Schar School News April 2022

What Were We Thinking? Selected Schar School Op-Eds (April 2022)

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 02 May 2022 15:20:13 +0000

What Were We Thinking? Selected Schar School Op-Eds (April 2022) Andrew J Schappert Mon, 05/02/2022 - 11:20

In This Story

Sonia Ben Ouagrham-Gormley

From Inside Higher Education:

Is It Time to Cut the Presidents’ Pay?

All of which prompts a question: Is it time to reconsider the salaries of presidents? Why are relatively short-term presidents—the average tenure is 6.5 years, according to a 2017 survey conducted by the American Council on Education—worth so much more than full professors who tend to stick around longer and work with students on a daily basis?

—Judith Wilde and James Finkelstein

From Issues in Science and Technology:

Revisiting NSF’s Founding Compromise

With this possible influx of money and expectations, it’s time to revisit how NSF and NSB work together. Over the past seven decades, these two entities have created a national ecosystem for scientific innovation that has enabled generations of discoveries and discoverers—though NSF is far more visible to the public.

—James Olds, Jessica L. Rosenberg, Nick Robichaud

From the Washington Post:

Governing Campaign-Style in Virginia

The governor’s move adds a new twist to the old maxim that governors propose and legislators dispose: Now, it’s the governor proposes and then tries to sell what he is proposing through paid media, like brand-name consumer products.

—Mark J. Rozell

From Psychology Today:

Changes in Estrogen Impact the Brain Well Before Alzheimer’s

Old age is the greatest risk for developing Alzheimer’s, but being a woman is the second-highest risk factor.

—Nadine Kabbani

From the Hill:

To be a great power, here’s the stance China should take with Russia

How might China do this? It could state forcefully that Beijing wishes to see: an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine; the withdrawal of all Russian forces from Ukraine; and a Ukrainian pledge that it will not join NATO. And it could deploy Chinese peacekeeping forces to the Donbas and Crimea.

—Mark N. Katz

From Brookings:

Has Federal Crisis Spending for K-12 Schools Served Its Intended Objectives?

For ESSER, our sense is that policymakers have not fully reckoned with the magnitude of learning loss that has taken place during the pandemic and the costs necessary to offset this loss.

—Matthew P. Steinberg and Kenneth Shores

From the Geopolitics:

Civilians in the Gray Zone: New Rules for New Hybrid Wars?

By bits and bots, the human mind is under assault in hitherto unprecedented ways, challenging our legal and moral norms and social customs. The use of a new range of weapons and techniques in hybrid warfare scenarios with or without explicit consideration of its impacts on the civilian population situated in the inscrutable zone of indistinction between stable peace and open conflict ostensibly contributes to the ongoing and ever-advancing displacement of the battlefield and threatens further erosion of basic yet essential international legal protections.

—Joanna Rozpedowski

From Texas National Security Review:

China’s Biomedical Data Hacking Threat: Applying Big Data Isn’t as Easy as It Seems

We need to do a better job of conducting more complex socio-technical assessments of how China might try to use biomedical big data, as well as studying China’s bioinformatics personnel and technical infrastructure.

—Sonia Ben Ouagrham-Gormley and Kathleen M. Vogel

From El Faro (English):

Trial for ‘Death Squad Dossier’ Ties Guatemalan Wartime Atrocities to Current Criminal Networks

But after waiting nearly four decades for their day in court, the families of the victims remain steadfast in their demands for truth and justice.

—Jo-Marie Burt and Paulo Estrada

From Taiwan Insight:

Lessons from Ukraine: Beijing Should Think Twice About Attacking Taiwan

Then there is the fourth factor, which is much discussed in Taiwan: the willingness of the US to become directly involved in the defense of Taiwan if China invades.

—Gerrit van der Wees

From Small Wars Journal:

Alternative Ways to Seek Regional and Global Influence: How Shadowy Organizations Serve the Interests of Turkey, Iran, and Russia

Recently, leaders of the Western world have become aware of the suspicious nature of these groups and began to take action against these shadowy organizations.

—Mahmut Cengiz, Layla Hashemi, and Vladimir Semizhanov

From Al Jazeera:

How will PM Khan’s removal affect Pakistan’s fragile democracy?

The so-called “electables” of parliament switched sides. The opposition suddenly had the numbers and, poof, Khan was gone – for now.

