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Taking a byte out of Apple

Martha Bushong — Thu, 09 May 2024 11:36:28 +0000

Taking a byte out of Apple Martha Bushong Thu, 05/09/2024 - 07:36

A 2020 graduate of George Mason’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Iranian-born Farnoud Farahmand works for tech giant Apple in Silicon Valley doing a job he hadn’t thought about as an undergrad or even a grad student. Farahmand’s journey to California covered more miles than an American pioneer’s and his attitude mirrored the same qualities of curiosity, grit, and determination as those of Western settlers.

Farnoud Farahmand works on site at Apple in Silicon Valley three days a week.
Photo provided.

Farahmand said he chose Mason because he had family living in Virginia and found George Mason a good match for his goals, and his interest in digital design and embedded systems. “Mason had a good program. I saw there were some specializations in digital design and that was a great fit for me,” he said. Farahmand credits his PhD advisor, Professor Krzysztof (Kris) Gaj for teaching him the value of teamwork and nurturing his burgeoning curiosity.

“What I learned from Dr. Gaj was to be dedicated, do the hard work, and keep learning different topics. We used to have very long weekly meetings with him instead of meeting with each of his students in separately, he pulled us all together in one room at the same time,” said Farahmand. Sitting in long meetings with labmates, he learned about related topics and said that experience led him to his internships with Google.

Before the internship, Farahmand was focused on hardware implementation, but other people were working on side-channel analysis, and applied to Google online. “The thing is you don't know the positions. The job descriptions are very general when you apply for internships at Google. “The internship was mostly related to side-channel analysis but because I was in those meetings with Dr. Gaj and others for 2-3 years, I learned all these topics and then when I went for an interview when they asked all these questions, I was ready to answer.”

Farahmand’s advises current students to stay curious and don’t be afraid to learn about a different topic; take every chance you can to learn something new and different. “If I wanted to just focus on what I worked on from the beginning, which was doing digital design and implementing ciphers in hardware, then I maybe I wouldn’t have had the confidence for my internship interviews,” he said.

Farahmand thought that after interning successfully at Google he would be a good fit and applied for a job. Covid’s trajectory and downturn in the tech industry caused a detour that led him elsewhere. When he interviewed for a permanent position with Google, he said everything went well but at the height of the pandemic, the company wasn’t hiring. While he waited for Google’s hiring freeze to thaw, Apple came through with an offer.

That detour, and Farahmand’s new job, led to an opportunity in still another topic. The new job deals with modeling power based on the features that will be added in future generations of Apple electronics.

Farahmand had never worked on power optimization in his research but through his internship experience with side-channel analysis, its relationship to evaluating the power consumption of a chip, and power analysis and simulations, the hiring committee made the connection and offered him the position.

“It was a very good fit for the position and now that I’m working on it. I really like it. One thing that I see from students and for myself as well, we know very famous topics like digital design, verification, and physical design. These are very well-known positions, but sometimes there are available positions in good companies. We don't search for them, so we don't find them.” By keeping his options open, and looking for jobs in unexpected areas Farahmand discovered an unexpected path to success.

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Honors College program pairs student teams with industry partners for mutual benefits

Sarah Holland — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 15:00:59 +0000

Honors College program pairs student teams with industry partners for mutual benefits Sarah Holland Wed, 01/17/2024 - 10:00

How often, as an undergraduate student, are you able to sit in a room with the vice president of a leading defense contractor and offer your opinions on how they could improve their business?

An Honors College Consults student presents his team's research at the Honors College Research Exhibition. Photo by Sarah Holland/Office of University Branding.

For ��AV Honors College Consult students, the answer is at least once.

Honors College Consults, first offered in 2018, is a multidisciplinary course where students serve as consultants to industry partners. Students are placed into groups, and as a team they select their top choices of clients and projects, which are then assigned by the course leader. The groups then work as consultants to determine a solution to their company’s question or concern. They have regular meetings with company representatives, take turns serving as project managers, and present their findings or solutions to the class and their partnered company.

Melanie Fedri, assistant professor in the Honors College and the college’s experiential learning coordinator, and Anthony Hoefer, associate dean for student engagement, admissions, and administration, are two of the driving forces behind the course’s curriculum and industry partnerships. The course, they explained, developed as one solution to remedying the gap between students able and unable to complete internships.

