The United States is the best country in the world to start a business, according to the 2012 Global Entrepreneurship and Development Index (GEDI), a ranking that is produced in part at Mason and that compares entrepreneurial characteristics of 79 nations and identifies the entrepreneurial strengths and weaknesses of their economies.

At the same time, the report notes that the United States has lost ground, and the drivers of entrepreneurship have deteriorated across the globe.

Rounding out the top 10 are Sweden, Australia, Iceland, Denmark, Canada, Switzerland, Belgium and Norway, with the Netherlands and Taiwan tied for 10th. A summary of the 2012 GEDI can be found online.

The annual index, now in its second edition, is a collaboration between Mason, the University of Pecs in Hungary and the Imperial College Business School in England. This year’s index was produced by Zoltan Acs, professor and director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Public Policy in Mason’s School of Public Policy, and László Szerb, associate professor of business and economics at the University of Pecs.

The authors provide this information to help international leaders understand the entrepreneurial climate of their countries’ economies and foster productive entrepreneurship through new policies.

“If governments think that entrepreneurship is important, they promote it through their policies, including supporting education, increasing commercialization and making finance available to start businesses,” Acs says. “The basic question we are trying to answer is: What is the incentive structure in a particular country, and how do the country’s residents respond and behave to those policies?”

To compile the index, researchers survey people around the world and gather information from countries related to 15 separate variables, including quality of the education system; likelihood of corruption; amount of research and development; and government incentives related to starting a business.

Using these variables, the index takes the average of three subindices that measure entrepreneurial attitudes, entrepreneurial activity and entrepreneurial aspirations. The GEDI uses a scale of 0.0 to 1.0 and takes into account that the lowest scores from the variables may drag down the overall score to more accurately reflect the complexity of entrepreneurship.

“Entrepreneurship is a multidimensional phenomenon. The GEDI combines the variables in a way that considers the factors where the country is weakest,” says Acs. “Unless you fix the weakest link in the chain, the chain breaks. The factors related to entrepreneurship work the same way. Governments must recognize and improve the areas where they are weak in order to foster a culture of innovation in their country.”

The United States, while leading the list, has a long way to go to regain lost ground, according to the report.

“The U.S. is a society in distress, with communities hurting across the country,” Acs says.  “This does not bode well for American entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship does not emerge from sick societies. It emerges from healthy societies.”

On a scale of 0.0 to 1.0, productive entrepreneurship declined to 0.60 from 0.67, or about a 10 percent drop overall. This drop was larger in the developed world than in the developing world, reflecting the deteriorating institutional conditions in wealthy countries. Because of these factors, the potential for productive entrepreneurship has fallen worldwide.

Other findings in the index include:

• While the global economic crisis has hurt entrepreneurship in most countries, including the United States, the effect on individual countries varied greatly.
• Hungary, the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay are tied for having the largest gain since last year at 0.06. Australia, Tunisia, Chile, Jamaica, Croatia, Israel and Turkey had the next largest gains.
• The Asian countries of China, India, Korea and Malaysia had large declines in entrepreneurship.
• The United States is the only country in the top three in all three subindices, but does not rank first in any category.
• The top three countries in the entrepreneurial attitudes subindex are Sweden, the United States and Australia.
• The top three countries in the entrepreneurial activity subindex are Australia, the United States and Canada.
• The top three countries in the entrepreneurial aspirations subindex are Israel, Taiwan and the United States.

Updated: “Gov. Bob McDonnell Issues Statement on Election of Dr. Ángel Cabrera as the Next President of George Mason University” added 12-15-2011 at 3:00PM EST

Updated: Video added 12-15-2011 at 1:45PM EST

The George Mason University Board of Visitors (BOV) has unanimously selected Dr. Ángel Cabrera to serve as the next president of George Mason University.

Dr. Cabrera, 44, is currently president of the Thunderbird School of Global Management, ranked consistently as the leading school of international business in the world. He has served in this capacity since 2004. Prior to joining Thunderbird, Dr. Cabrera was professor and dean at IE Business School in Madrid, Spain, from 1998 to 2004. IE is often listed by the international media among the top European business schools.

“George Mason University has gained distinction as a major teaching and research institution, thanks to the great leadership of Alan Merten and his wife, Sally,” says Dr. Ernst Volgenau, rector of the Board of Visitors. “Dr. Merten has been our president for more than 15 years. After he announced his retirement, a search committee, ably led by Lovey Hammel, and the Board of Visitors worked hard to identify someone with the skills, vision and energy to build on Alan’s accomplishments. It is the unanimous decision of the Board of Visitors that Dr. Ángel Cabrera is that person. Dr. Cabrera is a renowned scholar and a proven leader, and he is ably complemented by his wife, Beth. We believe we have selected an individual who is not only perfect for where Mason is now but where we hope to be in the years to come.”

Dr. Cabrera

The native of Spain is the sixth president of Mason since the General Assembly granted the university independence in 1972 as a freestanding institution of higher learning.

“After eight wonderful years at Thunderbird, I am honored to have been asked to lead one of the most innovative institutions in American higher education,” says Dr. Cabrera. “I am humbled to follow in the footsteps of a great educator and leader, President Alan Merten, and I look forward to working with such a talented community of faculty and administrators.”

The selection of Dr. Cabrera follows an extensive search conducted by the BOV that began when Dr. Merten announced his intention to retire, effective June 30, 2012. Dr. Merten became Mason’s fifth president in 1996.

“As chair of the search committee that recommended Dr. Cabrera, I could not be more excited at the prospect that he will be our institution’s next chief executive,” says Lovey Hammel, BOV member and chair of the search committee. “The members of the search committee worked extremely hard as they reviewed portfolios of leaders from a range of fields, including education, the private sector and public service. The search was extensive and comprehensive, and the result, I am confident, is one in which all of us will take great pride. Dr. Cabrera brings with him an impressive global vision, an innovative and entrepreneurial spirit in keeping with Mason’s, and an impressive commitment to collaboration.”

Dr. Cabrera is a recognized global leader and management educator whose work and expertise have been tapped by top international organizations. The World Economic Forum named him a Global Leader for Tomorrow in 2002, a Young Global Leader in 2005 and chairman of the Global Agenda Council for promoting entrepreneurship in 2008. In 2007, the United Nations asked him to chair the international task force that developed the “Principles for Responsible Management Education,” a voluntary framework to promote global corporate citizenship subscribed to by more than 300 business schools worldwide. He has been recognized by the Aspen Institute as a Henry Crown Fellow and by Financial Times as one of the top 20 business school leaders in the world.

An outspoken advocate of corporate social responsibility and management responsibility, Dr. Cabrera in 2005 inspired a student-led initiative that resulted in Thunderbird becoming the first business school in the world to formally adopt a professional oath of honor, a commitment to social responsibility and professional ethics taken by all graduate students. Also in 2005, the school established Thunderbird for Good, a philanthropic effort to provide business education to entrepreneurs in developing countries. Since then, several hundred women entrepreneurs have been trained in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Jordan and Peru.

