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Department of Environmental Science and Policy (ESP)

Special topics courses help students bridge science and communications

sbrown79 — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 20:39:20 +0000

Special topics courses help students bridge science and communications sbrown79 Thu, 04/09/2026 - 16:39

After taking notice of the growing distrust between the scientific community and the general public, 91�� adjunct professor Jennifer Lewis decided to take action by creating two special topics courses in George Mason’s Environmental Science and Policy Department (ESP)—EVPP 490 Conservation Storytelling and EVPP 490/505 Media Production for Environmental Science and Policy—that teach students how to communicate with the public about science in a way that is captivating, interesting, and easy to understand. All emphasizing the use of story, which is the preferred method to communicate for humans.

Jenn Lewis and her students in Nepal. Photo provided.

Emerging scientists enrolled in these undergraduate/graduate classes to learn how to be better communicators with the public, putting information in context for them so they can be more informed, interested, and take appropriate action.

“Communication skills aren’t traditionally taught in scientific fields, so these courses definitely give students an advantage,” said Lewis, an adjunct professor. “Audiences need to be able to understand the information you’re trying to convey, so I teach my students how to simplify complex ideas so that anybody can understand them.”

Jenn Lewis and her students in Nepal. Photo provided.

Aligned with the Global Education Office, EVPP 490 is cross listed with EVPP, FAVS, and COMM, and is open to students of all majors. The course takes students to Nepal over winter break, giving George Mason students the opportunity to learn directly about global conservation issues, and how to share these stories with the public using visual media. Film topics from past classes include climate impacts in the Himalayas, human–wildlife conflict with growing tiger populations, and the use of endangered elephants as work animals.

U.S. Army veteran Ryan Franks is a senior environmental science major who took both special topics courses with Lewis. While in Nepal, he tested the water quality of the Bagmati River in the heart of Katmandu and created social media and YouTube content about his findings for one of his projects. The river is notorious for its pollution due to the lack of municipal solid waste infrastructure and clean water regulations in the city.

“People who live there rely on this water source, so it was great to be able to address this important issue with cleanup efforts,” said Franks, who is also a certified permaculture designer and master gardener who runs a small homestead garden where he grows his own produce.

Jenn Lewis and her students in Nepal. Photo provided.

“You can inform people that this river has 10 times the acceptable levels of mercury and phthalates, but then to show a picture or video of the river with literal trash floating across the surface and an oily sheen on the water will allow people to absorb that information differently,” said Franks. “Being able to take the skills that [Dr. Lewis] was teaching us, adding that visual element to it, and turning technical research into something that the general public could not only use, but would be genuinely interested in, was really cool.”

Ryan McIntire, MA Environmental Science and Policy ’25, took the media production course in fall 2024. The course implements multiple methods of storytelling, including podcasts, films, editorials, social media, and speaking engagements. 

“I really enjoyed Jen's approach to the course because scientists are expected to be very dry and factual with our communication, so it was nice to be a little more creative. I'd never done that in an academic setting before,” said McIntire, who was a teaching assistant for two years in the ESP Department.

Rachel Kelmartin, BS Biology ’16, is graduating with a masters in ESP with a concentration in Aquatic Ecology in May 2026. Kelmartin’s video projects incorporated her research on recreational fishing catch and release mortality statistics of striped bass.

“A really great way to spread awareness about this issue is social media. It has severely changed how we consume news; people need something bite-sized and easy to comprehend while hitting all the high points, but with these different platforms we can be sure to feature visual media to bridge that gap,” said Kelmartin, a part-time lab technician and Graduate Research Assistant in George Mason’s Freshwater Ecology Laboratory. 

Kelmartin also credits Lewis with showing her how to adjust posting news and research updates on social media when there are shifts in the algorithms.

Jenn Lewis and her students in Nepal. Photo provided.

Many of the projects in Lewis’s courses have lasting impact including the fall 2023 film “Black Peaks” about the climate change impact in Nepal, which was shown at the International Mountain Film Festival and at COP27 in Egypt.  

