Jasmine Acayo Okidi

The Honors College and Early Identification Program Partner to Promote Inclusive Excellence

gsehgal2 — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 19:08:34 +0000

The Honors College and Early Identification Program Partner to Promote Inclusive Excellence gsehgal2 Mon, 08/14/2023 - 15:08

In This Story

Nadeen Makhlouf

Khaseem Davis, Ph.D

Aimee Weinstein

At Mason, a dedication to promoting inclusion is part of what drives our mission as a university; the Honors College and Early Identification Program (EIP) work together to foster inclusive excellence. For the last decade, the Honors College and EIP have closely collaborated to develop an enriching program for first generation college students in Northern Virginia, including the College Application Coaches program and the Research and Discovery Seminar as part of EIP’s Summer Academy.

The partnership works to supplement EIP’s year-round academic enrichment and personal and social development program for middle and high school college-bound first-generation college students, while supporting the Honors College’s commitment to promoting access to impactful academic, civic, and professional experiences for motivated students.

“The partnership has allowed for us to think of creative ways to be the premier providers of opportunities for students, to adjust and refine our practices, and to enhance our sustained engagement with the students,” says EIP Executive Director Dr. Khaseem Davis. That creativity is reflected in EIP’s collaboration with the Honors College.

Created in 1987, the Early Identification Program works with seven public school systems in Northern Virginia, serving students who will be the first of their family to attend college in the U.S. The program helps students prepare for college while gaining a familiarity with the American higher education system that will enable them to confidently navigate the college application process.

“Many students grew up with few resources and help support and sustain their households, all the while performing extremely well academically,” says Dr. Davis. “These students enter EIP displaying a great deal of grit, fortitude, and resilience. Our task is how can we get our students to view themselves as scholars? How can we help them see a snapshot of the rigor and opportunity that exists at Mason?”

Beginning in eighth grade and continuing through their senior year of high school, EIP students participate in a series of programs designed to further cultivate their intellectual curiosity, and leadership potential. This includes the annual three-week Summer Academy where students explore their academic, professional, and civic interests.

During Summer Academy, Honors College instructors and student mentors host the Research and Discovery Seminar – an abridged version of the first-semester research course HNRS 110: Principles of Research and Inquiry – to introduce rising high school sophomores to the research process. EIP students engage in inquiry-based learning in the college classroom by developing a project around their own curiosity and interests. In the process, they build skills and experiences that can bolster their college applications later.

Dr. Nadeen Makhlouf prepares current Honors College students to become mentors for the Research and Discovery Seminar in her class, HNRS 261: Peer Mentorship in Honors. Through this community connection practicum, students assist in developing the summer seminar and learn how to plan and lead class sessions, facilitate conversations, and support idea generation. Providing insight into the language, processes and dynamics of college life, the student mentors help to illustrate how EIP students can take advantage of various resources and opportunities while in college.

During the spring of their junior year of high school, these same EIP students will be paired with Honors College students enrolled in HNRS 261: College Application Coaches. College Application Coaches help EIP students brainstorm, develop, and workshop resumes and essays to help create strong college applications. Coaches learn how to provide effective mentorship and support students in their drive and readiness to succeed in a higher education environment. Since 2016, the Honors College has supported over 900 EIP students with College Application Coaches.

Earning credit, building transferable skills, learning about and addressing access issues – through both Mr. Makhlouf’s Peer Mentorship in Honors and Dr. Aimee Weinstein’s College Application Coaches classes, student mentors and coaches themselves have many opportunities to develop while using their talents to promote inclusivity at Mason.

For Dr. Makhlouf, this is the highlight of her work: “any of the moments where I see mentors walk away feeling good that they got someone excited about college or research,” she shares, is a rewarding moment for her.

EIP students graduate from the program prepared to achieve their higher education goals and have a fulfilling Mason and Honors College experience. They enter with faculty and peer connections, familiarity with research, and increased confidence that will serve them well in college and beyond. Each year EIP alumni accepted to the Honors College are among those awarded full tuition scholarships. Currently 21 EIP alumni are part of the University Scholars Program that four-year, full-tuition scholarships to a cohort of outstanding Honors College students. Three of the current EIP alumni are also College of Science Promise Scholars who receive additional support that covers their full cost of attendance plus a grant to fund research while they are at Mason.

