Leadership

A new chapter in leadership at the College of Education and Human Development

Colleen Rich — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 18:39:46 +0000

A new chapter in leadership at the College of Education and Human Development Colleen Rich Mon, 02/05/2024 - 13:39

Ingrid Guerra-L贸pez, dean of the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) at George Mason 麻豆国产, announced a shift in the structure and focus of CEHD leadership. A new rotational model was implemented to incorporate a wider array of perspectives and enhance collaborative governance. This important transition followed a community-wide conversation that resulted in an updated mission for the college.

"The College of Education and Human Development is an inclusive community of scholars, educators, and practitioners dedicated to the lifelong pursuit of learning, development, and well-being,鈥� said Guerra-L贸pez. Through transdisciplinary collaboration, we innovate and produce research that positively impacts the commonwealth, the nation, and the world.鈥�

Embracing this new mission is a new team of deans who join the ranks of senior staff leaders to focus on academics affairs, research, and faculty and student success. Selected through an open internal search process across the college that tapped into the exceptional talent within CEHD faculty, this team exemplifies commitment to inclusivity, transparency, and the value placed on diverse leadership capabilities. The selection process, championed by their peers, highlights the collective effort of the CEHD community to shape the future of the college.

Leading research endeavors, last semester CEHD tapped Jatin Ambegaonkar as associate dean for research. Ambegaonkar serves as a liaison between CEHD and other university departments, research offices, and external partners to foster transdisciplinary collaborations.

In addition, this spring four new deans joined the leadership team, each bringing a wealth of knowledge and a fresh perspective to their respective areas of focus.

Recruited from CEHD鈥檚 esteemed faculty, these individuals will play pivotal roles in enhancing our academic programs, elevating our research profile, and enriching faculty development and success. We welcome our four new deans: Joan Kang Shin and Jacqueline McDowell focusing on faculty success, and Dominique Banville and Stephanie Dodman, who together with Dan Minot, assistant dean for student success, form our Student and Academic Affairs leadership team.

Dean Guerra-L贸pez expressed enthusiasm for the diverse expertise and perspectives the new deans bring to the team, emphasizing their collective role in advancing the college's refreshed mission. Highlighting the unique strengths of each dean, she is confident in their ability to collaborate as they lead efforts to position the college for the future in ways that best serve the needs of our community and external partners.

Guerra-L贸pez expressed deep appreciation for the longstanding contributions of Martin Ford and Ellen Rodgers, acknowledging their pivotal roles in the college's success. 鈥淎s we embrace this new era, we also extend our deepest gratitude to these two senior deans for their years of distinguished service,鈥� said Guerra-L贸pez. 鈥淭heir dedication and invaluable contributions have been instrumental in our journey, and their support and guidance through the planning and transition process have been vital for positioning our new leadership model for success.鈥�

Highlighting Ford鈥檚 development of key processes, alongside his leadership grounded in research on motivation and competence development across the lifespan, and Rodgers' 20+ years of commitment to student success and well-being, Guerra-L贸pez added, 鈥淭heir mentorship and transition support will be deeply appreciated as we continue to benefit from their wisdom and dedication to the college.鈥�

聽

College of Education and Human Development

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Faculty and Staff News

College of Education and Human Development

Leadership

A game changer and player

Rena Malai — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 15:05:00 +0000

A game changer and player Rena Malai Fri, 10/20/2023 - 11:05

Learn about the MS in System Engineering

Most adults may not remember everything they did when they were kids, but George Mason 麻豆国产 alum Kate Maxwell distinctly remembers how much she enjoyed coding.聽聽

Kate Maxwell. Photo provided

鈥淚t was fun for me, like playing a game,鈥� Maxwell said.聽聽

She followed that zest, and it ultimately led to a career in engineering and technology, and her current position with Microsoft as Chief Technology Officer of Worldwide Defense & Intelligence.聽

Maxwell describes herself as an 鈥榚lder millennial鈥� and grew up when personal computer technology and the internet were coming into homes. Her father enjoyed gaming consoles; she played plenty of Atari, Nintendo, and computer games like The Oregon Trail and Carmen Sandiego. When the public internet became mainstream, Maxwell started to get hooked on coding.聽

