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Ilya Kim brought a unique perspective to his studies at ��������. He grew up as ethnic minority in Russia, living in the country until his family moved to South Korea in 2008 when he was 8. 

That experience has informed his studies, first as a global affairs major who spent three years at Mason Korea, where he also served as Mason Korea’s student council president and worked as a resident advisor and University Life office intern.  

When he arrived at George Mason’s Fairfax �������� he already knew he wanted to pursue a master’s degree in sociology. He reached out to Shannon Davis, who spent three years as Mason Korea’s associate dean for faculty and academic affairs in addition to 15 years with George Mason’s Sociology Department.  

She in turn was able to point Kim to John Dale, associate professor of sociology and director of , the social movement research hub of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences’ (CHSS) Center for Social Science Research (CSSR).  

“[Dale] was really the guy who got me to where I am in my graduate studies,” Kim said.  

Indeed, it didn’t take long for Dale to be equally impressed by Kim, who he first met in his CONF 399 Sociology of Human Rights course in fall 2022.   

“It quickly became apparent to me and his classmates that he was the brightest kid in the class,” Dale said. “I gave him an A-plus, and I never give an A-plus.” 

As a master’s student, Kim has built on his undergraduate work with Movement Engaged, learning under Dale and working alongside PhD students.  

“That exposure to high-level learning and people who are about to defend their thesis made me work harder because I wanted to be at their level to contribute to the discussion,” Kim said.   

He continued his community involvement at the Fairfax ��������, serving as a community assistant for the university’s Office of Housing and Residential Life. In 2022, Kim received the Volunteer of the Year Award from the Virginia Association of College and University Housing Officers.   

Kim is on track to finish his master’s degree from George Mason in the fall of 2026 and continues to expand on his research for his capstone project: “Sakhalin Island: Nexus of Transnational Movements.”   

Dale has called Kim’s research a fascinating case study of globalization and transnational politics that could turn into a PhD dissertation.   

The project examines the small Russian island of Sakhalin, which is more than 4,000 miles east of Moscow and sits in the Pacific Ocean just north of Japan. The island is inhabited by half a million people, including Russians, Indigenous peoples, Koreans, and even Americans. Kim has a close connection to the island, as his grandparents used to live there and distant relatives still reside there.  

 “It is very hard to find someone with the background Ilya has in Russia who can write well, do that translation and research in Russia,” Dale said. “Especially [someone] who also would be seeing it from the perspective of an ethnic minority position inside Russia, and so have more of a critical history of the formation of their constitution, which is what brought new insight to the possibilities for reform.”  

“It is almost a little wildlife reserve of many of these identities there, and somehow they are all co-existing,” Kim said of Sakhalin. “But there are also tensions. I argue that people on that specific island are interesting to study because of how unique their identity and perspective is. If we can understand what Russia is and what type of identity it projects, then it kind of gives us a blueprint of how we can work with those groups—not just on paper, but in reality.” 

Kim’s work received the 2025 College of Humanities and Social Sciences Dean’s Challenge Scholarship, which recognizes exceptional students who have demonstrated academic excellence, a commitment to education as a powerful tool for change, and commitment to leadership and community engagement. It is among the most competitive and prestigious scholarships that the college offers and is open to all CHSS students.  

“Ilya is a shining example of how George Mason students can make a global impact,” CHSS Dean Ann Ardis said. “In addition to his research and collaborations with Movement Engaged, he has shown his commitment to improving the student experience on campus for Mason Korea and international students making the transition to Fairfax.”