Outstanding Alumni
May 2013 Dear Alumnus, It is hard to believe that the end of the school year is in sight! We have been busy in April, welcoming Jim Lehrer to campus, installing George Mason University’s first members of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, and celebrating the 35th anniversary of George Mason’s folklore program. The university has just held a week of events centered on the inauguration of Mason’s sixth president, Ángel Cabrera. The inauguration, which took place on Mason Day, April 26, was a memorable experience, focused on Mason’s Vision and the Mason idea. The Mason idea combines the university’s core characteristics—innovative, diverse, entrepreneurial, and accessibile—that set Mason apart as an institution for the future. We are all part of the Mason idea; you can read more about it here.
College of Humanities and Social Sciences Upcoming Events This month, our events center around convocation and commencement. Our speakers this year include provost Peter Stearns, Mara Liasson, of FOX news and NPR, and Ilryong Moon, School Board Chairman and Member at Large, Fairfax County Public Schools. The university commencement is on Saturday, May 18.
Outstanding Alumni At this year’s Alumni Association’s Celebration of Distinction, CHSS really swept the floor!
Helen Ackerman, MA English ’86, received the Alumni Service Award. Allen Johnson, BA English ’99, received the Black Alumni Chapter Award. Nicole Geller, BS Economics ’86, received the CHSS Distinguished Alumni Award. Matthew Bruno, BA Integrative Studies ’05, MAIS ’08, received the Lambda Alumni Chapter Jacob Jenkins, BA Integrative Studies ’07, MPA ’11, received the New Center College Distinguished Alumni Award. Gregory Kalinsky, BA Philosophy ’89, JD ’00, received the School of Law Distinguished Alumni Award.
Some other alumni that have been in the news ... Danielle Blunt, MAIS ’11, concentration in higher education, has founded Girls Inspired and Ready to Lead, Inc. (GIRL), which helps middle and high school girls develop skills that will help them navigate educational and social challenges.
Jon Hickox and and his wife Kim, BA History ‘98, have combined their love of history with a unique business opportunity. They own the Winery at Bull Run in Centreville, Virginia, which is located next to the Manassas Battlefield National Park.
College of Humanities and Social Sciences Graduate Convocation Wednesday, May 15 7 p.m. Patriot Center College of Humanities and Social Sciences Undergraduate Convocation for the Humanities and Interdisciplinary Programs Thursday, May 16 7 p.m. Patriot Center College of Humanities and Social Sciences Undergraduate Convocation for the Social Sciences Friday, May 17 10 a.m. Patriot Center
Outstanding Faculty Marion Deshmukh, Robert T. Hawkes Professor of History, was selected as the 2013 Faculty Member of the Year at this year’s Celebration of Distinction. This award recognizes a distinguished faculty member who embodies a commitment to scholarship, teaching and service. Marion does all of these things, and if you have had the experience of taking a class with her during your time here, I hope you will agree. Read more here. A number of other college faculty members have been recognized by the Mason Center for Teaching Excellence. Teaching Excellence awards were given to Shannon Davis and Jeffrey Mantz of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Paul Gorski of the New Century College, Christopher Hamner of the Department of History and Art History, and Jaime Lester of the Higher Education Program. Gérard Beck of the Department of Modern and Classical Languages, and Maria Dakake of the Department of Religious Studies, were named among the 2013 Teachers of Distinction. English professor Terry Zawacki has won this year’s David J. King Teaching Award, given annually to a faculty member who has made significant, long-term contributions to the overall educational excellence of the university. We congratulate all of these faculty members.
Outstanding Students
In April, the Alumni Association awarded five annual scholarships, two of them to students within the college. Nancy Xiong, a sociology major, won the John C. and Louise P. Wood Graduate Scholarship, and Jacqueline Mitchell-Koromah, a criminology, law and society major, was awarded the Peter C. Forame Student Leader Scholarship. These awards are made possible by the generosity of alumni donors. The following students have received the prestigious and highly competitive Dean’s Challenge Award from CHSS.
Undergraduate recipients:
Amy Woolsey, BA English Anais-Flora Akassi Assale, BA Global Affairs Victoria Georges, BA History Greg Holden, BS Criminology, Law & Society Jordan Nichols, BS Criminology, Law & Society Jenna Beaver, BS Psychology Nealofar Panjshiri, BS Public Administration
Graduate recipients:
Masha Stoyanova, MA Art History Lindsay Norcross, MA English Dana Kaasik, MPA Public Administration Danielle Rainwater, MPA Public Administration Jill Viglione, PhD Criminology, Law & Society Elizabeth Malouf, MA’10 Psychology, PhD Psychology
With summer ahead, I hope you will remember to keep in touch. Hearing from alumni and reporting your successes is what makes this publication come alive. And in the coming weeks, please take a look at the college’s website; we’re going to be unveiling the new design soon. Our IT staff has been working hard on it, and we’re anxious to see what you think. Yours in Patriot Pride,
Jack R. Censer Dean, College of Humanities and Social Sciences Alumni Website Alumni Events Alumni Weekend Donate Vision Series Stay Connected
College of Humanities and Social Sciences Upcoming Events This month, our events center around convocation and commencement. Our speakers this year include provost Peter Stearns, Mara Liasson, of FOX news and NPR, and Ilryong Moon, School Board Chairman and Member at Large, Fairfax County Public Schools. The university commencement is on Saturday, May 18.