“These students may not have had the same opportunities before joining EIP,” said Dr. Davis, “but they embody excellence.” Through the partnership between EIP and the Honors College, these students have the opportunity to show this excellence in action.

Topics

Early Identification Program (EIP)

Honors College Students Help Secure Mason’s Historic Softball Win at the 2023 Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship

gsehgal2 — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 15:45:32 +0000

Honors College Students Help Secure Mason’s Historic Softball Win at the 2023 Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship gsehgal2 Fri, 06/16/2023 - 11:45

When it comes to leaving an impact across campus, Honors College students on the softball team knock it out of the park. Fourth-ranked in the Atlantic 10 Conference, Mason’s softball team – including several Honors College students – battled and beat number two team, Loyola University Chicago. During the winner-take-all final game, the Patriots pulled ahead of the Ramblers in extra innings, leading the Patriots to a victory of 6-3. Student athletes from the Honors College put their exceptional skills on display on May 13, when for the first time in program history the women’s softball team won the Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship.

Bringing a range of interests and talents to the Honors College community, Honors College students excel in various areas of student life at George Mason, sports included. Honors College students Zoe Vozick, Cheyenne DeGross, Charlotte Montgomery, Marlaina Bozek, and Alex Anderson are among this year’s Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship winners. Freshman Cheyenne DeGross is majoring in communications while also playing as a catcher and infielder for the Patriots. Zoe Vozick is a current junior, majoring in environmental and sustainability studies, while also playing as a catcher for Mason’s softball team. Charlotte Montgomery, a rising junior majoring in government and international politics, plays as an outfielder for Mason. Marlaina Bozek is a junior at Mason majoring in kinesiology. On the field, Bozek plays infielder for the Mason softball team. Alex Anderson, pitcher and infielder for the team, is a rising junior majoring in computer science.

These Honors College students have shown exceptional skills as leaders in the Mason community. Breaking barriers on the field and remaining relentless in pursuit of their win, these students continue to embody grit and audacity on and off the field.

Topics

Honors College

Mason softball

Atlantic 10 conference

Celebrating Honors College Student Awardees at the Spring 2023 Exhibition and Awards Ceremony

Wasiq Muhammad Muhammad Ali — Sun, 07 May 2023 02:27:50 +0000

Celebrating Honors College Student Awardees at the Spring 2023 Exhibition and Awards Ceremony Wasiq Muhammad… Sat, 05/06/2023 - 22:27

As a community of highly motivated individuals, Honors College students ask critical questions, pursue unique opportunities, and forge strong partnerships to address modern challenges. At the Spring 2023 Exhibition and Awards Ceremony, several of these students were celebrated with awards recognizing their achievements and accomplishments. The Honors College spotlights students who explore their curiosity and embody a commitment to civic engagement and experiential learning through their involvement within and beyond their communities. We would like to congratulate the following student awardees.

Schwartzstein First Semester Research Award
With gratitude to Linda A. Schwartzstein, MA’91, PhD’94 and Lee M. Goodwin for their support of this award.

Every year, HNRS 110 faculty nominates one student paper from each section which demonstrates outstanding research practice. With support from Linda A. Schwartzstein and Lee M. Goodman, the Schwartzstein, one winner is selected with the goal of honoring students whose projects display exceptional intellectual curiosity and creativity and supporting them in future research. This year’s Schwartzstein Prize winner is Isabella Majarowitz, for her project on racial disparities in policing of in Washington, DC and Baltimore City, Maryland public schools. Aiming to center the voices of students of color affected by inequitable policing, Marjarowitz expressed that “receiving this award will enable me to actually carry out this research and make an impact.”

Odin Feldman Pittleman Scholarship
With gratitude to Odin, Feldman & Pittleman, LLC (Dexter Odin, David Feldman, James Pittleman) for their support of this award.

The Odin Feldman Pittleman Scholarship, made possible through the support of Odin, Feldman & Pittleman, LLC, recognizes students who are dedicating their careers to improving the lives of people in developing countries. Nour Alashwal, a rising sophomore majoring in civil engineering major, and Katherine Fisher, a rising senior majoring conflict analysis and resolution, were the 2023 awardees. Alashwal is grateful that this award will help further her growth through the Honors College, including the intimately structured classes and professional opportunities available.

