John Hollis

Patriot Profile: Logan Messer

Katarina Benson — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 17:19:35 +0000

Patriot Profile: Logan Messer Katarina Benson Wed, 04/08/2026 - 13:19

Year:  Graduate student

Major:  Biostatistics

Hometown:  Norton, Ohio

91�� graduate student Logan Messer had no shortage of family or friends on hand as he capped his wrestling career at the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Wrestling Championships at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Competing just 40 miles from his hometown, Messer delivered a moment years in the making on one of the sport’s biggest stages.

Logan Messer. Photo by Rafael Suanes/George Mason Athletics.

In his first NCAA Championships appearance, Messer, who graduated with a BS in statistics in 2025 and is now working on a master’s in biostatistics, went 1-2, closing out his senior season where he went 27-8 overall. He finished his career with 102 wins, ranking seventh in George Mason annals, and captured the Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship, earning MAC East Division Wrestler of the Week honors along the way.

“He wasn’t the biggest, the strongest, or the fastest,” Head Coach Frank Beasley said. “He just brought a little bit of everything.”

The Right Fit: Messer’s path to George Mason started with trust. “I ended up at George Mason because of the connection I felt with the coaches right away,” he said. “They made me feel like I was more than just another number, and that meant a lot to me coming out of high school.” After weighing offers from Duke and Cleveland State, Messer chose the Patriots—confident it was the place where he could grow as both a wrestler and a person.

“From day one, he was our leader,” said Beasley.

Wearing Down Opponents: At 174 pounds, Messer built his sport identity as a grinder—someone who embraces the physical and mental demands of every position. “I take pride in wrestling through every position and staying tough for the full match,” he said. His most dangerous weapon was his top game, where he developed a disciplined set of moves that allowed him to control matches and wear down opponents.

Built Back Stronger: After tearing the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in his knee during the 2023-24 season, Messer redshirted his junior year—an experience that tested both his patience and resolve. “It was really frustrating because I felt like I was wrestling the best I ever had before the injury happened,” he said. “Having that momentum taken away was tough, but it also made me even more determined.” He returned the following season with renewed focus and something to prove.

Messer at the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Wrestling Championships. Photo by Robert Lombardo/George Mason Athletics.

Back on the Mat: That determination paid off. After narrowly missing the NCAA Championships the year before, a moment he described as one of the lowest points of his career, Messer came into his final season with one goal. “I felt like I had let a good amount of people down, but I battled back this year,” he said. “I just wanted to leave it all out on the mat.”

That journey came full circle in Cleveland, where roughly 20 to 30 family members, friends, and former teammates filled the stands to cheer him on. “They got to see me win that first match,” he said. “That was definitely one of the best parts of the trip.”

Trusting the Process: For Messer, the defining moment of his career came earlier that postseason—winning the MAC Championship. “It felt like all of the hard work, sacrifice, and tough times had finally paid off,” he said. “It all came together, and it reminded me why I put so much into the sport.” While he admits there is still some frustration about not winning one more match at nationals, it's the larger arc of his career that stands out most.

In His DNA: Athletics have always been part of Messer's fabric. His parents, Ron and Dee, were both college student-athletes at Walsh University—his mom competing in both soccer and softball, and his father in football—and met during their time there. That competitive foundation continues with his younger sister, Alyssa, a high school junior who competes in both basketball and softball, and is still considering her next steps after graduation.

It Had to Be You: Just like his parents, Messer and his wife, Abby Weening, a member of the women’s track and field team, met at George Mason their freshman year. Weening, physical education major, was part of the 2025 indoor track and field A-10 championship team and graduates in May. “From the beginning, there was just a natural connection between us,” Messer said.

Their shared experience as Division I student-athletes deepened that bond. “Being with someone who truly understands the grind, pressure, and commitment that comes with Division I athletics makes a big difference,” he said. “We’re able to support each other in a way that not everyone can.”

The Next Chapter: For Messer, George Mason will always hold a special place, not only for what he accomplished on the mat, but for the life he is building off it. Messer will remain part of the program next year as a volunteer graduate assistant coach, staying close to the sport that has shaped much of his life. “Wrestling has been my whole life,” he said. “I’m happy to pass on my knowledge and my experiences to help get the best out of people.”

