College of Humanities and Social Science

Acclaimed author Tania James balances writing and teaching at Mason

Shayla Brown — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 21:05:06 +0000

Acclaimed author Tania James balances writing and teaching at Mason Shayla Brown Mon, 01/29/2024 - 16:05

Tania James is having an amazing year. Since her novel Loot was released by Knopf in June 2023, the accolades haven’t stopped.

In addition to being named to longlist for the National Book Award, the novel has been included in the Best Books of the Year lists by the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, NPR, and Kirkus Reviews. And, in 2024, was selected as a DC Reads book by the DC Public Library and the PEN/Faulkner Foundation.

I’ve been really surprised and grateful at how this book has been received,” said James, who teaches in ��ӽ紫ý’s Creative Writing Program.

Tania James. Photo by Elliott O'Donovan.

Although the novel is often described as historical fiction, James questions this label.

“For the most part, I didn’t approach this novel any differently than I would a contemporary novel,” said James, an associate professor in the Department of English in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. “To my mind, historical fiction isn’t a genre with clear conventions in the way there are with crime fiction or horror fiction.”

James said the inspiration for Loot began with Tipu’s Tiger, an automaton of a life-size tiger that is mauling the throat of an English soldier. It resides in the Victorian Albert Museum in London and was commissioned by a South Indian ruler the late 1700s.

“Back in the day, you could turn a hand crank and the tiger would grunt and the soldier would groan. It was this darkly comic, sinister object that created a sensation in England. I found it fascinating,” said James.

Loot is set in 18th century India, England, and France, and follows a young woodcarver, Abbas, who is called by the Tipu Sultan to build the tiger, a prize of war, as a gift for his son. It is her fourth novel.

“Loot was the first time I wrote a novel while I was a full-time tenure track professor. I also had two small children, so there were all these new constraints on time, which taught me to be less precious about the conditions in which I can write,” she said.

Writing a novel also requires living with uncertainty for long periods of time, she added. “I was going through old notebooks, and it occurred to me how many different iterations this novel could have taken, some of them terrible and some of them just different.”

At Mason, James teaches fiction writing, and this semester she is focusing on writing novels in ENGH 608 Novel Writing Seminar.

When she came to Mason in 2016, James was mentored by fellow author Courtney Brkic, a professor in Mason’s Creative Writing Program.

Brkic said her mentorship of James was primarily about balancing teaching with her own writing.

“When you come into a new job, there's a tendency to want to tackle it all and volunteer for everything and not take care of your art, but for us in the MFA program, we're not academics. We're working artists,” said Brkic. “Sometimes the balance of serving our department, students, families and serving our art can be a difficult one to strike.”

“Tania is an outstanding teacher,” said Brkic, who invited James to guest lecture one of her classes. “One of the things I've always admired about Tania is that she's so good at seeing nuance in things and helping students to see that nuance. Not telling them, but helping them cultivate that muscle in their heads that helps them to become great writers.”

MFA student Connor Harding in James’s novel writing course echoed that praise of James as an exceptional teacher.

“She engages with people's ideas and asks interesting questions that generate great discussion,” said Harding. “The course definitely has a little bit of something for everybody, especially for people that want to generate writing beyond just understanding it,” Harding said.

“[Courtney] really helped me navigate a world that I wasn't familiar with. I’m constantly learning from her generosity and leadership,” James said.

“In terms of my own work as a writer, one of the beautiful things about being a teacher at Mason has been being in such close proximity to different opportunities that bring great writers to campus like the Visiting Writers Program,” she added.

In the program, faculty bring published writer to campus to do readings as well as run a masterclass. “I oftentimes sit in on those masterclasses for our MFA students because I find them helpful in terms of applying wisdom to my own work and teaching methods,” she said. “I aspire to be the kind of artist who, at some level, will always be a student.”

Meet Mason's Award-Winning Creative Writing Faculty

Topics

College of Humanities and Social Science

Women's History Month

Hispanic and Latinx Patriots share their cultural touchstones for Hispanic Heritage Month

Sarah Holland — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 22:50:26 +0000

Hispanic and Latinx Patriots share their cultural touchstones for Hispanic Heritage Month Sarah Holland Wed, 10/11/2023 - 18:50

National Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated from September 15 through October 15 each year, recognizes the contributions and influence of Hispanic and Latinx Americans to United States history, culture, and achievements.