—Ahsan Butt

From the Washington Post:

If Democrats don’t tell their story for the midterms, Republicans will

The task over the coming seven months in Virginia mirrors the one facing Democrats nationally. Former president Barack Obama recently summed it up in just 11 words: “We’ve got a story to tell, just got to tell it.”

—Mark J. Rozell

From the Hill:

America Is Now Embracing the ‘Paranoid Style’

In a two-party system like that of the U.S., voters will sooner or later get fed up with the incumbent party and demand change—even if that means voting for a party in thrall to paranoia.

—Bill Schneider

From Homeland Security Today:

Why Turkey Has Handed Over the Jamal Khashoggi Case to Saudi Arabia

The Turkish prosecutor, during a court hearing for 26 defendants in the Khashoggi murder case, demanded that the proceedings be stopped and the case handed over to the Saudi Arabian judicial officials.

—Mahmut Cengiz

From Higher Ed Dive:

Tenure Is Under Attack, So Why Do College Presidents Have Retreat Rights?

This leads us to wonder what "academic freedom" governing boards are protecting by giving their presidents tenure.

—Judith Wilde and James Finkelstein

From U.S. Army War College War Room:

Managing Russia in the Middle East: the Case for Selective Engagement

At one end of their spectrum of choices is for the United States to unreservedly guarantee the security of Gulf Cooperation Council states and other U.S. allies in the region. At the other end, America could withdraw and potentially cede its current influence in the region to Russia or China.

—Alec Jackson (I-SEC master’s student)

From Arab Center Washington:

The Evolving Relationship Between Religion and Politics in Saudi Arabia

To be sure, these developments ultimately represent MbS’s desire to consolidate absolute authority and eliminate alternative power centers capable of challenging his rule. What is occurring in Saudi Arabia is best understood as the restructuring of religion toward this end: religious authority is being centralized under the authority of MbS and brought under the direct control of the monarchy.

—PhD Candidate Jon Hoffman

From Homeland Security Today:

Can the Relationship Between Turkey and the United States Ever Be Repaired?

The scale of corruption in Turkey is unknown, but it is fair to say that corrupt officials and bureaucrats siphon off money from almost all government contracts.

—Mahmut Cengiz

From the Hill:

Macron Beats Le Pen: is There a Lesson for Biden and Trump in 2024?

Ideological division overwhelmed populist resentment. And saved France.

—Bill Schneider

From GlobaDev:

Globalization and Inequality After the Pandemic

As the crisis subsides, reduction in poverty and inequality through more, and better, formal employment is at the center of most economic recovery strategies worldwide.

—Maurice Kugler, et al.

Topics

Schar School News April 2022

Student Spotlight: Barbara Montgomery, Seizing Opportunities—And Earning Results

Andrew J Schappert — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 15:13:06 +0000

Student Spotlight: Barbara Montgomery, Seizing Opportunities—And Earning Results Andrew J Schappert Fri, 04/29/2022 - 11:13

In This Story

Heba F. El-Shazli

Barbara Montgomery: ‘I have worked so hard. And my hard work has been worth it.’ Photo by Charlotte Daigle

As Barbara Montgomery prepared to present at the Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science National Honors Society Student Research Conference in March, she admitted to feeling a bit apprehensive.

But her confidence surged after the presentation and during the Q&A session as she engaged with the audience members who asked questions about her paper, “The Importance of Incorporating Behavioral Analysis into Rational Choice Theory.”

The experience taught Montgomery, a Schar School of Policy and Government senior and Bachelor’s Accelerated Master’s program student, to seize every opportunity, no matter how challenging.

“You may feel nervous or that you are not ready, but it could end up being a great learning experience that prepares you for future endeavors,” she said.

Montgomery’s research explores the complexity of decision-making in international conflicts and the need to supplement rational choice theory when analyzing the behavior of international actors. She chose the topic because she believes in the importance of learning how to make better decisions. Additionally, she finds game theory and decision-making interesting.

Heba El-Shazli, an assistant professor at the Schar School, introduced Montgomery to the possibility of research and encouraged her to join the Undergraduate Research Community (URC). The URC helps students gain hands-on research skills by providing tools, tips, mentorship, and a community in which they can share ideas and learn from their peers.

Montgomery appreciates how El-Shazli, who serves as URC director, and the research community helped shape her interest and passion for government.

“Professor El-Shazli has highly invested in me as a student to succeed over the years,” she said. “I was in the URC at the time of writing the paper and my experience there inspired me to submit my work to the Pi Sigma Alpha research conference.”

The honors continued into the spring for Montgomery: In April, she was inducted into the prestigious honor society, Phi Beta Kappa. Another opportunity to be seized.

