Category: Uncategorized

 

By Jane Rooney, UL Marketing and Communications. 

This year’s graduates achieved remarkable success during their time at George Mason. University Life is spotlighting a few of these students and their accomplishments. (Read more in-depth profiles of graduating students Simeon Omorodion, Zarin Musarrat Niladree, and Duong Thuy Nguyen.) 

Ilia Sheikholeslami, a policy and government major in the Schar School of Policy and Government, found his purpose in civic engagement. He led Mason Lobbies, bringing more than 70 students to Richmond to advocate for state funding and helping to secure millions of dollars for the university. He interned for Virginia Senator Tim Kaine and learned how ideas turn into action. Through those opportunities, “I realized that collective voices can make real change,” he said. “The opportunities we earn through our efforts reflect our resilience in the face of privilege. Diligence, ingenuity, and grit define the George Mason spirit.”  

When she arrived at George Mason, Bhavyasri Dasari was not only new to campus but also new to the country. The College of Engineering and Computing data analytics engineeringmajor had to navigate new responsibilities and unfamiliar systems. George Mason “became a place where uncertainty felt manageable, and growth felt possible,” she said. Her work as a graduate teaching assistant boosted her self-confidence. Her student experience taught her “how to think critically, engage thoughtfully, serve with intention, and lead with integrity.”  

Graduating with a degree in government and international politics, Mariamme Latif Estafan served as vice president of the Egyptian Student Union and engaged in research around human rights, conflict resolution, and global policy. “I learned that disagreement could be productive,” she said. “George Mason doesn’t just educate students; it empowers them. It gives us the confidence to speak up, the courage to challenge ideas, and the belief that our perspectives matter.” She plans to continue to use her voice, ask questions, and challenge the status quo as she moves on to the next chapter.  

Congratulations to the class of 2026! 

 

By Chelsea Xu, UL Marketing and Communications. 

Teacher shortage and burnout are prevalent phenomena in the United States. According to the Center for American Progress, roughly 7 out of 10 early-career teachers have left or considered leaving the classroom within their first five years.  

George Mason University’s Teacher Appreciation Day Panel and Networking Event was designed to address this reality. Held on May 5 by the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) Alumni Chapter, University Career Services (UCS), the George Mason University Black Alumni Chapter, and the George Mason University Latino Alumni Chapter, the evening brought together five working educators — all George Mason alumni — to speak candidly with current students about what the classroom actually demands. 

Ingrid Guerra-Lopez, dean of CEHD, named the stakes directly in her opening remarks. 

“We know there are many expedited pathways into teaching today, but we also understand that quick preparation often does not fully equip educators for the realities and challenges of the profession,” she said. “When teachers are not adequately supported and prepared, it can create a cycle that leads many to leave the field too soon.”  

The five panelists, Alicia Brown (MEd ’23, Special Education), Thomas Ammazzalorso (MEd ’10, Educational Leadership), Tia Pierce (BA ’19, Integrative Studies), Luke Pierce (BA ’19, Music Technology), and Cedric Price (MEd ’22, Curriculum and Instruction), work across Fairfax County, Prince George’s County, and Catholic school systems in the region. 

The conversation kept returning to a single pressure point: the gap between what teacher preparation covers and what classrooms actually require. Ammazzalorso, a social studies teacher at Largo High School with more than 30 years in the field, named it plainly. “Everyone’s reliance on technology, teachers included,” he said. “We need to model to our students the importance of human skills, critical thinking, talking to each other, and teamwork.” 

Brown, a student support services coordinator at Bishop McNamara High School, brought it back to the individual student: “Every student can learn. As educators, we must find the uniqueness of each person and how they individually learn.” Luke Pierce, a music technology teacher at West Potomac High School, made the same point from a different angle: “Students learn just as much, if not more, from what you do rather than what you say.”  

Retention, the panelists suggested, hinges on three key relationships: with students, with families, and with colleagues. Pierce, a multilingual learner teacher at Fort Belvoir Upper Elementary School, was clear about the first two: “Parents want to know that you genuinely care about the well-being of their children and that you are collaborators with them.” Price, a fifth-grade lead teacher at Dogwood Elementary School, pointed new teachers toward the third relationship: “Lean on your colleagues and learn, explore, and observe what they are doing in their classrooms.” 

