Category: Uncategorized

 

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.

 

This article originally appeared on GoMason.com.

This past weekend, George Mason softball claimed an impressive series win against the Saint Louis Billikens. Beyond the Patriots’ performance on the field, Saturday’s doubleheader also featured a meaningful collaboration with the Patriot Pantry.

On Saturday, April 11, the Patriot Pantry was on-site collecting donations. The organization supports George Mason University students facing food insecurity by providing access to non-perishable food and hygiene items, while also raising awareness about the prevalence of food insecurity on campus, the challenges students face in meeting basic needs, and the resources available to support their overall well-being. Operated through the Student Support and Advocacy Center (SSAC) within the Division of University Life, the pantry relies heavily on community contributions to keep its shelves stocked.

Throwing out the ceremonial first pitch for game one against the Billikens was John Eichler, Coordinator for Basic Needs Services for SSAC. In a show of sportsmanship and community support, the Saint Louis softball team also contributed donations while visiting for the crucial conference matchup.

George Mason softball thanks everyone in attendance who helped contribute to this meaningful cause and looks forward to continuing to make a positive impact within the George Mason community. 

 

By Andrea Cifuentes, Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. Edited by Chelsea Xu, UL Marketing and Communications.  

This spring, George Mason’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being (CWB) brought something simple to three campuses: coffee, conversation, and a question worth sitting with: What does well-being look like for you? 

Brewing Connections, part of CWB’s Spring into Well-Being 2026 series, ran as a pop-up event at the Science and Technology Campus on March 4, Mason Square on March 17, and the Fairfax Campus on March 25. The series drew 34 students and eight faculty and staff members. Kindness Ambassadors and Student Strengths Coaches were on site at each stop, using conversational cards to guide discussions around strengths, well-being strategies, and what kindness looks like in practice. 

Student Strengths Coaches also held one-on-one conversations with attendees who wanted to explore how their natural talents show up in academic and professional life — the kind of exchange that’s harder to have in a classroom. 

Mica Torrico Fernandez, a junior majoring in marketing and one of the coaches at the event, saw it happen in real time. “The true value of Brewing Connections shines through in the ‘aha’moments,” she said. “It was incredible to watch students’ faces light up as they began to understand the unique patterns of behavior and how they connect to their talents. Having these conversations allows us to shift from theory to personal application in a relaxed setting. Beyond the coffee, this event empowered students to visualize what a full coaching session can offer, and how to intentionally search for personal and professional development.” 

George Mason students who have completed the free CliftonStrengths assessment can schedule one-on-one sessions with trained peer coaches throughout the semester. The sessions draw on the 34 talent themes developed by the Gallup Organization. 

 

By Nina Cox, University Career Services.

Educators are in high demand, and the field offers myriad avenues for job seekers to explore. Given that demand and the diverse career opportunities, University Life’s University Career Services (UCS) unit expanded its Education Recruitment Day into a full week of programming this February. Education Careers Week featured a weeklong celebration of career exploration, collaboration, and learning for students interested in teaching, human development, or working with kids.   

Designed to provide opportunities for the George Mason community to make connections and explore evolving career paths, the week included dynamic workshops, panels, a networking mixer, and a site visit to Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS)–the ninth-largest school district in the nation. The week also featured an on-campus recruitment track, giving students the chance to interview directly with education employers. These programs showcased not just the range of career paths available, but also how George Mason is preparing and connecting the next generation of educators, leaders, and innovators. At least four students who participated received job offers.  

The week concluded with a special site visit to the FCPS Gatehouse Administration Center in Falls Church, Virginia. The first-of-its-kind collaboration between George Mason and FCPS gave students an inside look at one of the nation’s largest school systems. Participants met with central office and human resources professionals to learn about hiring timelines, interview strategies, and professional development programs such as the Great Beginnings Summer Institute. The visit provided a clear view of the many roles—both inside and beyond the classroom—that drive a vibrant public school community.  

 “I loved learning the different career paths and trajectories of each panelist,” said Jia Liu, a social work master’s student. “There was no linear path, which I thought was interesting and inspiring.”  

Community collaboration at its best 

Throughout the week, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni lent their time and expertise as panelists and moderators, providing students with firsthand insight into education as both a calling and a career. The College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) Alumni Board played a leading role in moderating sessions, highlighting the lasting connection between graduates and current students. “The George Mason community came together to make Education Careers Week a success,” said Saskia Campbell, UCS executive director. “That collaboration made it possible to expand our programming and networking opportunities for students.” 

Event attendees represented eight of the university’s Colleges, spanning majors in education, business, government, STEM, and more. Half of the attendees were graduate students, indicating that the education sector attracts talent from across disciplines and at every stage of career development.  

“I initially had no intention of attending Education Careers Week. However, after speaking with my career coach, I decided to attend to gather information about the type of education career I wanted to pursue. I gained valuable insights that guided me throughout the job application process,” said Valeria Alejandra Reyes-Chain, a school psychology master’s student.  

Accruing valuable insights  

Several takeaways crystallized from the week’s discussions and events: 

• Education welcomes all skill sets. Whether you’re a natural communicator, problem solver, technologist, or creative thinker, the education sector offers a place to make an impact. 

• Career growth is about continuous learning. From student teaching to leadership, each experience builds toward a career that can evolve across roles, grade levels, and even industries.  
• Community makes the difference. Education Careers Week demonstrated George Mason’s culture of shared purpose. Students, alumni, and partners supported each other in the pursuit of meaningful work. The weeklong event underscored a key message: No matter your major, experience level, or background, a career in education is a way to make a difference in the world.