EVPP 490/505 Media Production for Environmental Science and Policy is offered this coming fall. EVPP 490 Conservation Storytelling will be open for applications this summer. Learn more.

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College of Science

Global Education Office

innovative classes

Timely Study Abroad: Students Explore the Future of NATO and U.S.–EU Relations in Brussels

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 17:24:01 +0000

Timely Study Abroad: Students Explore the Future of NATO and U.S.–EU Relations in Brussels Andrew J Schappert Wed, 01/28/2026 - 12:24

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Master of Public Administration

Ellen Laipson

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Schar School master’s and undergraduate students visited the European Parliament. Photos provided

During a weeklong residency in Brussels, Schar School of Policy and Government master’s and undergraduate students participated in an intensive study-abroad course examining the future of NATO and U.S.–European Union relations—at a moment of unusual uncertainty for the transatlantic alliance.

Members of the National Security and Public Policy cohort program, making their first visit overseas, met with officials at the European External Action Service.

The course was led in January by Professor Ellen Laipson, director of the Schar School’s Master of International Security program, and brought 91�� students face to face with diplomats, military officers, policymakers, and analysts working at the center of European and transatlantic affairs.

“The weeklong residency offered students an unparalleled opportunity to engage directly with the institutions and actors shaping transatlantic security and diplomacy,” said Michal McElwain Malur, the Schar School’s director of external programs. “There is no substitute for seeing these institutions up close and engaging directly with the people who work within them.”

This class, she said, “offers students a powerful lens for better understanding.”

The Brussels residency also was the first foreign excursion for the inaugural students in the National Security and Public Policy (NSPP) cohort program. Students in the program earn a Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree in one year while gaining skills and credentials needed for national security policy roles. The residency was embedded in the program’s curriculum.

Brussels, the capital of the EU and headquarters of NATO, served as the program’s base, but the experience extended beyond the city. Students traveled to Mons for meetings with Polish and U.S. military officers at NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), and to Ghent for a day of culture in one of Belgium’s historic university cities.

The itinerary reflected the course’s dual focus: understanding how institutions function and appreciating the political, historical, and cultural context in which they operate.

The students visited the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe—SHAPE—in Mons, Belgium: ‘Being inside SHAPE made NATO feel real.’

The timing of the residency was especially consequential. As Russia’s war against Ukraine continues and the United States signals shifting strategic priorities, students examined how NATO is adapting to new operational demands and how European allies are strengthening defense capabilities while pursuing greater strategic autonomy.

For many, the visit to SHAPE brought abstract concepts to life. “Being inside SHAPE made NATO feel real,” one student said. “We learned how, with strategy and coordination, the alliance comes together in practice.”

The course also explored the EU’s expanding role in global security alongside its longstanding economic and trade influence. Through briefings at the European Parliament, European Commission, European External Action Service, and leading policy think tanks, students analyzed how the EU approaches strategic competition, migration, energy transitions, and emerging technologies—and how its relationship with the United States continues to evolve.

A visit to the Flemish Parliament offered additional insight into Belgium’s complex federal system, highlighting the interplay between national and regional governance.

“Visiting the European Parliament, the European Commission, and then the U.S. Mission to the EU were highlights of the course,” another student reflected. “It helped me better understand where Europe is headed.”

George Mason partnered with KU Leuven for the program, giving students the opportunity to stay in a medieval university town while studying contemporary global challenges. Participants received a Certificate of Completion from the Irish College Leuven.

By the end of the week, students returned to Northern Virginia with a deeper understanding of collective defense, diplomacy, and institutional decision-making—and with a clearer sense of how NATO and the EU must continue to evolve to meet 21st-century challenges.

The Schar School will offer the course again in January 2027. More information on Schar School study-abroad opportunities is available at this website.

Topics

Master of Public Policy

International Security

Master of Public Administration

Study Abroad: From London Halls and Oxford Debates, a Dean-Led Journey to the U.K.

