Stroll through the Johnson Center during a weekday afternoon, and you’ll be inundated with signs, posters and fellow students advertising numerous student-run charity events. Whether as part of Greek organizations, student interest groups or academic departments, students find ways to give back to their communities, often focusing on projects that appeal to their own interests.

Many students find their philanthropic niche through the Center for Leadership and Community Engagement (CLCE), which is extremely active in both the campus and outside communities.

CLCE sponsors numerous events throughout the year, such as the current holiday spirit food and gift drive. With community partner Our Daily Bread, a local nonprofit organization, CLCE participants are collecting food and gift items and delivering them to needy families throughout the area. Students can donate food or gifts, help package the items and even deliver them directly to the families in the area.

Another student organization that has worked to help others on a global basis is Mason Cru, an on-campus Christian organization. Mason Cru hosted Love South Sudan, a program where Mason students collected and packed seeds to send to families of South Sudan, a newly created republic in Africa that is struggling to feed its people.

The packs contained five sets of vegetable seeds, so that each family would have food to grow for themselves and crops to sell, creating a sustainable agriculture. More than 600 students helped to assemble the packs, load shipping boxes and label the boxes.

“From the minute I walked into the room until the minute I had to leave for class, the experience was fun and heart-warming,” says Lakshmi Meyyappan, an electrical engineering major who took part in the event. “I could see that people were truly experiencing the joy of giving.”

Mason’s Student Government also sponsors charitable events. Their latest effort was a kick-off event to spur on Mason students participating in the Annual AIDS Walk in Washington, D.C., which was held on Oct. 29.

A few days before the walk, Student Government provided food, booked musical performers and handed out literature about the AIDS Walk to support those who had already pledged to participate and to encourage other Mason students to take part. Many Mason students who eventually participated in the AIDS Walk signed up as a result of this event, and others did so through the efforts of CLCE, which organized a Mason team for the walk.

The Iota Alpha Chapter of Alpha Xi Delta supported their national philanthropy, Autism Speaks, at the National Walk for Autism Speaks in Washington, D.C. Photo courtesy of Iota Alpha Chapter

Greek organizations at Mason are committed to service, both on campus and in the greater community. For example, the Iota Alpha Chapter of Alpha Xi Delta supported their national philanthropy, Autism Speaks, at the National Walk for Autism Speaks on Oct. 22 in Washington, D.C.

The sorority sisters were on hand to pass out special Halloween trick-or-treat bags to the children of Matthew’s Center, a nonprofit organization in Manassas, Va., dedicated to helping autistic children. The Iota Alpha chapter has adopted Matthew’s Center, sending sisters to help repair and paint the school building. The sisters are also directly interacting with the children and assisting staff with daytime and afterschool programs.

“Our partnership with Autism Speaks is a close one,” says Catherine Miller, an Alpha Xi Delta sister and public relations vice president for the sorority. “Many of our sisters have family members or friends who live with autism and know what it’s like to be personally touched by autism,” explains Miller, a tourism and events management major.

The students who tend the on-campus garden near the Potomac Heights residence hall have found a way to combine their passion for green and sustainable living with a desire to help those less fortunate than themselves.

Sponsored by the Office of Sustainability, the garden produced seasonal vegetables and fruits. Half of all the produce harvested from the garden was donated to Food for Others, a Northern Virginia-based charity.

“We felt it was very important to share the produce with those in need in our local community,” says Danielle Wyman, sustainability projects coordinator with the Office of Sustainability. “On donation days for Food for Others, we would see families coming to pick up the beautiful fresh vegetables that we were dropping off. It is always extremely rewarding to see the food pass right from our hands to the hands of those in need.”

Nutrition Kitchen from George Mason University on Vimeo. Produced by Paul King and Alexis Glenn.

Students learned how to stuff a bird and whip up a pie at the first Thanksgiving dinner in Mason’s new Nutrition Kitchen.

And just like any family, not everyone agreed on what to serve. Some students have food allergies to eggs and oats while others are vegetarian.

Sur la Table Chef Matt Finarelli led 19 students from the Nutrition for Health Professionals (Nutrition 295) class in the intricacies of stuffing a chicken. Chickens replaced turkeys due to time constraints.

The students currently are studying vitamins and trace minerals and will analyze the dinner as part of their class work. They typically spend class time sitting at a desk, not standing at a stove.

Many are first-time Thanksgiving chefs. They might even bring the lesson home with them.

“It would be nice for the students to put the meal together before break and hopefully it will help them prepare dinner for their family,” says Jeannie Padgett, who teaches the Nutrition 295 class.

The kitchen opened in August and is part of the also new Department of Nutrition and Food Studies in the College of Health and Human Services.

The students posed with Buffett, center, and Mason finance professor Robert Johnston, far right, during their visit to Omaha. Photo courtesy of Robert Johnston

Twenty Mason MBA students recently had a chance to meet with a real American business tycoon: Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. On Friday, Oct. 21, the students met with Buffett for a question-and-answer session and luncheon at the Berkshire Hathaway corporate offices in Omaha, Neb.

This is the third time that Mason MBA students have had the opportunity to meet with Buffett. Coleman Raphael, dean emeritus of the School of Business Administration (now School of Management), facilitated an initial meeting for Mason MBA students with Buffett in 2007. Mason MBA students were invited back in 2009 and again this year. Students from seven other universities were also invited to the October meeting.

Finance faculty member Robert Johnston accompanied the Mason students, who were chosen from the MBA 643 Financial Management class based upon their academic ranking. The group flew out to Omaha on Thursday, Oct. 20, and returned home on Friday evening following the event.

Mason student Sanut Chongthanavanit and Buffett mugged for the camera. Photo courtesy of Robert Johnston

Four Mason students had a direct interaction with Buffett.

“I asked him a question about the global economic crisis,” says graduate student Seetha Sankaran. “He elaborately answered students’ questions with wisdom and enthusiasm.”

Students praised Buffett for taking their questions seriously and using examples from his own experiences to help them understand his answers.

“I asked him his views on America’s ability to innovate and what the government’s role should be in protecting innovation,” explains student Tyler Summers. “He answered that America has been a great environment for innovators, but innovation isn’t uniquely American. He told of a trip he took to China a number of years ago with Bill Gates [to illustrate the point].”

Buffett fielded questions about his views on the current global and national economies and infrastructure projects, as well about more personal matters, to the delight of the students attending.

“I had expected to be inspired by his intellect, but I had not expected how emotionally moved I would be,” Summers continues.

“Meeting Warren Buffett was the most impressionable experience of my MBA at Mason,” says Gaurav Khantwal.

Student Colette Banet was thrilled to be seated next to Buffett at lunch. Photo courtesy of Colette Banet

Colette Banet, another student, had a special opportunity to interact with Buffett.

“Being selected to drive with Warren Buffett in his car and sit next to him during lunch was the most memorable experience of my academic career here [at Mason],” she says. “Despite his celebrity status, he was extremely personable and seemed very interested in our conversation. It was like being out to lunch with an old friend.”

The students say they are appreciative that the School of Management  funded the trip, adding that they were inspired by Buffett’s insights.

“I owe my sincere thanks to Professor Robert Johnston for organizing and the School of Management for sponsoring this trip,” says Sankaran.

Students Joseph Quarcoo, left, and Stan Heany teamed up to write a speech that convinced the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors that a polling place at Mason was needed.

It’s November, and although the month might be best known for turkeys and football, another important event happens every November: Election Day. And thanks to the efforts of several Patriot Leaders and Student Government members, Mason will become part of that tradition, too, this year.

At its July 25 meeting, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved Mason as a polling place. The board created University precinct, which comprises primarily the Fairfax Campus, addressing Student Government leaders’ long-held belief that resident students have a real need for a convenient place to vote in local, state and national elections.

The board members’ opinions were swayed in no small way by the seven Patriot Leaders who attended the July meeting after learning of the possibility of an on-campus voting site from Mason’s chief of staff Tom Hennessey. Patriot Leaders serve as role models for new students and assist the Office of Orientation and Family Programs and Services. These students elected government and international politics major Joseph Quarcoo to speak on their behalf to the Board of Supervisors.

Passion and Eloquence Prevail

“We debated about having seven individuals speak or whether we should have one concise message,” says Mason junior Stan Heaney, a government and international politics major and one of the Patriot Leaders who attended the meeting. “We decided to have Joe speak for all of us.”

Quarcoo’s passion and eloquence were major factors in their decision.

“The issue of a student polling place was important to me,” says Quarcoo, who plans to graduate in 2013. “I was nervous at first to represent all of us, but the support and confidence the other Leaders had in me was great.”

