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Eagle Scout project increases reach and functionality of Instruments in the Attic Program

Katarina Benson — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 21:37:23 +0000

Eagle Scout project increases reach and functionality of Instruments in the Attic Program Katarina Benson Tue, 04/21/2026 - 17:37

At the Mason Community Arts Academy (MCAA), a normally quiet Saturday in March was filled with the sounds of drills humming and stairs creaking as Boy Scouts and parents moved about the building. Scouts from Troop 1865 were on site to work on an Eagle Scout project led by Robinson High School sophomore Brendan Williamson to upgrade the storage for the academy’s Instruments in the Attic (IiA) Program.

Scouts working on the closet. Photo provided

Founded in 2008, Instruments in the Attic is a donation program through 91��’s College of Visual and Performing Arts, which has provided hundreds of instruments to music students at the university, in local high schools, across Virginia, and beyond.

A violinist at Robinson High School in Fairfax, Williamson wanted to work with IiA because of his passion for music and musical education. He heard about IiA from an adult in his troop.

“Many old instruments sitting unused in attics, basements, or closets go overlooked,” he said. “But each one has the potential to inspire a new musician who otherwise might not have access to musical education.”

Through his Eagle Scout project with Instruments in the Attic, Williamson helped collect, clean, and refurbish these instruments so they could find homes with aspiring musicians.

The new closet. Photo provided

From their initial meeting, Mary Lechter, MCAA executive director, and Lucas Kremer, coordinator of music programs and outreach, said they were impressed by Williamson’s ideas for the project, as well as his openness to their thoughts on what would be most beneficial to IiA. Throughout the planning and execution phases of the project, Lechter said Williamson showed initiative, leadership, and attention to detail beyond his years.

Williamson also reached out to local music stores, fellow students at Robinson, and members of his scout troop for instrument donations. He was able to collect 30 instruments.

For the construction portion of his project, Williamson and his team of 24 volunteers built new shelving for the instruments. Williamson also designed an online inventory system for the program to track and manage instrument repairs.

"Having the opportunity to make a positive impact, especially in an area that you are passionate about, is an incredible experience, and I am so lucky to have been able to work with the wonderful people at Instruments in the Attic and the Mason Arts Community Academy,” Williamson said.

Williamson and his fellow scouts and parents. Photo provided

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George Mason US–Korea delegation strengthens ties in Vietnam

Katarina Benson — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:54:32 +0000

George Mason US–Korea delegation strengthens ties in Vietnam Katarina Benson Wed, 04/15/2026 - 15:54

In a joint effort spanning 91��'s Fairfax and Korea campuses, a university delegation recently completed a five-day visit to Vietnam aimed at expanding academic partnerships and exploring new opportunities for collaboration across education, research, and student engagement.

The delegation included Janette Muir, vice provost for academic affairs; Cheryl Druehl, interim dean of the Costello College of Business; Joshua Park, campus dean of Mason Korea; and Danielle Swanepoel, executive director of international relations and strategic initiatives at Mason Korea.

The delegation with HUTECH University in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo provided

Over the course of the visit, the delegation met with leadership and faculty at seven institutions across Vietnam. Discussions focused on student mobility pathways, dual degree opportunities, faculty engagement, short-term programs, and collaborative research initiatives.

"Spending time with colleagues from George Mason in Vietnam was an incredibly rewarding experience," said Muir. "It was inspiring to see the connections being built with partner universities, and especially exciting to imagine how Mason Korea can serve as a gateway for Asian students seeking an American education. I'm very much looking forward to future articulation agreements with our partners."

A key highlight of the visit was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with HUTECH University in Ho Chi Minh City, a highly ranked institution with a strong focus on technology and innovation. The agreement establishes a framework for cooperation between the two universities, opening the door for joint academic programs, faculty collaboration, research partnerships, and student mobility.

Janette Muir signing the Memorandum of Understanding with HUTECH. Photo provided

The delegation also met with Van Lang University, Dong A University, VNUK (VN-UK Institute for Research and Executive Education), and Saigon Business School, among others. These discussions explored articulation pathways for undergraduate students, short-term study programs in Korea and Vietnam, faculty exchanges, and potential joint conferences and seminars.

