Student Research

Recent Public Health graduate finds her path in CDC Lewis Ferguson Fellowship

Taylor Thomas — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 15:12:56 +0000

Recent Public Health graduate finds her path in CDC Lewis Ferguson Fellowship Taylor Thomas Fri, 07/19/2024 - 11:12

In This Story

Kristen Alleyne, a first-generation student and George Mason University Scholar, participated in the coveted Centers for Disease Control (CDC) John R. Lewis Undergraduate Public Health Scholars Program in the summer of 2023. Now a new graduate of the College of Public Health (CPH), Alleyne is excited to use the knowledge she gained from the Lewis Scholars Program and her time at George Mason University to further promote public health, particularly in marginalized communities.

Alleyne presenting her research on trichomonas vaginalis at the CDC.

The CDC Lewis Scholars Program gives grants to several universities across the United States to host a program that trains the future of public health professionals. Alleyne was part of the University of California, Los Angeles cohort, where for three months last summer she worked on a research project on trichomonas vaginalis – an uncommon sexually transmitted infection that is particularly prevalent in the black community and especially black women in the southern United States.

Aside from her research, Alleyne presented her findings at the CDC in Atlanta, GA, about halfway through the program. She also interned for the Spirit Awakening Foundation, a non-profit in Los Angeles, CA, where she analyzed the public health benefits of their program that targets justice-involved youth in LA County. Beyond connecting participants with a summer internship and providing public health training, the Lewis Scholars Program also provides mentorship throughout the school year for graduate school applications.

Acceptance into the Lewis Scholars Program had been Alleyne’s goal since she was accepted into the University Scholars program, which is part of the Honors College at George Mason. She recently re-read an essay she wrote for University 160. “In the essay I wrote, ‘I want to be part of the CDC public health scholars program’,” she recalls. “And I created a mock cover letter that talked about doing research with sexually transmitted infections and lo and behold, that’s exactly what I ended up doing!”

Alleyne credits her classes at CPH for helping her get into, and then excel at, the Lewis Scholars Program. For many students the CDC program was their first interaction with public health. “But I was there with a knowledge base of material and information that I could pull from really quickly,” Alleyne says. “I felt that I was up to date, I was knowledgeable, I was able to ask really intriguing questions. I think if I wasn’t at a school with such a strong public health program then maybe I would have felt like I was lagging behind, but I was very much going with the flow and maybe even a little bit ahead of the crowd. I thank my professors for that.”

“The professors in the College of Public Health are some of the kindest people that I’ve met,” Alleyne continues. “When I first got into the University Scholars program, Brian Gillette [CPH Director of Student Success] sent me a personal email saying congratulations, welcome to the school. Then when I got the CDC fellowship, one of my old professors, Lila Fleming [Global and Community Health professor] sent me an email saying congratulations Kristen, it was nice having you as a student. I felt like I wasn’t just a number or another student in the College of Public Health.”

Alleyne graduated in May 2024 with her BS in Community Health and minor in Health Informatics. She is now a USAID/PHI Generation Next Humanitarian Assistance Fellow, placed with the American Red Cross’ International Deployment Roster team. The fellowship is a two-year program that aims to increase the diversity of professionals in the humanitarian sector by building a pathway for recent graduates and placing them at various humanitarian organizations.

Long term, Alleyne hopes to help improve healthcare delivery through technology, work with communities to develop emergency preparedness plans, and leverage biostatistics for humanitarian work. Eventually, she wants to return to her native Guyana. “I would love to go back and work in Guyana to improve the quality of life for the people in the place that I call home,” she said.

Topics

bachelor of science in community health

first-generation

University Scholars

Underserved Populations

Students adapt summer research projects for Mason Impact

Colleen Rich — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 09:00:56 +0000

Students adapt summer research projects for Mason Impact Colleen Rich Thu, 08/20/2020 - 05:00

In her group's virtual presentation, Mason sociology major Karmen Perry walks audience members through the group's research findings on isolation and loneliness in older adults.

Karmen Perry’s summer research plan was supposed to include a two-week trip to Japan to study social isolation and loneliness among older adults. When the trip was canceled because of COVID-19, Perry made the most of her disappointment—she incorporated the pandemic into her research.