Outstanding Alumni At this year’s Alumni Association’s Celebration of Distinction, CHSS really swept the floor!
Helen Ackerman, MA English ’86, received the Alumni Service Award. Allen Johnson, BA English ’99, received the Black Alumni Chapter Award. Nicole Geller, BS Economics ’86, received the CHSS Distinguished Alumni Award. Matthew Bruno, BA Integrative Studies ’05, MAIS ’08, received the Lambda Alumni Chapter Jacob Jenkins, BA Integrative Studies ’07, MPA ’11, received the New Center College Distinguished Alumni Award. Gregory Kalinsky, BA Philosophy ’89, JD ’00, received the School of Law Distinguished Alumni Award.
Some other alumni that have been in the news ... Danielle Blunt, MAIS ’11, concentration in higher education, has founded Girls Inspired and Ready to Lead, Inc. (GIRL), which helps middle and high school girls develop skills that will help them navigate educational and social challenges.
Jon Hickox and and his wife Kim, BA History ‘98, have combined their love of history with a unique business opportunity. They own the Winery at Bull Run in Centreville, Virginia, which is located next to the Manassas Battlefield National Park.
College of Humanities and Social Sciences Graduate Convocation Wednesday, May 15 7 p.m. Patriot Center College of Humanities and Social Sciences Undergraduate Convocation for the Humanities and Interdisciplinary Programs Thursday, May 16 7 p.m. Patriot Center College of Humanities and Social Sciences Undergraduate Convocation for the Social Sciences Friday, May 17 10 a.m. Patriot Center
Outstanding Faculty Marion Deshmukh, Robert T. Hawkes Professor of History, was selected as the 2013 Faculty Member of the Year at this year’s Celebration of Distinction. This award recognizes a distinguished faculty member who embodies a commitment to scholarship, teaching and service. Marion does all of these things, and if you have had the experience of taking a class with her during your time here, I hope you will agree. Read more here. A number of other college faculty members have been recognized by the Mason Center for Teaching Excellence. Teaching Excellence awards were given to Shannon Davis and Jeffrey Mantz of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Paul Gorski of the New Century College, Christopher Hamner of the Department of History and Art History, and Jaime Lester of the Higher Education Program. Gérard Beck of the Department of Modern and Classical Languages, and Maria Dakake of the Department of Religious Studies, were named among the 2013 Teachers of Distinction. English professor Terry Zawacki has won this year’s David J. King Teaching Award, given annually to a faculty member who has made significant, long-term contributions to the overall educational excellence of the university. We congratulate all of these faculty members.
Outstanding Students
In April, the Alumni Association awarded five annual scholarships, two of them to students within the college. Nancy Xiong, a sociology major, won the John C. and Louise P. Wood Graduate Scholarship, and Jacqueline Mitchell-Koromah, a criminology, law and society major, was awarded the Peter C. Forame Student Leader Scholarship. These awards are made possible by the generosity of alumni donors. The following students have received the prestigious and highly competitive Dean’s Challenge Award from CHSS.
Undergraduate recipients:
Amy Woolsey, BA English Anais-Flora Akassi Assale, BA Global Affairs Victoria Georges, BA History Greg Holden, BS Criminology, Law & Society Jordan Nichols, BS Criminology, Law & Society Jenna Beaver, BS Psychology Nealofar Panjshiri, BS Public Administration
Graduate recipients:
Masha Stoyanova, MA Art History Lindsay Norcross, MA English Dana Kaasik, MPA Public Administration Danielle Rainwater, MPA Public Administration Jill Viglione, PhD Criminology, Law & Society Elizabeth Malouf, MA’10 Psychology, PhD Psychology
With summer ahead, I hope you will remember to keep in touch. Hearing from alumni and reporting your successes is what makes this publication come alive. And in the coming weeks, please take a look at the college’s website; we’re going to be unveiling the new design soon. Our IT staff has been working hard on it, and we’re anxious to see what you think. Yours in Patriot Pride,
Jack R. Censer Dean, College of Humanities and Social Sciences Alumni Website Alumni Events Alumni Weekend Donate Vision Series Stay Connected