Another significant moment of the trip was the launch of the Mason Korea Debate Lab–Vietnam, an initiative designed to introduce high school students across Vietnam to international debate formats and critical thinking training. The program was formally launched through a showcase event hosted by EMASI Nam Long, the first partner institution to join the initiative. Two Mason Korea student debaters traveled from Korea to provide introductory coaching and participate in the showcase debate alongside EMASI students.

"This visit reflects a more intentional approach to George Mason's internationalization—connecting partnerships across academic programs, student pathways, and research," said Park. "The Debate Lab is one example of how we extend that engagement to younger students, building the critical thinking and global citizenship that are central to George Mason's mission."

The launch marks the beginning of what Mason Korea hopes will become an expanding program across Vietnam, offering debate training, judging opportunities, and future camps and competitions.

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George Mason launches Einstein Labs to accelerate AI, in partnership with the Einstein family

ckearney — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 14:55:39 +0000

George Mason launches Einstein Labs to accelerate AI, in partnership with the Einstein family ckearney Wed, 04/15/2026 - 10:55

91�� is launching a new artificial intelligence (AI)-focused accelerator housed in Fuse at Mason Square called Einstein Labs. A partnership between the Einstein family and Mason Enterprise, the lab will develop dual-use technologies for commercial big tech and government, initially focusing on three high-impact sectors: health, quantum, and cybersecurity technologies.

From left, Tad Einstein, Farhad Chowdhury, and Steven Einstein. Photo provided

“Ten years ago, we set out with one dream: to create a place where the Department of War could meet Silicon Valley, and today, that dream is being realized with Mason Enterprise,” said Farhad Chowdhury, Mason Enterprise board member and founder of George Mason’s Entrepreneur in Residence program. “Einstein Labs brings together the best of established and emerging technology, and the government in one place, enabling the region to lead on high-impact collaborations.”

The initiative establishes a framework for academic collaboration, joint innovation, and workforce development. Mason Enterprise and Einstein Labs will also work together to expand interdisciplinary research and development opportunities, and create new curriculum offerings across George Mason’s schools and programs.

Two prominent leaders are joining the George Mason and Einstein Labs initiative:

Steven Einstein—a 30-year mergers-and-acquisitions veteran and retired partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), now the newest board member of Mason Enterprise.
Tad Einstein—founder of Google Cloud's Explore platform and global head of immersive experiences, and now serving as George Mason’s newest Entrepreneur-in-Residence.

Tad Einstein referenced a quote often attributed to his ancestor, Albert Einstein, which describes the mission of Einstein Labs: "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them."

He added, "Einstein Labs is anchored by the 'Innovation Diamond'—a strategic concentration of industry, academia, government, and capital within a single location. By uniting these four assets under one roof, the lab breaks down traditional silos to accelerate breakthroughs.”

“The Einstein family brings both deep industry experience and a strong track record of building scalable, market-driven solutions,” said Paula Sorrell, associate vice president of innovation and economic development at George Mason. “Fostering cross-sector collaborations is essential to responsible digital innovation.”

Mason Enterprise leads the university’s efforts to build an inclusive, high-functioning entrepreneurial ecosystem across the region. The division supports more than 30,000 startups, small businesses, researchers, and industry partners seeking to innovate and accelerate growth, with an annual audience of 58,000 event and workshop attendees and a $2.8 billion annual impact on the economy.

Einstein Labs is a for-profit accelerator dedicated to advancing breakthroughs in AI across quantum, cyber, and health sectors. With support from leaders in the U.S. government, big tech, and academia, the organization aims to build the nation’s premier dual-use AI innovation platform.

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Washington receives Incheon Mayor’s Award for contributing to a trusted Korea-U.S. global hub

Katarina Benson — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 19:32:29 +0000

Washington receives Incheon Mayor’s Award for contributing to a trusted Korea-U.S. global hub Katarina Benson Fri, 03/27/2026 - 15:32

91�� President Gregory Washington received the Incheon Mayor's award for his contributions in helping to raise Incheon's international profile through global cooperation, including the university’s Mason Korea campus.