Professional development and internship opportunities are often less accessible to students outside of a particular socioeconomic status, Fedri explained. First-generation students, students working full-time, and student-parents, for example, are less able to engage in professional experiences due to their external responsibilities and lack of connections. “Because this is a course and not an extracurricular commitment, students who otherwise aren’t able to do internships can get that same experience,” she said. “It’s leveling the playing field in terms of access to education and experience.”

Alyssa Cazier, who is studying sociology, is a nontraditional student who found the class useful in preparing her for a career change. “I was a small business owner,” she said, “but the tech world is new to me, so it was a good challenge to explore a different industry. And learning the depth of research required for this project will definitely help me in the future.”

The course's final weeks see students reflect on their work to determine how best to represent their experiences in resumes, interviews, and cover letters to prepare them for the future. As consultants, the students also develop contacts throughout the companies as they interview current employees, managers, VPs, and others.

For the Fall 2023 semester, companies and organizations included Northrop Grumman, the Department of Defense, and QinetiQ US.

“We have 50% new businesses, and 50% returning businesses each semester,” said Fedri. She and Hoefer are hopeful that the diversity of companies continues to grow. A popular local restaurant might be joining the ranks this spring, thanks to a Mason alum serving as president and COO; they’re hoping to see more food, hospitality, and direct-to-consumer business as a result.

Mason alumni have been “instrumental,” Hoefer said, in connecting stalwart organizations of the course like Northrop Grumman and QinetiQ US to the Honors College.

QinetiQ US President and CEO Shawn Purvis, MS in Information Systems ‘99 and former member of Mason’s Board of Visitors, initiated the Honor College’s connections for the inaugural course and carried it through when she took the top position at QinetiQ US.

Executive director of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security Jackee Schools, BA Government and Politics ‘98 and JD ‘01, also encouraged the bureau to get involved in the course.

The benefits of this program are a two-way street for Mason and its partners. Fedri and Hoefer encourage companies to see the representative role as an opportunity for early career employees to develop mentorship and leadership experience. Companies get fresh perspectives from students with a range of diverse backgrounds and majors that might be missing from their internal conversations. And just as students are building their professional networks, the companies are building connections with the next generation of the workforce.

“It’s a way for the company to represent themselves at a level of depth you can’t get from, say, a career fair,” said David Harrison, vice president of business operations for QinetiQ US.

Harrison has participated in the program—either directly or indirectly—since its inception. As such, he has seen how the students’ analyses and research on the proposed question directly impact the company.

"Multiple semesters of students have helped shape, solve, and deliver what we believe to be a differentiating employee experience at QinetiQ US,” he said. “Students from the course have a very valuable perspective. Given they are they are our future workforce, their input carries a lot of weight as we think about how to attract and retain the best talent.

“Getting to work with five really driven, excited, diverse students who bring such thoughtful ideas to the table on difficult and complex problems has been one of my most fulfilling and valuable engagements over the years,” he said.

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Recipients Announced for the 2024 Young Alumni Commissioning Project Awards

Pam Muirheid — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 20:12:03 +0000

Recipients Announced for the 2024 Young Alumni Commissioning Project Awards  Pam Muirheid Wed, 01/10/2024 - 15:12

��AV’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) is pleased to announce the recipients of the fifth round of its Young Alumni Commissioning Project Awards. Two alumni were chosen based on the artistic excellence, career impact, and feasibility of their proposals and will receive financial, marketing, and production support to have their projects presented by the College at a Mason Arts venue during the 2024–2025 season.

"As previously supported projects reach completion, it is a real joy to see our recent graduates adding new work to the world on such a high professional level. Stay tuned for great things on the horizon from this year’s awardees.”
—Rick Davis, Dean of Mason’s College of Visual and Performing Arts

“In this fifth round of the project’s commissions, the creative energy of Mason Arts alums continues to shine brightly,” said Rick Davis, dean of Mason’s College of Visual and Performing Arts. “The two projects awarded this year both use the medium of film in fascinating ways, whether to celebrate movement and dance through the lens of Arabic poetry or to explore both the comic and the darker sides of reality TV.”

Davis continued, “As previously supported projects reach completion, it is a real joy to see our recent graduates adding new work to the world on such a high professional level. Stay tuned for great things on the horizon from this year’s awardees.”