Quarcoo enlisted Heaney’s help in writing a speech, focusing on Mason students’ desire for a polling place and the opportunity to be more involved in politics. They also focused on the economic benefits of such a move for the county, citing the new polling place as a “practical use of resources.”

“We have the same ideas and speaking styles, so we worked together well,” explains Quarcoo.

“We did have a couple of sleepless nights before the meeting trying to finish it up,” adds Heaney.

Quarcoo was slated to appear before the board at 8 p.m., but wasn’t called on to speak until 10:15 p.m., when he was allotted three minutes to make his case. With the board members’ energy waning, Quarcoo knew he had only one chance to make a good impression.

“At first I couldn’t gauge their reaction to me,” Quarcoo explains. “But then I started to see them sitting up attentively in their seats. There was a very positive reaction.”

“He was phenomenal,” continues Heaney. “As soon as he began speaking, people started to sit up in their seats and stopped writing to pay attention.”

Unanimous Approval

Following Quarcoo’s speech, the board unanimously approved the creation of University precinct, surprising many who expected at least three board members to oppose the proposal.

“I have heard from members of the Fairfax County Board that Joseph was quite eloquent and that even those who might not have voted for approval were persuaded by his presentation,” says Hennessey.

Quarcoo and Heaney both acknowledge the efforts of Student Government member Daniel Boger and Student Government President Allyson Bowers to create a voting precinct at Mason. While Boger is currently studying in England and unable to help, Bowers sat alongside the Patriot Leaders at the meeting in support of Quarcoo.

Although many students on campus remain unaware of the new precinct, word is slowly spreading.

“I’ve had a few people come up to me and give me a high-five or tell me that I did a good job,” says Quarcoo.

Both he and Heaney feel grateful for having the opportunity to engage in an action that was larger than themselves and their organization and that affects the entire Mason community.

“I feel like student voices can be heard and can affect electoral and political processes. It has inspired me to pursue the things I feel strongly about,” says Quarcoo.

Both students participate in the MasonVotes campaign and plan on voting at the new polling place. On Election Day, Nov. 8, the polling site will be located in University Hall, Room 1202, and will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

To learn more about the new voting precinct, read the original Gazette article here.

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.

By Catherine Ferraro

High in the snow-capped Andes Mountains of Southern Peru is the small agricultural community of San Isidro near Compone, where several Mason faculty members, students and alumni visited last month. They were there to implement a water storage system for the village of 100 people, mostly subsistence farmers dependent on the water supply for farming and drinking purposes.

The Mason team is part of a new organization called Engineering Students Without Borders (ESWB), and is housed in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering (CEIE).

Though not yet an official student chapter of the nonprofit Engineers Without Borders-USA (EWB-USA), their mission is the same — to address people’s basic needs by providing sustainable solutions for clean water, power, sanitation and education.

Putting Academic Learning into Practice

Mason-UMD team members meet with San Isidro community members to discuss plans for the new water storage system. Clockwise from bottom left are Trevor Hughes, member of the Mason team; Anibal Cabrera, president of San Isidro; Dimas, president of Compone; a San Isidro villager; John Guenther and Sean O'Bannon, members of the Mason team; a San Isidro villager; Barry Liner, Mason engineering professor; Neel Sanghvi, member of the UMD team; Katty Overcash, member of the Mason team; and Luis Cabrera, vice president of Compone. Photo by Jim Milliken

As faculty advisor for the group, Mason engineering professor Barry Liner understands the significance of this organization. Director of CEIE’s International Engineering Programs, Liner has more than 20 years of experience developing sustainable solutions for issues faced in developing countries. In addition, he serves as the director of the Water Science and Engineering Center at the Water Environment Federation in Alexandria, Va.

“Our [ESWB] program exposes students to issues and problems that are being faced internationally,” says Liner. “Most important, by putting their academic learning into practice, students participate in hands-on engineering experiences in countries all over the world.”

Instead of waiting to become a formal chapter of EWB-USA, Mason’s team joined forces with the University of Maryland’s (UMD) EWB student chapter on the project in the Andean village.

Last summer, Liner and Mariana Cruz, BS Civil Engineering ’11, traveled to San Isidro to assess the structural damages in the community’s irrigation network and existing water storage tank, which had resulted in severe water shortages for the entire community.

When the team returned to the United States, UMD’s team began work on improving the irrigation system, while Mason took on the challenge of developing a water storage system.

Mason team members Trevor Hughes, Sean O'Bannon and Katty Overcash work with San Isidro villager Vicente Cruz on the water tank. Photo by Jim Milliken

Senior engineering student Sean O’Bannon is Mason’s team project manager and led the team, which included several other civil engineering students who graduated this year: Jim Milliken, Trevor Hughes and John Guenther.

In addition, local engineering professionals worked with the team as mentors: Joanna Vivanco, MS Civil Engineering ’07, from ECS Mid-Atlantic; and Katty Overcash, BS Civil Engineering ’09, from the Prince William County Service Authority.

Considering the needs of the community, cost, availability of materials, impact on the environment and ease of construction and maintenance, the team decided the most viable option was to install two new plastic water tanks.

With the help of the San Isidro community, the team tracked down a water tank supplier near the village that would deliver the tanks directly to the work site. Each tank holds about 10,000 liters of water and can withstand all types of weather conditions.

“During the planning and design phase of the project, we drew from the problem-solving and analytical skills we have learned in class, while also ensuring that the system met the area’s needs,” says O’Bannon, who will serve as ESWB president next year.

“The entire experience was very eye-opening, and we learned a lot about the cultural implications of working with rural communities,” he adds.

Fund Raising, Too

Once the design was finalized, the team turned their attention to raising funds to cover their return trip to San Isidro, as well as building materials. They hosted a variety of fund-raising activities and received generous support from Mason’s Civil Engineering Institute, the CEIE Department, the Office of the Provost and the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services.

In the end, the students secured more than $15,000 for the project and returned to San Isidro last month to install the new water tanks.

“When we arrived, we were overwhelmed by the response from the community, who were so willing to be a part of this project,” says Milliken. “Some of these people didn’t have running water and couldn’t care for their farmlands. You could tell right away how much they appreciated our help and the fact that we considered their input throughout the process.”

For two weeks, the ESWB team worked with the community to demolish and dispose of the old tank. Then, each of the new 500-pound tanks was hoisted up the side of a mountain to the installation site, where they were connected to the existing water system fed by a natural spring. The water is stored in the tanks overnight and released to the community during the day for farming and human consumption as needed.

The rest of the trip was spent educating the community about how to maintain and operate the tanks using locally available hardware, thus ensuring a sustainable solution.

“The experiences one receives from being a part of Engineering Students Without Borders can’t be taught in a classroom,” says O’Bannon. “In real life, things go wrong; the plan doesn’t always go the way it was envisioned. Being able to adapt to your surroundings and fix things on the fly is what separates a true engineer from an academic.”

Each year, two exceptional students are selected as representatives to the George Mason University’s Board of Visitors (BOV). This year, Rachel Bruns and Andrias White were chosen through a competitive process from among a group of outstanding scholars, all interested in serving. Each student will serve one year on the board as a nonvoting member.

“Ready and Prepared”

Rachel Bruns. Photo courtesy of Rachel Bruns

Bruns is a rising junior pursuing a global affairs degree with a concentration in global economy and management. Her minor is in women and gender studies.

She currently serves as the executive director of Social Venture Consulting, a student pro-bono nonprofit consulting firm based in Mason’s Center for Social Entrepreneurship.

She is also vice president of events for the Mason Ambassadors, a group that provides campus tours for prospective students and their families, and was commended as a Top 10 Ambassador for the past three semesters.

Bruns is a member of the Honors College, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and the Leadership, Training, Empowerment and Motivation Team.

In addition to her active academic career, Bruns holds an impressive employment history.

She worked as a data intern at ChangeWave Research, where she was responsible for quantifying, grading and formatting data and charts for published reports. She is currently an administrative assistant at an Army research, development and engineering center.

“Working for the Army has allowed me to gain professional government experience alongside academics. I feel ready and prepared for this opportunity (on the BOV),” says Bruns.

She adds, “I’m very excited to be working with Andrias. It will be a pivotal year, especially with President Merten retiring. We must continue with a positive direction for Mason.”

“A Well-Rounded Vision”

Andrias White. Photo by Lea Lubag

White, a tourism and events management major, will be a senior this fall.

During her time at Mason, she has worked as the director of comedy and speakers for the Program Board for two years, as the program assistant for the Office of Student Involvement and as an event information assistant in University Information.

