Honors College

College of Education and Human Development

Mason Athletics

Center for Adaptive Systems of Brain-Body Interactions

Research

Computer science major uses multiple internships to prep for dream career in tech

Katarina Benson — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 18:27:11 +0000

Computer science major uses multiple internships to prep for dream career in tech Katarina Benson Wed, 04/09/2025 - 14:27

George Mason �鶹�� computer science major Nasrin Ali has a unique accomplishment—she has completed two internships with Microsoft and begins her third this summer. She was part of the Xbox team, first as a product manager and software engineer explore intern and then as a software engineering intern. This summer she’ll be a technical program management intern.

Ali's interest in computer science began in sixth grade in Prince George’s County, Maryland, when she participated in Technovation Girls, a program that teaches girls to become tech entrepreneurs and leaders through learning to code mobile apps. She fell in love with the subject. In high school she participated in Columbia �鶹��’s Girls in STEM Initiative, Kode with Klossy, Exelon STEM Academy, Google Code Next, Jane Street Unboxed, and Google Computer Science Summer Institute. Recognizing her high level of motivation, she joined George Mason's Honors College upon admission.

When she was a freshman at George Mason, a LinkedIn recruiter found her profile and reached out to her to encourage her to apply to the Microsoft Explore internship program. The program, a 12-week summer internship designed for freshmen and sophomores that focuses on software development, changed her life.

Ali at Microsoft. Photo provided

“My internships didn’t just shape my career—they shaped me.” she said. “They gave me clarity, connections, and experiences I never would’ve gotten otherwise. I learned so much about my work style, what actually excites me, and the different types of work I can see myself doing long term. And beyond just personal growth, you get to do work that actually matters. Seeing something you worked on ship, getting feedback from real users, or just knowing you contributed to something bigger—it’s a crazy feeling.” At Microsoft, she worked on front-end development. Her teams created an AI-generated game description feature for Xbox.com and worked to improve user experiences and Xbox’s game concept submission process.

Ali is also extremely involved on campus, which she credits with improving her confidence and people skills. She has served as president of the National Society of Black Engineers, president of Minorities in Computing, vice president of the Black Student Alliance, and secretary of the Black, African, and Caribbean Heritage Coalition. She was also a student athlete, serving as coxswain of the women’s rowing team, and a Resident Assistant.

“To me, these organizations mean everything. I am very passionate about art, STEM, and community building. Being a part of them, whether as a leader or a member, has allowed me to advocate for underrepresented communities in the STEM field, build communities on campus, and bring opportunities to my peers,” she said.

Alongside her school and work commitments, she’s a part of Rewriting the Code and ColorStack, nonprofit organizations that focus on uplifting minorities in tech, is a mentor in the Head Start organization, and works as an EduTutorVA tutor. She is also a participant in Break Through Tech’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning Program, where she worked on a project for Nestlé and is currently competing in the Equitable AI for Dermatology Challenge that focuses on building AI models that promote fairness in dermatology.

In the future, she hopes to find a career that combines what she loves: tech, law, creativity, and giving back. “And on a more personal note, I fully plan on having a really nice garden in my yard.”

Explore Internships at George Mason

Topics

internships

Tech Talent Investment Program (TTIP)

Reimagining robotics through art and innovation

Colleen Rich — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 21:17:05 +0000

Reimagining robotics through art and innovation Colleen Rich Fri, 02/07/2025 - 16:17

The intersection of art and technology has long been a space for innovation, creativity, and exploration. At George Mason �鶹��’s Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center (MARC) located within the College of Engineering and Computing, this connection has taken center stage with the Integrating Art and Tech Project. This project brings together students from diverse academic backgrounds to create tech-enhanced artwork that highlights MARC’s cutting-edge research in autonomy, embedded artificial intelligence (AI), and robotics.

Project lead Alexia De Costa with Irene Hossain at the exhibition. Photo by Paola Duran/Office of �鶹�� Branding

The inaugural class began in the fall 2024 semester and met weekly, with artists voluntarily returning on weekends, drawn by the project’s engaging and hands-on nature. Applied computer science major Alexia De Costa, the project’s lead, guided the team of eight students—Irene Hossain, Clarisse Ladaban, Ariel Clemmons, Srikriti Bulusu, Saanvi Munigela, Oluwatomisin Badmus, Adam Alsuezi, and Wanyi Chen (visiting scholar)—who dedicated their time to designing and assembling a collection of interactive artworks.