Washington was recognized for his contributions in elevating Incheon's international standing through global cooperation, promoting the Incheon city brand through U.S. media, and contributing to various fields including the establishment of the Center for Korean Culture and Society at Mason Korea.

From left, Vice Provost Renate Guilford, Interim Provost and Executive Vice President Ajay Vinzé, Mason Korea Dean Joshua Park, President Gregory Washington, Junho Jeon, special advisor to the mayor of Incheon Metropolitan City, and Vice Provost Janette Muir. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

Since opening its Korea campus in 2014, George Mason has maintained a cooperative relationship with Incheon City across a range of areas including research and community service. The university is currently conducting the Driving Urban Transitions (DUT) Project, an international joint research initiative on future-oriented urban planning, together with Incheon City and Seoul National University.

Through its Mason Cares program, the university also carries out ongoing community service activities, such as mural painting, global career camps, coastal cleanups, donations of daily necessities to local orphanages, and fuel briquette donations to low-income households.

"This award is a meaningful reflection of the close collaboration between 91�� and Incheon City,” Washington said. “We will continue to contribute to elevating Incheon's international standing through global education and research cooperation, and remain committed to expanding exchanges between our two countries."

Junho Jeon, special advisor to the mayor of Incheon Metropolitan City and chief of strategic content planning, and Mason Korea Campus Dean Joshua Park attended the award ceremony at the Fairfax Campus on March 26. "This award will serve as an opportunity to further strengthen our partnership with Incheon City,” said Park. “We will contribute to nurturing Korea-U.S. global talent and local development, and fulfill our role as a trusted Korea-U.S. global hub where students, researchers, businesses, and institutions collaborate and grow together."

Mason Korea is an extended campus of George Mason, the largest public research university in Virginia. George Mason’s proximity to Washington, D.C., makes it a talent pipeline for government agencies, global corporations, and leading IT companies, providing students with a favorable environment for building internship and employment networks in the United States.

George Mason ranked 32nd among U.S. public universities and 71st overall among the Wall Street Journal’s best colleges rankings. The Korea campus offers the same curriculum and degrees as the U.S. campus, and students have the opportunity to spend one year studying at the U.S. campus to gain global experience.

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In its first year, ACCESS Academy doubles applications and delivers strong academic results

ckearney — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 19:44:46 +0000

In its first year, ACCESS Academy doubles applications and delivers strong academic results ckearney Thu, 03/26/2026 - 15:44

In its first year, 91��’s Accelerated College and Employability Skills (ACCESS) Academy is already demonstrating strong indicators of demand, academic rigor, and early student achievement. Interest in the program has grown rapidly. For the 2026-27 admissions cycle, ACCESS received 387 applications from ninth graders, double the 193 applications submitted the previous year.

With only 30 seats available for the incoming ninth-grade cohort, the program has quickly become one of the most selective emerging innovation pathways in the region. Participation in the program allows advanced freshmen in high school to take college classes.

In December, ACCESS Academy students demonstrated projects and discussed their experiences with then-Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera in a robotics lab at Fuse at Mason Square. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

Early academic outcomes among the inaugural cohort also reflect the program’s rigor. The current ninth-grade ACCESS Academy class maintains an average GPA of 3.72, demonstrating strong performance across a curriculum that integrates advanced technical coursework with core high school instruction. These early indicators highlight the momentum behind the academy and the role of George Mason and its College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) in developing research-informed, workforce-aligned learning models for secondary education.

One of the most significant milestones for the academy this year is the launch of its first dual enrollment course. Thirty-seven ACCESS Academy ninth-graders are currently enrolled in a Python programming course offered through Northern Virginia Community College. Introducing a college-level computing course at the ninth-grade level represents an acceleration point within the academy’s academic pathway, providing students with foundational programming skills relevant to software development, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and data science.