Rebecca Wahls (left) and Jumana Al Refai

Jumana Al Refai, BFA Dance ’17, received the Young Alumni Commissioning Project Award and $5,000 in commissioning support for Tashkeel َتْشِكيل, a collaboration that explores all aspects of “Haraka”—the Arabic word for movement—including language, landscape, music, and connection. The final product will be a short film, featuring four dancers from Kuwait and abroad as well as Al Refai as dancer and choreographer. She is of Kuwaiti and Japanese heritage, and founder of the Haraka Center for Movement Arts in Kuwait. Al Refai shared, “This project will make art coming out of the Middle East accessible to larger audiences and challenge the prevailing western perception of the region.”

Rebecca Wahls, BFA Theater ’15, received the Young Alumni Creative Development Award and $3,000 in commissioning support of Him, a feature-length ensemble comedy film. The film follows the final five contestants on a reality dating show, whose world is turned upside down as they discover a dark truth about their “suitor.” Wahls directed, co-wrote, and co-produced Him, alongside actor and writer Trey Higgins. Screenings are slated to take place at Carnegie Mellon University’s Los Angeles Campus and ��AV’s Fairfax Campus.

Over the past five years, 16 CVPA alumni have been granted awards anywhere from $2,500 to $5,000 to support the creation of a new artistic work for projects in film, dance, visual art, music, and game design. To be considered for this year’s award, applicants must have graduated from CVPA from the class of 2013 and after. Proposals could include original new work in any art form suitable for performance, exhibition, or screening in a Mason Arts venue. The size, length, duration, magnitude, and content are at the artist’s discretion. Potential venues include Mason’s traditional theater spaces, galleries, and cinemas, but proposals for nontraditional venues, including digital spaces, were also considered.

The Young Alumni Commissioning Project is made possible by a generous bequest from the estate of Linda E. Gramlich for the support of young artists, and by donors to Mason’s previous Giving Day, including Shugoll Research.

About the 2024 Award Recipients

Jumana Al Refai is a choreographer, teacher, and professionally trained dancer based in Kuwait. She started dancing from the young age of four and has well over 20 years of dance training in ballet, modern, contemporary, and improvisation. Al Refai earned a BA in Graphic Design from the American University of Kuwait and a BFA in Dance from Mason. After completing her bachelor's degrees, Al Refai joined The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater School–The Ailey School in New York City and completed dance programs at the University of Southern California and the Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s choreographic dance intensive. Al Refai returned to Kuwait in 2018 and established a center for dance training and dance education in 2021: the Haraka Center for Movement Arts.

Rebecca Wahls directs, writes, and produces film, theater, and new media. She is a catalytic leader who tells ensemble stories about the formation of family and the romance of friendship. In 2017, she founded the nonprofit theater Who What Where Productions, where she produced and directed several world premiere plays, including Spills by Ruthie Rado, which has gone on to successful runs in New York City and London. Other favorite projects include Rebecca and Becca in Space, a socially distant comedy web series co-created with writing partner Rebecca Ballinger, which was awarded a grant through the Alumni Artist Support Initiative and presented as part of Mason Arts at Home in 2020 Memory Card, a 20-minute fully live digital horror piece with playwright Alec Seymour; and this old haunt, a new musical co-created with Maggie Marie Rodgers and SMJ. Rebecca holds an MFA in Directing from Carnegie Mellon University, where she was a John Wells Fellow from 2020 to 2023, and a BFA from Mason.

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Soto-Harmon: Schar School Alumna Named Leader of National Conservation Nonprofit

Andrew J Schappert — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 16:59:15 +0000

Soto-Harmon: Schar School Alumna Named Leader of National Conservation Nonprofit Andrew J Schappert Tue, 06/06/2023 - 12:59

In This Story

Alan J. Abramson

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Lidia Soto-Harmon: She hopes to connect fellow MPA grads ‘to the work we are doing to inspire the next generation of conservation leaders.’

When Lidia Soto-Harmon graduated from ��AV in 1991 with her Master of Public Administration degree, she knew her education had “set the stage for me to become an effective leader,” she said.

She wasn’t kidding: Soto-Harmon’s resume spans decades as she’s served with public-facing organizations including the Fannie Mae Foundation, literacy nonprofit First Book, and the President’s Interagency Council on Women established by President Bill Clinton. In addition, she spent 18 years at the regional council for Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital, including 12 years as the chapter’s CEO.

