Office of Fellowships

George Mason students earn prestigious fellowships across disciplines

Susan Martonik — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 15:04:49 +0000

George Mason students earn prestigious fellowships across disciplines Susan Martonik Thu, 07/02/2026 - 11:04

This past spring, nearly a dozen 91�� students received nationally competitive fellowships and scholarships, supporting work across a wide range of fields. Addressing topics from artificial intelligence (AI) in the classroom to air pollution to the history of musical instruments, these honors highlight the breadth of student achievement and underscore that funding awards are within reach for students in any field.

“This year alone, George Mason students have benefited from more than $168,000 in funding to further their education, study abroad, engage in meaningful research, and more,” said Megan Bruening, director in the Office of Fellowships. “These prestigious grants and awards open the door to unique opportunities that foster personal growth and build valuable academic and professional skills.”

Several of this year's award recipients were recognized at the May Board of Visitors meeting. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

Recent fellowship recipients include:

Ashleigh Williams, Fulbright Award and Berlin Program Dissertation Fellowship
In September 2026, Williams, a historian of race, visual culture, and socialist internationalism, will travel to Germany to conduct research for her dissertation on the racial politics of the German Democratic Republic between 1961 and 1996. Williams is pursuing a doctorate in history in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Cora Sula, Fulbright Award
Sula, a third-year PhD student in the Department of Information Sciences and Technology in the College of Engineering and Computing, will study the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in classrooms in Estonia. As one of the few countries with a national rollout of AI-assisted classrooms, Sula will investigate how this initiative is shaping Estonian teachers’ professional practices and classroom pedagogy.

Lina Bondesson, Critical Language Scholarship
Selected from a competitive pool of more than 4,500 applicants nationwide, Bondesson, a conflict analysis and resolution major in the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, will study Korean language and culture. The opportunity is part of a U.S. State Department program that provides immersive experiences in languages critical to the United States’ national security and economic prosperity.

Xavier Isaac, Boren Fellowship
An international security major in the Schar School of Policy and Government, Isaac’s fellowship will allow him to travel to Japan. The Boren award provides funding for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to study critical languages abroad while committing to future public service to enhance U.S. capabilities, deterrence, and readiness.

Sofie Strompf, Goldwater Scholarship
Strompf, an Honors College student and neuroscience major in the College of Science, has received funding to continue her education at George Mason. Created to support future leaders in the STEM field, the scholarship was awarded for Strompf’s curiosity, discipline, and vision to become a research leader.

Xiaorong (Sherry) Shan, COVES Policy Fellowship
Shan, a Commonwealth of Virginia Engineering and Science (COVES) Policy Fellowship recipient, will spend her summer serving as an advisor at the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. In this role, she will work on environmental justice-related initiatives, including updates to the environmental justice guidance in the permitting process and supporting community engagement efforts. Shan is a civil and infrastructure engineering major the College of Engineering and Computing.

Yingjie Zhang, COVES Policy Fellowship
A PhD candidate in bioinformatics and computational biology in the College of Science, Zhang will complete his COVES fellowship with Virginia Bio, a statewide nonprofit trade association representing the life sciences industry in the commonwealth. He will bring his research experience in AI-driven drug discovery and development to the fellowship while expanding his understanding of the intersection between science, artificial intelligence, and state-level policy.

Jayme Kurland, Smithsonian Institution Fellowship
Kurland, a PhD candidate in history in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, will conduct research at the Smithsonian Museum of American History as part of her predoctoral fellowship. Her dissertation research investigates the roles women have played in the early history of the Fender Electric Instruments Company.

Alexandra Miller, Urban Communication Foundation Research Assistance Grant
Miller received a grant to support her project, “You Can’t Do That Here: Misuse of Space in New York at the Turn of the Twentieth Century.” A doctoral student in history in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Miller researches green spaces, most recently urban parks and playgrounds in the American Progressive Era.