Potomac Falls High School teacher Matt Wax, one of the academy instructors, said launching a new academic model required both flexibility and innovation in instructional practice. “Because the program is brand new, there aren’t many existing resources to draw from,” Wax said. “We’ve had to adapt instruction in real time, creating opportunities for students to think outside the box while adjusting expectations and course design as the program evolves.”

Early implementation has also highlighted the collaborative learning environment developing among students. While some ninth-graders are adjusting to the rigor of college-level coursework, Wax noted that peer support has become an important element of the classroom culture. “It’s been encouraging to see students who are doing well step up to help classmates who are struggling,” he said. “That willingness to support one another is one of the most positive outcomes so far.”

In addition to rigorous coursework, ACCESS students are already engaging in technical and professional learning opportunities beyond the classroom. Last fall, 31 ACCESS Academy students attended the BSidesNoVA Cyber Security/Hacker Conference, where they participated in sessions focused on cybersecurity tools, ethical hacking, and emerging digital threats. Participation in professional cybersecurity conferences at the ninth-grade level represents a distinctive feature of the academy’s early exposure model.

In the summer of 2025, ACCESS Academy offered an AI Camp to 9th through 12th graders at Fuse at Mason Square. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

Thirty ACCESS students participated in Virginia CyberSlam 2026, an event sponsored by George Mason’s Cyber Security Engineering Department and Loudoun County Public Schools. The event challenged students to apply cybersecurity concepts in simulated threat-response scenarios and collaborative problem-solving environments.

ACCESS students have also had opportunities to present their learning to state-level education leaders. During a recent visit to Fuse at Mason Square, students demonstrated projects and discussed their experiences with former Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera, providing visibility for the academy’s instructional model and student work.

At the curricular level, ACCESS Academy is emerging as a leader within Virginia’s expanding lab school network through its use of problem-based learning as core instructional framework. Rather than relying on traditional lecture-based instruction, students engage with complex, real-world problems that require research, collaboration, and iterative design. This curriculum model, developed with support from CEHD faculty, is attracting statewide attention.

Faculty affiliated with the program will present the ACCESS Academy curriculum framework at the upcoming Innovation Summit hosted by Old Dominion University, highlighting how the academy integrates computing education, interdisciplinary learning, and research-based instructional design.

For instructors, one of the most notable aspects of the program has been the diversity of students who have chosen to participate. Wax observed that the inaugural cohort includes a wide range of ability levels, interests, and backgrounds, creating opportunities for varied perspectives within collaborative learning environments. The program’s rapid growth in applications reflects the special opportunities it provides, he added.

“ACCESS offers opportunities free of charge that many students might not otherwise have access to,” he said. “For students who are looking for something different from a traditional model of schooling, it offers an accelerated and more professionally oriented pathway.”

“What we’re seeing with ACCESS Academy is early evidence of what becomes possible when we design learning as a connected pathway rather than a series of disconnected experiences,” explained Ingrid Guerra-Lopez, dean of CEHD, who led the vision and design of ACCESS Academy. “ACCESS is giving us a living platform to study and continuously improve how teaching and learning can better prepare students for the complexity of the future. This model invites us to rethink readiness not as something that begins after high school, but as something we intentionally build across the entire educational ecosystem.”

This initiative supports the Advancing 21st-Century Education for All solution of George Mason's Grand Challenge Initiative

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Higher education institutions must evolve and secure mergers and partnerships to thrive, industry leaders agree

Katarina Benson — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 18:36:29 +0000

Higher education institutions must evolve and secure mergers and partnerships to thrive, industry leaders agree Katarina Benson Wed, 03/25/2026 - 14:36

Colleges and universities face significant demographic, financial, technological, and political changes that affect enrollment, tuition and financial aid, athletics programs, and career outcomes. The institutions that will succeed in the future are the ones today transforming their operational models and establishing robust alliances across sectors.

That was the prevailing sentiment March 17 when higher education leaders from across the country convened at Fuse at Mason Square for the inaugural P3•EDU MAP Summit. (P3 is short for public–private partnerships, and MAP stands for mergers, affiliations, and partnerships.)