Mason enrolls and graduates the Mid-Atlantic region’s largest population of Hispanic and Latinx students, and we celebrate the varied and diverse contributions of our students every day through our 90% acceptance rate, an above-average graduation rate, and more than 400 student organizations.

Meet some of our students, faculty, and staff who represent the varied experience of Hispanic and Latinx Americans.

View an accessible PDF version

Conoce la Universidad ��ӽ紫ý

Stories from our Hispanic and Latinx community

Hispanic and Latinx Patriots share their cultural touchstones for Hispanic Heritage Month
October 11, 2023
New Mason summer program shows high school students the value of a STEM degree
August 15, 2023
Film festival explores ‘the way of life’ in various Spanish-speaking countries
September 7, 2022
Mason teams with Dominion Energy, HACU for Summer Bridge Program
July 27, 2022
Hispanic Heritage Month: Faculty Spotlight
October 12, 2021

Topics

Hispanic Heritage Month

Students

Campus News

Costello College of Business

College of Humanities and Social Science

Award-winning game helps young girls and women navigate and negotiate life choices

Shayla Brown — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 20:48:16 +0000

Award-winning game helps young girls and women navigate and negotiate life choices Shayla Brown Wed, 09/27/2023 - 16:48

When Susan Howard’s mother wanted to leave India for the United States in the 1950s, she had some negotiating to do.

“My grandparents were against it,” Howard said of her mom’s request, “but agreed on the condition that my mom be married. So, she compromised and said, ‘how about I get engaged?’”

That real-life scenario inspired the ��ӽ紫ý professor to create Go Nisha Go, an award-winning game that helps girls and young women in India navigate and negotiate life choices.

A poster for Susan Howard's game, Go Nisha Go. Photo provided.

“We're not trying to tell girls what is right or wrong. For some girls, listening to their parents is right for them,” said Howard, who teaches in the School of Integrative Studies. “Our aim with Nisha is to show players that their decisions matter and not to relinquish decisions to the father or their husbands or society even.”

The game, which was launched in June 2022, addresses public health concerns such as nonconsensual sex, reproductive health, relationships, contraception, and the detrimental stigmas that are attached to them, said Howard.

Go Nisha Go, which has more than 250,000 players in India, is a virtual experience that provides players with essential resources in the real world they can access directly from the game. It has 25 in-game partners from social entrepreneurs to private-sector companies and small businesses.

Susan Howard. Photo provided

These partners provide menstrual hygiene products, as well as legal and crisis helplines for women who are being bullied or abused.

“The technology of embedding these links was challenging, but it was really worth it because we felt that it was our responsibility to bridge the in-game experience with real life.”

Howard, who received a PhD in environmental science and policy from Mason in 2020, cited an example of an important app embedded in the game.

“There's a scene where Nisha is talking to her mentor about when she's most at risk for pregnancy and how does she know. The mentor shows her an app that’s called Cycle Beads where you can track your period. In real life, players can download this app to their phones.”

The game was originally only available in three states in India—Rajasthan, Bihar, and Delhi—because that’s where young girls are most at risk for early marriage and pregnancy, Howard said, but it is now available in all 11 Hindi speaking states in India through Google Play.

Go Nisha Go is an interdisciplinary effort, Howard said. College of Science PhD student Chih Hao “Andy” Huang handles the in-game analysis and data security management, Schar School PhD student Patrick Baxter helped design the game’s large-scale randomized control study that is being done among 1,900 girls, and Mason alumna Jeannette Cachan is the knowledge management and monitoring advisor on the project. Mason Board of Visitor member Dolly Oberoi, CEO of C2 Technologies Inc., has been a mentor and guide to Howard since the inception of the idea.

As a game data engineer, Huang ensures the game's structure and the data used are safe and updated.