The discussion was moderated by Philip Wilkerson (MEd ’12, Counseling and Development), employer engagement consultant at UCS and president of the CEHD Alumni Chapter, who closed by reflecting on his own formation: “I had educators who changed the trajectory of my life. Take a moment to thank a teacher in your life. They don’t often see the long-term effect they have on their students.” 

The event is part of CEHD’s Future Ready Teachers Initiative, which supports George Mason students and graduates entering and sustaining careers in K–12 education. To learn more about the initiative, visit https://cehd.gmu.edu/future-ready-teachers.   

 

By Tiffany Boggs, Student Media. Edited by Chelsea Xu, UL Marketing and Communications.

On May 7, with finals in full throttle, George Mason offered a space for students to slow down.

The 2026 Heal Together event, hosted by the Office of Access, Compliance, and Community (OACC), and partnered with the Center for Leadership and Intercultural Engagement, Contemporary Student Services, the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being, and Community Engagement and Civic Learning, created spaces encouraging students and faculty to reclaim rest as a form of restoration, resistance, and renewal during finals week.

“Our belief is that healing is collective. Nobody heals in isolation, and our liberation is tied together,” said Shakila Melchior, director of strategic initiatives, partnerships, and outreach for OACC.

A clinician of 15 years, Melchior framed the event around what she learned from practice. “Stress lives in the body and it is so important for us to take breaks throughout time, especially in high-stress times,” she said.

Activities in the newly opened Spiritual and Interfaith Center included Quiet Tech— a silent disco headphones and virtual reality experience — alongside positive affirmation cards, sensory grounding, painting, an aromatherapy bar, and herbal tea blending workshops. For Angie Mendizabal, a junior, the combination of journaling and Quiet Tech opened up something new for her. “When you write down exactly what you know is best for you or what’s holding you back or what you’re feeling now…just writing it on a sheet of paper really helps,” she said.

University offices hosted additional rest spaces across campus. Through Counseling and Psychological Services, Mind Spa offered 30-minute appointments in a zero-gravity massage chair with aromatherapy. Human Resources offered Rest to Recharge, an educational room built around seven types of rest: mental, physical, emotional, social, spiritual, creative, and sensory. For those who needed something looser, Play to Restore had board games, LEGO building, lawn games, and free play at the Corner Pocket.

For Maddi Steen, a sophomore, the intentional programming reflected her George Mason experience. “I think George Mason does a really good job of reminding us that we matter as individuals and that we’re not in this alone,” she said. “I’m thankful to go to an institution that prioritizes mental health and community.”

 

By Tiffany Boggs, Student Media. Edited by Chelsea Xu, UL Marketing and Communications.

When Duong Thuy Nguyen first emailed her GTA for IT104: Introduction to Computing, she wasn’t sure what to call him — GTA Reddy or Professor Reddy? She was, as she puts it, “that naive.” She had just returned to college after years away, caring for her family, working full time, while carrying the weight of a culture that had pointed her toward a different life entirely. She wasn’t sure she could do any of it.

This May, she’s graduating with a 4.0 GPA, an Academic Excellence Award from her department, a Capstone team leadership under her belt, and two published feature articles about her work — and in the fall, she’ll be back as a graduate student in George Mason’s accelerated bachelor’s-to-master’s program.

Nguyen immigrated to the United States from Vietnam in 2015. College, especially after a long pause, wasn’t the expected path for her. But her family pushed her toward it. “You have so much potential… just try,” she recalled being told.

Nguyen came to George Mason as a contemporary student. An immigrant adult learner who also works, she navigates the tension between family responsibilities and schoolwork in every classroom, every late night studying after work, and she often wondered whether someone like her belonged in a place like this. “I can feel both the excitement of going back to college and the worry of what if I couldn’t do this,” she said.

The People Who Showed Up

She took an academic leave in the spring of 2023 after family duties became too overwhelming. When she returned, she felt the distance from her peers acutely — older, quieter, uncertain of her place. What pulled her forward was a support system at George Mason that refused to let her disappear.