“A lot goes on beyond what is seen in earning a college degree that is hard to express,” she said. “But this initiation speaks volumes and reflects my academic journey so beautifully. I have worked so hard. And my hard work has been worth it."

Topics

Honors

Schar School News April 2022

Student Spotlight: Sheila Lorenzo, From Cuba to the Capitol

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 13:17:36 +0000

Student Spotlight: Sheila Lorenzo, From Cuba to the Capitol Andrew J Schappert Wed, 04/27/2022 - 09:17

Sheila Lorenzo: ‘…I can make an impact by being involved in policy-making and sharing my story...’

Sheila Lorenzo didn’t expect to end up on Capitol Hill.

Lorenzo applied to ��ӽ紫ý to pursue a degree in biology but her aspirations swiftly shifted: Biology proved the wrong fit, but the Havana, Cuba-native said she has “always had a natural interest in international relations.”

Now a junior in the Schar School of Policy and Government, Lorenzo made the switch to a government and international politics major and picked up a minor in global affairs. Her studies focus on international policy, with an interest in issues such as terrorism and immigration.

Lorenzo moved to the U.S. in 2016, meaning many of her formative years were shaped by the culture and people of Havana. It also means having grown up in an environment where “the possibility to be involved in policy-making institutions is nearly zero for the regular citizens,” she said.

“Coming from a country where there is no internet or access to many resources, I was hungry for knowledge. I knew I could make a difference with the freedom I had here [in the U.S.]. Having the opportunity to do so has always been a dream of mine.”

Lorenzo has already made that dream a reality—and then some. Outside of her involvement on campus, in which she is an active member of the Chi Kappa chapter of Chi Omega, and participating in her classes, she has made the most of the internship opportunities available to Schar School students.

She started working at Mason at the College of Science’s renowned Ted R. Bradley Herbarium as a research assistant, where working with the internationally recognized collection of dried and pressed plant specimens was fueled by her original fascination with biology.

In spring of 2020, she held an off-campus internship with the California-based nonprofit Planetary Society, where she learned the complexities of creating earthly policy for use in space. “My Planetary Society internship was really fun,” she said. “I was mostly researching issues related to space, attending briefings, and drafting documents.”

And now Lorenzo now holds an “amazing and super interesting” internship on Capitol Hill, working for U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams (D-Ga.), who represents the Atlanta district previously represented by the late civil rights activist, John Lewis.

“I’ve been able to work closely on issues related to the district of Atlanta,” Lorenzo said. “On a daily basis, my job consists of tending to constituents worries and making sure they are presented to the Congresswoman, drafting letters, and attending conferences.”

The work means a lot to her.

“Knowing that I can be a part of something bigger, that I can make an impact by being involved in policy-making and sharing my story, and that I can educate those around me, is very fulfilling and motivates me to keep going," she said.

From Cuba to Capitol Hill, Lorenzo’s motivation and impact has been undeniable. She makes it abundantly clear that she has no plans on stopping.

“My ambition is to be a living example and a voice for my community,” she said, “for the Cubans who still live on the island, and for Cuban refugees all over the world.”

Topics

internships

Undergraduate

Schar School News April 2022

For this First-Year, Performing Research Was a Surprising—and Rewarding—Experience

Andrew J Schappert — Tue, 26 Apr 2022 19:11:43 +0000

For this First-Year, Performing Research Was a Surprising—and Rewarding—Experience Andrew J Schappert Tue, 04/26/2022 - 15:11

In This Story

Jennifer N. Victor

Nylah Mitchell: ‘One piece of advice I would give to a new student is to explore everything.’

To many, the idea of working on original research is reserved for professors and graduate students who have the time and tools to do the deep dives into a topic necessary to contribute to producing a peer-reviewed paper for publication.

The Schar School of Policy and Government—and ��ӽ紫ý in general—has a different idea: Undergraduates participate in projects supported through a number of programs that teach how to perform advanced research using sophisticated tools—some of which are normally available only to master’s and PhD students—and to contribute to studies with the assistance of professors.

These are opportunities more students should know about. Case in point: “I was not sure if I wanted to do research before I came to Mason,” said Schar School freshman Nylah Mitchell. “I only became involved with research when [Associate] Professor [Jennifer N.] Victor mentioned in class about her own undergrad research projects involving [Congressional] caucus and member attributes collection” using student volunteers.