But most recently, the Schar School of Policy and Government alumna was named the next president and CEO of the Student Conservation Association (SCA), a national conservation nonprofit founded in 1957 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, that provides hands-on environmental conservation programs to more than 2,000 youth and young adults each year.

Speaking of her time at Mason, Soto-Harmon, a native of Chattanooga, Tennessee, said that her Schar School degree provided “a comprehensive understanding of the tools needed to thrive in the nonprofit space and make an impact.”

Her conviction to shape the future of nonprofit leadership is self-evident: She chairs the MPA Advisory Council at the Schar School and returned to Mason during the pandemic to teach a graduate-level nonprofit management seminar.

Now at the helm of one of the largest conservation nonprofits for youth in the country, she said she’s looking forward to connecting “MPA students at George Mason to the work we are doing to inspire the next generation of conservation leaders.”

The admiration between alumna and alma mater is mutual.

“The Schar School's MPA program is very proud to call Lidia Soto-Harmon an alumna and wishes her well in her new position at the Student Conservation Association,” said Alan J. Abramson, director of the Schar School’s Center on Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Social Enterprise. “The association is fortunate to have this smart, passionate, warm leader as its new executive.”

Soto-Harmon received the 2014 Wayne F. Anderson Award for Distinguished Public Service from Mason, an honor reserved for those dedicated to “embodying the spirit of public service.”

If you’re interested in what a Master of Public Administration degree could do for your career, click here.

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Alumna Aundi Marie Moore, a 2023 Sphinx Medal of Excellence Recipient

Pam Muirheid — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 21:53:07 +0000

Alumna Aundi Marie Moore, a 2023 Sphinx Medal of Excellence Recipient Pam Muirheid Tue, 07/19/2022 - 17:53

See More News About Aundi Marie Moore

Learn More About Aundi Marie Moore

Aundi Marie Moore

Mason alumna Aundi Marie Moore has been named by the Sphinx Organization as one of the 2023 recipients of the Sphinx Medal of Excellence. This annual award is the highest honor bestowed by the Sphinx Organization, bestowed in recognition of extraordinary classical Black and Latinx musicians. The award, which includes a $50,000 career grant, celebrates artists who demonstrate outstanding work ethic, a spirit of determination, artistic excellence, and an ongoing commitment to leadership and their communities. Moore will be presented with this honor at the organizations official ceremony on March 1, 2023, alongside the other two recipients of this year's award, Thomas Mesa and Joel Thompson.

The Sphinx Organization is "a social justice organization dedicated to transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts.

Focused on increasing representation of Black and Latinx artists in classical music and recognizing excellence, Sphinx programs serve beginner students to seasoned classical music professionals, as well as cultural entrepreneurs and administrators.

Based in Detroit, Michigan, but with nationwide reach, Sphinx envisions a day where the classical music field looks like our communities: where every young person has the opportunity to express themselves and learn classical music; where audiences reflect the people we see on our streets; and where leadership—on stage and off—includes all deserving voices."

Soprano Aundi Marie Moore established herself as an exceptional talent with her Metropolitan Opera debut as Strawberry Woman in the Met’s 2020 production of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. Previous operatic stage career highlights include Donna Elvira Don Giovanni at L'Opéra de Monte Carlo for her international debut, Nedda in I Pagliacci at Sarasota Opera, and Mimi in La Boheme at the Amalfi Coast Festival.

A member of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program at the Washington National Opera, Moore has appeared in numerous operas at WNO, including as the Fifth Maid in Elektra under the baton of Heinz Fricke, and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni conducted by Placido Domingo.

Moore completed her Masters of Music at the University of Michigan and her Bachelors [of Music] degree at ��AV (2003). She participated in the Salzburg Music Festival Young Artist Program in 2008, covering the roles of Donna Anna in Don Giovanni and the title role of Rusalka, and appeared as a featured soloist in the Gala concert conducted by Ivor Bolton. Concert highlights include her performance with the New World Symphony for Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 under the baton of Steven Jarvi, as well as the National Symphony Orchestra’s featured guest soloist for the Christmas Pops concert conducted by Marvin Hamlisch.

Moore has won various accolades including the 2016 Bronze Medal at the American Traditions Competition in Savannah, Georgia, First Place at both Florida Grand Opera Young Patronesses Voice Competition and Vocal Arts Discovery Series of Washington D.C., and was a finalist at Operalia.