Dr. Gerald L. Gordon Scholarship
With gratitude to Fairfax County Economic Development Authority and Cathy Riley for their support of this award.

Established in recognition of Dr. Gordon’s many extraordinary contributions to the development of Fairfax County as the President and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, the scholarship supports a distinguished student pursuing a degree in a STEM field, economics, or another discipline relevant to economic development in Fairfax County. This year, the scholarship recognizes Mariana Ferrao Da Silva Trujillo, a rising junior majoring in economics and minoring in finance who aims to promote economic development through the country and the world. A former intern of the Mercatus and CATO Institutes and student leader with the Model United Nations and the Economics Society at George Mason, this award “will make it a lot easier for me to balance work and study and be able to really take that opportunity as a way of furthering my career and long term goals more.”

McQueen Family Scholarship
With gratitude to Matt McQueen for their support of this award.

The McQueen Family Scholarship for Global Studies was established by Matt McQueen, who is an Honors College Advisory Board Member and community leader. This scholarship supports exceptional students who are studying abroad and working to further their education. Rising sophomore and business management Jiselle Daniela Floyd was this year’s winner. Being an Honors College student has allowed Floyd to expand the bounds of her comfort zone, and she looks forward to being able to enjoy studying abroad and seeing the world with the support of the McQueen Family Scholarship.

Dr. Harold J. Morowitz Scholarship
With gratitude to Ann Nitze for their support of this award.

This scholarship honors the memory of Dr. Harold J. Morowitz, a Robinson Professor at Mason with over 60 years of experience as a college educator who instilled the value of lifelong learning in his Honors College students. The award supports Honors College students prioritize their studies and research, who may otherwise need to work a part-time job through college. Rising sophomore and geography major Cameron Hunt is this year’s award recipient. This award increases Hunt’s confidence in pursuing his academic passions, at the intersection of geography and geospatial intelligence including human migration and crisis response.

Michelle Litwiller Memorial Scholarship
With gratitude to Dr. and Mrs. Roger Litwiller for their support of this award.

This award is made possible by the donations of Dr. and Mrs. Roger Litwiller in memory of their daughter, Michelle, who was a student in Mason’s Plan for Alternative General Education (PAGE) program in 1987, the curriculum that provided the template for the present Honors College curriculum. The award is given to a distinguished or exceptional first-year student; this year’s recipient is Connie Lam, a rising sophomore studying engineering. As an Honors College student, Lam has enjoyed access to “research opportunities and just discovering problems we can solve within our community,” including being a part of the Honoring Our Community program.

Honors College Concerned Citizen Award
With gratitude to Charles C. Thomas, Jr. for their support of this award.

Created by Dr. Charles Thomas, this scholarship was made to support African American students who have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to community service. Nasrin Ali, a rising junior majoring in computer science, was this year’s awardee. For Ali, “receiving this awards motivates me to keep going on my journey and helping my community.”

Honors College Outstanding Service Award

This award recognizes distinguished or exceptional achievements of graduating students who have served exceptionally in multiple roles over their years in the Honors College. This year, the Honors College recognized three awardees:

Elise Mertz, a senior English major who is also a student leader with Honors College Connects and the Honors College Recruitment Team, has worked to attract students to the Honors College and connect current students with high-impact professional projects with nonprofit partners. Mertz is honored to receive this distinction: “It's just nice to know that I can make a difference. It feels validating that the things I'm doing can actually matter to the community.”
Kennedi Wilson, a senior double majoring in government and international politics and spanish, has served as a Resident Assistant (RA) for the Honors College LC for three years, supporting residential engagement and keeping residents well connected to campus resources. Wilson has been passionate about being an RA, and is grateful for being recognized for her passion.
Rosy Sultana, a senior computer science major, has been involved with the Honors College Recruitment Team and the Honors College Student Advisory Board. To receive this award shows her that “the time I spent in collaboration, teamwork, leadership, that it's something that I can continue and know that it's been valued and appreciated.”