"Technology has the potential not only to advance autonomous systems, but also to serve as an interactive medium for storytelling and creativity,” said De Costa, who is also an member of the Honors College. "The combination of artistic expression and technological advancement makes the research at MARC more accessible to the public, sparking broader conversations about how these advancements can shape our future."

Their semester-long efforts culminated in an exhibition in December showcasing the innovative projects created through this collaboration.

Exploring the Collection

The collection is divided into three thematic groups: blimps, computer vision, and ground robots, each representing a significant research area at MARC.

Blimps: Bioinspiration in Motion

Lighter-than-air autonomous vehicles are inspired by marine life, including manta rays, stingrays, jellyfish, and sharks. This influence is captured through a lenticular design, where each blimp morphs into its corresponding sea creature as viewers move past the piece. The interactive visual experience reflects MARC’s aerial robotics research and highlights the way bioinspired designs influence technological advancements.

The student team worked on the artwork throughout the fall semester. Photo provided

Computer Vision: The Watchful Eye

A moving eye follows the viewer, its pixelated iris symbolizing the computational process behind image recognition and illustrating how AI-powered computer vision perceives the world. Surrounding the eye, a realistic depiction of the sky contrasts with bounding boxes that outline detected clouds—one of which is left undetected to highlight the imperfections and limitations of computer vision technology.

The work draws inspiration from René Magritte’s The False Mirror (1928), creating a thought-provoking commentary on perception and machine learning.

Ground Robots: Interactive Autonomy

Evolved from its original concept of free-moving robots responding to human touch, the final design features a hidden George Mason logo embedded in a maze that illuminates when a viewer is detected. The background features native plant species from the university’s campus, grounding the piece in its natural environment while highlighting the fusion of technology and organic elements.

Supported by the Office of Student Creative Activities and Research (OSCAR) through the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP), this project benefited from oversight and guidance of MARC codirectors Missy Cummings and Jesse Kirkpatrick to ensure alignment with the center’s research goals.

“This project highlights just how much creative talent exists in George Mason’s College of Engineering and Computing, and also just what student initiative and leadership can accomplish,” said Cummings. “Because of Alexia’s vision, there is now an undergraduate art and technology class that is available to all students.”

The student team with MARC codirectors Missy Cummings and Jesse Kirkpatrick. Photo by Paola Duran/Office of �鶹�� Branding

Beyond showcasing student ingenuity and dedication, this collaboration between artists and engineers resulted in meaningful outcomes. Additionally, a partnership with World3D allowed the team to produce high-quality prints at a fraction of the typical cost. Pieces that would have cost upwards of $2,500 were fabricated for significantly less, making innovation more accessible.

Exploring New Frontiers in Research

The Integrating Art and Tech Project marks a pivotal step in demonstrating how art can serve as a medium for interpreting and understanding technological advancements. As MARC continues to explore new frontiers in autonomy and AI, initiatives like this will play an essential role in making complex research more tangible and engaging to broader audiences.

“Exemplifying the power of interdisciplinary collaboration, this project demonstrates how engineering and computing merge with artistic expression to create something truly innovative,” said Kirkpatrick. “At MARC, we recognize that autonomy and robotics research aren’t just about advancing technology—they’re about making it impactful, engaging, and meaningful.”

The inaugural class of students has set a remarkable precedent for future cohorts, demonstrating that technology is not only about efficiency and automation—it also has the power to drive innovation in unexpected ways, engage the human experience, and create immersive moments that resonate and inspire.

Learn more about project

In This Story

Missy Cummings

Jesse Kirkpatrick

Topics

Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center

Undergraduate Research Assistant Program

Graduating Schar student raises the bar with her professional experiences

Shayla Brown — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 14:59:20 +0000

Graduating Schar student raises the bar with her professional experiences Shayla Brown Mon, 12/16/2024 - 09:59

When Daksha Magesh came to George Mason �鶹�� as a freshman in 2021, she already had an impressive resumé.

