Alumni

2025 Celebration of Distinction honors alumni leaders

Colleen Rich — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 20:01:01 +0000

2025 Celebration of Distinction honors alumni leaders Colleen Rich Mon, 09/15/2025 - 16:01

For more than 30 years, ��’s Alumni Association (GMUAA) has recognized the achievements of George Mason alumni at its annual Celebration of Distinction awards program. Since it was first held in 1975, this program has evolved from a reception honoring four alumni, to become one of the premier Alumni Association functions each year.

The GMUAA selects five nominees for the following awards: Alumnus/a of the Year, Alumni Service Award, Faculty Member of the Year, Senior of the Year, and Graduate of the Last Decade (G.O.L.D.). Distinguished alumni from colleges/units and alumni chapters were also recognized.

Here are this year’s top five honorees:

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Saddam Azlan Salim, BS Public Administration ’12, MPA ’15, is Alumnus of the Year. While growing up in his native Bangladesh, Salim and his family experienced severe drought followed by the flood of 1998, the country's most extreme and long-lasting flood of the century. His family came to the United States when he was 10. After experiencing homelessness shortly after moving to the United States, his family settled in Fairfax County, Virginia, where Salim attended Falls Church High School and then ��. He now works in federal financial management and consulting. In November 2023, he was elected to the Virginia Senate and represent the 37th District.

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Janis P. Tupesis, BA Biology ‘95, received the Alumni Service Award. He is a faculty member in the BerbeeWalsh Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Medicine and Public Health and vice president of the International Federation for Emergency Medicine. He is recognized for his global work on emergency health care and education and received the 2018 Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from the Global Emergency Medicine Academy. Among his roles, Tupesis serves as a volunteer technical consultant at the emergency, trauma, and acute care program in the World Health Organization’s Department for Management of Noncommunicable Diseases, Disability, Violence, and Injury Prevention.

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Merone Hailemeskel, BA Economics ’15, MPP ’17, received the Graduate of the Last Decade (G.O.L.D.) Award. She is the digital director and communications associate for former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama. Hailemeskel also worked on the first lady’s Reach Higher initiative, where she led research efforts and awarded more than $250,000 in grants to support public school teachers and school counselors, and the Better Make Room campaign, which encourages students to complete their education past high school. She was previously communication and digital director at Common App, supporting their 900 member colleges and universities.

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Leeya Mehta, director of George Mason’s Alan Cheuse International Writers Center, is Faculty Member of the Year. She is a prize-winning poet, fiction writer, and essayist whose short fiction and poetry have appeared in publications nationally and internationally. Mehta received the 2024 College of Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty Civic Excellence Award for her work within the classroom and the curation of the Baldwin100 project that celebrated the centennial of James Baldwin's literary contributions. The project collaborated with 16 Washington, D.C., area organizations to produce 28 events and exhibitions featuring dozens of visual artists, musicians, and writers and received two American Graphic Design Awards. Read more about her.

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Haley White, BA Art History; BS Business Management ’25, is Senior of the Year. As a student, the Lynchburg, Virginia, native helped lead the Costello College of Business Day of Service event, which included packing 3,000 pounds of donated food. White was the design lead for the Mason Chooses Kindness Guidebook, served as a teaching assistant, and was the creative mind behind many posters and flyers on campus. She co-wrote numerous articles and was featured in the Costello College’s brand launch video. She plans to spend time working in North Carolina and traveling following graduation. Read more about her.

In addition to the five honorees, 18 alumni received Distinguished Alumni Awards from their school, college, or affinity alumni chapter at this year’s September event.

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This information sciences and technology instructor is a Patriot through and through

Shayla Brown — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 18:42:15 +0000

This information sciences and technology instructor is a Patriot through and through  Shayla Brown Mon, 09/15/2025 - 14:42

When Hussna Azamy arrived on ��’s Fairfax �� for her first advising session as a Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) transfer student, she had no idea it would be the beginning of a lifelong calling.