Honors College Outstanding Achievement

The Outstanding Achievement Award recognizes the distinguished or exceptional achievements of second-year students representing the disciplinary range of students in the Honors College. This year, the Honors College recognizes anthropology major Mikayla Miller and sophomore computer science major Matt Nguyen. Miller, who works with Student Involvement, has supported the planning of many large-scale events across campus as well as building community within the Student Involvement Office.

Nguyen has served various student organizations on campus, including as the vice president for F1rst Gen @ Mason, marketing chair for the Society of Hispanic Engineers, and the historian for the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers. “This award will help me continue to be more motivated to be active on campus and be a good well rounded student, Nguyen says, “and just continue what I'm doing right now and hopefully get back in the future.”

Stu Shea Peraton Scholarship in National Security
With gratitude to Stu Shea, Chairman, President, and CEO of Peraton.

The Stu Shea Peraton Scholarship in National Security was awarded to students who will be leaders contributing to the next generation of national security solutions. Funded with a generous donation from the Peraton Corporation, each recipient was awarded $10,000 to provide financial support for their studies and academic enrichment. Ten Honors College students from different majors were awarded the selective Stu Shea Peraton Scholarship in National Security at the Honors College Spring Awards Ceremony on May 5, 2023. Learn more about the awardees here.

The Honors College would like to express our gratitude to all of our donors for their generosity in supporting these awards and celebrating our students. We hope that these awards continue to materially support and encourage Honors College students in their pursuits.

Topics

Honors College

Honors College Research Exhibition

Honors College Award Ceremony

Senior Gwendolyne Fields Explores Conservation in Virginia and Namibia

Daniel Hyunbin Chung — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 18:02:35 +0000

Senior Gwendolyne Fields Explores Conservation in Virginia and Namibia Daniel Hyunbin Chung Fri, 02/17/2023 - 13:02

Gwendolyne Fields’ life has been defined by a connection to natural landscapes across the world. Growing up outside of the U.S., Fields developed an awareness of how global issues like climate change impacted environmental degradation and species decline in multiple countries. With these experiences fresh in her mind, Fields joined the Honors College at George Mason University interested in learning more about addressing these changes through conservation.

Her journey began in Honors 110: Principles of Research and Inquiry, a first-semester requirement in the Honors College designed to introduce students to scholarly research at the college level. Through the course, Fields’ interest in conservation blossomed as she investigated the anthropogenic and environmental factors of Cross-River Gorilla population decline. Working on this project gave Fields a sense of empowerment: “it made me feel like I could help fight against these threats a population faces or increase the population of endangered species.” Research became a potential avenue for positive action.

During her first year, Fields also toured and received an invitation to be a scholar at SMSC at the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation (SMSC), an opportunity coinciding with her growing commitment to supporting endangered species. Eager to dive further into conservation, she dedicated her Spring 2022 to studying at SMSC, specifically enrolling in the Endangered Species Program. There, Fields connected with various Smithsonian Institute professionals and attending their lectures, as well as researched at Smithsonian’s National Zoo and secured a nine-month internship lined up for this academic year. Fields also learned how to develop a conservation management plan for endangered species.

While employing her prior research skills to this project, she noted the challenge practitioners encounter considering the little existing research on particular species’ populations. This observation motivated her conservation pursuits during this past summer. Through a travel grant awarded by the Office of Student Scholarship, Creative Activities, and Research (OSCAR), Fields travelled to Namibia to work with the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), an organization that aims to promote conservation, research, and local economic development. As a Cheetah Husbandry Intern, Fields ensured cheetah wellbeing through maintenance of cheetah enclosures, administering medicine, and regular feeding of [meat] sourced from local farmers. During her off-time, Fields worked on a research project mentored by Dr. David Luther and funded by OSCAR’s Undergraduate Research Scholars Program. Fields compared the growth rates of 65 cheetah cubs aged 0-6 months in Somaliland and Namibia, using preliminary data collected by CCF to investigate the factors contributing to observed differences.

The opportunity to practice and research about conservation at once was a key experience for Fields. “There's a lot of questions that we can ask, which is why research is also really beautiful. You can be creative and figure out ways to share your findings, demonstrate what needs to be done with scientists and the community as a whole.”

