Undergraduate

Schar School Undergrads Help Welcome Australia’s Prime Minister to White House

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 15:45:41 +0000

Schar School Undergrads Help Welcome Australia’s Prime Minister to White House Andrew J Schappert Thu, 10/26/2023 - 11:45

In This Story

Jennifer N. Victor

Eric McGlinchey

Mariely Lopez-Santana

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From left, Associate Professor Jennifer N. Victor, Associate Professor Eric McGlinchey, Jacob Risinger, William Barker, Aarush Jambunathan, Riley Pierce, Sabrina Afzall, John Mckey, Mary Decker, Yousef Alakkad, Sona Jinson, Anthony Andriolas, Joseph Blanchette, Shad G. Karim, Anastasia Rea, Grace Martinez-cora, Laura Lopez Salazar, Sierra Hill, Adjunct Professor Shea Holman, and Associate Professor Mariely López-Santana. Kneeling, Liam Campbell. Not pictured, Finn Riedl. Photo by Buzz McClain/Schar School of Policy and Government

Photo by Jennifer N. Victor/Schar School of Policy and Government

On a glorious late October morning, a few hundred business-attired guests strolled the flag-festooned South Lawn of the White House to help President and First Lady Joe and Jill Biden welcome Australia’s prime minister Anthony Albanese and his partner Jodie Haydon to the U.S. during the traditional Welcome Ceremony that accompanies official state visits.

Among the invited guests were 16 students from the undergraduate programs of the Schar School of Policy and Government at ��AV. They were accompanied by the faculty members who lead the four learning communities that bring students together with like-minded peers to share opportunities and experiences, including field trips like this one.

Mason’s Schar School is uniquely positioned for those interested in pursuing an education in government, international politics, public policy, and other fields that tackle the world’s largest problems. The university’s proximity to Washington, D.C., and its faculty and staff’s access to those in seats of power were amply demonstrated on this day, as President Biden stood at a podium about 50 yards from where the Schar School students stood listening to the welcome address.

“I love Washington, it’s my dream place,” said Sierra Hill, a first-year government and international politics major who came to Mason’s Fairfax Campus from her home in Gypsum, Colorado, a town of about 8,000 in the Vail Valley.

“I came to Washington to have these opportunities,” she said as the military bands on the other side of the security fencing played traditional marching music ahead of the president’s appearance. “The only way I was able to come out here was because of the scholarship that George Mason gave me. Mason took a chance on me, and I’m very grateful for that.”

For freshman government major Anastasia Rea, the ceremony at the White House had a meaning beyond those of her classmates: Her parents are Australian and, while she was born in the U.S., she has dual citizenship with Australia.

A newcomer to the area from Toledo, Ohio, Rea never expected to visit the White House grounds, especially not in her first semester of college. The thrill of the event, she said, “was mainly about going to the White House, but it being the prime minister from where my parents are from makes it more exciting.”

Sophomore government major Yousef Alakkad said his first visit to the home of the president “was a cool opportunity. Every other time I’ve come here, I’ve been on the other side of the fence [at Lafayette Square], so I can thank George Mason for getting me in.”

One of the benefits of joining the Schar School’s Democracy Lab learning community is exposure to events and experiences specific to legislative government, including meeting congressional leaders and enjoying networking opportunities. The group regularly travels around the Washington, D.C., area to visit key sites, including the U.S. Capitol, the U.S. Institute of Peace, and Smithsonian Museums.

Shad G. Karim, a native of Iraqi Kurdistan whose grandfather served in the Kurdish parliament, said the White House excursion was inspirational.

“Events like these are important,” he said, “especially for government majors because we are the future, we are the ones who are going to be working in government, in places like the White House and the different agencies. These events inspire college students, and it’s definitely inspired me to work harder.

“Hopefully, we get invited to more of these kind of events.”

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Student Spotlight: Sheila Lorenzo, From Cuba to the Capitol

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 13:17:36 +0000

Student Spotlight: Sheila Lorenzo, From Cuba to the Capitol Andrew J Schappert Wed, 04/27/2022 - 09:17

Sheila Lorenzo: ‘…I can make an impact by being involved in policy-making and sharing my story...’

