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Taiwan President Bestows Medal to Gerrit van der Wees

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Fellowship Honoring Oppenheimer Biographer Goes to J. Luis Rodriguez

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Information about the program can be found at this page.

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President Washington honored with Diversity in Business Award

Colleen Rich — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 17:33:08 +0000

President Washington honored with Diversity in Business Award Colleen Rich Wed, 02/22/2023 - 12:33

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��AV President Gregory Washington was recently named by the Washington Business Journal as one of its honorees of the 2023 Diversity in Business Award.

President Washington with Mason alum Mohamed Hussein. Both are being recognized by the Washington Business Journal this spring. Photo by John Hollis/Strategic Communications

This year’s 25 honorees will be honored March 23 at an awards celebration at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, D.C. Profiles and portraits of each of the honorees will run online and in a special section in the Washington Business Journal on March 24.

The WBJ has been recognizing leaders of color from across the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area for more than 15 years and cited Washington’s work in advancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives at Mason for his selection.

Previous honorees have included Sheila Johnson of Salamander Hotels and Resorts, WeddingWire Founder Timothy Chi, Osiris Hoil of District Taco, Warren Thompson of Thompson Hospitality, and nearly 400 other leaders who have made a difference in the region through their work in business and the community.

Joining Washington as a fellow WBJ honoree is Mason alum Mohamed Hussein, BS Computer Science ’14. Hussein is the president and CEO of Piedmont Global Language Solutions (PGLS), a DC area-based leading provider of comprehensive multilingual translation, interpretation and language training solutions in more than 200 languages and dialects.

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A biofilm epic in the making

Rena Malai — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 14:09:34 +0000

A biofilm epic in the making Rena Malai Wed, 10/12/2022 - 10:09

There are a lot of ways to cut film, as many cinemas and directors can attest. But biofilms—which settle on numerous surfaces, including skin—can contain harmful bacteria and get in the way of healing wounds.

Mason researchers Jeffrey Moran, Rémi Veneziano, and Monique van Hoek, Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

Assistant Professors Jeffrey Moran in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Rémi Veneziano in the Department of Bioengineering at George Mason have a shared interest in using nanotechnology for medical applications, as well as a shared history. Both worked as postdocs at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but it wasn’t until they started working at Mason that their paths crossed. Partnering up with Professor Monique van Hoek, a microbiologist in the School of Systems Biology at George Mason, they applied for and recently won the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) R21 Trailblazer award.

Through the award funds, the team will use their backgrounds and spend about three years developing a brand-new technology that dissolves harmful biofilms, without harsh removal methods.

“You can think of a biofilm as a ‘city for microbes.’ Biofilms are functional communities of microorganisms, such as bacteria, encased in a slime-like matrix,” says Moran. “Bacterial biofilms often grow on catheters, IVs, open wounds, burn injuries, and more, and they play a major role in many hospital infections. We’re going to develop a safe and effective method to remove topical biofilms that doesn’t get in the way of the body’s natural healing process.”

Some biofilms are relatively benign, and many folks have them on the surfaces of their teeth. But harmful biofilms can develop throughout the body for many reasons, like on the skin surface as a result of trauma, and cause potentially fatal infections.

Moran’s primary research focus is on “nanoswimmers"—tiny particles that propel themselves in liquids or biological media. Many researchers are developing them to use in the body, to deliver therapeutic payloads (like antibiotics) to hard-to-reach locations.

“One major challenge with bacterial biofilms is how to make them disassemble," says van Hoek. “There are three major parts to a biofilm—DNA, protein, and complex sugars. Destroying any one of these three things often leads to biofilm collapse. My idea was to use a sugar cleaving enzyme to attack the sugars in the biofilm, and to attach this enzyme to the front of the nanoswimmers so that they can drill deep into the biofilm.”

“What we’re trying to do is develop self-propelled particles that penetrate deep into the thick matrix of the biofilm, dissolving it and also serving as a carrier to deliver antibiotics at the same time,” says Veneziano.

To manufacture the self-propelled particles, the team is relying on Veneziano’s specialty: DNA origami, which is a method that involves precisely assembling DNA molecules into tiny two- and three-dimensional shapes.

“With DNA origami, you have the ability to produce tailor-made particles with phenomenal control over the size, shape, and the cargo they carry," says Veneziano. "DNA origami’s versatility will enable the particles to be decorated with various cargoes, such as antibiotics or enzymes that dissolve the biofilm matrix, leaving the bacteria vulnerable to conventional antibiotic treatments.”

