Fellowships

Christopher Kardambikis named 2023-24 Fenwick Fellow

P Shepherd — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 18:48:16 +0000

Christopher Kardambikis named 2023-24 Fenwick Fellow P Shepherd Fri, 12/01/2023 - 13:48

Christopher Kardambikis, associate professor in the School of Art, was recently named the Fenwick Fellow award recipient for 2023-24. Kardambikis’ research project, Documenting a Quarter Century of Small-Press and DIY Publishing in the United States, will collect interviews with people who are or were engaged in small-press or independent publishing projects across the country, focusing on individuals who can speak to specific local publishing scenes and describe how these scenes developed since the year 2000.

“I’m looking forward to working with everyone at the Fenwick Library to further study DIY publishing and zines. This specific geographic area has such a rich history of zines, woven through the music, political, and art worlds, and being able to trace some of the connections between here and the rest of the country is a goal of the project,” he said.

“These publications served various purposes and diverse communities in specific time periods. Projects considered small press, independent, do-it-yourself, or community based are often hard to define and their resistance to definition is often the point. Focusing on the period after 2000, allows us to understand how the small press, and the communities served, continue to deal with a rapidly changing publishing and media landscape throughout any number of challenges that have directly impacted our current student body,” Kardambikis said.

Christopher Kardambikis, associate professor in the School of Art, was recently named the Fenwick Fellow award recipient for 2023-24.

With the data he collects, Dr. Kardambikis plans to create an interactive map and index of small-press and independent arts publishers in the United States active between the years 2000 and the present. He will also create a collection of the zines, books, and publication projects created by the artists and publishers participating in the interviews that can then become part of the Special Collections Research Center at Fenwick Library.

“The Libraries are incredibly excited to partner with Dr. Kardambikis on this project through the Fenwick Fellowship program,” said Anne Osterman, interim dean of University Libraries. “ Kardambikis’ work is an excellent example of how researchers can make the best use of the Libraries’ varied resources, as it will involve working with our Digital Scholarship Center, Mason Publishing Group, and Special Collections Research Center.”

Kardambikis will present the outcomes of this project at a future Fenwick Fellow Lecture hosted by the University Libraries. Learn about the Fenwick Fellow program and current and past projects here.

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Office of Fellowships announces 2022-23 award winners

Colleen Rich — Thu, 11 May 2023 13:21:32 +0000

Office of Fellowships announces 2022-23 award winners Colleen Rich Thu, 05/11/2023 - 09:21

George Mason University’s Office of Fellowships works with students and alumni to help them find and apply to nationally competitive awards that support their academic, professional, and personal goals. Director Megan Bruening calls the office a “one-stop shop” for students seeking fellowships.

“We are here to guide them through the entire process and meet students wherever they are at in their academic journeys,” she said.

That includes 1:1 advising, feedback on students’ application essays, interview coaching, and coordinating faculty and administrative committees to review and endorse student applications. The team also works with recommenders on reference letters and helps currently enrolled students with their post-award paperwork.

The number of fellowship applicants and recipients at Mason has increased by 15% each year since summer 2021, Bruening said.

The office is pleased to announce the following student fellowships awarded for the 2022-23 academic year.

American Association of University Women Grant
With a mission of gender equity and economic security, the aim of the American Association of University Women Grant is to support female researchers at all stages of their careers. The grant is designed to enable female researchers to gain more visibility, expand a network, or build more expertise.

Ingrid Guillen Marquina (College of Science [COS], Chemistry MS)

Boren Awards
Boren Scholarships (for undergraduate students) and Fellowships (for graduate students) provide unique funding opportunities for U.S. students to study less commonly taught languages in world regions critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in study abroad.