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 16:33:05 +0000

Study Abroad: From London Halls and Oxford Debates, a Dean-Led Journey to the U.K. Andrew J Schappert Mon, 09/15/2025 - 12:33

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Mark J. Rozell

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Study abroad is an essential component to a well-rounded Schar School education. Beyond the academic credit, traveling the world with professors to meet dignitaries and visit sites of study immerses students in different cultures and ways of thinking. Winter break opportunities are enrolling now. See this website for more information. Below is a story about a summer excursion to the U.K. with a special guest instructor—the dean.

George Mason students led by Dean Mark J. Rozell, left in cap, visit the Winston Churchill monument at Parliament Square Garden in London. Photos provided

This summer, 91�� students had the opportunity to study abroad under the leadership of Schar School of Policy and Government dean Mark J. Rozell, whose vision and guidance shaped an unforgettable program in London and Oxford—two of the world’s foremost centers of politics and academia.

The program brought together rigorous coursework, immersive learning experiences, and transformative opportunities that extended well beyond the classroom.

Studying governance in London meant walking through the halls where history has been made for centuries. Visits to University of Oxford’s historic colleges brought politics vividly to life, as students experienced the very places where the ideas they studied were first debated and refined. In fact, Schar School students one evening participated in an Oxford-style debate with students at Goodenough College, the residential community in central London that was the scene of afternoon classes and dinner events.

“This trip pushed me out of my comfort zone,” said Lillian Mullins, who is in the Schar School’s Master of International Security program. “It challenged me to debate important issues, think more broadly, and understand multiple sides of an argument.”

A major component of the experience were insightful lectures by faculty from University College London and distinguished speakers at dinners, followed by traditional evening “port talks” over fortified red wine at Goodenough College.

Organization Development and Knowledge Management student Christine Adwoa Dua, right, and Dean Rozell, left, pose with Goodenough College dean Alan McCormack ahead of dinner in the Great Room of the postgraduate residential community.

“Immersing myself in Dean Rozell's world of U.S./U.K. politics was a one-of-a-kind experience,” said Christine Adwoa Dua, a master’s student in the Schar Organization Development and Knowledge Management (ODKM) program. “As an ODKM student, my purpose has always been to seek environments that encourage knowledge exchange and inspire transformation. From guest lectures and guided tours with subject matter experts to off engagements with Schar School peers, I was able to expand my network while reinforcing my commitment as a change facilitator.

“I look forward to continuing this trajectory for the remainder of my program and beyond within this community.”

Dua was not the only traveler to make lasting connections.

“Not only did I learn more than I ever thought I would about international relations, but I was also able to connect meaningfully with folks across different walks of life using Dean Rozell's instructions as a jumping off point,” said Ashbury Sunshine Lindsey-Hernandez, a student in the College of Education and Human Development’s Master of Education in Counseling program. “It was an incredible jam-packed trip.”

Experiences such as walking the streets of the city with former Lord Mayor of London, Nicholas Lyons, facilitated through Rozell’s refined network, were once-in-a-lifetime moments that exemplified the caliber of access and experiences Schar School study-abroad programs provide.

The U.K. program not only delivered unparalleled academics and history, but also the relationships and global insights that define George Mason’s increasingly expanding international reputation.

Writer Juliet Touma is a student in the Schar School’s Master of Public Administration program.

Topics

Master of International Security

Organization Development and Knowledge Management

Study Abroad in South Africa: Democracy, Development, Diplomacy—and Lions

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 17:45:40 +0000

Study Abroad in South Africa: Democracy, Development, Diplomacy—and Lions Andrew J Schappert Thu, 08/28/2025 - 13:45

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Schar School students walk with the lions at the Ukutula Conservation Center and Biobank. Photos provided

In the days before the 2025 fall semester began, graduate students from the Schar School of Policy and Government at 91�� ventured some 8,000 miles away from the Arlington, Virginia, campus to South Africa to take part in an academically rigorous study-abroad program hosted in partnership with the University of Pretoria.

