CPH students

Practicum opens new doors to clinical research and data analysis

Mary Cunningham — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 14:55:18 +0000

Practicum opens new doors to clinical research and data analysis Mary Cunningham Mon, 07/14/2025 - 10:55

For �� master of public health student Olivia Thornton, completing a practicum at the Inova Fairfax Department of Community Health was an opportunity to step into the field and explore public health in action. Thornton is on track to graduate in Fall 2025.

Oliva Thornton presents her research at the College of Public Health's Celebration of Scholarship. Photo provided.

With responsibilities that included promoting participation in the Community Health Needs Assessment at local events, attending stakeholder meetings, and conducting qualitative data analysis on community feedback, Thornton was immersed in the essential work of community engagement from day one.

One of the most valuable takeaways? “I learned how crucial it is to engage directly with the community,” she said. “It’s one thing to study public health strategies in class—it's another to see how those strategies are shaped by real voices and lived experiences.”

The practicum also strengthened her confidence in two key areas: data collection and participant recruitment—both of which are foundational for Thornton’s intended career in clinical research or data analysis. “Before this experience, I wasn’t as confident in those skills. Now, I feel much more prepared to take them into my future work.”

Equally important was the chance to collaborate with diverse stakeholders and community organizations, gaining a better understanding of how partnerships help drive meaningful change in public health.

When asked what advice she would give to other students preparing for their internships, her message was simple: Keep an open mind. “Don’t overlook an opportunity just because it doesn’t perfectly match your original plan," she said. "Some of the most valuable experiences come from stepping outside of your comfort zone. Look for roles that challenge you and offer a variety of responsibilities—you’ll be surprised by how much you grow.”

Through meaningful engagement, new skills, and real-world collaboration, this practicum gave Thornton a clearer vision of where they’re headed—and the confidence to get there.

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Health administration major navigates the intersection of business and health

Taylor Thomas — Thu, 01 May 2025 15:13:54 +0000

Health administration major navigates the intersection of business and health Taylor Thomas Thu, 05/01/2025 - 11:13

Growing up, Claire Leonard got a glimpse of what health care could look like beyond hospital walls. Her aunt, a former nurse, had risen to a leadership role at UNC Health, managing systems and people instead of patients.

Claire Leonard. Photo provided.

“It showed me there are ways to make a difference without being on the clinical side,” says Leonard, now a senior at ��’s College of Public Health.

Leonard describes her Bachelor of Science in Health Administration major as “kind of a business degree, but with a health focus,” with coursework spanning finance, strategic planning, and leadership, alongside a deep dive into U.S. health care systems. Through her studies—and electives in statistical tools R and SAS—she’s discovered a knack for working with health data.

“I realized I’m good on the data side, and working with coding tools,” she says. “It made me see that’s the direction I want to go next.”

Raised in Raleigh, North Carolina, Leonard chose George Mason for the strength of its health programs as well as its proximity to Washington, D.C. “I wanted to spread my wings and exist outside of where I grew up,” she says.

After graduating in December, she plans to pursue a master’s in health informatics. “It’s about making sure technology like electronic health records systems work smoothly—and using their information to actually improve patient care,” she says.

Currently Leonard serves as a research assistant on two research projects focused on aging populations, helping College of Public Health faculty draft literature reviews and discussion sections. “Working on new research has only deepened my interest in pursuing graduate education and learning as much as I can to add value to health care systems and add perspective to areas of health care where change is needed,” she says.

Leonard also works for the Office of Student Creative Activities and Research (OSCAR), filming and editing videos that celebrate student research across campus. The experience helped her land an internship last summer with Riverside Health System’s philanthropic foundation, where she worked on social media strategy. Leonard also currently works part-time at a chiropractic office handling insurance and patient records.

“The jobs I’ve had, and the people I’ve met through them, have helped shape my experience,” Leonard says. “Each one has helped me understand another layer of how health care works.”

Learn more about George Mason’s BS in Health Administration program.

Learn more about George Mason’s MS in Health Informatics program.

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Arion Lillard-Green earns a spot in Public Voices Fellowship at AcademyHealth

Taylor Thomas — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 14:32:53 +0000

Arion Lillard-Green earns a spot in Public Voices Fellowship at AcademyHealth Taylor Thomas Mon, 12/11/2023 - 09:32

Congratulations to Arion Lillard-Green, a Health Services Research doctoral student, for earning a spot in the second cohort of the Public Voices Fellowship at AcademyHealth. This fellowship, conducted in collaboration with The OpEd Project, is dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices in public health, research, and social justice. Lillard-Green's inclusion highlights her dedication to health services research. The fellowship's objective is to redefine historical narratives and nurture a more equitable world.

Learn more about Lillard-Green’s desire to bring journalism, theology, and health administration together here.

The Public Voices Fellowship empowers fellows to contribute thought leadership pieces to mainstream media outlets, thereby influencing public discourse on critical issues in health and healthcare. The curriculum delves into themes of authority, equity, innovation, and action in an unfair world. Fellows receive training and coaching from seasoned journalists and editors through The OpEd Project.

AcademyHealth strives to advance impactful and equitable health services research and policy and remains committed to fostering a diverse array of voices that can drive positive change in the landscape of health research.