Dr. Cabrera earned his PhD and MS from Georgia Institute of Technology, which he attended as a Fulbright Scholar, and a BS and MS in engineering from Madrid Polytechnical University, Spain’s premier engineering school. He has also written numerous papers in leading academic journals and presented at conferences. His book “Being Global: How to Think, Act and Lead in a Transformed World” will be published this spring by Harvard Business Review Press.

Dr. Cabrera is married to Dr. Beth Cabrera, an organizational psychologist. They have two children.

The press conference that followed the announcement of the selection of Dr. Cabrera is available for viewing in its entirety on the GMU-TV website.

“Congratulations to Dr. Cabrera on his selection as the sixth president of George Mason University. George Mason has rapidly gained an international reputation for innovation and excellence and I look forward to seeing its continued success under the leadership of Dr. Cabrera. Dr. Cabrera is coming from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, recognized as Best in International Business, making him uniquely qualified as we equip our students at George Mason to compete in a global economy. I am confident that Dr. Cabrera will find ways to make the university best serve the needs of the students and the George Mason community.

“I also want to thank President Alan Merten for his service and seeing through the vision he laid out for George Mason when he entered the role of president 15 years ago. We have seen student enrollment increased by more than 6,000 students, sponsored research more than triple to $100 million, and you just have to take a walk around campus, as I did last month, to see the significant growth and progress underway. George Mason has a lot to be proud of and a bright future ahead.”

Linda Apple Monson

Is there a way to effectively teach certain concepts in both music and math through an investigation of the common elements in these two seemingly diverse disciplines?

Pianist and Mason professor Linda Apple Monson believes there is. She will discuss “Music and Math: Bridging the Two Cultures” on Monday, Dec. 5, as part of the 2011-12 Vision Series at Mason.

Monson, an international Steinway artist, director of keyboard studies and associate director for academic affairs in Mason’s School of Music, will give her talk in the Center for the Arts on the Fairfax Campus at 7 p.m. The event is free and no tickets are required.

Monson believes that music, which incorporates emotion, expression and creative spontaneity, also emphasizes patterns, logic, order, structure and form.

And while some characterize mathematics as rational and abstract — emphasizing numbers and calculations — mathematicians realize the inherent beauty and elegance in working out proofs.

Furthermore, Monson suggests that the creativity realized in tackling complex mathematical problems might indeed be similar to the creativity involved in composing or performing a complex musical work.

Monson’s lecture will demonstrate many similarities and connections between music and mathematics that can be taught in the classroom setting, including concepts of consonance and dissonance, tuning, Fibonacci numbers and the relationship of the golden ratio to musical climax in composition.

Arguing that both should be taught as complementary disciplines rather than opposing cultures, Monson will illustrate these corresponding concepts by performing musical examples at the piano.

Monson has been a professor in Mason’s School of Music since 1999 and was recently named a Distinguished Service Professor. A recipient of the George Mason University 2009 Teaching Excellence Award, Monson has been selected for the Fulbright Senior Specialist Roster, in collaboration with the U.S. State Department and the Council for International Exchange of Scholars.

An active performer/scholar, she has given lecture-recitals, solo piano recitals and piano master classes in the United States, Europe, Asia and Central America. She is a frequent lecture-recitalist at international, national and regional conferences of the College Music Society. An advocate of new music, Monson has presented numerous solo piano world premieres.

Monson earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in music from the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University and a diploma in piano from Musica en Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Heather McDonald. Photo by Todd Messegee

The opportunity to create inspirational art from a painful experience is what brought together Mason professors Heather McDonald and Susan Shields for their first collaborative performance — one that merges dance, theater, multimedia and music.

The piece, called “STAY,” is an abstract work of art that wrestles with impermanence, shifting relationships and all the ways one longs for things, people and life to simply stay. “STAY” is currently being performed at the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Lansburgh Theatre in Washington, D.C., through Nov. 27.

McDonald, an award-winning playwright and director, and accomplished dancer and choreographer Shields joined forces in early 2010 after receiving a $35,000 grant from Mason’s Center for Consciousness and Transformation, as well as support from the Theater of the First Amendment (TFA), Mason’s professional theater company.

Learning to Let Go

At the time, they were both striving to overcome personal challenges and spent a lot of time talking about how to balance life, work and motherhood. “STAY,” they both agree, is a reflection on their lives and how they learned to let go.

Susan Shields. Creative Services photo

“The process of creating a piece from beginning to end was very therapeutic and inspiring for both of us,” says McDonald. “In addition, Susan and I were able to seamlessly blend our individual artistic creativity into an emotionally compelling performance that speaks to audiences on all levels.”

According to Shields, developing the production was very different from any other piece either of them had created before. “I felt more vulnerable as an artist than I ever have before, and we both had to figure out how to separate what was happening in the performance from our own emotions.”

There was no script or written lines to learn and no choreography or music to fit. Instead, the pair spent hours in a room together looking at pictures, listening to music and talking about themes. These elements represent the various parts of their lives melding together.

In addition, McDonald and Shields worked closely with professional designers on sets, lighting, costumes and sound to make sure all of the pieces blended together effortlessly.

Throughout the next several months, a series of rehearsals and workshops at TFA and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company were held with an experienced cast of five actors and five dancers — all artists with whom McDonald and Shields have worked before. During the rehearsals, the cast would improvise and brainstorm about the connections of certain images, objects and ideas.

‘Having Our Lives on Display’

Eventually, the piece morphed into a story about multigenerational family relationships and how they change and shift over time. While the piece progresses in a fluid journey, it does not follow a linear storyline, as each scene focuses on recurring echoes, themes and characters, as well as emotional resonance.

“‘STAY’ presents the world like it would appear in a dream and evokes a watery subconscious feeling,” says Shields, who teaches in the School of Dance. “By keeping the storylines very loose, ‘STAY’ does not tell audiences what to think. Instead, an audience brings their own experiences to the piece, and ‘STAY’ allows them to delve into their emotions.”

The performance takes place on a very abstract landscape, reminiscent of a deserted island, perhaps in Scotland. Some of the recurring objects in the piece — stones, glass, shells and suitcases — look as if they have washed ashore. Eight different pieces of music, ranging from modern classical to rock to techno, take audiences on a journey through their own souls.

The climax of the piece focuses on a young girl in pain and uses a technique called SLAM (slide animation movies) multimedia, which brings motion to still photography. With the help of Greg Crane, who created SLAM, a series of photographs were set to music, and through the trickery of lighting, appear to have movement.

“The entire experience of creating this production was strangely freeing and liberating, but could also be terrifying at times,” says McDonald, who is teaches in the Department of Theater.

They both agree that they have a healthy fear of presenting this piece to a public audience.

“It’s like having our lives on display for everyone to judge,” says Shields. “I’m not sure how we’ll emerge from this as individual artists, but I think it’s safe to say that the collaborative process and the raw vulnerability of this piece have shaped us and allowed us to share a gift that we wouldn’t otherwise have been able to share if we were working alone.”