“Depending on how you count them, we have 6,000 institutions of higher education in this country, and not all of them are going to make it out of the next decade,” said U.S. Department of Education Under Secretary Nicholas Kent. “And quite honestly, not all of them need to make it out of the next decade or should. And the ones that do are going to be the ones that adapt in a variety of ways.”

The Colleges and Universities at an Inflection Point panel at the P3•EDU MAP Summit. From left, moderator Ted Eismeier, Senior Vice President, Head of Postsecondary Communications, Whiteboard Advisors; Robert Kelchen, Professor and Department Head, Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Brad Wolverton, Editor, The Chronicle of Higher Education; Mike Gavin, President and CEO, Alliance for Higher Education; and Sara Custer, Editor-in-Chief, Inside Higher Ed. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

Virginia Senator Tim Kaine referenced the state’s many successful public–private partnerships, including Fuse at Mason Square itself, noting different kinds of P3s he’s brokered in his many elected offices in Virginia, including urban infrastructure, Metrorail extension, and student housing near college campuses. Higher education needs to "change course and change direction while still meeting the needs of the workforce and families,” he said.

“There's this sort of false narrative about higher ed institutions needing to do everything themselves,” said James Sparkman, the P3•EDU producer whose organization is a catalyst for higher ed alliances. “I think this is unsustainable for a lot of institutions, and it's definitely not the model for the dynamic colleges and universities that I know that thrive on partnerships.”

91�� President Gregory Washington acknowledged the importance of colleges finding “a new set of solutions” by collaborating with industry, non-governmental organizations, and the public K-12 sector.

“If you have these conversations with members of government, and with many of our well-placed corporates, they will tell you there are too many universities,” Washington said. “And that the value proposition is in question. So what that means is that the calvary probably isn't coming. We’re going to have to find ways to survive, which means looking more toward partnerships and frameworks working together. Those institutions that don't do that do so at their own peril. And part of that peril is their own survival.”

Washington mentioned his “co-opetition” model in which institutions find more ways to align resources while continuing to compete against each other. But those alliances can be elusive because colleges and universities and reluctant to relinquish their autonomy.

Marjorie Hass, president of the Council of Independent Colleges, found in a previous role that it was difficult to convince neighboring colleges to sync academic calendars or library loan agreements, let alone establish the cross-institutional partnerships that higher ed survival increasingly demands.

“Our blessing is that we are not a federal higher education system,” Hass said. “Our curse is that we are individual institutions and organizations with individual histories, individual mascots, individual sports teams…. We have this radical independence, and it is, in many ways, our strength. And it does make the system more complex, more flexible, and more redundant in a way that probably increases the overall resiliency of the system. But that doesn't mean individual institutions have that resiliency.”

“We have been at inflection points before in the history of higher ed,” Inside Higher Ed editor-in-chief Sara Custer said during one of the summit panels. “This one feels completely different. One thing that is a blanket cause of where we are right now is the overcompliance and fear we’re seeing on college campuses from leadership right down to junior staff.”

Kent, who was deputy education secretary in Virginia before joining the U.S. Department of Education, said that more intentional conversations are taking place now between potential partners in and around higher ed and that the role of his department is to facilitate those partnerships through “cutting regulatory burden.”

“We are all about breaking down silos,” Kent said. “We are all about doing things in a different way. We are all about questioning the status quo in this administration. We are breaking a lot of molds in the way that we do things, and we think for the betterment of students and taxpayers, and quite honestly, for the betterment of higher education as a whole.”

“P3s are something that Virginia embraces, and we're very excited about it, being able to put all stakeholders around the table,” Kaine said. “Because without that, it's really hard to do projects. And it's just a tribute to the fact that good things in life now hardly happen by the say-so of a dynamic president or the say-so of a dynamic governor. It takes a lot of people around the table.”