Scholars: Sannai James (College of Humanities and Social Sciences [CHSS], Global Affairs BA), Connor Brunson (CHSS, Global Affairs BA)
Fellows: Danyale Kellogg (Schar School of Policy and Government, Biodefense PhD), Jacob Davis (School of Business, Management BS)

Center for Disease Control Undergraduate Public Health Scholar
The CDC John R. Lewis Undergraduate Public Health Scholars (Lewis Scholars; formerly CDC Undergraduate Public Health Scholars [CUPS]) Program provides students, particularly those from populations that are underrepresented in public health professions, with career-building public health experiences.

Kristen Alleyne (College of Public Health [CPH], Community Health BS, Honors College)

Cosmos Scholars Grant
Awarded by the Cosmos Club Foundation, Cosmos Scholar grants cover the costs of travel, special supplies, and other expenses that would enhance the scholarship for recipients in various academic fields, including literature, biomedical sciences, regional studies, and engineering.

Melissa DeLury (College of Education and Human Development [CEHD], Education PhD)
Anne Dobberteen (also received the Neilom Foundation Meritorious Award in Technology and Society from Cosmos; CHSS, Art History PhD)
Laura Fretwell (CHSS, History PhD)
Alena James (COS, Biosciences PhD)
Dylan Scarton (COS, Neuroscience PhD)

Critical Language Scholarship
The Critical Language Scholarship Program is an immersive summer opportunity for American college and university students to learn languages in regions that are critical to U.S. national security and economic prosperity.

Carma Elharazi (CHSS, Foreign Languages BA)
Aleah Johnson (CHSS, Foreign Languages BA, Honors College)
Ninamarie Avedissian (CEHD, Curriculum and Instruction MEd)
Gisselle Contreras (COS, Neuroscience)
- Alternates: Dulguun Gantumur (CHSS, Global Affairs BA, Honors College), Kanwal Ahmad (College of Engineering and Computing (CEC), Electrical Engineering BS), Sara Michels (Schar, International Security MA)

Foreign Affairs Information Technology Fellowship
The two-year Foreign Affairs Information Technology Fellowship from the U.S. Department of State aims to attract top technology talent that represents the ethnic, racial, gender, social, and geographic diversity of the United States. The two-year fellowship is a path to a career in the Foreign Service and provides academic funding for an IT-related degree, internships, professional development and mentorship—culminating in an appointment in the Foreign Service as an Information Management Specialist.

Iyouel Endashaw (CEC Cybersecurity, BS)

Fulbright U.S. Student Program
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program aims to promote mutual understanding and peace between the United States and other nations through educational and cultural exchange. Students and college graduates apply for grants to study, conduct research, or teach English conversation and U.S. culture abroad while serving as citizen diplomats in the host country.

Morgan Swindall (ETA, Taiwan) (CHSS, Global Affairs MA)
- Semifinalists: Ashagrie Abdi (Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Conflict Analysis and Resolution PhD), Medhini Sosale (CEC, Bioengineering BA, Honors College), Logan Lehman (Schar, Government and Politics BA, Honors College)

Gates-Cambridge Scholarship
The Gates Cambridge Scholarship is a fully funded international postgraduate award for students to study any subject at the University of Cambridge with the aim of building a global network of future leaders who are committed to improving the lives of others.

- Semifinalist (first since 2015): Jasmine Okidi (CHSS, English BA, Honors College)

GEM Fellowship
The GEM Fellowship provides MS- and PhD-level students both financial support and internship opportunities to highly qualified, underrepresented students who wish to pursue graduate study in engineering or science.

Brenda Henriquez (CEC, Computer Science MS)

Goldwater Scholarship
Named after the former senator and presidential candidate, the Barry Goldwater Scholarship is a highly competitive national award for American undergraduate students in science, math and engineering who are committed to pursuing advanced degrees and research-oriented careers in STEM fields.

Lina Alkarmi (CEC, Electrical Engineering BS, Honors College)

Insight Collaborative Fellowship
The Insight Collaborative Fellowship Program helps individuals develop their own conflict management skills by working within local or international nonprofits of their choice. Each year-long Fellowship begins with a period of training and development before the fellow begins three global placements through which they share the best in conflict management theory and skills.