Ken Elston. Creative Services photo

In the second Visions Series lecture at the Hylton Performing Arts Center on the Prince William Campus this fall, associate professor Ken Elston, chair of Mason’s Department of Theater in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, will discuss how a theater company grew out of its community’s passions.

Elston will present “Local Theater: Tracing a Contemporary Theater’s Redefining of Creative Passion” on Monday, Nov. 21, at 7:30 p.m. The lecture is free and tickets are not required.

Theater art organizes sound and silence, form and color, and human actions in space and time to represent “truth” — truth made worthy of investment by its existence in moments in which human beings reveal their passions, Elston says. Furthermore, audiences identify with both the truth and human passions reproduced in a theatrical setting.

In 2005, the Gray Ghost Theatre Company and Footsteps in Time based in Manassas, Va., grew out of the passions of a community: identifying “history” as indispensable to Virginia’s vitality, according to Elston.

Elston, who is artistic director of the company, explains that this not-for-profit arts group was created to support the community’s passions, and, so, was forced to identify a new trajectory for making plays that considered the character’s story secondary to that of the audience’s. This lecture will trace the company’s journey, emphasizing local context as a new model for organizing the form itself.

Read more about Elston’s work re-creating history in this University News article.

At Mason, Elston, an associate professor of theater, teaches acting with an emphasis in movement and directing. He has a BA from Temple University and an MFA from The Ohio State University.

One of Mason's five specially designed TelePresence rooms is in University Hall on the Fairfax Campus. Above, Gov. Bob McDonnell joined President Alan Merten and Laura Fornash, Virginia’s secretary of education, for a conference with the other 4-VA universities: James Madison University, University of Virginia and Virginia Tech. Photo by Evan Cantwell, Creative Services

The consortium of Virginia universities known as 4-VA met at Mason on Nov. 3 to demonstrate the technology that is assisting this statewide initiative.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and Mason President Alan Merten were among the officials on hand to celebrate 4-VA, which was first inspired by the governor’s higher education and job commissions. In addition to Mason, the consortium includes James Madison University, the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Using Cisco Systems Inc.’s TelePresence technology, the demonstration showed how the schools can conduct meetings among the universities, share classes that otherwise would not be available to students and collaborate on research initiatives.

TelePresence improves on existing video conferencing with real-time, high-quality video and audio streams in addition to precision camera placement. The technology mimics a face-to-face meeting because the participants make eye contact and can pick up on body language. Mason has three rooms on the Fairfax Campus equipped with the technology; the Arlington and Prince William Campuses each have one.

“This is a big day for all Virginians because 4-VA will dramatically improve access to all of higher education,” said McDonnell. “The use of technologies such as this TelePresence to help leverage resources will become more and more important to the delivery of higher education. It will also help hold down costs for tuition-paying students and their families.”

McDonnell and Merten interact with the other university representatives via the TelePresence technology. The 4-VA initiative envisions sharing faculty expertise and resources among the universities. Photo by Alexis Glenn, Creative Services

“The collaboration that defines 4-VA and the program we are creating will be making a huge difference in higher education,” said Merten. “Not only does it mean sharing our resources but also the expertise of many of our faculty. This partnership, which is only going to expand, will provide great benefits to the state and will even have national implications.”

Cisco’s involvement is enabling university presidents and other top administrators to meet frequently in a collaborative virtual environment to evaluate proposals and select those best suited to enable 4-VA to make progress on the governor’s and universities’ goals.

Cisco Chairman and CEO John Chambers, who also participated in the demonstration event, praised the governor and the four participating institutions.

“They have demonstrated tremendous progress in establishing the foundation to effectively increase access to higher education resources across the commonwealth through the power of collaboration,” he said.

A management board composed of the presidents of the four institutions, Virginia’s secretary of education, the executive director of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and Cisco’s senior vice president will set 4-VA’s direction. Presently, 4-VA’s priorities include:

• Establishing a degree completion program in technology, innovation and entrepreneurship aimed at community college graduates, particularly those from rural Virginia
• Identifying science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) courses that have high dropout rates and then recruiting faculty from the 4-VA universities for a summer course redesign project focusing on improving student success in those courses
• Identifying topic areas where one university has specific research expertise needed by the other universities to increase research competitiveness
• Sharing courses across the universities when one has the faculty resources to teach a course strategic to Virginia’s economic future but another institution does not
• Establishing a team of math faculty members and others to begin designing a mathematics learning infrastructure that potentially will be available to all Virginia educational institutions

Virginia’s legislature is providing $3.4 million for the 4-VA initiatives. In addition, each university is contributing $50,000 of its own funds to establish the 4-VA office and hire staff. The institutions also covered the cost — about $500,000 — to retrofit pertinent facilities.

Other officials who participated in the 4-VA demonstration included Laura Fornash, Virginia’s secretary of education; and the presidents of Mason’s educational partners: Linwood Rose of James Madison University, Teresa Sullivan of the University of Virginia and Charles Steger of Virginia Tech.

Mason is the home of 4-VA’s staff. Mason Vice President for Information Technology and CIO Joy Hughes is 4-V’s executive director, Amy Brener is deputy director, and Liz Daniels is research assistant.

Rachel Semenov's Make Over, illustrating a pumpkin's journey from patch to pie, won first place at the Extreme Pumpkin Makeover. Photo by Colleen Kearney Rich

It may have been a few days early, but Halloween was in full swing on Oct. 27 in the Art and Design Building. That’s when the Mason student chapter of AIGA, the professional association for design, hosted its fifth annual Extreme Pumpkin Makeover in the Sculpture Studio.

The AIGA students pull out all the stops when it comes celebrating this holiday.

There were two bands appearing — The Summer Floods and Piecycles — and tons of food, which was donated to the student organization by a number of businesses thanks to the efforts of student Ramla Mahmood. People were in costume. The building was decorated with bales of hay to tie into the fall theme.

And then there were the pumpkins.

First, there are some misconceptions about these pumpkin makeovers. As one person said, “You know there isn’t going to be people carving up pumpkins there, right?” Got it.

In fact, the student group is pretty explicit in its guidelines. Submitted works must be pumpkin themed, and all fine arts mediums are accepted. Only a handful of this year’s entries actually spent any time in a patch, and all the winning entries were, well, inorganic.

The entries were judged by School of Art professor Helen Frederick, who directs the school’s printmaking program.

Ramla Mahmood's Command X, foreground, and Aimee DeSoto's Pun Kin actually employed the real thing. Photo by Colleen Kearney Rich

First place went to art major Rachel Semenov for her ink-and-watercolor accordion book titled Make Over, which illustrated one pumpkin’s journey from patch to pie. A variety of mediums, including photography and drawing, were represented in the other winning entries.

Senior graphic design major Andrew Curtis organized the event, and according to the group’s faculty advisor, it couldn’t have happened without him.

“Andrew saved the Pumpkin Makeover this year,” says Don Starr, AIGA-GMU’s faculty advisor. “Planning got off to a late start this year, and this evening wouldn’t have happened if Andrew hadn’t stepped forward.”