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Young Alumni Commissioning Project Announces Recipients of Fourth Round of Funding

Emily Schneider — Tue, 31 May 2022 20:27:39 +0000

Young Alumni Commissioning Project Announces Recipients of Fourth Round of Funding Emily Schneider Tue, 05/31/2022 - 16:27

In This Story

��AV’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) is pleased to announce the recipients of the fourth round of its Young Alumni Commissioning Project Awards. Three alumni were chosen based on the artistic excellence, career impact, and feasibility of their proposals and will receive financial, marketing, and production support to have their projects presented by the College at a Mason venue during the 2022-2023 season. Two additional alumni were awarded an inaugural grant of financial support, designed to assist in the completion of their proposed projects, which were selected because of their timeliness and significance to the Mason community.

“In this fourth round of the Project’s commissions, we received proposals with uniquely personal and emotional perspectives,” said Rick Davis, Dean of Mason’s College of Visual and Performing Arts.

“Knowing the vital role of the arts in strengthening community in challenging times, we are elated that this program continues to support the visions of these young artists.” Davis continued, “In response to the great range of proposals, and in order to ensure that we are providing as much support as possible to our incredible alumni, we established an additional award this year, which provides a grant to help these artists take their project to the next level while removing the time frame for production or exhibition that is otherwise required. As usual, I can't wait to see what these great project ideas turn into once they’re fully developed.”

For consideration, applicants must have graduated from CVPA from the class of 2011 and after. Proposals could include original new work in any art form suitable for performance, exhibition, or screening in a Mason venue. The size, length, duration, magnitude, and content are at the artist’s discretion. Potential venues include Mason’s traditional theater spaces, galleries, and cinemas, but proposals for non-traditional venues, including digital spaces, were also considered.

The Young Alumni Commissioning Project is made possible by a generous bequest from the estate of Linda E. Gramlich for the support of young artists and by donors to Mason’s Giving Day, including Shugoll Research.

2023 Recipient of the Young Alumni Commissioning Project Award Including $5,000 in Commissioning Support
Juan Megna

Juan Megna

Juan Megna (Doctor of Musical Arts, 2021) received the Young Alumni Commissioning Award and $5,000 in commissioning support. In 2015, Juan started a master’s degree at the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati. In this city, he played with Phil deGreg group, Rusty Burge, Steve Alee, among others, and got the degree in 2017.

In 2017, Juan moved to Fairfax, Virginia to pursue his doctoral degree at ��AV. Juan played with Wade Beach, Wayne Wilentz, and Steve Kirby in the Washington DC musical scene, among others. Also, he formed The Juan Megna Quintet. The repertoire is centered on a mix of Juan’s compositions, blended jazz, Argentinian and Afro-Brazilian rhythms.

At ��AV he leads the Latin-American Ensemble. The DownBeat Magazine has awarded this group with the 42nd (2019), 43rd (2020), and 44th (2021) students awards as an “Outstanding Performance”.

As an active researcher, Juan performed a clinic at the Jazz Education Network, New Orleans 2020, entitled "The Brazilian 16th-note phrasing through Cabula rhythm, Samba, and Bossa Nova", focusing on developing Afro-Brazilian popular genres.

Megna's new project, which this award will fund, is titled Trailblazer, an album of original compositions that will build a dialogue between jazz and Afro-Brazilian genres. The concept for the project is inspired by traditional melodies and rhythmic patterns of Candomblé (a diasporic religion syncretized from traditional religions of West Africa and Roman Catholic Christianity). “It is a real honor to receive this generous award coming from my alma mater institution,” said Megna. “It will help me crystallize a project that I dreamed of for so many years.”

2023 Young Alumni Creative Development Award Winners Including $3,000 in Commissioning Support

Carlehr Swanson

Carlehr Swanson (vocalist, pianist, speaker) is a 1st year Ph.D. student at the University of Virginia. She is a graduate of ��AV and the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami with degrees in Jazz Vocal Performance. Before college, Carlehr accompanied and directed multiple church choirs. She credits this experience as significantly influencing her musicality. Upon entering college, she realized the absence of gospel music in higher education. Consequently, she co-founded and directed the Frost Gospel Ensemble. Her research interests include gospel music, Black studies, women's studies, and civic engagement. Giving back to her community and connecting with others has been an important theme in Carlehr's life, as she brings people together to serve a greater good. She is the founder and director of the organization, "Music is Unity," where she takes music performances to people who may not experience them otherwise. Throughout this year, she has planned and performed more than a dozen virtual events for the community.