Off the mat, he unwinds through fishing and playing video games. Long term, he’s considering a return to Ohio and a career in clinical trials for a pharmaceutical company. “I’d like to coach for a few years before going back,” he said. “But we’ll see where this coaching thing leads.”

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Ilia Malinin wins his third consecutive world championship

ckearney — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 19:58:37 +0000

Ilia Malinin wins his third consecutive world championship ckearney Mon, 03/30/2026 - 15:58

91��’s Ilia Malinin gave a resounding performance at the 2026 World Figure Skating Championships in Prague that resulted in his third consecutive world championship.

lia Malinin celebrates with the U.S. flag after winning the men's free skating program of the 2026 ISU Figure Skating World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic on March 28, 2026. Photo by Michal Cizek/AFP via Getty Images

Malinin, a 21-year-old exploratory studies major from Vienna best known as the "Quad God,” was just six weeks removed from a free skate at the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics that saw the heavy gold medal favorite fall from medal contention. In the immediate days afterwards, he spoke of the relentless pressure on him and others at the Olympic level.

With a fresh outlook, Malinin delivered an impressive two-minute, 49-second short program that included a quadruple flip, a triple axel, a quadruple lutz-triple toe loop combination, and a backflip for good measure, affirming his status as the world’s most dominant skater.

“I was definitely coming back to prove myself that [the Olympic performance] was a one-time thing, but now I realize this is much more than just skating,” Malinin told the media afterward. “It’s being able to go and enjoy and have fun.”

Malinin finished with a total score of 329.40, placing him well ahead of silver medalist Yuma Kagiyama of Japan (306.67). Another Japanese skater, Shun Sato, finished third with 288.54 points.

Malinin plans to spend the next few weeks touring across America on the Stars on Ice tour.

“I was around 13 when I realized that I could skate for more than just fun.”

Ilia Malinin

Read an interview with Ilia Malinin >>

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George Mason’s Marvin Lewis serves on NCAA Women’s Basketball Committee as March Madness nears

Katarina Benson — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 23:25:57 +0000

George Mason’s Marvin Lewis serves on NCAA Women’s Basketball Committee as March Madness nears Katarina Benson Wed, 03/11/2026 - 19:25

Marvin Lewis knows a little something about the anxiety that comes with waiting for your team’s name to be called on Selection Sunday, and the euphoria that follows when that dream of playing in the NCAA Tournament becomes a reality.

Lewis, 91��’s assistant vice president and director of Intercollegiate Athletics, is now in his inaugural season among those charged with making it happen for those lucky few as part of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee.

Lewis, who played in two NCAA Tournaments as a standout player at Georgia Tech and helped lead the Yellow Jackets to the 2004 NCAA Championship game, called his addition to the selection committee last April as the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) representative “a huge honor.”

Lewis was chosen for the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

“As a kid, I always dreamed of playing in the NCAA Tournament,” he said. “Then to have the experience at Georgia Tech to actually play in it, and then make it to the final game was special. But I feel like this is now a full-circle moment—with me now being an administrator helping to decide who’s in it. That’s probably the coolest thing for me. It’s pretty special.”

Lewis, however, won’t have much time to wax nostalgic because Selection Sunday is fast approaching on March 15, and there are scores of basketball games for him to watch between now and then from among the six conferences he’s been assigned.

He’s part of a 12-member committee charged with identifying the 31 best at-large teams to join the tournament’s 31 automatic qualifiers for the 68-team field that will compete for the national championship.

Committee members, who are led by chair and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Athletics Director Amanda Braun, have long been meticulously watching games, analyzing statistical profiles, reviewing results and weekly rankings, and applying a range of metrics and evaluation tools to build the most competitive tournament bracket possible.

“Over the past four months, I’ve watched more women’s basketball than I ever have,” Lewis said.

The selection to the high-profile committee is the most prestigious assignment yet for Lewis, whose star continues to rise in the field. But those who know him best are hardly surprised.

Former ACC Senior Associate Commissioner for Women’s Basketball Mary McElroy was the athletics director at Georgia State when she gave Lewis a reprieve from life as a certified public accountant by hiring him as an assistant athletics director for business in 2008. McElroy is a former Georgia Tech athletics department administrator and had known Lewis from their time there, recognizing his maturity and focus early on.