She currently works as the event coordinator assistant in the Office of Admissions.

White says she wants to serve on the BOV because she has “always been very interested in administration and how the university works; it truly is a business as well as a place of education.”

White says she hopes to “bring a sense of liveliness and a well-rounded vision of what the students actually want — and to be able to explain the decisions that are made on a higher level back to the students.”

White is a member of the Lambda Sigma Honor Society and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. She is the Omicron Iota Chapter president for the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

White is also the founder of the Diamonds in the Rough Manhood Development Program, which fosters academic excellence by providing interactive and informative experiences that equip African American males in middle and high school with the tools to succeed personally and professionally.

For this effort, White received the 2009-10 Standards of Excellence award for the Most Innovative Program of the Year from the Office of Student Involvement. She also received the Black Heritage Month NAACP Award for Most Inspirational Female in 2011, presented through the Office of Diversity Programs and Services.

For the second time in three years, a team at Mason has been awarded the highest honor bestowed by the Virginia Academy of Science for original research.

Professor Daniel Cox in his Krasnow Institute lab. Photo by Evan Cantwell

The 2011 J. Shelton Horsley Research Award has been presented to the laboratory of Daniel N. Cox, graduate program director in the School of Systems Biology and associate professor in the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study.

For the award, Cox and his research team submitted a paper on their work, “Class-Specific Profiling and in vivo RNAi Screen Reveal Complex Transcriptional Regulatory Networks Mediating Dendritic Architecture.”

Cox and his team are investigating how the shape and structure of a neuron’s dendrites (the branchlike structures that transmit electric impulses between neurons) can impact function, specifically sensory function.

This so-called dendritic morphology can affect the brain through such conditions as autism or mental retardation or diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. The researchers use Drosophila melanogaster, also known as the fruit fly, as a model system.

The award-winning research builds off previous work Cox’s group conducted in which they isolated pure populations of neurons and performed genome microarray studies on them. Once you’ve isolated the specific classes of neurons, there are more questions to answer, Cox says.

“What are the genes that are expressed in this class of neuron versus another class of neuron? Then you’re looking for what’s different between these classes,” Cox says. “What’s the unique signature that’s potentially driving the cell to take on a given set of functions?”

Image of a neuron courtesy of Daniel N. Cox.

The research team comprised Cox, two graduate students and a postgraduate student, as well as a high school student whom Cox mentored through Mason’s Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP).

Over the course of a year and a half, the researchers conducted high-throughput functional screens to profile a specific class of neurons in the fruit fly.

“In a single class of neuron, there are approximately 420 transcription factors, which are genes that regulate expression of other genes,” explains Cox. “And that number was striking because the fruit fly only has 754 transcription factors total — so more than 50 percent of the transcription factors in the entire genome are expressed in a single cell type.”

But what Cox and his research team are trying to get to the bottom of is how these transcription factors drive the shape and function of dendrites and how that affects neural connectivity.

Of the 420 transcription factors, Cox and his team identified 267 genes that can affect dendritic morphology — the shape and function of dendrites. And 80 of these genes had not previously been characterized, Cox says. “They were totally new discoveries,” he says.

A certificate and a monetary award were presented at the annual meeting of the Virginia Academy of Science on May 26.

The recipients of the award are:

• Daniel N. Cox
• Eswar Prasad R. Iyer, Biosciences PhD student
• Srividya Chandramouli Iyer, Biosciences PhD student
• Ramakrishna Meduri, postgraduate student
• Dennis Wang, former student with ASSIP and currently an undergraduate at Yale University

The research was funded in part by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health, part of the National Institutes of Health, and the Jeffress Memorial Trust. The first author on the paper, Eswar Iyer, also received support from Mason’s Office of the Provost.

Monique van Hoek, assistant professor in the School of Systems Biology, along with two students, was awarded the J. Shelton Horsley Research Award in 2009. The team received the honor for their paper, “Initial Report of in vitro Biofilm Formation in Francisella: A Role for an Orphan Response Regulator.”

Students (from left) Jerrit Askvig, Leah Bode, Nathan Cushing and Collin Mullery won an award for their River Turbidity Reduction System. Photo by Evan Cantwell

Two student groups from Mason’s Systems Engineering Senior Design course in the Volgenau School of Engineering recently won first-place awards in two different national research competitions.

“This group of students did a fantastic job in our rigorous systems engineering program at Mason,” says Lance Sherry, associate professor of systems engineering and operations research. “Their success in the international design competitions against some of the best engineering schools in the nation is proof of their abilities and the quality of the systems engineering program.”

At the IEEE Systems and Information Engineering Design Symposium (SEIDS’11), held at the University of Virginia on April 29, students Jerrit Askvig, Leah Bode, Nathan Cushing and Colin Mullery won first place in the Systems Applications Track for “Turbidity Reduction for the West and Rhode Rivers.”

For their paper, the students developed a computer model of the water flow for two rivers that flow into the Chesapeake Bay, with the goal of maximizing the water quality at the lowest possible cost.

After weighing the options of adding Eastern oysters, adding soft-shell clams or performing living shoreline restoration, the group found that planting and protecting clams is one of the more cost-effective and environmentally safe ways of cleaning up the rivers.

Students (from left) Michael Dupuy, Dan Wesely and Cody Jenkins won an award for their Airline Fleet Maintenance project. Photo by Evan Cantwell

George Donohue, professor of systems engineering and operations research, served as an advisor to the team. Industry advisors also included West/Rhode Riverkeeper, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and Project Oyster West River. Sherry accompanied the students to the conference as faculty advisor.

SEIDS is a student-focused international forum for applied research, development and design in systems and information engineering that features innovative research and alternative solutions to real-world problems.

Other universities participating in the competition included the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Carnegie Mellon University, Georgia Tech, the U.S. Air Force Academy, Southern Methodist University, the University of Istanbul (Turkey) and the University of Venda (South Africa).

The second team of students won its award at the General Donald R. Keith Memorial Cadet Capstone Conference at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y.

Students Mike Dupuy, Cody Jenkins and Dan Wesely won Conference Best Poster Award for “Airline Fleet Maintenance: Trade-off Analysis of Alternate Aircraft Maintenance Approaches.”

Paul Kesler of  the Boeing Co. served as an industry sponsor for the group.

For this project, the students developed a computer simulation that compared the current airline industry maintenance approach of preventative parts replacement with two condition-based parts replacement approaches that used sensors to provide electronic information to repair crews at airports.

The team determined that the most cost-effective solution was to implement a condition-based parts replacement system in which repair information is transmitted to ground crews each time an aircraft arrives at the terminal.

The Cadet Capstone Conference allows undergraduates from several universities to present their research to an audience of professors, students, clients and judges.

The participants work with industry and government clients to analyze and tackle real- world problems. Other universities participating in the competition included the U.S. Air Force Academy, Virginia Tech and the U.S. Military Academy. The students were accompanied by Army Lt. Col. John Ferguson, a PhD candidate in the system engineering and operations research program.

More than 7,000 graduates … more than 7,000 wonderful stories of proud achievers. With Mason’s 44^th Commencement set for Saturday, May 21, the University News staff checked in on some members of the Class of 2011 to find out about their educational journey and their plans for the future.

English Major Represents College Students at the State Level

By Aisha Jamil

Blake Silver chaired the Student Advisory Committee for the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. Creative Services photo

Each year, Mason selects a student to represent the university at the state level to discuss higher education issues. This year, that student was Blake Silver.

Silver also competed against other student representatives to become the elected chair of the Student Advisory Committee for the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).

“I ran for chair of the Student Advisory Committee because I have a passion for higher education, and I can’t imagine a better way to serve my peers,” says Silver, a senior majoring in English with a concentration in folklore, mythology and literature. “This is my opportunity to make sure they are represented at the state level.”

SCHEV is a state agency that makes policy recommendations on higher education to the governor and General Assembly in such areas as capital and operating budget planning, enrollment, technology needs and student financial aid.

“This year, our committee lobbied to support several key bills in the General Assembly that impacted public institutions in Virginia,” says Silver, who also serves as a peer advisor for freshman transition courses. “I was thrilled because this was a chance for me to use my passion for higher education to benefit students across the state.”

Silver, who is a University Scholar, also founded Mason’s club running team and helped revive the Golden Key International Honor Society campus chapter.

“I have been fortunate to meet so many friends and mentors who have truly shaped my time at Mason,” Silver says.

One such mentor is Todd Rose, associate dean of University Life who appointed Silver to the SCHEV panel.