- Semifinalist: Naomi Davis (awaiting final results, Carter, Conflict Analysis and Resolution MA)

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program
The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program supports outstanding students who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in STEM, STEM education, and social science fields at accredited U.S. institutions.

Samuel Schmidgall (CEC, Comp Sci BS)

Pickering Fellowship
The Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Fellowship is a U.S. Department of State program that seeks to attract and prepare outstanding young people, who represent ethnic, gender, social, and geographic diversity and have an interest in pursuing a Foreign Service career in the U.S. Department of State.

Quan Crawford (CHSS, Global Affairs BA)

Point Foundation Flagship Scholarship
The Point Flagship Scholarship empowers LGBTQ students who are earning their undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees at accredited institutions in the Unites States. Flagship scholarship recipients receive financial support, access to multiple leadership development programs, mentorship or coaching, and the support of a community of scholars and alumni.

- Semifinalist: CJ Mandell (awaiting final results, CPH, Public Health MA)

Presidential Management Fellowship
The Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program is a two-year training and leadership development program at a United States government agency, administered by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, for advanced degree holders. After completing the program, agencies may convert PMFs to permanent federal civilian employees.

Adil Sailau (Scalia Law School, JD)
Nathan Danielson (Carter, Conflict Analysis and Resolution MS)
Nicholas Sherwood (Carter, Conflict Analysis and Resolution PhD)
Trinidee Baker (CEHD, Education Leaders MEd)
Isaac Gibbons (CEC, Cybersecurity MS)
Patrick Mason (CPH, Nutrition MS)
Joseph Pencak (CHSS, Economics MA)
Lindsey Schmidt (CHSS, Global Affairs MA)
Rose Kemmel (CHSS, IO Psychology MPS)
William Snyder (Schar, Transportation MA)
Sara Leming (Schar, Public Management CERG)
Michael Lodico (Schar, MPA)
Bianca Nelson (Schar, MPA)
Sylkin Barksdale (Schar, MPA)
Brandon Bryan (Schar, MPA)
Zachary Huebschman (Schar, MPA)
Whitney Guilford (Schar, MPA)
Tianwei Na (Business, MBA)

Rangel Fellowship
The Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program is a State Department fellowship program that supports outstanding American students from diverse backgrounds in pursuing master’s degrees to prepare for diplomatic careers in the U.S. Foreign Service.

Natasha Taliferro (CHSS, Global Affairs BA)

Smithsonian Institute Guggenheim Grant
Guggenheim Fellowships are intended for men and women who have already demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts.

Anne Dobberteen (CHSS, Art History PhD)

Schwarzman Scholarship
Schwarzman Scholarship is a one-year, fully funded master's degree in Global Affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. The program selects 100 to 200 Scholars per year based on their leadership ability, academic achievement, and commitment to advancing mutual cultural understanding and global progress.

Seminfinalist: Neuteyshe Felizor (CHSS, Government and Politics BA)

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Provost Newsletter

Alumna Gains Global Perspective to Improve Opportunities for Students with Disabilities

Wasiq Muhammad Muhammad Ali — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 18:42:31 +0000

Alumna Gains Global Perspective to Improve Opportunities for Students with Disabilities Wasiq Muhammad… Mon, 07/25/2022 - 14:42

Each year, hundreds of American students, aged eighteen to twenty-four, vie for the opportunity to work and study in Germany through the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) for Young Professionals program. The reciprocal program, which has run for thirty-nine years, selects seventy-five Americans and seventy-five German professionals to spend a year experiencing life in their respective cultural-exchange nations.

This year, Mason is celebrating the selection of Honors College alumni, Abigail Hawkins, to the prestigious CBYX program. Hawkins, who graduated from Mason in May 2022, majored in global affairs with concentrations in human security and Middle East and North Africa Studies, and a minor in Arabic.