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Patriot Profile: Arion Lillard-Green

Priyanka Champaneri — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 20:43:13 +0000

Patriot Profile: Arion Lillard-Green Priyanka Champaneri Tue, 11/07/2023 - 15:43

Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Year: Doctoral Student

Major: Health Services Research

Hometown: Lexington, Kentucky

The thought of hospice care can stir up many emotions, including grief, fear, or dread. But what about peace, comfort, or courage? As a former hospice chaplain, Arion Lillard-Green, MHA Health Systems Management ’21, has probably seen–and felt—all of these. When she started her doctoral program at Mason, Lillard-Green brought experience from a unique combination of disciplines: journalism, theology, and health administration. Her goal of earning a doctorate in health services research comes from a desire to bring these disciplines together to ask important questions that impact health policy.

Asking Deeper Questions: Lillard-Green studied journalism as an undergraduate because she enjoyed investigating issues and bringing truths to light. She then completed a master’s degree in theology, which pushed her to think more deeply about issues based on theological and philosophical principles. During seminary, Lillard- Green worked as a private caregiver for aging adults alongside hospice clinicians. This inspired her to complete a hospice chaplain residency program, where she spent a year learning the art of spiritual counseling in the hospital setting.

Providing Comfort: Lillard-Green spent 17 years working as a hospice chaplain. This sparked her interest in the health care field. “Although a career in health care wasn’t my initial goal, it somehow found its way into my work,” she says. She gained insight into the issues people face at the end of life: their spiritual and emotional needs and the physical realities of hospice and palliative care.

Facing Difficult Realities: Working in rural West Virginia and in Northern Virginia, she observed disparities in access to and quality of care. She counseled patients who were financially secure and who lived paycheck to paycheck. “The most significant lesson I learned during my time as a clinician is the reality that socioeconomic status determines the way we live, and it determines how we die,” Lillard-Green says.

Support for Her Work: In fall 2023 Lillard-Green earned a spot in the second cohort of the Public Voices Fellowship at AcademyHealth. This fellowship, conducted in collaboration with The OpEd Project, is dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices in public health, research, and social justice.

Rethinking the End-of-Life Journey: Lillard-Green hopes that her research will help capture the degree to which hospice and palliative care providers are meeting the needs of patients and families, along with barriers to access. “We need to find ways to collect better, meaningful data to gain a well-rounded understanding of social risk factors,” she says. “The end-of-life journey should not start at the end of life. Unfortunately, aging and dying well is a privilege that needs to be extended to all persons earlier in the health care continuum.”

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Social work students connect with therapy horses, dogs to learn how to help trauma survivors

Shayla Brown — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 18:20:06 +0000

Social work students connect with therapy horses, dogs to learn how to help trauma survivors Shayla Brown Tue, 06/13/2023 - 14:20

“Horses very much discern who you are and how you are based on how your inside and your outside match,” said �� professor Vicki Kirsch.

Each semester Kirsch takes students in her advanced Trauma and Recovery course to Project Horse Empowerment Center in Purcellville, Virginia, to learn about the emerging field of equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP).

Vicki Kirsch at Project Horse for her Trauma and Recovery course. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

As a therapist, Kirsch specializes in working with individuals who have experienced trauma, early childhood abuse, sexual assault, and relationship issues and with transgender individuals through their transitioning process. She has been a fan of horses for most of her life and incorporates the horses to enhance evidence-based interventions with clients for her private practice.

“EAP is just finding its feet,” said Kirsch, an associate professor of social work in Mason’s College of Public Health. “It’s like a baby compared to other [therapy] fields. There are different paths, and some are better than others

Students at Project Horse for Kirsch's Trauma and Recovery course. Photo by Evan Cantwell/ Office of University Branding

She is able to help those who suffered horse-related trauma such a fall or being trampled. “[I worked] mostly with people who wanted to start riding again but were too afraid to,” she said. But EAP can be beneficial for overcoming other types of traumas as well, she added.

Kirsch wants students think outside the box when working with trauma survivors. “We have to engage with the body because trauma lives in the body,” she said.

These interventions can include brushing, petting, and rhythmic breathing with the horses.

“People have used horses for a long time for therapeutic riding, working with autistic kids and people with developmental and physical disabilities. But in the field of psychotherapy, which is what I do, it’s new,” said Kirsch.

Mason student Tara Amor with one of the therapy dogs. Photo provided

“Going to Project Horse and meeting those horses who were also survivors of trauma themselves was very beautiful,” said Minnie Thukral, who graduated from Mason with a master of social work. “It was interesting to see how we could use connecting with animals to help with healing and recovery, and to see where your career can take you.

“The main goal of the course is to be able to recognize childhood injuries or trauma when a person sitting in your office is telling you their personal life stories and it has some form of trauma that they don't know exists,” said Tara Amor, a clinical psychology student who graduated from Mason with a master of social work in May 2023. “As a clinician, [we have to] recognize it and unpack all that, then implement an intervention to help them to heal."

In addition to working with horses, students in the class got to explore other approaches with the campus K9s who visited their classroom during the semester.

“It's all about healing,” said Amor. “You want to help your client continue living with their trauma because that trauma doesn't go away. You heal it; it's part of who you are, but it's not who you are.”

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