Perry’s was one of more than 30 projects on display Friday at the Virtual Celebration of Student Scholarship and Impact, hosted by George Mason University’s Office of Student Scholarship, Creative Activities and Research (OSCAR). The event, representing programs across the university, is part of the Mason Impact initiative.

“Since COVID was brand new, there was no research to show what kind of questions or what kind of experiences people are having,” said Perry, a senior sociology major and Honors College student from Greensboro, North Carolina. “We had to conduct all of our interviews online, which was kind of ironic, because our results found that technology isn’t as comprehensive as it could have been or should have been [in long-term care facilities].“

Biology major Alexa Herrerias monitored elephants' movements at Smithsonian’s National Zoo.

Biology major Alexa Herrerias also had to shift course. She was supposed to research Asian elephant hormones at Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C. When COVID-19 restricted lab availability, Herrerias shifted her focus to video surveillance to monitor the animals’ movements, behavior and space usage to learn more about how zoos can provide the optimum habitat for captive endangered elephants. Accelerometer bracelets yielded data that enhanced her research.

Even from afar, Herrerias feels like she made two new friends she can recognize by their personalities and behavior.

“That’s one thing I’m looking forward to if I go to the zoo—oh my God, that’s Spike, or oh my God, that’s Swarna!” said Herrerias, a senior from Mexico City who will graduate in December.

Projects at the Virtual Celebration of Student Scholarship and Impact covered a broad scope of subjects, including French linguistics, Alzheimer’s disease, explosives detection, the portrayal of Indian Americans in popular literature, ant biodiversity, queer liberation pioneers, e-cigarette countermarketing, microplastics, Floridian forests, drug-related violence in the Philippines, and student-run businesses, among others.

“The Food, Water, Energy Nexus in Rapidan, Virginia,” presentation won an audience recognition award.

Two projects were singled out for recognition based on a four-day audience survey: “Belonging in the Nation’s Capital: Mutual Aid as a Response to Racialized Displacement,” from sociology major and Honors College student Kyler Buckner, and “The Food, Water, Energy Nexus in Rapidan, Virginia,” from Jordan Boyle, Seth Mahowald and Meghan Widmaier.

OSCAR assistant director Karen Lee said she was impressed with how students and their faculty mentors were able to adapt their research methods by analyzing data, using software and video, or even by acquiring equipment to use safely at home.

Presentations are generally made in person via poster, not virtually via pre-recorded videos. Visitors to the virtual event engaged with participants by leaving questions and comments.

“While this summer is not what we could have predicted in February when summer projects were planned,” Lee said, “the students and their mentors worked hard so that students had an authentic experience.”

Honors Students Present Findings at Mason’s First Virtual Celebration of Student Scholarship

alin23 — Fri, 08 May 2020 14:46:51 +0000

Honors Students Present Findings at Mason’s First Virtual Celebration of Student Scholarship alin23 Fri, 05/08/2020 - 10:46

Register to attend the Virtual Exhibition

Login to the Virtual Exhibition

Find Honors College student presentations

Photo by Alexis Glenn/Creative Services/George Mason University.

Even while under social distancing, Honors College students remain ready to learn. During the week of May 11th through May 15th, the Honors College invites students to experience a first-ever Virtual Research Exhibition. In this online format, students can view video presentations by their peers, who have been working hard on research projects throughout 2019-2020 academy year.

Starting Monday the 11th, 60 presenters will showcase their research through short “lightning talk” videos posted on the Virtual Celebration of Student Scholarship website. You'll need to register first, then login, then find the Honors College presentations wthin the University-wide event. Throughout the week, viewers are encouraged to leave questions for presenters to engage with during this time. In addition to these short, pre-recorded videos, many students will also present and answer questions about their work live. The full list of participating presenters can be found at the end of this article.

Example projects

Karlin Moore

In her project, “Estimating Traffic-Related Air Pollution”, chemistry major Karlin Moore takes a closer look at an issue very relevant in today’s culture. “Over 200,000 deaths occur in the U.S. each year due to air pollution,” she says. In her research, Moore explains how traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) can be one of the most harmful forms of air pollution and discusses methods for estimating how much pollution an individual has been exposed to.