“Dr. [Irene] Bruno shaped me into the professor I am today,” said Azamy, recalling that 2013 meeting with the advisor who became her mentor. “Her guidance, her kindness, her belief in students—it inspired me to rise to my best self.” 

Hussna Azamy. Photo provided.

Azamy’s path to teaching wasn’t linear. After earning her BS in cyber security engineering in 2015, she ventured into the corporate world, working with Accenture, Fannie Mae, Fortune 500 companies, and Amazon Web Services. She led teams and projects, built secure systems, and navigated high-stakes environments—experiences she now brings into the classroom in the College of Engineering and Computing. 

“I always tell my students, the theories we learn are powerful—but seeing them in action is what makes them real,” she said. “When I share stories from my time in industry, I see their eyes light up. It connects the dots.” 

Even as she climbed the tech ladder, she was simultaneously pursuing her master’s through Mason’s Bachelor’s to Accelerated Master’s Program. That led her back to Bruno—this time as a graduate teaching assistant in the Information Systems and Technology (IST) Department. 

“I was thriving professionally, but mentally drained,” Azamy admitted. “Then I’d walk into class, see my students’ energy, and suddenly I felt alive.” 

By 2017, she had earned her master’s in applied information technology—and clarity. Teaching wasn’t just a job. It was her purpose.   

Just as she realized this, a full-time faculty position opened in the IST department. It felt like fate. 

“I was scared to make such a big leap,” she said. “But since becoming full-time faculty, I’ve never looked back. The students, the colleagues, the energy—it feels like home.” 

Azamy brings that energy into her classroom with a twist: gamification. 

“I turn lessons into team competitions,” she said. “It sparks excitement and keeps students engaged.”   

She uses buzzers for trivia contests inspired by “Jeopardy!” and tracks team points across sessions. Winners earn fun prizes like assignment extensions or chocolates.  

“The students love it,” she said with a smile.

Azamy, who currently teaches the courses IT 372 Applied Generative AI and IT 429 Security Accreditation of Information Systems, recently expanded the games to include artificial intelligence (AI) tools, helping students explore how technology can boost their learning.   

While Azamy credits many mentors, her bond with Irene Bruno remains special. Bruno, now retired, was her undergraduate advisor and a guiding force at George Mason. 

“She’s brilliant and a phenomenal problem solver,” Bruno said. “Hussna stood out in class—sharp, detail-oriented, and dependable.”   

Azamy even helped edit Bruno’s Discrete Mathematics textbook for IT 102, catching everything from math errors to grammar slips. 

“She was my go-to,” said Bruno, who hired Azamy as an adjunct in 2017. They worked side by side until Bruno’s retirement in 2022. 

“I’d sit in on her classes often,” Bruno said. “She had a gift, explaining complex ideas in ways students could grasp. That’s what makes her exceptional not just in cybersecurity, but in teaching.” 

Now, as a full-time faculty member, Azamy continues to bridge real-world experience with academic insight, creating a classroom environment where students feel seen, challenged, and inspired. Her journey from student to industry professional to educator is a powerful reminder that believing in others can spark transformation. And for every student she mentors, Azamy hopes to be the kind of guide who helps them discover not just what they can learn—but who they can become. 

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For this alumnus, public health and public service are inextricable

Taylor Thomas — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 17:37:56 +0000

For this alumnus, public health and public service are inextricable Taylor Thomas Wed, 09/03/2025 - 13:37

�� alumnus Phazhon Nash, BS in Community Health ’21, has taken his commitment to the intersection of public health and public service to the Roanoke City Council. Nash foresaw his future in community service and complemented his public health major with a global health concentration with an American Government minor from the Schar School of Policy and Government. Health and wellness are at the forefront of his mind when designing policies to uplift people physically, mentally, socially, financially, and environmentally.

Roanoke City Council Member Phazhon Nash, BS in Community Health ’21.

“Public health and public service are inseparable. Whether it is housing, transportation, public safety, or economic development, every policy has an impact on health,” said Nash. "As a council member, I think about how decisions will affect people’s well-being, how they will create healthier neighborhoods, reduce disparities, or improve access to resources. We want to create policies to support the whole person and the whole community."