Throughout her undergraduate study, Hawkins worked with Mason’s College Diabetes Network and gained experience in the nonprofit sector to improve healthcare affordability and accessibility.

Alongside her studies at Mason, Hawkins is a two-time alumna of the US Department of State's Critical Language Scholarship (CLS), a program designed by the U.S. government to expand the number of American students, who represent a range of majors and disciplines, studying and mastering critical foreign languages. In addition to her participation in the CLS program, Hawkins has studied abroad in Jordan, Spain, and Japan.

With her newest opportunity in the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) for Young Professionals program, Hawkins continues to forge a path for herself in international education with the goal of improving access to study abroad opportunities for students with disabilities and chronic illnesses.

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Critical Language Scholarship

Honors College

College of Humanities and Social Science

Fellowships

Mason grad students Kiernan Hogan and Ashley Robertson receive prestigious Boren Fellowships

John Hollis — Thu, 26 May 2022 20:12:01 +0000

Mason grad students Kiernan Hogan and Ashley Robertson receive prestigious Boren Fellowships John Hollis Thu, 05/26/2022 - 16:12

Two George Mason University graduate students have been awarded prestigious Boren Fellowships and will travel overseas this fall to immerse themselves in languages as they continue work toward their master’s degrees.

Kiernan Hogan, an interdisciplinary studies (MAIS) graduate student with a specialization in energy and sustainability, and Ashley Robertson, who is in the master of science program within Mason’s Environmental Science and Policy Department with a concentration in energy and sustainability policy and science, were among the 121 recipients of Boren Fellowships from around the nation who will study different languages throughout Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.

Kiernan Hogan. Photo provided

“It's a huge honor. It feels partly like recognition of all the hard work I've put in, the quality of the support I received from Mason staff and my advisors, and at the same time an investment in my future after Mason,” Hogan said. “Being awarded the fellowship means I presented a compelling argument as to why adding a linguistic specialization to my master's program is worthwhile, and that I hope much of my future work will have a strong international component to it.”

Hogan will travel to Brazil and engage in an intense Portuguese course in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, partly through the Federal University of Minas Gerais. Upon his return to the United States, his long-term goal is to work the Bureau of Energy Resources in the Department of State, focusing on energy policy in Brazil and South America.

Robertson will attend Ewha Woman’s University in Seoul, South Korea, to conduct research on the country’s energy policy as part of her master’s thesis and will engage in intensive Korean language study. Upon returning to the United States, she plans to seek a position as a researcher in the Department Energy.

Ashley Robertson. Photo provided

“It’s an incredible honor,” Robertson said of her Boren Fellowship. “I still can’t believe it, but I’m excited. To have it happen is one of the biggest achievements I’ve had in my academic career. To be able to do research while I’m there is also really exciting.”

Megan Bruening, who is Mason’s assistant director of graduate fellowships within the Office of Fellowships, said she came away very impressed with both of these amazing students.

“It was a great pleasure to work with both on this process,” Bruening said.

Both students worked under the auspices of Jennifer Sklarew, an assistant professor in the Environmental Science and Policy Department.

Boren Fellowships provide up to $30,000 for U.S. graduate students to add an important international and language component to their graduate education through specialization in area study, language study or increased language proficiency. In exchange for funding, Boren Awards recipients commit to working in the federal government for at least one year after graduation.

The awards are named for former U.S. Senator David L. Boren, who was the principal author of the legislation that created the National Security Education Program in 1991 and the scholarships and fellowships that bear his name. The fellowship is an initiative of the NSEP, which provides funding for U.S. students to study less commonly taught languages in world regions critical to U.S. interests.