The government and international politics major from Alexandria, Virginia, found herself in the Schar School’s Undergraduate Research Assistant Program, or URAP. In addition to aiding Victor in her study of legislative caucuses, Mitchell joined a team of like-minded students who were studying state legislation regarding the perceived penalties of menstruation.

The fruits of the team’s work were recently presented during the Schar School’s annual Research Fair, an event at Mason where 15 Schar School undergrad teams presented posters depicting the results of their URAP projects.

The poster, “Pink Taxes and Period Poverty,” was put together by a team including Mitchell and fellow undergraduate researchers Shafuq Naseem, Lexi Alease Wilson, Rosemary Obinim, Ava Florentyne Kuch, Natalia P. Medina, and graduate research assistant Ryan Barock, who is in the Master of Public Administration Program at the Schar School. The faculty advisor was Associate Professor Bonnie B. Stabile, who also serves as associate dean of student and academic affairs and director of the Gender and Policy (GAP) Center.

One of Mitchell’s favorite aspects of performing research is attending Victor’s Politics Research Lab meetings. Each week Mitchell finds herself in the company of other student researchers “who share resources and opportunities for other members,” she said. At those meetings, she is likely to encounter other research assistants, including several PhD students—another unexpected bonus of the URAP program.

How does she do it all—a full load of courses, independent and group research—and do it successfully? Actually, it’s the opportunity that drives her.

“One piece of advice I would give to a new student is to explore everything,” she said. “It is OK to not know what you want to do when you arrive. I, in fact, have changed my major twice before I committed to government and international politics.”

But clearly, she found a home at the Schar School.

Additional reporting by Buzz McClain, Schar School of Policy and Government.

Topics

Undergraduate

Research

Schar School News April 2022

Students Find Pathway, Mentors in Pursuit of Careers as Diplomats

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 21 Apr 2022 18:15:40 +0000

Students Find Pathway, Mentors in Pursuit of Careers as Diplomats Andrew J Schappert Thu, 04/21/2022 - 14:15

In This Story

Richard Kauzlarich

Mentor Paul Mayer, in red sweater, fills in Foreign Service Day participants on the details of the life of a diplomat. Photo by Maddie Ludwick

How does one join the Foreign Service? What’s the pathway to serving your country at the State Department or, thinking long-term, earning the position of ambassador?

Six years ago, several academic units at ��ӽ紫ý combined forces to create a “Foreign Service Day at Mason,” a half-day event that brings representatives from various agencies to meet with undergraduates and graduates interested in careers in foreign service.

Mason’s location near Washington, D.C., paid off once again on April 9 when dozens of students met with active and retired foreign affairs professionals to hear in-person and Zoom presentations, followed by one-on-one mentoring sessions at Mason’s Merten Hall on the Fairfax, Virginia, campus.

The keynote speech was delivered by former Ambassador John M. Jones, an adjunct professor at Mason who represented the U.S. at the embassy of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

By the end of the day, students had met and heard from speakers who not only inspired them to pursue careers in foreign service but also spoke of the U.S. government’s need for educated and enthusiastic representatives.

“These events provide an unparalleled opportunity for Mason students to speak with serving and retired Foreign Service and Civil Service officers,” said Schar School of Policy and Government Distinguished Visiting Professor Richard Kauzlarich, himself a former ambassador. “It also provides a chance to learn about family life in U.S. Embassies from spouses and children of Foreign Service Officers,” including his wife Anne, who also took part in the day.

“I was grateful for the opportunity to make connections and to network,” said Runlin Zhang, a senior government and international politics major at the Schar School. “It was useful to have important conversations with people in the field.”

“The speakers were supportive and encouraging for anyone who wants to join the foreign service,” said Jennifers Great, a Korean studies and foreign language major. The self-admitted introvert said after engaging with mentors, “I feel I could still succeed” despite her shyness. “I’m encouraged to pursue anything.”

For James Lillard, a global affairs major, the event solidified his ambitions.

“I was inspired by all the stories and speeches,” he said, “especially Ambassador Jones. I got a real sense of community. This really committed me to following the path to service.”

The mentors were similarly enthused by the students.

“The students were, as always, impressive with their questions and their interest in opportunities for public service careers with the State Department,” said Tom Brannan, a teacher of diplomatic history who served in the Navy during the Vietnam War.

Carol Stricker, a former associate dean of the Foreign Service Institute’s School of Language Studies, agreed.

“It was a superb event with outstanding students,” she said.