As the youngest elected council member for Roanoke City, Nash’s fresh perspective is amplifying the voices of future generations. A Roanoke native, Nash grew up seeing the city’s health needs go ignored for decades. He was inspired to run for city council because he wanted to give back in a meaningful way, addressing challenges facing the community today that will benefit generations to come.

“I saw a need for younger voices at the table, voices that reflect the future of our communities. My goal is to make Roanoke City the happiest, healthiest, and safest place for all to call home,” Nash said.

City Council is a part-time role, so Nash also serves as an Operations Consultant in Emergency Services at Carilion Clinic in Roanoke. He leads quality improvement initiatives, throughout efficiency projects, and operational strategies across all six Carilion Clinic Emergency Departments in Southwest Virginia.

“I use my background in community health to ensure that the systems and solutions we implement in the emergency department actively acknowledge and respond to social determinants of health, helping bridge gaps in care and address the broader factors that impact patient outcomes,” Nash said.

Nash credits his education from the College of Public Health at �� for training him in how to implement sustainable, innovative public health solutions. “The most significant aspect of my George Mason and College of Public Health education was the diversity. I met people from so many different backgrounds, which opened my mind and broadened my perspective. The professors also consistently challenged me to think outside the box and become truly creative in the way I approached problems,” he said. “That combination of diversity and intellectual challenge shaped the way I see public health and leadership today.”

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Scalia Law alumna receives Supreme Court clerkship

Colleen Rich — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 18:37:35 +0000

Scalia Law alumna receives Supreme Court clerkship Colleen Rich Tue, 09/02/2025 - 14:37

�� alumna Tiffany H. Bates, JD ’18, has been selected to serve as a clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas during the 2026 Term. The prestigious appointment is one of the highest honors in the legal profession and reflects both Bates’s exceptional legal acumen and the growing national reputation of Antonin Scalia Law School’s alumni.

Tiffany H. Bates. Photo provided

Bates currently serves as an associate at boutique law firm Consovoy McCarthy PLLC, where she focuses on constitutional law, administrative law, and commercial litigation. Prior to joining the firm, she clerked for the Honorable Kyle Duncan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

In addition to her legal practice, Bates remains connected to the law school, contributing her time and expertise to Scalia Law’s Supreme Court Clinic and Administrative Law Clinic.

With this appointment, Bates becomes the fifth Scalia Law alum to clerk at the nation’s highest court. This milestone underscores the law school’s dedication to cultivating top legal talent and providing students with pathways to the highest levels of the profession.

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Melissa J. Perry named Top 2025 Health Care Innovator by Washington Business Journal

Taylor Thomas — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 14:29:22 +0000

Melissa J. Perry named Top 2025 Health Care Innovator by Washington Business Journal Taylor Thomas Thu, 08/28/2025 - 10:29

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The Washington Business Journal has named Melissa J. Perry, renowned environmental and occupational health scientist and inaugural dean of the College of Public Health, to the list of top 12 Health Education Innovators.

Melissa J. Perry, Inagural Dean of the College of Public Health

The Innovator in Health Care award is bestowed annually to Greater Washington’s clinical and business leaders working to solve the industry’s biggest challenges. The honor reflects Perry’s commitment to a technology-first, human-centered approach to public health education.

“This award reflects the commitment and achievements of the faculty and staff in the College of Public Health who strive for innovative solutions to improve public health each day. Together, we reimagine how immersive, interdisciplinary, and globally informed learning experiences can prepare students for health careers. I am deeply honored to represent the college as an innovator in health education,” said Dean Perry.

Under Perry’s leadership, the college has earned national recognition for its technology-enhanced curriculum. She championed the expansion of the Lab for Immersive Technologies and Simulation, a simulation-based workforce development and research center that offers students real-world scenarios to hone their skills before entering the field. From social work students navigating complex client interactions to nursing students providing life-saving care in a virtual hospital, the Lab engages students in technologically driven education singularly available at the college. The college is also the first public health institution in the world to be accredited by the prestigious Society for Simulation in Healthcare.