“One of the features that we used in the game was creating different models and using predictive analytics. During the game, the players will make different decisions and select different answers for questions or situations,” said Huang.

“We use that data, run through different algorithms, and then we get results for personalized messages so players can have a more personalized experience instead of a ‘one game fits all’ kind of experience."

Go Nisha Go was awarded Best Learning Game in 2023 by Games for Change and made the list of 10 Fast Company Innovation by Design honorees in social justice interventions.

“All design begins with people and understanding people,” said Howard. “At the end of the game, you get to see the outcome of all the choices you have made for your character, and how in real life you can be inspired to be your ‘best self.’”

Howard credits the liberal arts and the humanities for her approach of putting people at the center of technological innovations. She is currently working on two additional games: one in Nepal and a game for boys in India.

Support research at ��ӽ紫ý

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Wilkins Lecture offers a critical look at how to solve poverty in America

Shayla Brown — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 18:45:24 +0000

Wilkins Lecture offers a critical look at how to solve poverty in America Shayla Brown Wed, 09/27/2023 - 14:45

��ӽ紫ý’s annual Roger Wilkins Lecture is a tribute to the late Robinson Professor Emeritus of History and American Culture, and Wilkins’ daughter, Elizabeth, was on hand Tuesday, Sept. 26, at the Harris Theater to introduce this year’s guest speaker, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Matthew Desmond.

Pulitzer Prize winner Matthew Desmond, guest speaker for the 2023 Roger Wilkins Lecture in Harris Theater. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding.

“After reading both of [Desmond’s] books, I have come away with a sense of a person whose passion for justice and whose hatred for injustice paralleled that of my dad,” she said. “Both men have relentlessly centered people—real people, disempowered people, poor people—in their work. Neither of them will let us look away.”

The lecture, attended by about 325 people, featured Desmond’s latest book “Poverty, by America.” Desmond spoke about his personal experiences with poverty throughout his life, his encounters with others affected by social-economic injustices such as eviction, and implementable government policies that could greatly decrease the number of families and individuals living in poverty.

The lecture is sponsored by the Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) Program, a collaborative effort between the Schar School of Policy and Government and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

The final portion of the evening consisted of a Q&A run by Wendi Manuel-Scott, professor of integrative studies and history, and a book signing by Desmond.

One audience member asked whether mission-focused nonprofits and co-ops that are not focused on maximizing profits could help solve the housing problem.

Desmond said that it’s possible but challenging, and it would require federal guidance for wide implementation. He gave the example of a tenant union in Minneapolis that was trying to turn their buildings into a co-op and asked the landlord to sell them the buildings. He set the asking price at $7 million. They countered with a fair market price.

“But [the landlord] got fed up because the tenants were also advocating, so he gave everyone an eviction notice. Everything came to a head—they were either going to be homeowners or homeless,” Desmond said. The tenants ultimately won and bought the buildings, and they are still a co-op today, he added.

Another audience member asked why the top 1% don’t pay their fair share of taxes, which would go toward $175 billion estimated need to end poverty?

“One is the worry that if you tax affluent Americans too much, they will leave the country, so instead of having a little tax from them, we’d have none,” Desmond said. He also pointed to fears of empowering the Internal Revenue Service, an already troubled institution. “Some propose a whole new federal agency, that would essentially be a ‘making sure rich people pay their taxes’ bureau, and if you make under a certain amount, the bottom 95%, they will have absolutely nothing to do with you.”

Desmond was also asked about the challenge of national rhetoric interfering with practical local problem-solving movements.

“I think that polarization is both very frustrating and encouraging,” Desmond said. “Surveys show that most Americans think that minimum wage is too low, the rich aren’t paying their fair share of taxes, and most Democrats and Republicans believe that poverty is the result of structural failing, not a moral failing. That’s encouraging.”

“The call for a robust antipoverty movement means we might disagree on gun rights or abortion, but we both want higher wages and fairer taxes,” he added. “That kind of movement is harder to make in America.”