Although using enzymes to dissolve the biofilms isn’t new, attaching them onto DNA origami nanoparticles is, which is the trailblazing path Veneziano, van Hoek and Moran will follow.

“It all started with a ‘what if we tried this?’ type of conversation. We bounced ideas off each other, talking about ways we might make DNA nanoparticles swim, and how that capability might be useful in certain medical situations. That back-and-forth eventually led to this award,” says Moran. “We’re excited to get started.”

The R21 Trailblazer Award is an opportunity for new and early-stage investigators to pursue research programs of high interest to the NIBIB at the interface of the life sciences with engineering and the physical sciences. A Trailblazer project may be exploratory, developmental, proof of concept, or high risk/high impact, and may be technology design-directed, discovery-driven, or hypothesis-driven.

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Schar School’s Alan Abramson Honored for ‘Distinguished Achievement’ in Nonprofit Research

Andrew J Schappert — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 19:39:14 +0000

Schar School’s Alan Abramson Honored for ‘Distinguished Achievement’ in Nonprofit Research Andrew J Schappert Tue, 09/13/2022 - 15:39

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Alan Abramson is the 2022 Distinguished Achievement and Leadership in Nonprofit and Voluntary Action Award recipient from ARNOVA. Photo by Creative Services.

Schar School of Policy and Government Professor Alan Abramson has been presented with the 2022 Distinguished Achievement and Leadership in Nonprofit and Voluntary Action Award by ARNOVA, the national body representing university-based and other nonprofit researchers in the U.S. It is one of the highest awards in the field of nonprofit research.

Abramson is the founding director of the Schar School’s Center on Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Social Enterprise, which ARNOVA recognizes as “the premier nonprofit academic program in Virginia.”

“His excellent scholarship, mentoring of students, strategic management, and community outreach are well-documented, but it is his tireless leadership at the national level that sets him apart and characterizes his many contributions to the field,” ARNOVA said in a statement. “There are few people who know as much about the major policy issues facing the nonprofit sector as Dr. Abramson and even fewer who are able to communicate findings across sectors. His research has deepened our understanding of the relationship between nonprofits and government.”

As an example, Abramson was an early pioneer, with Johns Hopkins University Professor Lester Salamon, in researching the implications for nonprofits of federal budget decisions. “That work, updated by Dr. Abramson over the years, is a key resource for policymakers and nonprofit leaders,” the association said. More recently, he has studied how the nonprofit sector advocates for itself and worked with the organization Independent Sector to develop better and more timely measures of the health of the U.S. nonprofit sector.

Abramson directed the Aspen Institute’s nonprofit and philanthropy program for more than a decade, overseeing the Nonprofit Sector Research Fund and other initiatives that helped build the nonprofit research field in the U.S., strengthen nonprofit and foundation leaders, and deepen the understanding of policymakers about nonprofit activities.

“While I am honored to receive this recognition, I think it is also important to highlight the numerous accomplishments of the other faculty at the Center on Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Social Enterprise,” Abramson said, recognizing Professor Stefan Toepler and Associate Professor Mirae Kim. “I believe a real strength of our program is having terrific, nonprofit-focused faculty at the Schar School.”

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Andre Manitius honored with the David J. King Teaching Award

Rena Malai — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 12:56:49 +0000

Andre Manitius honored with the David J. King Teaching Award Rena Malai Thu, 06/30/2022 - 08:56

Andre Manitius, ECE professor
Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services/
��AV

Professor Andre Manitius, of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), received the David J. King Teaching Award at the university’s Celebration of Teaching Excellence on May 2. This award is given annually in recognition of a sustained impact on the excellence of teaching and learning at ��AV. The award recognizes the vision and leadership that supports the excellence of teaching and learning, rather than classroom teaching alone and it is given once a year to one faculty member who has worked at Mason for at least twenty years.

Manitius, who has been at Mason for 34 years, was recognized for laying a foundation for sustained and lasting impact in multiple departments as well as at the college and the university. His nomination highlighted how he has focused on holistic and sustainable change. For example, he not only led to the creation or substantial enhancement of degree programs -- such as the BS in bioengineering or the MS in applied information technology -- but he recruited diverse faculty for those programs. He also mentored those new faculty and developed or supported administrative roles such as an associate chair for graduate programs and departmental ABET coordinator to support the work of faculty and students in those programs. Finally, he built strong partnerships with industry leaders to give them ongoing feedback.