The college recently became the first in Virginia to be awarded accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health. This accreditation affirms that ��'s public health programs provide the comprehensive, interdisciplinary training essential for cultivating the next generation of leaders in vital fields such as community health, epidemiology, global health, health policy, and health services research.

A renowned epidemiologist and environmental and reproductive health expert, Perry has been at the forefront of improving population health regionally and globally. Perry champions cross-national public health collaboration and facilitates scientific dialogue that transcends borders. She has published over 170 frequently cited manuscripts, technical reports, book chapters, commentaries, and book reviews that have furthered the field of epidemiology. Her research has been cited over 7,000 times. Perry is also a regular contributor to Psychology Today through her insightful column, The Mindful Epidemiologist. Perry’s impact as a scientist and educator has earned her the title of one of Northern Virginia’s top 50 most influential people, according to Northern Virginia Magazine.

Recently, Perry graduated with an MBA from George Mason’s Costello College of Business, expanding her expertise to include the cross-section of public health and business strategy.

As a leading voice for innovation, Perry envisions the Lab for Immersive Technologies and Simulation as a place where all College of Public Health students can build cutting-edge skills well into the future.

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Carter School alumna is nurturing the next generation of peacemakers

Katarina Benson — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 16:26:45 +0000

Carter School alumna is nurturing the next generation of peacemakers Katarina Benson Thu, 08/21/2025 - 12:26

For nearly two decades, �� alum Nawal Rajeh, MS Conflict Analysis and Resolution ’10, PhD Conflict Analysis and Resolution ’24, has been transforming the way Baltimore’s youth see themselves—shaping them into peacemakers through long-term relationships, hands-on education, and a community-wide commitment to nonviolence. Her work is a testament to the enduring connection between academic training and grassroots action.

When Rajeh first arrived at George Mason in 2008 as a graduate student, she was already deeply rooted in the work of peacebuilding. She had just cofounded a peace camp in East Baltimore while serving as a Jesuit volunteer there. The Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution had long been on her radar as a place to deepen her understanding of conflict resolution and community-based change.

Nawal Rajeh with a peace camp participant. Photo provided

After earning her master’s, Rajeh cofounded the nonprofit By Peaceful Means, which focuses on youth empowerment, peace education, and employment opportunities for young people. This year marked the organization’s 19th Peace Camp, a free program serving children ages 5–13, with opportunities for former campers to return as junior and senior counselors well into their 20s.

"We see the children’s growth in social, emotional, and conflict skills, and they’re building their own identities as peacemakers,” she said. “Some have been with us since the very first year, and now their own children are campers.”

Rajeh says her Carter School experience is inseparable from the evolution of her work. “I had a background as a community organizer before I came to the Carter School. Blending that with what I learned here made me feel that being in a community long-term and doing peace work was the way to go,” she explains.

Courses on peace education and exposure to different grassroots models have shaped everything from the camp’s curriculum to how the team measures impact year after year.

Her efforts extend beyond the camp. Partnering with Carter School faculty on the Baltimore Peacebuilding Project, Rajeh interviewed more than 20 local organizations working on violence intervention and peace education and later convened a Peace Summit, which brought these groups together to share current work, identify gaps, and explore collaborations. Much like cities map crime statistics by neighborhood, summit participants mapped Baltimore’s peacebuilding efforts.

“One participant runs eight Safe Streets sites, and all of them had zero homicides up to that point in the year,” Rajeh said. “It’s incredible—and it’s the kind of work you don’t hear about on the news.”

More than 90% of By Peaceful Means’ funding comes from individual donors, underscoring the deep community trust and investment in their mission. For Rajeh, the most meaningful moments come when former campers share how the program shaped them. One young woman, who faced repeated school suspensions in her early years, told Rajeh as a college senior that Peace Camp gave her the skills, confidence, and support network she needed to chart a different path.

“This whole community has been built around Peace Camp,” Rajeh says. “It’s cocreated by all of us. It’s like its own peace ecosystem now, and people feel like they have family here.”