This initiative supports the Advancing 21st-Century Education for All solution of George Mason's Grand Challenge Initiative

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George Mason collaborating with National Park Service to examine Revolutionary War from tribal nations' perspective

Katarina Benson — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 21:18:12 +0000

George Mason collaborating with National Park Service to examine Revolutionary War from tribal nations' perspective Katarina Benson Thu, 03/12/2026 - 17:18

As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary this year, 91�� is collaborating with the National Park Service (NPS) to make sure the contributions of all Americans are being recognized.

Gabrielle Tayac, an associate professor in the Department of History and Art History in the College of Humanities of Social Sciences, has received a grant from NPS to lead Phase Two of Tribal Nations and the Revolutionary War, a community-driven research project that will examine the Revolutionary War and its aftermath from the perspectives of tribal nations.

Tayac serves as the principal investigator and will assist the NPS in facilitating educational and interpretive strategies that will be implemented in sites around the Mid-Atlantic region and throughout the Northeast.

Gabrielle Tayac has received a grant NPS to lead Phase Two of Tribal Nations and the Revolutionary War. Photo provided

“My hope is that it will help everyone get a sense of deep connection and relationship to the lands we live on now, to the people who are still here and maybe who are not here and wonder what happened to them,” Tayac said. “To be better caretakers of our communities and places.”

The NPS grant runs through 2027 and coincides with America’s semiquincentennial celebration. Tayac is working with fellow Department of History and Art History professors C. Joseph Genatin-Pilawa and George Oberle, BA History ’96, MA ’98, PhD ’16, who also serves as a history librarian and the director of the Center for Mason Legacies (CML). Digital Humanities Librarian Alyssa Fahringer, who collaborates with Oberle in the CML, will also contribute to the project.

Tayac, who served as the inaugural curator historian at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., and New York, will set up workshops in the Northeast region from the Chesapeake Bay up to Maine. These seminars will provide insight from historians, NPS park rangers, and Indigenous community scholars. Tayac and her George Mason colleagues will then produce digital work for historic sites and visitor centers.

Tayac, who collaborated on the 400th anniversary of Jamestown in 2007, hopes the project and the 250th celebration will serve as a focal point to “deepen those histories so that people can see them for a long time.”

“It is really critical it is done in a way that Native communities want their stories to be told,” said Tayac, who is an enrolled citizen of the Piscataway Indian Nation. “We also know that it has to be done in a way where the American public can really understand it, relate to it, and find the information relevant and intriguing to open up those conversations.”

George Mason alum and NPS regional cultural anthropologist Noel Lopez, PhD Cultural Studies ’18, serves as a tribal liaison officer for the National Capital Region. He said previous interactions with George Mason, such as collaborations on ecological study units with tribal communities in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, have made the transition into the project easier.

“A lot of the work all of us do, whether it is anthropology or tribal liaison, a lot of it is around connections with people and connections with networks,” Lopez said. “All of this work we’re doing on both sides is relationship building. It is building trust with people.”

George Mason students will also play a role. Tayac will offer training and hands-on opportunities, including through an undergraduate course, History 397 Public History in Action, which she will teach in spring 2027. Students will pull from the tribal communities’ stories and transform those into projects for museums, historic sites, a cultural center, or a website.

“I’m really excited about the opportunity for this project to not only workshop in the relationships with Native tribal community representatives but also to bring it back into Mason,” Tayac said. “In real-time, my students can also have a hand in it. I think that’s really important, and it tends to make them really excited about history work, too.”

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George Mason researchers put firefighter fitness to the test

Katarina Benson — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 16:25:07 +0000

George Mason researchers put firefighter fitness to the test Katarina Benson Thu, 03/12/2026 - 12:25

With a new grant from Prince William County, 91�� kinesiology professor Joel Martin is leading a comprehensive yearlong study to uncover whether the Fire and Rescue Department’s Work Performance Exam (WPE) truly mirrors the grueling realities of firefighting. By tracking everything from metabolic strain to air consumption, the project aims to refine the test and strengthen the scientific foundation behind firefighter readiness standards.

The WPE is an occupational test to evaluate the fitness of an individual to the level required in firefighting. These functions include donning and securing a complete set of personal protective equipment; carrying, lifting, and extending a ladder; forcibly entering a structure with a sledgehammer; moving and lifting heavy loads from one location to another; and performing other essential occupational tasks in firefighting.