“My first experience with government came from when I was working on senate campaigns in high school. I knocked on doors, answered phones, worked on advertisements and expenditure tracking. It made me really curious about what it was like to be in government,” said Magesh, a government and international politics major and government analytics minor.

The Honors College student was working for federal prosecutor Manka Dhingra of the 45th District from her hometown of Seattle, Washington. Magesh says that’s where her interest in law comes from.

“I figured that if I’m going to be a lawyer, I might as well know how the government really works, so that's part of the reason why I chose this major for my future,” she said.

Since then, she has also worked for the Washington Senate Democratic Campaign and legal nonprofits, such as the Seattle Clemency Project.

“I was working with people who were sentenced at a young age and have been in jail for a really long time. We were helping them to get clemency and rehabilitation for early releases because they've served 25 plus year sentences,” said Magesh. “They are now 50 to 60 years old and have served their sentences. It’s really time they come out and be productive members of society.”

Magesh has also worked for the South Asian Bar Association, a collective of all the major South Asian lawyers in the country.

“I'm really grateful for all the people that I worked with while I was there. They were all very welcoming and it was the first time that I got to work with people that were of the same identity as me,” said Magesh.

“I love all of these experiences, but walking into a room and having everyone look like me in my field is incredibly rare. It was so cool,” said Magesh.

Magesh also worked with Schar associate professor Jennifer Victor on her Undergraduate Research Assistant Program team doing congressional caucus literature review as research for Victor’s new book.

Magesh worked with Victor again as a teaching assistant for her GOVT 103: Introduction to American Government course. “I taught recitations every Friday and my class was amazing. I tried to make recitations fun with a game or interactive experience, and I got really good feedback at the end of the year. It was a great experience,” said Magesh.

Daksha Magesh. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of �鶹�� Branding.

What’s your best memory at George Mason?

George Mason movie nights are my go-to. My friends and I just get a bunch of snacks, cuddle up on the couch, and watch something fun. I also love Mason Day. My resident advisor and close friend Kennedi took me to my first one. The weather was perfect and I remember thinking ‘oh my God, there’s a Ferris wheel and a roller coaster.’ We had such a great time.

How have you grown at George Mason?

I really came out of my shell. I'm such an introvert and I was so scared because George Mason was very intimidating, and it was hard for me to make friends at first. But I've really impressed myself with the way that I was able to connect to new people. I’m also a Schar School Liaison and secretary of the Honors Recruitment Team, so connecting with people is one of the biggest things that you have to learn and that skill is definitely something I learned from my time at George Mason.

What advice do you have for incoming students?

The biggest thing is time management. Organize your time by keeping a calendar or a planner and writing down your assignments. Also networking and meeting people. Don’t be afraid to go up and introduce yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or cold emailing. I’ve gotten two of my biggest internships through cold emailing. And another, with the [Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia] that I got through networking. Make sure you’re talking to people, whether that's professors or professionals, in your field.

What’s next for you?

I hope to pursue my legal career further. I'll definitely apply to law school in the future and be studying for the LSAT. I want to explore options on the East Coast, as I've really grown to love it. Ideally, I want to be able to work in a firm. It has always been my dream to be a lawyer and I will definitely achieve that.

Start your own academic journey at George Mason

In This Story

Jennifer N. Victor

Topics

Schar School News for December 2024

Honors College alum spearheads professional development program

Sarah Holland — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 16:11:36 +0000

Honors College alum spearheads professional development program Sarah Holland Mon, 12/09/2024 - 11:11

When preparing for college, prospective students and parents often ask about career readiness. How is the university preparing its students for the workforce? What’s the rate of job placement? Do the students succeed in their respective careers?

George Mason �鶹�� has a strong track record of preparing students for careers. And the Honors College is working to make sure Honors students are ready to shine in a competitive job market.

Jeff Shen provides opening remarks at the roundtable. Photo by Cristian Torres/Office of �鶹�� Branding

“These are incredibly motivated students. I am beyond impressed with their enthusiasm and intellect. And they’re ready. They have all the tools to succeed in the workforce, they just need the knowledge of how to find the right opportunity,” said Jeff Shen.