Ali Kothawala, COMTO DC Scholarship
Kothawala, an earth systems and geoinformation sciences major in the College of Science, received an inaugural Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) DC scholarship in recognition of his academic achievement, leadership potential, and commitment to advancing excellence in transportation and infrastructure.

The Office of Fellowships supports current George Mason students and alumni in preparing strong applications for nationally competitive grants and scholarships. In the 2025-26 academic year, the office assisted more than 135 students.

“The fellowship application process is worthwhile, even if students or alumni don’t receive an award,” said Bruening. “Applicants strengthen their communication skills, enhance their goal-setting abilities, and expand their professional network, all while gaining clearer direction for their academic and professional path.”

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Goldwater Scholar Sofie Strompf is finding art in science

sholla4 — Wed, 06 May 2026 14:29:15 +0000

Goldwater Scholar Sofie Strompf is finding art in science sholla4 Wed, 05/06/2026 - 10:29

Left brained vs right brained, analytical vs creative: Art and science are often placed on opposite ends of the spectrum, two disciplines at war with one another. But for Sofie Strompf, Honors College student, neuroscience major, and recipient of a prestigious 2026 Goldwater Scholarship, the divide between the two is more a matter of perspective.

Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

Strompf was a member of the Mason Nation long before beginning her undergraduate career. As a regular student, and then assistant administrator, at Acting for Young People through Mason Community Arts Academy, she developed a deep passion for theatre.

Strompf entered George Mason ready to take the stage. Initially a technical theater major, she was inspired by a literature review project in HNRS 110 Principles of Research and Inquiry to consider a different path.

“Because of my experiences with my dynamic disability [hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome], I was really interested in familial dysautonomia, a rare genetic condition that causes severe, degenerative dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system, so I chose that as my topic,” she said. “I had never had a chance to research like this before. My literature review was way over the top for anything I needed to write, because I was so interested in the topic.”

Strompf reached out to Ali Andalibi, previous senior associate dean for research for the College of Science, for mentorship as she explored the possibilities in more research-focused pathways. During her second year at Mason, she completed research with Andalibi with the support of an Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP) grant from George Mason’s Office of Student Creative Activities and Research (OSCAR) and interned at the Medical University of South Carolina. These experiences affirmed her love of science and research, and she transitioned to the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience.

“Research is just identifying a problem and coming up with a way to look at that problem from a bunch of different angles to understand it better and thinking outside the box to solve it. That in itself is a creative process,” she said. “So I think that having this background in creative arts and humanities has actually made me a better researcher from the start.”

With her love of research, Strompf’s academic career has developed as much in the lab as in the classroom. Under the guidance of Professor Lance Liotta and Postdoctoral Research Fellow Marissa Howard, she’s been supporting and developing research projects in the Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine (CAPMM) for the past four years. Last year, her work in the lab was supported by an National Institutes of Health Diversity Supplemental research grant. This grant bolstered her experiences in the lab, leading her to develop her own hypothesis regarding secretory mitophagy (a new process of cellular mitochondrial recycling discovered by CAPMM researchers) as it relates to neurodegenerative disease. She hopes to continue research related to this hypothesis as a PhD student after graduating in 2027.

Strompf delivering a presentation. Photo provided.

There’s another angle to Strompf’s work as well: advocacy and policy. “I’m trying to be part of this movement of young, early career scientists and researchers who really want to share all these cool new discoveries with the public and the world,” she said.

For her, that includes outreach work as part of the Nexus234 Innovation District, teaching local elementary, middle, and high school students about cells during Nanotechnology Day and other community events; serving as a mentor for the Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP); and mentoring other undergraduate students as an OSCAR Peer Leader.

She also actively advocates through her positions on the State Council for Higher Education for Virginia’s (SCHEV) Disabilities Access to Higher Education Advisory Committee, Council for Undergraduate Research (CUR), and the Scientist Network for Advancing Policy (SNAP).

“I’ve worked closely with a lot of SCHEV staff to talk about disability policy and draft policy recommendations, as well as lobbying and meeting state representatives to share why inclusion and accessibility matter,” she said.