Democracy, Development, and Diplomacy is a three-credit “global intensive” course set against the backdrop of South Africa’s first coalition government since 1994. The program challenged students to critically evaluate how domestic politics intersect with development strategies, regional security, and international diplomacy.

The course provided demanding case studies in governance adaptation and policy implementation, deepening students’ understanding of democratic transitions and international relations in practice.

“Study-abroad programs like this are invaluable to our students,” said Michal Malur, the Schar School’s director of external programs who served as part of the course leadership. “They strengthen résumés, expand global networks, and give students a perspective that simply cannot be gained in the classroom alone.”

Former Associate Dean Thys van Schaik, who has curated the program itinerary for two decades, once again led this year’s initiative. He emphasized that courses such as Democracy, Development, and Diplomacy play a vital role in advancing the mission of higher education.

“Study abroad transforms education. It’s not just about what students learn in lectures, it’s about how they live the lessons, experience the world firsthand and carry those insights into their careers and lives,” said van Schaik.

Academic sessions were held in Cape Town, Pretoria, and Johannesburg. Highlights included a panel on coalition governance and South Africa’s 2024 political transformation; briefings at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation on foreign policy and global security; and an in-depth exploration of constitutional design and legitimacy at Constitutional Hill, guided by judicial and academic experts.

Students also engaged in focused discussions on conservation, restorative justice, and biodefense with specialists at leading research institutes, reinforcing the connection between theoretical frameworks and real-world challenges.

“We weren’t just reading about democratic transitions,” said biodefense master’s student Kate Groves, “we were hearing directly from policymakers.”

German Acosta, a public administration master’s student, added that “the combination of site visits and lectures gave me a broader global perspective.”

The program’s experiential learning extended beyond the classroom and involved the local wildlife. In addition to spotting whales off the scenic coast of Cape Good Hope, a visit to the Ukutula Conservation Center and Biobank, a cutting-edge educational research hub for mammal and predator conservation, students engaged—safely and ethically—with a pride of lions. The lions are part of the center’s reproductive research on species that are keystones to African ecosystems.

Schar School students met dignitaries at South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation in Pretoria.

For more information on the Schar School’s study-abroad offerings, visit abroad.gmu.edu. Ben Main is a master of international security student in the Schar School.

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South Africa

Schar School Student Spotlight

Schar School Students Explore Geopolitics and Human Security in Cyprus

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 19:08:44 +0000

Schar School Students Explore Geopolitics and Human Security in Cyprus Andrew J Schappert Thu, 07/24/2025 - 15:08

91�� students and professors with Chrysilios Chrysiliou (center), director of the Cyprus Center for Land, Open-Seas, and Port Security.

Students from 91��’s Schar School of Policy and Government recently returned from an intensive study-abroad program in Cyprus, where they examined the Eastern Mediterranean’s shifting geopolitical landscape and human security challenges.

Led by Schar School professor Ellen Laipson, director of the master of international security program (ISEC), and Michal McElwain Malur, director of external programs, the course blended rigorous academic study with direct engagement with diplomats, policymakers, security officials, and civil society organizations.

High-level diplomatic engagement was a hallmark of the program. Before departing, students visited the Embassy of Cyprus in Washington, D.C., to meet Ambassador Evangelos Savva. In Cyprus, briefings at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs offered insights into the island’s strategic role in regional diplomacy. A highlight was meeting Carter Wilbur, a George Mason alumnus and acting political-economic chief at the U.S. Embassy in Nicosia, who shared perspectives on U.S. policy and economic interests in Cyprus.

Security institutions and regional preparedness were other key focuses. The class visited facilities underscoring Cyprus’s role in regional security, including the Cyprus Center for Land, Open-Seas, and Port Security (CYCLOPS), a U.S.-Cyprus initiative serving as a regional hub for training in border security, customs enforcement, and cybersecurity.

Students also toured the Cyprus Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC), which coordinates maritime and aerial search and rescue operations. During their visit, the JRCC was actively managing evacuations following U.S. bombings in Iran—a vivid example of Cyprus’s role as a regional humanitarian hub.