Shen, who graduated from what was then known as the Presidential Scholars Program in 1996 with a degree in decision sciences, is president of Red Team Consulting and a member of the Honors College Advisory Board. Last year, he came to Dean Zofia Burr with an idea for how to prepare Honors College students for their careers: a roundtable for students to meet with professionals in government contracting, supported by the Greg and Camille Baroni Center for Government Contracting.

“I spoke with some students during graduation,” Shen said, “and in asking them about their post-graduation plans and job opportunities, I realized that these really bright and promising students were missing some of the foundations for approaching the job market: how to network, where to look for opportunities, and so on. So I thought, there must be some way we can address that gap.”

The idea for the roundtable coincided with plans to develop the Honors College Professional Development Fellows program. As part of the program, the roundtable was one of a series of workshops that help students in the program craft their resumes, build their LinkedIn profiles, practice interviewing, and otherwise prepare for internship and career opportunities.

The first roundtable event in Spring 2024 featured 12 George Mason alumni, all of whom are major executives at government contracting companies. The first was such a success that Shen and the Honors College decided to host a second event in Fall 2024.

“In government contracting, you can be a writer, a clinical researcher, a health care professional, you can be in sales: It does not matter the background, there’s going to be a position in government contracting for that person,” Shen said. “I wanted students to see the world of possibilities in terms of what they could do with their degrees.”

Students had the opportunity to speak with each executive in small groups, gaining valuable insights and advice on how to prepare for their career.

Jessica Taylor, studying music technology with a minor in computer science, was one of the fellows in the spring. “As a music major who wants to go into software engineering, I have an untraditional background that needs to be particularly explained and presented when I’m introducing myself to potential employers,” she said. “The fellows program taught me that my variety of creative experience is actually one of the things that makes me stand out.”

Photo by Cristian Torres/Office of �鶹�� Branding

“We received [the mentors’] personal emails, offering the opportunity to follow up on potential career opportunities and further discussions,” said Monica Amaya, a management information systems major with a minor in computational and data sciences. Amaya attended the roundtable in Fall 2024. “The entirety of the Professional Development Fellows program has given us valuable networking opportunities to build meaningful relationships with successful government contracting leaders in the area.”

“I learned a lot about what it takes to build a business,” said cyber security engineering student Cameron Portis. “Hearing some of the stories about how these leaders overcame difficulties and changed their plans really inspired me to keep pushing toward my goals no matter what.”

The program continues to grow. In Spring 2025, the roundtable opportunities will expand to two new fields: Health administration and leadership, organized by Inova Health System’s Loren Rufino, BS Health Services ’12, and arts/performing arts nonprofit leadership, organized by Deb Gandy. Both are members of the Honors College Advisory Board.

And for Shen, opening doors for students is only part of the mission. “This is a great way for alumni and community members to get involved with George Mason,” he said. “I’m hoping this opens the door for them as well."

Discover the Honors College's inspiring learning community

Topics

Campus News

College of Visual and Performing Arts

Costello College of Business

College of Science

professional development

Alumni

In This Story

Zofia Burr

Transforming Access to Justice: Students Tackle Language Barriers at Fairfax Courthouse

Andrew J Schappert — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 15:17:21 +0000

Transforming Access to Justice: Students Tackle Language Barriers at Fairfax Courthouse Andrew J Schappert Tue, 10/22/2024 - 11:17

From left, Schar School Jurisprudence Learning Community students Mohammed Ibrahim Al Zubaidi and Sharanya Maddukuri, a government and international politics major and Honors College student, flank General District Court Judge Dipti Pidikiti-Smith in her courtroom. Photo provided

Going to a court of law as plaintiff, defendant, witness, juror, or a spectator in the gallery can be stressful and confusing if you don’t know where to go. What floor is the right office on? Which clerk at which window do you need to visit? Which courtroom do you need to be in and when do you need to be there? And which way to the bathroom?

Mohammed Al Zubaidi presents the Court Signage Survey Project to an attorney who advocates at the Fairfax General District Court. Photo provided

The Fairfax General District Court conducts its business at the Fairfax County Courthouse, not far from George Mason �鶹��’s Fairfax Campus near the City of Fairfax. It shares the facility with the Fairfax Circuit Court, the largest trial court in Virginia. Understandably, the hallways of the campus can be confounding even to those who frequent the complex, much less those who have business there only occasionally.