Looking forward, Fields is excited to continue her research with CCF and ultimately publish their findings. Thanks to her time at SMSC, she has an internship lined up for her senior year at Smithsonian’s National Zoo as an Elephant Trails Intern. These opportunities, she emphasizes, were possible by stepping outside of her comfort zone: “Encourage yourself to do things that you might not think that you'd be interested in, or you might be scared to try. Still, go out there keep asking questions.”

Topics

Conservation

conservation-learning environment

Honors College

Laying the Foundation for our Future in the Next System Fellows Program

Wasiq Muhammad Muhammad Ali — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 17:30:18 +0000

Laying the Foundation for our Future in the Next System Fellows Program Wasiq Muhammad… Fri, 11/04/2022 - 13:30

Amid the complex challenges facing our world, now is a crucial time for young people to apply their talents toward building the future. As a leader in research innovation and civic engagement, George Mason University prepares students to explore actionable solutions to political, economic, environmental, and more global challenges. The Next System Fellows Program is an inquiry-based, experiential learning opportunity for students eager to build a more just and sustainable global order for the future.

The Next Systems Fellows Program introduces Mason students to the emerging field of Next System Studies, connecting them with community changemakers working right now on alternative systems. Next System Studies is an interdisciplinary academic field that brings together scholars and practitioners committed to reconstructing our economy, legal system, politics, and culture at local and global scales. In seeking a more just social order, the field prioritizes empowerment of marginalized communities and democratization of decision-making processes.

Dr. Ben Manski, faculty lead for the Next System Fellows Program and Assistant Professor of Sociology, emphasizes the importance of bringing Next System Studies to Mason students: “We connect students with transformative community initiatives to both aid the initiatives directly through engaged research and the labor power of students as workers, but also to better equip students to move on to become leaders in building Next System initiatives.”

Through the program, students will spend the Spring semester asking questions, learning theories, applying methods, and closely examining real-life cases, while contributing to local efforts. The program prepares participants for future careers leading change in their respective fields. In fact, Next System fellows are among some of the first around the world to be actively exploring the area, a testimony to Mason’s ranking among the top 10 universities nationally for innovation. Living in a center of the global political economy like the D.C. metropolitan area, Manski explains, fellows are well positioned to apply knowledge and skills for building our futures.

The program follows the cohort model of all Arlington Fellows Programs: a cohort of 15 to 25 students will enroll in four courses totaling 15 credits. These courses orient students to Next System Studies, probing system designs, system change, and systemic movements, all in a small seminar environment where peer fellows build close relationships.

Fellows will pursue an internship with a partner engaged in Next System work, bolstering their professional development with hands-on collaborative learning. Partners are drawn from a variety of different nonprofits, NGOs, and advocacy groups, including national organizations CODEPINK, Public Citizen, local organizations like the Virginia Solidarity Economy Network, and Next System’s very own Democratizing NOVA.

Spring 2022 Next System alum and Honors College student, James Condo, found this dimension of the program especially rewarding. “During my college career,” he recounts, “I had this deep-seated conviction that the system that we live in is not sustainable, and I wanted to do something about it, but a lot of the humanity’s problems felt completely insurmountable.”

Learning about the Next System Fellows Program, then, was an answer to his urge to take action. “I saw Next System Studies as a much more hopeful field. I wanted to see if there was an alternative to our system, what that would practically look like, and what the practical implementation of a next system would actually be.”

As a fellow, Condo interned with Democratizing NOVA (DNOVA), an original community-engaged research project of Next System Studies at Mason that connects multiple pro-democracy initiatives in the region. In addition to a group project creating a database of Northern Virginian democratization–with over 150 initiatives identified so far–Condo developed an individual research project on cooperatives in Northern Virginia. Through the internship and the research project, Condo was exposed to many organizations effecting change locally, an experience that has since shaped his academic and career interests. Condo has continued beyond the program serving as the Next Systems Communications Specialist, which involves managing their social media and a newsletter that reaches Next System scholars and practitioners around the world.

“For those who are from here, or who intend to stay here, they can think about the Next Systems Fellows Program as a route to creating a new identity and purpose for this region–being involved in setting the future for Northern Virginia, instead of having it set for you. They can become part of building their own future and the world they are going to inhabit,” Manski says.

From community collaborations to organizing workshops, plenty exciting opportunities are in store for the Spring 2023 cohort. Those interested in the field should also look out for a Next System minor, available in the near future. Apply to be a fellow today!