Professor Irina Hashmi gave her credit for quiz answers lost to a frozen screen, taking her word for it when she didn’t have to. Professor Scott Lewis listened to her story in his office hours when exhaustion broke through, and gave her career advice instead of sending her away. Professor Gene Shuman stayed after every class to work through concepts she was still wrestling with. Professor Massimiliano Albanese chose her for a cybersecurity internship that eventually opened the door to her current position at the Fairfax County Office of Elections.

“The whole Mason Nation, like every single one that I work with or study with…they are so supportive,” said Nguyen.

That support gave her enough ground to start taking risks. As a Peer Mentor for the Office of Undergraduate Studies at the College of Engineering and Computing, she showed up to her first event expecting to greet prospective students at a table. Instead, she found herself on stage as a panelist, fielding interview questions alongside an associate dean, sweating through her nerves in front of a room full of people. She made it through. After that, she became one of the program’s recurring panelists — the woman who’d been too shy to speak up in class, now telling prospective students to join organizations early and reach out before they think they need to.

From the Audience to the Stage

The biggest test came in her Capstone Project, a two-semester sequence she entered convinced she wasn’t cut out to lead. Her accent, she assumed, meant people wouldn’t listen. It was easier, she had always believed, to do everything herself than to ask for help and risk depending on someone. Capstone — and Professor Gail Therrien, who designed the program — changed that by making her team lead. She learned to divide responsibilities, to speak up, to give her teammates room to show their own strengths. When her team’s work began to accumulate across two semesters, she arrived at something she hadn’t expected: that she is, indeed, “good enough.”

Beyond the classroom, she built a life on campus — joining Contemporary Student Services, Women in Cybersecurity, the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers, and Girls Who Code, an international nonprofit working to close the gender gap in tech.

“I realized that the first person who needs to believe in me is me,” she said. “If I don’t trust myself, I can’t earn the trust of others, and I certainly can’t lead a team to success.”

Today, she works full-time and cares for her family. She still sleeps two or three hours during the hard weeks. Somewhere in between, she is running on coffee and the same determination that got her here in the first place. She is still, in many ways, doing everything at once.

“I never in a million years thought that I could get this far,” she said.

 

By Chelsea Xu, UL Marketing and Communications

Zarin Musarrat Niladree remembers her pediatrician the way we remember someone who made us feel safe when we were scared. She was young, she was sick often, and he was kind.

“I want to be like him when I grow up,” she thought then. Four years at George Mason’s College of Engineering and Computing gave her the scientific training to move toward that path.

Niladree graduates in May with a degree in bioengineering, pre-health concentration, and is on her way to medical school. The path ran through three research labs and one clarifying question she kept returning to: who actually needs this, and does it work for them?

The answer felt most urgent in Professor Remi Veneziano’s lab, where she served as co-construction lead on a smart microneedle patch designed for patients with chronic wounds — elderly patients, people with disabilities, people managing wound care alone without reliable help. The patch used UV light to trigger targeted drug release at the wound site, sparing patients repeated invasive treatments. Niladree built the electrical system from the ground up: UV LED strips, an Arduino Nano, circuit boards she soldered and resoldered through months of setbacks, components that behaved differently assembled than they did on paper.

“It was not just building a device for the sake of building one,” she said. “We were trying to create something that could help people feel less overwhelmed by their own care.”

What the lab taught her was the distance between a working prototype and a patient who actually benefits from it — and how much stands between the two. That gap is what drew her toward the Dartmouth Water Filtration Project, where the engineering problem was inseparable from the community it was meant to serve.

She joined expecting to redesign a filter for communities in Guatemala. What the project actually taught her was harder to systematize: that engineering solutions deployed to real communities require humility before they require hardware. Safety concerns, sustainability questions, and guidance from faculty pushed the team away from a point-of-use filter toward broader water-system treatment. That pivot frustrated her at first, but then clarified something she carried forward.

“Just because we can design something does not automatically mean it is the best or safest solution,” she said. “Sometimes that means pausing, rethinking, and choosing the option that is safer and more useful for the people who will actually use it.”

Her role as a teaching assistant for Biomedical Imaging, a course she had struggled through, confirmed what her research had been building toward. She realized that helping a frustrated student finally understand a problem wasn’t so different from what she imagined doing in an examination room — meeting someone in their confusion, explaining clearly, making them feel less alone.