“Future models of track exposure will lead to improved personal exposure estimates,” Moore emphasizes, “[which] will inform people on how to reduce their exposure to track and lower their risk for associated health conditions.”

Jasmine Okidi

“I believe that when there is a pressing contemporary issue, it is important to investigate it and present those findings to both raise awareness of that issue and develop possible solutions for it,” says freshman English major Jasmine Okidi, another participant in the virtual research exhibition this spring.

For the past ten years, Okidi has been a witness to the rapid wetland conversion in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. Through her research, “Degradation of Wetlands in Kampala”, Okidi proposes a proactive three-phase plan for educating the public on the current state of the area: 1) survey the community, 2) spread information, and 3) assess how perceptions are influenced. “It is important to progress to the ‘what now?’ stage [of protecting the wetlands] where we search for better conservation strategies and seek to inform greater masses of people of these efforts and why they matter,” she concludes. Okidi’s research is driven by a passion to help inspire others to fight for conservation in their communities.

Elise Mertz

Freshman English major Elise Mertz’s presentation is an expansion of her HNRS 110: Research and Inquiry project, “Overexcitabilities (OEs) in Gifted Adolescents”, which she initially presented at Honors’ Fall Research Exhibition. “[The purpose] is educating other people and offer[ing] understanding,” Mertz explains, as she identifies the five areas of overexcitabilities – emotional, imaginative, intellectual, psychomotor, and sensual – and explores how individuals with OEs interact differently with the world around them.

“This research is important for anyone working with gifted adolescents, including parents, teachers, principals, librarians, and counselors, as well as for the gifted adolescents themselves,” Mertz explains, acknowledging that the topic is relevant to the many adolescents facing learning challenges without a social support system.

Olivia Garcia

In her HNRS 360: Multi-Disciplinary Topics, Environment and Sustainability studies junior Olivia Garcia explored the relationship between energy and culture with her paper on “how the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) will affect the politics of the Nile Basin region, primarily between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan.” To conduct her research, Garcia looked at the history of Nile hydro hegemony, or the political dominance over the river basin. Egypt has long dominated the basin through multiple water allocation treaties, but with the construction of the GERD, Ethiopia has a “huge opportunity to shift the historical hegemony within the region” by holding control of the water flow of the world’s longest river and increasing the economic development of the entire region.

“This dam represents how an energy infrastructure project can affect and challenge the established norms of a culture in a region,” Garcia concludes.

Margaretta Walker

For her OSCAR URSP research under Dr. David Luther, biology major Margaretta Walker assesses the conservation success of Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) sites for both AZE species and non-AZE species. To achieve this, Walker compares the level of protection offered by AZE versus other Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) and how that protection has changed over time. Her methods included first mapping the spatial ranges of endangered or critically endangered mammal, amphibian, and bird species on a base layer of protected areas and AZE sites, then identifying overlap. “While AZE sites may receive more conservation attention in the media and government discussions than other KBAs, they do not necessarily receive more conservation action of actually increasing protection,” explains Walker.

Her data analysis suggests that AZE sites protect a wide array of species, not only those formally designated as AZE. To curb extinction for all species, Walker suggests the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity adopt protections for more AZE sites as part of their 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Molly Harnish

In HNRS 361: Multi-Disciplinary Practicum, taught by Professor Stafford, junior economics major Molly Harnish had the opportunity to explore an idea that sparked her attention while visiting the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee: “What factors affect how people use natural resources, particularly, how people use forests?” According to her literature review, the answer lies in institutions. “We don’t make decisions in a vacuum, we make them surrounded by context, laws, and customs.”

To conduct her research, Harnish will investigate the relationship between publicly owned forests and the timber industry, and how resource use differs across state lines. Her economic analysis will focus on Florida and its greater region as defined by the USDA Forest Service. Harnish intends to continue with her proposal through OSCAR’s URSP and expand the data analysis into her undergraduate thesis. Her research is relevant to policymakers, landowners, and the larger political economy question regarding institutions and markets.

Ben Rhoades

Through OSCAR’s STIP, Environment and Sustainability Studies senior Ben Rhoades was able to participate in one of the first evaluations of microplastics in the tidal Potomac River. “Microplastics are pieces of plastic between a 0.33 mm and 5 mm,” says Rhoades. They pose a risk not only to aquatic species by polluting waterways and acting as vectors for toxins and disease, but “humans have been found to ingest plastic,” too.

