Liam Griffin

Meet the Mason Nation: Khaseem Davis

Colleen Rich — Wed, 28 Sep 2022 14:45:32 +0000

Meet the Mason Nation: Khaseem Davis Colleen Rich Wed, 09/28/2022 - 10:45

Meet the Mason Nation

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In This Story

Khaseem Davis, Ph.D

Khaseem Davis
Job: Director, Early Identification Program

Khaseem Davis. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

Since 1987, Mason’s Early Identification Program (EIP) has been a valuable resource for college-bound, first-generation students throughout Northern Virginia, providing academic enrichment, personal development, SAT test preparation, seminars, and coaching sessions. As the director of the program, Khaseem Davis works to ensure students have the tools they need to be successful—even in a pandemic.

Unlikely Beginnings: The Early Identification Program is not something that Khaseem Davis had access to growing up. Davis grew up in the Queensbridge Housing Projects in New York City, and his upbringing gave him a heightened awareness of just how beneficial such a program could be. “I remember thinking throughout the interview process—what if I had an EIP growing up,” Davis says. “What if my friends had a program like this and access to mentors?” The opportunity to help students in need drew Davis to the program in 2007. “When I learned of all the resources EIP offered and the impact it was having on the lives of diverse students, I said ‘This is where I belong!’”

Feeling the Impact: Seeing the program’s impact on students is Davis’s favorite part of his job. “We are able to change the life circumstances of these young men and women because of Mason,” Davis says. “Talk about success stories—we are full of them, and Mason has been the common thread in their lives.” EIP alumni have found success in a variety of fields. They’ve become immigration attorneys, Ph.D. students, and even Mason professors, as Afra Saeed Ahmad, BA Psychology ’08, MA ’08, Ph.D. ’16, did. “To watch students grow up and mature into scholars is very fulfilling.”

Challenges: Still, Davis’s job is far from a walk in the park. The COVID-19 pandemic had a particularly harsh effect on his students. “About 25 percent of our students did not have access to a reliable device to engage in distance learning,” Davis says. “And many were nervous about learning online.” The EIP team was undeterred. “We sprang into action and worked with our public school partners to secure devices for students. We were able to get more than 140 students connected to engage in distance learning this past summer for our Summer Academy.”

For the Long Haul: EIP is vital to the region, something community members tell Davis all the time. “When they learn of the work we do with students throughout Northern Virginia, their faces light up with pride,” he says. In addition to its partners in public schools, EIP relies on community and corporate partners such as Northrop Grumman and Bank of America. Because of this support, Davis and his team will be helping students in need for years to come.

This profile originally ran in the Fall 2020 Mason Spirit magazine.

Topics

Faculty and Staff News

Mason Spirit

Early Identification Program (EIP)

Meet the Mason Nation

Meet the Mason Nation: Amy Sullivan

Colleen Rich — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 14:44:56 +0000

Meet the Mason Nation: Amy Sullivan Colleen Rich Tue, 09/20/2022 - 10:44

Amy Sullivan
Job: Head of Preservation Services, University Libraries

University Libraries' Amy Sullivan. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

The spotlight doesn’t shine particularly brightly on the preservation lab that’s tucked away on the third floor of Fenwick Library. Still, Amy Sullivan loves her job as the head of preservation services, where she works to ensure the safety of items in ��AV’s libraries and collections. For the past eight years, Sullivan has embraced every day of work protecting old books, preserving knowledge, and planning for the worst.

Finding Her Passion: After studying English and communication as an undergraduate, Sullivan describes how she became involved with work in the library through the process of elimination. “I knew I wanted to do something with books, but I didn’t know what that was,” she says. When she was introduced to the many roles within the library by a colleague, she knew that this was her future. “I thought, ‘This is it! This is the thing!’” Her work in the library focuses on preparing plans for possible misfortunes that may befall Mason’s many books and other artifacts and taking preventative action to maintain their safety.

Disaster Plans: In her time at Mason, she has worked on expanding the different disaster plans for University Libraries and improving the preservation lab located within Fenwick Library. Notably, she was also responsible for creating a custom enclosure for an antiwar petition that was posted on Mason’s campus during the Vietnam War. The petition is now displayed in Fenwick Library.

Tools of the Trade: Sullivan’s preservation lab resembles a combination of a traditional science lab and a craftsman’s workshop. In one corner of the room is a fume hood to safely contain different gas chemicals, which is across from a 19th-century board shear that is as imposing as one would imagine. The tool is an instrument that uses a six-foot blade to cut and trim with precision. These are just some of the tools that Sullivan uses to create tuxedo boxes, clamshells, and other custom enclosures for some of Mason’s more delicate artifacts.

Leaving a Legacy: Sullivan notes that her position is more rewarding than she anticipated. She says the most fulfilling part of her work is “knowing that the collection will be here when I’m not.” Through her work in preservation, she protects knowledge for future generations. “You never know what people will need in the future,” she adds. She does make one request of Mason students who make use of the library’s many resources: “Please don’t do anything to the books that I can’t undo.”

This profile originally ran in Fall 2019 Mason Spirit magazine.