Now imagine you need to visit the General District Court but do not speak English as your native language. All the signage is in English. You can see there might be a problem.

Members of a team of 15 volunteer students from the Jurisprudence Learning Community (JPLC), one of five learning communities in the Schar School of Policy and Government, are spending time in the hallways and offices of the busy court complex conducting a survey project aimed at helping the court understand the accessibility needs of court users.

The students visit the courthouse in shifts each weekday for a month to administer surveys to those who use the court, including judges, attorneys, deputies, bailiffs, and visitors. When the survey period is over, the students will compile the results to gain an understanding of the steps the court should take to increase accessibility for individuals, particularly language and translation accessibility.

“The results of the Court Signage Survey Project will be sent to the District Court for review and ultimately compiled into a larger report that will go to the Virginia Supreme Court,” said Assistant Professor Shea Holman, director of the JPLC.

From left, Sathvika Kolluru, Sharanya Maddukuri, and Abigail Harmon wield survey clipboards in the courthouse hallway. Photo provided

General District Court Judge Dipti Pidikiti-Smith reached out to Holman for the project.

“She specifically wanted to connect with George Mason students,” Holman said. “We are such a diverse campus and the JPLC is a place where students from many different backgrounds have the opportunity to experience the legal field firsthand. This is an amazing experience for students to interact directly with individuals attempting to navigate our legal system and to spend time in a courthouse setting.”

For Schar School junior Mohammad Ibrahim Al Zubaidi, that’s exactly what has happened.

“The most memorable experience has been engaging with court users directly,” the government and international politics major said. “Listening to their stories about the communication barriers they face in such a crucial setting has been eye-opening. It reinforced the importance of the work we’re doing and the impact this project can have on improving access to justice for everyone.”

Al Zubaidi’s degree program includes a concentration in American Institutions and Processes and a minor in criminology, law, and society. His visits to the courthouse, he said, will help him gain hands-on experience in legal processes, particularly in improving access to justice for underrepresented communities.

“This project allows me to connect my academic knowledge of government and law with real-world applications," Al Zubaidi said. "Balancing classwork and off-campus duties has been a challenge, but it's also helped me develop strong time management and organizational skills. By staying organized and setting clear priorities, I’ve been able to manage both effectively."

Walking the hallways of the bustling courthouse is a new experience for some of the students.

“I haven't spent much time in [a courthouse] up until this point, so it has been interesting to see the innerworkings,” said Abigail Harmon, an integrative studies major with a legal concentration. “I also feel that making the courtroom more accessible to all kinds of people is a really important cause, and I am proud to be helping out with that. I hope that the information collected in the surveys can help with this.”

Among all the court users she’s met, it’s the interpreters who work there that have made a significant impression.

“They are passionate about helping people who don't speak English navigate and understand our legal system,” the Twin Falls, Idaho, native said. “One of the interpreters stressed how important it is to have interpreters, because if you don't speak English and don't utilize one, you might be unable to get the justice you deserve.

“I feel that this was relevant in our survey, because non-English speaking individuals might find it difficult to get around the courtroom, and the courthouse should find ways to fix that. I've had the opportunity to see a couple of the interpreters in action, and without them their clients may have had a different outcome and experience in their case.”

“This project allows me to submerse myself in the exact environment I am striving to be in postgraduation,” said government and international politics senior April Cornelius from Aliso Viejo, California. “The best experience I have had thus far has been surveying people on the third floor, which is the domestic cases. I had a mom with her two daughters fill out a survey, and was nice to connect with her older teenage daughter.

“Nobody likes to be bothered with a survey,” she added, “but it is nice to take someone’s brain off the reason why they are there—most times not for a good reason.”

In This Story

Shea M. Holman Kilian

Request Schar School program information

Learn more about the Schar School

Topics

Jurisprudence Learning Community

Schar School BA in Government and International Politics

Government and International Politics

Schar School of Policy and Government

Schar School Featured Stories

Schar School News for October 2024

School of Integrative Studies

International Security and Law

Schar School Freshman, Honors College Student Defers Admission for Life-Changing Year in Kyrgyzstan

Andrew J Schappert — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 18:35:25 +0000

Schar School Freshman, Honors College Student Defers Admission for Life-Changing Year in Kyrgyzstan Andrew J Schappert Fri, 10/11/2024 - 14:35

Anusha Chaluvadi could have come to George Mason �鶹�� a year earlier than she did, but the new freshman deferred admission to study Russian in the Kyrgyzstan Republic.