Rhoades and his team’s study involved trawling for microplastics on the surface of water at three separate sampling sites and identifying the correlation between percentage of developed land in a watershed and concentration of microplastics in adjacent waterways. “[What] we did learn for sure is that there are microplastics in the tidal rivers of the National Capitol Region,” concludes Rhoades. He hopes to see further research conducted on variables such as rainfall events, percentage of impervious surfaces, population density, and intensity of development.

Kim Laura

Freshman biology major Kim Laura spent her semester in HNRS 110 researching the economic impacts of Germany’s unmet reparations from the Treaty of Versailles during the 1920s. Laura answered her question by analyzing the scholarly conversation around Germany’s economic status. Economist John Maynard Keens argued that Germany had no ability to pay reparations, while others suggested that the Dawes Young Plan provided sufficient aid. “These two perspectives arise based on the evidence they were looking at and the type of research, too.”

By examining research from a different historical era, Laura was able to gain perspective on a new topic and how “research keeps evolving, and these interactions [between sources of impact] as well.”

Presenters

Alice Helen Peters

Allison Quinn Dockum

Anagha Sreevals

Anna Bertino

Annabel Kaplan

Aparna Nanduru

Ben Rhoades

Blair Schaefer

Brittney DePoto

Candice Yohnk

Carolyn Mason

Cassie Magee

Cole Price

Dina Chatila

Elise Margaret Mertz

ErinGrace Drake

Ghaaliyah Brown

Hannah Adamson

Isabella Meerzaman

Jack Parker

Jackie Ann Luu

Jackie Perdomo-Trejo

Jasmine James

Jasmine Okidi

John James Recktenwald

Joseph Salomon

Julia Baines

Kara Crawford

Karen Therrien

Karlin Moore

Katherine (Katie) Russell

Khai Nguyen

Leela Hymavathi

Yaddanapudi

Liam Marsh

Liam Timmons

Maharun Mia

Manar Haroon

Margaretta Walker

Marguerite Deely

Maribeth Howser

Marie Tessier

Molly Harnish

Moses Hunsaker

Natalya Moody

Nikaela Busekrus

Nivedita Anjaria

Olivia Garcia

Paresha Khan

Sara Jeffreys

Sarah Richart

Tedra Cuddy

William Kaden Gicker

Zimako Chuks

Live Presentations

Caitlin Murray

Haneen Hafiz

Kyler Buckner

Liam Behan

Malek Salhab

Mitchell Martinez

Robert Colligan

By Audrey Butler and Sophia Chapin

Honors College students contribute to a breadth of multidisciplinary research at OSCAR’s Fall Celebration of Student Scholarship and Impact

alin23 — Mon, 17 Feb 2020 15:43:53 +0000

Honors College students contribute to a breadth of multidisciplinary research at OSCAR’s Fall Celebration of Student Scholarship and Impact alin23 Mon, 02/17/2020 - 10:43

On December 13, 2019, the Office of Student Scholarship, Creative Activities, and Research (OSCAR) held its Fall Celebration of Student Scholarship and Impact at THE MIX. The event showcased a variety of semester-long research projects conducted by 75 undergraduates at Mason, including several Honors College students who had worked on or begun their projects in the Honors 361: Multidisciplinary Practicum and Honors 360: Multi-disciplinary Topics classes. Other Honors College students participated in the exhibition through other university departments’ undergraduate research opportunities.

These research opportunities allow Honors College students and students across the University to apply what they learn in their coursework to research projects that they design with the help of faculty experts. A range of interests were represented at the exhibition – solutions to atomic physics stood alongside media projects presenting cultural statements. A handful of Honors College students at the exhibition shared their experiences of uncovering new evidence and making thoughtful connections.

Substance Abuse and Sexual Minorities in Fraternities

Honors College sophomore Cole Price began research that led him to investigate student organizations on George Mason’s campus. His topic focused on the experiences of sexual minorities when navigating social fraternities, and opened discussion on how sexism and other social pressures shape these students’ identity, self-presentation, and other related behaviors.