鈥淚 had my own GeoCities website鈥攚hich was kind of like an early blog鈥攁nd found an interest in computing,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 explored the web, I played with technology, and I began learning how to code.鈥澛�

She opted for studying computer science in college, a choice her parents supported, but which she quickly found wasn鈥檛 an area where she had many female peers. She loved what she was doing and learning, but it was sometimes a lonely experience being one of only two women in the degree program.聽

鈥淎t the time, I didn鈥檛 have many female role models in tech, and I occasionally suffered from what I鈥檒l call a 鈥榗areer-path identity crisis,鈥欌€� she said. 鈥淚 wondered if this field of study was really for me, and questioned whether I really belonged.鈥澛�

On the advice of some trusted mentors and advisors, she stuck with it and landed a role at Raytheon (RTX) right out of college. She began her career as a software engineer and quickly worked her way into senior engineering and technical leadership roles. While at the company, Maxwell knew Mason had a strong system engineering program, as well as connections with the Department of Defense. The choice to pursue her graduate studies at Mason lined up.聽

鈥淚t was a great fit, and Mason offered the flexibility I needed while working full-time,鈥� she said. 鈥淸Studying at Mason] was a huge career accelerator and rounded out my skills as an engineer while giving me some new leadership skills that helped me bridge the gap between technical leadership, people leadership, and business leadership.鈥澛�

Although her journey has had its challenges, Maxwell is happy she stuck with pursuing a career in engineering and tech. She urges other women interested in STEM to be brave, stick with it when things get hard, and to not be afraid of failure because it鈥檚 all part of the process when it comes to trying new things.聽

鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 always have to be perfect. Bet on yourself to figure it out,鈥� she said. 鈥淔ind your people and build a community and network that will support you, celebrate you, and give you honest feedback when you need it.鈥澛�

Maxwell was ranked 2023 #1 Woman in Technology by Technology Magazine. She credits Mason with providing quality of education and system engineering professors that know the industry landscape and support their students in achieving their goals.聽

鈥淭his is perhaps my favorite thing about STEM professions鈥攜ou can truly make a difference with this career path,鈥� Maxwell said. 鈥淓ngineering has afforded me opportunities to support some incredible missions, to work with some incredible people, and to make a difference at a global scale. My goal is to ultimately leave this world a little better than I found it.鈥澛�

Topics

Leadership

College of Engineering and Computing

Alumni

24 students, a Supreme Court Justice, and national security experts walk into a piazza鈥�

Mariam Aburdeineh — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 16:28:52 +0000

24 students, a Supreme Court Justice, and national security experts walk into a piazza鈥� Mariam Aburdeineh Tue, 01/17/2023 - 11:28

In This Story

Jamil N. Jaffer

Study-abroad trip features Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch and national security experts

Over the summer, 24 students from George Mason 麻豆国产鈥檚 Antonin Scalia Law School delved deep into issues of constitutional law, separation of powers, and national security in Padua, Italy鈥攁 place of inspiration for many of these ideals. The two-week study-abroad trip was co-taught by Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch and National Security Institute Founder and Executive Director Jamil Jaffer.

鈥淵ou get a real opportunity to bond, interact and debate these hard issues,鈥� said Jaffer, who has co-led this trip with Supreme Court justices for five years, three of which have been in Padua. 鈥淚t creates a really unique experience for the students, but also for our guests who come to engage with the students鈥攏ot just in a sort of panel discussion, but in a place where you really have nothing else to do but chat with the students and talk about these issues.鈥�

A group photo from the last day of class with law students, program leadership and guest speakers. From left to right: Jamil Jaffer; Karen Gibson, Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate; Omario Kanji, NSI's Director of International Programs; and Justice Neil Gorsuch. Photo provided.

Learning from the Experts

The trip comprises of two classes: one with Justice Gorsuch on separation of powers, and the other with Jaffer on applied separation of powers, exploring conflicts between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government on issues of national security.

Patrick Madrid, a third-year student and active duty major in the U.S. Marine Corps, found both classes enlightening. Having been with the Marines for more than 12 years, he said he learned about inter-branch conflicts that affected operations he participated in.