Sheila Lorenzo didn’t expect to end up on Capitol Hill.

Lorenzo applied to ��AV to pursue a degree in biology but her aspirations swiftly shifted: Biology proved the wrong fit, but the Havana, Cuba-native said she has “always had a natural interest in international relations.”

Now a junior in the Schar School of Policy and Government, Lorenzo made the switch to a government and international politics major and picked up a minor in global affairs. Her studies focus on international policy, with an interest in issues such as terrorism and immigration.

Lorenzo moved to the U.S. in 2016, meaning many of her formative years were shaped by the culture and people of Havana. It also means having grown up in an environment where “the possibility to be involved in policy-making institutions is nearly zero for the regular citizens,” she said.

“Coming from a country where there is no internet or access to many resources, I was hungry for knowledge. I knew I could make a difference with the freedom I had here [in the U.S.]. Having the opportunity to do so has always been a dream of mine.”

Lorenzo has already made that dream a reality—and then some. Outside of her involvement on campus, in which she is an active member of the Chi Kappa chapter of Chi Omega, and participating in her classes, she has made the most of the internship opportunities available to Schar School students.

She started working at Mason at the College of Science’s renowned Ted R. Bradley Herbarium as a research assistant, where working with the internationally recognized collection of dried and pressed plant specimens was fueled by her original fascination with biology.

In spring of 2020, she held an off-campus internship with the California-based nonprofit Planetary Society, where she learned the complexities of creating earthly policy for use in space. “My Planetary Society internship was really fun,” she said. “I was mostly researching issues related to space, attending briefings, and drafting documents.”

And now Lorenzo now holds an “amazing and super interesting” internship on Capitol Hill, working for U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams (D-Ga.), who represents the Atlanta district previously represented by the late civil rights activist, John Lewis.

“I’ve been able to work closely on issues related to the district of Atlanta,” Lorenzo said. “On a daily basis, my job consists of tending to constituents worries and making sure they are presented to the Congresswoman, drafting letters, and attending conferences.”

The work means a lot to her.

“Knowing that I can be a part of something bigger, that I can make an impact by being involved in policy-making and sharing my story, and that I can educate those around me, is very fulfilling and motivates me to keep going," she said.

From Cuba to Capitol Hill, Lorenzo’s motivation and impact has been undeniable. She makes it abundantly clear that she has no plans on stopping.

“My ambition is to be a living example and a voice for my community,” she said, “for the Cubans who still live on the island, and for Cuban refugees all over the world.”

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For this First-Year, Performing Research Was a Surprising—and Rewarding—Experience

Andrew J Schappert — Tue, 26 Apr 2022 19:11:43 +0000

For this First-Year, Performing Research Was a Surprising—and Rewarding—Experience Andrew J Schappert Tue, 04/26/2022 - 15:11

In This Story

Jennifer N. Victor

Nylah Mitchell: ‘One piece of advice I would give to a new student is to explore everything.’

To many, the idea of working on original research is reserved for professors and graduate students who have the time and tools to do the deep dives into a topic necessary to contribute to producing a peer-reviewed paper for publication.

The Schar School of Policy and Government—and ��AV in general—has a different idea: Undergraduates participate in projects supported through a number of programs that teach how to perform advanced research using sophisticated tools—some of which are normally available only to master’s and PhD students—and to contribute to studies with the assistance of professors.

These are opportunities more students should know about. Case in point: “I was not sure if I wanted to do research before I came to Mason,” said Schar School freshman Nylah Mitchell. “I only became involved with research when [Associate] Professor [Jennifer N.] Victor mentioned in class about her own undergrad research projects involving [Congressional] caucus and member attributes collection” using student volunteers.

The government and international politics major from Alexandria, Virginia, found herself in the Schar School’s Undergraduate Research Assistant Program, or URAP. In addition to aiding Victor in her study of legislative caucuses, Mitchell joined a team of like-minded students who were studying state legislation regarding the perceived penalties of menstruation.

The fruits of the team’s work were recently presented during the Schar School’s annual Research Fair, an event at Mason where 15 Schar School undergrad teams presented posters depicting the results of their URAP projects.