Topics

Next System Fellows Program

Center for Social Science Research

Department of Sociology and Anthropology

Arlington Fellows

Addressing Real-World Professional Challenges through HNRS 361: Industry Challenges

Wasiq Muhammad Muhammad Ali — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 16:23:35 +0000

Addressing Real-World Professional Challenges through HNRS 361: Industry Challenges Wasiq Muhammad… Fri, 10/14/2022 - 12:23

Internships are a major part of a student’s career development during their undergraduate experience. George Mason University’s prime location grants students access to work opportunities in a range of fields across the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. With 77% of graduates reporting having held an undergraduate internship, Honors College students are highly successful in scoping out and securing opportunities in the region. While many of the remaining students also successfully pursue on-campus projects, some students need to prioritize the jobs that help finance their education over these pre-professional experiences. In response, Honors College faculty sought out a way for students to pursue similar professional development opportunities without having to compromise their financial responsibilities. The solution? HNRS 361: Industry Challenges, a for-credit course built into the Honors College curriculum which brings high impact experiential learning opportunities to all students.

Industry Challenges is a unique section of the 300-level Multi-Disciplinary Challenges Honors College curriculum requirement restricted to students who have completed at least one year at Mason. As the practicum option (an alternative to the research focused HNRS 360), HNRS 361 is an experiential-learning course inviting students to take a hands-on approach to complex challenges. Industry Challenges, in particular, connects students with businesses that partner with the Honors College to investigate a challenge and present a usable deliverable for the partner. Past partners have included Peraton, Transurban Group, and Virginia Small Business Development Centers; during Spring 2022, students worked with Northrop Grumman Corp. and MITRE.

The course groups students from a variety of academic backgrounds into project teams designed to encourage multidisciplinary collaboration. With the support and mentorship of Honors College faculty and industry partner representatives, teams leverage their respective knowledge and experiences to develop methods of tackling a designated industry challenge.

As the highest-level course of the Honors curriculum, Industry Challenges provides a space for students to exercise key skills and competencies accrued during their Honors College experience. HNRS 361 challenges students to transfer discipline-specific skills to problem-solving outside of their specialty areas. Past students have enjoyed expanding their skillset through the group project and recognized the applicability of their newly acquired knowledge beyond HNRS 361. The course’s environment encourages students to build their capacity for multidisciplinary exchange, a critical skill for postgraduate collaborations.

One prior team partnered with Northrop Grumman, proposing ways of evaluating the efficacy of IT services used by the corporation to determine what constitutes a successful digital transformation. Student members of the Northrop Grumman team valued working with a corporate partner on an issue outside of their typical academic focuses. “Even though we aren’t STEM majors,” one past student recounted, “it was refreshing to work on a project that will be beneficial for our partner and increase our skillset.”

If you're looking for Honors courses for next semester, the Spring 2023 Schedule of Classes is now available to view on Patriot Web. Information on Spring 2023 registration dates and times is forthcoming, but you can expect Industry Challenges to be listed as an HNRS 360 option. Be sure to register to boost your career readiness while supporting a local partner!

Topics

HNRS 361

Honors College

internships

Fall 2022 Yoga Day

Wasiq Muhammad Muhammad Ali — Wed, 05 Oct 2022 18:31:40 +0000

Fall 2022 Yoga Day Wasiq Muhammad… Wed, 10/05/2022 - 14:31

With the arrival of the fall came the perfect breezy weather to cool participants off as beginners and regulars, alike, enjoyed an array of benefits from coming together to practice yoga.

Since its inception, Argento has valued being able to connect with current students while practicing yoga and teaching participants about its significance. For Friday’s session, Argento centered the breath as the starting point for any yoga practice, taking several moments to ground and center so that the students could notice and connect with their breath.

“I used that as an opportunity to remind the students that the asanas (physical poses) of yoga are excellent forms of exercise,” Argento explained. “At the same time, it is the movement and consciousness of the breath that cultivates yoga. In addition to our breath, we focused on engaging the core and moving mindfully to ease our bodies into the asanas.”