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Department of Environmental Science and Policy (ESP)

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

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Jasmine Okidi Named Mason's First Beinecke Scholar

Wasiq Muhammad Muhammad Ali — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 21:12:06 +0000

Jasmine Okidi Named Mason's First Beinecke Scholar Wasiq Muhammad… Fri, 04/15/2022 - 17:12

Jasmine Okidi, a third-year University Scholar studying English, was selected as Mason’s first-ever recipient of the Beinecke Scholarship. The award, which was established in 1971 by the Board of Directors of The Sperry and Hutchinson Company to honor Edwin, Frederick, and Walter Beinecke, supports graduate study in the arts, humanities, and social sciences.

As early as her freshman year’s Principles of Research and Inquiry (HNRS 110) course, Okidi has demonstrated her commitment to multi-dimensional and interrogative research. Okidi, who is from Kampala, Uganda, utilized her HNRS 110 coursework to explore community-inclusive strategies to address wetland degradation in Kampala, Uganda’s capital city.

In her initial investigation of the wetland degradation in Kampala, Okidi featured a proactive three-phase plan for educating the public on the current state of the area: 1) survey the community, 2) spread information, and 3) assess how perceptions are influenced. Afterwards, Okidi went on to develop the project under OSCAR’s Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP), investigating the political ecology of Kampala’s wetland management.

Alongside her passion for conservation, Okidi’s interests in African and African diasporic literature, ecocriticism, and Black feminist ecologies highlight the strength of her academic prowess and reflect the interdisciplinary nature of scholarship within the Honors College. Whilst keeping in line with this tradition of scholarly excellence at Mason, Okidi blazes a trail for future Beinecke scholars in the Honors College.

Each recipient of the Beinecke scholarship receives $4,000 immediately prior to entering graduate school and an additional $30,000 while attending graduate school which Okidi looks forward to using in her pursuit of a PhD in Africana Studies and exploring race and ethnicity, gender, and environment in Ugandan literature and culture.

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Bioengineering undergrad Medhini Sosale awarded prestigious Goldwater scholarship

Rena Malai — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 18:45:45 +0000

Bioengineering undergrad Medhini Sosale awarded prestigious Goldwater scholarship Rena Malai Tue, 04/12/2022 - 14:45

In This Story

Parag Chitnis, Ph.D.

When George Mason Bioengineering undergrad Medhini Sosale was a child, she loved trivia and had a curiosity about everything around her. This knack for questioning her world led her to pursue a career in STEM research, and more recently, win the Barry Goldwater scholarship.

The scholarship is one of the highest rewards in the U.S. for undergrad students interested in developing STEM research careers, with winners receiving up to $7,500 annually. Sosale sees her win as not only helping her towards her career goals, but financially freeing up her time to delve into research more fully.

“I don’t really personally know many people who have pursued PhDs,” says Sosale, an Honors College student. “This scholarship offers a big community network of recent scholars and I’m excited to draw from this network, for general career advice and advice about graduate school.”

She says being inquisitive probably played a part for her in going after the scholarship. The application process has several steps, and Sosale made sure to start early and find out every detail she could about what she needed to submit. Although the application required one research essay, Sosale wrote two. She then worked with Karen Lee, her scholarship mentor, and other members in the Mason Office of Fellowships to decide which essay would work best.

Her essay work on research project Modelling Cerebral Blood Flow to Optimize Ischemic Stroke Treatment was the winning choice. The project focuses on studying the effects of various factors on ischemic stroke treatment. She also previously worked on a project with Parag Chitnis, assistant professor in Bioengineering, to develop a 3-D cell model that examines the barrier between the brain and the blood stream.

“I am very grateful to now be a Goldwater scholar,” says Sosale. “It definitely wasn’t a one - person process. There were a lot of people behind the scenes that helped me get here and I want to thank each and every one of them.”

The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation was established by Congress in 1986 to serve as a living memorial to honor the lifetime work of Sen. Barry Goldwater. The Goldwater Scholarship Program identifies and supports college sophomores and juniors who show exceptional promise of becoming the next research leaders in the fields of engineering, mathematics, and natural science.