“Blake was an easy pick for me,” Rose says. “He’s smart and can quickly get up to speed on the issues that are relevant to the role on SCHEV. He is also someone who works extremely well with others while advocating for a position, and would represent Mason extremely well. In short, people like working with Blake.”

As for the future, Silver is planning to pursue a master’s degree in higher education at George Washington University in the fall. He hopes to work in student affairs for a university after graduation.

Based on his experience, Silver has some advice to students who will be starting their own journey at Mason.

“Get involved in service and leadership right away during your freshman year,” he says, “because it adds a great deal of experience that has the potential to impact you as much, if not more, than your academic course work.”

Mariana Cruz Is Senior of the Year

By Jason Jacks

Mariana Cruz, a scholarship student, has maintained at least a 3.5 GPA each semester at Mason. Photo by Evan Cantwell

As a prolific volunteer, global learner, and founding president of a minority student group, Mariana Cruz, a civil and infrastructure engineering major, is proof that the pursuit of excellence doesn’t stop when class lets out.

Since she arrived at Mason in 2007, Cruz has excelled. A recipient of the Volgenau School of Engineering’s William and Susan Eddy Soza Distinguished Scholarship, Cruz has earned at least a 3.50 GPA each semester, while maintaining a demanding load of courses and extracurricular activities.

“I guess, early on, I learned how to manage my time,” Cruz says of keeping a busy schedule.

In April Cruz was recognized as Senior of the Year by the Mason Alumni Association at its annual Celebration of Distinction. She was nominated by Volgenau’s alumni chapter.

Cruz’s work with the new student group Engineers Without Borders was among the accomplishments the alumni chapter praised her for. Last summer, Cruz, a native of Peru, spent two weeks in her homeland helping to evaluate irrigation and drinking water strategies for a small village. “It was an opportunity for me to give back to my country,” she says.

She also participates in the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program, which helps increase the number of minority students involved in math, science, and technology programs. Cruz is also the founding president of a complementary student program called Mason-AMP.

“Mariana is a multitalented individual with broad interests,” says E. Bernard White, an associate dean at the Volgenau School and a principal investigator in the LSAMP program. “She has devised new programs and services whenever she senses an unmet need.”

Cruz is also regularly called on by the Volgenau School to help in student recruitment and new student orientation events. She also is a peer advisor for the school and a tutor for the athletics department, jobs that inspire her to become a professor someday.

Leaving Mason, she says, will be bittersweet.

“I am closing a really happy chapter of my life,” she says. “But graduation is a time to look to the future.”

Iraq War Veteran Transitioned from Soldier to Scholar

By Aisha Jamil

Iraq War veteran Jeremiah Foxwell will study Arabic on a Critical Language Scholarship this summer. Creative Services photo

Jeremiah Foxwell already has a lot on his plate this summer.

Foxwell, who served two tours in Iraq for the Navy as a petty officer second class in a bomb disposal unit, will graduate this spring with a Bachelor of Individualized Study (BIS) degree focusing on Middle Eastern and North African studies, Arabic and national security.

Soon after, he will travel to the Middle East as a winner of a Critical Language Scholarship from the U.S. State Department.

Foxwell will study Arabic at the American Center of Oriental Research (ACOR) in Amman, Jordan, for about eight weeks.

LaNitra Berger, who has coached Foxwell throughout his time at Mason, is proud of the work he has done.

“Jeremiah is one of Mason’s most promising students of the Arabic language,” says Berger, who directs Mason’s fellowship and undergraduate apprenticeship program.

“What I enjoyed most about working with Jeremiah on his fellowship applications,” Berger continues, “was his determination to use his research to improve the lives of both soldiers and those who live in war-torn communities.”

Explaining his decision to attend Mason, Foxwell says, “Leaving the military, I wanted to transition from soldier to scholar. I wanted to take my experiences from Iraq and base my education on what I learned in the military. The BIS program is the bridge for veterans like myself who want to utilize their experiences in their education.”

Foxwell is appreciative of other helpful mentors he has had at Mason, including Alan More, an adjunct professor for BIS, and Omar Salawdeh, an Arabic professor. And he says that simply being at a school like Mason has been helpful to his career.

“The multicultural diversity this school has allowed me to connect with a lot of different nationalities and communities,” he says. “I wish that Mason had a graduate-level Arabic program so I could further my studies here.”

As for his future plans, Foxwell would like to become a national security professional.

“I hope to reshape our foreign policies and methods and focus on the human causes of conflict,” Foxwell says. “Instead of arming the young men and women with weapons, I want to arm them with the education and knowledge of what it means to be a citizen.”

Environmental Issues Draw Couple Together

By Aisha Jamil

Smriti and Sameer Bhattarai have shared and supported one another in their environmental science studies. Creative Services photo

First they earned bachelor’s degrees together, then master’s degrees. Now Sameer and Smriti Bhattarai are both getting PhDs in environmental science and policy.

The Bhattarais, who have been married for almost 10 years, are proud to have pursued their education together this far.

“It feels good to have studied together,” says Smriti, whose focus of study is environmental molecular biology. “We could always have someone to share and support whatever — good or bad — came along during this educational journey.”

The two completed bachelor’s degrees in environmental science at the Tribhuvan University in Nepal, where they also met back in 1999. They married three years later and moved to Alabama, where they received their master’s degrees in environmental analysis and management from Troy University.

“While doing our master’s in the United States, we became interested in pursuing PhD degrees in environmental science so that we could understand more about the linkage between humans and the environment,” says Sameer, whose focus of study is water resource management. “Mason had a research program that matched both of our interests, so Mason it was.”

Both Sameer and Smriti had graduate teaching and research assistantships at Mason. Sameer also received research grants from the Cosmos Club Foundation Young Scholars Program and Mason’s Office of the Provost.

“The research opportunities we received at Mason have enabled us to grow both academically and personally,” Smriti says. “We both have had the opportunity to work with people that are experts in their respective fields.”

Smriti worked with Patrick Gillevet, who is an expert in molecular and microbial ecology, while Sameer worked with Chris Jones, who has worked in the field of freshwater ecosystems for about 30 years.

“Sameer is a very dedicated and conscientious graduate student,” says Jones, a professor and director of the Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center. “He has helped me on numerous research projects as well as in lab and field classes in freshwater ecology. He is always well prepared for teaching and has a lot of patience when working with students.”

For her dissertation research, Smriti investigated the sources of fecal pollution in urban streams and characterized stream microbial communities using molecular techniques.

“Smriti is an independent student that has done great work in the field of molecular ecology,” says Gillevet, a professor in the Environmental Science and Policy department and director of the MicroBiome Analysis Center. “She combined many different aspects of microbiology, and her work tied everything together very nicely.”

Sameer’s dissertation research investigated the response of streams to land use and urban best management practices (BMPs).

“My study found interesting connections between urbanization, BMPs and stream quality, which I believe will have important implications for urban stormwater management,” Sameer says.

As for the couple’s future plans, both are interested in continuing researching and teaching others about environmental science and policy.

“Environmental issues are the biggest concerns of our time, and we hope to make a small contribution in making our world a better place by addressing them,” Smriti says.

Champion Speaker Will Give Student Commencement Address

By Tara Laskowski

As a member and co-captain of Mason's Forensics Team, Quincey Smith earned national champion honors at the American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament. Photo by Evan Cantwell

Mason has the best young speaker in the nation giving the student Commencement address on May 21.

Quincey Smith, a graduating communication major, was recently named the national champion at the 2011 American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament.

Smith has been the co-captain of the nationally acclaimed George Mason Forensics Team for the past two years, working closely with the team’s director, Peter Pober.

Smith won the national championship in Communication Analysis, placed fourth in both Informative and Persuasive Speaking, and was a quarterfinalist in Poetry and Prose.

“I’ve always been into performing arts, and this led naturally to an interest in public speech,” says Smith.

In his Commencement address, Smith says he’s going to “celebrate the achievements of both students and the university. I am so proud to be associated with George Mason University and so proud to be a part of the Class of 2011. I am so honored and thankful to get to speak at the Commencement ceremony.”

Smith, who is also a Dean’s Challenge Award scholar, says Mason’s Forensics Team really made a difference in his college career.

“Being part of the Forensics Team has transformed my life,” says Smith. “I’m blessed with wonderful teammates and coaches, and thrilled to be at a university that supports forensics.”

Smith, who has a minor in legal studies, spent much of his college career working in a variety of capacities for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality. As a member of the university Honors Program, Smith wrote his thesis on transgender student inclusion in health services on campus. In 2010, he interned at the Human Rights Campaign, a civil rights organization working to achieve equality for LGBT individuals. He also created a new campus publication called Outloud Magazine that celebrates the LGBT community at Mason.