Starr said he thinks the event is important for the students and the school. “This is one event that brings together artists of all the different programs within SOA. I hope it will be around for many years to come.”

He would also like to increase awareness of the annual event and encourage students from other schools and colleges to take part.

“People have asked if they could submit a poem or other written work as an entry,” says Starr. “They certainly can. It would be terrific if we could get more Mason students to participate.”

The sponsors of the Extreme Pumpkin Makeover were Mason’s Office of Orientation and Family Programs and Services, Glory Days Grill, Hard Times Café, La Prima Catering, Merrifield Garden Center, Pete’s New Haven Style Apizza and Zoe’s Kitchen.

To see more photos of the event, check out the AIGA-GMU Flickr account.

Mason has been nationally recognized for several years as a military-friendly school, and the services provided by the university’s Office of Military Services and the student Veterans Society are part of the reason. The university will continue to demonstrate this dedication by hosting the Veteran Affairs Benefits Seminar and Community Symposium on Sunday, Nov. 6, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The event, which will take place in the Johnson Center on the Fairfax Campus, is geared toward educating current and prospective student veterans and their families about their higher education options and their military benefits. The symposium will be open to the greater Fairfax area’s military, including Mason’s student veterans.

“This is an exceptional opportunity for all veterans to learn about the array of services, from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to local community support agencies, including Mason,” says Jennifer Connors, director of the Office of Military Services.

The benefits seminar will feature an overview of VA benefits presented by the Disabled American Veterans, while Mason’s Office of Military Services will discuss the education benefits available to military veterans, including the Post 9/11 GI Bill. They will also explore the topic of transitioning successfully from military to civilian and student life.

The benefits seminar will close with a presentation by Laurie Slone, the associate director for information and communication of the VA National Center for PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). She will discuss PTSD in general, as well as effective treatment options and models for reintegrating individuals affected by PTSD back into the community.

Booths will be set up by various community service organizations, and complimentary health screenings for veterans will be available.

During the symposium, campus tours will be offered to prospective student veterans and their families as well as current students interested in learning more about Mason’s services.

Michael Lillie, president of the Veterans Society of George Mason University, has invited three regiments of active-duty wounded warriors stationed in Fort Belvoir and Quantico to participate in all of the events. However, organizers stress that the seminar will be valuable to a wide range of community members.

“This event will benefit everyone who is wearing the uniform, has worn the uniform, will wear the uniform or has a heart to support those in uniform,” says Lillie.

Register for the seminar online at the Veterans Society website.

Alumnae Amanda Wall, left, and Danielle Wyman, Mason sustainability projects specialist, pick corn in the Potomac Heights garden. Photo by Evan Cantwell

As have many recent graduates, Danielle Wyman, BA Conflict Analysis and Resolution ’08, took a trip abroad the summer after her last semester at Mason. But while some of her classmates were indulging in much deserved R&R, Wyman spent two weeks working on a farm in Costa Rica with the organization Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms.

“It was a hugely transformative experience for me,” she says. “Up to that point, I hadn’t quite grasped the importance of our connection to the land.”

Inspired to share what she had learned, she returned to Mason and made a pitch to start an on-campus vegetable garden. Mason accepted, and in spring 2009, Wyman, now the university’s sustainability projects specialist, and her co-worker, Colin Bennett, broke ground in the courtyard behind the Potomac Heights residence hall.

But there was just one problem: The soil was mostly clay with a little bit of grass on top.

“Everything we planted died,” Wyman says. “So we spent a lot of time — when we weren’t crying over our dead plants — amending the soil.” They gathered leaf litter from a nearby waste facility and manure from local horse farms to condition the soil.

After a rough start, the garden is now flourishing. Photo by Evan Cantwell

Then, the following spring, they planted again, this time with the help of the newly formed student club, the Mason Organic Garden Association. “Without these incredible, dedicated students, the garden would not be the success that it is today,” Wyman says.

Today, the garden is flourishing and produces an abundance of fruits, vegetables and herbs — everything from cherries, pomegranates and kiwis to tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and lavender. More than half of the garden’s produce is donated to a local food bank, Food for Others; another percentage goes to regular volunteers, some is sold to Mason Dining, and a portion is sold on campus to raise funds for the garden.

Wyman hopes that the garden teaches the Mason community what it means to sustain itself, gives them an opportunity to work alongside each other and promotes an appreciation for what the earth provides.

“There’s something really special that happens when you’re working with people in the garden,” she says. “And being outside in the fresh air, feeling the sunlight, putting your hands in the dirt, growing delicious food — how can you not fall in love with the environment?”

This article originally appeared in the fall 2011 Mason Spirit.

A special scholarship fund to be called the Merten Scholars will honor President Alan Merten and Sally Merten. The Mertens have established four endowed scholarships during their nearly 16 years at Mason. Creative Services photo

With a little more than eight months left in their tenure as Mason’s first family, a major fund-raising campaign is under way to raise $5 million for scholarships and other university priorities in honor of President Alan Merten and Sally Merten.

“Scholarship support is a special cause for the Mertens,” says Marc Q. Broderick, vice president for university development and alumni affairs, noting that the Mertens have established four endowed scholarships during their time at Mason. “There really is not a better way to honor their work here.”

The effort will raise $4 million for university priorities, including unrestricted scholarship support. The remaining $1 million will endow a special scholarship fund that will be known as the Merten Scholars. This annual scholarship will provide recipients a four-year, full-ride award as part of the University Scholars program. University Scholars currently receive a scholarship that covers tuition only.

“Through the Merten Scholars, we’ll be able to enhance our recruiting efforts with an award that is competitive with the most comprehensive scholarships out there,” says Anthony Dyer Hoefer, director of the University Scholars program. “This award will ensure that an exceptional cohort of students will fully participate in the life of the university and continue the extraordinary development of our community.”

In August, James W. Hazel, JD ’84, and his wife, Sally, gave a lead gift of $2 million — the largest ever from a Mason alumnus — and pushed the campaign nearly halfway toward its goal.

Broderick says that the campaign is expected to wrap up by April 28, 2012, when a black-tie gala will celebrate the university’s 40th anniversary and honor the Mertens.

A committee of alumni, friends and faculty and staff members is charged with overseeing the effort over the next several months. Lucy C. Church, BIS ’81 and MPA ’86, and her husband, Randolph W. Church, will cochair the group. Both are former members of the George Mason University Foundation Board of Trustees and long-time friends of the Mertens.

Learn more about the campaign and make contributions online; donors are able to designate their gifts to the Merten Scholars Endowment or to other priority areas of their choice in honor of the Mertens.

Sandra Cheldelin

The Vision Series lectures continue on Monday, Nov. 7, with a lecture by Mason professor Sandra Cheldelin titled “Women Waging War and Peace: A Gendered Challenge to Structural Violence.”

Cheldelin, the Vernon M. and Minnie I. Lynch Professor of Conflict Resolution in the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, will give her talk at 7 p.m. in the Founders Hall Auditorium on the Arlington Campus. The event is free and does not require tickets.