“Poverty isn’t simply the condition of not having enough money. It’s the condition of not having enough choice and being taken advantage of because of that.”
—Matthew Desmond

Topics

Wilkins Lecture

College of Humanities and Social Science

Schar School

Poverty and Inequalities

Campus News

Learn more about Roger Wilkins

The student-produced podcast The Green Tunnel just achieved a major milestone

Shayla Brown — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 16:43:05 +0000

The student-produced podcast The Green Tunnel just achieved a major milestone Shayla Brown Wed, 08/23/2023 - 12:43

The Green Tunnel podcast, hosted by ��ӽ紫ý professor Mills Kelly, has recently reached 100,000 downloads, a milestone that puts the show in the top 3% of podcasts nationwide.

“We've achieved a lot, and we're so proud of it. We have some really devoted listeners; if we drop any new content, a thousand people download almost immediately,” said Kelly.

From left to right: Hayley Madl, Ashley Palazzo, Mills Kelly, Eleanor Magness, and Bridget Bukovich at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Photo provided.

The podcast is produced through Mason’s Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media (RRCHNM) and focuses on the history of the Appalachian Trail (AT), a prominent long-distance hiking trail along the East Coast that goes through 14 states from Georgia to Maine.

The project was initiated after the RRCHNM received a $1 million grant from the Mellon Foundation to fund R2 Studios, as well as conduct more fundraising and community outreach. The first episode of The Green Tunnel podcast was released on October 6, 2021, and the grant will fund the effort for another year.

“This show has given both graduate students and one amazing undergrad the opportunity to work on a professionally produced podcast,” said Kelly, who just completed a four-year term as the director of RRCHNM. "The students are the producers so they [choose] the topics and figure out who should be interviewed.”

Students who join the podcast can earn internship credit for Mason’s applied history program.

“Something unique about this podcast as far as student work goes is that it's very interdisciplinary. I think that's important considering that it's a history podcast,” said Bridget Bukovich, community engagement coordinator at RRCHNM, who started on the podcast as a Mason graduate intern.

Eleanor Magness has been hiking for most of her life. “I come from a long line of park rangers on my mom's side,” said the junior public history major.

Magness’ love of the trail led her to join the podcast as a freshman intern in 2021 where she wrote, researched, and edited entire podcast episodes, including Leave Only Footprints, Craving Community, and her personal favorite, Gear Up.

“I had full creative control, but Mills was always available to help me and answer any questions I had,” said Magness, who is also in the Honors College.

From left to right: Eleanor Magness, Bridget Bukovich, Mills Kelly, Ashley Palazzo, and Hayley Madl at the Manassas Gap Shelter. Photo provided.

Hayley Madl is a third-year PhD history student who specializes in community-engaged indigenous history. Madl produced the Native Persistence episode, which featured Mason associate history professor Gabrielle Tayac, a member of the Piscataway Indian Nation.

“It was a great opportunity for me to do community-engaged work in indigenous history and talk to native communities,” said Madl.

Madl is from western Pennsylvania, and her favorite hiking location is Allegheny National Forest in Marienville, Pennsylvania. Two of her brothers have completed AT thru-hikes, and Madl also hopes to complete one.

"The AT is one giant community,” said Madl. “That’s where a lot of our interviews primarily come from.”

Madl said that the podcast provides the opportunity to talk about many issues such as ensuring equal trail access for all hikers, and how native communities are affected by the trail.

Each season of The Green Tunnel contains around 15 episodes—eight full-length episodes and seven short “iconic locations” episodes. The third season, which launches in mid-October, will focus on the natural history of the trail going back a hundred million years, says Mills.

The Green Tunnel has done cross-promotions with other podcasts such as Virginia Outdoor Adventures, the Jester Section Hiker, and the Orange Blaze Florida Trail. Kelly was interviewed on all three shows.

Every episode of The Green Tunnel includes a transcript, show notes, suggested readings, and images that relate to the episode topic for listeners who are interested in learning more about the AT.

Listen to the Podcast

Learn about the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media

Topics

College of Humanities and Social Science

Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media

Student Ambassadors help military-connected families feel welcomed in Fairfax

Sarah Holland — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 13:55:40 +0000

Student Ambassadors help military-connected families feel welcomed in Fairfax Sarah Holland Mon, 07/10/2023 - 09:55

In a conference room in Merten Hall at ��ӽ紫ý 20 high school students sit in absolute silence.