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Goldwater Scholarship

Congratulations to Gabrielle Jackson, Community Health Senior and Winner of the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant

dhawkin — Tue, 12 May 2020 18:28:27 +0000

Congratulations to Gabrielle Jackson, Community Health Senior and Winner of the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant dhawkin Tue, 05/12/2020 - 14:28

Gabrielle Jackson was awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student Grant, widely recognized as one of the most prestigious international exchange programs, with only 8,000 grants awards each year.

CHHS senior Gabrielle Jackson is set to graduate this spring with a bachelor’s in community health, a minor in Spanish and exciting plans of international community engagement, and a bright future career in public health.

Jackson left her hometown in New Jersey to begin her educational career at Mason in 2016. “Mason had the programs I was interested in, and I loved how close it was to D.C., one of my favorite cities,” says Jackson. “After visiting campus, Mason’s diversity, character and overall friendliness really stood out to me. I then realized I was comparing all my other options to Mason, so it ended up being my first choice.”

With dreams of travel and the desire to help others in her future, the Fulbright scholarship was on Jackson’s radar prior to her time at Mason. “During freshman year I was enrolled in a college success 101 course that asked us to write down three goals to strive for during our college career,” she remembers. “Right then I decided I wanted to write well, think critically, and win a Fulbright.”

After being asked if she learned any important lessons from her time at Mason, Jackson replied, “My professors encouraged me to apply for a Boren fellowship in Brazil. I was very hesitant because it wasn’t a part of my plan. I wanted to go to Colombia or Argentina where they spoke Spanish, why would I go to Brazil? After going to my family for advice, my dad told me, there was nothing to lose by just applying. I realized it was okay to pursue something outside of my plan, so I took the chance and applied.”

Jackson was accepted by the program and traveled to Brazil that summer. “The best advice I would give to future Mason students is not to shut yourself out of opportunities just because you didn’t imagine them for yourself.”

When the time came to apply to the Fulbright scholarship, Jackson received great support from her professors who helped write recommendation letters.

Fulbright typically awards scholarships for the opportunity to be an English teaching assistant (ETA) or conduct research. Jackson chose to be an ETA in Colombia based on her background in Spanish, past teaching experience at Mason assisting in math, and her love for Latino culture.

When she arrives in Colombia, Jackson will be placed in one of their universities to assist in teaching English and math, as well as providing additional support to professionals who wish to improve their English. She will spend about 30 hours a week inside the classroom and the other 10 hours conducting a community engagement project outside the classroom.

Jackson chose Colombia because she used to watch music videos from Afro-Latino communities on the pacific coast of Colombia and remember feeling completely enthralled by their rich and diverse culture. After studying abroad in Spain and experiencing Brazil, she is excited to return to South America and completely immerse herself in their language and everyday life.

Not only does Fulbright provide students with a greater world view but is an integral part of United States diplomacy with other nations. Jackson added that the program is very diversifying, allowing other nations to see the different faces of the United States, and variations of unique backgrounds. International programs like Fulbright share different identities of people who make up the U.S. with the rest of the world.

In light of COVID-19, all Fulbright programs have been delayed and will be reassessed in January 2021. The length of the program will likely be shorter than 10 months, its original duration. Jackson recounted “I was nervous prior to COVID-19 that 10 months would be too long, but now that will not be the case. Right now, health is a primary concern, but it is too soon to predict what will happen or what life will be like in a year.”

When asked what she hopes to accomplish after eventually completing her journey overseas and in a future career, Jackson said, “I always wanted to help others, but now I have a better idea of how I can do that. I believe in providing people with the right resources and encouraging them to take charge of their own lives. It’s not about empowering people, because they already have the power.”

Jackson hopes her time in Colombia will enhance her worldview by expanding her appreciation for people and the strengths they bring no matter where they come from. From a practical standpoint, Jackson will further her language ability in Spanish which will benefit her in future possible careers such as the non-profit sector, social service, or the federal government.

After returning from Colombia, Jackson plans to work for the federal government.