Anusha Chaluvadi in Fairytale Canyon, Kyrgyzstan: ‘Having the U.S. education is good, of course, but it's dangerous to only have that perspective.’ Photo provided

Her participation in the nine-month National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, that sent her to the Central Asian country in her first year after high school “truly differentiated her as an applicant” to George Mason, said Eva Bramesco, director of the �鶹�� Scholars program in the Honors College.

“Pursuing experiences like this in which students experience new and challenging ways of learning are perfect examples of the qualities we seek in �鶹�� Scholars," Bramsco said.

As a �鶹�� Scholar, Chaluvadi is among a small number of the most motivated incoming Honors College freshmen “selected through a competitive process to join a four-year cohort of student leaders, receive a full-tuition scholarship, and participate in enhanced academic and professional development programming,” Bramesco added.

Additionally, Chaluvadi is one of the first students to declare a four-year major in International Security and Law at the Schar School of Policy and Government. The one-of-a-kind bachelor of arts degree prepares graduates to become leaders in the face of crisis and to confront major threats affecting lives of millions around the globe every day.

Chaluvadi was well acquainted with George Mason. Her sister, 2021 biology alum Pratyusha, also a �鶹�� Scholar, is now in her final year of medical school at Virginia Commonwealth �鶹��. The Richmond, Virginia, native came to the school not only for the financial assistance but also for the proximity to Washington, D.C., where she hopes to land significant internships at key institutions.

As for deferring college to live and learn in Kyrgyzstan, Chaluvadi said she was inspired to learn Russian after being exposed to Russian literature.

“But when I read Russian literature, I don't think that I have a cultural context because I'm reading works in translation, so that loses a lot of the historical and cultural context that it would have if I read it in Russian,” she said. “And also, Russian-American relations are very complicated, and I think it's really dangerous to go into a government field or international field when you don't have both perspectives. So, I figured having the U.S. education is good, of course, but it's dangerous to only have that perspective.”

While learning the Russian language and enjoying the literature, Chaluvadi’s study-abroad experience also exposed her to the people living in the mountainous nation. What she learned from them resonated deeply.

“I got more of a post-Soviet perspective living there,” she said. “Talking to people there was really interesting because I think in the U.S. we hear that the Soviet Union was bad for everyone and no one liked it, which it has truth to it. But when you speak to the older generation in KYrgyzstan, a lot of them actually say that they preferred life in the Soviet Union, which is an opinion I would've probably never gotten if I didn't live there.”

A college year deferred? Clearly it was life-changing.

“It was the greatest experience of my life,” she said. “I miss it so much every day.”

Request Schar School program information

Learn more about the Schar School

Topics

BA International Security and Law

Schar School of Policy and Government

�鶹�� Scholars

study abroad

Schar School Featured Stories

Schar School News for October 2024

Civil engineering student builds a solid foundation with summer internship

Shayla Brown — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 14:29:57 +0000

Civil engineering student builds a solid foundation with summer internship Shayla Brown Mon, 10/07/2024 - 10:29

More than 250 people are working on the construction of the Fuse at Mason Square building, including George Mason �鶹�� senior Leslie Hernandez.

“It’s my way of giving back to my school and community,” said Hernandez, who is majoring in civil and infrastructure engineering in the College of Engineering and Computing (CEC).

Hernandez has had four internships with Clark Construction since her senior year of high school and has previously worked on projects such as the Amazon headquarters in Arlington, Virginia.

“The Amazon headquarters project was really special to me because it was the first project that I got to see full circle from when it was just a pile of concrete up to the final product,” said Hernandez.

At Fuse, Hernandez is focused on field operations. “I’m like the middleman between the architect and the general contractor, working with inspectors, owners, and trade partners,” the Honors College student said.