Topics

Foreign Service Day

Schar School News April 2022

��ӽ紫ý Students from Ukraine Describe Horrors of War from Afar

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 15:12:48 +0000

��ӽ紫ý Students from Ukraine Describe Horrors of War from Afar Andrew J Schappert Wed, 04/20/2022 - 11:12

From left, Solomiya Shpak, Mariana Verbovska, and Mariia Panga address the audience during the Schar School ‘Ask Me Anything’ session about developments in their home country of Ukraine.

The war in Ukraine was brought home on April 7 when three students with direct ties to the besieged country presented an “Ask Me Anything” session with members of the ��ӽ紫ý community. The 90-minute event took place with an audience of about 30 at Van Metre Hall at Mason Square (formerly the Arlington Campus).

Solomiya Shpak, one of the panelists and current postdoctoral fellow at the Schar School of Policy and Government at Mason, was in Kyiv as Russia started bombing Ukrainian cities early on the morning of February 24. Shpak, eight months pregnant at the time the war began, told the audience how she and her family escaped Kyiv to western Ukraine by car.

Facing continued peril in Lviv, the family took the arduous 22-hour drive to the Romanian border. Her husband, however, was not permitted to leave the country and remained behind while the rest of the family continued to Hungary.

“Thankfully, we reached Budapest safely and stayed there for another week where friends from Hungarian Academy of Sciences organized a place to stay for us,” she said. “In Budapest, we decided that the best decision for us would be to go to Washington, D.C., where I can have huge support network.”

That network included Schar School faculty, fellow students, and other Ukranians, as well as former colleagues of her husband’s from the National Endowment for Democracy. Administrators at the Schar School offered a postdoctoral fellowship upon her return.

Mariana Verbovska, a Fulbright fellow at Mason’s Department of Communication, came to the university in November 2021 with her husband and 3-year-old son; the rest of her family, including her mother and father, remained in Ukraine to face the eventual Russian onslaught.

“My parents live in a region that has a border with Belarus, so they are not safe,” she said. “My friends are in Lviv and Kyiv, and it's heartbreaking to read the news and get messages from them.”

Mariia Panga, a PhD student at the Schar School, shared how she found out about the war from her new home in Arlington, Virginia, near Mason Square.

“It was around 11 p.m.,” she told the Mason audience. “I was watching the live broadcast of the UN Security Council. There the permanent representative for Ukraine told the Council that Putin declared war on Ukraine. I started panicking. I looked at my phone and I saw posts on Facebook that Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa were being bombed. I will never forget this moment.”

One of the participants asked a question about the current safety of the panelists’ families and friends. The panelists were unequivocal and in unanimous agreement: “Nobody is safe in Ukraine,” they said.

They also verified news reports that Russia is targeting residential buildings, hospitals, and bomb shelters.

Other questions from the audience touched on how those in the U.S. can assist Ukraine (donate to reliable humanitarian organizations, contract Congressional representatives), how the war might end, and why Vladimir Putin is obsessed with Ukraine.

Panga also announced an online petition for the Mason community.

In the end, the panelists offered they only thing they could be sure of: hope.

“But we are resilient,” Verbovska declared. “I firmly believe that love and truth will win, and that this is a historic turning point.”

Topics

Ukraine

Schar School News April 2022

Interdisciplinary Team Creating Guidelines for Probation Officers as Change Agents

Mary Cunningham — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 19:23:28 +0000

Interdisciplinary Team Creating Guidelines for Probation Officers as Change Agents Mary Cunningham Tue, 04/19/2022 - 15:23

In This Story

Faye S. Taxman

Researchers from the Schar School of Policy and Government’s Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence! and the College of Health and Human Services are translating research into actionable guidelines to help probation officers support their clients to achieve better outcomes.

With probation officers providing services to nearly five million people on community supervision in the United States, they play a critical role in the criminal justice system. Finding proven, effective ways to enhance probation and parole practices is important in keeping people from returning to the correctional system, which will improve lives and reduce costs. Evidenced-based research exists to help probation/parole officers improve their practice; however, the research can be difficult for probation/parole agencies to implement.

University Professor and Director of the Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence (ACE) Faye S. Taxman and Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work JoAnn Lee are collaborating to build on evidence-based research to help make implementing the research easier to digest--after all what good is research if it sits on a shelf?

Faye S. Taxman

Taxman considered this question and got to work. Easier to use research would hopefully strengthen the relationship between officers and their clients, improve their clients' lives and support them to achieve better outcomes, and prevent further involvement in the court system. Together with an interdisciplinary team of graduate students, Taxman and Lee are writing practical guidelines for officers as positive change agents instead of disciplinarians.