“I needed the help, and he had the experience and maturity I needed,” McElroy said. “So I took a chance on him.”

His new time-intensive duties mean that Lewis won’t be in Pittsburgh to watch the men’s basketball team compete in the A-10 Tournament. He’ll instead be in Indianapolis with fellow committee members as they absorb all the last-minute information before determining the women’s NCAA Tournament field.

Committee members cannot be present during discussions regarding the selection or seeding of a school or conference they represent.

“You just watch it on TV and everyone has an opinion or perspective on where their team should be seeded, whether their team should be in, or who should be placed in what order,” Lewis said. “But we spend hours debating, using the criteria the committee has established to make those determinations. It’s a lot more detailed than people would think.”

Under Lewis’ leadership, George Mason Athletics delivered a historic 2024–25 season, capturing five A-10 Conference titles. Key highlights included:

Men’s basketball captured a share of the program’s first regular-season title, finishing with a school-record 27 wins and earning the team’s first National Invitation Tournament (NIT) appearance since 2009.
Women’s basketball won its first A-10 Tournament championship, recorded a program-best 27 victories, and advanced to the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance.
Men’s soccer secured the program’s first regular-season title, finishing 13–4–1 overall and 6–1–1 in conference play, while Head Coach Rich Costanzo was named A-10 Coach of the Year.
Women’s indoor track & field won first championship since 2014.
Men’s outdoor track & field won first championship since 2010.

The five championships marked the most conference titles in a single season in program history, surpassing the previous record of four titles set during George Mason’s inaugural A-10 campaign in 2013-14. The achievement also represented the program’s most successful competitive year since the 1994-95 season. George Mason student-athletes also earned 18 all-conference selections or individual titles, while 75 received weekly A-10 awards.

Lewis’ close relationship with A-10 Coach of the Year Tony Skinn, a George Mason alum who helped lead the Patriots to the 2006 Final Four, helped pave the way for a breakthrough season for the men’s basketball program last winter.

The women’s basketball team also delivered a historic season under Head Coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis, who guided the Patriots to the program’s first A-10 championship and was later named a finalist for the Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Award.

Lewis’s impact has been equally significant off the courts. During his tenure, a record number of student-athletes were named Peter N. Stearns Provost Scholar Athletes, including 78 in 2024-25 and 74 in 2025-26, the first time George Mason has recorded back-to-back years with more than 70 honorees.

Beyond competitive success, Lewis has also focused on building the long-term foundation of Intercollegiate Athletics. In 2025, he introduced “Patriots United. Together We Thrive,” a five-year strategic vision designed to strengthen George Mason Athletics through enhanced student-athlete support, improved resources and facilities, and deeper engagement with the Northern Virginia community.

His success and extensive college basketball background made Lewis an easy choice when the opening as the committee’s A-10 representative unexpectedly came up last spring. His appointment also marked the first time George Mason has had a representative on the NCAA Division 1 Women’s Basketball Committee.

Lewis now gets to experience March Madness again, this time from a vastly different vantage point. Following the announcement of the NCAA field, he’ll attend tournament games at various sites before heading to the Women’s Final Four in Phoenix, Arizona.

“For a basketball junkie,” he said, “it doesn’t get much better.”

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George Mason delivers first commercialization under Virginia’s Lab-to-Launch initiative

Katarina Benson — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 19:27:52 +0000

George Mason delivers first commercialization under Virginia’s Lab-to-Launch initiative Katarina Benson Wed, 02/25/2026 - 14:27

91�� has become Virginia’s first R1 research institution to commercialize a product under the state’s new Lab-to-Launch initiative, marking an early milestone in the commonwealth’s push to accelerate university research into the market.

Anthony Fung. Photo provided

In January, the George Mason Research Foundation entered into a license agreement with serial entrepreneur Anthony Fung and his company Valorlox LLC for the patented technology GMU Dynamic Low Visibility Pneumatic Cofferdam, a coastal resilience system designed to protect against flooding. This is the first commercial product to move forward under the new statewide commercialization framework.

