Office of Fellowships

From the classroom in Virginia to Ukraine, first generation alum Alex Neuman pursues a passion for public service

ksheikh2 — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 18:47:39 +0000

From the classroom in Virginia to Ukraine, first generation alum Alex Neuman pursues a passion for public service ksheikh2 Tue, 02/25/2025 - 13:47

Honors College alumni Alex Neuman (International Politics; Russian and Eurasian Studies, ‘20) reflects on his past and future ambitions.

Celebrating Ivan Kupala—an Eastern Slavic holiday commemorating the summer solstice — in Poland inspired a new goal for alum Alex Neuman. When meeting some Ukrainian refugees impacted by the Russia-Ukraine war, Neuman had the opportunity to practice his Ukrainian. “They would stop and shake my hand,” he recalled, “and thank me for learning their language.”

Photograph Provided

After this heartwarming interaction, Neuman created a new goal for himself- to use his skills to engage with the people from this region, and to help alleviate the humanitarian suffering in Ukraine.

With the support of prestigious fellowships, Neuman has been pursuing this goal. Neuman’s first internship at George Mason University was with the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation in Washington, DC, so he saw this opportunity as coming full circle. “I think that this is one of the most important stories of my region of interest and my story personally. I'm very glad that I obtained my George Mason education just in time to make a difference in it.”

Neuman’s passion for public service grew during his time abroad as a middle school student, when his dad worked at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China. Neuman valued the support George Mason offered as he pursued this passion as a first-generation college student. George Mason’s Office of Fellowships introduced him to various opportunities within public service, such as the Boren fellowship, a State Department Fellowship that has, in the past, helped to prepare participants with linguistic and cultural knowledge necessary to coordinate successful international relations. Experiences like these helped Neuman prepare for the experiences to come: “I really valued their support network, their mentorship, and their honest feedback,” he said. “They provided me with what I felt I lacked as someone that is not a legacy student and does not have immediate access to those types of space.”

Neuman credits various Honor College classes for impacting his later career, such as Honors 230: Adaptation to Climate Change with Dana Dolan. The interdisciplinary approach of the class allowed Neuman to investigate pressing environmental issues from the perspective of his ongoing curiosity about national security. This gave him the opportunity to create a unique project examining the changing international relations associated with the melting of the Arctic’s Sea.

Neuman had the opportunity to pursue his interests from his first semester on campus. In Honors 110: Principles of Research and Inquiry with Maoria Kirker, Neuman explored his interest in Russian civil military relations through with a semester long research project. In the class, he learned to research with academic rigor and cultivated his skills in professional writing. “I learned how to translate your inner voice into a compelling story for my target audience,” he recalled. “I believe I can credit those skills with being able to join the Boren program as a graduate student.”

Photograph Provided

His time with the Schar School of Policy and Government ‘s Global Politics Fellows program with Sergey Semolinko also played a major role in prepared him for his future engagement with the region. Studying the Ukrainian Presidential election and the communication strategy of then-candidate Volodymr Zelenskyy, he did not anticipate where his life would take him: "Little did I know that I would end up being very tied closely with Ukraine, reaching back to what I learned during that experience.”

Following his graduation in 2020, Neuman completed an online internship as a Russian to English translator with a niche area studies publication. He then served in the U.S. Air Force as a logistics planner in Nellis, Air Force Base, Nevada. There, he provided back-office support for the Red Flag exercise, an annual international air war game that prepares to defend America and our allies in the air and space.

Neuman advises prospective students to not allow barriers to stop them from achieving their goals. “Don't deter yourself. You may come with baggage from childhood, from where you grew up, what you were told you might reach in life. Don't let those thoughts stop you from pursuing your dreams.”

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first-generation

Kristen Alleyne Leverages Mason Resources and Determination to be named a CDC Undergraduate Public Health Scholar

gsehgal2 — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 13:54:27 +0000

Kristen Alleyne Leverages Mason Resources and Determination to be named a CDC Undergraduate Public Health Scholar gsehgal2 Mon, 07/17/2023 - 09:54

In This Story

Megan Bruening, Ph.D.