After graduation, Smith is moving to New York City, where he hopes to work for a nonprofit that advocates for these issues as well.

Most students are used to struggling for their art, but getting kicked out of Target is a different matter entirely. Still, Mason senior Lindsay Hawks was not at all troubled by the store’s request to vacate the premises.

Instead, Hawks and her partners in art, Alex Straub and Peter Lee, moved on to the Walmart in Burke, Va., to conduct their research as part of Edgar Endress’ interactive installation art class last spring.

Their work involved scanning the bar codes on merchandise in the store to see what a candy bar or a bottle of shampoo “sounds” like. Lee had developed an algorithm to convert bars from a Universal Product Code to musical tones or, more specifically, MIDI (Musical Instrumental Digital Interface) notes.

The group also captured their interactions with the merchandise and customers throughout the “performance” on video.

“We had to come up with a final project, and it had to be collaborative. This is what we came up with,” says Hawks, who will graduate with a BFA in art and visual technology this week.

They called themselves the Barcode Orchestra. Lee and Straub both work in new media. Hawks is “technically a painter.”

“It was Peter’s idea to take the interface we built and go to Walmart to do live performances,” she says. “As soon as we did that, we realized that whatever was happening wasn’t what we expected it to be, but it was still interesting.”

While Lee provided the technical know-how, Straub served as the sound engineer. Hawks soon found that she excelled at interacting with the shoppers.

All considered the project a success, but did they get a good grade?

“I loved the project,” says Endress, who is an associate professor in the School of Art. “I think it is really relevant work and ties into current use of technology in communities and public spaces. It is one of my favorites.”

Others agree with Endress’ assessment. Over the past year, the Barcode Orchestra has contributed an interactive installation to a show at the World Bank and at the Hemphill Fine Arts Gallery in Washington, D.C. The team also has an exhibit on display through Aug. 31 at Artisphere in Arlington, Va.

What does the future hold for the Barcode Orchestra?

Well, graduation, of course. Straub has already graduated, and Lee and Hawks are finishing up their course work.

“We could push it some more,” says Hawks of the project, but it all depends on what is going on in their lives.

Endress believes they all have great careers in front of them.

“They transcend the idea of a student artist,” he says. “In my mind, they are already working artists.”

Treniese Polk spent two years volunteering for the Peace Corps in Mozambique. Photo courtesy of Treniese Polk

When supplies and resources are limited, people have to do the best with what they have. This lesson is one that Treniese Polk will take with her after volunteering in Mozambique with the Peace Corps.

As a College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) health systems management student exploring how to help the people in this southeastern African nation, Polk was inspired by the people and culture around her.

“People here are so resourceful. If something isn’t available or affordable, people here will find a way around it,” she says. “The children make cars out of wire and Coke cans. Adults can fix anything.”

For the past two years, Polk has been stationed in Mozambique with the organization Community-Based Care, Protection, and Empowerment (COPE). As a participant in Master’s International, a joint program of the Peace Corps and George Mason University, Polk was able to fulfill her required Peace Corps volunteer service while earning an MS in health systems management.

With COPE, Polk worked with orphans and vulnerable children who have or are affected by HIV and AIDS, providing support with nutrition, home-based care, education, psychosocial support and income generation. Polk helped monitor and evaluate the program across all the intervention areas and helped facilitate workshops, training and orphan exchange visits.

She also volunteered with a teenage girls group, meeting weekly with the Mozambican girls to play sports, exercise, cook and learn about women’s health.

Treniese Polk. Photo courtesy of Treniese Polk

“We always had so much fun. In many developing countries such as Mozambique, a social life or outlet for teenagers doesn’t really exist outside of school and housework, especially for girls,” Polk says.

In fact, she found working with teenage girls so fulfilling that she co-coordinated a weeklong conference for Mozambican girls about women’s and children’s rights, health and self-esteem.

“It was one of the most challenging and yet rewarding experiences I have ever had,” Polk says.

Outside her volunteer service, Polk enjoyed getting to know a new culture. By shopping at the local open markets, traveling within the country, attending local fairs and meeting people from all over the world, Polk feels like she has gained a more universal worldview.

Now that she’s finishing her two-year stint in Africa, Polk can look back and reflect on all that she’s learned.

“I’m definitely more realistic about the world, its problems and how everything ultimately ties together,” she says. “I can’t change the world in two or maybe even 10 years, but I can definitely make a difference in someone’s life and leave a few imprints in the grand scheme of improving health disparities.”

This article originally appeared in the College of Health and Human Services publication, Dimensions 2011, vol. 17.

By Tara Laskowski

Mason graduate student German Perilla meets with potential beekeepers for the first time. Photo courtesy of German Perilla

When he goes to visit the Maijuna people in the Peruvian Amazon, Mason student German Perilla is welcomed by the name they gave him — “ua” — which means, simply, “bee.”

An appropriate name, given that last year Perilla brought more than 600,000 honeybees to their small community as part of a beekeeping program through his studies at Mason. Perilla is pursuing a master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies, with a focus in environmental science and community engagement.

Tucked away in a remote part of the northeastern Peruvian Amazon, the Maijuna Indians are a very isolated group of forest-dwellers. Today, there are approximately 400 Maijuna individuals living in four communities. Perilla began working with the Maijuna through Mason professor Michael Gilmore, an ethnobiologist who’s been working with the Maijuna for many years and helping them maintain their cultural, biological and ecological traditions.

Twice a year, Perilla travels to the Amazon to do workshops and classes with the Maijuna. It’s not an easy journey. After a nine-hour plane ride to Iquitos, the capital of the Peruvian Amazon, Perilla then travels by boat for almost 24 hours to reach Maijuna lands.

Once there, Perilla teaches the beekeepers about the biology, ecology and behavior of bees, the flowering cycle of jungle plants and practical management of the hives. The group will also learn how to harvest honey and wax and make products such as candles, jams and creams.

Love at First Sight

Mason professor Michael Gilmore gets a face painting with ink from a plant called achote. Photo courtesy of German Perilla

Ever since he first started working with bees, Perilla was, well, stung by the idea.

“The very moment we opened the hive, it was love at first sight. I’ve been working with bees ever since,” he says.

Perilla has worked on beekeeping projects all over the world. As part of the United Nations Solidarity Network in his home country of Colombia, Perilla worked with refugees of war, showing them economic opportunities with bees and small animals. In Israel, he participated in the Bees for Rural Development program.

His Maijuna beekeeping project is funded in part by the Rainforest Conservation Fund and Mason’s New Century College, as well as by private donations.

Gilmore says that Perilla’s project is perfect in many ways.

“I’m most excited about the fact that the Maijuna can use the beekeeping project for income, but still maintain their traditional lifestyle,” he says. “The bees will provide an economic means to these communities without causing any environmental destruction.”

Empowering a Community

The newly trained beekeepers in action. Photo courtesy of German Perilla

But perhaps the most important component of the project is the community empowerment it provides.

Many of the older Maijuna do not know how to read or write, but this program allows them to provide for their families and communities. Perilla is also helping the community develop a co-operative to which the beekeepers will sell all their raw materials wholesale. The co-op will then make all the byproducts, market and promote their products and resell them to consumers.

“They have to learn to relate commercially to their product and learn about taxes and law,” says Perilla, who is passionate about training the Maijuna not only how to work with bees but also how to have confidence and power.

“One of the failures I’ve found in these types of programs is that they’ll train them to be beekeepers. And that’s it. That doesn’t work.”

The co-operative will allow the communities to earn money that they can use for needed services such as medical care, school supplies and clothing. Perilla and Gilmore are also helping the Maijuna on a greater scale to protect their ancestral land from government development and outside poachers by giving them the confidence to control their own destiny.

“They are incredibly involved in the project,” says Gilmore. “German is excited about this project, and the Maijuna are, too. They view the project as their own, and that’s really important and central to the goals of this project.”

Says Perilla: “For me, it has been a real fulfillment of life. You can really make a difference there, and that is what is important to me. Conditions may be harsh in many respects, but the satisfaction you get from doing this is worth it. Whatever it is, I’m contributing to saving the Amazon and empowering these people, so I’m proud of this moment.”

See more photos of the Maijuna community and the beekeeping efforts in this photo gallery.

Alexandra Tyson. Creative Services photo

Each year, the Truman Scholarship Foundation provides up to $30,000 in funding to students who plan to pursue graduate degrees in public service fields. This year, Mason undergraduate Alexandra Tyson has been selected as scholarship recipient.