鈥淚t was a once in a lifetime experience,鈥� Madrid said, 鈥渏ust to have the opportunity to take classes with Professor Jaffer, who鈥檚 awesome and has a great and extensive background, and of course with Justice Gorsuch, and have the opportunity to discuss cases he had written on and get a more in-depth understanding of his judicial philosophy.鈥�

Students also engaged with a bipartisan group of federal judges and national security practitioners including Judge Jeffrey Sutton, Judge Joan Larsen, former National Security Agency聽Deputy Director Richard Ledgett and former Director of Intelligence for United States Central Command Karen Gibson.

鈥淚t was very enriching to hear how each of the speakers described their role in the government and what they believe the future holds for the nation,鈥� said second-year law student Thyme Hawkins. 鈥淎s I begin my legal career, it鈥檚 great to know that I can fit in somewhere and have a positive impact as long as I take the initiative to do so.鈥�

鈥淭his trip has also helped encourage me to think critically about issues raised at the highest level of government or in our nation鈥檚 highest court,鈥� Hawkins added. 鈥淚 think being willing to consider our nation鈥檚 most important questions will help me professionally and personally deal with any questions that may come before me.鈥�

Student聽Kaitlin Groundwater listening and taking notes during Jamil Jaffer's class. Photo provided.

Inspiring Future Leaders

In addition to intensive course work and readings, building connections was paramount.

鈥淲hat I liked the most鈥� was how many chances we had to connect with our law school peers and with Justice Gorsuch and Professor Jaffer,鈥� Hawkins said. 鈥淭hat aspect of the trip was quite refreshing since the legal field is ultimately a form of service for others, so fostering camaraderie and professional relationships are integral.鈥�

Jaffer, who previously clerked for Justice Gorsuch, said the trip also allows students to talk with guest speakers about their careers and how they got where they are today. He said he hopes students take away that the opportunities they see in front of them are accessible.

鈥淚鈥檓 living proof that you can be a law student who wants to get into national security and achieve it,鈥� Jaffer said. 鈥淢y parents grew up in Tanzania. I鈥檓 Muslim. But I worked in national security in the Bush administration.鈥�

鈥淲hether you鈥檙e a woman or a man, or you come from a minority background, or your parents didn鈥檛 come from this country,鈥� Jaffer said, 鈥淚 want [students] to walk away thinking, 鈥業 could do that, too.鈥欌€�

聽

To learn more about Mason鈥檚 National Security Institute and their future study-abroad opportunities, visit nationalsecurity.gmu.edu.

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study abroad

National Security

National Security Institute

Antonin Scalia Law School

Dean of George Mason 麻豆国产鈥檚 College of Engineering and Computing assumes leadership of national engineering dean organization

Tama Moni — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 19:35:23 +0000

Dean of George Mason 麻豆国产鈥檚 College of Engineering and Computing assumes leadership of national engineering dean organization Tama Moni Mon, 07/25/2022 - 15:35

Kenneth Ball, Dean of the College of Engineering and Computing (CEC) at George Mason 麻豆国产, assumed the Chair of the Engineering Deans Council (EDC), the leadership organization for the nation鈥檚 engineering deans, this summer. He will serve a two-year term.

Ball was EDC vice chair for two years and became chair at the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference in June in Minneapolis. With more than 300 members, the EDC provides vision and leadership in engineering education and research; influences public policy; partners with stakeholders to promote excellence at every level of engineering education and research; and promotes diversity and inclusiveness.

鈥淚t鈥檚 an honor to lead this group of my dean peers,鈥� said Ball. 鈥淭he EDC is a driving force for change across the national engineering education landscape. Now more than ever our engineering schools need to produce excellent graduates, and deans are uniquely positioned to implement novel ideas and new practices. I look forward to shaping the EDC agenda for the next two years.鈥�

聽Ball will oversee the annual EDC Public Policy Colloquium in Washington, DC, the annual Engineering Deans Institute, and EDC-related events at the ASEE Annual Conference.

