John Hollis

Rubiera becomes the first ADVANCE MVP student to matriculate to ��ӽ紫ý

Colleen Rich — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 14:22:20 +0000

Rubiera becomes the first ADVANCE MVP student to matriculate to ��ӽ紫ý Colleen Rich Mon, 09/09/2024 - 10:22

Alizé Rubiera was focused on graduating from community college and had never heard of ��ӽ紫ý’s ADVANCE Program until she received an e-mail that changed her life last fall.

Photo by John Hollis/Office of University Branding

For Rubiera, this program was the catalyst that led to the 19-year-old Fredericksburg native to transfer from Germanna Community College to ��ӽ紫ý to begin her junior year. Now, she is proudly poised to become the first person in her family to earn a college degree.

ADVANCE, part of the Mason Virginia Promise (MVP) initiative, is a collaborative partnership between ��ӽ紫ý and several Virginia community colleges, designed to enhance the transfer experience for community college students pursuing a bachelor's degree. These partnerships offer significant cost savings, a simplified admission and financial aid process, and access to additional grant programs, all while benefiting from the support of a dedicated advisor to ensure success with no loss of credits.

��ӽ紫ý’s partnership with Germanna Community College in Fredericksburg, Virginia, was announced in June 2022.

“It feels amazing,” Rubiera said of her eventual graduation. “My mom reminds me every day, and I feel like I’m motivating and inspiring my brothers and sisters. I want them to see that we can do this—that we’re allowed to go to college and have the same opportunities as everyone else.”

The second-youngest of five children, Rubiera, is majoring in criminology, law and society, with aspirations of becoming a criminal defense attorney. Due to graduate in spring 2026, she chose ��ӽ紫ý not only for its criminology program, but also for its diversity. This fall, Rubiera is among the many new faces on the Fairfax Campus and is notably the first ADVANCE MVP student to transfer to ��ӽ紫ý after completing two years at community college.

“Alizé is an MVP trailblazer,” said Rita Alcala, associate director of the Office of Community College Partnerships at ��ӽ紫ý. “Her story and recent transition to ��ӽ紫ý underscore the ADVANCE Program’s importance and its ongoing impact through its extended partnerships. With clear academic pathways, coaching support, and streamlined admissions and matriculation processes, ADVANCE and its partners help make a bachelor’s degree more accessible to community college students across Virginia.”

Rubiera’s story is common among Virginia community college students seeking a better life, as 64% of ADVANCE students identify as first-generation college students.

Currently 60 students are enrolled in the ADVANCE MVP Program across its five extended partner institutions, outside of the flagship institution partnership with Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), with more students expected to enroll this coming academic year. ��ӽ紫ý officials expect at least one more ADVANCE MVP extended partnership student to transition to its Fairfax Campus in Spring 2025.

Overall, 66% of Virginia Community College System students now have access to ADVANCE at their respective community colleges.

Rubiera credits her ADVANCE advisor, Dana Brantley, for being invaluable support throughout the transfer process. “She was always reliable whenever I needed guidance,” Rubiera said. “Having an advisor who is available when you’re unsure or confused is crucial, and Dana was always there for me.”

It all started with an unexpected e-mail nearly a year ago. “That e-mail provided me an opportunity that I am extremely grateful for,” Rubiera said.

Learn more about ADVANCE

Explore the growing list of ADVANCE pathways for community college students

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Strategic Direction

First-year setter Tuana Ozarpaci is learning fast about the U.S. and Division I volleyball

Sarah Holland — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 19:52:52 +0000

First-year setter Tuana Ozarpaci is learning fast about the U.S. and Division I volleyball Sarah Holland Thu, 08/29/2024 - 15:52

The heavier volleyball used in NCAA Division-I play and the different feel from its international counterpart isn’t the only change to which ��ӽ紫ý’s Tuana Ozarpaci is quickly acclimating herself.

Photo by Rafael Suanes/Mason Athletics

Living in a foreign land, far away from home for the first time, the 18-year-old first-year setter from Istanbul, Republic of Türkiye, is taking a crash course, learning volumes both on the court and off as she settles in at her new home-away-from-home.

“It’s a whole new change, but it’s a good change,” said Ozarpaci, an economics and sports management major. “I just want to focus on my studies, volleyball, and my personal growth.”

Attending a university far from friends and family can have its challenges, but Ozarpaci is adapting well to her new environment and her new volleyball family.

In early spring 2023, Ozarpaci announced her intention to play for ��ӽ紫ý, becoming coach Megan Shifflett Bachman’s first commit for the incoming class of 2024. Ozarpaci chose ��ӽ紫ý over University of Texas, DePaul, and Loyola Marymount, citing the close relationship she had quickly developed with Shifflett Backman and current Patriots players via Zoom and her desire to find a new home preferably on the East Coast.