“Both fraternities and sororities are found to be reinforcers of sexism and heteronormativity on college campuses,” Price explains. “I was looking at the substance abuse habits of these men since sexual minorities are more at risk for substance abuse disorders.” After interviewing a population including around ten gay and bisexual men currently in George Mason fraternities, Price will analyze and code his interview transcriptions to find common themes.

Price had originally found inspiration to pursue his research with Dr. Blake Silver. “[Dr. Silver] really encouraged me to go after this project and I definitely wouldn’t have done it if he hadn’t pushed me into it in his Honors 131 [Culture and Social Inequality] class… He taught me everything I needed to know about how to dig the research out, how to navigate the bureaucracy of getting money, conducting the interviews— we had a phone call over the summer about the steps I needed to take before the semester started.”

In the spring, Price plans to continue coding the interviews and will write a research paper detailing his results.

Pope John Paul II Against Communism

Donnelle Bodnarchuk, a senior History and Art History major in the Honors College, presented her research on the power struggle between church and state in Poland after 1979. The current pope of the time, John Paul II, had embarked on an eight-day tour of Poland, and Bodnarchuk’s research captured how his influence validated “the Church had moral authority [over] the communist regime”. Using economics as a research framework, Bodnarchuk concluded Pope John Paul II used his power to affect other church officials, who spoke against communism and promoted the church’s beliefs and authority.

Bodnarchuk found evidence for her research by seeking out and critically exploring conversations other scholars had begun. Brian Porter, Krzystof Kowalczyk, Andrezej Packowski, and Malcolm Byme, alongside other sources, offered Bodnarchuk multiple perspectives that helped her piece together her research question.

The OSCAR URSP program “gives you liberty to explore any topic you want with the support of the university,” Bodnarchuk says, explaining how the opportunity offered her the practice to become a better historian. She thanks Dr. Mills Kelly, professor and director of the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media (RRCHNM), “for being my mentor who encouraged me to push this topic and ask tough questions —[he] guided me and supported me throughout the entirety of this project.”

Bodnarchuk will graduate in the fall of 2020 and is looking into programs on medieval history at the University of Cambridge, University of Michigan, and Yale to pursue her PhD.

Predicting Storms with Hurricane Models

Math and music major Sam Thomas first began to explore hands-on research through George Mason’s Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP). The program places students in an environment where they can pursue questions using resources and technologies not readily available in other settings. Through ASSIP, Thomas was introduced to Dr. Natalie Burls who would become his mentor during his OSCAR research project.

Over the course of the 2019 fall semester, Thomas analyzed different hurricane models to see how effectively these models could predict tropical storms. “We looked at one of the bigger hurricanes that’s hit the U.S.: Hurricane Katrina. We prepared what [the model] would’ve been forecasting in the past to what really happened,” Thomas said, referencing the SubX multi-model atmospheric forecasting project. “I looked at two different variables that come into play when it comes to hurricanes: … sea level pressure and winds.” Thomas concluded the models were effective, though more reliable at predicting pressure.

The next step in his research would be to expand what the models are predicting. “We’ve started looking into Hurricane Isabel, which hit Virginia in 2003,” continues Thomas. “We’re considering a couple different events… similar to this but more pertinent to the Chesapeake Bay area, to see whether it could be effective for multiple different events.”

Eye-tracking in Toxic Advertising

Santiago Jauregui presented research investigating how product packaging of alcohol determines its appeal to youth. Jauregui teamed up with colleagues Freddy Lopez, Erica Harp, Jessica McDonough, Katherine Tran, Natalia Gutierrez, Zimako Chuks, and Noor Elgamal to use eye-tracking technology to gather results on which products draw the attention of each of the two tested demographics of teens and young adults.

During the summer of 2019, Jauregui and his team took pictures of various alcoholic products from different stores. “We wanted to get a good variety of colors, of different package types,” Jauregui describes. “We constructed a slide show that would track the movement of the pupils of the participants and see what they’re being attracted to on the page.” The focus on a younger demographic comes from a public health concern standpoint, where teens are often more perceptive to outside influences. “That’s where you have the importance of national institutes of health… that really do investigate health risks [and] factors that lead to people making wise decisions… — this study is part of that. Our lead researcher, Dr. Matthew Rossheim, had his work cited by Health Canada, and part of the legislation they made related to [what] we were looking at here.”