For current students and aspiring peacebuilders, Rajeh’s advice is simple: “Seek out who’s already doing the work. Be humble and open to learning from the community—not just about its challenges, but about its wisdom and strengths. Build relationships and truly become part of the community.”

Reflecting on her George Mason roots, Rajeh says, “There’s a kind of wonder in being part of this network of changemakers, scholars, and peacebuilders, all connected by the thread of the Carter School. It’s like belonging to an invisible community — I may not know everyone, but the connection makes anything feel possible.”

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Preventing gun violence in Baltimore before it begins

Katarina Benson — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 20:35:55 +0000

Preventing gun violence in Baltimore before it begins Katarina Benson Wed, 08/20/2025 - 16:35

Maryland ranks among the top 10 states with the highest rates of gun-related killings. Although Baltimore accounts for just 9% of Maryland’s population, it has historically been responsible for a disproportionate share of the state’s gun violence (41% of all gun homicides). Yet across the city, community organizations, public agencies, and violence prevention initiatives are joining forces to reverse that trend. Their efforts are showing promising results: In 2024, Baltimore saw a 23% decrease in homicides and a 34% drop in nonfatal shootings.

One such project led by ��’s Arthur Romano is working to prevent gun violence in the city through proactive peacebuilding initiatives. The Baltimore Peace Education and Violence Prevention project is addressing the problem with a multipronged approach: Peace summits that bring together peacebuilding organizations in Baltimore, offering services to municipal governments to strengthen their strategic plans in that area, and an international exchange of violence prevention practitioners to share emerging practices.

Carter School professor Arthur Romano at a peace summit in Baltimore, Maryland. Photo provided

Romano, an associate professor at the at the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution and founder of the Carter School’s Program on Urban Peacebuilding, has more than 25 years of experience in research and practice in peace and conflict resolution and focuses primarily on conducting actionable research to prevent violence in U.S. cities.

This project received seed funding as part of a collaboration between the Carter School and Rotary International. With its peacebuilding mission and connections around the world, Rotary International and local Rotary clubs were a natural partnership for this work.

“Since community-based violence is a result of multiple compounding stressors and structural issues, then the interventions need to be multi-level,” said Romano. “We’re trying to be proactive and build infrastructure that accelerates learning and communication across organizations. This is a different approach than focusing on a single organization.”

First, the research team held a pilot peace summit in Baltimore in April 2025 that brought together practitioners and community organizations on the front lines of violence prevention to share knowledge, identify gaps, and identify areas for collaboration. During this event, they mapped the peacebuilding work in the city, much like urban crime is mapped, and paved the way for their long-term goal of fostering a sustainable community of practice through ongoing workshops, skill-sharing, peer-learning and targeted training from outside experts.

A key partner in the project is recent Carter School alumna Nawal Rajeh, who organized the peace summit and has been running a peace camp in Baltimore for the past 17 years for children most at-risk for gun violence. Rajeh founded the Baltimore-based nonprofit By Peaceful Means, which aims to reduce violence among youth through peace education, advocacy, and employment. Nawal leveraged her skills in community-building and conflict resolution to bring together leaders in peacebuilding from across the city.

A peace map created by Romano and summit participants. Photo provided

The research team is also conducting outreach to municipal governments on the second component of the project—seeking to develop or strengthen their strategic plans for violence prevention. When municipalities express interest, the team works with local agencies to assess current peacebuilding efforts, share insights from the peace summits, use the city-wide map to assist with coordination and collaboration and help create long-term systems for ongoing learning and collaboration.

The third component of the project is the Urban Peacebuilding Exchange (UPX), a professional learning exchange designed to support and connect community-based peacebuilders. The first pilot UPX program will launch in August, sending practitioners from Baltimore to engage with peers in Valparaiso, Chile, who are addressing issues like incarceration, prison reentry, and community violence.