Tyson, a junior majoring in global affairs and government and international politics, was one of the 602 applicants who submitted applications for the scholarship; generally about 65 are selected.

Tyson is the fourth-ever Mason student to win a Truman Scholarship.

“I’m thrilled and absolutely floored,” says Tyson. “I’ve finally stopped crying and am now trying to let it sink in. It’s weird. If you had told me when I was a freshman that this was going to happen, I would have laughed in disbelief.”

In addition to the funding, the Truman Scholarship Foundation provides scholars assistance with career counseling, internship placement, graduate school admissions and professional development. Scholars are invited to participate in a number of programs, such as Truman Scholar Leadership Week, The Summer Institute and The Truman-Albright Fellows Program.

Born in London, Tyson was exposed to a variety of cultures as a child.

“I was raised by a Jewish father and a Catholic mother, both American, one a diplomat,” says Tyson. “When I was four, we moved to the Islamic country of Kuwait.”

However, when her brother was diagnosed with a severe learning disability, Tyson’s family decided to move to the United States permanently so that he could get treatment.

Moving around so much at such an early age, there was one thing that helped Tyson cope with change: drawing.

In fact, Tyson drew so much that her elementary school teacher restricted it and called a parent conference.

“With art, I was always searching for something, whether it was for a way to comment on the area surrounding me or to delve into my head,” she says.

Junior Alexandra Tyson is congratulated by Mason President Alan Merten and other well-wishers on being awarded the Truman Scholarship, which provides up to $30,000 in funding to students who plan to pursue graduate degrees in public service fields. Photo by Evan Cantwell

She adds: “Funnily enough, my love of design was noticed in the groups I joined at Mason, such as the Environmental Action Group (EAG). I pretty much became the de facto designer as a freshman. However, the content discussion at the EAG’s meetings stirred me in a way that made me want to become involved in the environmental movement. My initial passion for design led me to take higher leadership positions and educate myself and my peers about the destructive and insidious nature of issues such as climate change and mountaintop removal.”

Shortly after arriving at Mason, Tyson learned about the Truman Scholarship from a university bulletin board flier. Noting that the scholarship was for juniors only, Tyson tucked the thought of a fellowship into the back of her head.

“Since I have been at Mason,” she says, “I have always wanted to work in the public sector, and the Truman Foundation caters to those who aspire to take that route.”

At an information session on the scholarship, Tyson met a former Truman scholar who spoke about how the foundation changed her life.

“I was blown away by how authentic the representative was. She had such personality and wasn’t afraid to let anyone know it,” Tyson says, adding, “I spoke to her afterward and thought to myself, ‘Wow. If this is what a Truman scholar is like, then I want to be one.’”

LaNitra Berger, the Fellowship and Undergraduate Apprenticeship Program director who helped Tyson with the application process, knew that Tyson had what it took to win.

“Alex was truly surprised to learn that she was selected as a Truman Scholar, but I was not. I know that she will exceed all of the expectations that the Truman Foundation has of its scholars. Her commitment to environmental sustainability at Mason and the broader community requires a level of compassion, dedication and resolve that I have not seen before in my career. We should all be proud that students like Alex have dedicated their lives to public service.”

Tyson plans to pursue a master’s in public policy with a concentration in international environmental policy.

Although it has been a long and demanding process, Tyson is hopeful about her future and has some words of wisdom for Mason students who might be interested in applying for the scholarship.

“Don’t be afraid to take risks,” she says “If you don’t like what you are doing now, stop doing it and do what you love. Having passion for what you do is always better than trying to fit a mold you think some random fellowship director wants you to be.”

By James Greif

A team of Mason undergraduates took home a first-place prize in a statewide college competition to redraw voting districts for Virginia. Mason’s team, which was one of 13 that took part, garnered a $2,000 award in the competition division of the contest for redrawing Virginia’s House of Delegates districts.

The Virginia Redistricting Competition contest was organized by Michael McDonald, Mason associate professor of public and international affairs, and Quentin Kidd, associate professor of political science at Christopher Newport University.

“This project was a great success in bringing greater public participation and educating the public on redistricting,” McDonald says. “The contest helped to put a human face to the process, and students learned firsthand the difficulty in drawing districts to the intent of the law.”

The students were challenged to create legislative districts that are compact, contiguous, equal in population, in compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act, encompassing minority communities and respectful of existing political subdivisions.

The House of Delegates map was drawn by Mason students Dominick Liberatore, Billy Leucht, James Nance and Nicholas O’Boyle. The Mason redistricting team also included Martin Bonica, Sasha Brisbon, Elanor Donlen, Marissa Dorsey, Natalie Filzen, Frank Garvey, Frank Giglio, Emma Leahy, Howard Marano and Deepali Nayyar.

“I could not be more proud of the maps the Mason students produced,” says Gabriel Hudson, faculty advisor to the Mason redistricting team and instructor in the Department of Public and International Affairs. “In a short period of time they were able to balance several competing criteria and redistrict Virginia in a logical, fair and practical manner.”

Leucht, a team member majoring in government and international politics, says, “The redistricting competition was an excellent opportunity for students to get personally involved in the political process. Drawing the maps turned out to be fun, as well as a learning experience.”

The teams used online redistricting software developed by the Public Mapping Project, a collaborative effort led by McDonald and Micah Altman, a senior research scientist at Harvard University.

Teams from William & Mary, the University of Virginia and the University of Richmond took first-place prizes in the competition’s other five categories that included Virginia’s state senate and U.S. congressional districts.

The competition was judged by Thomas Mann of the Brookings Institution and Norman Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute. The winners were announced on March 22 at a reception at the Library of Virginia hosted by the League of Women Voters.

The U.S. Constitution requires that states adjust all legislative districts in accordance with the population shifts reflected by the most recent census, which was completed last year. Because Virginia has General Assembly elections this fall, the state is one of the first in the nation to tackle redistricting.

McDonald is leading the map-drawing efforts for the governor’s advisory commission on redistricting. Draft legislative districts from the Virginia General Assembly are expected in late March, followed by public hearings at locations across the state.

The maps produced by the students in the contest could be used for comparison with the state’s proposed plans.

“I believe what we learned from these student maps will have a profound impact on how we move forward with Virginia’s redistricting,” McDonald says.

McDonald adds that the success of the competition could lead other states to have similar student contests.

“We are getting a lot of interest from around the country as the result of what we did here,” McDonald says.

The students’ map of 100 House districts and a narrative of their plan is available online.

By Catherine Ferraro

Professor Mahesh Joshi, associate professor of entrepreneurship and global strategy, initiated the competition four years ago. Creative Services photo

A personalized scholarship database; a customized online cookbook; a product that revolutionizes how acoustic drums are recorded. These are just some of the innovative ideas that were created by Mason students and presented at the fourth annual Dean’s Business Plan Competition in December 2010.

Sponsored by Mason’s School of Management (SOM) and supported by the Mason Entrepreneurship Initiative, the competition takes place at the end of the fall semester. During the competition, undergraduate student teams submit business plan ideas and receive feedback from successful entrepreneurs, as well as cash rewards.

“I believe it is very important to help students realize their potential and connect with members of the business community,” says Mahesh Joshi, the associate professor of entrepreneurship and global strategy who started the competition.

“In addition, the competition furthers the mission of the university by encouraging students to think entrepreneurially and gets them excited about creating firms based on their own original ideas.”

Within SOM, students taking the MGMT 451 New Venture Creation course are selected to present their business plans in the Dean’s Business Plan Competition. In addition, students pursuing a minor in business and enrolled in MSOM 304 Entrepreneurship: Starting and Managing a New Enterprise participate in the competition.

Both courses are designed to help students gain a greater understanding of entrepreneurial concepts and new venture creation.

Learning from the Pros

An important part of the competition, notes Joshi, is the opportunity for students to interact with members of the business community. For students in the competition, this interaction starts in the classroom.

Robert Gaudian, David Miller and Skip West are successful entrepreneurs who have started their own companies and are actively involved in managing their businesses. As adjunct SOM faculty members, they also happen to teach the courses from which the business plan student teams are drawn.

Joshi also invites several entrepreneurs, many of whom are Mason alumni, from across the country to judge and sponsor the competition.

Some of the alumni who participated in the 2010 competition include the primary sponsor, Chuck Schue, EMBA ’05. He is founder and chief executive officer of UrsaNav Inc., which provides engineering and information technology services. Others are Bhupesh Wadhawan, BS Accounting and Management Information Systems ’02, who is president of Link Solutions Inc., an information technology and management consulting services firm; Norman Ryan Merritt, MBA ’09, co-founder of Meret & Co, a professional women’s wear company; and Walter Pinson, BS Computer Science ’97 and EMBA ’10. Beckyanne Theriot, founder of A First-Class Move, a move management company, expects to receive a BIS degree this year.

