak” and, with remarkable emotional control, read a letter listing those in her home country that she would like to provide words of encouragement but cannot.

“I cannot express all the anger and frustration, despair and fear I have been experiencing for the past two weeks,” she said. “Every morning I text my family members and friends to check if they are still alive.”

Among those family members is “my 5-year-old niece, who tells younger kids in the bomb shelter, ‘Don’t be afraid, it will be over soon.’”

Desmond Dinan details Europe’s response to the crisis.

Janine Wedel describes Ukrainian culture and the ramifications of the war.

Can the war in Ukraine end with diplomacy? Richard Kauzlarich offers insight.

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War

Democracy Lab

Democracy Lab Learning Community

Mason’s successful Enlisted to Medical Degree Preparatory Program receives $20 million for five-year extension

John Hollis — Thu, 10 Jun 2021 18:16:45 +0000

Mason’s successful Enlisted to Medical Degree Preparatory Program receives $20 million for five-year extension John Hollis Thu, 06/10/2021 - 14:16

The Enlisted to Medical Degree Preparatory Program (EMDP2) allows servicemembers to follow their dreams while remaining in the military. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

��AV further solidified its strong relationship with the military community with a five-year, $20 million extension of the Enlisted to Medical Degree Preparatory Program (EMDP2).

Through a partnership with the Uniformed Services University of Health Services (USU) that began in 2014, highly qualified active-duty military members complete an intense, two-year academic program that prepares them for medical school. Mason provides the coursework, Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) prep courses and pre-health advising on a contract basis. The program is believed to be the only one of its kind between the military and a civilian university.

“Those in the military and in healthcare have always played a critical role in our society, and the past year only magnified their impact on our health and well-being as well as our safety,” Provost Mark R. Ginsberg said. “EMDP2 has been significant in providing an important path to medical school while strengthening Mason’s relationships with the area’s military community. But more importantly, continuing this contract is an investment that will help many people while also advancing the military healthcare system.”

Donna Fox, associate dean in the College of Science’s Office of Academic and Student Affairs, is proud that Mason can offer this option to so many service members so they can follow their dreams while continuing to serve their country. Born into a military family, Fox was married to an Army officer for his entire career and welcomed the chance to give back to a community that has meant so much to her and her family.

“What I love most is that we are helping people who might, otherwise, have never seen themselves in medicine get accepted into medical school,” said Fox.

The program provides qualified servicemembers from all four branches of the U.S. military with an undergraduate degree of any kind the opportunity to devote two years to classroom study and preparation for the MCAT without having to worry about deploying or training. Their sole responsibility is to be full-time students at Mason’s Science and Technology Campus studying biology, physics, chemistry and other similar courses. The full-time, year-round program includes 42 credits of pre-med classes the first year, with the second year devoted to prepping students for med school.

Roughly 92% of the program’s students have been accepted into medical schools so far, with more than 100 currently attending medical school, Fox said.

Servicemembers automatically receive officer commissions upon acceptance to medical school, although they must still complete an officer basic course located at various places across the country based on their branch of service.

The Department of Defense created the program in the hopes of slowing down the loss of talented enlisted military members who didn’t see any way of staying in the service and realizing their dreams of becoming a doctor.

Students for the program are selected by the U.S. military and are admitted as a cohort in the fall semester only.

“It’s extremely gratifying to see them reach their dreams,” said Fox. “I’ve been here 28 years, and I can’t think of any better way to finish out my career at Mason.”

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Serving those who serve: Partnership with American Legion lets M-VETS expand veterans support and student learning

Mariam Aburdeineh — Tue, 09 Feb 2021 20:33:21 +0000

Serving those who serve: Partnership with American Legion lets M-VETS expand veterans support and student learning Mariam Aburdeineh Tue, 02/09/2021 - 15:33

Tim MacArthur

It was post 9/11 when the family of a ��AV student deployed overseas found themselves facing a landlord-tenant issue. The wife came to the law school, asking for legal support and Mason stepped in pro bono. Realizing a need existed to help veterans and their families in similar situations, leaders at the law school established the Mason Veterans and Servicemembers Legal Clinic (M-VETS) in 2004.

Since then, the clinic has represented more than 300 clients and provided Mason law students with thousands of hours of litigation experience. A new partnership with American Legion Post 139, which will be standing up a new building in Arlington, will allow the clinic to further increase its impact.

“We’re very appreciative of American Legion,” said M-VETS Director Tim MacArthur, who has also served in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. “It’s an exciting opportunity to expand the types of legal services we can provide to the community and our students.”

“What we want to do is put a full-time employee at the M-VETS office at American Legion who will practice in areas that [we currently] don’t practice,” MacArthur said, adding that this would increase the number of students and clients the clinic could take on, as well as give students opportunities to practice more diverse areas of law.