Manutius's vision and coordination were crucial in establishing the first MS program in computer forensics in the nation. The MS in computer engineering, one of his early projects, is now poised to be a centerpiece of the College of Engineering and Computing and its work with the Tech Talent Investment Program to increase the number of students with computing degrees in Virginia. Manutius's forward-thinking mindset extends to his teaching as he was an early proponent of computer labs to promote hands-on instruction in programs like MATLAB, one of the early participants in a China 2+2 structure, a strong supporter of project-based learning, and an early adopter of asynchronous online pedagogies.

As he helped grow student enrollment in programs like information technology, Manitius also hired and supported new academic advisers, and helped coordinate the program to ensure a smooth and sustainable pathway for students in Northern Virginia to matriculate at Mason. By doing this he helped create strong foundations on which others can build.

“I feel very honored by this award, which reflects favorably on the ECE Department. Whatever I did to deserve this award is owed to a great collaboration of the ECE faculty, for which I am thankful,” says Manitius. He says his outlook on his teaching career can be summed up by the words of Robert Louis Stevenson, a 19th-century Scottish novelist, and poet who said, "Do not judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant."

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2022 Paul L. Posner Federal Budgeting Award Winner Announced: Philip Joyce

Andrew J Schappert — Fri, 27 May 2022 15:29:17 +0000

2022 Paul L. Posner Federal Budgeting Award Winner Announced: Philip Joyce Andrew J Schappert Fri, 05/27/2022 - 11:29

Philip Joyce, senior associate dean and professor of public policy in the University of Maryland School of Public Policy, is the recipient of the 2022 Paul L. Posner Federal Budgeting Career Legacy Award. Joyce received the award at the spring lunch of alumni of the Office of Management & Budget and the Bureau of the Budget.

The award, presented for the eighth time, recognizes those who over a career have made an important and lasting contribution to the federal government’s budget process and institutions and demonstrated high personal integrity and dedication to the public service.

Presenting the award, former OMB and House Budget Committee chief economist Joe Minarik said, “Phil Joyce personifies the standards set for those receiving this award. He has had a distinguished career both as a budget practitioner and as a scholar and teacher of the federal budget process. He literally wrote the book on the Congressional Budget Office.”

The Posner award is named for the late Professor Paul L. Posner, who served as director of the Schar School of Policy and Government’s Master’s in Public Administration program at ��AV. He was former managing director for strategic issues at the U.S. General Accounting Office for 14 years; he worked at GAO for 30 years. He died in July 2017, at age 70.

The award was made possible by a grant to Mason by alumni of the Bureau of the Budget, a group now merged with the Office of Management and Budget Alumni Association. It is administered by the Schar School’s Center on Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Social Enterprise.

Philip Joyce’s teaching and research interests include public budgeting, performance measurement, and intergovernmental relations. He is the author of The Congressional Budget Office: Honest Numbers, Power, and Policymaking (Georgetown University Press, 2011), and coauthor of two books—Government Performance: Why Management Matters (Johns Hopkins, 2003) and Public Budgeting Systems, 9th Edition (Jones and Bartlett, 2013). He is the author of more than 50 other publications (including book chapters and articles), appearing in outlets such as the Public Administration Review, Public Budgeting & Finance, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, Administration and Society, and the Handbook of Government Budgeting. Joyce is a former editor of the journal Public Budgeting & Finance and a past president of the American Association for Budget and Program Analysts. Joyce has been on the faculty of The George Washington University, the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University and the University of Kentucky.

Joyce also has 12 years of public sector work experience, including four years with the Illinois Bureau of the Budget, three years with the Illinois Department of Corrections, and five years with the United States Congressional Budget Office (CBO). In 1992, he received the CBO Director’s Award for Distinguished Service. He received his PhD from the Maxwell School and is a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.

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Rising Health Care Leaders at Mason and MHA Alumnus Win Distinguished Quill Awards

John Brandon Cantrell — Tue, 17 May 2022 14:17:23 +0000

Rising Health Care Leaders at Mason and MHA Alumnus Win Distinguished Quill Awards John Brandon C… Tue, 05/17/2022 - 10:17

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Brenda Sheingold, Rehan Saeed, and Maria Uriyo

Congratulations to the Rising Health Care Leaders at Mason (RHLM) student organization for receiving the Community Enrichment Award at Mason's Distinguished Quill Award Celebration. The award recognized RHLM for its efforts to enrich students' academic and professional prospects by organizing and planning networking events, such as the 2022 RHLM Symposium in March.