Swanson receives the Creative Development Award for Growing Pains, an extended play record of original music, combining the styles of jazz, R&B, and gospel, exploring love, loss, faith, and hope along the transition to adulthood.

Kyle Finnegan

Born in the same place as American cinema (the great state of New Jersey), Kyle Finnegan is a filmmaker living in Alexandria, VA. He graduated in 2017 with a BA in Film and Video Studies. After shooting and editing for several years, he currently works at 522 Productions with a focus on directing branded documentaries. His work won him a DC TIVA Peer award in 2021 and he’s interviewed all four of Time Magazine’s heroes of 2021. He has created short documentaries exploring subjects ranging from car hackers in Seattle to an artsy coal mining town in Utah. Whether it’s a film, a website, or a delicious meal, he aims to create something every day.

Finnegan’s award will support his new documentary film, exploring the complicated role of MSG (monosodium glutamate) in the United States, as influenced by pervasive misinformation and the uniting love of food across cultures. "I'm excited to have received a grant from the institution that has supported so much of my development as an artist," said Finegan. "I'm looking forward to making a mouthwatering film about the complex world of MSG."

2023 Young Alumni Artistic Support Grant Winners Including $2,000 in Unrestricted Support

Mohammed Saffouri

Mohammed Saffouri is an award-winning Palestinian-American filmmaker based in Fairfax, Virginia. Saffouri distinguished himself early on in his film career by earning a Capital Emmy for his debut documentary film, The First. His next film, Touchline, was recently selected to participate in Tribeca Film Festival. Touchline will be the first Jordanian film to be screened at Tribeca, and Saffouri will be the first alumni from ��AV to have a film screened at Tribeca in the festival’s history. Saffouri graduated from ��AV in 2020 with a degree in Film and Video Studies and a concentration in Film Directing. Throughout his eight years in the film and media industry, he has directed three films, produced four films, written three films, and created more than ten promotional videos for companies and non-profits. His work has been screened at such festivals as the Washington DC International Film Festival, the Virginia Film Festival, the Malmo Arab Film Festival, and others. Saffouri is currently developing his first narrative feature film.

Saffouri’s award will support the development of his first narrative feature film, a deeply personal story about the experience and perseverance of a Muslim-American immigrant woman in the United States. "I'm always happy and thankful to see how ��AV is the first to support its alumni and students," said Saffouri. "This is the first grant I get into this project, and I'll make sure to make them proud when this project is done."

Left to Right: Meagan Arnold, Hannah Looney, and Mike Rose

Meagan Arnold (Film, 2018), Mike Rose (Film, 2016), and Hannah Looney (Film, 2018) began collaborating on creative projects together as students in the Film and Video Studies program at Mason. Over the past 6 years and alongside Film at Mason alumnus Jason Cortez (BA, 2015), the group has produced numerous fashion, narrative, and music video projects. Often working under the alias ‘negativs,’ their recent project FLORENCE toured internationally at the Sarajevo and Croatia Fashion Film Festivals.

Arnold, Rose, and Looney receive the award to assist in the creation of Momentum/Memoriam, an experimental music video that explores and contextualizes the group’s grief over the loss of their late collaborator and Mason alum, Jason Cortez (Film, 2015).

"Jason Cortez was an award-winning filmmaker and a 2015 graduate of the Film and Video Studies program at Mason. He lost his life on September 10, 2021, at the age of 29. Momentum//Memoriam is an experimental, fashion music video honoring Jason’s legacy as an artist, as well as the impact he left on his closest artistic collaborators," said Arnold.

"We are at the beginning of a long process in creating art for, and posthumously with, our dear friend. Jason left behind many projects unfinished, and we bear a responsibility to complete his life’s work. We have several projects planned in the coming years to celebrate Jason and to continue his artistic vision. Momentum//Memoriam will be our first venture into creating art as a collective since he passed."

Information about the next round of applications will be announced at a later date. Details on previous year's recipients and criteria for consideration can be viewed on the Young Alumni Commissioning Project website.

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College Honors Class of 2022 Graduates at Degree Celebration

Mary Cunningham — Mon, 23 May 2022 17:17:35 +0000

College Honors Class of 2022 Graduates at Degree Celebration Mary Cunningham Mon, 05/23/2022 - 13:17

Congratulations, Class of 2022!