Ball was appointed Dean of the Volgenau School of Engineering, which is now part of the College of Engineering and Computing, in August 2012. Under Ball鈥檚 leadership, the ranking and reputation of the college continues to improve. In the most recent U.S. News and World Report rankings of the nation鈥檚 Best Graduate Schools, the college climbed nine places from the prior year to #93 鈥� its highest ranking ever and in the Top 100 for the first time. The college also made significant advancements in the 2019 NSF Higher Education Research & Development (HERD) rankings (the most recent rankings available). Research expenditures in Computer and Information Sciences rank 12th among all universities, 8th among public institutions, and No. 1 in Virginia; research expenditures in Engineering are now in the top 100 nationally for the first time ever.

Ball is recognized internationally for his research in computational fluid dynamics and heat transfer. He has chaired three international conferences, is a past associate technical editor of the ASME Journal of Heat Transfer and has served on several other engineering journal editorial boards. He is very involved in engineering program assessment and accreditation activities, both in the U.S. and internationally, particularly in the Middle East. He has obtained externally sponsored funding (excluding high-performance computing grants) of more than $20M for projects and program development in mechanical engineering, including the thermal/fluid sciences and nuclear engineering.

Prior to coming to Mason Ball served as the L.S. Randolph Professor and Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech from 2004-12. Prior to his appointment at Virginia Tech, he served for 15 years on the mechanical engineering faculty at The 麻豆国产 of Texas at Austin, where he was the Temple Foundation Endowed Faculty Fellow in Engineering.

Topics

Engineering Deans Council

College of Engineering and Computing

Leadership

College of Engineering and Computing names senior director of advancement

Tama Moni — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 13:38:50 +0000

College of Engineering and Computing names senior director of advancement Tama Moni Fri, 06/10/2022 - 09:38

Bonnie Crews

Bonnie Crews joins George Mason 麻豆国产 as the Senior Director of Advancement for the College of Engineering and Computing.聽 Crews has more than 20 years of experience in advancement. Most recently, she was the Sr. Director of Development at the 麻豆国产 of Dayton. At Dayton she covered the Northeast region for major gifts and was the Advancement liaison for the dean of the School of Business Administration.聽聽聽

Crews earned her bachelor鈥檚 degree from The College of William and Mary majoring in government and completed certification in leadership development at the 麻豆国产 of Dayton. Prior to Dayton, she was at Fairfield 麻豆国产 as the director of a parent program. She developed the young alumni program, created the Parents Leadership Council, and worked with alumni reunion committees. She was the director of development for the libraries at the 麻豆国产 Houston and launched a capital campaign to expand and renovate the main research library on the campus. Her first position in higher education advancement was in annual giving at American 麻豆国产 in Washington, D.C.

Topics

New Hires

CEC - Advancement

Leadership

Michelle Vassallo Honored as CHHS Alumna of the Year

John Brandon Cantrell — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 20:43:25 +0000

Michelle Vassallo Honored as CHHS Alumna of the Year John Brandon C鈥� Tue, 04/19/2022 - 16:43

Topics

Health Administration

Inova

Department of Health Administration and Policy

Alumni Spotlight

CPH Upward

Master of Health Administration alumna led effort to get 100,000 people vaccinated in just 53 days.聽

When faced with fighting an unfamiliar and contagious virus, Mason alumna Michelle Vassallo rose to the occasion. Vassallo led a team of infectious disease prevention specialists, physicians, pharmacists, and researchers at Inova Health System to develop and execute a plan to distribute 100,000 vaccines in just 53 days. To do this, Vassallo and her team of nearly 30 public health professionals reimagined how their hospital system could fight the pandemic while keeping everyone's safety top of mind. The team reevaluated many components of the hospital system, such as establishing trusted communication channels for patients seeking information on vaccines and redesigning their treatment centers to accommodate a large number of socially-distanced patients. The team also faced ethical considerations when determining which groups would receive the vaccination first based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. 聽

In recognition of her achievements and contributions, Vassallo has been named the 2022 College of Health and Human Services Alumna of the Year.聽

Vassallo began her career as a registered nurse at Inova. Having graduated from the 麻豆国产 of Virginia with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, she advanced in her career by accepting nursing leadership positions at Inova. As a graduate of Mason鈥檚 Master of Health Administration (MHA) program, Vassallo not only learned about health systems, she also learned about leadership and problem-solving. This knowledge served her well in her current role as vice president, clinical platform service line at Inova.