Receiving a Goldwater Scholarship, which recognizes students with the potential to be the next generation of research leaders, is a true testament to her dedication and perseverance.

Megan Bruening, director of the Office of Fellowship, said, “it has been our pleasure to work with Sofie and watch her grow over the course of her undergraduate career at Mason. Her intellectual curiosity, impressive work ethic, and determination to serve others makes her stand out as a promising STEM researcher.”

“Often, there is hardly any representation in science for students with disabilities, and it can be hard not to feel alone or unwelcome,” Strompf said. “Receiving the Goldwater Scholarship is especially meaningful in this context, as I feel like it validates both my place in science and that of other students with disabilities. Despite the challenges I have faced, a team of accomplished, established scientists believes in me and my potential to contribute meaningfully to my field.”

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Mason graduate student awarded Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship

ckearney — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 19:28:23 +0000

Mason graduate student awarded Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship ckearney Wed, 08/23/2023 - 15:28

91��’s Senior of the Year has a new accolade to add to her resume: a Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship.

Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

Hannah Adamson, who graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in conflict analysis and resolution, is one of 62 recipients nationwide to be awarded a fellowship worth $8,500 by The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.

As the Phi Kappa Phi Deborah and John Yeakel Fellow, Adamson will pursue a master’s degree in conflict analysis and resolution through Mason’s Accelerated Master’s Program.

“I was looking at different options to fund my graduate study and I appreciated that Phi Kappa Phi offered applicants the opportunity to define how their graduate studies will contribute to achieving their goals,” said Adamson. “Knowing that an organization is comfortable investing in what I have to offer is empowering.”

“Phi Kappa Phi is one of the nation’s most prestigious honor societies, representing the next generation of leaders and scholars,” said Megan Bruening, director of Mason’s Office of Fellowships, who worked with Adamson on her application. “Hannah’s fellowship demonstrates how our own Mason Phi Kappa Phi chapter produces outstanding candidates from a select pool of applicants.”

“Growing up as a first-generation American, I have experienced the complexity of my U.S. culture with both my Irish and New Zealander heritage. Unifying these backgrounds is my commitment to make a positive impact, especially bridging social divides and protecting nature,” Adamson wrote in her personal statement for Phi Kappa Phi’s fellowship application.

Adamson’s goal is to have her education serve as a launching pad for community and international peacebuilding and environmental justice work. Currently, she works with a team at the Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation as a program officer researching insider-reconcilers—community members who use their connection to conflict parties to work toward peace.

She also enjoys working at Think Peace Learning and Support Hub as a program manager of the Peace and Trust: Horn of Africa program, where she accompanies local partners as they facilitate conversations within communities affected by violence by implementing trauma healing and mental health support in the path to peace.

“As a graduate student, I will continue to focus on understanding how individuals, communities, governments, and organizations can collaborate to identify contextualized solutions and prioritize an inclusive and sustainable future,” she said.

A University Scholar in the Honors College during her undergraduate years at Mason, Adamson was selected Senior of the Year by Mason’s Alumni Association and will be recognized at the university’s annual Celebration of Distinction in October.

Looking to the future, Adamson aims to work either in a nonprofit, government, or inter-governmental organization. She aspires to bring people together to nurture sustainable communities, especially in terms of overcoming systems of injustice and ensuring all people have access to a healthy environment and adequate resources.

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Office of Fellowships announces 2022-23 award winners

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

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

91��’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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Mason’s first Beinecke scholar is never done learning

ckearney — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 14:43:12 +0000

Mason’s first Beinecke scholar is never done learning ckearney Mon, 04/18/2022 - 10:43

In This Story

Louise I. Shelley

Jasmine Okidi. Photo by DeRon Rockingham/Creative Services

Jasmine Okidi did not view last summer as a time to regroup and relax. She saw it as a time to improve—her writing, specifically.

So the 91�� English major, who was entering her junior year, contacted one of her professors, Keith Clark.

