Schar School News for August 2024

Research

Strategic Direction

Schar School Welcomes Thema Monroe-White

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 15:54:33 +0000

Schar School Welcomes Thema Monroe-White Andrew J Schappert Wed, 09/04/2024 - 11:54

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Thema Monroe-White

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‘We’ve talked about the data harm. I want to get at the solutions.’ – Thema Monroe-White

Thema Monroe-White joins George Mason �鶹�� this fall as an associate professor in both the Schar School and the College of Engineering and Computing. She is an artificial intelligence (AI) and policy justice scholar and the recipient of a prestigious $1 million CAREER grant, awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to early-career faculty who are trailblazers within their field.

Monroe-White focuses on the intersection of science, policy, and racial equity, working to combat bias within data science and AI by building a diverse scientific workforce. Her CAREER grant, entitled “Investigating Undergraduate Student Persistence Intentions for a Diverse Data Science Community,” is a huge step toward her goal of developing social inclusion in the scientific community. Monroe-White will investigate which interventions are most effective in encouraging underrepresented students to choose STEM majors, graduate, and subsequently stay in STEM careers. “I want to develop concrete, practical approaches for broadening participation in data science and related fields,” says Monroe-White. “Why do students persist in STEM, and how can we codify those conditions to encourage even more underrepresented students to pursue STEM careers?”

The CAREER grant builds on another NSF-funded project Monroe White brings to Mason, which examines how scientists’ background and experience influence the research topics they choose to pursue. Monroe-White's team has illustrated that a homogeneous workforce in STEM fields results in a less comprehensive exploration of scientific topics. Just as medical research focused on white male subjects until more women and researchers of color achieved authority in the field, Monroe-White's research exposes similar patterns in other fields. Preliminary research focused on scientists in the United States, and the team will now refine their algorithm and apply it to an international dataset.

Monroe-White brings her expertise in AI to George Mason at time when the university is investing in AI research and innovation. The Schar School recently secured two other seven-figure AI-related grants, one from the Department of Defense and another to create the nation’s first Center for AI Innovation for Economic Competitiveness (CAIIEC).

“Thema Monroe-White’s research understands the computational, social, and policy issues that underline artificial intelligence,” said J.P. Singh, Schar School Distinguished �鶹�� Professor and principal investigator for CAIIEC. “She will greatly help us bridge disciplinary divides and train the next generation of student scholars to address the cutting-edge issues of our times.”

Monroe-White's research and teaching agenda focus both on revealing algorithmic bias and realizing AI’s capacity for positive social transformation. This will be the center of her contributions to George Mason’s new undergraduate program in technology policy, an innovative split between computer science and policy studies. In her fall course, AI: Ethics, Policy, & Society, Monroe-White asks, “Must AI tools reflect reality?” Algorithms learn from the data they are given and reflect the biases embedded in that data.

“We’ve talked about the data harms. I want to get at the solutions,” she said when asked about her goals at George Mason. “How do we round that corner and, instead of stereotyping subordination and omission, how do we get at empowerment and uplift?” AI is a powerful tool – one that has caused harm but also has enormous potential to reverse previous harms. As part of the Schar School, Monroe-White will train the next generation of computer scientists and policy practitioners to build that future.

Topics

College of Engineering and Computing

Research

Artificial Intelligence

A Working Mother’s Triumph: Juggling Parenting, Career, and Master of Public Administration Courses

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 28 Aug 2024 12:46:18 +0000

A Working Mother’s Triumph: Juggling Parenting, Career, and Master of Public Administration Courses Andrew J Schappert Wed, 08/28/2024 - 08:46

During her four years as a Master of Public Administration student at George Mason �鶹��'s Schar School of Policy and Government, Dana Staley held down a fulltime job, survived a global pandemic, and became a mother, in addition to the ample reading and writing required in a master’s program.

Dana Staley: ‘I appreciated that I was able to participate in classes in the evening so that I could still work full time.’

A year later, Staley, who graduated in 2023, has sage advice for those facing similar trying circumstances.