Leigh Winstead

M-VETS Deputy Director Leigh Winstead supervises students with MacArthur. She said a recent survey highlighted two areas of legal need where the clinic could grow: criminal law and employment matters.

“Our biggest areas of practice are domestic relations matters, divorces, step-parent adoptions, and landlord-tenant matters,” Winstead said. “On the military side, our bread and butter are discharge upgrades and Virginia disability benefit appeals.”

The new American Legion building and M-VETS’ expansion into the space is scheduled for 2022. Until then, M-VETS continues to serve those who serve

“It’s the least we can do for the sacrifices veterans have made for our country,” Winstead said. “Two very rewarding benefits from it are teaching the students and preparing them for practice, and being able to give back to the military community.”

M-VETS students handle three to five cases and applicants at a time, and 12 students are enrolled to work in the clinic this spring, MacArthur said.

What’s an average day like?

“We have [students] be the first chair of the case, meaning they’re the ones contacting the client, researching, preparing documents, and making sure their supervisor is up to date on the case,” MacArthur said.

Samantha Lewis

“Tim and Leigh are really great about giving us a lot of autonomy, which is awesome because that’s what it’s going to be like in the real world,” said Samantha Lewis, a third-year law student entering her second semester with M-VETS. “It’s a really unique opportunity for me as a young lawyer.”

Lewis said making an impact in others’ lives has been her favorite part of law school. The clinic has also helped her gain confidence and put classroom learnings into practice.

“[Defending a client in court] was a really proud moment for me because that was my first time standing up in front of a real judge, making real arguments, and acting like a real attorney,” she said. “We’re getting all this great legal experience, and [veterans] often wouldn’t be able to get good legal services if this clinic didn’t exist.”

Topics

Military Veterans and Families Initiative (MVFI)

Military

Antonin Scalia Law School

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.”

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U.S. Air Force Academy Intervention Reduces Unwanted Sexual Contact by Over 40 Percent

dhawkin — Thu, 04 Feb 2021 19:13:33 +0000

U.S. Air Force Academy Intervention Reduces Unwanted Sexual Contact by Over 40 Percent dhawkin Thu, 02/04/2021 - 14:13

In This Story

Kenneth W. Griffin, PhD, MPH

Study led by ��AV College of Health and Human Services faculty finds that prevention program effectively reduces unwanted sexual contact among Air Force Cadets, addressing gap in rigorously tested interventions.

Sexual assault and sexual harassment are significant problems in the U.S. military and military service academies in the United States. In 2018, 15.8% of female and 2.4% of male cadets and midshipmen across the military service academies reported unwanted sexual contact in the past year. This unwanted behavior can contribute to a variety of negative mental and behavioral health outcomes.

While the military service academies have implemented multiple sexual assault prevention programs and social marketing campaigns to improve awareness of and response to sexual assault, prevention initiatives have been hindered by an absence of evidence from rigorous research about what works.

Eliminating sexual assault in the military is a key focus of the Biden Administration’s newly confirmed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. As one of his first actions in office, Austin has ordered a review of military sexual assault prevention programs.

To address the gap in evidence-based interventions, Dr. Kenneth W. Griffin, professor at ��AV’s College of Health and Human Services, worked with colleagues to rigorously test the effectiveness of the Cadet Healthy Personal Skills (CHiPS) primary prevention program. CHiPS was developed by National Health Promotion Associates (NHPA) and tested in a randomized controlled trial among cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) by a research team led by Dr. Griffin. The results were published online in the American Journal of Public Health January 21, 2021.

Griffin and colleagues found a more than 40% reduction in unwanted sexual contact among U.S. Air Force cadets who participated in the CHiPS intervention compared to those who did not participate in the intervention.

“CHiPS is a small group preventive intervention, developed by NHPA for the U.S. Air Force Academy. The program is based on Botvin Life Skills Training, an evidence-based program which has proven effective at preventing substance abuse, violence, and sexual risk taking among adolescents,” explains Griffin. “The intervention is designed to positively change social norms and bystander intervention behaviors surrounding sexual violence; increase knowledge and skills regarding obtaining consent for sexual activities; address the relationship between sexual violence and alcohol and substance abuse; and build social, self-regulation, and healthy relationship skills through interactive learning and behavioral rehearsal scenarios.”

Their randomized control study included 832 participants, and the new program was implemented in the summer of 2018. About half of the incoming class of 2021 cadets were assigned to receive the prevention program and half were assigned to a control group.

The CHiPS intervention has been sustained at USAFA and implemented with the incoming classes of cadets each summer since the conclusion of this study. This suggests that the program is both effective and has high potential for institutionalization.

