Schar School of Policy and Government

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Schar School Welcomes Thema Monroe-White

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

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

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Thema Monroe-White

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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College of Engineering and Computing

Master of Public Administration

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dana Staley, ‘Mom with a master’s’

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

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

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

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

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

Staley closes her LinkedIn essay with this:

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

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

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George Mason researchers collaborate on $1.5M NSF study to electrify bus fleets

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 19:02:13 +0000

George Mason researchers collaborate on $1.5M NSF study to electrify bus fleets Andrew J Schappert Wed, 08/21/2024 - 15:02

A new $1.5 million study funded by the National Science Foundation will draw on the expertise of a transdisciplinary research team from ��AV, the University of Virginia, and Syracuse University, in an effort to address the challenges involved in transitioning public bus fleets, including transit and school buses, to electric power.

Principal Investigator Jie Xu will lead the NSF study. Photo provided.

The study, “SCC-IRG Track 1: Community-Responsive Electrified and Adaptive Transit Ecosystem (CREATE): Planning, Operations, and Management,” is headed by the principal investigator (PI) Jie Xu, a professor at George Mason’s Department of Systems Engineering and Operations Research in the College of Engineering and Computing (CEC).

The project team’s co-PIs from George Mason include Fengxiu Zhang from the Schar School of Policy and Government, Ran Ji from the Department of Systems Engineering and Operations Research in CEC; and Wenying Ji from the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering in CEC. Also on the team is Jundong Li from the University of Virginia’s department of electrical and computer engineering.

Electrifying the nation’s bus fleets could significantly improve air quality and public health, especially in communities that have suffered from diesel exhaust pollution, says the Schar School’s Zhang. However, the shift to electric buses is complicated by several issues, such as limited driving range, long charging times, high upfront costs, downtime, a lack of skilled workforce, and varying priorities among stakeholders.

“Electrifying public fleets is crucial for reducing carbon emissions, improving air quality, and enhancing public health, particularly in traditionally disadvantaged communities,” she said. “Our project seeks to address the complex challenges of planning, operating, and managing fleet electrification by developing comprehensive sociotechnical solutions to facilitate achievement of those outcomes.”

A key focus, she added, “is the integration of environmental and transportation justice principles, ensuring that the electrification process prioritizes communities burdened by environmental injustices while not compromising the accessibility and reliability of bus services.

Fengxiu Zhang: ‘Electrifying public fleets is crucial for reducing carbon emissions, improving air quality, and enhancing public health, particularly in traditionally disadvantaged communities.’ Photo provided

“We will adopt a user-informed approach by extensively engaging with our partners to co-develop tailored solutions that meet their specific needs and priorities to ensure the relevance, applicability, and effectiveness of our solutions.”

The goal is to create a scalable, sustainable path for public transit systems to transition to electric buses. Researchers say this will involve developing intelligent decision-support tools that help in planning and managing the fleet, while considering the unique challenges of electric buses compared to traditional ones. For instance, factors like charging capacity and locations are more crucial for electric buses due to their limited range and longer refueling times than conventional buses.

The project will bring together various partners, including local transit agencies, schools, utility companies, bus service providers, and national labs, to develop innovative technologies that meet both analytical and practical needs. These technologies will include advanced machine-learning and optimization tools to handle the complexities and uncertainties of electrifying bus fleets.

These tools will help optimize daily operations, such as maintaining the right charge levels in buses, managing charging schedules, responding to incidents, and performing maintenance—all while ensuring the buses are used efficiently and the overall costs remain competitive.

The project will also assess collaborative governance in public bus fleet electrification planning and policy-making. In addition, it aims to build a skilled workforce that can support the transition to electric buses, ensuring that the shift is sustainable in the long term.

At the end of the project, the researchers will deploy the CREATE Suite, a set of intelligent decision-support tools developed during the study in a pilot program in collaboration with public transit systems and school districts that are partnering in the project. The project will also establish an electric bus clearinghouse as a centralized platform to disseminate lessons learned, best practices, and other information to help other transit agencies and schools electrify their bus fleets.

Other experts in the project team include David Wong from the Department of Geography and Geoinformation Science and Vivian Genaro Motti from the Department of Information Sciences and Technology, both from George Mason, and Professor Saba Siddiki from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Ian Candy’s First Year: Combining Politics, Neuroscience, and Forensics—to Help Others

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 14:00:36 +0000

Ian Candy’s First Year: Combining Politics, Neuroscience, and Forensics—to Help Others Andrew J Schappert Wed, 08/14/2024 - 10:00

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Ian Candy’s interest in politics developed early, at age 10, when he found he enjoyed watching political news shows with his parents instead of cartoons.