“If you find yourself in an impossible season of juggling too much and not knowing when rest will come again, keep going,” she said. “Keep pushing, surprise yourself, and don't be afraid to ask for help. The end will come, and it will be so worth it!”

That was her message in a recent LinkedIn essay that caught the eye of one of Staley’s former professors, Associate Professor of nonprofit studies Mirae Kim, who vivid recalls Staley’s ambition to complete her degree, not to mention her dedication to her family.

“I could never forget her,” said Kim, who teaches in the Schar School’s Center on Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Social Enterprise. “She was one of the most engaged students in my recent semesters at George Mason.”

When Staley enrolled in the master’s program in 2019, she was working full time as the director of programs at a small nonprofit in Washington, D.C. Two years later, still deep into her studies and with a 9-month-old, she landed a position with Auxilio Partners as a nonprofit business consultant.

“I lead a team to support 15 different nonprofits nationwide in finances, human resources, risk management, compliance, and board governance,” she said, adding that her firm does the backend work “so that the organizations can focus more on their mission.”

While Staley was an exceptionally devoted student, the Schar School’s graduate programs are attractive to early- and mid-career professionals for many reasons, including location, flexibility, and higher education specialists to rely on for support. In Staley’s case, online conferences with professors were key to her success.

Dana Staley, ‘Mom with a master’s’

In fact, “I had [online] office hours to get support on an assignment,” Staley said. “I sat at my kitchen table, got on Zoom with my professor, and had my 4-month-old, Kai, in a baby bouncer next to me. It’s an image that will never be erased from my mind: All of my responsibilities tied into one simple memory.”

The success is summed up in the slogan on her favorite mug: “Mom with a master’s.”

Kim, who recalls that Zoom session vividly, understands the need for assistance beyond the classroom, as do other Schar School professors.

“It is not simply the instruction they appreciate, but when they feel supported, students are empowered to engage more,” she said.

“I appreciated that I was able to participate in classes in the evening so that I could still work fulltime,” Staley said. “I also enjoyed that many of my classmates were also working, so there were a lot of real-life experiences shared in the classroom. The professors were excellent and balanced the task of challenging us as students while understanding we all had many other responsibilities we were juggling.”

Staley closes her LinkedIn essay with this:

“Being a mom, being a student, being a professional—those are all experiences that, in their own right, are difficult...But as I look back, I am proud of what I accomplished and am forever grateful for my husband, family, friends, coworkers, and professors who cheered me on through it all.

“By the way, that Nonprofit Financial Management class has become invaluable in my work today!”

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Mirae Kim

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Topics

Master of Public Administration

Alumni

Center on Nonprofits Philanthropy and Social Enterprise

Center for Security Policy Studies

Campus News

Schar School Adjunct Professor Lee Roberts is ‘Teacher of Distinction’

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 19:22:09 +0000

Schar School Adjunct Professor Lee Roberts is ‘Teacher of Distinction’ Andrew J Schappert Thu, 08/15/2024 - 15:22

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Lee Roberts

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Schar School of Policy and Government adjunct professor Lee Roberts was recognized as a 2024 Teacher of Distinction by George Mason �鶹��’s Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning. Roberts is a U.S. Army strategic intelligence officer in his 17th year of active-duty service.

Schar School adjunct professor Lee Roberts receives his Teacher of Distinction award from E. Shelley Reid, executive director of engaged teaching at George Mason’s Stearns Center. Photo by John Boal Photography.

The Stearns Center, which promotes and develops innovation in teaching among the university’s faculty, recognizes Teachers of Distinction as those who have been finalists for Teaching Excellence Awards and are known for their commitment to teaching and teaching-related activities.

As an active practitioner in the field, it’s important to Roberts that the subject of international security—I-SEC—is taught the right way.

“First and foremost, students in the [Schar School’s] I-SEC program are talented, driven, and conscientious future—and in some cases current—practitioners whom it is my privilege to work with,” he said. “I want to do everything I can to help them clear a path into this professional field whether as a government servant or in an adjacent field such as think-tank analysis or security journalism.”