In her talk, Cheldelin will discuss the current narrative of violence and conflict that casts women in the role of victim. This trend marginalizes women and the role they play in conflicts across the globe, Cheldelin says.

Cheldelin will explore a number of true narratives from women actively involved in conflicts spanning 16 countries, highlighting the diversity of experiences during wartime and postwar reconstruction. This talk presents an opportunity to approach conflict resolution, development and peace building from an important and often overlooked angle, she believes.

Cheldelin, who directs Mason’s PhD program in conflict analysis and resolution, is the co-editor of “Women Waging War and Peace: International Perspectives of Women’s Roles in Conflict and Post-Conflict Reconstruction,” a book that explores the varied ways women engage in war and peacemaking. In addition to her solo projects, Cheldelin has contributed to several other books, anthologies and journals.

To see more of Cheldelin’s work, including an interview with her about the Virginia Tech Review Panel Report, visit her profile at the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution.

By Catherine Ferraro

Michael Young with some of his passengers. Photo courtesy of Michael Young

It was a cloudy day in September in Florence, S.C., when Michael Young and his passengers prepared for the flight to Warrenton, Va., in his Columbia 400 airplane. His cargo? A group of rescued dogs heading to new homes.

Young, an adjunct faculty member in Mason’s Volgenau School of Engineering and faculty advisor for the university’s Aviation Club, was one of dozens of volunteer pilots who transported nearly 175 dogs from South Carolina to new homes in Washington, D.C., Florida, New Jersey, New York and Georgia. The event was part of the annual Pilot N Paws Awareness Rescue Flight.

Based in Landrum, S.C., Pilots N Paws is a nonprofit organization that helps connect individuals who rescue, shelter or foster abandoned or abused animals with pilots and plane owners who are willing to assist with the transportation of the animals to new homes. The organization focuses heavily on the South because of its widespread pet overpopulation. More than 7,000 shelters and rescue organizations, along with 2,000 pilots, volunteer to help animals in need.

Come Fly With Me

Mason student helpers Claire Atkins and Samantha Dilday check out a pair of happy faces as they cruise north at 11,000 feet. Photo courtesy of Michael Young

Young’s first rescue flight took place a year ago when a friend asked him to help transport several dogs among hundreds that were displaced after the oil spill along the Gulf Coast. Young flew to Clemson, S.C., and transported four dogs to Warrenton, Va., where they were placed with foster or permanent families.

Since then, Young has flown 20 rescue flights and logged close to 12,000 miles transporting nearly 90 dogs to the Washington, D.C., region, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Delaware.

“As a pilot, I am always looking for any excuse to fly,” says Young. “So when I had the opportunity to work with Pilots N Paws, I jumped at the chance to do what I love and at the same time help save these precious dogs from death row in the high-kill shelters and transport them to new homes.”

Typically, Young will fly to North or South Carolina to pick up the dogs and then transport them to Virginia or farther north. The dogs are then handed off to volunteer rescuers who help the dogs get adopted.

The biggest thrill, says Young, is when he gets to meet a family at the airport and hands over their dog. “The glow in their faces when they finally get to see and hold their pup for the first time is priceless,” he says. “I know right then that the dog will have a wonderful life.”

Student ‘Flight Attendants’

Having had as few as four and as many as 17 dogs on one flight, Young always has two or three helpers. Most of the helpers are Mason students and members of the Aviation Club.

“It’s a wonderful feeling to be up in the air working for a great cause like Pilots N Paws,” says Samantha Dilday, a sophomore biology major who has assisted Young on several rescue flights. “I love flying and I love dogs, so being able to combine two of my favorite things, as well as work with so many great pilots, has definitely been a rewarding experience.”

Before each flight, Young and the students let the dogs run around and play outside before loading them onto the plane. Getting the dogs tired and allowing them to relieve themselves, notes Young, helps them fall asleep during the flight and make the trip less stressful. The dogs are sometimes kept in crates, but are usually more comfortable when they can roam around the plane.

While most dogs sleep during the trip, some want to be held, so the student helpers are ready with open arms to hold and comfort them. Some of the dogs prefer a window seat and will climb into the students’ laps — and sometimes even Young’s — to see the view.

A Place to Call Home

Mason student helper Kelly Skalsky sits with two dogs on their way to new homes. Photo courtesy of Michael Young

While the expense of the flights and the constant maintenance of the plane might deter some people, Young says that as long as there are dogs in need he’ll continue making the flights to find them homes.

And the best parts of this experience?

One is Molly, a black and brown puppy that Young adopted at 10 weeks old after she caught his eye at a stop in Warrenton, Va.

“She was the only dog who was smart enough to get in the shade under a table out of the hot sun,” says Young. “I just knew she was special, and I fell in love with her.”

Another is Biff, a three-month old Harrier and Tibetan Spaniel mix that also found a home with Young. Biff was rescued from Roxboro, N.C., and Young took him home after the dog was flown to Pennsylvania.

What was Molly’s reaction to a new dog in the house? “She loves him — Biff is her BFF!” says Young.

“The addition of Molly and Biff to our family has been wonderful. I’m thankful that I have the opportunity to work with so many selfless people who rescue these dogs and find them safe homes,” says Young. “I hope there are more people out there who are willing to open their hearts and homes for an animal in need.”

A video of the Pilots N Paws Awareness Rescue Flight can be found here.

By Dave Andrews

Padhu Seshaiyer. Creative Services photo

Educational opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa have long lagged behind most other regions of the world. However, a newfound prioritization of education throughout the continent aims to bring an end to this “knowledge deficit.”

The Nelson Mandela Institution recently developed the African Institute of Science and Technology (AIST) to create a university system to train skilled engineers, technicians and mathematicians. The system is raising the level of education in Africa by bringing new facilities and faculty to a region in critical need of an educational boost.

Last month, Mason mathematician Padhu Seshaiyer was selected by the National Academy of Sciences and Engineering and the International Mathematics Union to travel to Africa as part of the Volunteer Lecturer Program. The program sends scientists and researchers to underdeveloped countries to present intensive monthlong courses at local universities.

Seshaiyer arrived in Arusha, Tanzania, with few details about the goals for his visit beyond helping to build momentum for the AIST program and speaking to students about the importance of math within the fields of science and engineering.

“This type of collaboration has great potential for our students and faculty to engage in exciting opportunities that support Mason’s initiatives on global STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education,” says Seshaiyer, who is an associate professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences.

Switching Gears

He soon realized that he was the very first visiting professor to lecture at the AIST-Arusha campus and that his focus would not be so much on motivating the students, but rather on educating the faculty. Many of the instructors were in their first year of teaching and needed additional guidance in building their curriculum.

“I was extremely impressed by the AIST faculty’s vision to educate the next generation of African scientists and engineers in an effort to eliminate major problems in Africa such as poverty, disease and a struggling economy,” Seshaiyer says.