“My parents love watching the news,” he said. “And oddly enough, I enjoyed it. I ended up becoming very invested with the political side of the news…. This love for democracy that was planted in me as a child has only grown. The roots of this seed have cemented, making the study of government and international politics dear to my heart.”

Ian Candy: ‘It is no secret that our democracy can light up a room in a second, but just as quickly cover it in shadows.’

As a first-year student at the Schar School of Policy and Government at ��AV, Candy will major in government and international politics at a Carnegie Research 1 institution that happens to be located just a few miles from Washington, D.C. Both of those were “huge check marks on my list” of potential schools, he said.

“It is no secret that our democracy can light up a room in a second, but just as quickly cover it in shadows,” he said. “No stranger to governmental legislation targeting my communities, I have and will continue to advocate for anyone facing those shadows.”

The South Dakota native will double major in neuroscience at George Mason’s College of Science, a program that prepares students for medical and health-related fields.

“I truly believe that the breadth of both fields lends themselves to a great deal of intersectionality not seen in many other double majors,” he said. “Neuroscience captivates me, but imperatively, I feel a duty to study this field.”

Candy said that “the people in my life that are closest to me have and continue to struggle with mental illness and brain function disorders. Researching the causes and solutions to ‘give back’ [to those in need] would be incredibly fulfilling.”

Candy is convinced that he can overcome what he calls “the ambiguous intersectionality between neuroscience and government” with a third interest of his: storytelling. In fact, the University Scholar and Honors College student will hone his storytelling skills as a member of George Mason’s forensics team, which placed second in the nation in 2024.

“What I found most remarkable about him was that he is very engaging and likeable,” said forensics director Dawn Lowry, who recruited Candy at the National Speech and Debate Association’s high school expo in Des Moines, Iowa. “He has a great energy and when he is into something, he wants to know everything about that subject.”

Meeting Lowry and other members of the team made Candy feel “welcomed and at home, just from the few conversations I had,” he said.

While a career path is still uncertain for the new college student, “I hope to achieve what 10-year-old me envisioned: to help other people.

“Whether that looks like a career defending others in the courtroom, providing psychiatric assistance to patients, drafting science and technology-based policy, or working on something that doesn’t even exist yet, helping others—while hearing and advocating for their stories—is my main goal.”

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Civic engagement and community service paved road to success for alumni legislators Wiley and McPike

Colleen Rich — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 14:55:24 +0000

Civic engagement and community service paved road to success for alumni legislators Wiley and McPike Colleen Rich Fri, 08/02/2024 - 10:55

As the saying goes “Once a Patriot, Always a Patriot,” and ��AV is proud to have a large group of Patriots serving the Commonwealth of Virginia in the General Assembly.

George Mason’s General Assembly alumni include Majority Leader Delegate Charniele Herring (D-4), BA Economics ’93; Senators Jeremy McPike (D-29), BA Government and Politics ’97, MPA ’06; Stella Pekarsky (D-36), BA Government and Politics ’00, MEd ’03; Bryce Reeves (R-28), MPA ’99; Saddam Salim (D-37), BS Public Administration ’12, MPH ’15; and Glen Sturtevant (R-12), JD ’06; and Delegates Michael J. Webert (R-61), BA Communications ’10; and William “Bill” Wiley (R-32), BS Economics ’93, MEd ’98.

Majority Leader Herring and Senators Salim and Sturtevant were profiled in an article published earlier this year. Here is the second article in the series spotlighting Mason alumni in the legislature:

Bill Wiley

Bill Wiley. Photo provided

Delegate Bill Wiley represents Virginians in the City of Winchester and part of Frederick County. He’s been a member of the House of Delegates since 2020.

Wiley, a business development manager and associate real estate broker, credits his time at George Mason for preparing him for professional success and the university’s diversity for expanding his worldview.

“I graduated from a private high school and stepped into a different world [at George Mason],” he said. “Mason opened my eyes to all the great things our country offers. I met and became friends with many people of different backgrounds and cultures.”

He’s most proud of his work on the House Appropriations Committee during the 2024 General Assembly session, in which he championed a budget amendment that accelerated the timeline for construction projects on Interstate 81 in Winchester and Frederick County.