Throughout the session, Argento guided the group through the multiple benefits of practicing yoga, especially important for students in college:

Physically, yoga reduces blood pressure, improves balance and mobility, expands lung capacity, promotes better sleep, and more;

Mentally, yoga reduces stress and anxiety, promotes a sense of calm, supports the ability to focus, and more;

Spiritually, yoga offers students an opportunity to connect with their personal beliefs, their community, the world - it is an opportunity to explore ourselves and what we need to find balance through moving meditation.

Patti Troup, a third-year Honors student and three-time Yoga Day returnee, was excited to learn from Argento again and spend the afternoon out on Finley Lawn. In addition to reaping the rewards of yoga, Troup delighted in quality time with Honors peers, faculty, and alum: “I also love seeing Telecia from Honors College and seeing Jaime since we are both interested in the professional legal world.”

For students like Troup, Yoga Day brought a chance to take a necessary break from college commitments. “I like being active and mindful so practicing yoga whenever I can makes me happy,” she shared. “Any chance I get to clear my head and stretch my tense muscles will be taken advantage of.”

Missed this year’s Yoga Day? Look out for future opportunities with the Honors College to support your personal wellness and connect with the Honors College community!

Topics

From Capitol Hill to Quebec, Molly Izer Makes Policy Research International

Wasiq Muhammad Muhammad Ali — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 17:10:29 +0000

From Capitol Hill to Quebec, Molly Izer Makes Policy Research International Wasiq Muhammad… Fri, 09/16/2022 - 13:10

Molly Izer’s political curiosity knows no bounds. As a second-year student in the Honors College, Izer has already explored a range of political advocacy spheres. From her high school origins in grassroots organizing in Oregon to her freshman-year congressional internships in Washington, D.C., Izer is now taking the next step with policy research at George Mason University and beyond.

Merging her interests in policy advocacy and research, Izer spent this past summer as both a legislative affairs intern for the Executive Office’s Council on Environmental Quality and as an Undergraduate Research Scholar with Mason’s Office of Student Scholarships, Creative Activities, and Research (OSCAR). Between both roles, Izer developed her understanding of the internal dynamics of and interactions among Congress and the White House, an area she was encouraged to explore through her first-year research course, HNRS 110: Principles of Research and Inquiry.

“In my [HNRS 110] classes…we were taught to not only look for differences that we could see on the outside, but also look at why they happen that way,” Izer recalls from the course, a first-semester requirement for all Honors College students.

Izer found that her Honors College background in research greatly shaped her success with the summer internships. “[Y]our job [as a congressional and White House intern] is to produce information and compound it in a way that people can consume it quickly, understand it very clearly, and they can apply immediately.”

Practicing collecting, analyzing, and synthesizing information through HNRS 110 also prepared Izer for her summer OSCAR project. Mentored by Schar School of Policy and Government professor Dr. Jennifer Victor, she investigated the informal dynamics that occur within the House of Representatives through congressional caucuses, seeking to understand how the interactions influence various types of legislative behaviors. In September, Izer looks forward to sharing her current findings at the 2022 American Political Science Annual Meeting. Hosted by the leading organization for the study of political science, the meeting convenes in Montreal, Quebec this year. Izer is eager to present her work before similarly motivated distinguished scholars, an opportunity to which she notes few if any undergraduate students are invited.

However, she is no stranger to academic conferences. In Spring 2022, Izer participated in the Midwest Political Science Association’s 2022 conference, presenting her HNRS 110 project "Misinformation: Gone Viral.” Sharing the product of her work widely beyond the Mason community is especially important. On research communication and applicability outside of academia, Izer believes it is important “to [transform research] into something that other people can gain from and something that other people can see and learn from.”

She attributes her preparation for this task to her training in the Honors College: “The Honors College in particular teaches how to not just learn but to be teachers, and producing research gives us an avenue to be a teacher.”

Looking forward, Izer plans to publish her summer research project with Dr. Victor. Her HNRS 110 paper is also forthcoming in the George Mason Review journal. She encourages Honors College students looking to further their research or get involved in political advocacy to put themselves out there and ask for help; her experiences prove to her that reaching out to the professor or applying for the position that interests you can lead to impactful experiences.

Topics

Office of Student Scholarship Creative Activities and Research (OSCAR)

Schar School of Policy and Government

U.S. Politics & Legal Studies