The poster, “Pink Taxes and Period Poverty,” was put together by a team including Mitchell and fellow undergraduate researchers Shafuq Naseem, Lexi Alease Wilson, Rosemary Obinim, Ava Florentyne Kuch, Natalia P. Medina, and graduate research assistant Ryan Barock, who is in the Master of Public Administration Program at the Schar School. The faculty advisor was Associate Professor Bonnie B. Stabile, who also serves as associate dean of student and academic affairs and director of the Gender and Policy (GAP) Center.

One of Mitchell’s favorite aspects of performing research is attending Victor’s Politics Research Lab meetings. Each week Mitchell finds herself in the company of other student researchers “who share resources and opportunities for other members,” she said. At those meetings, she is likely to encounter other research assistants, including several PhD students—another unexpected bonus of the URAP program.

How does she do it all—a full load of courses, independent and group research—and do it successfully? Actually, it’s the opportunity that drives her.

“One piece of advice I would give to a new student is to explore everything,” she said. “It is OK to not know what you want to do when you arrive. I, in fact, have changed my major twice before I committed to government and international politics.”

But clearly, she found a home at the Schar School.

Additional reporting by Buzz McClain, Schar School of Policy and Government.

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Smithsonian-Mason team keeps watch, so elephants can doze off

Colleen Rich — Fri, 17 Dec 2021 16:22:41 +0000

Smithsonian-Mason team keeps watch, so elephants can doze off Colleen Rich Fri, 12/17/2021 - 11:22

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Because elephants only sleep three to four hours a night, and frequently wake during that time, their sleep is a precious commodity.

Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation student Eva Noroski (left) works with Mason Alumna and Elephant Trails Keeper Ashley Fortner to research elephant sleep patterns at the National Zoo. Photo by: Shelby Burgess/Strategic Communications/��AV

That’s why ��AV senior Eva Noroski has spent a month this semester assisting 2017 Mason alumna and Elephant Trails keeper Ashley Fortner at the National Zoo, researching how these massive mammals can get optimal sleep.

“Sleep is super important for the elephants because they don’t actually do a lot of it,” said Fortner, who studied for a year at the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation (SMSC).

“Eva’s work is actually directly, every day, impacting how we take care of the elephants.”

Noroski has been accessing footage from the Smithsonian’s camera system to monitor the elephants from 5 p.m. until 5 a.m., and logging what she observes. In particular, she’s tracking Kamala, a female elephant who has arthritis, which causes her difficulty in laying down and getting up.

“I’m trying to determine which elephants she sleeps best with, if she sleeps best by herself, if there are any social dynamics that appear during the night that I can let the keepers know about,” said Noroski, an environmental science major and conservation studies minor. “That’s all really significant information because their sleep is important to their health, and if any mammal is losing sleep, they could become more susceptible to illness.”

Noroski’s findings will help management create pairings that offer the best sleep for each of their five elephants, said Fortner, who graduated from Mason with a integrative studies degree and a concentration on applied global conservation.

When Noroski isn’t behind the computer, she can be found performing zookeeping tasks, and shadowing Fortner as she interacts with, trains, and completes wellness checks with the elephants.

“I have made great connections, not only with people here at the zoo, but also with my [SMSC] teachers who are active conservationists,” Noroski said. “They’re super willing to help students find opportunities as well as connect us with other people—that’s a really unique thing you can’t just get in any conservation program.”

That’s exactly why Fortner said she also “fell in love” with the SMSC program.

“It means so much,” Fortner said of being able to mentor students in the same way she was mentored. “Once I found my path, I found that having those practicums and hands-on learning experiences helped me make that decision.”

“For the mentor side of it, it’s giving back to the conservation community,” she said. “It was really important for me to not only take care of elephants and give back to conservation in that way, but to help people that also want to do this see that this is possible.”

Noroski, who grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, said she chose Mason after researching schools with the best conservation programs.

Being at SMSC with a small cohort of students and teachers is one of the most rewarding parts, she and Fortner agreed.

“It’s a great program where you get really personal attention, as well as amazing practical experience that you will not just be able to find anywhere else,” Noroski said. “You are put in a position where you are pretty much handed useful, practical experience in the real working world.

“That’s invaluable when you’re an undergrad and trying to get your foot in the door,” she said.