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Student-led Chesapeake Bay project showcases George Mason’s commitment to environmental stewardship

Colleen Rich — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 19:32:22 +0000

Student-led Chesapeake Bay project showcases George Mason’s commitment to environmental stewardship Colleen Rich Wed, 06/25/2025 - 15:32

Innovation and environmental stewardship are alive and well in �� classrooms, where students are translating ecological science into hands-on projects.

Vulcan Materials was on site to help with the concrete pouring. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

In spring 2025, students in EVPP 480 Sustainability in Action gave a crucial boost to Chesapeake Bay oysters by constructing oyster reef balls where the bivalves can attach, grow, and develop into natural reef structures. The course is co-taught by Department of Environmental Science and Policy professors and George Mason alumni Dann Sklarew, PhD Environmental Science and Public Policy ’00, and Jennifer Sklarew, PhD Public Policy ’15.

Unlike species that rely on habitats created by others, oysters are the habitat. As a keystone species in the bay, their growth forms the foundation of reef structures that support a wide array of marine life.

“Oysters are critical to water filtration, carbon sequestration, and nutrient cycling,” said environmental science major Camille Larkin, who graduated with her bachelor’s degree in May. “Unfortunately, their populations have declined due to habitat degradation, disease, and overfishing.”

Larkin and classmates Noah Beck, BA Environmental and Sustainability Studies ’25; Erin Dougherty, BA Environmental and Sustainability Studies ’25; and Alex Peterson, BA Environmental Science ’25, worked together to develop the Chesapeake Bay Oyster Restoration Education Project, an interdisciplinary effort focused on habitat creation, environmental education, and community engagement.

The reef balls will take a year to cure before being place in the Chesapeake Bay. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

With support from the Patriot Green Fund, they partnered with Coastal Conservation Association Maryland (CCA) and its flagship initiative the Living Reef Action Campaign (LRAC) to host a two-day event on George Mason’s Science and Technology �� that brought together nearly 25 volunteers. Using molds provided by CCA, volunteers assembled the molds and assisted in the concrete pouring effort, courtesy of Vulcan Materials, to build 20 artificial reef structures, called oyster reef balls. The reef balls are approximately three feet high and weigh about 250 lbs. each.

“This project started with four students who asked, ‘Why stop at improving our campus when we could make a difference across the entire Chesapeake Bay?’” said Dann Sklarew. “The [reef balls] were designed with rough surfaces to enhance the attachment of oysters and other stationary estuarine organisms, creating habitats for fish, shellfish, and even dolphins that pass through the bay.”

Helping the volunteers was LRAC representative and George Mason alum Jesse Howe, MEd Elementary Education ’15, assistant director of CCA. Howe has been conducting these reef-building workshops throughout the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area for several years as part of his CCA advocacy work.

Jesse Howe. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Howe said he was happy to hear from the students when they reached out to him about reef project. “I’ve always felt a strong connection with George Mason and was excited to be back on campus,” he said.

After graduating from George Mason, Howe taught in Latin America for nearly a decade before turning to conservation work. “This organization just really aligned with my personal values,” he said of CCA. And those teaching skills serve him well as he talks students of all ages through the steps of building the reef balls.

“It’s important work,” Howe said. “These volunteers are helping to create an ecosystem and support life in a spot of the Chesapeake Bay that has been devoid of that life for many decades.”

After the concrete structures cure for more than a year, they will be deployed at sites across the lower Potomac River and middle Chesapeake Bay and are expected to bolster oyster populations and habitat to support diverse marine life.

To extend the project’s reach, miniature versions of the reefs will be displayed on campus, alongside educational materials about oyster ecology and conservation in the Chesapeake Bay.

“We believe giving the George Mason community a hands-on role in this project builds awareness and fosters a sense of personal connection to local environmental challenges,” said Dougherty.

By combining cutting-edge scientific research with community-driven action, George Mason faculty and students are advancing reef science while realizing tangible restoration results.

Additional reporting by Colleen Kearney Rich.

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George Mason grad explores environmental management strategies

Katarina Benson — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 20:24:09 +0000

George Mason grad explores environmental management strategies Katarina Benson Fri, 06/13/2025 - 16:24

For Northern Virginia native Ryan McIntyre, the path to a master’s in environmental science and policy at �� began with something simple: a love for the outdoors and a family connection.

Ryan McIntyre. Photo by Office of University Branding

While attending Northern Virginia Community College, McIntyre was introduced to a job opportunity in the Meaningful Watershed Education Experience through family friend Cindy Smith, a professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy who runs George Mason’s program with Fairfax County Public Schools.

