CEC BAM program

National Science Foundation

water resource engineering

Building a career that holds water

Nathan Kahl — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 15:26:51 +0000

Building a career that holds water Nathan Kahl Thu, 02/12/2026 - 10:26

“Some passions are genetic,” said Michael Smedley, a senior civil and infrastructure engineering student in the College of Engineering and Computing at 91��. “My mom was a proud water engineer at Fairfax Water. After she arranged for a cub scout troop tour of the Griffith water treatment facility on the Occoquan, water processes were my passion.”

Smedley is in the Bachelor's to Accelerated Master's (BAM) program, concentrating on environmental and water resources engineering. His particular interest is in water treatment.

While Smedley’s three older siblings chose other Virginia universities, the Burke native appreciated how close George Mason was to his home, and the campus tour impressed him.

“In high school I got really good at calculus and AP environmental science and my mom said, ‘Oh, well, you know what that means. You can try civil engineering,’” he said with a smile. “I don't regret it.”

Smedley loves every opportunity he has to get out in the field. Photo provided.

He cites BAM’s benefits. He was working on a minor in environmental engineering and his advisor, Lisa Nolder, currently director for student affairs and academic excellence in the Department of Cyber Security Engineering, explained that he could forgo the minor and spend that time working toward his master’s. “Lisa really helped me get set up with that and understand what it was.”

While at George Mason he first had an internship at Fairfax Water, where he worked in the planning department, running simulations on water pressure at fire hydrants, called fire flows, and enjoying the opportunity to take field trips to the water treatment facility. He then had an internship with CDM Smith, an engineering, design, and construction firm.

“I’ve been there for two years and I'm going back this summer. I really like the nitty gritty calculations, and you get to go see the work up close. And that's really, like, magical for me,” he said.

At Fairfax Water, he helps with design calculations, which is what he wants to focus on professionally. “It’s doing calculations on flows and making a rough sketch of what a device or system then should look like, based on flow simulations.”

Smedley said last summer he learned from his experience at a water treatment plant in Fredericksburg, a facility in the process of doubling in size. He was stationed out of the facility for two weeks, where he had free rein to look at different treatment processes and collect data. “I saw every stage of that water treatment plant.”

Where some people don’t think twice about some rainfall or the course of a flow, Smedley loves it. “I would watch the stream outside my bedroom window during high precipitation events. The flow of water has always fascinated me.”

He’s graduating with his bachelor's this semester and plans to complete his master’s in December 2026. “I have learned so much about how we try to control the uncontrollable. I learned how the private and public sectors differ, and I hope to incorporate this into how I contribute to the water industry,” said Smedley. “Water is a topic that is discussed more frequently in this ever-changing environment. I hope to bring a little piece of stability and consistency to a world that thirsts for more.”

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water quality

civil and infrastructure engineering

BAM program

Cybersecurity student hopes to use his powers for good

sbrown79 — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 15:49:25 +0000

Cybersecurity student hopes to use his powers for good sbrown79 Fri, 08/29/2025 - 11:49

When 91�� cyber security engineering major Connor Wadlin learned about ransomware attacks on organizations, such as the one on the Health Service Executive in Ireland, in his CYSE 445 System Security and Resilience class, it confirmed his commitment to dedicating his educational and professional career to protecting and preserving human lives.

“There’s nothing more important than protecting and defending others. As an engineer, I’m driven to get important work done by thinking about complex problems and finding suitable solutions,” said Wadlin, who is from Leesburg, Virginia.

Since winter 2024, the Honors College student has been interning at the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) Northern Virginia Node, George Mason’s branch of the statewide network dedicated of excellence in cybersecurity research. CCI’s mission includes workforce development through training the next generation of cybersecurity experts.

CEC student and Commonwealth Cyber Initiative intern Connor Wadlin. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding.

“It’s a super exciting job because I get to work with AprilTags, which are on objects that the drone's camera then sees and scans. Instead of sharing data, the tags utilize location information for navigation, tracking objects, or pathing purposes,” he said.

Wadlin is also simulating drone flight with the Microsoft tool Air Sim, a project he presented at the CCI Symposium in April. “I created a model with a 98% accuracy, really high F1 score—higher than what we could find on the market—detecting collisions so the drones would be able to respond to anomalous factors such as objects that get too close, environmental variables, cyber-attacks, and more,” he explained.