This orientation — science as a form of care, not just capability — is what she’s taking to medical school. The kind of physician she wants to become is already recognizable: the one who makes the patient feel safe.

What George Mason gave her was scientific fluency. What it kept showing her, through every lab and every student she taught, was that fluency alone was not enough.

 

By Tiffany Boggs, Student Media. Edited by Chelsea Xu, UL Marketing and Communications.

When Simeon Omorodion crossed the finish line of the 130th Boston Marathon this April for the first time, he wasn’t just completing a race. He was confirming something he’d been building toward for years — that running wasn’t a hobby or a side pursuit, but a core part of who he is.

At George Mason, that identity never existed in isolation. A cybersecurity major, an Honors College student, and long-distance runner, Omorodion found the same logic threading through both pursuits: structure, persistence, and a tolerance for discomfort that eventually becomes growth.

In May, he will walk across the stage, earning his degree in Information Technology, specializing in cybersecurity with a minor in Japanese studies.

This pairing surprises people. But for Omorodion, it makes perfect sense. His interest in cybersecurity comes down to problem-solving under pressure — the same discipline that gets a runner through mile 20. His passion for Japanese studies dates back to childhood, when anime introduced him to stories of perseverance and the impossible becoming possible. He joined the Japanese Student Association his freshman year and studied in Japan in the summer of 2024. “Why don’t I just learn this beautiful language?” he said, “this language that has allowed me to see visions of impossibles becoming possible.

The two halves of his life at George Mason reinforce each other in ways he didn’t anticipate. “It’s like a symbiotic relationship,” he said. “Without the athletics, it’s hard for me to engage within the academics. With the academics, it helps me to engage in athletics.”

Those connections extended beyond the classroom and the track. Through the Patriot Run Club and his role in Housing and Residence Life as a resident assistant, he found the sense of belonging that made everything else easier. “It made me feel connected,” he said, “connected to this environment, to the George Mason culture.”

To students still on the fence about getting involved and pursing what they are passionate about, his advice is direct: do it, and don’t expect to regret it.

After graduation, Omorodion plans to continue merging the passions he discovered during his time at George Mason. He will work for the global sportswear company ASICS in Boston as a marketplace operations coordinator — a role that would keep him rooted in the running world while building a career.

He arrived at George Mason without a clear plan. Through running and his academics, Omorodion leaves with a deeper understanding of himself and what drives him — and a conviction that not having it figured out from the start was never the problem.

“You are going to transform a lot during college,” he said, “and that could be a very positive transformation.”

 

By UL MarCom staff.

A pilot curriculum reached more than 100 students; recreation data revealed links to academic performance; and a campus voting effort increased turnout by 15 percentage points — all part of the work presented at the University Life (UL) Faculty Fellows Spring Showcase on April 28 in Merten Hall. The event brought together faculty and UL staff to review projects that apply research directly to student-facing work. The Faculty Fellows program connects faculty members with UL units and supports collaboration between academic and co-curricular areas to impact student success.  

Vice President for University Life Rose Pascarell and Senior Assistant Dean Lori Scher opened the showcase, followed by four faculty presentations and question-and-answer discussions. Each project reflected a partnership with a UL unit, including the Center for Leadership and Intercultural Engagement, Mason Recreation, the Office of the Vice President for University Life, and Student Involvement. Organizers concluded the event with a networking session. 

“This program is close to my heart…the focus has always been the same, which is to connect faculty who have an interest in working on something or connecting with students outside of the classroom with University Life,” said Pascarell. 

One project tested how dialogue-based learning can move from co-curricular programming into the classroom. Graziella Pagliarulo McCarron of the School of Integrative Studies partnered with Nick Lennon from the Center for Leadership and Intercultural Engagement to convert the Conversations Across Difference program into a four-module curriculum. The pilot reached approximately 120 students and integrated reflection activities and assessment tools into courses, including Narratives of Identity and Global Leadership. The project will continue with a revised version based on student and faculty feedback. 

Another project examined how student behavior outside the classroom relates to academic performance. Sammie Powers of the College of Education and Human Development partnered with Ethan Carter from Mason Recreation to connect facility-use and program-participation data with grade point average. The analysis identified a measurable difference between facility users and non-users and found a positive relationship between increased facility use and GPA.  