Graduates of the College of Health and Human Services Class of 2022 were honored during an in-person Degree Celebration at EagleBank Arena on May 22. We are pleased to resume the tradition of hosting in-person Degree Celebrations, and the celebration was live-streamed for those who could not attend.

Kim Holmes, associate dean for academic affairs, hosted the celebration and welcomed the graduates and their loved ones during opening remarks, followed by comments from Dean Germaine Louis, keynote speaker Karen Dale, and student speaker Deniz Lopez-Jimenez.

Holmes opened the program by acknowledging all the hard work that led students to this moment.

“Our graduates have made their mark on Mason and their neighboring communities. Many have spent countless hours working and training in local clinics, researching topics that will improve the health of others, leading student organizations, serving the community, and other important causes,” Holmes said. The College conferred 469 bachelor’s degrees, 270 master’s degrees, 34 doctoral degrees, and 21 graduate certificates, boasting a total of 794 spring 2022 graduates who received their degrees across six departments.

“Today, we want you to know that we see your efforts, we’ve seen you in the building on early mornings putting the finishing touches on assignments, meeting classmates; we see the challenges you’ve overcome, juggling work, family commitments, classes, internships, clinical hours; and in the end you all shared a common goal of helping and serving others by proving health and services can support health and wellness,” she continued. “Whether you know it or not, you challenge all of us to be better, push harder, and to chase our dreams. After all your hard work, today is our day to honor and celebrate you.”

Dean Germaine Louis and Keynote Speaker alumna Karen Dale

Dean Germaine Louis took the podium next to share that it was the students who inspired her to overcome her writing block and complete this speech only a few days ago.

“My block was because of the many challenges in the world that are facing our current graduates as well as future ones. And to me, at times, these challenges feel insurmountable,” said Louis. “How do we overcome global hunger, housing instability, health disparities driven by social inequities, hatred, violence, trauma, climate change, in over one million lives lost from COVID-19 infections in the US alone? I asked myself, are these challenges curable? Is it reasonable to ask today’s graduates and the ones to follow to be able to solve these problems that certainly my generation has not done?”

“I thought about our students in the college, across all disciplines...I easily remembered how incredible they are; Something their parents, family, and friends already know and know well,” Louis continued. “As health professionals, our students show up when need arises. Words cannot come close to expressing the great pride I have for our graduates and the faculty and staff who stand with them.”

“I found my renewed sense of hope in you. You can and will correct the wrongs of the world to innovate new paths forward and to deliver health equity irrespective of remaining challenges,” said Louis.

She also offered a few words of advice and hope.

“Remain intellectually curious with a willingness to learn to advance knowledge and deliver health innovations,” she said. “Remember together we can make health visible a reality for all. In the words of Mason’s president Gregory Washington, ‘It’s Mason’s Time and it gives me hope.’”

Bachelor of Nursing alumna Dale spoke to graduates about the importance of purpose. She is the market president and chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer for AmeriHealth Caritas’ Medicaid managed care organization (MCO) in Washington, D.C. Dale was originally scheduled to address graduates at the May 2020 Degree Celebration which was canceled due to COVID-19, but returned this year to encourage graduates to find their individual motivations.

Dale shared that clarity of purpose helps us to be more resilient and have greater life satisfaction. She recommended these steps to find that clarity: Identify your unique gifts, have courage, be inclusive, and make decisions based on what’s right.

“This is the beginning of an opportunity for you to leverage your unique gifts, to find your purpose, to be a catalyst for good,” Dale said. “I wish you immense success in all your endeavors; and I hope you leave this ceremony with positive emotion in your heart, a focus on intentional engagement in all your relationships, a magnificent sense of urgency to define your meaning and purpose, and that you have the courage, the renewable courage, to lead in ways that help you to achieve yet unimagined accomplishments.”

Student Speaker Deniz Lopez-Jimenez

Lopez-Jimenez is a first-generation U.S. college student, who wanted to share his story of hope with his fellow graduates. He thanked his family and asked graduates to give their support networks and themselves a round of applause for all they have accomplished.

“In your future endeavors, I urge you to keep advocating for and helping others, persevering, and holding dear the value of the Mason experience. Go out there and make the world a better place! If you’re a first-generation college student, know that ‘Si se puede!’ You can do it! We can do it.”