Clark, a professor of English and African and African American Studies at Mason, said students rarely seek him out after classes much less over the summer. But he said the request was a perfect indicator of Okidi’s seriousness as a scholar.

“Though Jasmine is clearly brilliant and accomplished, she always understands there is more to learn and ways to improve,” Clark said. “Her teachability makes her an outstanding role model of a student.”

Okidi’s dedication and accomplishments were rewarded recently with a Beinecke Scholarship, which supports exceptional students committed to research careers in the arts, humanities, and social sciences.

A member of Mason’s Honors College and a University Scholar, she was one of just 16 recipients among nominees from as many as 135 institutions.

“Getting this scholarship was really reaffirming,” Okidi said. “Just to be able to gain greater confidence in being able to do the things I want to do in my academic career and in the humanities.”

The scholarship immediately awards $4,000 to recipients and makes $30,000 available for graduate school.

It is a selective award. Institutions must be invited to participate and are allowed just one nominee each.

Mason, a participant the past three years, earned inclusion with the assistance of University Professor Louise Shelley, who helped make the scholarship foundation aware of Mason’s diverse and accomplished student body.

LaNitra Berger, senior director of Mason’s Office of Fellowships, promotes the scholarship on campus and looks for students who could be nominees. She also does the heavy lifting of preparing the nominees to get through the rigorous selection process.

“This funding is so critical to students,” Shelley said. “It is a significant amount of money. The Beinecke funding can therefore be transformational in a student’s intellectual development and make it possible to continue their education without going into debt.”

Being included in Beinecke’s process also speaks highly of the university, said Berger, who noted that other winners this year are from institutions such as Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, the University of Chicago, and Brown.

“So for 91�� and our office to have put a student at that same level, it really shows the upward trajectory of the university and the Office of Fellowships,” Berger said.

“And,” she added, “for anybody questioning what inclusive excellence looks like at Mason, there’s nothing more inclusive and excellent about a Ugandan American student being our first-ever Beinecke scholar.”

Okidi, originally from Gaithersburg, Maryland, relocated with her mother to her native Kampala, Uganda, when she was 9 years old. She returned to the United States to attend college.

Okidi said she chose Mason because the Honors College would allow her to develop a smaller community among the larger community at the university. She also was intrigued by the English Department’s Visiting Writers Series.

In her first-semester research class in the Honors College, Okidi was inspired to begin her exploration into the rhetoric of ecology and wetlands management in Uganda. She continued the research through Mason’s Office of Student Scholarship, Creative Activities, and Research (OSCAR).

“I was reminded of radio messaging, TV messaging about how the lower income stakeholders were degrading the wetland and encroaching on it. Yet at the same time government permitted encroachment by private stakeholders,” Okidi said. “As a teenager, I didn’t make much sense of this contradiction. But when I came to Mason and took that class, I wanted to explore it. My first-semester project inspired me to explore that contradiction.”

It is that sense of purpose Okidi hopes will eventually put her in academia.

“I love academic research,” she said. “Being able to do research about my people, my ethnic group, is really important to me. I come from a marginalized ethnic group [the Acholi of northern Uganda and South Sudan], and would love to highlight issues and things to celebrate my people for through research and represent them that way.”

“She just has a deft critical mind,” Clark said. “Really sharp, always insightful. That’s what makes her stand out.”

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Expanding the promise of international education

Melanie Balog — Fri, 14 Jan 2022 19:35:26 +0000

Expanding the promise of international education Melanie Balog Fri, 01/14/2022 - 14:35

LaNitra Berger. Photo provided.

LaNitra Berger, associate director of 91��’s African and African American Studies program and senior director of the Office of Fellowships in the Office of Undergraduate Education, has been named the president of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, and the chair of its board of directors.

NAFSA is the world's largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education and exchange, serving the needs of more than 10,000 members and international educators worldwide at more than 3,500 institutions, in more than 150 countries. NAFSA advances the field of international education through campus internationalization, global learning, and leadership.