Romano said they looked at what intervention points would have the highest impact for leveraging practitioners’ skills and the university’s role. “This came out of years of conversations with community organizations and recognition of these needs,” he said. “We create a bridge between the community and the university. I think this is where the Program on Urban Peacebuilding and George Mason are at their best.”

As the project enters its next phase, the team is mapping peacebuilding efforts across Baltimore and looking to leverage university resources—like cloud computing—to support and scale the work. They are seeking faculty collaborators with expertise in digital and participatory mapping, data visualization, cross-organizational learning platform development, or gaming and simulation design.

The team aims to develop two key tools: a real-time digital map of local peacebuilding efforts that allows for public input and offers dynamic visualization of existing violence prevention efforts, and a citywide learning and communication platform to connect peacebuilders, share resources, and help coordinate community-driven violence prevention efforts in cities around the world.

“This work demonstrates the powerful role universities can play in aiding and accelerating knowledge production in spaces outside the university through research partnerships,” said Romano.

This work in a critical part of George Mason’s Grand Challenge Initiative (GCI) and the university’s commitment to strengthening peace, trust, and engagement in democracy. George Mason also chairs the United Nations SDG 16 Hub—Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, a position it will hold for the next three years. As hub chair, the Carter School is responsible for education and training, research, community engagement, developing partnerships, and working with other SDG hubs to strengthen and further the United Nations’ mission of peace and justice.

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George Mason grads making a difference with the NFL’s Washington Commanders

Katarina Benson — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 21:02:44 +0000

George Mason grads making a difference with the NFL’s Washington Commanders Katarina Benson Wed, 08/06/2025 - 17:02

They’re proud �� graduates doing impactful work for the National Football League’s (NFL) Washington Commanders and helping to change the face of professional football.

The irony? Neither Gayatri Nambiar nor Bridget O’Donnell had ever watched a football game before stepping into their current respective roles with the team—Nambiar as football solutions developer and O’Donnell as senior manager for premium client services.

The journey has been both challenging and empowering.

Gayatri Nambiar: From Mumbai to the gridiron

Gayatri Nambiar. Photo provided

A native of Mumbai, India, Nambiar earned her MS in applied information technology from the College of Engineering and Computing in 2018. With no sports background, she was surprised when the Commanders reached out to her in 2021 about joining their football technology team, but she was immediately curious.

“The sport wasn’t part of the culture I grew up in,” she said. “Everything—from the rules to the strategy—was completely new. Once I started working in football, I immersed myself in learning the game. The strategic side has been fascinating, and it’s given me a whole new appreciation for how much data, planning, and detail go into every decision.”

Based at the team’s training facility in Ashburn, Virginia, Nambiar works at the intersection of technology and football operations. Her team partners with scouts, coaches, analysts, and front-office staff to build tools that support player evaluation, draft strategy, contract planning, and performance analysis.

“No two days are ever the same,” she said. “And that’s what makes it so engaging.”

Nambiar credits her time at George Mason as foundational to her career. She worked as a research assistant, gaining valuable hands-on experience, and learned from professors who were deeply supportive. Working at Ike’s dining hall was key to developing time management and interpersonal skills, and she landed her first U.S. job through a university career fair.

Bridget O’Donnell: From the court to the front office

Bridget O’Donnell. Photo provided

O’Donnell, who graduated in 2016 with a BA in communication with a concentration in journalism from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, was a Patriots women’s basketball player before playing professionally in the Czech Republic with SBS Ostrava. She grew up in a basketball-focused family in New Jersey—her aunt was the late Hall of Famer and Olympic gold medalist women’s basketball legend Anne Donovan—so football wasn’t in the forefront.

“Luckily, I’m not out there coaching the team,” she joked. “But we’ve certainly learned a ton about the sport over the last three years.”

Now based at the Commanders’ corporate office, just 20 minutes away from Northwest Stadium in College Park, Maryland, O’Donnell oversees premium client services. She’s responsible for delivering top-tier service to annual suite clients, generating additional revenue with new business targets, renewing and negotiating multi-year suite lease agreements, and strategizing and executing year-round client engagements through partner events, away-game travel, and more.