Roberts, who has been teaching at the Schar School since 2018, is assigned to the Joint Staff from the Defense Intelligence Agency and works in the Pentagon, located not far from the Schar School’s Mason Square Campus. That proximity allowed him to earn a master’s degree in international security in 2017—he was also a fellow at the Center for Security Policy Studies—and a PhD in political science in 2022.

His academic pursuits, as well as his teaching, inform his profession.

“Essentially, I direct the design and delivery of joint studies into future military intelligence capabilities that establish the requirements used by armed services, defense agencies, and the defense industry to develop and build those capabilities,” he said. “I primarily focus five to 15 years in the future, and I really love my job—it makes excellent use of the educational experience I got at the Schar School.

“By keeping a foot in both worlds, I am able to help students realize their goals, and students’ fresh perspectives and the seminar content from the classes helps me to be a better practitioner.”

While receiving the Stearns Center’s Teacher of Distinction recognition is gratifying, it’s the success of his students that Roberts finds truly rewarding.

“I have on multiple occasions run into recent alumni in the halls of U.S. government agencies implementing America's intelligence, national security, and foreign policy priorities, and I cannot adequately describe the pride I feel in having played even a small part in their journey,” he said.

Topics

PhD in Political Science

Master of International Security

International Security

Adjunct Professors

Schar School Student Spotlight

Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning

Alumni

Military

Ian Candy’s First Year: Combining Politics, Neuroscience, and Forensics—to Help Others

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 14:00:36 +0000

Ian Candy’s First Year: Combining Politics, Neuroscience, and Forensics—to Help Others Andrew J Schappert Wed, 08/14/2024 - 10:00

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Ian Candy’s interest in politics developed early, at age 10, when he found he enjoyed watching political news shows with his parents instead of cartoons.

“My parents love watching the news,” he said. “And oddly enough, I enjoyed it. I ended up becoming very invested with the political side of the news…. This love for democracy that was planted in me as a child has only grown. The roots of this seed have cemented, making the study of government and international politics dear to my heart.”

Ian Candy: ‘It is no secret that our democracy can light up a room in a second, but just as quickly cover it in shadows.’

As a first-year student at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason �鶹��, Candy will major in government and international politics at a Carnegie Research 1 institution that happens to be located just a few miles from Washington, D.C. Both of those were “huge check marks on my list” of potential schools, he said.

“It is no secret that our democracy can light up a room in a second, but just as quickly cover it in shadows,” he said. “No stranger to governmental legislation targeting my communities, I have and will continue to advocate for anyone facing those shadows.”

The South Dakota native will double major in neuroscience at George Mason’s College of Science, a program that prepares students for medical and health-related fields.

“I truly believe that the breadth of both fields lends themselves to a great deal of intersectionality not seen in many other double majors,” he said. “Neuroscience captivates me, but imperatively, I feel a duty to study this field.”

Candy said that “the people in my life that are closest to me have and continue to struggle with mental illness and brain function disorders. Researching the causes and solutions to ‘give back’ [to those in need] would be incredibly fulfilling.”

Candy is convinced that he can overcome what he calls “the ambiguous intersectionality between neuroscience and government” with a third interest of his: storytelling. In fact, the �鶹�� Scholar and Honors College student will hone his storytelling skills as a member of George Mason’s forensics team, which placed second in the nation in 2024.

“What I found most remarkable about him was that he is very engaging and likeable,” said forensics director Dawn Lowry, who recruited Candy at the National Speech and Debate Association’s high school expo in Des Moines, Iowa. “He has a great energy and when he is into something, he wants to know everything about that subject.”

Meeting Lowry and other members of the team made Candy feel “welcomed and at home, just from the few conversations I had,” he said.

While a career path is still uncertain for the new college student, “I hope to achieve what 10-year-old me envisioned: to help other people.

“Whether that looks like a career defending others in the courtroom, providing psychiatric assistance to patients, drafting science and technology-based policy, or working on something that doesn’t even exist yet, helping others—while hearing and advocating for their stories—is my main goal.”