Berger said she was honored to have been elected to this leadership role, noting that NAFSA’S members and educators have an opportunity to demonstrate leadership in areas such as social justice, environmental sustainability, peace and conflict resolution, entrepreneurship, STEM, and global health.

“I anticipate the challenges and opportunities of leading the organization as we work to navigate COVID’s seismic effects as well as a global racial reckoning,” she said. “International education empowers and inspires students, scholars, and professionals to be open-minded, critical thinkers who are willing to address global challenges by viewing them from multiple perspectives. 2022 will be an exciting year of change and renewal.”

Alongside her work for the AAAS program, Berger has successfully led the fellowships office since 2010, helping students secure more than $2 million in prestigious, externally funded fellowships, including the Fulbright, Boren, Gilman, Truman, Udall, and Critical Language Scholarship awards. Inclusive excellence has been the core focus of her leadership; a majority of Mason’s nationally competitive fellowship recipients have been first-generation, minority, and/or low-income students.

Berger has a strong commitment to internationalization, which she fosters through student advising, university service, and research. In 2015, she received the Spirit of King Award for diversifying study abroad, and in 2018, she received the Margaret C. Howell Award Outstanding Achievement Award for her work to promote respect, diversity, and dignity for students, and for developing programs that promote cross-cultural understanding and cooperation.

Berger is an active member of the Diversity Abroad Network and volunteers with Globalize DC. She previously served as NAFSA’s vice president for Public Policy and Practice, and is the author of the NAFSA guide, Exploring Education Abroad: A Guide for Racial and Ethnic Minority Participants (NAFSA, 2016). She is also the editor of Social Justice and International Education: Research, Practice, Perspectives (NAFSA, 2020), which has been NAFSA’s best-selling book for over a year. Her first monograph, Irma Stern and the Racial Paradox of South African Modern Art: Audacities of Color, was published by Bloomsbury Academic in 2020.

Berger said she particularly appreciates how her new role in NAFSA will spotlight Mason’s programs in international education. The position offers a platform for interaction with government agencies as well as other institutions that are committed to internationalization and inclusive excellence. “It’s an exciting opportunity for Mason and for our AAAS program to be positioned in both international education and social justice,” she said.

This article first appeared on the College of Humanities and Social Sciences website.

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Donation to Fellowships Office supports underrepresented students in international affairs and diplomacy

ckearney — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 15:16:21 +0000

Donation to Fellowships Office supports underrepresented students in international affairs and diplomacy ckearney Thu, 04/15/2021 - 11:16

91��’s Office of Fellowships is one step closer to making a pipeline to diplomacy jobs a reality for underrepresented students.

In the first-ever donation of its kind, McLarty Associates is donating $15,000 to the office to help develop a course and programming to support students seeking to pursue careers in international affairs and public service.

LaNitra Berger. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

“McLarty’s support has been crucial in helping my office address some critical needs this year,” said LaNitra Berger, senior director. “Their donation was unexpected but so needed, allowing us the ability to use the resources to focus on underrepresented students for diplomacy careers.”

Berger said the donation will provide the infrastructure to build programs with international and world affairs courses for minority students. The funds will pay for books, class materials and honorariums for guest speakers, as well as allow students to be in meetings and at events, giving them direct contact with diplomats and future mentors.

“Building a pipeline for students in international affairs takes time and requires the development of good relationships. My hope is that the work we are able to achieve through this donation eventually helps attract people to Mason and into international as well as public policy,” she said.

Berger and McLarty Associates’ president, Nelson Cunningham, met several years ago working on the Board of NAFSA: Association of International Educators. The two stayed in touch, and Cunningham continued to track the work Berger was doing at Mason related to developing diverse student interest in the field of international affairs.

“I have been and continue to be impressed with Berger’s dedication to promoting diversity in the world of foreign affairs and to promote international education and understanding more broadly,” Cunningham said. “It is our hope that this donation helps Mason attract more students into international public policy positions. “

McLarty Associates is an international strategic advisory firm comprising nearly 100 people representing 21 countries. McLarty works at the nexus of business and policy to helps clients navigate the complexities of global strategic and operational challenges. Due to the global nature of the firm’s work, it frequently draws its employees from international establishments, such as the U.S. State Department and think tanks, who are adept and savvy in dealing with governments worldwide.