Seshaiyer helped the new faculty realize there was a need for two new graduate classes. Then he walked the faculty through the process of developing the courses. He went even further by creating complete course packets, which included detailed syllabi that listed daily assignments of class work, homework and other projects. He also provided the new faculty with PowerPoint presentations, directed them to useful websites and even wrote a 130-page instructor’s guide to help the faculty deliver the lessons more effectively.

“It was an exciting trip, and I am confident this is going to build a valuable partnership bridging two prominent institutions on separate continents,” Seshaiyer says. “I am happy to have been selected for this outstanding opportunity to train and develop the next generation of African scientists and engineers while also bringing recognition to Mason.”

Engaging, Inspiring Younger Students

Seshaiyer engaged African students with examples of fun and practical math applications. Photo courtesy of Padhu Seshaiyer

Making the most out of the long journey to Tanzania, Seshaiyer also visited three secondary schools, as well as a primary school, lecturing to more than 700 students on the importance of mathematics and its various applications. He kept the students engaged with problem-solving and critical-thinking exercises to show them examples of fun and practical math applications.

Seshaiyer says he plans to continue working with these schools to establish after-school math clubs. He also hopes to strengthen the connections between the students and the faculty at AIST-Arusha to keep the students motivated to pursue careers in math, science or engineering.

“I am most grateful for [Seshaiyer’s] invaluable contributions in the development of the academic infrastructure of AIST-Arusha, the development of detailed teaching materials and his coaching of our staff on the delivery of the various courses,” says Burton L.M. Mwamila, vice chancellor of AIST-Arusha. “I am even more grateful for his willingness to be among the pioneers of AIST. The memory of his stay and interaction with us is greatly cherished.”

On Seshaiyer’s last day in Arusha, he was honored by Mwamila with the offer of an official affiliate professorship with AIST-Arusha.

“We feel greatly honored by his stay with us, and I am happy to note that he is part of the AIST family,” Mwamila says.

Mason's annual Clothesline Project gives a voice to victims of violence. Photo by Evan Cantwell

Violence on college campuses is a difficult issue to discuss. But the fact remains that sexual and dating violence is prevalent across the country. At Mason, Sexual Assault Services, headed by director Connie Kirkland, devised a weeklong series of events dedicated to helping the Mason community work to end violence against women and to honor its victims. Turn Off the Violence Week will be observed at Mason Oct. 3-8.

Turn Off the Violence began in 1997 as a community event in response to an initiative for a National Turn Off the Violence day. Kirkland, then a board member of the Fairfax-based antisexual violence group Friends of VAN, organized simultaneous weeklong events at Mason and in the Northern Virginia community in partnership with 25 local organizations.

The community event ceased in 2000, but Turn Off the Violence Week continued on the Fairfax Campus, combining national and international campaigns with experiences unique to Mason.

Raising Awareness

One of the most recognizable events of the week happens on Tuesday, Oct. 4: Take Back the Night Rally and March. The rally will begin outside the Johnson Center and end with a march through campus to raise awareness of sexual violence. Take Back the Night was created in October 1975 to protest the number of violent crimes against women taking place after dark.

Also returning to Mason this year on Oct. 7 and 8 is “The Goddess Diaries,” which is a series of monologues written by local playwright Carol Lee Campbell. The monologues feature stories about women’s experiences throughout the stages of life. Although this will be the second year that “The Goddess Diaries” has been presented on campus, Kirkland encourages community members to give it a second look.

“Campbell is such a fluid playwright; she has added new monologues to address violence against women. There are also three new accounts revealing the trauma of violence,” she says.

Other changes to the performance include improvisational dances presented by Mason students and an African drum played by a community member to provide the “beat” of the play. The cast is split between Mason students and Northern Virginia community members.

Honoring Victims

A grove of trees on the Fairfax Campus is the setting for The Clothesline Project, which has collected more than 500 T-shirts over the years. Photo by Evan Cantwell

Kirkland’s favorite event of the week is undoubtedly the most visible: The Clothesline Project. Throughout the week, the trees in the groves between Fenwick Library and the Student Union Building I will be strung with clothesline displaying T-shirts decorated by campus community members. Shirts are designed to honor victims of violence or to speak out against sexual violence crimes.

“It’s a great example of passive programming. We don’t have to say a word, but just looking at these shirts can have a profound impact on a person,” Kirkland says.

The Clothesline Project will be accompanied by the White Ribbon Campaign, an international initiative begun in Canada to educate men and boys about sexual and dating violence. Male members of the Mason community will be offering white ribbons to fellow males to wear as a sign of their commitment to never participate in or condone violence against women. Fraternity members, athletes and members of the Army ROTC will be handing out ribbons throughout the week.

“We have a lot of male involvement in Turn Off the Violence Week,” reports Kirkland. “It’s good to see.”

A Safe Haven

The same grove of trees will play host to one more event that is unique to Mason. On Wednesday, Oct. 5, at 7 p.m., blankets will be laid on the ground for Survivor Space, a safe haven for women to talk about their experiences with sexual abuse, dating violence or sexual assault. It’s meant as a safe and supportive place for survivors to explore the impact of these experiences on their lives and talk through them with people who can relate. Kirkland finds it to be a very powerful event.

“It’s always been a small group of people, no more than 12. But we’ve had experiences in the past where this has been the first time a woman has spoken about her experience,” Kirkland says.

Turn Off the Violence Week is an important tool for Sexual Assault Services. It establishes the office’s mission, services and role on campus, and educates the larger community on the issues of sexual violence.

“When a crime is over, it isn’t over. It continues to heavily impact the survivor’s life,” Kirkland explains. “If there is one message to hear from Turn Off the Violence, that is it.”

For a full schedule of Turn Off the Violence Week events, see the Sexual Assault Services website or e-mail Kirkland at ckirklan@gmu.edu. Tickets to “The Goddess Diaries” may be purchased online (free tickets for students are available through the Office of Student Involvement).

Charles Bailey. Creative Services photo

“Rift Valley Fever Virus: An Emerging Infectious Disease Threat” is the subject of the first Vision Series lecture at the Hylton Performing Arts Center on the Prince William Campus this year.

Charles Bailey, executive director of Mason’s National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases and Distinguished Professor of Biology, will discuss this virus on Monday, Oct. 3, at 7:30 p.m.

Though the Rift Valley fever virus outbreaks are currently restricted to Africa and Southwest Asia, both the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are concerned that this mosquito- and aerosol-transmitted virus may find its way to North America and the United States.

The virus causes hemorrhagic symptoms and mortality in approximately 1 percent of humans infected, as well as abortions in 90-100 percent of infected domestic livestock.

Bailey’s presentation will focus on both what has been learned about the life cycle and epidemiology of this virus in its native habitat and what could happen if the virus is introduced into the Americas.

Bailey has overseen the five-year building project of Mason’s Biomedical Research Laboratory, which began in 2005 when Mason was awarded a $27.7 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Prior to joining Mason, Bailey served as commander of the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, where he led medical and scientific research programs dedicated to the development of new forms of medical protection against biological weapons and other infectious diseases.