At each table, teams of two play each other in a card game. But something is amiss: pairs look at each other across the table in confusion. Frustrated fingers poke at the score sheet, then to the pile of cards. Heads shake and nod emphatically as someone goes to take the pile, a wordless argument over who is right.

April Mattix Foster leads a session on intercultural competency. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

April Mattix Foster, associate professor of education In Mason’s College of Education and Human Development, then reveals the twist: “You are all playing by different rules.”

The silence rule lifted, and the room erupted: shock, surprise, and exclamations of “I knew it!”

This is a lesson, Foster explains, in intercultural competence. Every school has its own culture, its own rules, she tells them. Their challenge as student ambassadors is to support new students by sharing these new rules while also being mindful of the rules and expectations they’re bringing to the table.

This was one breakout room of the Student Ambassador Convening, a collaboration between the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), the Military Families and Veteran Initiative (MVFI), the Virginia Department of Education, and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).

Nearly 100 student representatives and 20 advisors from 13 FCPS high schools gathered on Mason’s Fairfax Campus in June for a day of workshops and team-building activities to support the student ambassadors program: a school-based, student-led leadership program that brings together military and civilian peers to welcome all new students and create a sense of belonging in the school. As part of their Purple Star Designation, Virginia K-12 schools must show evidence of maintaining an active student ambassador program.

While there is an emphasis in the program on understanding the experiences of military-connected youth as they transition in and out of area high schools, any student transitioning into the FCPS system will be supported and assisted by the ambassadors.

“This is a peer-led program creating a sense of community in our schools,” explained Jennifer Drake Patrick, associate professor of education and member of the leadership team for MVFI. “They’re there to ensure that new students have someone to sit with at lunch, to show them to their classes, and to suggest clubs and extracurriculars. They help students feel welcomed and supported in whatever way makes the most sense for their school culture and community.”

Students spent the day learning about positive leadership, active listening, and holding intentional conversations. The day culminated in a brainstorming session which empowered the ambassadors to take the lead in considering how to improve their school’s programming in the fall.

Cedric Price, left, and Philip Wilkerson describe leadership to their breakout room. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding.

“The students take the ideas and conversations they’ve heard today from our speakers and their peers, and bring that all back into their schools,” said Cedric Price, BA Integrative Studies ‘21 and MEd Curriculum and Instruction ‘22. As the founding president of Educators Rising, Price was invited back to Mason to co-led a session with fellow alum Philip Wilkerson, MEd Counseling and Development ‘12, on using your assets to guide your leadership. “It makes the schools more community-centered, more friendly, and more inclusive for who they are meant to serve.”

While the hands-on workshops and networking opportunities are critical for the success and growth of the program, there’s another benefit to having the students convene at Mason: introducing high school students to higher education.

“As a school of education, we want to think about how we can create valuable partnerships with local schools, and this is a great opportunity to do so,” said Drake Patrick. “Many of these students have never been to a college campus. This gives them the opportunity to see who Mason is and what the college experience is like."

McKenna Seay, an integrative studies major with a concentration in education studies and Bachelors to Accelerated Masters (BAM) pathway student for elementary education, was also supporting the event through Educators Rising. She was a student ambassador when she was in high school and was excited to see how the program has grown. “Colleges and high schools can learn a lot from each other, so to see that collaboration at an event like this makes me happy.”

“College was put on such a pedestal when I was in high school, and while my teachers said I would do well, it felt so out of reach,” said Sophia Castle, an integrative studies major concentrating in social sciences for education and fellow member of Educators Rising. Castle is also in the BAM program, working towards an MEd in Curriculum and Instruction. “The more that high schools and colleges can connect with each other, it will help students realize that college is attainable.”

“Mason takes its role as a state and public institution very seriously. Opportunities like this allow us to serve the community and keep alumni engaged, all while giving our students experiential, hands-on learning in supporting military-connected youth,” said MVFI director Keith Renshaw, Psychology Department chair. “In the Washington, D.C., metro region, where we have a lot of military personnel, knowing that Mason is committed and cares for the community—specifically the military community—speaks volumes.”