“I liked being outside, so I took the job,” McIntyre said. That decision would plant the seed for a future dedicated to conservation and environmental policy.

After completing his associate degree, McIntyre said George Mason felt like a natural next step. He enrolled in Mason’s Bachelor’s to Accelerated Master’s Program working on degrees in environmental science, a decision that would shape his academic and professional future.

“The accelerated master’s set me on a research path,” McIntyre said. “I don’t know where I would have ended up otherwise.”

McIntyre with blue crab. Photo provided

That research path led him to a recent fellowship with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE). His work focused on invasive aquatic plants, specifically Trapa bispinosa, a species of water chestnut known for its ability to rapidly spread across the surface of freshwater bodies.

“There’s a history of this genus in the U.S. going back to the 1940s,” McIntyre explained. “One species took over much of the Potomac River, and it took years to eradicate.”

Now, with a new species surfacing in Northern Virginia, the U.S. Army Corps brought McIntyre on board to study how local, state, and federal agencies are managing the threat. His master’s thesis centered on observing the management techniques of different organizations, including Fairfax County Park Authority and the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District. “It became an observational study comparing their management techniques, how effective they are, and how they compare to each other,” he said.

This blend of environmental science and government is no coincidence. When McIntyre earned his bachelor’s degree in environmental science from George Mason, he did so with a minor in public policy. “It was clear to me that you can’t protect the environment without the law,” he said. “I can do all the science I want to, but unless there is legislation in place, I don’t think we’ll make a lot of progress.”

That philosophy inspired his leadership as president of the George Mason student organization Science Policy Network, which works to bridge the divide between policymakers and scientists. The group organizes social and professional events that bring together students from both fields.

One of the most defining moments of his time at George Mason was a semester at the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation (SMSC). “It reset the course of what I wanted to do and changed my perspective on nature and ecology,” he said.

For someone who grew up memorizing environmental trivia and enjoying time outdoors, McIntyre said it was the first time those passions were recognized as valuable academic assets. “There were a lot of skills I had that I’d never applied in an academic setting before,” McIntyre said. “That experience showed me how my knowledge and interests could contribute to a deeper understanding of ecology and biodiversity.”

That semester working alongside Smithsonian Institution scientists at SMSC in Front Royal, Virginia, led to two internships for McIntyre. One summer he spent hunting for Virginia orchids in Shenandoah and identifying plants that grow around them, “in an attempt to understand the factors that make these hyper-specialized blooms call particular areas home.”

The next summer he found himself aboard a boat in the Chesapeake Bay counting fish as part of an internship with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater, Maryland. There he served as an intern liaison between the Fisheries Conservation Lab and the center’s public-facing education department.

“My background as a science communicator got me a role turning the FishCon’s work into lesson plans for the public,” he wrote in an essay about his experience for a Smithsonian Magazine blog.

As he prepares for the next chapter, teaching as an adjunct professor at Northern Virginia Community College, McIntyre hopes to inspire a new generation of environmental leaders.

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George Mason students learn to tackle complex problems and engage with Virginia state senator

Katarina Benson — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 17:06:36 +0000

George Mason students learn to tackle complex problems and engage with Virginia state senator Katarina Benson Fri, 03/14/2025 - 13:06

Students trickle into the classroom, a mix of excitement and nervous energy in the air, as they prepare to present their policy recommendations. For the past few weeks, these �� students developed policy memos based on various socioeconomic and environmental issues facing Northern Virginia and together worked in groups to develop recommendations for addressing them. But today is different from the usual classroom discussion where ideas are shared with peers and professors. Now their audience is far more formidable: Virginia State Senator Stella Pekarsky.

EVPP 336 Tackling Wicked Problems in Society and the Environment, a course offered in fall 2024 by the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at George Mason’s College of Science, takes a problem-based learning approach, immersing students in complex public issues that require input from a variety of stakeholders. Unlike traditional lecture-based courses, it offers students the unique opportunity to develop potential solutions and present their recommendations to elected officials and university administrators. The feedback from these decision-makers provides valuable insights into the real-world implications of their proposals.

State Senator Stella Pekarsky (right) gives feedback on student presentations. Photo provided

“Learning how to use a systems thinking approach, students build the skills to better understand the complexity of the ‘wicked’ problems that we face and co-create approaches that take into account people’s differing perspectives,” said K.L. Akerlof, environmental science and policy professor. The course, EVPP 336, is part of the Mason Community Engagement and Civic Learning experience.