Jauregui was researching alongside a large group of students, many of whom were in different fields of study. Jauregui recalls his experience as a history major, “Everyone brought their own unique talents and disciplinary strengths to this project and we all did work together… This was a multidisciplinary team and the progress we made was multidisciplinary progress in practice.”

After collecting more data, Jauregui and his team hope their findings can raise awareness of toxic advertising and inspire solutions to properly educate teens about the consequences of alcohol.

Providing Equal Opportunities for all Students

“I went to school in Fairfax County — it’s one of the richest counties in the country,” Honors College student Melissa Ann Alberto explains as she presents her poster. “I was in the higher-achieving classes, but I noticed that I started tutoring other kids and… they didn’t necessarily know less than I did, they just weren’t afforded the same opportunity that I was afforded while I was in school.”

Alberto began looking into the inequalities that affect high school students during her freshman year at George Mason. In her Honors 110: Principles of Research and Inquiry class, Alberto read and synthesized scholarship about the impact of the No Child Left Behind Act on 2002 on minority students’ performance, and she ended the year with a research proposal on the subject. Now in her senior year, Alberto shifted the focus to school finance – more specifically, how funding determines students’ opportunities for success.

Describing one of the challenges she faced when undertaking a review of the scholarship, Alberto comments “I felt like I was reading the same article [over and over again],” This hard work paid off, however: “There were six to ten articles that said even just a thousand dollars more for a minority district, low-income student increased their chances of finishing their post-secondary education… Obviously funding is very important to the success of students.” From there, Alberto searched for trends in the relationships of revenue and expenditures, discovering minorities were receivers of far less funding than their majority/white counterparts. “[There needs to be a way to] actually implement policies or try to have a conversation of what policies need to be implemented — [that’s] where this project goes next,” continues Alberto.

Adding another perspective, Alberto had a very special mentor for her project: Interim President of the university, Anne Holton. “Working with Anne Holton,” says Alberto. “[who was] a former Secretary of Education of Virginia, [provided] a very deep understanding of how schools function, how school finance works in Virginia. She brought a lot of insight, a lot of knowledge, a different perspective that… you can’t gain from reading journals or reading articles all day.”

Alberto’s research works to establish if Virginia is providing the right amount of money to successfully educate its students. By discovering better policy or correcting the formula states use to determine funding, Alberto will further contribute toward finding a practical, long-term solution to the finance gap.

What's Next?

Entering the spring semester, students will be completing data collection, writing conclusions, and submitting their proposals — all leaving an impact on their research disciplines and feeling prepared to continue their journey as scholars in the Honors College and beyond.

By Honors College Communications Interns Audrey Butler and Sophia Chapin

Mason's Goldwater Scholars keep pushing forward

Damian Cristodero — Thu, 23 May 2019 09:30:00 +0000

Mason's Goldwater Scholars keep pushing forward Damian Cristodero Thu, 05/23/2019 - 05:30

Rising seniors Karen Therrien (neuroscience), Benjamin Concepcion (physics and mathematics) and Brieann Sobieski (biology) received Goldwater scholarships, the preeminent undergraduate award for students who plan to pursue careers in mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering. Photo by Lathan Goumas.

Karen Therrien had no idea she had just been awarded a Goldwater Scholarship.

It was past noon on the last Friday in April, when the announcement was expected. But instead of going to Therrien’s inbox, the notification that the George Mason University student had earned the prestigious prize went to her spam folder.

When Therrien finally noticed the message, she was so nervous she asked Karen Lee, assistant director of Mason’s Office of Student Scholarship, Creative Activities and Research (OSCAR) and a member of Mason’s Goldwater Scholarship committee, to read it for her.

“I was very shocked,” said Therrien, who just happened to be meeting with Lee at the time.

Therrien, a neuroscience major and a member of Mason’s Honors College, was one of three Goldwater Scholars from Mason. Brieann Sobieski, a biology major, and Benjamin Concepcion, an Honors College member majoring in physics and mathematics, are the others. All are rising seniors.