The program emphasized peacebuilding efforts on the island. Students visited the United Nations Buffer Zone and met with representatives from the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). They toured the Home for Cooperation, an NGO fostering dialogue between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities and visited the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) Anthropological Laboratory, where a bi-communal team works to identify and return remains of individuals missing since the island’s 1974 division.

Beyond field visits, students attended lectures covering topics such as great power politics in the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkish Cypriot politics and economic developments since 1974, regional conflicts and their global implications, climate change and environmental security, energy developments, international law, and the transnational challenges of migration and climate.

“Offering these study-abroad experiences is essential to equipping our students with the knowledge, skills, and global awareness they need to become effective leaders and practitioners in policy and international affairs,” said Malur.

While the week was academically demanding, students also explored Cyprus’s archaeological sites in Kourion and Paphos to experience firsthand the island’s nearly 13,000 years of history. The program concluded with a scenic boat cruise along the coast—a well-deserved moment of reflection.

Students praised the program for its immersive, real-world learning.

“Seeing the JRCC coordinating evacuations in real time during U.S. military actions against Iran underscored the critical importance of human security in conflict zones and drove home the real-life implications of what we are learning in the classroom,” said Sarah Bassil, an ISEC student who was herself evacuated through Cyprus from Lebanon in 2006.

“Our group enjoyed lectures from leading experts, intensely engaging field visits, and great camaraderie among our diverse student group. Cyprus is an intriguing case study,” added John Thacker, another ISEC student.

As geopolitical tensions continue to shape the Eastern Mediterranean, Schar School students return to George Mason with invaluable insights and a deeper understanding of how regional dynamics intersect with global security.

For more information on Schar’s study-abroad offerings, visit the Schar School study-abroad page.

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Ellen Laipson

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Master of International Security

South of the Border, Deep in Policy: Study-Abroad Students Tackle U.S.-Mexico Relations in the Field

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 14:01:12 +0000

South of the Border, Deep in Policy: Study-Abroad Students Tackle U.S.-Mexico Relations in the Field Andrew J Schappert Mon, 07/07/2025 - 10:01

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Derek M. Mills

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George Mason’s study-abroad cohort visits the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México’s landmark Central Library. Adjunct professor Derek M. Mills is at right. Photo provided

You could feel the weight of geopolitics in the air as 15 91�� students stepped onto the worn stone of the Plaza of Three Cultures, where centuries of conquest, revolution, and resilience converge. The students weren’t just tourists with backpacks and bottled water. They were emissaries of inquiry—and there would be a quiz.

Over a weeklong intensive in Mexico’s bustling capital, the students—most from George Mason’s Schar School of Policy and Government—immersed themselves in the multifaceted knot of issues that define United States-Mexico relations. The students were eager to see firsthand elements of theory learned in classrooms: Migration, trade, national security, and the still-rippling effects of a second Trump administration.

“Throughout the program, students were encouraged to approach the experience not merely as observers but as engaged policy analysts,” said Derek M. Mills, the Schar School adjunct professor who led the trip. “The course, U.S.-Mexico Relations in the Age of Trump, provided an experiential lens into the historical, political, and economic complexities shaping bilateral ties.”

The group took deep dives into policy briefings with diplomats at the U.S. Embassy and with business leaders at the American Chamber of Commerce. They sat in on discussions at the Mexican Federal Congress and exchanged ideas with their counterparts at the prestigious Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM).

They weren’t just studying policy. They were living it.

A highlight was meeting Schar School alum Jose Loyola-Trujillo, who earned his PhD in public policy in 2005. Loyola, once Mexico’s undersecretary of energy, is now head of international affairs for LIGA MX—the top-flight Mexican soccer league.

Students also visited Casa de los Amigos, a migrant shelter that pulls no punches in portraying the human cost of border enforcement.

Another stop took the students to a nonprofit dedicated to empowering marginalized, refugee, and forcibly displaced people and families by means of a range of support programs. In fact, meeting the staff at New Comienzos “and hearing from returning migrants was inspiring to see how resilient they are and how that connects to the deep ties between Mexico and the United States,” said Jackie Tuala, a master’s student in public administration. “It was my favorite visit.”