And the Awards Go To…

During the competition, students are required to give a 12-minute presentation on their business plan, followed by a three-to-five-minute question-and-answer session. Judges evaluate each student team based on several factors: the need for the business; how the products or services will be created and delivered; and whether or not the students made a case for their business.

In December, sponsors awarded $2,000 in prize money — quite a substantial increase from the $500 that was awarded when the competition began four years ago. Joshi hopes to increase the amount in the future and has already secured nearly $5,000 in sponsorships for the next competition.

The student team Scholarique took first prize and earned $1,000 in the most recent competition. For their business plan, junior management majors David Wellington, Syed Bokhari, Zachary Ulm and Dikesh Malhotra created a unique and hassle-free way of finding and applying to college scholarships.

“Competing in the Dean’s Business Plan Competition was a phenomenal experience and was an excellent opportunity for us to stand before entrepreneurs and pitch our idea on which we had worked so hard,” says Wellington. “This competition gave me and my team leaders the confidence that we can also be entrepreneurs and leaders and create something new and useful.”

Eclipse Digital is the name of the student team that won the Audience Choice Award of $500. Competing against the electronic drum market, Eclipse Digital proposes a product that will transform how acoustic drums are recorded. At the same time, the product will save drummers and recording engineers time and money without sacrificing quality.

Reflecting the university’s commitment to sustainability, the competition awarded a new prize to the business plan that exhibited concern for social entrepreneurship and sustainability. The student team My Custom Cookbook received this special prize and won $500. My Custom Cookbook offers an online database that will eliminate the frustration of daily meal planning and the inconvenience of spoiled food.

“I truly believe that this competition pulls students out of their comfort zone and is a test of their convictions,” says Joshi. “It’s not easy to put something out there in which you’ve invested so much time and energy. This competition is the first requirement for a budding entrepreneur.”

By Catherine Ferraro

Janet McGraw. Photo courtesy of Janet McGraw

“I think some people tend to give up on teenagers, but they are really just on the brink of realizing their potential,” says Mason theater alumna Janet McGraw. “They just need an extra push from someone who believes in them.”

McGraw, fellow alumna Dannie Synder and current theater student Patricia Talmadge share a passion about two things: the theater and helping at-risk teens. Now, after starting their own theater company, Peripeteia Productions, the trio has found a novel way of combining these interests.

Originating from Greek, the word “peripeteia” means an unexpected change of fortune or a turning point. Peripeteia Productions uses a combination of exercises, playwriting and performing that educates teens about conflict-resolution skills and positive lifestyle choices.

The three co-founders hope these techniques will help teens build self-confidence and realize that they have the power to change their thinking and, thus, the conditions in which they live.

“We wanted to work with teenagers because both Patricia and I have always felt very invested in helping kids who have come from difficult backgrounds and who need some guidance in their lives,” says McGraw. Talmadge herself had a troubled childhood and adolescence.

Patricia Talmadge. Photo courtesy of Patricia Talmadge

The idea for the company originated as a class assignment when McGraw, BA Theater ’10, and Talmadge, currently a senior theater major, were enrolled in THR 440: Advanced Studies in Directing and Dramaturgy last spring. Students were tasked with creating their own theater companies, complete with mission and vision statements and season programs that put the missions into action.

By a stroke of luck, the pair struck up a conversation with Snyder, BA Film and Video Studies ’10 and BA Theater ’10. She had recently returned from Manchester, England, where she was studying the same topic: theater’s role in the community. Together, the trio discovered a void in the Washington, D.C., area of companies that provided participatory theater experiences to at-risk teens.

“In England, theater plays a huge role in the community and is often used as a tool to bring people together and help them overcome oppressive conditions,” says Snyder. “I was still very much interested in this idea when I returned to Mason, and working with Janet and Patricia presented the perfect opportunity to put this idea into action right here in the Northern Virginia area.”

The three were also inspired by the work of Augusto Boal, Viola Spolin and Michael Rohd, who are renowned for using theater to help bring people out of oppressive conditions and confront the reality in which they are living.

Dannie Snyder. Photo courtesy of Dannie Snyder

Once the plan for the theater company had been completed on paper, the group began transitioning from the classroom to the real world — a task that proved challenging. Having to quickly learn about the business side of running their own company, the group sought the services of an attorney, who helped guide them through the steps of creating a board of directors and bylaws, as well as incorporating a nonprofit organization.

Last summer, they launched a three-week pilot program with the Girls’ Outreach program at Argus House, an Arlington, Va.-based organization that serves girls ages 13–17 with troubled pasts.

On a volunteer basis, McGraw, Talmadge and Snyder spent one day a week with the girls, taking them through exercises and role-playing activities that helped to address areas of conflict in the girls’ lives.

“After each exercise, we talked with the girls about the activity they had just seen and whether or not the situation was handled effectively,” says Talmadge. “From the beginning to the end of the program, we noticed positive differences in the girls and hope that they take the conflict-resolution skills they have learned throughout the program and apply them to their lives.”

With the pilot program at Argus House under their belt, the group plans to branch out to other organizations and run programs, this time for a fee, that last from six to 12 weeks. They hope to work with the boys’ program at Argus House; Vanguard, a substance abuse facility; and area detention centers.

Although Peripeteia Productions will tailor its curriculum specifically to the needs of the group or facility, its program is generally structured with three main sections: a team-building stage, a creation stage and a rehearsal stage.

In the team-building stage, participants explore internal and social conflicts using a variety of theater exercises. The creation stage allows participants to discover a story they wish to share with the world. Finally, the rehearsal stage involves using their playwriting and improvisational skills to create a staged production that will be performed for a local audience.

“Our ultimate goal is to eventually establish program directors in cities across the country and perhaps even globally,” says McGraw. “If this program helps even one teenager realize their potential and teaches them how to overcome their current situation, we will consider it a success.”

By Aisha Jamil

Mason’s student organizations, now numbering about 250, are as diverse as the individuals who participate in them. They aim to help students express their interests in the arts, in recreation and in social and political issues, while finding a community of fellow students who share their passions.

The variety of clubs is limited pretty much only by the imagination of the students who organize and run them. And since Mason is full of creative students, business is booming for the Office of Student Involvement, which is responsible for approving student clubs and organizations.

“We have seen an overwhelming increase in the past two years in the number of applications being submitted,” says Sara Morrisroe, assistant director for student organizations in the Office of Student Involvement.

“This is great to see, as it shows how many students are looking to build a network and community through their interests. Involvement within a student organization allows individuals to become more engaged and build a stronger connection to Mason,” she adds.

Following is a snapshot of a few of these innovative organizations.

The Art and Sport of Capoeira

Part art form, part sport, Capoeira has Afro-Peruvian roots. Photo courtesy of the Capoeira Club

Just what is this thing called Capoeira (pronounced coppa-WAY-rah)?

“It combines a lot of martial arts and acrobatics with elements of yoga and break dancing,” explains Tamara Wilkerson, a senior majoring in integrative studies who is president and co-founder of the club.

Part art form, part competitive sport, Capoeira has elements of Afro-Brazilian culture and is practiced to Portuguese music. Mason’s Capoeira Club focuses on Capoeira etiquette and movements, Wilkerson says.

Started two and a half years ago by Wilkerson and Romina Boccia, a graduate student in economics, the organization quickly gained interest from students of all backgrounds and athletic abilities, the leaders say, with some participants already experts in Capoeira, and others who didn’t even know what it was.

The Capoeira group meets twice weekly for two-hour sessions, including a 30-minute warm-up.

Capoeira is great exercise, Wilkerson points out.

“It is just a really good workout. I always come out drenched,” Wilkerson says. “Starting from the day you begin it, it increases your stamina, strength and flexibility.”

Capoeira also offers a social benefit, the organizers say.

“It enables students to connect with one another in a friendly, welcoming environment where they can form lasting friendships,” Boccia says.

For more information on the Capoeira Club, see the group’s Facebook fan page.

Jumping on the Glee Club Bandwagon

Mason’s Glee Club is one of the newest student organizations at Mason.

Inspired by the TV show “Glee,” Gabriel Lavine and Amanda Smith, started organizing the club last summer.

“It serves as a vocal and rhythmic performance group,” says Lavine, a freshman majoring in government and international politics. “Our organization is dedicated to igniting creativity and talent among members of the Mason community.”

Auditions were held at the beginning of the fall 2010 semester, and 15 students were selected to be a part of the choir. The club will hold new auditions this semester.