Ozarpaci had initially drawn the university’s attention with her impressive performance on the Turkish club team Galatasaray Sports Club, where she played in 414 sets across 133 matches and led her team with 1,000+ assists each season as the starting setter for the past three consecutive seasons.

Shifflett Bachman was on maternity leave when she heard of Ozarpaci’s decision to come to ��ӽ紫ý. “She was just one of those athletes who really stood out,” Shifflett Bachman said. “What she could do with the ball was impressive and immediately caught our attention.”

The number of international student-athletes playing Division I women’s volleyball has slowly risen in recent years, but they still comprise just under 6% of all Division I players, according to the latest NCAA statistics.

But Ozarpaci could play a key role for a ��ӽ紫ý team that looks to improve last year’s 9-21 record. Setters are the team’s quarterbacks, meaning they usually touch the ball on every play to set up teammates. Having a keen on-court awareness, knowing her teammates and accurately placing the ball are skills that are imperative for that position.

Ozarpaci will get her opportunity this fall, with the Patriots returning just one setter from last year’s team.

“Being a freshman—especially as an international student—is always going to be hard, no matter what,” Ozarpaci said. “But the coaches are making me feel safe and welcome while pushing me to improve and learn how to do things better.”

She had visited the United States with her parents and older sister before enrolling at ��ӽ紫ý, but the family had never been to the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area before arriving in Fairfax on Aug. 1. Now, she is ready to brave this chapter on her own.

A huge basketball fan, Ozarpaci already plans on being a regular at EagleBank Arena this winter, at least when she’s not too busy with classes or sampling American culinary delights, such as Chick-fil-A and Dunkin, both on the Fairfax Campus. Ozarpaci has become a big fan of both.

“I’m loving it here, it’s beautiful, and I feel like I’m going to grow a lot,” Ozarpaci said.

Get the schedule for ��ӽ紫ý's fall sports

See what makes our students All Together Different

Folklore professor traveled around the world in 90 days for research project
September 16, 2024
Bioengineering alumna completes a fun(gal) summer internship with NIH
September 16, 2024
Groundswell partners with Mason LIFE providing scholarships, internships, and career services
September 12, 2024
Rubiera becomes the first ADVANCE MVP student to matriculate to ��ӽ紫ý
September 9, 2024
Bioengineering student went from Patriot to Pilgrim for summer internship 
September 6, 2024

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Student Athlete

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

College of Education and Human Development

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��ӽ紫ý honored as a top Military Friendly University

Colleen Rich — Tue, 28 May 2024 15:21:14 +0000

��ӽ紫ý honored as a top Military Friendly University Colleen Rich Tue, 05/28/2024 - 11:21

��ӽ紫ý’s commitment to the military community was officially recognized with a top designation as a 2024-25 Gold Military Friendly® School in the latest Military Friendly listings.

��ӽ紫ý was among the 243 schools recognized with “Gold” status for their leading practices, outcomes, and effective programs in the listing of the nation’s top Military Friendly® institutions for the 2024-25 school year.

“This recognition is only possible thanks to the supportive relationships we have built with individual offices, programs, and colleges,” said Jennifer Connors, director of ��ӽ紫ý’s Office of Military Services. “Leadership, faculty, and staff have an unwavering commitment to those who serve. Given our location in the National Capital Region, we have a deep-rooted culture of appreciation. ��ӽ紫ý is dedicated to ensuring that our military members, veterans, and their families receive the respect and resources they deserve.”

About 10% of ��ӽ紫ý students are current or former military, or military dependents. ��ӽ紫ý’s nursing and education online master’s programs for veterans are Top 20 nationally, and business is top 50. More than 2,000 Mason students using Veterans Affairs education benefits, and more than 100 are using Department of Defense Federal Tuition Assistance. Almost 800 use the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program.

��ӽ紫ý also has about 1,000 veterans who are adjuncts, administrative and professional faculty, instructional faculty or research faculty, classified staff, or student or wage employees.

The university’s Military, Veterans, and Families Initiative strengthens bonds and builds community among veteran students, alumni and families, and supports the education, well-being and professional development of veterans.

More than 1,800 schools were evaluated from public data sources and a proprietary survey, with 537 recognized with Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards. The entire list will be published in G.I. Jobs magazine’s May issue and can also be found at militaryfriendly.com.

Methodology, criteria, and weightings were determined by Viqtory, an independent research firm that connects the military community to civilian employment and educational and entrepreneurial opportunities. Criteria included student retention, graduation rates, job placement, student loan repayment, persistence (degree advancement or transfer), and loan default rates for all students and student veterans in particular.