Firefighting tasks will be re-evaluated with the WPE study. Photo provided

The goal of the study is to determine whether the WPE accurately reflects the demands of real-world firefighting. Martin’s team also wants to see if they can predict the aerobic capacity of firefighters performing each task. They will generate evidence-based recommendations to refine the WPE while preserving its operational authenticity.

“We hope to support firefighter health and ensure that fitness standards are scientifically defensible and aligned with job demands,” said Martin, an associate professor in the Kinesiology Program of George Mason’s College of Education and Human Development.

The WPE’s tasks are administered in a certain order and must be completed within specific time limits. These requirements were adopted as part of a previous validation based on interviews, conducted by a third-party research group, and an assessment of their test performance to determine acceptable time limits.

Martin’s project will expand on this work and evaluate the intensity of the physiological and metabolic requirements involved in performing each task to determine if the test accurately reflects demands.

Joel Martin leads the study. Photo provided

“While physical fitness does play a major factor in the time it takes to complete the test, it is not a physical fitness test per se,” Martin said. “There is a skill component to performing many of the tasks on the WPE.”

Also, while performing the WPE, firefighters are in full firefighting gear and breathing through a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), a specialized respirator worn in hazardous environments. “This adds additional challenges,” he said.

Approximately 100 medically cleared career firefighters will participate in the project, during which they will complete the tasks of the WPE and undergo laboratory-based fitness testing. These include calculating VO2max (amount of oxygen consumed), and strength and power assessments. During the administration of the test, wearable technology will be used to quantify the physiological responses of the firefighters, such as heart rate and estimated metabolic demand. In addition, VO2max levels will be assessed based on the amount of air firefighters consume wearing their SCBA.

The project team is also exploring a metric called “work efficiency,” which is computed based on the time needed to complete the WPE and how much air is consumed from the SCBA. Martin says this will provide further insight as to how capable firefighters are at their occupational duties.

“Understanding the overall levels of physical fitness that support safe and effective performance of firefighter tasks is essential,” Martin said. “Often the role of physical fitness components is studied from the perspective of individual fitness components. We are taking a more holistic approach in terms of considering all components of fitness in our analyses.”

Funding for this project is supporting the participation of Ramsey Zaytoun, a graduate student working with Martin who is pursuing a master of science in kinesiology through George Mason’s accelerated bachelor’s/master’s program. Zaytoun will be using the data collected in this project as part of his MS thesis.

“This experience really helped me grow because it gave me hands-on exposure to the entire research process,” said Zaytoun.

This project will build upon the university’s prior collaborations with PWC Fire and Rescue and facilitate the implementation of an embedded research model in the future to support firefighter health and safety.

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George Mason researchers lead statewide study on ethical use of AI in higher education

Shayla Brown — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 16:07:37 +0000

George Mason researchers lead statewide study on ethical use of AI in higher education Shayla Brown Tue, 02/17/2026 - 11:07

91��’s leadership in advancing 21st-century education took another leap forward this month when several university researchers were named to a statewide project exploring the impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI) on teaching and learning in higher education classrooms.  

Funded by a State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) Fund for Excellence and Innovation grant, the cross-disciplinary, cross-institutional project aims to promote ethical integration of AI into educational settings. 

The initiative, “Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Teaching and Learning,” involves 80 faculty, graduate students, and staff from multiple Virginia institutions including University of Virginia, James Madison University, Roanoke College, Bridgewater State University, and Virginia Commonwealth University. 

Amanda Bryan, an assistant professor in George Mason’s Department of English and co-lead on the study, said it is “designed to test onboarding activities in increasing students’ ethical and responsible use of AI tools.”

Amanda Bryan. Photo provided.

 The study is an example of a Mega Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, or SoTL, project. It’s one of 11 projects George Mason is involved in, generating evidence of learning from multiple institutions.

“The research team designed the activities, which we then make available to other professors to adapt to their own disciplines and provide us data on how effective the activities were in increasing ethical use of AI tools for the students,” said Bryan.