“This showcase highlights how Faculty Fellows are partnering directly with our units to advance student success,” Scher said. “The projects show how faculty expertise can be applied in practical ways to strengthen the work happening across University Life.” 

Jennifer Victor of the Schar School of Policy and Government focused on student voter participation and identified barriers to student voting. Victor partnered with Alissa Karton from the Office of the Vice President for University Life and campus and community collaborators to train about 60 student voting ambassadors and expand peer-to-peer outreach. The effort contributed to an increase in voter turnout at the university precinct from about 30 percent to 45 percent during the 2025 Virginia state election. 

Maggie Daniels of the College of Education and Human Development led a student-driven research project examining how involvement patterns have changed since the pandemic. Daniels partnered with Lauren Long from Student Involvement to compare data from 2019 and 2026, focusing on communication preferences, participation barriers, and satisfaction. Undergraduate researchers conducted statistical analyses, presented their findings at a research symposium, and are preparing their results for publication. 

The University Life Faculty Fellows program will continue to support new faculty partnerships and expand the use of research and assessment in UL initiatives.  

If you have a Faculty Fellow project idea for your unit, please reach out to Lori Scher to explore possibilities.  

 

By Chelsea Xu, UL Marketing and Communications.

Mason Day, the university’s largest and longest-standing tradition, brought the community together on April 24 on the Fairfax Campus for a carnival with games, rides, food, and music. This year’s concert headliner was hip-hop artist JT from City Girls, who was joined by indie pop band The Aces. The event—sponsored by University Life’s Student Involvement unit and free to George Mason students, faculty, and staff—occurs every April before final exams. This year, the festival attracted a record-setting 7,420 attendees.

Mason Day has always been designed to hold a crowd in the fullest sense—energetic and overstimulated, celebratory and exhausted, longtime Patriots and first-time visitors. This year, attendees decorated tote bags, made stuff-a-fluff, and lined up for carnival rides, while those who needed a quieter moment could step into an expanded sensory tent, grab some water, and reset with fidget toys and puzzles. The event takes four full days to set up, involves hundreds of volunteers, and this year included activities developed and implemented by students taking the event management course TOUR 221 Event Implementation and Evaluation.

Lauren Long, executive director of Student Involvement, said the breadth was deliberate: “In addition to the traditions students have come to expect, this year’s attendees experienced a Silent Disco, expanded Low Stimuli and Sensory tents, roaming artists, and a larger vendor fair. While Mason Day has changed over time, the true spirit that started 61 years ago to present live music and bring students together in community is still the center point of the event today.”

Senior Bethel Tessera, a psychology major, made it to Mason Day for the third and final time as a student, bringing her friend Lily Velapatino up from Richmond for the occasion. After a busy semester carrying 18 credits, Tessera said the timing couldn’t have been better. The two started the afternoon decorating tote bags in the sun. Velapatino, taking it all in as a first-time visitor, said she was “very jealous of all the free activities and fun rides Mason Day has to offer.”

Among the vendors lining the expanded fair was Hanieh Faani, a fine arts senior debuting her small business featuring handmade Iranian art, embroideries, and prints. The business is a family affair: Faani’s mother, Mahina Rajaei, a master’s student in counseling at George Mason, was there alongside her. A third generation completes the picture—Rajaei’s granddaughter is set to enroll in fall 2026 to study physics. Three women, in three different George Mason chapters, gathered at one vendor table.

For Faani, the convergence wasn’t a coincidence. “It is the proximity to our home, the tolerant environment that makes Mason such an anchor in our family,” she said.

When the rain came in that evening, it didn’t phase the crowd. People gathered at the center stage with glow sticks and Mason Day swag, singing along with JT as the lights cut through the dark. By the time the concert ended and the carnival came down, Mason Day had done what it has done for 61 years: made room for all.

 

By Jane Rooney, UL Marketing and Communications. 

The new Activities Building on George Mason University’s Fairfax Campus officially opened its doors on April 16 with a ribbon cutting and community celebration, also attended by alumna Charniele Herring, BA Economics ’93, majority leader of the Virginia House of Delegates, and members of the Board of Visitors. 

Students and guests enjoyed food, live music, gaming and esports, and recreational activities that showcased the building’s versatility.  