The results of his hands-on experiments with a wide variety of infectious agents have been published in more than 100 scientific articles in refereed books and journals. He has also presented at national and international conferences and to U.S. government officials, and served previously as a senior analyst with the Defense Intelligence Agency. Bailey holds a doctorate from Oklahoma State University.

The fifth annual Vision Series is sponsored by Mason’s Office of the Provost. Tickets are not required for these free events, which are followed by an informal reception with light refreshments. For more information, see VisionSeries.gmu.edu.

Mason sophomore Tabetha Napora, right, and her sister, Patty, enjoyed Family Weekend in 2010. Photo courtesy of Gail Napora

“Awesome” and “so much fun” is what sophomore Tabetha Napora’s mother, Gail, has to say about Mason’s Family Weekend.

Last year, the entire Napora family, including mom, dad and children Patty, 16, Katrina, 13, and Nick, 11, traveled from their home in Broadway, Va., to join their Mason student, an anthropology major, at the annual event.

Gail Napora says the family especially enjoyed last year’s book presentation, the welcome dinner, the observatory tour and the Sunday family breakfast — all events that will be offered again, with some variations, this year.

“We totally recommend this event for all families and parents because there is something for everyone,” Napora says enthusiastically.

Junior Mary McElveen’s family has the distinction of winning the Family Weekend trivia contest two years in a row. However, the art and visual technology major’s elder brother Mike is unable to attend this year, and her mother, Laurie, says they probably won’t compete again. “He is awesome during the final round and has nerves of steel,” she explains.

Pre-Mason Madness activities get everyone warmed up for the main event. Photo by Lori A. Wilson

This year, Laurie McElveen, who lives in Chesapeake, Va., is looking forward to such Family Weekend activities as a trip to statesman George Mason’s Gunston Hall estate, a tour of the de Laski Performing Arts Building and a seminar on study abroad. She adds, “We love the comedians — we’ve seen Wayne Brady and Seth Myers. We like Wanda Sykes, too.” (Sykes is appearing at the Patriot Center on Oct. 15.)

Both families say that it’s great to catch up with their Mason students during Family Weekend, too.

Following are just a few highlights of the upcoming weekend; dozens of activities are on tap.

• For the first time, a Family Weekend 5K Run/Walk will be held on Sunday morning at 8 a.m. Registration includes official timing, snacks and a T-shirt.
• 

  The Welcome Dinner eases families into the weekend. Photo by Lori A. Wilson

  The Mason Family Book Presentation features Dave Isay, founder of StoryCorps, who will discuss “Listening Is an Act of Love,” a book that includes some of the remarkable stories collected by StoryCorps.

• The Mason Family BBQ and Gameshow allows families to compete against one another in the interactive Think Fast trivia game — and win a $200 prize.
• RATurday Night Live – Mason Idol Edition lets families sing karaoke and relax at Mason’s own sports bar.
• Service opportunities will be available for families to contribute their time at the Capital Area Community Food Bank Warehouse, the Northern Virginia Family Services Thrift Shop, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Earth Sangha or Reston Interfaith.
• Special optional events at Mason venues during the weekend include comedian Wanda Sykes, the Branford Marsalis Quartet, the Virginia Symphony presenting American classics, the Virginia Opera performing “Aida” and the one-man epic play, “7 (x1) Samurai.”
• The Pre-Mason Madness and Mason Madness Celebration is the wild and exciting kick-off to the men’s and women’s basketball seasons, with games, contests, giveaways, performances and more.

See the Orientation and Family Programs and Services website for all the details and to register for individual events.

Alessandra Luchini. Creative Services photo

Mason researcher Alessandra Luchini is brilliant. No, really — it’s been confirmed by one of the country’s largest science magazines, Popular Science.

In its October issue, the magazine names the top scientists under the age of 40, which they dub the “Brilliant 10.” Luchini learned this summer that she had been selected for her work with Mason’s Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine.

In 2008, Luchini and a team of CAPMM researchers introduced a unique technology that looks at specific protein biomarkers in blood or urine in order to improve the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other diseases.

This nanoparticle captures, concentrates and preserves cancer and other disease markers in a single step. The nanoparticles are added to blood or urine in order to catch these disease biomarkers, similar to how a lobster trap catches lobsters.

Luchini’s breakthrough technology, which is still in the research and development phase, has been used in several different clinical tests over the past few years, and the results are promising.

“Dr. Luchini’s nanoparticles have revolutionary potential to improve the diagnosis of early-stage cancer and infectious disease,” says Lance Liotta, co-director of CAPMM who nominated Luchini for the award. “This could reduce suffering and death for millions.”

Discovering New Biomarkers

Luchini in the Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine. Creative Services photo

Luchini originally came to Mason with a fellowship sponsored by the Istituto Superiore di Sanita’ (the Italian equivalent of the National Institutes of Health), which continues to support her research to date. The nanoparticle projects are funded by NIH’s National Cancer Institute and National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

Luchini’s discovery is licensed under the name Nanotrap through Ceres Nanoscience, a Mason spin-off company launched to promote university-based inventions. Luchini, as co-director of science at Ceres, has overseen the use of this technology by several other research facilities as a way to discover molecules in body fluids.

This invention has enabled the discovery of a plethora of new biomarkers, which were not detectable before because of their low concentration and unstable nature.

“The nanoparticles that Dr. Luchini developed both solve and overcome many of the technical barriers that have prohibited biomarker discovery,” explains Emanuel Petricoin III, who directs  CAPMM with Liotta. “Now, armed with this technology, we can envision the next five years being one of explosive growth for the discovery of new biomarkers for early detection of diseases.”

Mason scientists have used the nanoparticles to discover diagnostic markers for breast cancer, prostate cancer, melanoma and ovarian cancer. And while this technology was originally intended to diagnose cancer biomarkers, it has countless other uses in diagnostic and treatment settings.

Currently, this technology, also referred to as “smart hydrogel nanoparticles,” is in clinical testing for two very diverse uses: testing urine for the presence of human growth hormone (HGH), which will have wide impact on the world of sports, and testing blood or urine for Lyme disease, an early-detection and noninvasive option to the current diagnostic test.

A Better, Quicker, Easier Way to Diagnose Lyme Disease

One possible use for Luchini’s hydrogel nanoparticle currently being investigated is a new way to test for Lyme disease, the inflammatory disorder that is contracted through infected ticks. A clinical trial testing this possibility began this summer.

The number of people in the United States afflicted by Lyme disease is growing steadily — from 10,000 reported cases in 1992 to 30,000 in 2009, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The good news is that if it’s caught early, the disease usually causes only mild symptoms and can be treated easily with antibiotics.

But the current diagnostic test for Lyme disease leaves much to be desired. Luchini says it is diagnosed either through clinical evaluation or serological testing. Both methods can be inaccurate and take a long time — sometimes months — to diagnose. Lyme disease, if left untreated, can cause severe pain, fatigue, arthritis, neurological problems and other serious health issues.