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Campus News

Military

Office of Military Services

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Strategic Direction

New Hazel–Peterson Scholarship will support undergraduate students in the Costello College of Business

Colleen Rich — Mon, 13 May 2024 18:41:34 +0000

New Hazel–Peterson Scholarship will support undergraduate students in the Costello College of Business Colleen Rich Mon, 05/13/2024 - 14:41

A new Hazel–Peterson Scholarship fund has been established in the name of the Hazel and Peterson families to support undergraduate students pursuing a minor in real estate development at the Costello College of Business of ��ӽ紫ý.

Jimmy Hazel, John T. "Til" Hazel Jr. and Milt Peterson at the ground-breaking in 2015 for an academic building that would be named Peterson Family Health Sciences Hall. Photo by Office of University Branding

“The best institutions in the future will be those that are well positioned to make education available to as many people as possible,” said ��ӽ紫ý President Gregory Washington. “Nicole and I want to help make this life-changing opportunity available to more young people. To do so not only benefits ��ӽ紫ý but the entire metropolitan region and the Commonwealth of Virginia.”

Washington and Presidential Partner Nicole Washington have donated $25,000 to seed the scholarship, which was matched 2 to 1 by S&P Global, the New York City-based capital market company, bringing the total of the scholarship fund to $75,000 by January 2024.

The ��ӽ紫ý Foundation manages the fund and hopes to grow it to at least $200,000 to provide lasting and perpetual support for scholarships in the Costello College of Business.

Three Hazel–Peterson Scholarships for $2,500 each are expected to be available this fall.

Recipients must be full- or part-time undergraduate students who graduated from a Northern Virginia high school located within 50 miles of the university’s Fairfax Campus and have a minimum 3.0 GPA. Funds will be awarded by a selection committee appointed by the dean of the Costello College of Business in coordination with the Office of Student Financial Aid. This scholarship is renewable.

This Hazel–Peterson Scholarship recognizes the longstanding dedication and commitment to the university and region by these two families.

Business partners for 20 years, late family patriarchs Milt Peterson and John “Til” Hazel Jr. set the stage for ��ӽ紫ý’s rise to prominence with a shared affinity for the university and a vision that has been passed on to their offspring.

“What Dad and Milt did over the years was something, and seeing the second generation carrying it to new levels has been kind of fun,” said Jimmy Hazel, a local businessman who grew up close to ��ӽ紫ý’s Fairfax Campus and has served on ��ӽ紫ý’s Board of Visitors for 16 years.

Jon Peterson said that his father and Til Hazel would be proud of ��ӽ紫ý’s upward trajectory.

“��ӽ紫ý has always been such a big part of Northern Virginia,” Jon Peterson said. “As Northern Virginia has grown, so has Mason. It’s been great to see.”

A prominent Virginia lawyer and later developer, Til Hazel is considered one of the university’s founding fathers after acquiring land and lobbying for a school of law in Arlington. He was the recipient of the first Mason Medal in 1987, the university’s highest honorary award for those with a record of service to their community or nation. His brother William A. Hazel was one of Northern Virginia’s most influential builders and was also instrumental in the development and growth of the university, establishing the Eleanor and Bill Hazel Endowed Chair in Civil Infrastructure Engineering in the Volgenau School of Engineering in 2014.

Jimmy Hazel is a proud Scalia Law School graduate with decades of service to the university including the Board of Visitors, 12 years on the ��ӽ紫ý Foundation Board, and a stint as the Alumni Association president. Also a recipient of the Mason Medal in 2017, the former ��ӽ紫ý Alumnus of the Year chaired the successful Faster Farther comprehensive campaign that closed with more than $690 million. He and his wife, Sally, established the Hazel Scholars Endowment Fund in 2011, which is now valued at roughly $1.2 million.

The Peterson Family has also given generously to the university and the Northern Virginia community through the Peterson Family Foundation, which was established by Milt and Carolyn in 1997. Through the foundation, the family has supported multiple causes, including health care, education, youth development, and the United Methodist Church, contributing more than $100 million to charity.

In June 2016, the Peterson Family provided $10 million to support the new academic building for what is now the College of Public Health, as well as funding for the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Now a CEO of Peterson Companies and chairman of the company’s executive committee, Jon Peterson first served on ��ӽ紫ý’s Board of Visitors from 2014 to 2018, and will conclude his second four-year term this year.

“If you’re fortunate enough to be able to give back, you do,” Jon Peterson said.

The scholarship is now accepting applications in the Blackbaud Award Management scholarship portal.