Topics

Government and International Politics

Honors College

Schar School Student Spotlight

Students

College of Science

Forensics Team

�鶹�� Scholars

first year students

Civic engagement and community service paved road to success for alumni legislators Wiley and McPike

Colleen Rich — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 14:55:24 +0000

Civic engagement and community service paved road to success for alumni legislators Wiley and McPike Colleen Rich Fri, 08/02/2024 - 10:55

As the saying goes “Once a Patriot, Always a Patriot,” and George Mason �鶹�� is proud to have a large group of Patriots serving the Commonwealth of Virginia in the General Assembly.

George Mason’s General Assembly alumni include Majority Leader Delegate Charniele Herring (D-4), BA Economics ’93; Senators Jeremy McPike (D-29), BA Government and Politics ’97, MPA ’06; Stella Pekarsky (D-36), BA Government and Politics ’00, MEd ’03; Bryce Reeves (R-28), MPA ’99; Saddam Salim (D-37), BS Public Administration ’12, MPH ’15; and Glen Sturtevant (R-12), JD ’06; and Delegates Michael J. Webert (R-61), BA Communications ’10; and William “Bill” Wiley (R-32), BS Economics ’93, MEd ’98.

Majority Leader Herring and Senators Salim and Sturtevant were profiled in an article published earlier this year. Here is the second article in the series spotlighting Mason alumni in the legislature:

Bill Wiley

Bill Wiley. Photo provided

Delegate Bill Wiley represents Virginians in the City of Winchester and part of Frederick County. He’s been a member of the House of Delegates since 2020.

Wiley, a business development manager and associate real estate broker, credits his time at George Mason for preparing him for professional success and the university’s diversity for expanding his worldview.

“I graduated from a private high school and stepped into a different world [at George Mason],” he said. “Mason opened my eyes to all the great things our country offers. I met and became friends with many people of different backgrounds and cultures.”

He’s most proud of his work on the House Appropriations Committee during the 2024 General Assembly session, in which he championed a budget amendment that accelerated the timeline for construction projects on Interstate 81 in Winchester and Frederick County.

“I-81 is the main artery for traffic in my district. Without having this highway move traffic efficiently, our daily business and way of life would become stagnant,” he explained.

Civic engagement is a key element to Wiley’s personal and professional development. His path to the House of Delegates began with his service on the Winchester Planning Commission; he served on the board for five years and was chairman for three of those years. He also served on the Winchester City Council from 2014 to 2020, where he was vice president in 2015 and president in 2018.

He encourages fellow Patriots to explore community service. “You do not need to be a politician. Just do something that you are passionate about,” he said.

“Civic engagement and community service will open doors to many opportunities and give you a sense of gratification,” Wiley said. “ You will make contacts and build relationships that will become lifelong connections, some invaluable. Even better, it can enable your career ambitions to enhance your future success.”

Jeremy McPike

Jeremy McPike. Photo provided

Senator Jeremy McPike represents Virginians in parts of Prince William and Stafford counties. He’s been a member of the Virginia Senate since 2016.

For several years, McPike served as a member of the welcome wagon duo greeting Mason students at the General Assembly as part of Mason Lobbies, the annual lobbying campaign spearheaded by the Student Government.

He said he is immensely proud of the university’s commitment to diversity, innovation, and excellence. George Mason also instilled in him a strong commitment to public service and community engagement. McPike has served the citizens of Dale City as a volunteer firefighter and EMT for 20 years with the Dale City Fire Department, where he is an assistant chief.

He’s proud of his work with colleagues across the political aisle during the 2024 General Assembly session to increase teacher pay, protect the environment, and prioritize public education.

Mental health is also a top priority for McPike and his constituents. During the 2024 session, he secured an additional $4.6 million in funding for the Prince William County Crisis Receiving Center to expand to youth services. “The youth of our county and surrounding areas can receive the critical mental health care services they deserve,” he said.

As McPike reflected on his time at George Mason, he emphasize for current and future George Mason students the importance of learning outside the classroom.

“Remember that your time at Mason is a unique opportunity to build a strong foundation for your future career and personal growth,” he said. “Actively engage your professors, participate in internships, and enjoy the vibrant campus life. Stay curious, be resilient, and always strive to make a positive impact in your community.”

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Alumni

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Schar School Student Spotlight