Wadlin learned about many of the tools he’s currently using for CCI in his classes with College of Engineering and Computing professors, such as his mentor Mohamed Gebril, an associate professor in the Department of Cyber Security Engineering.

“George Mason supports people where they are to get them where they want to be,” Wadlin said.

The skills Wadlin has acquired during his time at George Mason and in his work with CCI have enable him to help other students in their studies.

“Connor is a very skilled student and has been able to develop different programs, as well as 12 labs for sophomore- and freshman-level students at George Mason. He even assists the students during our workshops,” said Gebril.

Wadlin is participating in George Mason’s Bachelor’s to Accelerated Master’s Program and will to pursuing a master’s degree also in cyber security. Gebril said he’s looking forward to having Wadlin in his classes again as a graduate student.

“It will be a smooth transition from the undergraduate to the graduate level because the curriculum aligns well with the CCI mission, which is to equip our students with the tools to conduct research activity and develop cutting-edge technology,” said Gebril.

Wadlin’s team is also working to develop a first-of-its-kind cyber drone race that incorporates cybersecurity challenges and artificial intelligence for undergraduate students.

Wadlin was diagnosed with autism at 19 and sees this diagnosis as working to his advantage by allowing him to see things from different perspectives and approach problems with his own unique ideas.

“As an engineer, you have to ask yourself ‘how is this making the world a better place?’ That's always got to be the end goal,” said Wadlin.

Explore the College of Engineering and Computing

In This Story

Mohamed Gebril

Topics

Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI)

Honors College

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

In This Story

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

accelerated bachelor's to master's

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.

Topics

Graduation

accelerated bachelor's to master's

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.”

Start your own academic journey at George Mason

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Graduation

Winter Commencement

Bioengineering alumna completes a fun(gal) summer internship with NIH

sbrown79 — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 18:07:12 +0000

Bioengineering alumna completes a fun(gal) summer internship with NIH sbrown79 Fri, 09/13/2024 - 14:07

91�� bioengineering alumna Alessandra Coogan took advantage of all the opportunities associated with her internship at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, this summer. That included NIH workshops and seminars where Coogan was able to tap into various institutes and branches of engineering, as well as network with professional engineers.

“I thought interning at NIH meant that you come to the lab, work, then leave, but it's actually a huge institution and offers so many opportunities to socialize, network, and developing yourself as a professional scientist. It was really amazing,” said Coogan.

Alessandra Coogan. Photo provided.

Coogan’s internship through the Biomedical Engineering Summer Internship Program (BESIP) ran 10 weeks from June 3 to August 10.

“It's a little bit more competitive for bioengineering-related lab research. There's only 24 of us [in the BESIP program] in total, and it’s a very close-knit community program,” said Coogan, an Honors College student who graduated in May with her bachelor's in bioengineering with a concentration in biomaterials and nanomedicine from the College of Engineering and Computing.

The lab project pertains to immuno-engineering, which combines immunology and engineering, and explores the origins and potential mitigation of autoimmune responses triggered by implants in the body.

Coogan conducted research and development on drug delivery, tissue engineering, and scaffold development, which is a particular interest of hers.

“I love wet lab and getting my hands dirty while working on projects and experiments, and this experience definitely solidified that for me in terms of what I hope to do professionally,” said Coogan.

Alessandra Coogan in a National Institutes of Health lab. Photo provided.

Coogan was also given the chance to work on a second independent project, which is pretty rare. It focused on the treatment of fungal infections in the upper respiratory tract.

“A lot of treatments for fungal infections in your mouth, your lungs, your nose, especially in the nasal cavity, are aggressive and very systemic,” said Coogan.

For certain treatments, medical professionals might have to inject an antifungal medication through an IV into the bloodstream, she explained.

“It’s kind of overkill,” Coogan said. “The treatments are harmful to patients’ kidneys and liver. My research aims to provide a local application of an antifungal medication using a hydrogel, so my experiments consist of staining cells and processing tissue. It’s been a very fun but very difficult project,” she said.

Coogan credits George Mason’s Bioengineering Department for preparing her to take on a role of this caliber with NIH.

“Our department is small but mighty, and they really focus on creating excellent scientists,” said Coogan. “I've done a lot of research with Professor Rémi Veneziano in the [Laboratory for Bio-Inspired Nanoarchitectures] for two years now, and I've learned a lot from him. His research is on tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, which really interested me.”

“I feel that I have been very lucky to have Alessandra as a student in my lab,” Veneziano said. “She is very driven, and has the background, the knowledge, and the technical skills to become an excellent researcher.”

Alessandra Coogan with NIH colleagues. Photo provided.

Coogan is always willing to lend a hand to her peers, training them and sharing her research, said Veneziano.

“She also developed excellent [problem-solving] skills that she was able to leverage to perform complex experiments and help one of my graduate students in a very challenging project,” said Veneziano.

Whenever possible, Veneziano encourages his students to attend conferences and present their work to other researchers in order to build a network and also see what other labs are doing in their fields and other fields. Earlier this year, Coogan presented her work on prosthetic liners at the topping off ceremony for Fuse at Mason Square alongside her peers.

Coogan returns to George Mason this fall to earn her accelerated master’s in bioengineering, and Veneziano will be her committee chair.

In This Story

Remi Veneziano

Topics

National Institutes of Health

Bioengineering

Bioengineering student went from Patriot to Pilgrim for summer internship

sbrown79 — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 15:51:00 +0000

Bioengineering student went from Patriot to Pilgrim for summer internship  sbrown79 Fri, 09/06/2024 - 11:51

91�� bioengineering student Berk Kasimcan spent his summer internship working on a proof of concept for what could be described as sunglasses for buildings. 

Kasimcan is working alongside Harvard University psychology students and second-year PhD engineering and computing student Raphael Kay as they attempt to alleviate the damage that buildings experience throughout the years from radiation, heat, cold, and light. 

“What if we create this glass system that has various liquids inside and is able to adjust the building temperature or the [impact of] the direct UV light?” Kasimcan said. “This research would be especially helpful for newer buildings that are made of mostly glass.” 

Berk Kasimcan. Photo provided.

Kasimcan’s internship took place in two lab locations on Harvard’s campus —the Aizenberg Biomineralization and Biomimetics Lab in the Science and Engineer Complex and the Center for Nanoscale Systems. The research being conducted is fairly new and led by Kay, who is also one of Kasimcan’s mentors.

“The environments are super-fast paced and each university has their own culture when doing research, so I get to learn a lot of different ways to conduct important research,” said Kasimcan.   

The Aizenberg lab is similar to the MIX here at George Mason, but with more of a focus on engineering. The Center for Nanoscale Systems is where students work on decomposition and microscopic materials too small to be seen unaided by the human eye and requires researchers to wear full-body clean room suits, Kasimcan explained. 

The team built a total of four setups this summer to measure how much light and heat is getting deflected, and how much heat transfer is present. 

 “Our goal for this summer is to build test benches. Once we perfect our devices and formulas, we will actually be able to use the test benches to get reliable results on light and heat detection,” said Kasimcan, who is enrolled in George Mason’s accelerated master’s bioengineering program.    

Berk Kasimcan at Harvard University Campus. Photo provided.

Kasimcan, who is in the Honors College, credits the mentorship he received at George Mason from associate professor of bioengineering Shani Ross and assistant professor of bioengineering Quentin Sanders, as well as his senior design project experience, for helping to prepare him for this internship. 

Working with Sanders in his Intelligent assistive technology, Neuromuscular control and Physiology, Wearables and Rehabilitation Robotics (ImPoWeR) lab for a year was great experience, Kasimcan said. “I worked on research addressing rehabilitation, robotics, and developed exoskeletons and prosthetic devices for individuals that have experienced a neurological injury or amputation.”

The feeling was mutual, according to Sanders. “It was a pleasure working with Berk. With his work ethic, intellectual curiosity, and general interest in the biomedical sciences, I can see him working at a top tier company within the health care industry,” said Sanders.  

“I’m sure he’ll do great wherever he ends up. I wouldn't be surprised at all if I looked up one day and Berk was the leading scientist in the research and development division of a huge company,” he added.  

Kasimcan, along with his peers, spent a year working on hydrogel research with the goal of creating a water filtration system in the event of an emergency so communities can access clean water.    

“It’s not something we can use 24/7 unfortunately, but when it comes to emergencies, it was a pretty useful device,” said Kasimcan. 

For their efforts, Kasimcan and his teammates won multiple awards including two People’s Choice Awards for engineering from George Mason’s Bioengineering Department and 2nd Place in a Star-Tides Poster Competition.

Kasimcan graduated with a bachelor of science from George Mason in spring 2024 and is currently pursuing his master's in engineering.

In This Story

Quentin Sanders

Shani Ross

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