LaNitra Berger, director of the Honors College’s Office of Fellowships, said this was the first time the university had three Goldwater Scholars in one year and called the achievement “an acknowledgement that Mason’s commitment to undergraduate research is benefitting the students and raising the university’s national profile.”

Awarded since 1989, the one- or two-year scholarship, presented by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation, is the preeminent undergraduate award for students who plan to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering.

It is also a gateway for students applying to graduate schools and searching for research funding, as virtually all applicants and winners intend to obtain a PhD as their highest degree earned.

“It felt like doors were opening,” Sobieski said of the scholarship.

There were 496 recipients of Goldwater Scholarships out of 1,223 applicants this year from colleges and universities nationwide.

In addition to academic transcripts, students must list all research experience and write two essays: one describing their career goals and another on an activity that has been important in shaping their desire to pursue a research career. Because Sobieski plans to attend medical school, she submitted an additional essay to explain her research priorities. Students must also get three letters of recommendation, with the key ones being from their research mentors.

Each of Mason’s Goldwater Scholars credited the university’s Goldwater Scholarship committee—Lee; Jan Allbeck, associate dean of the Honors College; and Patricia Granfield, a mathematics instructor in the College of Science—with helping them complete an arduous process that included more than two weeks of editing and rewriting essays.

“It’s a real statement that these are students who are not in the classroom just to get grades,” Granfield said. “These are kids willing to go above and beyond. They are goal-driven. Every year I come away feeling so lucky I get to work with them.”

Though the Goldwater Scholars have another year at Mason, future plans are already taking shape.

Sobieski, of Fairfax, Virginia, said she hopes to earn her MD and PhD and research noninvasive biomarkers while continuing her interest in multiple medical specialties. Therrien, who is from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and has worked as a peer mentor with the Mason Autism Support Initiative, is interested in researching neurodevelopmental disorders. Concepcion, also of Fairfax, has his sights set on a PhD.

Asked about her decision to come to Mason, Therrien, a University Scholar, noted Mason’s focus on undergraduate research.

“But the main thing was I knew I wanted to do something connected to developmental disabilities, special needs, and Mason has a lot of connections in that realm,” she said.

With a Goldwater Scholarship, students have potential connections, too.

“I was really surprised,” Concepcion said about being awarded the scholarship. “I told everybody. Goldwater will help push me forward.”

Honors College junior Rebecca Beuschel earns Goldwater Scholarship, third Mason winner in two years

rstaffo2 — Mon, 30 Apr 2018 18:15:58 +0000

Honors College junior Rebecca Beuschel earns Goldwater Scholarship, third Mason winner in two years rstaffo2 Mon, 04/30/2018 - 14:15

By late March of last year, Rebecca Beuschel was unsure that she would hear back from the Goldwater Scholarship. While working in the Grant Lab on the Manassas campus one Friday, Prof. Granfield notified Beuschel to check her email. “It was honestly one of the most exciting moments of my life,” explains Beuschel, a 2018 Goldwater Scholarship recipient.

Since 1989, the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation has awarded the prestigious one- or two-year grant to undergraduate students in STEM fields. One of 211 recipients among 1,280 applicants, Beuschel will earn up to $7,500 to cover educational and residential expenses.

Beyond financial support, earning a Goldwater Scholarship allows Beuschel to access opportunities that expand her research experience. “It widens my options for graduate school,” explains Beuschel, who is Mason’s third Goldwater Scholar since 2016.

Beuschel’s experience presenting research at a national-level conference helped her earn the Goldwater award. Concentrating in biotechnology and molecular biology, Beuschel carried out a year-long research project investigating Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). Funded by the Grant Lab, the Honors College junior presented her findings in Nashville, Tennessee in November 2017.

“I was able to present my research to some of the biggest names in the IPF field,” says Beuschel, who communicated her findings to doctors, scholars, and patients with IPF.

Earning the Goldwater Scholarship enables Beuschel to reach her career goal of researching and teaching at the university level. The funding will support Beuschel as she explores her research interests, ranging from cancer to developmental biology to neurogenerative diseases.