“A wicked problem describes multifaceted issues,” said junior environmental science major Mihika Bangarbale. “Take climate change—we often think about the science around this problem, but there are economic and social aspects to the issue that must also be considered when forming any sort of policy recommendation.”

The group presentations covered a variety of issues including sustainable agriculture, environmental education, and microplastic pollution in drinking water. All proposals were sent to Senator Pekarsky ahead of time, and students presented their ideas and answered questions when the senator visited their class in December.

“I’ve had policy writing assignments before, but this class provided tools to think more critically about who the key actors are in a system, how resources are managed, and who holds responsibility for them,” said environmental and sustainability studies major Maceo Franks. “It was incredible to present our ideas to someone actively involved in these matters and [who] could provide immediate feedback.”

Franks added that the presentation gave him a taste for what he hopes will be a long-term career. “The experience gave me the confidence to present my ideas effectively, which is exactly what I hope to do in the future.”

“Senator Pekarsky was so nice and easy to talk to,” said senior environmental science major Terrionna Cuthrell. “She was so engaged with not only my project, but with everyone’s project. And she also read the projects ahead of time, which I didn’t expect her to do.”

State Senator and George Mason alumna Stella Pekarsky met with students from a Department of Environmental Science and Policy. Photo provided

During class, Senator Pekarsky, a George Mason alumna with a BA in government and politics and a master of education, briefly spoke to the students after their presentations, noting her own memories of sitting where they are now. “It’s not easy to find solutions that will bring about progress in a way that brings together as many people as possible. But you all hit upon some great recommendations,” she said.

Akerlof, who is also a George Mason alum, said she hopes the experience of presenting recommendations is empowering and that it will inspire students to do it again. “I hope that makes them more engaged citizens, and it may open doors to them that may not have thought of for their careers,” she said

This is the case for Cuthrell, who thought her interest in environmental epidemiology pointed toward a career in the for-profit sector rather than politics. “After taking this class, I realized I want to be more involved in politics,” she said. “We learned about several issues, how it works when government agencies try to tackle them, and how I can make my voice heard. It’s really inspired me to rethink where I may be able to make the most impact.”

"Many of my previous classes have addressed environmental issues, but they’ve primarily focused on the science behind the problems," shared Julia Belvin, a senior majoring in environmental and sustainability studies. "What I appreciate about this course is that it goes beyond just understanding the issues—it challenges you to think about practical solutions and how you can make a real difference for people."

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George Mason scientist leads $1.8M NSF grant to address mobility challenges from urban flooding

Katarina Benson — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:36:52 +0000

George Mason scientist leads $1.8M NSF grant to address mobility challenges from urban flooding Katarina Benson Fri, 02/21/2025 - 14:36

�� researcher Alireza Ermagun has been awarded a $1.8 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to address mobility challenges caused by nuisance flooding. The project, a collaboration with Villanova University and the University of South Carolina, centers on understanding how frequent, low-level flooding disrupts daily transportation systems and devising equitable solutions.

Alireza Ermagun. Photo provided

Nuisance flooding frequently inundates roads and overwhelms stormwater systems, creating widespread transportation challenges. Ermagun emphasizes that such flooding disproportionately affects vulnerable populations who depend on public transit, walking, or biking. “These frequent but seemingly minor floods accumulate to create major disruptions, particularly for those already facing socioeconomic and mobility barriers,” said Ermagun, the director of Mobility Observatory and Data Analytics Lab and an assistant professor in the Department of Geography and Geoinformation Science. “This project aims to ensure that every resident has access to reliable transportation, regardless of the challenges posed by flooding.”

The research focuses on three neighborhoods in Philadelphia—Kensington, Manayunk, and Germantown—and involves close partnerships with the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD), the Delaware Valley River Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), and the Energy Coordinating Agency (ECA). The team will examine the spatial and temporal extent of flooding in these areas and develop strategic green infrastructure solutions to address mobility barriers.

“Nuisance flooding is common but difficult to assess,” said Virginia Smith, a water resource scientist at Villanova University. “These events, however, disrupt people’s lives and their ability to move around their communities. By identifying where flooding occurs and its impact, we can develop meaningful solutions to improve daily life and beyond.”

The project places a strong emphasis on engaging communities directly impacted by nuisance flooding. Peleg Kremer, a social-ecological systems scientist at Villanova University, explained, “this project brings community voices into planning, translating their lived experiences into equitable, actionable solutions.”