“I-81 is the main artery for traffic in my district. Without having this highway move traffic efficiently, our daily business and way of life would become stagnant,” he explained.

Civic engagement is a key element to Wiley’s personal and professional development. His path to the House of Delegates began with his service on the Winchester Planning Commission; he served on the board for five years and was chairman for three of those years. He also served on the Winchester City Council from 2014 to 2020, where he was vice president in 2015 and president in 2018.

He encourages fellow Patriots to explore community service. “You do not need to be a politician. Just do something that you are passionate about,” he said.

“Civic engagement and community service will open doors to many opportunities and give you a sense of gratification,” Wiley said. “ You will make contacts and build relationships that will become lifelong connections, some invaluable. Even better, it can enable your career ambitions to enhance your future success.”

Jeremy McPike

Jeremy McPike. Photo provided

Senator Jeremy McPike represents Virginians in parts of Prince William and Stafford counties. He’s been a member of the Virginia Senate since 2016.

For several years, McPike served as a member of the welcome wagon duo greeting Mason students at the General Assembly as part of Mason Lobbies, the annual lobbying campaign spearheaded by the Student Government.

He said he is immensely proud of the university’s commitment to diversity, innovation, and excellence. George Mason also instilled in him a strong commitment to public service and community engagement. McPike has served the citizens of Dale City as a volunteer firefighter and EMT for 20 years with the Dale City Fire Department, where he is an assistant chief.

He’s proud of his work with colleagues across the political aisle during the 2024 General Assembly session to increase teacher pay, protect the environment, and prioritize public education.

Mental health is also a top priority for McPike and his constituents. During the 2024 session, he secured an additional $4.6 million in funding for the Prince William County Crisis Receiving Center to expand to youth services. “The youth of our county and surrounding areas can receive the critical mental health care services they deserve,” he said.

As McPike reflected on his time at George Mason, he emphasize for current and future George Mason students the importance of learning outside the classroom.

“Remember that your time at Mason is a unique opportunity to build a strong foundation for your future career and personal growth,” he said. “Actively engage your professors, participate in internships, and enjoy the vibrant campus life. Stay curious, be resilient, and always strive to make a positive impact in your community.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This center will do that, she said.

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

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

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

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Rona Jobe, MPP ’13, Named Rising Star by National Association of Women Business Owners

Andrew J Schappert — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 20:19:22 +0000

Rona Jobe, MPP ’13, Named Rising Star by National Association of Women Business Owners Andrew J Schappert Tue, 06/25/2024 - 16:19

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Rona Jobe, a 2013 graduate of the Schar School of Policy and Government’s Master of Public Policy Program at ��AV, has been presented the Deborah Farnell Rising Star Award by the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), a nonprofit organization advocating for more than 10.6 million women entrepreneurs and business owners around the country.

Rona Jobe: The Master of Public Policy program ‘helped me understand the intersection of policy and business practices.’ Photo provided

“The award recognizes entrepreneurs who excel at strategy, operations, finances, problem solving, innovating, overcoming adversity, and giving back to her community,” NAWBO said in the announcement.

Jobe is the CEO of LVL-Up Strategies, a consulting firm based in Arlington, Virginia, that works to help women-owned enterprises reach the next level of success. As a first-generation immigrant from the Philippines and the wife of a U.S. Foreign Service employee, her company employs U.S. military spouses and Foreign Service spouses while partnering with minority-owned businesses. It helps that she’s fluent in Tagalog, Kapampangan, and Brazilian Portuguese.

While at the Schar School, Jobe worked as a management consultant with a focus on policy implementation. Her work involved technology, data governance, and assisting health practitioners in transitioning to electronic records.

With such a varied client portfolio of widely varied goals and needs, LVL-Up Strategies needs to be tactical and calculated in how they achieve success for their clientele. That’s where the Master of Public Policy degree comes in, she said.

“The program helped me understand the intersection of policy and business practices,” she said. “It gave me a deep understanding of how policies impact business practices. Courses in tech-based policy, statistics, and survey methodologies were instrumental in developing goal-oriented metrics.”

The program also taught her how to “guide and manage projects effectively, even without being the expert in every detail,” which she said is a crucial skill as a consultant. “And the practical project management advice from professors was invaluable in shaping business strategies,” she said.

As for the Rising Star award, Rona said, “This award is a validation that we, foreign service and military spouses, have the support of fellow women leaders as we pursue our own career and business and personal development.”

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Master of Public Policy

Schar School News for June 2024