Beuschel, an Honors College junior from Williamsburg, VA, has been heavily involved with extracurricular roles, strengthening her communication skills as an emerging scientist. Beuschel has served on the Honors College Recruitment Team, the Honors College Curriculum Development Team, as a Peer Mentor for the Honors Freshman LLC, a Peer Research Mentor for HNRS 110, and a Learning Assistant for the honors section of BIOL 213 (Cell Structure and Funtion).

“The Honors College was crucial in supporting me earning the Goldwater Scholarship,” explains Beuschel, who is minoring in data analysis. Dr. LaNitra Berger and a team of other Honors College faculty helped review Beuschel’s essays, advising the junior through every step of the application process.

According to Dr. Berger, Honors College Director of the Office of Fellowships and the campus representative for the Goldwater Scholarship, the recent surge in Honors College students earning Goldwater Scholarships “is a sign that our capacity to support and nurture undergraduate researchers in STEM fields is increasing every year.”

With this award, Beuschel joins several other Honors College students who have received this award or honorable mentions. Three other Honors College juniors earned Goldwater honorable mentions in 2018: Jiajing Guan (mathematics), Doreen Joseph (cyber security engineering), and Brian Schnoor (bioengineering). In 2017, Honors College students Iris Stone and Zachary Baker were awarded the Goldwater Schlarship; Lucas Bouck (math), who has more recently been awarded the prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, was an honorable mention.

“Several Honors College staff members, including LLC Coordinator Kevin Stoy, showed their support,” says Beuschel. “I’m so grateful to have had them all throughout my years here at Mason.”

Original reporting by Jimmy O'Hara. Photograph by Geraldine Grant.

Two Mason students earn Goldwater Scholarships

Damian Cristodero — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 20:24:01 +0000

Two Mason students earn Goldwater Scholarships Damian Cristodero Wed, 04/19/2017 - 16:24

Iris Stone. Photo by Ron Aira.

When Iris Stone and Zachary Baker filled out their Goldwater Scholarship applications, they kept their expectations in check.

Stone, a senior physics major, said the process is so competitive “you don’t want to be disappointed.”

Baker, a sophomore bioengineering major, said his plan was to get feedback from the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation to take another run at the scholarship as a junior.

In both cases, results exceeded expectations as the George Mason University students received the prestigious scholarship that is based on academic merit and targeted to undergraduate students in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering.

“I was amazed,” Baker said.

Said Stone: “I got an email saying congratulations, and I thought, ‘That can’t be right.’ I had to read it twice.”

Zachary Baker. Photo by Ron Aira.

Awarded since 1989, the one- or two-year Goldwater Scholarship provides up to $7,500 per year for tuition, fees, books, and room and board. There were 240 recipients this year out of 1,286 applications from colleges and universities nationwide.

Stone and Baker, both members of the Honors College, are the third and fourth winners from George Mason. Lucas Bouck, a junior mathematics major, received honorable mention.

“For Mason to have two students win in one year signifies that its commitment to undergraduate research is helping our students gain national recognition for their accomplishments,” said LaNitra Berger, director of the Office of Fellowships in the Honors College.

Institutions nominate the applicants, who must produce an essay that describes original research. Helping in that effort were Kathleen Alligood, associate dean of the Honors College, and Patricia Granfield, the Honors College STEM coordinator.

Stone looked into charge-transfer crystals, in which electronic charges are transferred between molecules to stabilize the combination. The quest is to combine organic (that is, carbon-based) molecules to create materials for lighter, cheaper, bendable and even biocompatible electronic devices.

Baker investigated how sodium chlorate impacted the electrophysiological activity of spinal cord neurons of embryotic mice in an effort to understand why central nervous systems in mammals cannot regenerate after injury.

“He completed, by himself, experiments that my undergraduates can rarely complete without guidance,” said Nathalia Peixoto, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering.

As for Stone, “she is one of the best students I’ve ever worked with,” said Patrick Vora, assistant professor of physics.

Stone will be doing neurophysics research at UCLA this summer through the Research Experience for Undergraduates program administered by the National Science Foundation. Baker will intern at Johns Hopkins University’s Institute of Cell Engineering.

“Whether I had an award or not, I’d be pushing forward in this path,” Stone said. “But the external acknowledgment you are on the right path, that’s certainly a nice feeling.”