“We have people from all walks of life participating in Glee — athletes, sorority and fraternity members, the Marines and more,” says Chelsea Ziegler, a glee member and freshman majoring in Russian and Eurasian Studies. “This sets us apart from other groups who may cater to a specific group of people. Glee is for everyone.”

For some students, the Glee Club provides a much-needed outlet for fun and relaxation.

“After a long day of schoolwork, it feels so great to sing, dance and have a good time with people that share the same interests as you,” says Joanne Smathers, a sophomore majoring in communication.

Smith, a freshman global community health major who is vice president of the club, says, “I like the Glee Club because it is an outlet for creativity. I am thrilled to have founded such a great club, and just to see it blossom into something bigger makes me even happier.”

For more information, see the group’s Facebook fan page.

Quidditch Finds a Place at Mason

One player describes Quidditch as "athletic, nerdy and fun." Photo by Evan Cantwell

Every Friday afternoon, Mason’s Intramural Field No. 3 transforms into a sports ground for Muggle Quidditch. As fans of the Harry Potter books and movies know, Quidditch is a game played on flying broomsticks.

Mason’s version is, of course, more down-to-earth.

“We are playing a sport that is derived from someone’s imagination in an incredible sort of way,” says Arash Almasi, a senior management major.

Started at Middlebury College in 2005, the adapted game has become highly popular. More than 300 high school teams and 400 colleges are recognized by the International Quidditch Association.

Mason’s team, organized by Chloe Kingsley-Burt and Katie Dever last summer, had a difficult time gaining university approval because of the potentially dangerous physical gestures it involved.

“As seen in the films, Quidditch involves a lot of physical contact, including tackling, blocking and knocking players off their brooms. We don’t want anyone to get hurt, so we adjusted the rulebook accordingly,” says Dever, a sophomore biology major who is vice president of the club. “It is a very intense sport.”

The game combines elements of dodgeball, basketball and other sports, using two types of balls and a person acting as another — the Snitch.

“The game is fantasy brought into reality,” says Brandon Herlig, a freshman theater major. “It’s athletic, nerdy and fun at the same time.”

“We hope to improve and establish our team enough to play and compete with other schools,” says Kingsley-Burt, a sophomore communication major who is president of the club. She would like Quidditch to become an official college sport one day.

The Quidditch World Cup has taken place for the past four years, and Mason’s team plans to take its players to compete next year.

“It’s a great outlet for students on campus to exercise their mental and physical capabilities,” says Kingsley-Burt.” It’s for people who value creativity and athleticism at the same time.”

Photo by Evan Cantwell

The 2010-11 Forensics Team, with director Peter Pober at far right, standing. Photo by Evan Cantwell

For members of Mason’s perennial powerhouse Forensics Team, success means hours and hours of practice — some of it involving a head full of shampoo.

“I’ve even read my speeches in the shower,” admits team co-captain Nick Cox, a junior majoring in community health. Other members, he says, have taken to listening to their speeches while sleeping to try to memorize them. “Whatever it takes,” he says.

Forensics, which pits competitors’ oratory and debating skills, is the art of formal debate. The most successful team in Mason’s history, the team has ranked among the nation’s top 35 teams every year since 1975. It won the national collegiate title in 1979, and has produced more than 35 individual national champions.

Since Peter Pober, a communication professor with an infectious love for public speaking, arrived from the University of Texas at Austin to become director of Mason’s Forensics Team in 2003, the team has ranked in the top 10 nationally each year. At the national tournament in 2010, the team finished fourth out of more than 100 teams that competed. In that same tournament, Mason students placed first through fourth in extemporaneous speaking, an event where competitors are given a limited amount of time to prepare a persuasive speech on the spot.

Hours and hours of research and practice pay off on the national stage. Photo by Evan Cantwell

With an MA and PhD in speech communication from the University of Texas at Austin, Pober is considered one of the nation’s preeminent forensics directors. While coaching at his alma mater, he led Texas to 32 team, individual and program national titles. Between Texas and Mason, his span of directing a top-10 team now exceeds two decades.

As for the success of Mason’s team, Pober says the university’s diverse student population and the support the team gets from faculty throughout the campus both play a big part. And just like members of a college sports team that wins year in and year out, he also says each of his students has a strong desire to maintain Mason’s winning tradition.

“The students are so vested in the legacy of the program,” he says. “They rock my world!”

Currently, there are 33 students on the team. As evidence of its national reputation, about 75 percent of the members came from states other than Virginia — signaling that students come from far and wide to be a part of Mason’s Forensics Team. That’s up from about 10 percent of out-of-state students a decade ago.

“It’s inspirational to see so many members put so much effort into the team,” says Quincey Smith, the team’s other co-captain who’s from Wyoming and is studying public relations.

Smith, who calls Pober an “inspiration” to members of the team, has been involved with forensics since his freshman year of high school. Like a lot of members, he says the reputation of the team is what brought him to Mason.

He says the key to Mason’s success lies in preparation. Members, he says, are constantly researching and rehearsing their speeches, which can be up to 10 minutes in length. Topics he has been working on this year include discriminatory health care practices against transgender people and the importance of being alone.

As a senior, this is Smith’s last year on the team. “It is sort of frightening to know that forensics won’t be part of my life next year,” he says, adding that he would like to coach someday.

Like Smith, Cox says he enrolled at Mason to be part of the team. And besides preparing for a tournament by reciting speeches in the shower, he also records his speeches and listens to them while driving.

And while there have been too many memorable events over his time on the team to pinpoint his proudest moment, he did say that being with his teammates at a big tournament is still his biggest thrill.

“At nationals,” he says, “everyone is just beaming with excitement. It makes you feel so good about being a part of this team.”

In April, the team will travel to the University of Nebraska Kearney to take part in the American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament.

See www.gmuforensics.org to learn more about the team.

Regine Jean-Francois. Photo courtesy of Regine Jean-Francois

The earth growled and rolled like crashing waves, causing ceilings to cave, walls to collapse and roads to buckle. Amidst the chaos in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, that fateful afternoon of Jan. 12, 2010, was Mason graduate student Regine Jean-Francois, who was visiting her parents over the winter break.

“Pictures from the walls started to fall,” she recalls. “Then I heard my mother yelling, ‘Earthquake! Earthquake!’”

A public health student, Jean-Francois has been back to Haiti once since that horrific day almost one year ago.

As part of a practicum for one of her courses, she spent a month in Port-au-Prince last summer running a camp for nearly 100 children who attended the same school. All had either lost a relative to the quake or had one injured.

While there, she evaluated the health of the children and taught them how to deal with emergency situations. Some, she recalls, suffered from malnutrition and infections. Others were starved for attention, as their parents were left to deal with the aftereffects of damaged homes and lost income. All, she says, were adapting to their hardships.

“The people of Haiti are very resilient,” she says.

From the World Factbook

Part of Jean-Francois’ desire to help her fellow Haitians comes from her own experiences during the quake.

Scheduled to fly back to Northern Virginia on Jan. 13, Jean-Francois was chatting with friends online from her mother’s office computer on the afternoon of Jan. 12 when the earth started to rumble

Seconds later, she and her mother raced to find a way out of the building where her mother, Dianne Jean-Francois, MD, worked as country director for the Catholic Medical Mission Board, a charity that specializes in medical donations.

A secretary directed them in one direction, but that way out was blocked. Finally, after maneuvering through the dust and debris and out the building, they darted to a clearing, where they started calling loved ones.

Jean-Francois’ 92-year-old grandmother survived, but an uncle did not.

Despite the devastation, her parents still live in Haiti, where Jean-Francois was born, with her mother using her health care expertise to find medicine for ailing residents and prosthetic limbs for others with more lasting injuries.

In terms of helping Haiti heal, Jean-Francois hopes to follow in her mother’s footsteps. That’s why, just five days after the quake, she reluctantly returned to Fairfax, prodded by her parents to continue her studies.

“My parents said I had to go back to school because Haiti would need people like us (educated public health experts),” she says, adding, “But it made me happy that I was there (during the quake), because I could be with my family, and I could help my mother,” who aided countless Haitians moments after the quake struck.

Jean-Francois, who also has a BS in psychology from Mason, will graduate next May. She plans to remain in this area for a couple more years to gain valuable work experience.

After that, she hopes to return to Haiti to help in her homeland’s continued recovery. Something she says that is possible — albeit, not without a great deal of work.

“We can get back to where we were,” says Jean-Francois, who plans to make her summer camp in Haiti an annual activity. “But it will take a lot of sacrifice and effort.”