"It's very humbling," Vassallo said on being named the CHHS Alumna of the Year. "The work I am being acknowledged for is something that has saved my life, my family, and all the people I interact with. I can't imagine there will be something else that impactful to my community and the people I care about as that endeavor was."

The process of reworking how the hospital system would operate in the wake of the pandemic required Vassallo to hone her leadership abilities and work with a group of interdisciplinary professionals on critical projects in just a short amount of time.

"Everybody took on a different role and chipped in,鈥� Vassallo said. 鈥淲e had to fall back on the fundamentals of what are the right ways to engage, influence, and empower team members to make the decisions that are right in the moment. You, as a leader, had to pivot kind of moment by moment based on what the needs were of the situation."聽

Despite the challenges faced, Vassallo and her team embraced the adversity through strong leadership, organization, and trust in one another.

"We took the opportunity to function well as a system in a way that we never had before," Vassallo said. "We were able to quickly make decisions that were very important to patient care and for team member safety. It was hard work, long hours, and difficult times, but it was also incredibly inspiring and motivating. It's affected our work in a positive way as we have moved through the pandemic."

Vassallo said that the training she received in the MHA program had particularly helped her lead others through the pandemic. Having a clinical background as a nurse and experience in hospital system operations, she saw an MHA degree as a way to develop further her understanding of business management and leadership. These skills resulted in saving many lives through the successful vaccination outreach.

"Almost every class was applicable to this crisis," Vassallo said. "I really think the best benefit was that [the MHA program] gave a broad foundation of knowledge for theory, for business, for leadership skills themselves. The leadership principles and those foundation elements were important to lean back on. When you have a moment to breathe, you can think about them and do them a little more purposefully, and then in the times of crisis, you're just glad you have that muscle memory."聽

When asked what advice Vassallo would give to graduating CHHS seniors, she encouraged new graduates to pursue assignments that can advance their exposure in their organization, even if the tasks are not a part of their job description.聽

"The best advice is if someone asks you to do something, it's because they think you're going to be successful and you can do it," Vassallo said. "So, take that opportunity and have confidence in yourself and take that stretch assignment or project because you never know where it will lead you. I think that has been the number one key to my success."聽

Vassallo was honored as the CHHS Alumna at the Year in April during the Honoring Mason Nurses event. The School of Nursing invites all faculty, staff, students, and alumni to join the celebration. She will also be given the CHHS Distinguished Alumni Award at Mason's Celebration of Distinction on October 21. Learn more here.聽

Global and Community Health Students 鈥楾ake Over鈥� This is Public Health鈥檚 Social Media

John Brandon Cantrell — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 14:23:19 +0000

Global and Community Health Students 鈥楾ake Over鈥� This is Public Health鈥檚 Social Media John Brandon C鈥� Tue, 02/08/2022 - 09:23

In honor of Black History Month, McNally and Harmon highlight Black contributions and historical moments in health care

Future public health leaders in the Department of Global and Community Health bring awareness to health disparities affecting underserved communities through education, research, and advocacy. Public Health PhD student Kimberly McNally and Master of Public Health student Danielle Harmon lead by example by serving as student ambassadors for This is Public Health (TIPH), a student-centered organization from the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) that provides leadership experience opportunities to public health scholars across the country.

As TIPH ambassadors, McNally and Harmon will each create week-long social media campaigns, referred to as Ambassador Takeovers, that center around a public health topic of their choice. They strategically chose their Ambassador Takeovers to occur in February to raise awareness of historical moments in health care in honor of Black History Month.聽

McNally, a registered nurse, created her campaign to highlight Black health care heroes who, while often overlooked in nursing textbooks, made substantial contributions to the nursing field.