For Hernandez, the highlight of the summer was working and bonding with her colleagues. “The labor force on a construction site is composed of a good percentage of Hispanic or Latino individuals, and I identify as both of those. Because of this, I was able to create meaningful bonds with individuals as we engaged in day-to-day conversations about the work we do,” she said.

Hernandez says engineering professor Catalina González-Dueñas is also a huge source of inspiration. She shared her background with the CEC professor during office hours, where they bonded over their respective experiences.

“I feel like I'm able to see myself in her,” said Hernandez, first generation college student originally from El Salvador. “She’s a representation of what’s possible for me. She told me that one of the reasons why she does what she does is to be that representation for Hispanic and Latina women.

This admiration is a two-way street, said González-Dueñas. “I aim for my students to learn and feel inspired, but I am often inspired by and learning from their questions and perspectives as well,” she said.

“What stands out the most about Leslie is that she always relates the concepts taught in class to her own internship experience,” said González-Dueñas. “This not only allows her to put concepts into action, but also helps her classmates by providing real-world examples that illustrate abstract ideas.”

Leslie Hernandez at her Clark Construction Internship outside the Fuse at Mason Square building. Photo by Cristian Torres/Office of �鶹�� Branding

Alongside her internship position, Hernandez has also been working part-time for Clark Construction for the past two years. During the summer, the internship and part-time position responsibilities merge.

“They offered me the position, which is great because it allows me to gain experience in my field while I’m going to school. They’ve been very flexible with my class schedule as well,” said Hernandez.

“When I first started working at Clark Construction, everyone would encourage me even though they didn’t even really know me yet,” said Hernandez. “I’m so glad to have this background and experience in the construction industry because I do see myself in this industry later on.”

Hernandez says the only thing she’s more dedicated to than construction is family. “I have two little sisters and a little brother and I'm trying to not only set a good example but open doors for them so they see that anything is possible,” she said.

“I feel such a sense of pride because I’m leaving a little piece of myself in every project. Once the Fuse building is done, I'm forever going to be part of that project and my school.”

In This Story

Catalina Gonzalez-Duenas

Topics

internships

George Mason’s Student Body President and Vice President are strengthening campus community

Sarah Holland — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 17:27:17 +0000

George Mason’s Student Body President and Vice President are strengthening campus community Sarah Holland Wed, 09/25/2024 - 13:27

When Student Body President Maria Alejandra Romero Cuesta and Vice President Colin McAulay were looking at universities, George Mason �鶹��’s proximity to Washington, D.C., and Schar School of Policy and Government’s strong reputation made it a top choice for them both.

Photo by Eduardo Macedo/Office of �鶹�� Branding

And for both of them, joining Student Government just made sense: Cuesta, an international student, plans for nonprofit work in support of her home country of Colombia, and McAulay dreams of a future in diplomacy.

Now, the two of them are leading with a vision of an empowered and interconnected campus community.

Cuesta, a double major in Government and International Politics and economics and in the Honors College, was inspired by her peers to run for president. “As an active member of the Hispanic Leadership Alliance, Honors College Connects, and the First-Gen+ Center, I got to know what was happening on campus, what students needed, and that understanding inspired me to pursue a pathway of helping other students,” she said. Her connections also gave her a wide platform from which she could launch her political career.

For McAulay, a senior international security and law major, three years in Student Government gave him a strong understanding of the university, its structure, and how to best organize people to accomplish a shared vision. When election season came around, Cuesta and McAulay thought their combination of connections and institutional knowledge made a winning ticket.

Cuesta and McAulay worked hard over the summer to start constructing the groundwork for their term. One word stands at the core of their vision: community.

“We want to build bridges between the diverse organizations at George Mason,” Cuesta said. “We want to set that foundation, not only to create community but to then sustain community so it continues for generations to come.”

Cuesta wants to see a campus where groups are less siloed. “We have so many student groups for a wide range of identities, and we see a trend of students just sticking with their groups. And while we want students to have those spaces, we also want the groups to connect with each other more, to work together to achieve their shared goals and to continue to develop an interconnected and supportive campus community.”

“When I first came to George Mason,” McAulay added, “it was right out of COVID-19, and the community wasn’t able to thrive. But with each year, we’re restoring that sense of community, and it’s important to keep it growing for each new class that comes in."