“Many individuals rely on stable, predictable transportation patterns in their daily lives, and disruptions can be especially harmful for the most residents. Understanding the roots of these

impacts is key to creating effective solutions,” said Brian Levy, a social scientist at the University of South Carolina.

The project also aims to innovate in green infrastructure and mobility planning, ensuring that proposed solutions are not just functional but equitable. “By reducing mobility barriers through strategic infrastructure planning, we can promote resilience in urban transportation,” said Chenfeng Xiong, a transportation scientist at Villanova University.

Reflecting on the broader vision of the project, Ermagun emphasized the importance of combining data-driven approaches with community insight. “Some solutions, like flexible pick-up and drop-off stations or subsidies for ride sharing, show promise,” he said. “But to truly address the scale of the problem, we need to explore more transformative changes, potentially redesigning urban infrastructure, from roads to sewer systems. Our research aims to provide the data and strategies necessary to identify the most effective interventions while centering the voices of those most impacted.”

With a timeline extending through August 2028, this initiative offers unique opportunities for graduate students, researchers, and community members to collaborate on cutting-edge research while contributing to lasting, positive change in Philadelphia’s neighborhoods.

“Our ultimate goal is to not only mitigate the impacts of nuisance flooding,” said Ermagun, “but also to empower communities to adapt and thrive in the face of increasing climate challenges.”

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$1.2M NSF-funded fellowship aims to foster diversity in quantum science workforce

Colleen Rich — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 14:09:11 +0000

$1.2M NSF-funded fellowship aims to foster diversity in quantum science workforce Colleen Rich Mon, 10/28/2024 - 10:09

�� received a $1.25 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to launch a postdoctoral fellowship program that will prepare recent PhD graduates to be leaders in quantum education and workforce development research. The program focuses on addressing challenges in quantum education, particularly in building an inclusive and equitable workforce.

Jessica Rosenberg. Photo by Office of University Branding

The �� Quantum Education Research Postdoctoral Fellowship will be led by Jessica Rosenberg, an associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and director of education for the Quantum Science and Engineering Center.

“It’s an opportunity to bring together recent PhDs from different disciplines to think about the problem of building a diverse and equitable workforce from varying angles while also providing an environment for them to build and strengthen their careers in STEM education research,” said Rosenberg.

She will work alongside co-principal investigators Paula Danquah-Brobby, associate dean of access, belonging, and community engagement in the College of Science; Jill Nelson, an associate professor in the College of Engineering and Computing (CEC); and Nancy Holincheck, an assistant professor in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), to engage with fellows, provide mentorship, and assist in research projects.

According to Rosenberg, postdoctoral researchers occupy a unique and sometimes challenging phase in career development, where the level of support can vary significantly. They are learning to lead their own projects and take responsibility for forging their future careers, but they still need to develop additional skills. In the program, postdoctoral fellows will receive essential mentorship and networking opportunities and encouragement to develop their own projects and collaborate on existing ones. By working in a small cohort, participants will receive the guidance necessary to make the most of this critical stage in their careers.

“George Mason is a leading institution in the quantum education space,” said Rosenberg. “We are positioned well to provide a meaningful fellowship like this, to bring in folks and help them to really think through challenges and start their careers.”

“Fostering an inclusive and equitable workforce starts in the classroom,” said Danquah-Brobby. “It has been well established that diversity of thoughts, perspectives, lived experiences, disciplinarity, among others, is positively associated with scientific discovery, innovation, and achievement. To successfully rise to the myriad 21st-century challenges, centering diversity, inclusion, and equity throughout and across the STEM ecosystem is absolutely essential.”

The quantum field is rapidly evolving and expected to make significant impacts in the coming years, driven by initiatives like the National Quantum Act, which aims to accelerate quantum research and development. The U.S. government is increasing investments in quantum technologies that, Rosenberg explained, are poised to enhance various applications including communications through quantum cryptography and advanced sensing techniques. Notably, quantum sensing has already shown substantial progress, with potential uses in oil prospecting and military positioning, especially where GPS is unavailable.

Additional support of the grant will come from CEHD faculty members Supriya Baily, Sujin Kim, Shekila Melchior, and Lisa Tullo; Shá Norman, College of Visual and Performing Arts’ director of diversity; Erikca Brown, associate director for inclusive education; Christi Wilcox, CEC’s director of programs and research; Weiwen Jiang, CEC postdoctoral research associate; and Benjamin Dreyfus, associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

During July 2023, Jessica Rosenberg coordinated the Pathways to Quantum Immersion Program, which helped high school students learn about the promise of quantum technologies.