The team also considered different levels of activities to accommodate students who were inexperienced with AI versus those who had advanced skills. 

“We took the task on ourselves that we’re asking students to do because we actually used AI to revise the activities in the ethical, responsible way that we would want students to be able to do,” said Bryan, who is conducting this project with data from students in her ENGH 302 Advanced Composition course. 

“We asked students open-ended questions, including whether they think they’re over-reliant or under-reliant on generative AI tools. That feeds directly into the next activity, which is all about under-reliance, over-reliance, and the harm of being either. We want students to find a cushy middle,” she said. 

The team got their first round of data from students in spring 2025, which showed that just providing these discussion spaces has increased students’ ethical thinking about AI use in college by more than 60%, explained Bryan. 

“We went to the institutional review boards at all the different institutions to get permission to do the research,” said Breana Bayraktar, an educational developer with George Mason and one of the projects primary investigators.  

Students working on their laptops in class. Photo by Getty Images.

Bayraktar said thanks to the support of the SCHEV grant, they've been able to hire graduate research assistants and get undergraduates involved in organizing the collected data. 

“We support each of the institutional teams for their research objectives and collect data from students,” said Bayraktar. “There's a number of teams that have done presentations or have written projects that are either published or on the track to publication that have come out of the different research projects. With this data, we were able to make one coherent project with one survey.” 

Students in George Mason’s Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP), and OSCAR Research Assistant (OSCAR-RA) Program also helped in the research. 

“The students really gain professional experience and exposure to real-world research practices. It’s very much a mentoring role with the students,” Bayraktar said. 

There is an Open Educational Resources (OER) portion of the study, “so even after this study is complete, all of the research methods and activities we’re using are being compiled into OERs for future use under a creative commons license,” said Bryan.  

Under this SCHEV grant, George Mason is hosting three conferences on AI, the last of which will be in May 2026. The grant funding goes through summer 2026. 

Learn more about AI at George Mason

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Amanda Leigh Bryan

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Artificial Intelligence

Office of Student Scholarship Creative Activities and Research (OSCAR)

Mason Korea partners with defense organizations to advance military technology

Katarina Benson — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 22:15:50 +0000

Mason Korea partners with defense organizations to advance military technology Katarina Benson Mon, 02/16/2026 - 17:15

Mason Korea's Industry–University Collaboration Foundation is taking its defense capabilities to the next level. They recently signed a memorandum of understanding with two major Korean players, the Association of the Republic of Korea Army and the Defense Information and Communication Association. Together, they'll work on developing advanced defense information and communications technology (ICT) and command, control, communications, computing, cyber, and intelligence (C5I) systems.

"Aligned with Korea's national objective of becoming a leading AI power by 2026, this collaboration will leverage the C5I Korea Center's strengths with the operational expertise of the Defense Information and Communication Association and the military practitioners of the Association of the Republic of Korea Army," said Insub Shin, who directs the C5I Korea Center and leads the Defense Information Communication Association.

At the heart of this collaboration is the C5I Korea Center, a local extension of George Mason's C5I Center in Virginia. The center will serve as ground zero for joint research, education, and industry partnerships focused on ICT, cyber capabilities, and artificial intelligence.

Mason Korea signed an MOU with the Association of the Republic of Korea Army and the Defense Information and Communication Association. Photo provided

The partnership's roadmap is packed: collaborative research on C5I systems tailored for Korea, a "C5I-AI Convergence" exhibit at next year's Korea Army International Defense Industry Exhibition, and building bridges between the military, industry, academia, and civilian sectors through professional education programs and workshops.

For Mason Campus Dean Joshua Park, the partnership represents a chance to blend the campus' strengths in data science and AI with real-world defense applications.

"Through practical training and partnerships across military, academic, and industry sectors, we aim to cultivate professionals who can support digital transformation and AI-enabled missions," Park said.

The opening ceremony for the new center will take place during Mason Korea’s spring semester, which begins March 3.

Learn more about Mason Korea

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