Invented at George Mason by George L. Donohue, professor emeritus and founding director of the Center for Air Transportation Systems Research at the College of Engineering and Computing, the cofferdam is an inflatable, permanently anchored system that when deployed creates a water-tight barrier in under 16 minutes without heavy equipment to protect vulnerable communities from most flood events. When not deployed, the system functions as a low-profile boardwalk, blending into waterfront environments rather than standing as a permanent wall.

The cofferdam’s potential to protect communities from floods while supporting economic growth is what attracted Fung, the Valorlox LLC founder and the commonwealth’s former deputy secretary of technology.

His support—as well as that of the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC) and Mason Enterprise—has helped move the project toward commercialization. Valorlox is the first company in Virginia to complete a Virginia Fast-Track License, which enables them to apply for up to $50,000 in VIPC commercialization funding.

“The cofferdam project brings together everything I’ve learned about business, government, innovation, and solving real problems,” said Fung. “It’s exactly the kind of challenge I want to tackle.”

The cofferdam’s commercialization demonstrates how the Lab-to-Launch initiative is intended to work: university research, streamlined licensing, and experienced entrepreneurs working together to move innovation into the marketplace. The team is currently working on a prototype.

George L. Donohue. Photo provided

Developed through a collaboration between VIPC and the state’s six R1 research university partners—91��, Old Dominion University, University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Tech, and William & Mary—the Lab-to-Launch initiative aims to significantly increase the number of startups emerging from Virginia’s universities and help move technological breakthroughs to the marketplace, through a “fast track license.” Instead of taking months, a licensing agreement can now take weeks.

“It’s been a strategy for the last five years,” said Paula Sorrell, George Mason’s associate vice president for innovation and economic development. “George Mason has created several programs to support the lab-to-market activities by providing wrap-around services for faculty. This not only helped build the pipeline of technologies ready for market and created the support system to make them successful, but then got this first technology through this terrific new state program.”

Designed for both commercial and residential use, the cofferdam system has potential applications for protecting homes, apartments, airports, military bases, hospitals, data centers, power generation facilities, tunnels, bridges, and rail systems.

“The potential for property damage avoidance in the future is hard to estimate, but could be huge,” Donohue said.

The invention has been years in development and Donohue shares the patents with former students, now George Mason alumni Adel Youssef, BS Systems Engineering ’20; Lucciana Remy, BS Systems Engineering ’20; Faris Masri, BS Systems Engineering ’20; and Murat Gokturk, BS Systems Engineering ’20.

The George Mason Research Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and aiding research and scientific investigation at George Mason. GMRF manages patents and commercializes intellectual property by negotiating licensing agreements with motivated entrepreneurs and members of the business community. George Mason has a number of technologies moving toward commercialization through the Lab-to-Launch initiative.

Mason Enterprise^TM is the host to federal, state, and local programs that support a portfolio of more than 33,000 start-ups and small businesses across Virginia. Last year participating companies received more than $2.8 billion in follow-on funding, and more than 58,000 entrepreneurs, small business owners, students, and research faculty attended workshops and educational programs, received individual counseling, were assisted with product development, resided in an incubator, or received intellectual property advice.

The commercialization of the cofferdam technology also supports Building a Climate-Resilient Society, one of the six interconnected solutions of George Mason’s Grand Challenge Initiative, a comprehensive research framework to secure the future we want. Learn more.

In This Story

George Donohue

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George Mason’s Ilia Malinin claims Olympic gold

Katarina Benson — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 19:07:39 +0000

George Mason’s Ilia Malinin claims Olympic gold Katarina Benson Mon, 02/09/2026 - 14:07

On Saturday, February 7, 91�� student and reigning world figure skating champion Ilia Malinin helped power the United States to a team figure skating gold medal at the Milano Cortina Winter Games.

“This is your moment—it’s either do or die,” Malinin told reporters following his performance. “You have to go into this 100% and really know that it’s all up to you. I went in there with that mindset and really just let everything take its course.”

In his Olympic debut, Malinin, a 21-year-old exploratory studies major in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, became the first George Mason student or alumni to ever claim a Winter Olympics gold medal. He’ll be a heavy favorite to add to his medal haul when the men’s singles competition gets underway on Tuesday, February 10, starting at 12:30 p.m.

Malinin and Team USA won the teams' figure skating gold medal at the Milano Cortina Winter Games. Photo by Andy Cheung/Getty Images

To support Malinin, large TV screens have been set up in the Johnson Center atrium on the Fairfax Campus and in the lobby of Fuse at Mason Square, giving the Mason Nation the opportunity to gather and cheer one of their own.

A Vienna native and 2023 graduate of George C. Marshall High School, Malinin—nicknamed the “Quad God”—has been one of the most recognizable figures of the Olympics, known for both his charisma and his ability to push the sport forward through the extreme difficulty of his jumps. He’s the only figure skater to have successfully landed a quad axel in competition, a jump requiring four and a half revolutions.

After a solid performance in Saturday’s initial skate, Malinin upped his game in spectacular fashion the following day, executing five quad jumps to help Team USA surpass Japan for Olympic gold.

Speaking to the press afterwards, Malinin reflected on the pressure of competing as the overwhelming favorite.

“That’s something that everyone has to go through. They have to find a way to motivate themselves and keep it together during that pressure,” he said. “A lot of the times, I’m able to use that pressure and embrace it and tell myself, ‘You have all the attention, now it’s your time to go out there and do what you know how to do, and put your trust in everything you’ve worked to up to this moment.’”

“I was around 13 when I realized that I could skate for more than just fun.”

Ilia Malinin

Read an interview with George Mason student Ilia Malinin

The Mason Nation came together to cheer on Ilia Malinin as he competed on the Olympic stage.

The run that changed a program: George Mason marks the 20th anniversary of its 2006 Final Four appearance

Katarina Benson — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 20:47:55 +0000

The run that changed a program: George Mason marks the 20th anniversary of its 2006 Final Four appearance Katarina Benson Wed, 12/10/2025 - 15:47

The 2006 Final Four run by the 91�� men’s basketball team was an achievement so improbable, so unprecedented, that it transformed how the college basketball world viewed possibility itself.

Photo by George Mason Athletics

Now, 20 years later, the Patriots will honor that magical postseason journey on Saturday, December 13, when they host Old Dominion University at EagleBank Arena. That run endures as one of the most defining moments in the university’s history and one of the NCAA Tournament’s most memorable Cinderella stories. What began as a hopeful March ended with a mid-major program standing on college basketball’s biggest stage.

They captured the hearts of the nation along the way.

“That definitely opened the door for mid-majors,” said George Mason men’s basketball Head Coach Tony Skinn, who was the starting point guard on that Final Four team. “It showed that if you have belief, the right players, and the right coaches, anything can happen in the NCAA Tournament.”

That belief was tested again and again throughout that 2006 run.

Competing out of the relatively unknown Colonial Athletic Association, the Patriots became the league’s first Final Four representative, toppling one powerhouse after another.

They opened tournament play with a 75-65 win over a Michigan State, a team that had returned four starters from the previous season’s Final Four squad. The sixth-seeded Spartans had outlasted George Mason by six points in an early regular-season meeting a year earlier.

Lamar Butler signing copies of Sports Illustrated at the Bookstore. Photo by Office of University Branding

Next came the North Carolina Tar Heels, the No. 3 seed and the reigning NCAA champions, who fell 65-60 in the Patriots’ second and final game in Dayton, Ohio. From there, George Mason returned to the nearby Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., where a heavily partisan crowd watched four Patriots score in double figures in a 63-55 Sweet 16 win over fellow mid-major and No. 7 overall seed Wichita State University. That victory advanced the Patriots to the Elite Eight against overall No. 1 seed University of Connecticut.

Loaded with talent, the Huskies featured four players who would soon be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft, and five who would be among the league’s top 40 picks. They were also led by Hall of Fame Coach Jim Calhoun.

Fueled by a massive and vocal Mason Nation presence, the Patriots embraced the underdog role against UConn. After trailing by as many as 12 points in the first half and nine in the second, George Mason rallied to shock the sports world with an 86-84 overtime win—one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history —punctuating the victory with a trip to the Final Four in Indianapolis.

“It was great for college basketball,” said Lamar Butler, a former standout senior guard on that Final Four team who now serves as George Mason’s director of player development. “That’s what people watch the tournament for.”

Final Four watch party in the Johnson Center. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

In the years since, Virginia Commonwealth University (2011), Loyola Chicago (2018), UCLA (2021), and North Carolina State (2024) have also reached the Final Four as 11th seeds. LSU was the first to accomplish the feat in 1986.

“We believed in ourselves,” said Jim Larrañaga who serves as head coach at George Mason from 1997 to 2011. “We weren’t hoping to win. We believed we would win.”

More than 10,000 fans packed what was then the Patriot Center when the team returned home following its dramatic win over UConn.

Before the tournament, George Mason was largely unknown beyond the Mid-Atlantic region. That changed almost overnight. The team’s improbable run generated an estimated $677.5 million in free publicity from print and broadcast exposure, according to a study conducted by Robert Baker, former interim dean of the College of Education and Human Development and Professor Emeritus of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management.

The university also reported an 800% increase in traffic to its official website, while the university bookstore in the Johnson Center—typically averaging $11,000 in weekly sales—made shy of $1 million in the 10 days leading up to the Final Four. University admission inquiries increased by 350%, with out-of-state applications rising by 40%.

Butler still recalls when he playing overseas several months later, walking through a town in Croatia wearing a George Mason shirt, and a local boy approached him.

“George Mason–Final Four!” the boy exclaimed, much to Butler’s astonishment.

This weekend’s remembrance festivities will include the return of most members of the 2006 team, and the raising of a banner in EagleBank Arena in honor of the now-retired Larrañaga.

“It was one of those moments that, when you experience it, it never really leaves your mindset,” Skinn said. “To think that it was 20 years ago is unbelievable, but having a day to celebrate it is definitely exciting.”

This weekend, that memory returns to life as a new generation of Patriots gathers to celebrate the run that changed everything.

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At 16, Yevin Goonatilake becomes George Mason’s youngest master’s graduate

Katarina Benson — Wed, 07 May 2025 17:21:14 +0000

At 16, Yevin Goonatilake becomes George Mason’s youngest master’s graduate Katarina Benson Wed, 05/07/2025 - 13:21

Yevin Goonatilake hasn’t slowed down since becoming 91��’s youngest graduate with a 4.0 in December. In fact, he’s only picked up speed.

Now 16, the Leesburg, Virginia, native has added another milestone to his remarkable journey—completing a master’s degree in computer science, making him the youngest person in university history to do so.

Along the way, Goonatilake landed a job, earned his learner’s permit, and continued playing professional cricket—all while finishing graduate classwork that would challenge even seasoned scholars.

“Graduate life has definitely been a lot busier and more challenging,” he said. “These last few months have been the most demanding yet.”

Enrolled in the Bachelor’s/Accelerated Master’s (BAM) program through the College of Engineering and Computing, Goonatilake appears on track to finish his master’s with the same 4.0 GPA he held as an undergraduate.

Yevin Goonatilake. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

“I’m proud to hold onto the record for the time being,” he said. “I’m sure it will be broken in the future, but it’s nice to be George Mason’s youngest ever master’s graduate for now.”

Taking four graduate courses this semester—including three advanced-level classes—meant longer hours and greater expectations. But Goonatilake has proven he’s up for the challenge of graduate study.

“One of the biggest differences I noticed in the graduate program is that it requires more independence,” he said. “The specific implementation details are often left to you. The focus shifts from following set instructions to producing meaningful results.”

His academic interests have sharpened, too. He’s especially drawn to cryptography, which involves applying encryption and decryption schemes to messages in order to conceal them.

As a master’s student research assistant, Goonatilake is working with Computer Science Professor and Eminent Scholar Giuseppe Ateniese on cutting-edge research at the intersection of cryptography and large language models (LLMs). His current focus: cryptographic watermarking—embedding hidden signals in artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content to identify its source.

Ateniese said he was “quite astonished” upon learning Goonatilake’s age.

“But age aside, I’m impressed by his maturity, diligence, and ability to grasp extremely complex topics,” he said. “I’m delighted to have him on my team, and I have no doubt that he will continue to achieve remarkable success.”

Despite a demanding schedule, Goonatilake remains committed to cricket, playing for the Baltimore Royals Sunny Sohail (BRSS) Cricket Academy, part of Minor League Cricket. He trains several times per week and played in winter tournaments this past year in both Tampa and Miami.

“Balancing academics and cricket has kept me a little busier than I would prefer,” he said. “But I need both. Cricket keeps me grounded and gives me the outlet to clear my mind, giving me something to look forward to outside of academics.”

Celebrating his 16th birthday earlier this year has made that balancing act a little easier: with a learner’s permit in hand, Goonatilake is beginning to practice driving. “Now that I have my permit, I have been trying to drive whenever I can,” he said with a smile.

As for what’s next? Goonatilake hopes to remain at George Mason in the fall to pursue a PhD in computer science.

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At 15, Yevin Nikhel Goonatilake set to make history as George Mason’s youngest graduate with a 4.0 GPA

ckearney — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 15:51:29 +0000

At 15, Yevin Nikhel Goonatilake set to make history as George Mason’s youngest graduate with a 4.0 GPA ckearney Tue, 12/17/2024 - 10:51

You’ll forgive Yevin Nikhel Goonatilake for the lack of perspective on his self-confessed habit of procrastination.

Yevin Goonatilake. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

If only we could all have such flaws.

At 15 years old, Goonatilake is poised to become the youngest graduate in 91�� history with a 4.0 grade point average (GPA). This computer science prodigy from Leesburg, Virginia, is doing things at his own speed and far outpacing societal norms.

His achievements likely won’t stop at his bachelor’s degree. Goonatilake is also enrolled in a Bachelors/Accelerated Master’s (BAM) program in the College of Engineering and Computing, putting him on track to earn his master’s, also in computer science, in May 2025. When he does, he would become the university’s youngest-ever master’s degree recipient.

And all of this from someone who has yet to turn 16 or get a driver’s license.

“I’m kind of used to it,” Goonatilake said of his many accomplishments at such a young age. “Doing things earlier than other people is what I’ve been doing my entire life. Personally, I think more people could do it if they want to. You don’t have to follow the general trend. That’s not necessarily for everybody.”

Goonatilake’s father, Shirley Goonatilake, credited his son’s success to his steady focus. “My wife, Llana, and I are so very proud of him,” he said. “He’s very disciplined in everything he does.”

That discipline became clear early. When Goonatilake was 3 years old, his parents, both computer science engineers, recognized his gift and his father began homeschooling him.

By age 11, Goonatilake had already accrued enough academic credits to apply to Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), but he first needed to take the SAT. No problem as he scored 790 out of a possible 800 points on the math portion of the standardized test, and had totaled a robust 1530 overall score out of a possible 1600 on the test by the time he was 13.

At 13, he also graduated from NOVA with his associate’s degree in computer science, with a perfect 4.0 GPA, becoming the youngest known NOVA graduate since the school began keeping electronic records in 1975.

While George Mason has had young graduates before, both female—including a 13-year old who earned a bachelor of arts (BA) degree in 1972 and a math major who completed both a BA and MA by 17 in 2017—neither graduated with a 4.0 GPA, according to University Registrar Doug McKenna.

Goonatilake arrived at George Mason during the COVID-19 pandemic, when classes were primarily online and masks were the norm on campus. This low-profile start suited him, as most of his friends and classmates had no clue about his age.

“I don’t think I told anybody my age,” he said.

Now 5-foot-10, Goonatilake blends in easily with his peers, enjoying sports and cherishing time with his friends. But his life is anything but typical.

In addition to his studies, Goonatilake plays professional cricket for the Baltimore Royals Sunny Sohail (BRSS) Cricket Academy, which competes in Minor League Cricket. Likely the youngest player in league annals, he practices several times per week and has traveled to Texas and North Carolina for matches this semester. True to form, Goonatilake balances it all, studying on planes and in hotel rooms to keep up with his coursework.

Cricket, introduced to him by his father, a native of Sri Lanka, where it is the most popular sport, has become a vital part of Goonatilake’s life.

His coaches at BRSS have been extremely supportive of Goonatilake’s delicate balance between his cricket and academic pursuits, allowing him to manage his workload on his own.

“I need both,” he said, alluding to the social and athletic balance the two endeavors provide him.

Looking ahead, Goonatilake isn’t sure what’s next. Pursuing a PhD to teach and conduct research is certainly a possibility, though he’s also considering roles in the tech sector or federal government.

If he takes the PhD route, Goonatilake hopes to live on campus, get a roommate, and experience a more traditional college life.

“By then,” he said with a smile, “I’ll finally be able to drive.”

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