Topics

Military Veterans and Families Initiative (MVFI)

College of Education and Human Development

College of Humanities and Social Science

Fairfax County schools

Bachelor’s/Acclerated Master’s Program

Campus News

Peraton awards scholarships to Honors College students with interests in national security

Sarah Holland — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 15:04:42 +0000

Peraton awards scholarships to Honors College students with interests in national security Sarah Holland Fri, 06/16/2023 - 11:04

Peraton, a Virginia-based national security company, awarded 10 ��ӽ紫ý Honors College students the Stu Shea Peraton Scholarship in National Security at the Honors College’s 15th Annual Research Exhibition and Awards Ceremony.

Peraton is one of the largest employers in the Washington, D.C., region, according to the Washington Business Journal. Funded by a generous donation from the Peraton Corporation, the Stu Shea Peraton Scholarship in National Security awards each recipient up to $10,000 to provide financial support for their studies and academic enrichment.

Matt McQueen, chief communications and engagement officer at Peraton, shakes hands at the awards ceremony. Photo by Honors College

“As national security challenges continue to evolve, we need to tap into the full breadth and depth of our academic partnerships to meet the call,” said Stu Shea, chairman, president and CEO of Peraton. Shea spoke at Mason’s 2022 Spring Commencement and is a former member of the College of Science Advisory Board. “Students from nontraditional backgrounds bring new perspectives, fresh ideas, and unique solutions to the workforce enabling our nation to remain competitive and proactively address increasingly more complex customer mission needs.”

Mason students overall are exceptionally well-positioned to succeed in the national security work envisioned by Peraton: the university is ranked No. 9 in the world in cybersecurity and is the largest producer of tech talent among four-year higher education institutions in Virginia, as well as being the No. 1 most ethnically diverse public institution in Virginia.

Laila Salguero, Peraton’s chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer, noted that, “Mason has distinguished itself as one of the most diverse and inclusive incubators for next-generation talent in the nation.”

The selected Honors College students represent a breadth of majors within the College of Engineering and Computing, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Schar School for Policy and Government. All recipients credit the Honors College’s multidisciplinary approach to learning, research, and civic engagement and the diversity of their cohorts as critical to their growth as scholars and their future success in the workplace.

Layan Wahdan, one of the scholarship winners, holds her award plaque. Photo by Honors College

“The interdisciplinary Honors College courses have shaped the way I think about approaching problems in bioengineering,” said Layan Wahdan, junior bioengineering major and one of this year’s scholarship recipients. For Wahdan, the scholarship will support her in preparation for applying to medical school upon graduation. “I am confident that my studies will uniquely prepare me to help support national security.”

Aarush Sivaram Jambunathan, a junior majoring in international security and law, hopes to meaningfully contribute to national security in ways that “would not only reflect my experiences as an immigrant, but would ensure that people like me have a voice in the future of the United States.”

“With this generous support, Peraton enables the Honors College to support the development of the next generation of leaders,” said Zofia Burr, dean of the Honors College. “These scholarships show Peraton’s commitment to helping us cultivate a diverse and inclusive community of future professionals who are ready to respond to tomorrow’s multidimensional national security challenges.”

Stu Shea Peraton Scholarship in National Security Recipients

Fariha Ali, senior, information technology

Moneem Bhuiyan, junior, information technology

Harshita Vivek Chaudhari, junior, cybersecurity engineering

Dulguun Gantumur, senior, global affairs

Rida Hasan, junior, cybersecurity engineering

Aarush Sivaram Jambunathan, junior, international security and law

Berk Kasimcan, junior, bioengineering

Sebastian Rodionov, senior, government and international politics

Layan Wahdan, senior, bioengineering

Learn more about the scholarship recipients here.