Public Health PhD student Kim McNally

鈥淭o celebrate Black History Month, I am focusing on community health nurses that broke boundaries despite discrimination and barriers,鈥� McNally said. 鈥淚 am honored to post about community health nurses like Jessie Sleet Scales and Mabel Keaton Staupers. It is important to both public health and nursing to celebrate the pioneers who advocated for their communities and their profession. Their contributions improved our understanding and delivery of culturally competent care.鈥澛�

The following week, Harmon鈥檚 campaign brings attention to the social determinants of health affecting Black communities throughout the nation.聽聽

Master of Public Health student Danielle Harmon

鈥淚 plan to bring attention to monumental moments of history such as redlining and radicalized residential segregation to the Tuskegee Syphilis Study that has left the Black community feeling distrustful and at a disadvantage in health care,鈥� said Harmon. 鈥淢y goal is not just to show how Black people are disproportionately affected but also show how intertwined each of the risk factors is for many of the diseases that affect the Black community at an irregular rate compared to White America.鈥澛�

The Department of Global and Community Health inspires students to be leaders in their fields. Students accomplish this through interprofessional networking and applying their skill set to educate others through projects and initiatives, such as TIPH. For McNally and Harmon, the TIPH experience, coupled with their Mason coursework, allows them to gain the skills needed to pursue their career goals as health care leaders.聽

McNally said her student experiences have transformed her outlook on global health and will benefit her future career as a nursing educator. 鈥淢y TIPH experience and my Mason coursework have challenged me to think beyond my role and identity as a nurse. I am now able to see health from a bigger perspective, and I have also had the opportunity to learn from student and faculty experiences. I will leave Mason as a better clinician and a more well-rounded educator.鈥澛�

Harmon will apply the skills she is learning to pursue a health policy analyst career after completing her degree.

鈥淢y TIPH involvement [gives] me an array of experience from working collaboratively with people from different backgrounds, collecting information to develop engaging materials for a broad audience, and the ability to put forth accredited materials to help bring awareness to health topics,鈥� said Harmon. 鈥淚 am very confident that the rest of my coursework at Mason will give me the foundation and building blocks to a successful career in health policy by giving me the knowledge needed to analyze, write, and develop health policies.鈥澛�

To view McNally and Harmon's social media campaigns, visit This is Public Health on聽Instagram,聽Facebook, and聽Twitter.聽

Topics

Social Determinants of Health

Department of Global and Community Health

Student Spotlight

Rare peace accord signed in the Congo, thanks to Carter School鈥檚 community-centered approach

Mariam Aburdeineh — Tue, 14 Dec 2021 00:18:43 +0000

Rare peace accord signed in the Congo, thanks to Carter School鈥檚 community-centered approach Mariam Aburdeineh Mon, 12/13/2021 - 19:18

In This Story

Alpaslan 脰zerdem

Charles Davidson

Members of 21 armed groups, Congolese leaders, members of the armed services and local community leaders, including several female peacemakers,聽met in November to discuss a path to peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Photo provided by the Carter School.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has not seen peace for more than three decades, but in November 2021, George Mason 麻豆国产鈥檚 Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution helped the country take a leap in a hopeful direction.

In the province of South Kivu, the school gathered representatives from 21聽armed groups, the Congolese government, military, police, intelligence services, religious leaders, civil society groups, and peace advocates. Not only did everyone discuss a path toward peacebuilding, but they also signed a peace accord to solidify it.

鈥淎s a methodology, what we鈥檝e done here is exemplary, and it can really change the way peace processes are designed, peace agreements are brokered, and the role of academic institutions in that,鈥� said Carter School Dean Alpaslan 脰zerdem. 鈥淭his is the first of many direct engagements we鈥檙e hoping to have in carrying the flag of peacemaking as an academic institution.鈥�

Female peacemakers were also in attendance and played a substantial role in the four day conference. Photo provided by the Carter School.

So, what was new about the school鈥檚 approach?

Charles Davidson, PhD 鈥�19, Carter School research faculty and alumnus, said it was reexamining the intersection of local and international peacebuilding鈥攕omething he calls the 鈥渘ew hybridity鈥� approach.

鈥淚t鈥檚 about, what would it look like to not have outsiders dominate the conversation? What happens when locals and internationals combine efforts?鈥� Davidson said.

脰zerdem said the process gives locals hope and opportunities to build their own peace.

鈥淭he role of the Carter School has been to facilitate, to accompany local actors by providing our direct qualities of trust building, and knowledge in the planning and implementation,鈥� 脰zerdem said.

Members of local armed groups sat alongside members of the Congolese state and armed services in pursuit of peace. Photo provided by the Carter School.

The school鈥檚 model flips tradition on its head.

Typically, peace processes are administrated by outside states or international organizations. 脰zerdem said that dynamic may cause lower trust among locals, due to the nature of the conflict and the legacy of those relationships.