George Mason President Gregory Washington spoke about what the building represents. “Students who are involved—who find ways to connect, who plug into campus life—they’re more likely to stay. They’re more likely to succeed. They’re more likely to feel like they belong here. And that matters,” he said. “Belonging does not come from where you sleep. It comes from where you connect. And this building is meant to be one of those places where that connection can happen every day.” 

Vice President for University Life Rose Pascarell noted, “When we step back and look at what this building represents, it really comes down to one thing. At the center of all this is engagement: creating space for students to come together and be part of something that matters. And that is what will ultimately shape how students experience their time at George Mason.”  

The 25,000-square-foot building features two large multipurpose spaces with collapsible dividers to allow flexible use. There are small, medium, and large conference rooms, all providing event space for Registered Student Organizations, student engagement activities, the Green Machine pep band, and recreation activities. The additional space will host activities such as the Health and Fitness Expo, Career Fair, and IVth Night.  

“This effort reflects an extraordinary level of coordination, collaboration, and commitment from teams across the university,” said Pam Patterson, associate vice president for University Life. “While this building was designed to bring people together, our work now is to bring that vision fully to life.”

Senior Amanda Leach, an integrative studies major and Green Machine member, said she sees the extra space for student groups as a huge asset. “Having that space just for student groups will make running the groups so much easier,” she said. “It will foster people’s interest in those groups knowing that they have a dedicated space to think of as their own.”  

Other students said they appreciated the expanded recreation offerings that the new building can accommodate, as well as additional communal space. “I think it’s great to see the university prioritizing students’ well-being in terms of encouraging us to spend time together outside of class,” said Chloe Chong, a graduate professional assistant with the Office of International Programs and Services. “I think that really benefits us and improves mental health.”  

 

By Chelsea Xu, UL Marketing and Communications.

Sometimes the hardest part of breaking into a career isn’t the resume; it’s the room — knowing how to get in one, and what to do once you’re there.

On April 16, George Mason University Career Services (UCS) and the George Mason Alumni Association brought 57 alumni and 67 students together at the Johnson Center Bistro to work on exactly that. Open to all George Mason students, the third annual Student and Alumni Networking Mixer has become a much-anticipated opportunity to foster the kind of in-person human connection that career development often requires but rarely guarantees.

“Attending the mixer gave me a real sense of belonging because it created space for genuine relationship-building and personal conversations with George Mason alumni who were once in the same shoes as me,” said Mariam Zamir, a business analytics senior at the Costello College of Business. “I connected with professionals I would not have met otherwise, and one of those connections led to an invitation to attend the Women Shaping Business Connect event.”

“The job market doesn’t care about how polished your resume looks if no one knows who you are,” wrote Linh Trinh-An (DMA Piano Performance ’22), one of the alumni attendees, in a reflection posted after the event. “In-person networking still wins. Every time. No algorithm. No application portal. No ‘easy apply’ button. Just presence, conversation, and human connection.”

That ethos shaped the room. Alumni and students from across the university moved through conversations that, by multiple accounts, extended well past the event itself — contact information exchanged, follow-ups committed to, mentorships initiated.

The evening also marked a transition for at least one attendee. Zayd Hamid (BS Public Administration ’24) attended last year as a student. This year, he returned as an alumnus volunteer, delivering opening remarks on networking strategy and icebreaker tactics. “There’s something powerful about a first-generation student being able to build and extend the ladder for others,” Hamid said.

The 2026 Career Connection Alumni Award, presented to an alumnus who demonstrates exceptional commitment to student career development, went to Riley Vespoli (BA Communication ’15), a senior consultant on the Early Career Programs team at CGI. “My career path hasn’t been a straight line,” Vespoli said upon receiving the honor, “and that’s what makes this recognition even more meaningful.”

“Seeing this room full of vibrant conversation is a beautiful reminder that our George Mason alumni are eager to help students launch their professional careers,” said Mary Claire Kraft, senior manager for Employer & Alumni Engagement at UCS. “Through our strong partnership with the George Mason Alumni Association, we hope to continue hosting events that help students develop the networking skills they need to access the job market and find the opportunities they are working so hard for.”

To learn more about UCS’s events and programming, visit https://careers.gmu.edu/events.