"I have observed tremendous growth and confidence amongst the RHLM organization's current leadership," said Maria Uriyo, assistant professor in the Department of Health Administration and Policy. "During the 2021 – 2022 academic year, the RHLM organized events that reinforced the importance of academic learning and addressed the individual differences of student learning. This was met by arranging in-person and virtual networking events with department faculty and industry health care leaders."

The Distinguished Quill Awards commend Mason leaders and organizations that have profoundly impacted the University's community.

In addition to RHLM winning the Community Enrichment Award, Rehan Saeed, RHLM's former president and a recent graduate of the Master of Health Administration (MHA) program, received the Mentor of the Year Award to honor his dedication to the student group's growth and professional development during his leadership.

"Rehan is an amazing mentor and has always been of great support for all our initiatives," said the current President of RHLM, Akshaya Chinnathevar Ramesh. "He is usually the first person to come in and stay until our event is complete, standing with us, encouraging, and motivating us. I strongly feel he deserved the 'Mentor of the Year' Award."

Learn more about Rising Health Care Leaders at Mason.

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Master of Social Work Student Wins Mason’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Scholarship

John Brandon Cantrell — Wed, 04 May 2022 16:44:01 +0000

Master of Social Work Student Wins Mason’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Scholarship John Brandon C… Wed, 05/04/2022 - 12:44

The OLLI Scholarship will help Francesca Keesee support students’ academic success in higher education.

Congratulations to Master of Social Work student Francesca Keesee for receiving the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) Scholarship for the Department of Social Work. The merit scholarship recognizes Mason students who have shown significant academic achievement and community involvement while completing their program.

“I have always loved learning—whether through formal schooling, out-of-school activities, or furious Googling,” said Keesee. “My love of learning motivated me to become an educator when I was 19 years old, and I have been involved with informal education for youth and adults ever since.”

“Part of my love for education and learning stems from the community it creates. Classrooms, camps, clubs, and other learning groups come to life with the spirit of engaged students,” Keesee said. “OLLI is a clear example of a positive community that brings people together in the spirit of continued growth.”

The OLLI Scholarship will help Keesee have a “multidimensional career” as an educator in higher education and to create a dynamic atmosphere where students can connect with their professors while exploring their educational interests.

“I would like to facilitate a space where students feel supported and excited to engage with the material,” said Keesee. “The social work program has exposed me to the most diverse educators I have ever had, and it motivates me to be another example of a successful woman of color educating future practitioners.”

Learn more about the OLLI Scholarship at George Mason.

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GCH Faculty Members Jenna Krall and Michael von Fricken Honored as Teachers of Distinction

Mary Cunningham — Tue, 03 May 2022 13:21:27 +0000

GCH Faculty Members Jenna Krall and Michael von Fricken Honored as Teachers of Distinction Mary Cunningham Tue, 05/03/2022 - 09:21

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Jenna Krall

The College of Health and Human Services congratulates Jenna Krall and Michael von Fricken on receiving the Teacher of Distinction Award from the Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning. Krall and von Fricken are assistant professors in the Department of Global and Community Health.

Mason’s Teachers of Distinction are faculty members who have been finalists for the Teaching Excellence Award, and who are recognized across campus for their exceptional teaching and their commitment to teaching-related activities.

Michael von Fricken

“I'm grateful to have thoughtful and creative teaching mentors in Global and Community Health who have helped me to grow as an instructor. Also, our public health students bring so much energy and passion to the classroom, it is an absolute joy to teach biostatistics in GCH!” said Krall.

“I’m honored to be recognized as a Teacher of Distinction and excited to continue to incorporate innovative curricular approaches to engage with students both in and outside of the classroom,” von Fricken said.

Krall and von Fricken were honored during the Stearns Center’s Celebration of Teaching Excellence on May 2.

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Taiwan President Bestows Medal to Gerrit van der Wees

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Fellowship Honoring Oppenheimer Biographer Goes to J. Luis Rodriguez

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President Washington honored with Diversity in Business Award

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A biofilm epic in the making

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Schar School’s Alan Abramson Honored for ‘Distinguished Achievement’ in Nonprofit Research

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Andre Manitius honored with the David J. King Teaching Award

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2022 Paul L. Posner Federal Budgeting Award Winner Announced: Philip Joyce

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Rising Health Care Leaders at Mason and MHA Alumnus Win Distinguished Quill Awards

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Master of Social Work Student Wins Mason’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Scholarship

The OLLI Scholarship will help Francesca Keesee support students’ academic success in higher education.

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GCH Faculty Members Jenna Krall and Michael von Fricken Honored as Teachers of Distinction

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