Probation/parole can be given as a sentence to people convicted of certain crimes instead of jail time or ordered for a period of time after a person is released from prison. For this project, Taxman, the principal investigator, wanted to partner with Lee, the co-principal investigator, to bring an interdisciplinary approach.

Taxman thought it would be helpful to have a partner who was more grounded in social work principles and had direct service experiences helping others. Taxman knew that having an interdisciplinary team would be the best way to incorporate all angles in the guidelines so they would be as effective as possible.

JoAnn Lee

“Having an interdisciplinary team helps us combine translating the research and clinical practice into actionable items,” said Taxman. "It has improved the project to be able to work with people in many academic fields, as well as people working in various roles within the probation process.”

They are working with experienced probation officers and a team of criminologists, social workers, and psychologists with expertise in substance use treatment, mental health and probation, intimate partner violence, violence, and criminal thinking. Additionally, they have included several criminology and social work students into the project.

“We hope when we disseminate our guidelines to the field, we do it in a way that probation officers and agencies will use them and begin to talk about what do they need to improve their existing practice,” said Taxman, who is professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government. “We’ve taken existing evidence-based research and our own research from the field to create real-world guidelines.”

Creating Easy-to-Use Guidelines

Taxman and Lee began by looking at the existing research and identified where there were gaps that they needed to fill in order to provide complete guidelines. They also surveyed probation officers to get direct input from the field about what practices should be done, under what circumstances, and for whom. Researchers also turned to their interdisciplinary panel of academic experts to help provide missing guidance.

The result will be nearly 20 different actionable statements that are easy for probation/parole agencies and officers to apply in their day-to-day work. The statements include guidelines on how and when each guideline should be used and when it may be harmful. Topics include contacts and monitoring; screening for substance and mental health services and treatment services; electronic monitoring; contacting employers and family members; and fines, fees, and restitution. The project, “Developing Probation Guidelines Using Appropriateness Statements,” is funded by a $500,000 grant from the Arnold Ventures Foundation.

For example, motivational interviewing is a skill that can be used alone or integrated with other approaches that focus on preparing a client for behavior change. Evidence-based research might say “use motivational interviewing for substance misuse," but it does not tell probation officers how to use that skill or when it is most helpful. Taxman and Lee’s statements explain what motivational interviewing is, when to use it, and tips for how to use it.

“This is different because we’re clear about what are evidence-based practices and what are existing practices directly from those in the community supervision field,” says Lee. “Our statements identify when probation officers’ experiences and research agree about an effective technique. The voice of the audience is more integrated into the presentation and we believe this helps officers understand the ‘why’ behind the technique, which may make them more likely to include it into their practice.”

They have been working on this project for about three years and plan to present the guidelines this summer at the American Probation and Parole Association annual training institute. Throughout the process, the team has published several papers (or are in the process of publishing) including in the Handbook of Issues in Criminal Justice Reform in the United States, Aggression and Violent Behavior, Federal Probation, and The Oxford Handbook of Psychology and Law.

The team is also sponsoring a special issue for Federal Probation about working with specific populations such as substance abusers, individuals with mental illness, individuals involved with intimate partner violence, and individuals that are considered violent or violent-prone.

“When we surveyed the field, there was very little attention to working with special populations,” said Lee. The issue will include practices, written by experts in the field, for working with specific populations such as young or violent offenders, those affected by intimate partner violence, and people with mental health challenges.

Topics

Schar School News April 2022

Mason Momentum

Research

In the George

Center for Health Equity

Student Spotlight: She’s Studying to Be President—of Perú

Andrew J Schappert — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 15:34:03 +0000

Student Spotlight: She’s Studying to Be President—of Perú Andrew J Schappert Tue, 04/19/2022 - 11:34

García Inga, at Incan ruins near Cuzco, Perú

Ana Belen de Abril García Inga grew up in Lima, Perú, dreaming of someday becoming president of that South American country.

Her reason was simple: “I just want to improve Peruvian lives and help my home.”

García Inga knew if she wanted to fulfill her goal, she needed to take a risk, and an international one at that. She is now more than 3,500 miles from home studying in the Schar School of Policy and Government at ��ӽ紫ý with hopes of returning to serve her country.

The freshman government and international politics major chose Mason due to its proximity to Washington, D.C., and the opportunities afforded by a location near the seat of American government. “I wanted to go somewhere that has faculty with more experience in international relations and be close to everything happening in the world,” she said.