There were lessons in history and humanity at every turn—from the pyramids of Teotihuacan to the testimonies of deportees. But there was also room for forward-looking policy dialogue.

In Cuernavaca, south of Mexico City, the group met with the Secretary of Tourism Josefina Rodriguez Zamora, who didn’t mince words about how U.S. political rhetoric affects Mexico’s global image. When U.S. media parrots terms like “rapists” and “murderers,” the official said, the damage isn’t abstract—it costs Mexico tourist dollars, jobs, and dignity.

Students also toured AirDesign and FloraPlant—two export-focused companies where the granular details of tariffs, supply chains, and sustainability initiatives became tangible.

“The trip brought the issues we study in class to life. I loved how everything—from policy debates to cultural sites—was tied together,” said Stella Lovelady, a master’s student at George Mason’s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution.

As the Trump administration 2.0 begins to cast long shadows over cross-border cooperation, the students came away with a clearer, more nuanced perspective, as well as a deeper sense of responsibility.

“Experience is crucial to our students’ professional development as future public, private, and nonprofit leaders,” said Michal McElwain Malur, Schar School’s external program director, who accompanied the students for the week.

“By engaging directly with these issues on the ground, they build the kind of informed, empathetic understanding that will shape them into thoughtful leaders in our increasingly interconnected world,” she said.

Study abroad is a vital and highly recommended component of a Schar School education. Questions on future classes can be directed to McElwain Malur at mmcelwai@gmu.eduand be found on the Schar School of Policy and Government Study Abroad page.

Students visit the U.S. embassy in Mexico to gain insights into the life and work of a diplomat. The students were briefed on issues of the day and saw in real time what they studied in classrooms. Photo by Ibis Perez.

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Master of Public Administration

PhD Public Policy

Schar School Student Spotlight

Engineering students in Ecuador give locals a leg up

Jennifer Pocock — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 18:37:38 +0000

Engineering students in Ecuador give locals a leg up Jennifer Pocock Wed, 06/11/2025 - 14:37

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Ketul Popat

Shani Ross

Sixteen students from George Mason’s College of Engineering and Computing took an early summer ROMP in Quito.

Computer engineering major Darion El shapes a prosthetic as ROMP prostheticist Mireya Moreno supervises.
Photo by Shani Ross

It could have been just another frivolous start to the summer, full of parties and pools before kicking off internships and jobs. Instead, these students opted to change lives: those of amputees—and their own.

From May 16 to 26, 16 students in the BENG 417 Bioengineering World Health class with trip leaders Claudia Borke and Shani Ross worked in Quito, Ecuador, with the Range of Motion Project (ROMP) to fit locals with high-quality prosthetic devices. Ketul Popat, chair of the Department of Bioengineering, brought the ROMP program to George Mason after a successful run at Colorado State University.

“This was the first year that we did this,” he said. “The goal was to give more hands-on experience to students so they could see how a background in engineering could make a difference in people’s lives instantly.”

Different styles of prosthetics are displayed with shoes at the ROMP workshop. Photo by Darion El

The students absolutely felt the difference. Nicolas Garcia Callejas is a rising senior who began his academic career as a pre-med nursing student, earned an associate’s degree in health science, and is now hurtling through undergrad and straight into a master’s in bioengineering with George Mason’s Bachelor’s Accelerated Master’s (BAM) program.

“We got to know the patients and help them through the process. Then we got to do everything from scratch in making the prosthetics,” he said. “We went from taking measurements, doing the sculpting and molding, refinements around the socket, and building the prosthetic. It was a full 9-5 job, but the time flew by because I was having fun.”

This trip, Garcia Callejas said, lit a fire in him to continue working with ROMP. Not only did he get to help others, as he wanted to do as a nursing student, but he could also make things hands-on and use his language skills to help translate. “ROMP was a really cool experience. I fell in love with the people there.”