The Hazel and Peterson families hope to see the scholarship grow so that it might provide more opportunities for students.

Topics

Costello College of Business

Costello College of Business News

Mason student Ilia Malinin is the world’s most dominant figure skater

Colleen Rich — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 18:48:00 +0000

Mason student Ilia Malinin is the world’s most dominant figure skater Colleen Rich Mon, 04/08/2024 - 14:48

An injury had slowed him down in the lead-up to the recent 2024 World Figure Skating Championships in Montreal, but ��ӽ紫ý’s Ilia Malinin wasn’t to be deterred.

Ilia Malinin won gold at the 2024 World Figure Skating Championships in Montreal with a record setting score in the free program. Photo provided

The 19-year-old part-time student left no doubt about who will be the likely favorite in the men’s singles competition at the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Italy, with a dominant world championship performance that included a world record-setting score of 227.79 in the free program.

In doing so, Malinin cemented himself as the man to beat in the figure skating field.

“I was surprised at how well I skated,” said Malinin, a Vienna, Virginia, resident and 2023 graduate of George C. Marshall High School. “I wasn’t sure if I could skate to my best because I’d been fighting through an injury. It was a lot of pressure because I knew it could be the best skate of my life or it could go terribly wrong.”

Considered a rising star in the sport in past years, Malinin successfully executed a record six quad jumps, including his signature quadruple axel jump that ranks as the sport’s most difficult in competition.

All quad jumps have four revolutions, except for the quad axel, which has four and a half revolutions. Malinin is the only person to have ever successfully performed a quad axel in competition, having first done so in 2022.

“I was kind of in shock,” he recalled. “The whole season, you’re working your way to get to that point. Then you get to that critical point where you could either skate your way on or off the medal stand. It felt like a relief.”

Malinin’s first world championship didn’t exactly go unnoticed by the Mason community.

“Six quads in a single performance?” asked Tim Groseclose, an economics professor within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the holder of the Adam Smith Chair at the Mercatus Center, who knows a little something about the sport thanks to a daughter who skated. “He’s basically the Michael Jordan of figure skating—not just the best in the world, but probably will be the world’s best for quite some time … and he’s an econ student at Mason!”

Malinin is the only person to have ever successfully performed a quad axel in competition, having first done so in 2022. Photo provided

Malinin is looking ahead to the World Figure Skating Championships in Boston in March 2025, with the Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina, Italy to follow in February 2026.

In the meantime, however, he still has plenty to keep him busy in his limited free time.

Mindful of a career after his skating days are over, Malinin said he began his collegiate academic pursuits at Mason because it offers a great education near his home and his nearby training rink in Reston.

It doesn’t hurt either that a number of his close friends from high school are currently Mason students.

But being the best in the world means practicing anywhere from four to six hours daily, six times per week under the watchful eye of his parents, Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov, the two former Uzbekistan Olympic skaters who also coach their son. Malinin’s grandfather, Valery Malinin, is a former Soviet Olympic skater currently coaching in Russia.

“When I first started skating [at age 7], it was more for fun,” Malinin said. “I was around 13 when I realized that I could skate for more than just fun.”

But that means it’s imperative Malinin make the most every minute of each day, so he often brings his laptop along for use at the rink during breaks to keep up with the online introductory economics class he’s taking this semester.

Last semester, he took a class in Mason’s School of Dance within the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Although he’s yet to declare his major, Malinin hopes to eventually study civil engineering, with an eye on design or architecture.

“Hope I meet Ilia someday,” Groseclose said. “And I hope even more he takes one of my classes.”

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Mason, Prince William County Public Schools expand EIP collaboration

Colleen Rich — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 19:48:44 +0000

Mason, Prince William County Public Schools expand EIP collaboration Colleen Rich Wed, 01/31/2024 - 14:48

A shared approach to improving individual student outcomes and leaving lasting positive impacts on families, communities and society at large is what initially brought ��ӽ紫ý and Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) together for the Early Identification Program.

Denise Huebner, associate superintendent for Prince William County Schools; Khaseem Davis, executive director of Mason's Early Identification Program; Anaid Shaver, supervisor of college and career services for Prince William County Schools; and Charlena McCuin, the coordinator of community and business engagement/SPARK for PWCS. Photo by Fathima Samsudeen

Additional funding secured by SPARK, the education foundation for PWCS, will expand that life-changing collaboration and fully support an additional 20 EIP students from Prince William County starting this spring, said EIP Executive Director Khaseem Davis.

“As a public school system, they really value EIP,” he said.

Prince William County Public School representatives were on hand along with Mason officials at Merten Hall on the Fairfax Campus on Jan. 27 to welcome the newest members of the EIP community.

EIP, which has produced more than 2,000 graduates since its inception in 1987, provides access to educational resources for middle and high school students seeking to become the first in their families to attend college.

Services include free SAT prep, afterschool tutoring, mentoring, help with college essays, exposure to various careers, and a three-week summer academy.

Current Mason students and EIP alums Kalkidan Negussie and Ian Solano speak to the new members of the EIP community of their experiences in the program. Photo by Fathima Samsudeen

A $55,000 grant from the Tides Foundation to SPARK funded additional PWCS student participants. The Tides Foundation is a San Francisco-based nonprofit and philanthropic organization.

As a result, there are now 153 EIP students in the PWCS system, and just under 800 in the overall program, with plans to expand further.

Carol Flenard, the deputy superintendent for PWCS, lauded EIP for being a “beacon of hope and opportunity” that empowers first-generation students to dream of higher education and to achieve it with distinction.

“This program is more than an academic pathway,” Flenard said. “It is a commitment to closing the opportunity gaps that often challenge motivated, talented first-generation students.”

“They really gave me so much support, and they didn’t give up on me,” said Ian Solano, an EIP alum who is now a freshman international security and law major in the Schar School of Policy and Government at Mason. “I learned that I have more potential than I ever realized. I don’t know where I’d be without EIP.”

EIP receives support from Mason’s corporate alliances and individual donors, as well as its collaboration with seven local public school systems in Prince William County, Fairfax County, Falls Church City, Manassas City, Manassas Park City, Arlington, and the City of Alexandria.

The program’s year-round academic enrichment, personal and social development, civic engagement, and leadership training opportunities prepare students for higher education and more productive lives afterward.

“A lot of people don’t get to work in a job where they get to see the direct impact they can make,” Davis said. “Being part of EIP, you see that impact, and the impact is profound.”

Of the 127 EIP students who graduated from high school last spring, 125 went on to college. Of those, 93 were admitted to Mason, with 37 of those enrolling. Most of those who did enroll received partial or full academic scholarships.

There are currently more than 200 EIP alums attending Mason.

In This Story

Khaseem Davis, Ph.D

Topics

Campus News

Early Identification Program (EIP)

K-12 Partnerships

philanthropy

Prince William County

Mason partners with Opportunity Scholars to create pathways for student success

Colleen Rich — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 16:31:24 +0000

Mason partners with Opportunity Scholars to create pathways for student success Colleen Rich Mon, 01/29/2024 - 11:31

Talent may be equally distributed, but the same can’t always be said for opportunities.

From left, David Burge, Trishana E. Bowden, Stephen Cumbie, Fred Thompson and J. Knox Singleton. Seated, Rose Pascarell and Rachel Schaefer. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

That’s why ��ӽ紫ý and the like-minded Opportunity Scholars program have teamed up to provide additional pathways to success for students to position them for higher education degrees and critical workforce training.

The two organizations signed a memorandum of understanding on Jan. 23 outlining plans to coordinate efforts and find ways to work together to help more primarily underrepresented students earn meaningful postsecondary credentials in a high-demand economic sector.

The aim of the collaboration is to encourage long-term success and create economic mobility.

“We have so many of the same goals and aspirations, so I’m very excited about the partnership and very excited about what we can do collaboratively,” said Rose Pascarell, Mason’s vice president for University Life.

Fred Thompson, cofounder of Opportunity Scholars and a member of Mason’s Board of Trustees, said his organization’s mission and that of Mason are perfectly aligned.

“We’ve got the same vision and the same clientele,” Thompson said. “The only way we can give low-income students, many of whom are from underrepresented groups, the opportunity to succeed is by working together as partners.”

Much like some of Mason’s signature programs such as ADVANCE or Early Identification Program (EIP), Opportunity Scholars provides a low-cost pathway to graduate with dual enrollment classes, exams, postsecondary education and training, textbooks and other expenses associated with education. The nonprofit organization, which was found in 2019, also provides financial and academic support to students who lack the resources to obtain technical certifications and college degrees that lead to high-demand jobs.

Through the partnership, Mason will provide additional training about Opportunity Scholars to its students and staff, while collaborating with staff from Opportunity Scholars on relevant events and opportunities at Mason that will help increase student success, including admissions, financial aid, student success coaching, and career services among other things.

Trishana E. Bowden, Mason’s vice president for Advancement and Alumni Relations and the president of the ��ӽ紫ý Foundation, lauded the partnership’s “dedication to students who will be change agents in their lives and that of their families.”

Opportunity Scholars Chief Executive Officer Rachel Schaefer said the partnership is as much as about helping people coming into Mason as it is to make sure that all students are afforded opportunity.

“It’s about helping kids be their best and be successful,” she said.

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A $6 million NSF grant will translate research into practice to help local communities become climate-resilient

Colleen Rich — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 18:50:38 +0000

A $6 million NSF grant will translate research into practice to help local communities become climate-resilient Colleen Rich Tue, 01/23/2024 - 13:50

��ӽ紫ý scientists and partners will leverage their climate expertise and the university’s resources into broader societal implications, thanks to a $6 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) that is going to translate research into practice to support the creation of climate-resilient communities across Virginia.

Mason researcher Celso Ferreira (far right) and President Gregory Washington take Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger on a tour of Mason's Flood Hazards Research Lab. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

The funding from the NSF’s Accelerating Research Translation (ART) program will allow Mason to expand its capabilities and capacity for translating research into real-world practical applications, with the creation of programming that will allow Mason faculty to serve communities across the commonwealth—especially within the state’s underserved regions—by co-producing science-based solutions that help them increase their resilience to climate change.

The four-year cooperative agreement, “ART: Translating Research to Practice to Create Climate-Ready Communities Across Virginia,” begins Feb. 1, and will allow Mason faculty and their nonprofit partner, the Center for Climate Strategies, to work with local municipal governments and community partners to produce science-based solutions that will create sustainable, community resilience to the impacts of climate change.

The project proposes two initial seed translational research projects, focusing on the co-production of solutions to mitigate flood hazards and reduce the impacts of urban heat on frontline communities. The latter comes on the heels of the world’s warmest year on record in 2023. Faculty will have the opportunity to propose additional translational research projects that address other climate impacts and response capabilities needed by Virginia communities to become climate-ready.

Mason’s Jeremy Campbell leads a discussion on local resiliency planning with staff from the Northern Virginia Regional Commission at a workshop held by the Virginia Climate Center in March 2023. Photo by VCC

“This really gives universities a chance to have an impact,” said Leah Nichols, the project’s principal investigator and the executive director of Mason’s Institute for a Sustainable Earth. “I think it’s going to help us start to institutionalize things that until now had been one-offs.”

Mason was one of 18 schools to have been awarded an ART cooperative agreement. The NSF overall investment of more than $100 million will enable academic institutions to accelerate the pace and scale of translational research that will grow the nation's economy.

“NSF endeavors to empower academic institutions to build the pathways and structures needed to speed and scale their research into products and services that benefit the nation,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. “The [ART program] identifies and champions institutions positioned to expand their research translation capacity by investing in activities essential to move results to practice.”

Mason’s ART program leverages the model already created by the Virginia Climate Center (VCC)—which was initially established by a $2 million Community Project grant sponsored by Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA) – since its inception in 2022 for the necessary engagement infrastructure. That includes targeted outreach to individual community leaders and other key influencers in the hopes of creating the kind of collaborative relationships necessary to figure out what each community’s specific needs are.

Other co-PIs on the Mason project include Jim Kinter, a professor in the Climate Dynamics PhD Program and the director of both Mason’s Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies within the College of Science and the Virginia Climate Center; Celso Ferreira, an associate professor within Mason’s College of Engineering and Computing and the director of the Flood Hazards Research Lab; Luis Ortiz, an assistant professor in the Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Earth Sciences within the College of Science; and Tom Peterson, the CEO of the Center for Climate Strategies. Other entities involved include MN Associates Inc., which will monitor’s the program’s implementation and progress, and the University of Kentucky, which is serving as the project’s mentoring institution. Pairing awardees with mentor institutions that have an established translational research ecosystem is one of the unique features of the ART program.

Current research that can be brought to bear on local community concerns includes, but is not limited to risk and vulnerability assessment, the development and deployment of new adaptive capacities through modeling, simulating, predicting and projecting climate variability and change, including downscaled global observational and modeling data sets, and the development of solutions to close vulnerability gaps by assessing needs for action and designing and evaluating new measures for local implementation.

Other aims include supporting faculty who wish to be involved and the creation of specific academic programming, such as specialized courses on key climate issues, a new climate action minor, and a graduate certificate program, for future workforce development.

“One very troubling aspect of the effects of climate change is that it has the biggest impact on underserved people and communities that are least able to address the issue,” Kinter said. “Mason, being the largest public university in Virginia, owes it to the residents of the commonwealth to understand the risks it faces and create innovative solutions to increase community resilience.”

Virginia bore the brunt of nine climate disasters in 2018 and 2019 alone, resulting in $1.6 billion of negative economic impact, according to the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources.

Increasing community resilience to the effects of climate change is expected to help mitigate the impact and substantially reduce costs associated with damage from progressive climate change, extreme weather events, and other climate-driven effects, the researchers said.

“We’re really trying to understand what it is that [local communities] need from a scientific, technical, or research point of view through the lens of what is it that a university can provide,” Nichols said. “And once the climate-focused ART programs become well-established, we hope to extend this model to support the translation of research into practice in other sustainability domains as well.”

In This Story

Celso Ferreira

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Mason postdoc leads scientific breakthrough that could revolutionize cancer treatment

Colleen Rich — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 20:05:26 +0000

Mason postdoc leads scientific breakthrough that could revolutionize cancer treatment Colleen Rich Tue, 01/09/2024 - 15:05

It isn’t often that someone graduates with a PhD and a scientific discovery, but ��ӽ紫ý researcher Marissa Howard was no ordinary student.

Mason postdoc Marissa Howard in her lab on the Science and Technology Campus. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

Howard, BS Bioengineering ’17, PhD Biosciences ’22, leads a team of scientists who have discovered a way to “eavesdrop” on cellular communications that could revolutionize treatments for cancer and other maladies.

All cells are constantly communicating with other cells using what Howard calls “an internet of molecular information.” Researchers at Mason’s Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine (CAPMM), where Howard has worked since she was an undergraduate, are the first scientists to successfully tap into this communications system, which tumors use to trick or block the immune system and attract normal cells.

Howard was recently awarded a $200k grant from the National Cancer Institute to further this work. It is a medical breakthrough that could drastically change the way cancer is treated.

“It’s fun to be able to get to the source of tumors and actually figure out what’s going on there,” said Howard, who completed some of this work as part of her dissertation. “That’s what all cancer researchers want to do—figure out what the tumor is ‘thinking’ so we can get better outcomes for patients.”

Howard and the team have been focused on a component of the cellular communication system called extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are packages of concentrated information housed within tiny membrane-enclosed bubbles. The EVs are shed from the surface of cells and can travel long distances to be received by distant cells, causing a change in the behavior of the message recipient.

In the past, EVs were studied in cultured cells or were captured from a patient’s blood, but the Mason team created a way to study the cancer EVs within a solid living tumor at their source by sampling the interstitial fluid (IF), the wet environment that bathes all cells within tissues. This is the first portrait of the tumor EV communication system at its origin. Their findings, with Howard as first author, were published in the Journal of Extracellular Vesicles.

Their research also showed a dramatic difference in the communication function of the different major types of tumor tissue EVs. The scientists isolated the two major types of tumor EVs and then used nanoparticles, a Nanotrap technology created by CAPMM researchers, to deliver them to a draining lymph node.

Howard said that the treatment of the lymph node with the two separate classes of EVs was associated with dramatic differences in the growth of distance metastasis in the lung. “Repeated tests done in mice proved one class of isolated mitochondrial EVs capable of preventing the metastasizing of cancerous breast tumors while another class promoted cancerous growth.”

The discovery means doctors could more quickly gauge the effectiveness of existing cancer treatments and make real-time adjustments based on the information derived from the cellular communications.

It’s for that reason that the team’s discoveries have further implications beyond cancer, according to Lance Liotta, a Distinguished University Professor at Mason and the cofounder and codirector of CAPMM.

“These specific markers for mitochondrial health allow EVs to be a novel biomarker/diagnostic tool for cancer and other mitochondrial disorder diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, Lou Gehrig’s disease, or muscular dystrophy,” Liotta said.

Howard first began working with Liotta and other CAPMM scientists as a bioengineering major participating in Mason’s Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program, where she spent the summer studying the electrical properties of their Nanotrap technology.

Marissa Howard with CAPMM Director Lance Liotta and College of Science Dean Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm at the Mason Innovation Awards. Photo by John Boal Photography

“I really loved it,” she said of the work. “[The CAPMM scientists] were excited by the work I was doing and asked me to continue working with them. I've been in the CAPMM lab since 2016.”

Howard is also an inventor and shares several patents with her CAPMM colleagues. For her senior capstone project, Howard led a team of bioengineering students to create a noninvasive urine-based tuberculosis (TB) test using CAPMM’s Nanotrap technology, and the invention, called TB Assured, garnered a lot of attention for the team and many awards, including a $15,000 prize from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering’s Design by Biomedical Undergraduate Teams (DEBUT) challenge to help develop the test further.

“Everything that's in the urine is captured by the Nanotraps, and you don't need a centrifuge or other equipment,” said Howard, who completed her bachelor’s degree in bioengineering in 2017. “People loved it. They keep asking when it is going to be available at their local pharmacy.”

“I love the research space and the creative potential that comes with it,” Howard said. “You never know when your next idea is going to pop up.”