Committed to making a difference in the wellbeing of others, Kristen Alleyne, a rising senior and University Scholar in the Honors College, pursued opportunities to gain first-hand experience addressing public health issues. The community health major and health information technology minor expanded her search for scholarships and fellowships beyond those common among Mason applicants. When she discovered the John R. Lewis Center for Disease Control Undergraduate Public Health Scholarship Program, Alleyne sought out the support of the Office of Fellowships to create a strong application. Her motivated searches paid off, as she has recently been named a 2023 Public Health Scholar.

The John R. Lewis CDC Undergraduate Public Health Scholars program “provides students, particularly those from populations that are underrepresented in public health professions, with career-building public health experiences” to equip them with the tools required to succeed in the field. The program places scholars from across the country at top public health programs; Alleyne will join a cohort at the University of California at Los Angeles, spending her summer gaining hands-on experience in public health. Alleyne says that this will provide her with a unique opportunity to “be exposed to some new challenges that are faced on the west coast.”

Once Alleyne discovered the Public Health Scholars program, she took it to the Office of Fellowships, which is a “one stop shop for students” seeking help on the process of applying for scholarships and fellowships. For the first-generation student originally from Guyana, the support from the Office was critical: “As a first-generation student,” she says, “I did not know the specific ways to answer the peculiar questions on fellowship applications. The questions on the application may seem simple, but the way you answer them can make or break your application.” Alleyne was connected to the Director of the Office of Fellowships, Dr. Megan Bruening, and they worked together to craft a well-rounded application that reflected Alleyne’s interests and experience.

Alleyne says that with the help from the Honors College at George Mason, she has been encouraged to examine her beliefs and way of thinking to develop a broader worldview and breadth of involvement in her communities. Alleyne takes up the challenge through her diverse student involvement around campus. Besides her interest in public health, she is the President of the Caribbean Student Association and Patriots for Health Assistance, a triple jumper on the Track and Field Team, and was also a Substance Use Peer Educator with the Student Support and Advocacy Center. Alleyne’s successful application to the John R. Lewis CDC Undergraduate Public Health Scholarship benefited from her well-rounded experience and involvement at Mason.

Whether a student brings in a fellowship like Alleyne, or needs help finding one, the Office of Fellowships is there for them every step of the way to help navigate the complex process. One of Dr. Bruening’s goals in the office is to reach students who have been and are still marginalized in higher education. This extends from first-generation students and students of color to LGBTQIA+ students as well. Dr Bruening says that “Fellowships are a transformative opportunity for social justice and change. I strongly believe that the opportunities these fellowships provide are ways that students can break down barriers and can make positive changes, both for themselves but also for their communities and eventually for the world.”

Kristen Alleyne is one of those students breaking down barriers. Dr. Bruening says that her passion for the different intersectional ways to view public health helped her win the competitive award. “Alleyne came into the office with ideas about how to positively benefit different communities through public health, particularly women, but she also displayed an interest in sports, global health, epidemiology, and information systems as well.” By working together, Dr. Bruening and Alleyne connected these ideas and brought them together in a cohesive application.

Looking back, Alleyne is grateful to the Office of Fellowships for giving her “valuable feedback, guidance, and support throughout the application journey. Dr. Bruening helped me to remove any anxiety I had about the application process and reinforced that I was well equipped with the skills needed to not only apply to the program, but get in.”

Alleyne’s advice to students who are interested in getting involved with the Office of Fellowships is to “Kick the fear away. Whenever in doubt, ask for help. Sometimes we think we know it all, but there are so many people who are better equipped to do the things we think we can do.” With the help of the Honors College and the Office of Fellowships, Alleyne is looking forward to seeing public health through a new lens by engaging in a challenging and invigorating environment with the Public Health Scholars program.

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Public Health

Office of Fellowships

first-generation

Student Support and Advocacy Center (SSAC)

Scholarships

Office of Fellowships announces 2022-23 award winners

Colleen Rich — Thu, 11 May 2023 13:21:32 +0000

Office of Fellowships announces 2022-23 award winners Colleen Rich Thu, 05/11/2023 - 09:21

George Mason University’s Office of Fellowships works with students and alumni to help them find and apply to nationally competitive awards that support their academic, professional, and personal goals. Director Megan Bruening calls the office a “one-stop shop” for students seeking fellowships.