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George Mason scientist secures $1.4M DTRA grant to study viruses’ impact on organ health

Colleen Rich — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 16:30:04 +0000

George Mason scientist secures $1.4M DTRA grant to study viruses’ impact on organ health Colleen Rich Mon, 10/14/2024 - 12:30

�� researcher Aarthi Narayanan recently secured a $1.4M grant from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to investigate how an infection spreads between organs, and how a therapeutic will impact connected organs. The work will initially focus on mosquito-transmitted viruses while Narayanan hopes to expand the implications from these studies to other human disease states.

Aarthi Narayan. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

The study will utilize the organ on a chip platform—an emerging technology that more closely replicates human organ-based parameters—to understand how disease affects the body. The focus of this multiorgan effort will be to explore the interactions between the brain, the lung, and liver.

“When you look at an infection like West Nile Virus, for example, it affects the brain early. But that does not mean it only impacts the brain,” said Narayanan, a professor in the Department of Biology in the College of Science. “There is often multiorgan involvement in later states of disease, but we still don’t have a full understanding of how one organ reacts to another’s infection to then know how to provide more effective treatments.” This research seeks to better understand to what extent inflammation from one infected organ will affect another organ that is perhaps not infected.

The recent COVID-19 pandemic underscored how diseases affecting specific organs can disseminate throughout the body, leading to multiorgan failure at various states of disease progression. However, developing specific treatments for each emerging virus takes time, and there is an intense push toward finding broadly applicable solutions that may be used to treat different infections. This study will also explore repositioning existing FDA-approved medications as treatment options for several mosquito-transmitted viruses that do not have treatment strategies at this time.

Narayan will utilize CN-Bio’s organ on a chip platform at George Mason’s Biomedical Research Laboratory to investigate questions that are directly relevant to human disease caused by these mosquito-transmitted viruses.

“This approach will also help us position our therapeutic strategies better and hopefully decrease points of failure down the road, as we strive to come up with rapidly deployable solutions to address the national and global needs for pandemic preparedness,” said Narayanan.

“While technology is expanding in the biomedical field, one of the important differentiators that puts George Mason and its Biomedical Research Laboratory (BRL) at the forefront of this research venture is our ability to ask these globally impactful questions in high containment settings, specifically biosafety level 3 conditions,” said Cody W. Edwards, George Mason College of Science interim dean.

Established through the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the George Mason BRL is one of 12 Regional Biocontainment Laboratories in the United States that offer Biosafety Level-3 (BSL-3) facilities.

The study, “Development of human-based, connected multiorgan microphysiological system in vitro models to study alphavirus infection and support countermeasure development,” will take place over the next five years.

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George Mason physicist receives NSF CAREER award for topological quantum computing research

Colleen Rich — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 18:41:33 +0000

George Mason physicist receives NSF CAREER award for topological quantum computing research Colleen Rich Tue, 08/20/2024 - 14:41

Fereshte Ghahari Kermani, assistant professor in physics and astronomy in ��’s College of Science, received the prestigious Early Career Development (CAREER) Program grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to continue her research on the complex quantum phases in graphene materials.

Fereshte Ghahari Kermani. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

In 2023, Ghahari was the first faculty member at George Mason to receive the competitive U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Early Career Award to advance quantum technologies, and now she is the first to receive CAREER awards from both the DOE and NSF.

Ghahari’s study “Topological order and edge states in fractional quantum Hall systems” will focus on the complex quantum phases in graphene materials, which could be utilized in the development of future quantum technologies. For this project, Ghahari will investigate a specific topological phase of matter known as the fractional quantum Hall effect, which she first discovered in graphene in 2009. This phenomenon that appears in two-dimensional electron systems under high magnetic fields and ultra-low temperatures can support new particles that serve as the building blocks for topological quantum computers.

“By looking at how the charges flow and the heat they carry in response to a temperature gradient, we can measure entropy, or the degree of randomness, which can reveal the topological properties of these new particles and if they can be used in future topological quantum computers,” she explained.

Topological quantum computers allow for complex calculations out of reach of standard computing schemes. Quantum bits (qubits), which are used in conventional quantum computing, are more susceptible to errors due to environmental noise and other factors. Topological qubits, however, are prone to these types of errors.

“Studying these specific phases may also provide valuable insights into one of the long-standing problems in cosmology known as the “blackhole paradox” that addresses the loss of information in blackholes,” Ghahari said.

“Ghahari’s research and programmatic efforts continue to receive well-deserved attention,” said Department of Physics and Astronomy Chair Ernest Barreto. “Our quantum computing and materials academic offerings and research support continue to grow, thanks to such innovative research, outreach, and partnerships,” Barreto said.

Students working on Ghahari’s research team will create tiny graphene heterostructures on George Mason’s Fairfax ��, and subsequently use nanofabrication equipment at a nearby project collaborator, the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), to integrate the quantum nanodevices. Finally, they will use a low temperature cryostat located at Ghahari’s lab at George Mason to measure these devices at extremely low temperatures and high magnetic fields.

As part of this award, Ghahari will design an education plan to educate George Mason community on quantum nanoscience research by leveraging her unique expertise and established collaborations, which can enhance and expand the existing infrastructure. This plan also includes promoting outreach and educational opportunities for students and underrepresented groups by offering seminars and additional quantum courses. She seeks to introduce quantum concepts to high school students to foster awareness and cultivate interest at an earlier age. According to Ghahari, mentorship plays an essential role in a student’s academic experience.

“Mentoring is crucial,” Ghahari said. “As a student, I often sought inspiration. Now, I strive to share my passion and interest in the subject as I work with students.”

With the NSF support, Ghahari’s study will receive $564,695 over the course of five years.

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FOCUS summer program marks a decade of engaging middle-school girls in STEM

Colleen Rich — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 20:36:39 +0000

FOCUS summer program marks a decade of engaging middle-school girls in STEM Colleen Rich Wed, 08/14/2024 - 16:36

��’s popular FOCUS outreach program marks its 10th anniversary this summer and continues to expand its science and tech immersion programs.

From left, FOCUS Camp founders Danielle Craddock, Kelly Knight, and Padmanabhan Seshaiyer with the 2024 campers. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

FOCUS stands for Females of Color and those Underrepresented in STEM, and when the camp is in session, the middle schoolers and their counselors can be seen moving around George Mason’s Fairfax �� in their brightly colored t-shirts as they immerse themselves in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) activities from coding and building a robotic arm to viewing distant planets at the Observatory.

For the past decade, FOCUS Camp day programs have invited rising sixth- through eighth-graders to participate in interactive and hands-on workshops. The first year brought 18 girls to campus, with support from donors including the Business Women’s Giving Circle of the Community Foundation of Northern Virginia. Since then, the program has served more than 460 campers—filling to capacity each year within hours of opening admission.

The program’s founders include George Mason mathematics professor Padmanabhan Seshaiyer, forensic science professor Kelly Knight, former biology professor Claudette Davis, and George Mason alumna Danielle Craddock, MAIS ’11, the founder of Girls Inspired and Ready to Lead Inc. (GIRL). Knight now leads planning efforts on behalf of the College of Science’s STEM Accelerator Program and has remained steadfast in the FOCUS mission to introduce young women of color to STEM fields and nurture their scientific curiosities.

“We always assess participants the day they begin camp and the day they leave, and it’s truly rewarding to see how much their interest in STEM spikes,” Knight said. “On average, interest rises about 30%, which is huge.”

Professor Karen Sauer and Kelly Knight work with campers to create their own spectrometers. Photo by Eduardo Macedo/Office of University Branding

With the program’s success and an interest from camp alumni wanting to return, organizers expanded in 2018 to also offer the George Mason College of Science FOCUS Academy—a more advanced and immersive college experience for high school students that further expands STEM topics and incorporates college prep, goal setting, and other classes designed to build their confidence, enhance their leadership skills, and support their social and physical wellness. These workshops cover forensic science, chemistry, bioinformatics, mathematics, and astronomy, which also happen to be areas of specialization for George Mason.

“I’ve had participants tell me that being around other young girls of color affected the way they felt about attending a STEM program and helped them feel more comfortable when participating,” said Knight. “It helps them gain the skills and confidence they need when they move on to less inclusive spaces, to know that they can be successful.”

And it’s not only the FOCUS attendees who feel the impact. Knight said the George Mason undergraduate students who serve as counselors feel it too. Some have moved on to teaching careers in STEM subjects, while others have launched their own nonprofits for young girls in STEM.

George Mason alumna Jade Kirkland said the FOCUS camp is the highlight of her summer. Kirkland had just finished her first year at George Mason as a forensic science major when she received the email about volunteering at FOCUS. Since then, she’s graduated from George Mason with both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in forensic science and now works in a biotechnology lab in Manassas, Virginia. She said she saves her personal time off each year so she can take one week off to come back to George Mason to serve as a FOCUS counselor.