Topics

Honors College

Honors College Award Ceremony

Scholarships

College of Humanities and Social Science

Schar School

College of Engineering and Computing

Students

A moving experience adds to his Mason profile

Colleen Rich — Wed, 07 Dec 2022 18:19:11 +0000

A moving experience adds to his Mason profile Colleen Rich Wed, 12/07/2022 - 13:19

Jalen Stubbs sat on stage at the recent Chronicle Ideas Festival in downtown Washington D.C., one of three students recording a “Future U” podcast about their college experiences.

One, a first-generation student, spoke about the challenges of finding the right school and struggling because English is not her first language. The other described the difficulties of attending college while raising a child.

Mason senior Jalen Stubbs (center) at the Chronicle Ideas Festival with Mason Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, Janette Muir, and Philip Wilkerson from Mason's office of University Career Services. Photo provided.

“It was such a moving experience,” said Stubbs, a senior communication major at ��ӽ紫ý who hopes to go into sports broadcasting. “I’ve heard stories like that before, but they went deep into them. It really changed my perspective on not just school as a whole, but how it impacts students from various backgrounds.”

For Stubbs, the podcast and festival, put on by the Chronicle of Higher Education to discuss the ideas shaping higher ed, was another layer to the main reasons he came to Mason in the first place—the university’s diversity and the opportunity for experiences outside the classroom he had been encouraged to take.

Mason is ranked by U.S. News and World Report as the most diverse institution in Virginia. In addition, there is no disparity in academic success rates among Mason students of different ethnic groups or socio-economic status.

“Diversity has always been an important element in my life. That’s what drew me to Mason,” Stubbs said. “It had the diversity in order for me to thrive. I knew it would be a good community to stand out in.”

Stubbs, of Rockville, Maryland, has certainly done that.

The managing editor of the Fourth Estate, Mason’s student-run news outlet, Stubbs has had several high-profile internships, including one with Capital Concerts where he was a production assistant for last summer’s “National Memorial Day Concert” and “A Capitol Fourth Concert.”

He is also active in the Black Male Success Initiative.

“I’m happy to be here at Mason doing what I’m doing,” Stubbs said. “It’s been a great experience.”

Which brings us back to the “Future U” podcast, for which Stubbs was nominated by Philip Wilkerson, an employee engagement consultant in Mason’s Office of University Career Services.

Wilkerson has known Stubbs since they met at a College of Humanities and Social Sciences event—the CHSS Mentorship Link-up—when Stubbs was a freshman.

“He’s one of those people who I told early on, ‘You have to get experiences outside the classroom,’ ” Wilkerson said. “He’s done that and more. I can’t say enough about his ambition and leadership. He’s just very driven and does what he needs to do.”

Stubbs said the podcast recording was a bit intimidating as the conversation had an audience of about 50 people and went out live on the Chronicle Festival website.

But once he settled in, he was fine and spoke freely about creating environments for success by seeking out those with similar interests, and leaving a legacy at Mason that other Black students can look to and build on.

It also was a great opportunity to network in preparation for his job search he hopes will land that sports broadcasting job.

“I just want to get into the business,” he said, “knocking on that back door.”

Topics

Students

Higher Education

Chronicle of Higher Education

College of Humanities and Social Science

communication

Career Services

Alumna Gains Global Perspective to Improve Opportunities for Students with Disabilities

Wasiq Muhammad Muhammad Ali — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 18:42:31 +0000

Alumna Gains Global Perspective to Improve Opportunities for Students with Disabilities Wasiq Muhammad… Mon, 07/25/2022 - 14:42

Each year, hundreds of American students, aged eighteen to twenty-four, vie for the opportunity to work and study in Germany through the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) for Young Professionals program. The reciprocal program, which has run for thirty-nine years, selects seventy-five Americans and seventy-five German professionals to spend a year experiencing life in their respective cultural-exchange nations.

This year, Mason is celebrating the selection of Honors College alumni, Abigail Hawkins, to the prestigious CBYX program. Hawkins, who graduated from Mason in May 2022, majored in global affairs with concentrations in human security and Middle East and North Africa Studies, and a minor in Arabic.

Throughout her undergraduate study, Hawkins worked with Mason’s College Diabetes Network and gained experience in the nonprofit sector to improve healthcare affordability and accessibility.