President Cuesta and Vice President McAulay hit the ground running, starting the semester off with events to bring the campus community together such as tailgating a recent women’s soccer game. Both hope that their lasting mark on the university will be one of community.

“There are many resources here, so many opportunities to socialize, make friends, network, find your community, and build your career,” Cuesta said. “I hope George Mason continues to be a place where students can be authentically themselves and feel like they belong.”

Learn more about George Mason's Student Government

Topics

Schar School of Policy and Government

student government

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Schar School News for September 2024

Bioengineering student went from Patriot to Pilgrim for summer internship

Shayla Brown — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 15:51:00 +0000

Bioengineering student went from Patriot to Pilgrim for summer internship  Shayla Brown Fri, 09/06/2024 - 11:51

George Mason �鶹�� bioengineering student Berk Kasimcan spent his summer internship working on a proof of concept for what could be described as sunglasses for buildings. 

Kasimcan is working alongside Harvard �鶹�� psychology students and second-year PhD engineering and computing student Raphael Kay as they attempt to alleviate the damage that buildings experience throughout the years from radiation, heat, cold, and light. 

“What if we create this glass system that has various liquids inside and is able to adjust the building temperature or the [impact of] the direct UV light?” Kasimcan said. “This research would be especially helpful for newer buildings that are made of mostly glass.” 

Berk Kasimcan. Photo provided.

Kasimcan’s internship took place in two lab locations on Harvard’s campus —the Aizenberg Biomineralization and Biomimetics Lab in the Science and Engineer Complex and the Center for Nanoscale Systems. The research being conducted is fairly new and led by Kay, who is also one of Kasimcan’s mentors.

“The environments are super-fast paced and each university has their own culture when doing research, so I get to learn a lot of different ways to conduct important research,” said Kasimcan.   

The Aizenberg lab is similar to the MIX here at George Mason, but with more of a focus on engineering. The Center for Nanoscale Systems is where students work on decomposition and microscopic materials too small to be seen unaided by the human eye and requires researchers to wear full-body clean room suits, Kasimcan explained. 

The team built a total of four setups this summer to measure how much light and heat is getting deflected, and how much heat transfer is present. 

 “�鶹�� goal for this summer is to build test benches. Once we perfect our devices and formulas, we will actually be able to use the test benches to get reliable results on light and heat detection,” said Kasimcan, who is enrolled in George Mason’s accelerated master’s bioengineering program.    

Berk Kasimcan at Harvard �鶹�� Campus. Photo provided.

Kasimcan, who is in the Honors College, credits the mentorship he received at George Mason from associate professor of bioengineering Shani Ross and assistant professor of bioengineering Quentin Sanders, as well as his senior design project experience, for helping to prepare him for this internship. 

Working with Sanders in his Intelligent assistive technology, Neuromuscular control and Physiology, Wearables and Rehabilitation Robotics (ImPoWeR) lab for a year was great experience, Kasimcan said. “I worked on research addressing rehabilitation, robotics, and developed exoskeletons and prosthetic devices for individuals that have experienced a neurological injury or amputation.”

The feeling was mutual, according to Sanders. “It was a pleasure working with Berk. With his work ethic, intellectual curiosity, and general interest in the biomedical sciences, I can see him working at a top tier company within the health care industry,” said Sanders.  

“I’m sure he’ll do great wherever he ends up. I wouldn't be surprised at all if I looked up one day and Berk was the leading scientist in the research and development division of a huge company,” he added.  

Kasimcan, along with his peers, spent a year working on hydrogel research with the goal of creating a water filtration system in the event of an emergency so communities can access clean water.    

“It’s not something we can use 24/7 unfortunately, but when it comes to emergencies, it was a pretty useful device,” said Kasimcan. 

For their efforts, Kasimcan and his teammates won multiple awards including two People’s Choice Awards for engineering from George Mason’s Bioengineering Department and 2nd Place in a Star-Tides Poster Competition.

Kasimcan graduated with a bachelor of science from George Mason in spring 2024 and is currently pursuing his master's in engineering.

In This Story

Quentin Sanders

Shani Ross

Find a job or internship through Career Services

Topics

internships