García Inga became interested in government and economics at a young age.

“Growing up, it was easy to see the complicated politics of Perú and I wanted to learn more about it and how to someday hopefully fix it,” she said. She added that studying international relations and government is not as common in Perú and she wanted to attend a school where she knew she would have access to the best resources available.

After attending a Model UN conference in the U.S., she knew this was where she wanted to pursue her education. So far, the university has exceeded her expectations.

“��ӽ紫ý gives you so many connections to important people in the government, and what better place to study about the world than in Washington D.C., one of the most important cities in the world?”

As for her American education, “the professors in the Schar School are really passionate about what they are teaching, which helps make me more interested in the class and they really care about their students,” she said, adding that she already feels more passionate about what she’s studying—if that were possible.

In the future, García Inga looks forward to finishing her degree and attending a graduate program or work for an international organization.

Topics

Perú

Schar School News April 2022

Schar School BA in Government and International Politics

Schar School Student Spotlight

Gallery Show, Panel Discussion Highlight Study on Art and International Commerce

Andrew J Schappert — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 14:20:35 +0000

Gallery Show, Panel Discussion Highlight Study on Art and International Commerce Andrew J Schappert Tue, 04/19/2022 - 10:20

In This Story

J.P. Singh

DICE in DIOGENES by Maarten Van Vuuren is part of the exhibit to be unveiled April 29.

A new exhibition of art commissioned by the British Council to interpret an academic and policy report by a professor at ��ӽ紫ý’s Schar School of Policy and Government will be unveiled April 29 at Mason Square (formerly the Arlington Campus).

The event is open to the public and features a keynote address from the ambassador from Tanzania and a panel discussion with representatives from international development, public diplomacy, and art agencies.

Admission is free but registration is required at this site: https://bit.ly/3JYiD17.

The mixed-media artwork by 12 artists from six countries illustrates complex concepts within Schar School Professor J.P. Singh’s report, “The Cultural Relations of Negotiating Development: Developing Inclusive and Creative Economies (DICE) at the British Council.”

The well-received study was commissioned by the British Council, the U.K.’s international organization for cultural relations and educational opportunities, and released in 2020. (Read it here.) DICE is a global pilot program that activated new forms of cultural agency and collaboration for 22,000 creative social entrepreneurs, artists, intermediaries, young journalists, and policymakers.

“The artists all interpreted the report so creatively,” said Singh, who teaches international commerce at the Schar School. “They picked up on nuances in the report but also were able to show in powerful ways how art and creativity can help us reimagine international development.”

The exhibition of 34 original works, which will be displayed at Mason’s Van Metre Hall gallery in Arlington, was co-curated by Singh and Mason political science PhD student Caroline Wesson, who studies innovation policy and has assisted in other art presentations.

“I have been thrilled to work on this exhibition because it is one of few occasions in which scholarship and art are directly in dialogue with one another,” Wesson said. “Scholarship and research are creative endeavors, but the way in which academics interpret and approach their work, and the world they seek to understand, is different than that of the artist.

“Seeing the artists’ interpretations of Dr. Singh’s report has helped me to consider different lenses and perspectives for my own research and will lead me towards wider considerations for how my work may impact others.”

The art will be unveiled April 29 at 4 p.m.; at 5 p.m., Elsie S. Kanza, ambassador of Tanzania to the U.S. and Mexico, will deliver the keynote speech, followed by a panel discussion. Steve Clemons, editor at large at the Hill, will moderate the conversation addressing the role of art in international development.

Untitled by Marina Tasca

Panelists include Alicia Adams, vice president of International Programming and Dance at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts; Michael Orlove, director of State, Regional, and Local Partnerships and International Activities at the National Endowment for the Arts; Vivian Walker, executive director of the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy; and Michael Woolcock, lead economist for the World Bank’s Development Research Group and a professor at Harvard University.

“We hope that both the exhibition and public launch event will help raise awareness of the often-overlooked role of the artist in international development,” said British Council’s Adam Pillsbury. “The works of art they produced after reading the paper and meeting with Professor Singh helped us see his paper in new ways, translate its complexity, and illustrate its central topics and tangential themes.”

The art will be on view at Mason’s Van Metre Hall until May 13.