Spurred by social justice movements and the lack of diversity in the international affairs and diplomatic field, Cunningham and his staff wanted to support diversity both within the firm and in the field.

“America is the most diverse country in the world—it’s our strength—and if our diplomats don’t look like the people they represent, we are not as strong and not representing America as well,” Cunningham said.

“Dr. Berger’s push to get a diverse representation of students interested in international affairs is something we see as a worthy investment,” said Ariele Yaffee, director of operations and legal for McLarty. She added that Mason has bright future in that area and McLarty looks forward to bringing Mason students on as interns and associates.

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Breaking down barriers and making connections through networking

rlebreto — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 22:29:00 +0000

Breaking down barriers and making connections through networking rlebreto Wed, 04/07/2021 - 18:29

From left, Soraya Ngarnim, Chanel Grice and LaNitra Berger meeting on campus in 2019. Photo provided

The number of Black women entering the foreign service and STEM PhD programs is low. A GAO report said just 3% percent of State Department workers were Black women in 2018, and the National Center for Education Statistics reported that just 10.9% of doctoral degrees awarded in the 2018-19 went to Black women.

But current 91�� student Soraya Ngarnim and alumna Chanel Grice were determined to overcome those barriers.

With the guidance of LaNitra Berger, senior director of Mason’s Office of Fellowships, and thanks to a happenstance meeting between them, Ngarnim and Grice are fulfilling their dreams and helping promote the ideals of International Black Women’s History Month, which celebrates the achievements and rich histories of the past present and futures of Black women.

Berger said she takes seriously responsibility of guiding Black female students, and that networks for Black women are powerful and oftentimes underestimated.

“I think what’s important for the larger community to see is that young Black women at Mason are doing hard work, getting things done and being successful,” Berger said. “And the university is better for it.”

Grice was a sophomore at Mason in 2014, majoring in global affairs. The daughter of a military officer, she had already lived in multiple countries and wanted to study in Japan. But Grice struggled to find financial assistance. A fellow student suggested she speak with Berger, who introduced Grice to the Boren and Rangel scholarships.

“Dr. Berger gave me books, magazines and other items to help me enrich my studies while showing me how I could follow my vision without the financial capabilities,” said Grice, who earned a Boren scholarship in 2015 and a Rangel fellowship in 2018.

After graduating from Mason in 2017 in bachelor’s degrees in global affairs and economics, Grice earned her master’s in international economics and development from Johns Hopkins University. In June she heads to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam for her first two-year appointment with the U.S. Foreign Service.

It was in 2017, while working as an intern at the U.S. embassy in Dakar, Senegal, that Grice met Ngarnim, who also worked at the embassy and was transferring to Mason from Howard Community College. Ngarnim, who will graduate from Mason in May with a biochemistry degree, grew up in Chad, where she was a top student but was shut out of advanced math and physics classes because, as she said she was told, the classes were “too hard” for females.

“That weighed on me, so I pushed and was the only female in those classes in my last year of secondary school,” Ngarnim said. “I know what I can do.”

Ngarmin’s determination prompted Grice to recommend she contact Berger at Mason. Ngarnim said her weekly conversations with Berger helped grow her confidence and realize graduate school is her next step.

“We Black women are more than competent to do any of these positions, and the more advice I have given, the more determined I have become,” Grice said. “I am not lacking. I am in a field where I am underrepresented, but I am confident, and I am here for a reason.”

Ngarnim feels the same as she heads for Rochester, New York, where she has a full scholarship to pursue a PhD in biochemistry at the University of Rochester. Being part of a group that is underrepresented in STEM fields only emboldens her, she said.

“I have always looked for challenges,” Ngarnim said. “I’ve learned that the further you get in your education and career, you have to expect the diversity to narrow. So by getting out of my comfort zone I can pave the way for others.”