“Being in sales is incredibly empowering,” she said. “Navigating tough conversations with influential business leaders, negotiating high-value deals, commanding rooms, and earning your own success. It’s not always easy, but I’m lucky to have many extraordinary, trailblazing women to look up to at the Commanders and across the industry.”

O’Donnell said her experience as a George Mason—as a student-athlete and Athletics communications intern—deepened her connection her to the university and continues to shape her approach to leadership and teamwork.

Advice for the next generation

Both women take their roles as trailblazers in a traditionally male-dominated industry seriously. They hope to inspire others who may not see themselves represented in such fields.

“What’s encouraging is how things are starting to shift,” Nambiar said. “More women are moving into roles across coaching, analytics, operations, and tech. Being part of that change—helping to redefine what the industry looks like—is both humbling and motivating.”

“When you find ways to connect your skills and passions to the business side, you open the door to making a real impact,” O’Donnell said, “and becoming an invaluable part of any team or organization.”

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Bioinformatician maps her own path to NIH fellowship

Katarina Benson — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 16:25:44 +0000

Bioinformatician maps her own path to NIH fellowship Katarina Benson Tue, 08/05/2025 - 12:25

“It's funny, you know, the connection between the events,” said Soukaina Amniouel, MS Bioinformatics and Computational Biology ’20, PhD ’24. Amniouel is referring to how she completed her very first genome assembly at �� for a research project, and now she does this same task nearly every day as part of her postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It’s clear, however, these connections aren’t coincidence—Amniouel overcame numerous obstacles to make them happen.

Amniouel credits her mother with the push to apply to George Mason to pursue her interest in bioinformatics, since there were no strong programs in her native Morocco. Despite the worries about diving into something so new, she saw that international students were happy at George Mason and decided to take a chance on a university that rewards determination like hers.

“I am grateful that I did not give up…because I learned so much and I found that it is exactly what I want to study,” she said.

Amniouel’s doctoral research focused on using biomarkers and machine learning—which is a branch of artificial intelligence (AI)—to improve the rate of efficacy for chemotherapy. While many areas of health care involve targeted therapies, that’s often not the first option for cancer patients.

Amniouel at the NIH. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

Amniouel worked alongside Professor M. Saleet Jafri, director of the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, to develop a patented machine learning model that they hope will one day allow doctors to match a patient’s genetic profile to the most effective chemotherapy. This would reduce both the patient’s physical burden and overall cost of treatment.

While bioinformatics research involving AI was rare when Amniouel started her PhD, her decision to pursue it anyway meant that she was exactly the kind of forward-thinking candidate the NIH wanted.

For a self-described quiet person, her excitement is palpable when she talks about her research. This enthusiasm for bioinformatics helped her step outside her comfort zone and serve as a graduate teaching assistant, which she said allowed her to hone her communication and presentation skills.

“Today I really love teaching,” she said. “And this just shows how putting yourself in awkward positions can sometimes really make you grow.”

Amniouel still teaches a class on George Mason’s Science and Technology ��.

Amniouel’s current NIH research supports the discovery or improvement of drug therapies for both cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s. She meets with scientists every day to discuss their projects and what her data analyses mean for their work. These conversations are one reason she finds the position so fulfilling.

“You remind yourself, we're doing this for people, for patients,” she said. “And that connection—those meetings—are very useful because honestly it just makes me love my field more. Because even if it's a small task, it's helpful to someone.”

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This alum found his calling in Alaska’s community recreation

Katarina Benson — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 18:50:22 +0000

This alum found his calling in Alaska’s community recreation Katarina Benson Tue, 07/29/2025 - 14:50

Brenden Powers, BS Recreation Management ’23, isn’t one to shy away from an adventure. As the indoor recreation supervisor for Anchorage Parks and Recreation in Alaska, he’s found himself thousands of miles from Northern Virginia—but right where he belongs.

A proud alumnus of ��’s College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) School of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management (SRTM), Powers oversees the Spenard Community Recreation Center in Anchorage, where no two days are the same.