“What brings me back every year is the fact that I get to have an impact on these girls at a young age and let them know that STEM isn’t just for the boys,” said Kirkland, who has worked as a FOCUS counselor since the beginning. “It’s something I didn’t have when I was that age.”

As a FOCUS counselor, Kirkland makes sure each camp participant gets as much out of the week as possible. That includes answering questions in workshops, sharing her own experiences as a forensic scientist, guiding them across the college campus, and ensuring a safe space for them to learn.

FOCUS participants viewed microfossils under a microscope and learned how they are used to investigate past climates and reconstruct ancient ocean conditions. Photo by Eduardo Macedo/Office of University Branding

“I have as much fun participating in the activities as they do, and it’s amazing to watch how they think through things,” said Kirkland, describing a lab she and the campers participated in last year to explore chemistry topics. Each made their own small bottle of perfume. “I get a new perspective of STEM every year through these girls, and it makes me fall in love with science all over again.”

In 2021, the program expanded further to offer FOCUS MOST, led by Seshaiyer, a professional development program for K-12 STEM teachers that encourages the design of STEM workshops for camp participants that can then be brought back to their schools.

“It’s not just the 50 girls coming each summer who are impacted,” said Knight. “It’s these teachers who are now taking methods back to their own schools. Along with the counselors mentoring these young girls who choose to continue to work even after they leave George Mason.”

So, what comes next? Knight said that there is still work to be done. While efforts to increase an interest in STEM for middle school and high school students have been effective, she said more needs to happen to influence representation at the college and early-career levels.

“We need to expand the ecosystem of support for students so that they can continue to thrive in STEM even when they’re in college or at the professional level,” she said. “We’re not seeing enough change in the numbers because there’s not enough support once students approach graduation and enter the workforce.”

The next FOCUS program expansion will consider ways to support women of color at the college level as they navigate the STEM fields and choose what they want to do after they graduate. And Knight said she also wants to extend the program’s reach.

“Thinking bigger about what it means to have impact on not just students local to Virginia, but on a national and international level, I think is going be another next phase for us for sure.”

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PhD student’s research on COVID-19 transmission leads to discovery of a major model gap

Colleen Rich — Fri, 09 Aug 2024 20:52:40 +0000

PhD student’s research on COVID-19 transmission leads to discovery of a major model gap Colleen Rich Fri, 08/09/2024 - 16:52

Scientists have long studied the spread of diseases, but the emergence of COVID-19 and its profound impact on society have underscored the critical need to understand where and how diseases spread. As �� doctoral student Jericho McLeod reviewed literature on disease transmission as part of his work toward a PhD in computational science and informatics, he and George Mason professor Eduardo López noticed a gap in the models and now seek to correct it.

From left, PhD student and George Mason alum Jericho McLeod with Professor Eduardo López in front of their research poster at the International Pandemic Sciences Conference at Oxford University. Photo provided

In trying to understand why disease transmissions were worse in some areas over others, McLeod and López dove into COVID-19 data looking specifically at extended family ties—meaning family members beyond the nuclear family of parents and children, such as cousins, aunts, uncles, or grandparents.

“According to research on social networks in the United States, individuals during crises like COVID-19, contract their social circles yet become more active with them,” said McLeod. “During lockdown, you saw your friends less, but may have still delivered groceries to your grandmother regularly.”

Studies by McLeod, López, and George Mason PhD student Unchitta Kan previously confirmed that people migrated closer to family more frequently after the pandemic began and that availability of extended family plays a primary factor in influencing face-to-face interaction, laying the groundwork for this research. Now, McLeod and López wanted to know if these extended family ties played a role in the spread of COVID-19.

With the help of Kan and doctoral students Bryan Adams, Valentin Vergara Hidd, and Mailun (Alan) Zhang, they aimed to confirm that these networks mattered enough to warrant future research and updates to disease modeling.

The team gathered obituaries in the Unites States between 2020 to 2022 to examine familial relationships with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data on deaths by geography, age, and gender. They found that during COVID-19, there were more instances of multiple family members dying within short periods (e.g., 60 days) compared to 2018 and 2019, where such cases were less common. This rise in deaths aligns with CDC data on excess deaths but is more noticeable between different waves of the pandemic. So, should these relationships be considered in models demonstrating the spread of disease? McLeod says yes.

In July, McLeod presented his research at the International Pandemic Sciences Conference at Oxford University and was awarded best poster presentation in the epidemiology, data and analytics category.