This research was funded by the Department of Defense, United States Air Force, Contract Number FA7014-17-P-1006.

About ��AV

��AV is Virginia's largest and most diverse public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls 39,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity and commitment to accessibility. For more information, visit https://www2.gmu.edu/.

About the College of Health and Human Services

��AV's College of Health and Human Services prepares students to become leaders and shape the public's health through academic excellence, research of consequence, community outreach, and interprofessional clinical practice. George Mason is the fastest-growing Research I institution in the country. The College enrolls more than 1,900 undergraduate and 1,370 graduate students in its nationally-recognized offerings, including: 5 undergraduate degrees, 13 graduate degrees, and 7 certificate programs. The college is transitioning to a college public health in the near future. For more information, visit https://chhs.gmu.edu/.

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College of Health and Human Services Department of Global and Community Health

Center for Health Equity

Researchers receive over $1.5 million from DARPA to optimize security and energy tradeoff

Anonymous — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 17:47:20 +0000

Researchers receive over $1.5 million from DARPA to optimize security and energy tradeoff Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 02/02/2021 - 12:47

Topics

Cyber Security Research

Cybersecurity

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

In This Story

Brian Mark

Khaled Khasawneh

Kai Zeng

Sai Manoj Pudukotai Dinakarrao

Sai Manoj Pudukotai Dinakarrao, Kai Zeng, Khaled Khasawneh, and Brian Mark are collaborating with researchers at Virginia Tech to optimize the safety and energy-efficient tradeoff.

The capabilities and reach of 5G are expanding, but with new capabilities come new security challenges. Four Mason Engineering researchers received a $1.6 million grant from DARPA to tackle one of the many security issues that 5G poses as part of a larger DARPA initiative called Open, Programmable, Secure 5G (OPS-5G).

The grant, entitled EPIC SWaPD: Energy Preserving Internet of Things (IoT) Cryptography for Small Weight and Power Devices, aims to optimize the security and energy efficiency tradeoff by creating a low-energy security architecture for various types of IoT devices.

“In a network, there are many different devices of different sizes and capabilities. Many of these devices don’t have much computing power or battery life, and a common cybersecurity attack on these devices is to drain their battery life,” says Brian Mark, co-principal investigator on the grant.

Mark, Khaled Khasawneh, Kai Zeng, and Sai Manoj Pudukotai Dinakarrao in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering are collaborating with the company Kryptowire and Assistant Professor Matthew Hicks from Virginia Tech for the project.

These small IoT devices could be as simple as a thermometer or humidity sensor that is part of a larger smart home system. “These sensors can be very tiny, and they have limited computation and communication capabilities. The first step for each of these types of sensors would be to bootstrap, or link, a secure connection to the network, which requires authentication without pre-shared secrets. This is where the vulnerabilities lie,” says Kai Zeng.

When sensors or other types of small IoT devices must automatically authenticate themselves, attackers have many paths of attack. They can drain the device's battery, rendering it useless, or steal sensitive information or data from the device. Because of the many pathways that attackers could use to harm these devices, the team is combining cryptography, network protocol design, and machine learning to assure the success and scalability of their efforts.

“Something really important for this effort is that the security architecture operates on the principles of zero trust and least privilege,” says Mark. “Zero trust means that when a device comes in and wants to join the network, the assumption is that there is no prior trust or information shared between the devices, while least privilege implies the minimum permissions are granted to the entity to perform its task. So, we needed to bootstrap the security association and grant an entity just enough authority to access the devices or data that it needs but no more than that.”

One way they are looking at securing the connection is through gait-inspired authentication, which leverages the kinetic energy generated by a human user. “Every device harvests energy in a different way, and we use the harvesting pattern for authentication of the device, which preserves energy and accomplishes a security task at the same time,” says Dinakarrao.

Another approach is to exploit the “always-on” sensors in some devices like smartphones. “We plan to employ always-on sensing to perform the exchange of device identification and cryptographic material,” says Khasawneh.

They are also using machine learning to ensure both authentication and authorization of different devices. “We not only have to authenticate the devices and entities that are allowed on a network, but we have to verify their different roles and privileges. I might be granted access to the information that tells me the temperature of a room, but perhaps I might not have the authorization to change the thermostat setting,” says Mark. “Using graph-based models, we can verify the trust relationships of different devices or entities and this process can be accelerated using machine learning techniques,” adds Dinakarrao.

Long-term, the team aspires for their security architecture to easily be applied to other devices. “When we talk about the energy and security tradeoff, we have to think about how we can do things in a smart way to conserve energy while enhancing security. But we also need to think about how to make our architecture scalable to larger, more geographically distributed networks. Right now, this work is with smaller devices, but the hope is that our overall security architecture can apply to a variety of devices with different capabilities,” says Mark.

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