“We are here to guide them through the entire process and meet students wherever they are at in their academic journeys,” she said.

That includes 1:1 advising, feedback on students’ application essays, interview coaching, and coordinating faculty and administrative committees to review and endorse student applications. The team also works with recommenders on reference letters and helps currently enrolled students with their post-award paperwork.

The number of fellowship applicants and recipients at Mason has increased by 15% each year since summer 2021, Bruening said.

The office is pleased to announce the following student fellowships awarded for the 2022-23 academic year.

American Association of University Women Grant
With a mission of gender equity and economic security, the aim of the American Association of University Women Grant is to support female researchers at all stages of their careers. The grant is designed to enable female researchers to gain more visibility, expand a network, or build more expertise.

Ingrid Guillen Marquina (College of Science [COS], Chemistry MS)

Boren Awards
Boren Scholarships (for undergraduate students) and Fellowships (for graduate students) provide unique funding opportunities for U.S. students to study less commonly taught languages in world regions critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in study abroad.

Scholars: Sannai James (College of Humanities and Social Sciences [CHSS], Global Affairs BA), Connor Brunson (CHSS, Global Affairs BA)
Fellows: Danyale Kellogg (Schar School of Policy and Government, Biodefense PhD), Jacob Davis (School of Business, Management BS)

Center for Disease Control Undergraduate Public Health Scholar
The CDC John R. Lewis Undergraduate Public Health Scholars (Lewis Scholars; formerly CDC Undergraduate Public Health Scholars [CUPS]) Program provides students, particularly those from populations that are underrepresented in public health professions, with career-building public health experiences.

Kristen Alleyne (College of Public Health [CPH], Community Health BS, Honors College)

Cosmos Scholars Grant
Awarded by the Cosmos Club Foundation, Cosmos Scholar grants cover the costs of travel, special supplies, and other expenses that would enhance the scholarship for recipients in various academic fields, including literature, biomedical sciences, regional studies, and engineering.

Melissa DeLury (College of Education and Human Development [CEHD], Education PhD)
Anne Dobberteen (also received the Neilom Foundation Meritorious Award in Technology and Society from Cosmos; CHSS, Art History PhD)
Laura Fretwell (CHSS, History PhD)
Alena James (COS, Biosciences PhD)
Dylan Scarton (COS, Neuroscience PhD)

Critical Language Scholarship
The Critical Language Scholarship Program is an immersive summer opportunity for American college and university students to learn languages in regions that are critical to U.S. national security and economic prosperity.

Carma Elharazi (CHSS, Foreign Languages BA)
Aleah Johnson (CHSS, Foreign Languages BA, Honors College)
Ninamarie Avedissian (CEHD, Curriculum and Instruction MEd)
Gisselle Contreras (COS, Neuroscience)
- Alternates: Dulguun Gantumur (CHSS, Global Affairs BA, Honors College), Kanwal Ahmad (College of Engineering and Computing (CEC), Electrical Engineering BS), Sara Michels (Schar, International Security MA)

Foreign Affairs Information Technology Fellowship
The two-year Foreign Affairs Information Technology Fellowship from the U.S. Department of State aims to attract top technology talent that represents the ethnic, racial, gender, social, and geographic diversity of the United States. The two-year fellowship is a path to a career in the Foreign Service and provides academic funding for an IT-related degree, internships, professional development and mentorship—culminating in an appointment in the Foreign Service as an Information Management Specialist.

Iyouel Endashaw (CEC Cybersecurity, BS)

Fulbright U.S. Student Program
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program aims to promote mutual understanding and peace between the United States and other nations through educational and cultural exchange. Students and college graduates apply for grants to study, conduct research, or teach English conversation and U.S. culture abroad while serving as citizen diplomats in the host country.

Morgan Swindall (ETA, Taiwan) (CHSS, Global Affairs MA)
- Semifinalists: Ashagrie Abdi (Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Conflict Analysis and Resolution PhD), Medhini Sosale (CEC, Bioengineering BA, Honors College), Logan Lehman (Schar, Government and Politics BA, Honors College)

Gates-Cambridge Scholarship
The Gates Cambridge Scholarship is a fully funded international postgraduate award for students to study any subject at the University of Cambridge with the aim of building a global network of future leaders who are committed to improving the lives of others.

- Semifinalist (first since 2015): Jasmine Okidi (CHSS, English BA, Honors College)

GEM Fellowship
The GEM Fellowship provides MS- and PhD-level students both financial support and internship opportunities to highly qualified, underrepresented students who wish to pursue graduate study in engineering or science.

Brenda Henriquez (CEC, Computer Science MS)

Goldwater Scholarship
Named after the former senator and presidential candidate, the Barry Goldwater Scholarship is a highly competitive national award for American undergraduate students in science, math and engineering who are committed to pursuing advanced degrees and research-oriented careers in STEM fields.

Lina Alkarmi (CEC, Electrical Engineering BS, Honors College)

Insight Collaborative Fellowship
The Insight Collaborative Fellowship Program helps individuals develop their own conflict management skills by working within local or international nonprofits of their choice. Each year-long Fellowship begins with a period of training and development before the fellow begins three global placements through which they share the best in conflict management theory and skills.

- Semifinalist: Naomi Davis (awaiting final results, Carter, Conflict Analysis and Resolution MA)

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program
The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program supports outstanding students who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in STEM, STEM education, and social science fields at accredited U.S. institutions.

Samuel Schmidgall (CEC, Comp Sci BS)

Pickering Fellowship
The Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Fellowship is a U.S. Department of State program that seeks to attract and prepare outstanding young people, who represent ethnic, gender, social, and geographic diversity and have an interest in pursuing a Foreign Service career in the U.S. Department of State.

Quan Crawford (CHSS, Global Affairs BA)

Point Foundation Flagship Scholarship
The Point Flagship Scholarship empowers LGBTQ students who are earning their undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees at accredited institutions in the Unites States. Flagship scholarship recipients receive financial support, access to multiple leadership development programs, mentorship or coaching, and the support of a community of scholars and alumni.

- Semifinalist: CJ Mandell (awaiting final results, CPH, Public Health MA)

Presidential Management Fellowship
The Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program is a two-year training and leadership development program at a United States government agency, administered by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, for advanced degree holders. After completing the program, agencies may convert PMFs to permanent federal civilian employees.

Adil Sailau (Scalia Law School, JD)
Nathan Danielson (Carter, Conflict Analysis and Resolution MS)
Nicholas Sherwood (Carter, Conflict Analysis and Resolution PhD)
Trinidee Baker (CEHD, Education Leaders MEd)
Isaac Gibbons (CEC, Cybersecurity MS)
Patrick Mason (CPH, Nutrition MS)
Joseph Pencak (CHSS, Economics MA)
Lindsey Schmidt (CHSS, Global Affairs MA)
Rose Kemmel (CHSS, IO Psychology MPS)
William Snyder (Schar, Transportation MA)
Sara Leming (Schar, Public Management CERG)
Michael Lodico (Schar, MPA)
Bianca Nelson (Schar, MPA)
Sylkin Barksdale (Schar, MPA)
Brandon Bryan (Schar, MPA)
Zachary Huebschman (Schar, MPA)
Whitney Guilford (Schar, MPA)
Tianwei Na (Business, MBA)

Rangel Fellowship
The Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program is a State Department fellowship program that supports outstanding American students from diverse backgrounds in pursuing master’s degrees to prepare for diplomatic careers in the U.S. Foreign Service.

Natasha Taliferro (CHSS, Global Affairs BA)

Smithsonian Institute Guggenheim Grant
Guggenheim Fellowships are intended for men and women who have already demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts.

Anne Dobberteen (CHSS, Art History PhD)

Schwarzman Scholarship
Schwarzman Scholarship is a one-year, fully funded master's degree in Global Affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. The program selects 100 to 200 Scholars per year based on their leadership ability, academic achievement, and commitment to advancing mutual cultural understanding and global progress.

Seminfinalist: Neuteyshe Felizor (CHSS, Government and Politics BA)

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Honors College takes the lead as Fulbright expands diversity initiative

Damian Cristodero — Thu, 01 Nov 2018 09:30:00 +0000

Honors College takes the lead as Fulbright expands diversity initiative Damian Cristodero Thu, 11/01/2018 - 05:30

Mason alumnus Desmond Moffitt speaks at the Fulbright Diversity Conference in Berlin. Moffitt's experience as a Fulbright grantee and English Teaching Assistant in Germany, prompted him to push for greater support from Fulbright for diverse scholars teaching overseas. Photo provided.

For LaNitra Berger, director of the Office of Fellowships in George Mason University’s Honors College, one of the university’s prime directives is to produce graduates who are “ready to act.”

So when Fulbright scholar and Honors College alumnus Desmond Moffitt, BA History ’17, recommended to the Fulbright Program that cohorts of diverse scholars teaching overseas need more support to navigate and thrive in the countries to which they are assigned, Berger was understandably proud—especially of the result.

Partially in response, the U.S. State Department, which sponsors the Fulbright Program, and the German-American Fulbright Commission held a diversity roundtable in Berlin in May. The event brought together current U.S. Fulbright scholars to brainstorm ways to help the State Department and European Fulbright Commissions address those concerns.

Moffitt, who as a Fulbright grantee was an English Teaching Assistant in Dresden, Germany, said cultural differences he experienced led to conflicts with administrators and fellow teachers in the first school in which he taught. He said he was a target of racial harassment from immigrant students in his second school.

“You don’t just take the grant and run,” Berger said. “You go there, and when you see something that needs to be addressed, you step up and take the lead.”

What Moffitt said he saw was a need for all scholars, whether they be of color, of different sexual orientations or physical abilities, to receive more information and resources from the Fulbright Program to navigate the prejudices and harassment they might encounter in their host countries.

To help make his case, he engaged Berger, who has worked in the field of international education since 2005 and has been a highly respected mentor and Fulbright Program Advisor since 2010. He also reached out to other Fulbright scholars and alumni, the German-American Fulbright Commission, the State Department and other European Fulbright commissions.

“What we’re trying to do is make the approach more holistic when they talk about diversity,” said Moffitt, who is pursuing a master’s degree in education policy at Columbia University and is a project coordinator for the Institute for Urban and Minority Education. “We’re talking about religion, economic status, race, creed, gender, physical ability. There are so many definitions to diversity. If we can get to a point where the program is a multitiered approach, I think we are accomplishing something.”

LaNitra Berger and Desmond Moffitt at the Fulbright Diversity Conference in Berlin.

In March, Moffitt helped put together a cultural sensitivity workshop of working Fulbright scholars of diverse backgrounds to discuss their experiences. In July, Berger led a webinar for the Fulbright Program on navigating personal identity abroad in which three Fulbright alumni—including Mason graduates Matthew Robinson, BA History ’15, and Anjana Radhakrishnan, BS Economics ’15—told their stories.

And as part of a Fulbright Diversity Conference held in September to celebrate German-American Fulbright Commission diversity initiatives, Moffitt reported on the work of his task force that is developing recommendations to better promote diversity and equity in the Fulbright Program. Berger was a featured speaker and discussion facilitator at the conference.

“They were leaders at the program,” Mary Kirk, director of the State Department’s Office of Academic Exchange Programs, said of Moffitt and Berger. “We are very pleased with that connection with George Mason. The leadership of the campus is very evident, and we are using that to the advantage of the program.”

Kirk stressed that diversity is a top priority for the State Department, and that “significant resources” have been put into diversifying the Fulbright applicant pool.

For the past decade, she said, the State Department has been coordinating efforts to increase and strengthen Fulbright recruitment and the participation of minority-serving institutions, including historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions and tribal colleges. In addition, it has sought to encourage greater diversity among applicants from across the country.

Even so, feedback such as what she received from Berger, Moffitt and other Fulbright scholars about their experiences was critical to ensuring that Fulbrighters, once recruited, receive adequate support.

“Our primary focus for the State Department is the safety and security and successful scholarship experience of our American Fulbrighters,” Kirk said. “We always seek to learn from the experience of alumni to point out areas where we can consider new support systems for the program.”

“The fact that they are committing resources to this is very significant,” Berger said. “I would say this is one of the most significant changes that has happened in a very long time.”