After the ceremony, graduates, their families and friends, faculty, and staff were invited to a celebratory reception at Peterson Hall.

Congratulations to our newest alumni!

Check back in a few days for a slideshow of event photos.

To stay connected, all alumni are encouraged to become a part of the public health dialogue on the College’s social media channels: chhs.gmu.edu/news | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram

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Alumni endows new Dean’s Fund for Excellence and Innovation with the Volgenau School of Engineering

Martha Bushong — Wed, 06 Jan 2021 18:06:24 +0000

Alumni endows new Dean’s Fund for Excellence and Innovation with the Volgenau School of Engineering Martha Bushong Wed, 01/06/2021 - 13:06

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alumni

Endowment

Volgenau School of Engineering

In the summer of 1985, a New York-born, Texas A&M student started packing his bags for Northern Virginia. He had decided to transfer to ��AV. Jack Harrington, BS Computer Science ’89, had been offered a scholarship to compete on Mason’s Skeet & Trap Shooting team after helping Texas A&M win the national championship.

“I had never heard of George Mason. I would read about it, ‘Top 10 Up-and-Coming Schools,’” says Harrington, currently the CEO of Research Innovations, Inc., headquartered in Alexandria.

After graduating from Mason in 1989, Harrington moved to Tampa, Florida, where he secured a software engineering position on MacDill Air Force Base and met his wife, Mara. In 1993, they moved back to Northern Virginia and became season ticket holders for Mason basketball. They attended every game through the Final Four run in 2006, before a career opportunity took them to France for several years.

When he returned to Northern Virginia in 2013, Harrington noticed that Mason was bigger and better than ever. “I was running this cyber business of about 2,000 people, and I had HR look at where the biggest number of alums were from. It was Mason. The largest number of people from the business I was running at Raytheon were from Mason. So that got me realizing I needed to engage more with the university,” says Harrington.

That led to conversations with Ken Ball, dean of the Volgenau School of Engineering, and a spot on the school’s advisory board.

Now Harrington, more engaged than ever, is committed to advancing the school with philanthropic support as well.

“I want to do anything we can to raise awareness about how great the university is — to help build the brand, to help raise money,” Harrington says. “I’ve written letters to Richmond for all the programs that we’ve started since I’ve been on the [Volgenau School] advisory board.”

As proof of that commitment, the Harringtons recently fully endowed a new Dean’s Fund for Excellence and Innovation with the Volgenau School of Engineering. The fund gives the dean flexibility to make strategic investments as needed to further the school.

“There are a lot of opportunities that come up that the school needs more money to do—times when you can invest in some R&D or invest in some equipment or invest in a researcher,” Harrington says. “If [Dean Ball] has that flexibility, he will do good things for the program and the Volgenau School.”

“Jack has been a tremendous part of our advisory board and a wonderful asset to Volgenau. And now with the Dean’s Fund for Excellence and Innovation he and Mara endowed, we can make quick and key decisions to take the school even further,” says Ball.

The Harringtons have important philanthropic interests outside of Mason. They support Mara’s alma mater, the University of South Florida, where she studied marketing. Mara was at USF when she developed diabetic retinopathy, a condition that can result in blindness. Doctors at the Eye Institute in USF’s Morsani College of Health were able to save her sight.

“We chose to make a donation to the ophthalmology department so they could buy new equipment” and continue helping other patients, she says.

Now Harrington’s fast-growth tech company, Research Innovations, Inc., continues to hire Mason graduates in computer science, big data analytics, and cyber and they are looking at opportunities to support scholarships, particularly investing in diversity and inclusion causes.

“With [organizations like] Girls Who Code and Black Girls Code, we’re looking at organizations that are promoting Latino and Black people into the software engineering industries,” Harrington says. “If we can help bring opportunities to more people and more diverse groups, all the better for industry and for us.”

The work the Harringtons have done at Mason is far from over. They intend to see what other needs they can help meet, and as of July, Harrington serves on the ��AV Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

“I got introduced to Mason in 1985 when I came as a sophomore. We’ve been an ‘up and coming’ school since then, and that was 35 years ago,” Harrington says. “I want to see us as a top school, and I firmly believe that is going to be led by the Volgenau School.”

Mara and Jack Harrington.

Photo credit:

Courtesy photo

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