From managing daily operations and summer camps to launching city-wide youth initiatives, Powers leads with purpose, empathy, and an unshakeable belief in the power of public service. “Typical days are far and few when it comes to working within parks and recreation. But every day, I know we’re making a difference,” he said.

Powers next to a snowman.

Powers’s journey into recreation management wasn’t always obvious; after enrolling at Northern Virginia Community College in 2018 and working part-time for NOVA Parks at Fountainhead Regional Park, he found his spark and his mentor. “I absolutely fell in love with the work I was doing—being outside, interacting with my community, and brightening someone’s day,” he says.

It was Nancy Chamberlain, his supervisor at the time and now an adjunct professor in the Recreation Management Program of SRTM, who offered him the words that would change everything: “Let’s turn your passion into a profession.” That encouragement was all he needed to transfer to George Mason and dive headfirst into the field of parks and recreation.

At George Mason, Powers found more than an academic home—he found a community that believed in him. “Every professor pushed me further than I imagined. They didn’t just want me to succeed; they believed in me even before I believed in myself.”

He credits the coursework and faculty support for building a professional foundation he still draws from today. The Recreation Management Program’s focus on accessibility, administrative practices, and the psychology of recreation helped him understand the deeper impact of his work beyond daily operations. His internships, first with the Bureau of Land Management and Chesapeake Conservancy and later with the American Conservation Experience, would eventually lead him to Alaska.

Now in Anchorage, Powers is putting all of it into action. In just six months in his current role, he’s helped shape programs that provide critical support to youth and families in the city. With Anchorage facing a growing homelessness crisis, he and his team partnered with local nonprofits Juanita Strong Forever Project and Hennings Inc. to provide free meals to anyone under age 18, five days a week. The Spenard Community Recreation Center also opens its doors daily to youth at no cost, giving them a safe space to play and belong. Adults can participate in additional programming for as little as $3.

“We’re also offering one of the most affordable summer camps in the state,” he said. At just $190 a week, the camp is American Camp Association-accredited and packed with STEM, arts, outdoor adventure, and field trips across Alaska. “What we’ve accomplished so far is only the beginning. I couldn’t be more proud of my team.”

Powers’ decision to move to Alaska was part childhood dream, part personal challenge. He grew up captivated by the Disney classic movie Brother Bear and later found himself inspired by Outdoor Boys, the popular YouTube channel created by fellow George Mason alumnus Luke Nichols, JD ’09.

“Watching Luke’s adventures in the Alaskan wilderness really lit a fire in me,” Powers says. “I love a challenge, and Alaska just called to me. All the recreational activities I enjoy—hiking, fishing, skiing—they’re all elevated here. Once the idea was in my head, I couldn’t get it out.”

Powers in the woods.

Outside of work, Powers embraces every season. Winters are filled with cross-country skiing, snowboarding, skating, and watching weekend dog mushing races. Summers bring endless daylight, hiking, biking, and outdoor exploration. “It’s truly insane how much you can do when the sun doesn’t set,” he said.

Reflecting on his George Mason experience, Powers speaks with deep appreciation. “To me, being an alumnus means being part of something far greater than just a degree. It means carrying forward the torch of empathy, equity, and lifelong learning that was ignited during my first few minutes at George Mason,” he says. “Every child I teach, every life I touch, I do so with the knowledge that I am standing on the shoulders of the professors, classmates, and community who believed in me when I was still learning what it meant to believe in myself.”

His advice for students hoping to follow a similar path is simple but powerful: “Work hard, keep an open mind, and always arrive 15 minutes early. Your passion can absolutely become your profession, and George Mason will give you the foundation to make it real.”

Powers also extended a heartfelt thank you to the SRTM faculty and staff who helped shape his journey. “You didn’t just teach me facts or theories. You taught me resilience, compassion, and how to lead with integrity. You saw potential in me before I knew it existed and helped mold me into the man I am today. Because of you, I leave not just with a degree, but with purpose, confidence, and a heart full of gratitude. I carry your lessons with me every single day.”

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