鈥淲ith this South Kivu process, the uniqueness is that it was really designed and implemented by local leadership and international actors accompanied the process,鈥� 脰zerdem said. 鈥淲hen an external academic institution comes, that creates a different type of opportunity for trust building.鈥�

In many peace negotiations, money is given to incentivize collaboration.

鈥淲e emphasized we are not going to pay [non-essential] stipends鈥攜ou come if you鈥檙e interested in making peace,鈥� 脰zerdem said. 鈥淭hat gave a different proposition than previous peacemaking attempts.鈥�

Surprisingly, it was effective.

鈥淢any people showed up who were not invited,鈥� Davidson said, mentioning more than 60 people were in attendance. 鈥淜nowing they had nothing [financial] to gain鈥hey still came and I think it was a huge testament to what was going on.鈥�

Members of local armed groups sat alongside members of the Congolese state and armed services in pursuit of peace. Photo provided by the Carter School.

That wasn鈥檛 the only break from the norm. 脰zerdem said third parties typically consult academic institutions for expertise only if and when needed.

鈥淚n this one, because an academic institution is the lead actor in facilitating the entire process, the knowledge part is integrated in a much more organic and natural way,鈥� he said.

脰zerdem said the school plans to replicate the process, piloted in the Congo, in other conflict-ridden zones.

鈥淧articularly with our renaming last year, one of our key aspects of the vision is our relevance for conflict-affected communities and how we can translate this into practice, from addressing issues in our neighborhoods here, to global challenges of peace and security,鈥� he said

It鈥檚 a sensitive undertaking with risks the school does not take lightly, 脰zerdem said, so each step is strategic.

And that鈥檚 what the school鈥檚 mission is about.

鈥淔or units like the Carter School, it鈥檚 really important that the practice of conflict resolution is part of our DNA,鈥� 脰zerdem said.

David Bubasha (center), a former child soldier who left the militia to start AJDC, an organization that works to demobilize child combatants in the Congo, speaks to聽members of the Congolese press about the peace summit. AJDC, Charles Davidson's nonprofit Innovations in Peacebuilding International, and the Carter School helped facilitate the peace summit in November 2021. Photo provided by the Carter School.

聽

Members of local armed groups sat alongside members of the Congolese state and armed services in pursuit of peace. Photo provided by the Carter School.

Topics

Carter School Leadership

Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

Peacebuilding

peacebuilding and analysis

Leadership

grand challenges

International Relations

Mason Alumni

Campus News

President and CEO of Inova Health System Shares Leadership Insights with Mason's Master of Health Administration Students

John Brandon Cantrell — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 19:25:07 +0000

President and CEO of Inova Health System Shares Leadership Insights with Mason's Master of Health Administration Students John Brandon C鈥� Wed, 12/08/2021 - 14:25

In This Story

Maria Uriyo, PhD, PMP, MHSA

J. Stephen Jones Encourages the Next Generation of Health Care Executives to Lead with Purpose聽

Master of Health Administration students enjoyed the opportunity to network with Jones following the presentation.聽

Master of Health Administration (MHA) students recently had the opportunity to speak with J. Stephen Jones, president and CEO of Inova Health System, one of Virginia鈥檚 largest hospital systems. Jones shared his leadership philosophy and advice with MHA students as part of the HAP 704 Executive Speaker Series, where students meet highly-respected leaders in the industry.聽

"All of you have chosen to pursue leadership," Jones says before sharing his perspective on the role leaders play in health care organizations.

"Leadership is usually not what people think it is," says Jones. "It's not about having power or being the boss. Leadership is about getting others to achieve something they wouldn't naturally do鈥攐r do as well鈥攐n their own; It's having an impact and making something happen that wouldn't have happened at all."聽

Chadwick Smith, medical director of a leading health system and online MHA student, values the Executive Speaker Series as an opportunity to learn from health executives like Jones. "Dr. Jones' discussion brought home the real-world importance of all the topics we have discussed during the past six weeks," says Smith. "I cannot think of any better presentation than the one tonight to emphasize the importance of communication, leadership, and teams in health care administration."