Alongside her studies at Mason, Hawkins is a two-time alumna of the US Department of State's Critical Language Scholarship (CLS), a program designed by the U.S. government to expand the number of American students, who represent a range of majors and disciplines, studying and mastering critical foreign languages. In addition to her participation in the CLS program, Hawkins has studied abroad in Jordan, Spain, and Japan.

With her newest opportunity in the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) for Young Professionals program, Hawkins continues to forge a path for herself in international education with the goal of improving access to study abroad opportunities for students with disabilities and chronic illnesses.

Topics

alumna

Critical Language Scholarship

Honors College

College of Humanities and Social Science

Fellowships

Davis Kuykendall

Wasiq Muhammad Muhammad Ali — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 17:02:03 +0000

Davis Kuykendall Wasiq Muhammad… Fri, 12/10/2021 - 12:02

Faculty, Honors College

Contact Information

Email: dkuykend@gmu.edu
Phone: 703.993.1110
Mail Stop: Honors College, MSN 1F4
Campus: Fairfax
Office: Horizon Hall 6254

Biography

Davis Kuykendall is a faculty member in the Philosophy Department and the Honors College. He received his B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and his Ph.D. from Purdue University. Dr. Kuykendall's research interests include early modern philosophy, especially Leibniz, and issues related to causation in metaphysics and the philosophy of science.

Selected Publications

"In Defense of the Agent and Patient Distinction: The Case from Molecular Biology and Chemistry," The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, forthcoming.

"Agent Causation, Realist Metaphysics of Powers, and the Reducibility Objection," Philosophia, 2021.

"Powerful Substances because of Powerless Powers," Journal of the American Philosophical Association, 2019.

"Leibniz on Spontaneity, the Eduction of Substantial Forms, and Creaturely Interaction: A Tension," Studia Neoaristotelica, 2019.

Courses Taught

PHIL 100 - Intro to Philosophy

PHIL 173 - Logic and Critical Thinking

PHIL 303 - History of Modern Philosophy

HNRS 110 - Research and Inquiry

HNRS 131 - Misinformation in Science

HRNS 360 - Scientific Controversies

College of Humanities and Social Science

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Davis Kuykendall

Contact Information

Biography

Selected Publications

Courses Taught

College of Humanities and Social Science

Acclaimed author Tania James balances writing and teaching at Mason

Meet Mason's Award-Winning Creative Writing Faculty

Related Stories

Topics

Hispanic and Latinx Patriots share their cultural touchstones for Hispanic Heritage Month

View an accessible PDF version

Conoce la Universidad ���ӽ紫ý

Stories from our Hispanic and Latinx community

Topics

Award-winning game helps young girls and women navigate and negotiate life choices

Support research at ���ӽ紫ý

Join the Mason Nation

Related News

More from Mason Spirit Magazine

Wilkins Lecture offers a critical look at how to solve poverty in America

Related News

Topics

Learn more about Roger Wilkins

The student-produced podcast The Green Tunnel just achieved a major milestone

Listen to the Podcast

Learn about the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media

Topics

Student Ambassadors help military-connected families feel welcomed in Fairfax

In a conference room in Merten Hall at ���ӽ紫ý 20 high school students sit in absolute silence.

Topics

Peraton awards scholarships to Honors College students with interests in national security

Peraton, a Virginia-based national security company, awarded 10 ���ӽ紫ý Honors College students the Stu Shea Peraton Scholarship in National Security at the Honors College’s 15th Annual Research Exhibition and Awards Ceremony.

Topics

A moving experience adds to his Mason profile

Topics

Alumna Gains Global Perspective to Improve Opportunities for Students with Disabilities

Topics

Davis Kuykendall

Contact Information

Biography

Selected Publications

Courses Taught

Conoce la Universidad ��ӽ紫ý

Support research at ��ӽ紫ý

In a conference room in Merten Hall at ��ӽ紫ý 20 high school students sit in absolute silence.

Peraton, a Virginia-based national security company, awarded 10 ��ӽ紫ý Honors College students the Stu Shea Peraton Scholarship in National Security at the Honors College’s 15th Annual Research Exhibition and Awards Ceremony.