“If successful, this new test will be a huge advancement in the diagnosis of Lyme disease, which is now a somewhat controversial field,” Luchini says.

Clinical testing is now under way, and her hope is that this test — which promises to return more accurate results more quickly — will eventually find its way to the marketplace with the aid of Ceres.

No ‘I’ in Team

The ways in which these nanoparticles can be used to better diagnose and treat diseases is nearly limitless. But Luchini is quick to point out that she developed this technology as part of a team, with colleagues at CAPMM led by Liotta and Petricoin. The technology has already been the basis of fruitful collaborations with other Mason faculty such as Barney Bishop, a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Charles Bailey and the scientists in the National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases.

In fact, the idea for the Lyme disease diagnostic test actually came from a high school student, Temple Douglas, whom Luchini mentored through the Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program.

“This is just one example of how a student can really give new input into the direction of the research we do,” says Luchini.

At 34, Luchini is considered by Popular Science — and many in her field — a young scientist. Still, Luchini enjoys working with those even younger to help propel her work forward.

“Mentoring is very important to me because you really get to exchange concepts and knowledge  to those who bring their own fresh ideas, enthusiasm and new points of view,” says Luchini. “It’s really been a great experience for me.”

And for the dozen or so students she’s mentored over her years at Mason? Considering her ‘brilliant’ moniker, the feeling must be mutual.

Adding to its vast collection of historical materials, Mason Libraries’ Special Collections and Archives (SC&A) has acquired the entire collection of 801 nonfiction books used on C-SPAN’s long-running “Booknotes” television series. The collection was a generous gift made by C-SPAN, with the cooperation of Brian Lamb, its founder and chief executive officer.

Hosted by Lamb, “Booknotes” was televised from April 1989 through December 2004. The hour-long show featured one-on-one interviews with nonfiction authors to discuss their latest writings. Beyond the book’s subject matter, authors were also asked about their research, writing process and their own lives and influences.

Notable guests included Hillary Clinton, David McCullough and David Crosby, as well as former presidents Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush.

“George Mason University will make a great permanent home for the ‘Booknotes’ collection and I am confident that it will be in good hands,” says Lamb. “My good friends Mason President Alan Merten and University Librarian John Zenelis immediately recognized the long-term value of the books and the historical perspective they represent.”

To formally celebrate the donation, Lamb will visit Mason’s Fairfax Campus on Wednesday, Sept. 21, as part of the Fall for the Book Festival, the oldest and largest festival of literature and the arts in Northern Virginia. The following events are planned for his visit:

- Lamb will host a masterclass for Mason students at 3:30 p.m. in the Johnson Center Cinema. During the class, Lamb will focus on topics such as how he prepared for interviews; the “art” of the interview; and his reflections on interviewing famous and influential people.

- An exhibit and reception will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in Fenwick Library. University Libraries will exhibit more than 50 selections of the books and archives from the “Booknotes” series, as well as video clips from various interviews.

- The reception will be followed by an evening event with Lamb at 7:30 p.m. in the Johnson Center Cinema. Lamb will join presidential historian and Mason Scholar-in-Residence Richard Norton Smith as they reflect on the “Booknotes” series, its participants and impact.

A $25,000 grant from the C-SPAN Education Foundation will allow SC&A to catalogue and preserve the collection. In addition to the 801 books, the collection will include associated archival materials, such as notes, letters and correspondence with authors and reviews. Many of the books contain marginalia, which served as the basis for Lamb’s interview questions with the authors. In addition, each hour-long interview and corresponding transcript will be available online.

Eventually, SC&A plans to develop programming for both teaching and learning purposes through the creation of a web portal that will enable broader research opportunities for scholars around the world. Also, SC&A will expand the collection and archive by acquiring additional primary related materials.

“I am very honored that C-SPAN and my friend Brian Lamb have chosen Mason as the permanent home for the ‘Booknotes’ collection,” says Merten. “During its 15-year run, ‘Booknotes’ captured the intellectual fervor of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. It is important that this collection be preserved for current and future generations of students, teachers and scholars everywhere. Mason is proud to be the institution of choice for Brian and C-SPAN.”

Since its creation in 1978, SC&A has acquired thousands of historical materials that researchers can use to learn about the past, present and future. Some of the materials housed in SC&A include rare books, manuscripts, playbills, screenplays, newspaper clipping and planning maps.

“We are privileged for being entrusted with the repository and curatorial responsibilities for such a remarkable teaching, learning and research resource as ‘Booknotes,’” says University Librarian John Zenelis. “We are excited to begin work on this project so that these original source materials, which comprise a unique American intellectual snapshot, will soon be available to the university community and beyond.”

Image courtesy of September 11 Digital Archive

A 5-year-old child’s drawing of the American flag atop a tall building with the caption, “At the end of this day, the American flag still stands.” A woman in Paris, France, relaying the story of how she found out about the planes crashing in America. Thousands of images of flyers distributed and posted in Manhattan on the days after the attacks.

These pieces of history are some of the thousands of items that make up the September 11 Digital Archive, a social history of the 2001 terrorist attacks in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.

The September 11 Digital Archive, created by Mason’s Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media (CHNM) and the American Social History Project at the City University of New York Graduate Center, is the largest archive of user-generated content about Sept. 11, 2001. As the nation marks the 10th anniversary of the tragedy this month, CHNM has taken stock of the archive.

“Cutting edge at its launch nearly 10 years ago, the archive now is showing its age,” says Tom Scheinfeldt, managing director of CHNM, while explaining the recently received Saving America’s Treasures grant from the National Park Service. The grant will pay to transfer the digital collection to a stable, standardized, up-to-date archival system.

“This data transfer is an essential first step in guaranteeing that the world’s largest collection of user-created digital materials related to the events of Sept. 11, 2001, will be available to scholars, students, policymakers and the general public in the coming decades,” Scheinfeldt says.

Though the archive is currently closed for submissions (the creators are hoping to reopen it for the 10th anniversary or soon after), the site has more than 150,000 items and still gets millions of hits each year. Users can search for firsthand accounts, emails and other electronic communications, digital photographs, artwork and a range of other digital materials.

Ground zero memorials at St. Paul's Chapel (Broadway between Fulton and Vesey) across from the World Trade Center. Image courtesy of September 11 Digital Archive

So, who’s using the site and why? Scheinfeldt says it is a wide variety — students and teachers who wish to learn about the event, scholars researching the social history or churches and other organizations conducting memorial services. A large percentage of users are the general public who want to read and contribute to the site for their own personal reasons.

“There are plenty of sources to tell the political history of 9/11 — government documents, newspapers, magazines, etc. — but fewer sources for the personal response from the general public,” says Scheinfeldt. “Our archive collects the stories of a student in Illinois or a witness in Manhattan or a parent in Germany watching the events on television.”

Launched just after the 2001 attacks and before sites such as You Tube, Twitter and Facebook existed, the digital archive in many ways prefigured social media. “Now we have many spaces for people to upload personal content, reflections and memories,” says Scheinfeldt. “But these didn’t exist then.”