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International Commerce

Global Commerce

Research

Caroline Wesson

Schar School News April 2022

Cornel West Featured in Race, Politics, and Policy Center’s Inaugural Live Event

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 17:36:29 +0000

Cornel West Featured in Race, Politics, and Policy Center’s Inaugural Live Event Andrew J Schappert Mon, 04/18/2022 - 13:36

In This Story

Michael K. Fauntroy

Mark J. Rozell

Cornel West on stage at Mason’s Van Metre Hall auditorium. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

Cornel West promised to talk about “the center of the deep crisis that America finds itself in,” and the longtime philosopher, academic, and social activist did not disappoint.

West spoke for more than two hours in a conversation moderated by Schar School of Policy and Government Associate Professor Michael K. Fauntroy on Thursday, April 14, before an audience of more than 150 at ��ӽ紫ý’s Van Metre Hall auditorium at Mason Square (formerly the Arlington Campus).

A video of the conversation is here.

The appearance, the first in-person event hosted by the Schar School’s new Race, Politics, and Policy Center, directed by Fauntroy, opened with remarks from Schar School Dean Mark J. Rozell and an introduction by ��ӽ紫ý Provost and Executive Vice President Mark R. Ginsberg, who teed things up for West’s penetrating observations on contemporary society by citing Mason’s renowned majority-minority population and its diversity being “a core virtue.”

If there is an easier guest to interview before a live audience, it’s difficult to imagine. For his part, Fauntroy gamely asked insightful questions that were answered with rhythmically imparted, free-flowing, and trenchant responses that reflected a musical cadence, not surprising given West’s love of jazz, which he referenced often. It was a master class in compelling oratory.

If an answer seemed to go a few measures too far, West, who was dressed in his trademark Edwardian-style black suit and tie, was aware. “I know I am going on too long, my brother,” he said to Fauntroy at one point, “but that is the beginning of my answer.” The line brought a laugh.

Fauntroy began the evening addressing the 68-year-old West’s “origin story,” during which West recounted being born in Oklahoma, “in the same hospital as the [soul group] GAP Band, in Greenwood. You know the name of the band stands for Greenwood, Archer, and Pine Band.”

Greenwood, West then reminded the audience, was the scene of the 1921 massacre that killed some 300 people and destroyed what was once “the Black Wall Street.”

The long-time academic—he currently serves as the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Professor of Philosophy and Christian Practice at Union Theological Seminary in New York City—addressed the current state of higher education, pointing out the difference between “education and schooling. Did you go to college, or did college go to you? Did you learn to think critically and to be yourself? Or did you get well-adjusted to injustice?”

Asked by Fauntroy about the teaching of hot-button issue critical race theory, West’s reply was simple and somber: “The reality is, the truth is too painful.”

On a lighter note, West recalled his days as an athlete, including winning a state championship in track, the memory of which brought a big smile to his face. As a baseball player, he said, “I wanted to be Willie Mays, not Mickey Mantle,” the difference being Mays’ admirably playful style of catching and throwing, which he happily demonstrated from his seat.

Well into his conversation, a remark made by Provost Ginsberg in his introduction came to West’s mind. “’Access to excellence,’” he said, repeating the university’s signature slogan. “Access to excellence…A center for race, and politics, and policy.

“There is something special happening at ��ӽ紫ý,” he concluded.

Cornel West, center, poses with students following his conversation with Schar School Associate Professor Michael K. Fauntroy. Photo by Buzz McClain/Schar School of Policy and Government

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Cornel West

Mark Ginsberg

Schar School News April 2022

Campus News

Schar School News April 2022

What Were We Thinking? Selected Schar School Op-Eds (April 2022)

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Student Spotlight: Barbara Montgomery, Seizing Opportunities—And Earning Results

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Student Spotlight: Sheila Lorenzo, From Cuba to the Capitol

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For this First-Year, Performing Research Was a Surprising—and Rewarding—Experience

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Students Find Pathway, Mentors in Pursuit of Careers as Diplomats

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���ӽ紫ý Students from Ukraine Describe Horrors of War from Afar

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Interdisciplinary Team Creating Guidelines for Probation Officers as Change Agents

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Researchers from the Schar School of Policy and Government’s Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence! and the College of Health and Human Services are translating research into actionable guidelines to help probation officers support their clients to achieve better outcomes.

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Student Spotlight: She’s Studying to Be President—of Perú

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Gallery Show, Panel Discussion Highlight Study on Art and International Commerce

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Cornel West Featured in Race, Politics, and Policy Center’s Inaugural Live Event

In This Story

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��ӽ紫ý Students from Ukraine Describe Horrors of War from Afar