“I am very proud of our work, and it has been collaborative in every way,” said López, who is an associate professor of computational data sciences. “Jericho has a strong ability to work through the data engineering portion of a problem, but also has the intuition necessary to make this research happen. We were optimistic that we would see the effects that we did, and now we have this great opportunity to study something that people have just completely overlooked.”

McLeod earned a degree in accounting from the University of South Alabama before attending George Mason to earn an MBA. In one of his business courses at the Costello College of Business taught by Pallab Sanyal, professor of information systems and operations management, McLeod was introduced to data analytics and machine learning—and found it fascinating. He went on complete a graduate certificate in data analytics at George Mason before deciding to pursue a PhD.

“Attending the [Oxford] conference was so energizing,” McLeod said. “It brought together a collection of top minds, and Dr. López knew the right people to introduce me to, which led to additional conversations, ideation, and thoughts on future directions for this research.”

George Mason’s Graduate Student Travel Fund, offered by the Office of the Provost, supported McLeod’s trip to the Oxford-based conference.

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George Mason researchers lead breakthrough study to find functional cure for HIV

Colleen Rich — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 20:04:51 +0000

George Mason researchers lead breakthrough study to find functional cure for HIV Colleen Rich Thu, 07/25/2024 - 16:04

Researchers in ��’s Center for Infectious Disease Research (CIDR) and Tulane National Primate Research Center conducted a breakthrough proof-of-concept study, published in Nature’s Gene Therapy, that found a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-like virus particle that could cease the need for lifelong medications. Scientists have made great strides in the treatment of HIV over the past few decades, yet those with the virus must still take antiretroviral therapy for life as the disease is difficult to eradicate.

Yuntao Wu. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

CIDR researchers led by Yuntao Wu, a professor in George Mason’s School of Systems Biology and the principal investigator of the National Institutes of Health-funded study, developed a special HIV-like virus particle, called HIV Rev-dependent lentiviral vector, that uses an HIV protein, Rev, as a trigger to selectively target and activate therapeutic genes in HIV-infected cells.

The Mason team, including Brian Hetrick, Mark Spear, Jia Guo, Huizhi Liang, Yajing Fu, Zhijun Yang, and Ali Andalibi, has been developing the HIV Rev-dependent vector technology since 2002.

According to Wu, patients need to take medications for the rest of their lives because of the persistence of HIV reservoirs, which are infected immune cells harboring the virus. Currently, antiretroviral therapy used by patients can effectively block the virus but cannot eliminate the viral reservoirs. Experimental approaches such as “shock and kill” and “block and lock” of the reservoirs have been in development to either eliminate or silence viral reservoirs.

Wu said the HIV Rev-dependent lentiviral vector technology that his team has been developing uses a different approach, which relies on the HIV Rev protein to selectively target reservoirs for killing or for inactivation.

“Our approach shows signs of not only reducing viral reservoirs but also boosting the immune system to produce antiviral neutralizing antibodies,” said Wu. “Think about turning a bad guy into a good one.”

The reservoir cells can be targeted by the Rev-dependent vector and be turned into releasing defective viruses that can act as a vaccine to stimulate neutralizing antibodies. Wu’s team named this new approach “rehab and redeem” of the HIV reservoirs.

Scientists at Tulane National Primate Research Center, including Summer Siddiqui, Lara Doyle-Meyers, Bapi Pahar, Ronald S. Veazey, Jason Dufour, and Binhua Ling, collaborated with Wu’s team to test this technology on monkeys infected with SIVmac239 (a virus similar to HIV), finding in one monkey that the virus levels in the blood and brain have been reduced to undetectable most of the time for over two years after ceasing antiretroviral therapy.

According to Hetrick, this approach shows promise in controlling the presence of virus in the blood and opens new avenues for developing effective treatments for HIV without relying on daily antiretrovirals. “Our proof-of-concept animal studies demonstrate a step forward in the fight against this virus, bringing us closer to innovative and potentially transformative therapies for HIV patients,” said Hetrick.

This proof-of-concept study signals what technologies could come for the 1.2 million people in the United States and 39 million worldwide (as of 2022) with HIV who depend on medications to keep the virus under control. Additional funded studies are needed to expand and optimize the animal studies, followed by human clinical trials serving as the next pivotal steps for the development of the new treatment.

Wu thanked the NYCDC AIDS Ride organized by Marty Rosen that raised funding to keep his team going in early years, leading to the more recent NIH-supported animal trial.

“It took us 20 years to walk the first step, we will certainly keep going,” Wu said.

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