Andres Miguel Cruz Guzman was another student who transferred to George Mason from a community college with an associate’s degree in engineering. This mechanical engineering major wants to eventually work on solar and water technology projects, but the personal and hands-on aspect of the Ecuador program attracted him.

“I liked that we were going to work directly with the patients,” he said. “The prosthetics are going on their bodies and will be something they wear for the next three years. I was intrigued by that challenge.”

One thing he didn’t anticipate, however, was the emotional aspect of the work. “I saw one 12-year-old boy walk for the first time. It didn’t hit me at the moment, but at bedtime the impact that we had on his life overwhelmed me,” he said.

Popat said that one thing that struck him was how quickly the students adapted to the work. “I went on the third day, and it didn’t seem like the students were new there,” he said. “They were already very comfortable with what they were doing.”

And that’s the kicker (pun intended). These programs are so valuable because they enable students to see, in a very short time, how their years of study prepared them to make a difference in the world.

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CEC Global Engagement

CEC students

CEC BAM program

accelerated bachelor's to master's

Carter School students attend the Oxford Consortium for Human Rights

Katarina Benson — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 17:08:27 +0000

Carter School students attend the Oxford Consortium for Human Rights Katarina Benson Mon, 04/21/2025 - 13:08

Four 91�� students from the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution traveled to Oxford University’s Magdalen College in the United Kingdom with Carter School dean Alpaslan Özerdem for the 2025 Oxford Consortium for Human Rights (OCHR). 

Billy Agwanda Nyadera, Anulina Sen, Hyoin Kim, and Avery Shippen attended the 2025 workshop “Human Rights in War and Climate Emergency” March 24 – 30, which explored the nature of modern warfare and the legal protections afforded to civilians, combatants, and detainees, as well as the science of climate change and its impact on humanity. 

Carter School students with Dean Özerdem. Photo provided

The workshop also examined the intersection of climate change and modern warfare, spotlighting the ramifications of combat on local environments. During the week-long event, the four students attended seminars on artificial intelligence (AI) and the impact of new technology, the use of religion in resolution tactics, mobilizing responses to build compassionate and just communities, and other topics.

“By joining this consortium, the Carter School offers its students a truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Not only do they get to collaborate with peers from other leading U.S. universities, but they also engage in a transformative learning experience guided by distinguished scholars from the University of Oxford,” Özerdem said. “Studying and living in Oxford—even for just one week—provides students with a unique and inspiring environment that fosters intellectual growth, enhances self-confidence, and broadens their academic horizons.”

“This immersive experience also significantly strengthens their professional development and employability prospects after graduation, equipping them with the global perspective and collaborative skills sought after in today’s competitive world,” he added.

Sen, a master’s student at the Carter School, found the setting and the dialogue inspiring. “The Oxford Consortium has clarified my research, showed me possibilities in this field and led to unexpected conversations that challenged my views.”

"Attending the Oxford Consortium deepened my understanding of the intersection between war, climate emergencies, and human rights, said Kim, a conflict resolution student at the Mason Korea campus who put what she learned into practice upon returning to campus. “I immediately turned my insights into action by organizing a campus event where students could share actions for peace through storytelling."

The students found the seminars to be of immense value to their own research as well as to their understanding of the modern conflict, the threat of climate change, and the crossover of the two areas of research and their impact on human rights. 

"I saw and experienced the fusion of minds and hearts in pursuit of solutions to some of the most pertinent issues facing our societies today,” said Nyadera, a Carter School doctoral student. “I feel profoundly grateful for the opportunity to participate and contribute to this pioneering program to connect Carter School student community with global conversations and networks. OCHR has been a true catalyst for my own work."

Shippen, an undergraduate student at the Carter School and the Honors College, also appreciated the opportunity the conference provided. “It helped me better understand the connection of human rights, war, and climate emergencies, as well as how I can help address these topics as a student,” Shippen said. “As someone passionate about global education, it was inspiring to learn from professionals and faculty who care deeply about human rights and the way they intersect with global challenges."

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Alpaslan Özerdem

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Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution