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George Mason has a “Knack” for tutoring

Sarah Holland — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 15:04:43 +0000

George Mason has a “Knack” for tutoring Sarah Holland Wed, 02/26/2025 - 10:04

College courses are designed to challenge students and push them to new academic heights. And when dealing with difficult subjects and new materials, additional academic support can make all the difference.

Photo by Ron Aira/Office of �鶹�� Branding

That’s where Knack comes in. Starting in fall 2024, George Mason �鶹�� entered a three-year partnership with Knack, a peer-to-peer tutoring platform. Through Knack, students in any of the 28 participating courses can get up to three hours of free virtual or in-person tutoring from their peers every week during the semester. Participating courses span math, statistics, biology, chemistry, business, economics, and public health.

“We are transforming the support for student success at George Mason by fostering a collaborative learning environment that empowers students to excel academically,” said Vicki Dominick, associate director of George Mason’s Learning Services office, which offers a variety of academic success supports for students, including academic success workshops, online resources and coaching.

Knack does not replace other tutoring services offered by George Mason, Dominick noted. It is an additional resource, allowing more options for meeting times and places. Currently, close to 3,000 students are registered with Knack tutoring, and almost 1,500 tutoring sessions were completed in fall semester.

“This free support is directly in line with George Mason’s mission of access to education,” said Keith Renshaw, senior associate provost for undergraduate education and professor of psychology.

“For my chemistry class, there’s always many students attending office hours, so I don’t get the one-on-one help I need,” said sophomore biology major Khushneet Kaur Kainth. “I’ve been able to get personalized support through Knack.”

There are benefits for the tutors as well. Tutoring through Knack is a paid position, and tutors are required to have passed the class for which they are a tutor with an A- or higher.

“It gives the tutors ‘high impact practice,’ as they gain hands-on experience teaching complex concepts and problem-solving strategies,” explained Renshaw.

Senior biology major Anahita Salehkhou is a tutor for BIOL 213 - Cell Structure and Function, and said of her tutoring experience, “it has given me the perfect opportunity to share my passion for teaching while strengthening my resume as I prepare to apply for dental school. It’s also helping me prepare for the dental admissions test as I get a good refresher on content I’ve already learned and studied.”

Learn more about Knack tutoring.

Learn more about Knack tutoring

In This Story

Keith Renshaw, PhD

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Undergraduate Education

Strategic Direction

George Mason athletes post successful NCAA Academic Progress Rate scores

Colleen Rich — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 19:21:22 +0000

George Mason athletes post successful NCAA Academic Progress Rate scores Colleen Rich Wed, 06/12/2024 - 15:21

George Mason �鶹�� student-athletes continued to post impressive scores in the Academic Progress Rate (APR) release by the NCAA. Four programs produced perfect multi-year NCAA APR scores of 1,000 while a total of 11 teams had a perfect APR for the 2022-23 academic year.

Photo by Art Pittman/Athletics

The APR score is a rolling four-year average of each team and its athletes' progress toward graduation. Teams that score below 930 are subject to penalties, which can include ineligibility for postseason competition.

The highlights of results for George Mason student-athletes include:

The Division I single-year APR score for the George Mason Athletics Department was 989, which scored above the 985 needed to meet the NCAA academic unit benchmark.

Men's and women's cross country programs and the men's and women's tennis all scored a perfect multi-year score of 1,000.

Twelve teams (men's cross country, men's golf, men's soccer, men's tennis, men's track and field, women's cross country, women's rowing, women's lacrosse, softball, women's swimming and diving, women's tennis, and women's volleyball) scored at or above the NCAA Division I average multi-year APR score of 984.

"We are very proud of the impressive scores George Mason Athletics boasted in the latest Academic Progress Report (APR) released by the NCAA," said Assistant Vice President/Director of Athletics Marvin Lewis.

"This is a testament the hard work, dedication, and collaboration of our student-athletes, coaches, and the academic services team led by Deputy Athletics Director Nena Rogers. The collective commitment to academic success can be celebrated by all of the George Mason �鶹�� community."

Implemented in 2003 as part of an ambitious academic reform effort in Division I, the APR holds institutions accountable for the academic progress of their student-athletes through a team-based metric that accounts for the eligibility and retention of each student-athlete for each academic term.

The scores provide a real-time look at a program's academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete on scholarship. The APR accounts for eligibility, retention, and graduation and provides a measure of each team's academic performance. This year, the APR score was a multi-year average of the 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2022-23 academic years.

Get more info on George Mason Athletics

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2021 Katona Scholarship recognizes stand out bioengineering students

Rena Malai — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 19:49:29 +0000

2021 Katona Scholarship recognizes stand out bioengineering students Rena Malai Mon, 11/15/2021 - 14:49

From left, Dr. Peter Katona, Inas Zabin, and Michael
Buschmann, Mason bioengineering
department chair and professor

Recognizing and motivating bioengineering students to help the community in the field of bioengineering is a big part of what the Katona Scholarship for Excellence in Bioengineering is about, according to Claudia Borke, advisor for the bioengineering department at Mason.

“This is a scholarship that recognizes not only bioengineering excellence, but looks at the student holistically,” says Borke.

Named for Dr. Peter Katona, founder of the bioengineering program at Mason, the scholarship awarded $1,000 to 2021 winner Inas Zabin, a Mason senior whose education combines bioengineering with a concentration in pre-health.

“Winning the scholarship gave me the little bit of extra push that I needed, and I’m very grateful,” says Zabin. “There are so many qualified people in the bioengineering department. But if you’re thinking of applying for the scholarship, just go for it.”

According to Katona, the students selected for the scholarship show exceptional promise to engage in a successful bioengineering career, which in turn helps society.

“We certainly look at GPA, and it’s a part of the criteria for the scholarship, but it’s not all we see,” says Katona. “We also look at a student’s leadership skills and how they have tried to enhance their skills outside of the classroom.”

Showing an initiative to help other students is also an example of leadership that is a welcome asset for a potential scholarship winner, says Katona.

“We have had some excellent applicants, and we are delighted that we can do this for our bioengineering students showing exceptional promise,” he says.

The Katona Scholarship for Excellence in Bioengineering began in 2015, and is awarded to bioengineering seniors at Mason who show excellence across their academic performance, leadership initiatives, and career aspirations that aim to support society at large.

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Mason student-athletes honored for academic success by Atlantic 10 conference

Colleen Rich — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 16:25:51 +0000

Mason student-athletes honored for academic success by Atlantic 10 conference Colleen Rich Fri, 07/09/2021 - 12:25

The Atlantic 10 Conference announced in June that 332 of George Mason �鶹��’s student-athletes earned the Commissioner’s Honor Roll distinction for the 2020-21 academic year. Mason recorded the second highest number of honorees behind �鶹�� of Massachusetts, which had one additional student honored. Overall in the A-10 there were 3,849 student-athlete honorees.

Despite the pandemic, Mason also set a record for the number of its student-athletes being honored, up 84 from the prior record-setting year.

“It is inspiring to learn about the achievements of our student-athletes in their academic programs. I am proud of our student-athletes and delighted by their being recognized as members of the Atlantic 10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll, especially during this very challenging year,” said Provost Mark Ginsberg. “This very impressive honor is a tribute to their success in the classroom.”

A student-athlete in an Atlantic 10-sponsored sport must have a 3.0 GPA for the academic year to be selected for the Commissioner's Honor Roll. Freshmen and graduate students are eligible to receive the award. This year, 218 of Mason’s 332 student-athletes honored achieved a 3.5 GPA or higher and 23 of them had a 4.0 GPA.

"�鶹�� student-athletes continue to achieve an impressive standard of academic excellence within the Atlantic 10," said Brad Edwards, assistant vice president and director of Athletics. "We are so proud of their record-breaking efforts in the classroom. Additionally, despite extraordinary challenges, our 22 athletic programs thrived—as each posted a spring cumulative team grade point average of over 3.0.”

Mason has a long history of honoring and encouraging the academic success of its student-athletes. Mason student-athletes with a GPA of 3.75 or higher who have completed at least three academic terms earn the Peter N. Stearns Provost Scholar Athlete Award. But after a particularly challenging year for students, the Atlantic 10 announcement was especially impressive and spoke to the student-athletes’ dedication to their academics, said Nena M. Rogers, Mason Athletics’ senior associate AD for academic services.

Rogers said that the success of the students was a “testament to the caliber of student-athletes recruited by our university, as well as to our Athletics academic support staff, coaches and administrators that continues to assist, engage and lead our students to achieve academic success and honors.”

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Students

�鶹��

Atlantic 10 conference

Mason Athletics

George Mason �鶹�� Launches First Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics Degree in Virginia

mthomp7 — Tue, 04 May 2021 15:19:21 +0000

George Mason �鶹�� Launches First Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics Degree in Virginia mthomp7 Tue, 05/04/2021 - 11:19

In This Story

Janusz Wojtusiak, PhD

Health informatics is among the fastest-growing undergraduate degrees in the U.S.

The George Mason �鶹�� College of Health and Human Services is proud to announce the launch of the first stand-alone Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics degree in Virginia. The degree integrates health sciences, information technology, computer science, data science, and behavioral science. This interdisciplinary program is designed to provide graduates with practical, specialized skills in health informatics to improve individual care and public health. “The BS in Health Informatics was created to improve the public’s health by applying useful health information while providing employers with early-career professionals who can enter the field directly,” said Janusz Wojtusiak, associate professor in the Department of Health Administration and Policy and program director for health informatics. The American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) noted the need for “efforts to develop basic health informatics training and education… to accelerate health care’s transformation by collecting, analyzing, and applying data directly to care decisions.” Graduates of the program will be prepared to work as part of interdisciplinary professional teams, biomedical research teams, and public health agencies to improve population health.

The George Mason �鶹�� College of Health and Human Services is proud to announce the launch of the first stand-alone Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics degree in Virginia.

Health informatics graduates work across skillsets and silos to address challenges such as adoption of electronic health records, data collection and analysis, and technical support. The combination of technical and soft skills combined with the interdisciplinary nature of the skills makes health informatics professionals at stages in their career highly sought-after.

According to Hanover Research, informatics and health degrees are among the fastest-growing undergraduate degrees in the country. (2018)[i] The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the demand for medical record and health information management skillsets is projected to grow by 8% in the next 10 years - which is much faster than average.[ii]

The 120-credit hour program will include intensive experiential learning requirements—a signature component of all programs in the College. A pre-internship course prepares students with the skills and knowledge to identify, apply for, and obtain an approved internship. Students work closely with preceptors and faculty in their field to get the most from their internship experience. HAP faculty maintain extensive relationships with practicum sites that provide real-world experience for students such as community-based health clinics, public health agencies, and health insurers. Students can also choose an accelerated BS to MS in health informatics option that allows for program completion in about 5 years for the combined BS-MS.

“HAP faculty invest heavily in making sure students have a successful internship experience. We help connect students with internship placements that meet their interests and provide ongoing mentorship to ensure their long-term success. Mentors help synthesize experiences and learn from the on-the-job training and apply what they are learning in class to the real world,” says P.J. Maddox, Chair of the Department of Health Administration and Policy. “Faculty’s relationships and connections throughout the industry create rich practicum opportunities.”

“While there are currently no external accreditation standards for undergraduate health informatics programs, we will seek such accreditation when available, to complement our CAHIIM-accredited Master of Science in Health Informatics program.” said Wojtusiak. “Bachelor’s degree in health informatics is a natural progression of health informatics at Mason which in addition to the bachelor’s degree offers Master’s degree, a PhD concentration, graduate certificate and a minor”, he added. With a growing focus on expanding public health degree programs in Virginia, George Mason �鶹�� is also the first in the Commonwealth to offer an accredited PhD in Public Health degree. Strong collaborations between health informatics and public health faculty and students are part of the interdisciplinary nature of the college.

The program will launch in Fall 2021. Information regarding the program and requirements can be found in the 2021 George Mason �鶹�� Course Catalog.

About the College of Health and Human Services

George Mason �鶹��'s College of Health and Human Services prepares students to become leaders and shape the public's health through academic excellence, research of consequence, community outreach, and interprofessional clinical practice. George Mason is the fastest-growing Research I institution in the country. The College enrolls more than 1,900 undergraduate and 1,370 graduate students in its nationally recognized offerings, including: 6 undergraduate degrees, 13 graduate degrees, and 7 certificate programs. The college is transitioning to a college of public health in the near future. For more information, visit https://chhs.gmu.edu/.

[i] Hanover Research, Top 10 Undergraduate Degree on the Rise and the Decline, 2018.

https://www.hanoverresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/HED1G0118_Undergraduate-degree-rise-and-decline-Infographic_2_27_18.pdf?utm_source=March+28%2C+2018+eNewsletter+&utm_campaign=10.25+newsletter&utm_medium=email#:~:text=Informatics%20is%20the%20number%20one,other%20fields%20and%20disciplines%20increases.&text=Health%20profession%20degrees%20represent%203,over%20the%20five%2Dyear%20period.

[ii] Bureau of Labor Statistics https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-records-and-health-information-technicians.htm

Topics

�鶹��

Health Informatics

CHHS News

Tech Talent Investment Pipeline (TTIP)

TTIP

Tech Talent Investment Program

Mason Master of Health Administration Students Earn First Place in Second Annual Penn State Health Administration Case Competition

mthomp7 — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 21:37:50 +0000

Mason Master of Health Administration Students Earn First Place in Second Annual Penn State Health Administration Case Competition mthomp7 Mon, 11/30/2020 - 16:37

On October 31, 2020, students from the Department of Health Administration and Policy (HAP) Master of Health Administration (MHA) program participated in a National Case Study Competition hosted by Pennsylvania State �鶹�� in partnership with Geisinger Health System.

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Department of Health Administration and Policy

Department of Statistics expanding, hiring multiple new faculty

Martha Bushong — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 18:32:41 +0000

Department of Statistics expanding, hiring multiple new faculty Martha Bushong Thu, 10/22/2020 - 14:32

Mason Computing’s Department of Statistics is expanding and seeking new faculty for multiple tenure-track or tenured positions. The department is looking for strong senior candidates who have an established record of meaningful research, demonstrated funding, and excellent teaching skills.

The department is involved in multiple projects with Inova, one of the leading hospital systems in the nation, and with other top corporations. It is also working to establish new relationships and research ties with other groups via joint initiatives in the Washington, D.C.-area.

These relationships include research at government agencies on a range of critical problems and in several areas of statistics and data science. The department’s goal is to become a hub for innovations in statistics and data science and interdisciplinary research involving medicine, engineering, finance, technology.

“�鶹�� department expects continued recruitment to meet the increased demands for statisticians and data scientists and also to take advantage of opportunities from our new leadership and the Tech Talent Investment Pipeline (TTIP) opportunities,” says Department of Statistics Chair Jiayang Sun.

In conjunction with Amazon’s decision to establish a second headquarters in Northern Virginia, the Commonwealth of Virginia announced a multi-year plan to invest in the growth of degree programs in computing.

Mason has committed to accelerate its plans to grow its capacity in computing and high-tech fields, including establishing a School of Computing, which will provide a wide array of computing and related courses to students from all backgrounds and at all levels. The Department of Statistics is one of the school’s founding departments.

Mason has a strong institutional commitment to achieving excellence and diversity among its faculty and staff and encourages candidates who will enrich the university’s academic and culturally inclusive environment to apply.

Mason's job board provides more information on the positions. The department will begin reviewing applications November 16 and continue until the positions are filled.

Topics

Statistics

School of Computing

�鶹��

Computer science professor paved the way for virtual instruction

Nanci Hellmich — Thu, 16 Apr 2020 14:07:36 +0000

Computer science professor paved the way for virtual instruction Nanci Hellmich Thu, 04/16/2020 - 10:07

Body

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coronavirus; COVID-19; computer science; distance learning; virtual instruction; online learning; online classes

coronavirus; COVID-19; News; Editorial

�鶹��

Statistics professors offer opportunity to attend virtual lecture from England

Nanci Hellmich — Thu, 09 Apr 2020 17:32:13 +0000

Statistics professors offer opportunity to attend virtual lecture from England Nanci Hellmich Thu, 04/09/2020 - 13:32

How engineers and peacebuilders work together to construct harmonious futures

Damian Cristodero — Fri, 06 Mar 2020 19:28:21 +0000

How engineers and peacebuilders work together to construct harmonious futures Damian Cristodero Fri, 03/06/2020 - 14:28

�鶹��

George Mason has a “Knack” for tutoring

Learn more about Knack tutoring

In This Story

Related news

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George Mason athletes post successful NCAA Academic Progress Rate scores

Get more info on George Mason Athletics

Related News

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2021 Katona Scholarship recognizes stand out bioengineering students

Topics

Mason student-athletes honored for academic success by Atlantic 10 conference

Topics

George Mason �鶹�� Launches First Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics Degree in Virginia

In This Story

Health informatics is among the fastest-growing undergraduate degrees in the U.S.

Topics

Mason Master of Health Administration Students Earn First Place in Second Annual Penn State Health Administration Case Competition

Topics

Department of Statistics expanding, hiring multiple new faculty

Topics

Computer science professor paved the way for virtual instruction

Topics

Statistics professors offer opportunity to attend virtual lecture from England

How engineers and peacebuilders work together to construct harmonious futures

�鶹����

George Mason has a “Knack” for tutoring

Learn more about Knack tutoring

In This Story

Related news

Topics

George Mason athletes post successful NCAA Academic Progress Rate scores

Get more info on George Mason Athletics

Related News

Topics

2021 Katona Scholarship recognizes stand out bioengineering students

Topics

Mason student-athletes honored for academic success by Atlantic 10 conference

Topics

George Mason �鶹���� Launches First Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics Degree in Virginia

In This Story

Health informatics is among the fastest-growing undergraduate degrees in the U.S.

Topics

Mason Master of Health Administration Students Earn First Place in Second Annual Penn State Health Administration Case Competition

Topics

Department of Statistics expanding, hiring multiple new faculty

Topics

Computer science professor paved the way for virtual instruction

Topics

Statistics professors offer opportunity to attend virtual lecture from England

How engineers and peacebuilders work together to construct harmonious futures

�鶹��

George Mason �鶹�� Launches First Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics Degree in Virginia