In addition to Howard and CAPMM’s Liotta, the EV research collaboration also included Alessandra Luchini, Amanda Haymond, and Fatah Kashanchi within the College of Science; collaborator Robyn Araujo at Queensland University in Australia; graduate students James Erickson, Zachary Cuba, Weidong Zhou, Purva Gade, Rachel Carter, Kelsey Mitchell, Heather Branscome, Fatimah Alanazi, Yuriy Kim; and high school students Shawn Kim and Daivik Siddhi.

Colleen Kearney Rich contributed to this article.

Topics

Research

Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine (CAPMM)

Mason team works to address mental health among veterans

Colleen Rich — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 18:11:06 +0000

Mason team works to address mental health among veterans Colleen Rich Wed, 11/08/2023 - 13:11

A team of ��ӽ紫ý researchers is doing its part to combat rising suicide rates among veterans and hopes to soon begin making a positive difference in the Northern Virginia community.

Virginia Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Daniel Gade (right) presents a “challenge coin” to acknowledge the excellent work of Mason student José Coll. Photo provided

Keith Renshaw, a psychology professor and Mason’s associate provost for Undergraduate Education, is working with the Virginia Department of Veterans Services to oversee two projects that address suicide rates among combat veterans as part of the Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans and their Families.

Their work could prove especially critical in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area with a strong veteran population.

“I see [this work] as part of our mission,” Renshaw said. “As an institution in this region, we have to be plugged into the needs of the military population and responsive to the needs of that population to really realize our role as a community partner.”

More than four times as many veterans have died from suicide rather than in combat operations since 9/11, according to research released by Brown University in 2021.

The first project, which began late last year, is called Virginia’s Identify SMVF (Service Members, Veterans and Families), Screen for Suicide Risk, Refer for Services (VISR) mission. A $44,000 grant from the commonwealth allows for the training of employees of various local community agencies in military culture, better suicide screening methods and knowledge of resources available for struggling veterans.

The aim of the national strategy run by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is to prevent suicide among service members, veterans and their families using a comprehensive public health approach.

“The whole idea is that some of these agencies involved might need certain things more than others,” Renshaw said. “Mental health centers have a lot in suicide training, but they may not have as much on military cultural competency. A veterans’ service organization understands the military, but might not have much knowledge about suicide.”

From left, Brandi Jancaitis of the Virginia Veteran and Family Support Program, Nicole Gore of the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, Mason student José Coll, and principal investigator Keith Renshaw. Photo provided

The mission takes on an added personal significance for the two Mason students heavily involved in the project.

Alice Beatty, a senior psychology major, is serving as the project coordinator. A returning student and mother of three, Beatty is the wife of an Army veteran and the daughter-in-law of a Vietnam veteran.

“VISR brings together two components that I am passionate about—military families and suicide prevention,” Beatty said, “so this project holds a special place in my heart. What I like most about the VISR program is that the participating agencies are working together and prioritizing this mission. In essence, we are saying to our military, veterans and their families, ‘We see you, we hear you, and we are here to listen and support you.’ ”

Alice Beatty presents to the Suicide
Prevention Symposium at the Virginia War Memorial. Photo provided

José Coll, a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in graphic design, designed the logo for the VISR program. Like Beatty, he was drawn to the project for personal reasons.

“I’m an Air Force brat, and this program is about helping service members—active or retired—and their families with their mental health journey,” Coll said.

Renshaw, who is the principal investigator, said that he expects the program to be extended into the spring semester.

The second project, which comes through a $150,000 grant from the Virginia Department of Veterans Services’ Suicide Prevention and Opioid Addiction Services (SOS) Research Grant, seeks to address suicide prevention from a different angle.

Titled “Suicide and Substance Abuse Misuse Prevention for Veterans: Transdiagnostic Treatment Development and Pilot,” the project is being conducted in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Veterans Services, principal investigator Christianne Esposito-Smythers and her new Center for Evidence-Based Behavioral Health within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Esposito-Smythers is renowned for her work developing, testing, and disseminating treatments targeting risk factors in teens. Now, she and her team will adopt the same treatment for adult veterans with a focus on suicide risk, PTSD, and substance abuse.

“We’ll adapt this treatment program to be appropriate for adult veterans,” Renshaw said.

Mason alum Sarah Campbell, a former doctoral student of Renshaw’s who previously worked at a VA medical center, is helping to modify the program for adult veterans. The team plans to test the program through training with 50 clinicians throughout Northern Virginia in spring 2024, with hopes to soon after begin aiding those in the area in need.

Learn more about the Center for Evidence-Based Behavioral Health

Topics

Research

Veterans

health-based outreach

Strategic Direction

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