Nafis Labib, MHA student, found Jones' presentation highly relevant to his career goals. "One of the points that resonated the most was [the importance of] having credibility," says Labib. "My priority is to build up credibility as a health care leader so that I can impact the health care policies in my home country of Bangladesh for the better."聽

Jones discussed his leadership philosophy from his experience leading one of Virginia's largest health systems.

Students left the presentation feeling motivated to implement the advice they received from Jones after meeting with him.聽

"Dr. Jones emphasized having a leadership philosophy that inspires others to action," says Maria Uriyo, instructional assistant professor and MHA online coordinator in the Health Administration and Policy (HAP) department. "This is possible by recognizing teamwork is not about 'me' but 'we' and that successful leaders serve."聽

Jones' presentation was followed by a question and answer session, which generated a range of discussion topics. Students were interested in learning more about overcoming leadership challenges surrounding COVID, building credibility through education and work experience, and managing the increasing use of telehealth and ambulatory care by health care systems.聽聽

Jones' presentation concluded the HAP 704 Executive Speaker Series for the fall 2021 semester. The series gave MHA students opportunities to network with prominent health care executives throughout the semester and discover new perspectives from the speaker鈥檚 vast experience in the health administration field.聽

Thank you to Jones and all of this semester's guest speakers for investing time to speak with our MHA students and continuing Mason's ongoing relationship with local health care organizations. Visit the聽HAP 704 Executive Series聽web page for a complete list of this semester's speakers.聽

Topics

Health Administration

Leadership

Guest Speaker

Inova

Break Through Tech peer leaders are cheer leaders for students

Rena Malai — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 18:13:20 +0000

Break Through Tech peer leaders are cheer leaders for students Rena Malai Fri, 12/03/2021 - 13:13

As soon as Andrea聽(Andi)聽Motas, a computer science major at George Mason 麻豆国产, heard about the聽Break Through Tech聽peer leadership program, she wanted to join. Meeting other students, faculty, and making a contribution were the key factors that drew her in, she says.聽

鈥淚 can relate to the younger students, and I know what they鈥檙e going through,鈥澛燤otas聽says. 鈥淚 want them to feel supported and that they have a place to go.鈥澛�

She聽says the main role of a聽Break Through聽Tech peer leader is to聽help聽support聽students鈥攅specially females and those from underrepresented communities鈥�--聽pursuing computer science, engineering,聽and information technology degrees at Mason.聽Peer leaders are available to answer questions, meet, or simply talk.聽

鈥淚t鈥檚 important to have Break Through Tech in place because a lot of students can feel a lack of support, especially freshman getting adjusted to college life or聽minorities聽who may not see anyone that looks like them in any of their classes,鈥澛燤otas聽says. 鈥淏ut they can come to Break Through Tech for that support whether they want someone to talk to, or help with a resume.鈥澛�

She says being a peer leader is a natural fit for her because she鈥檚 done聽similar duties before聽with聽other student organizations.聽Motas聽brings plenty of experience to the table with hosting events, being able to connect with others, and giving advice.聽

鈥淎 lot of it, for students, is just how to get started in the right direction,鈥� she says. 鈥淔reshmen will be curious about what internships are out there, and what classes to take. I like to share my own experiences with them of what worked for me and what didn鈥檛, and the things that helped me to succeed.鈥澛�

Motas聽is currently a senior, and is set to graduate December 2021.聽After graduating, she plans to聽start work as a software engineer at Oracle and eventually pursue a master鈥檚 degree in data science or machine learning.聽聽

She鈥檚 always enjoyed anything to do with computers and is keenly interested in how technology works behind the scenes.聽聽

鈥淎s long as you have the resources and an internet connection, you can build whatever you want and go wherever you want with it,鈥� she says.聽

Motas聽was awarded the聽Washington Apple聽Pi聽Endowed scholarship聽and was recognized for her work with聽PatriotHacks聽in 2018 (awarded best data analytics hack) and聽HackViolet聽in 2021 (awarded best hack for female empowerment and best web app.)聽

The聽Break Through Tech聽peer leadership program provides support to all Mason College of聽Engineering and聽Computing聽students. For more information, contact聽breakthroughtech@cs.gmu.edu.

Visit聽Break Through Tech DC at George Mason for more information.聽

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