Susan Martonik

Student and faculty researchers team up to drive societal change

Susan Martonik — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 16:47:47 +0000

Student and faculty researchers team up to drive societal change Susan Martonik Wed, 10/14/2026 - 12:47

This summer, classrooms gave way to labs, field sites, and data sets as 91�� faculty and students partnered to tackle some of society's most pressing challenges. The research teams explored complex issues—many aligned with the university’s Grand Challenge Initiative—examining them from multiple perspectives and generating new insights to help shape future solutions.

These Summer Team Impact Projects, supported by grants from Mason Impact, were led by faculty members who assembled teams of undergraduate and graduate students from across disciplines. Students—who received stipends to support their participation—took part in a one-week boot camp to begin the 10-week program, along with various enrichment activities throughout the summer. The students shared their findings at the Office of Student Creative Activities and Research Summer Celebration of Student Scholarship and Impact.

Summer Team Impact Project researchers Abigail Naidoo (left) and Katelyn Mckee present at the OSCAR Summer 2026 Celebration. Photo by Susan Lawrence.

The research spanned a wide range of topics, including homelessness and climate-related challenges, using virtual reality to support health, changes in the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem, how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to better understand how people move through cities, and the impact of generative AI on student writing.

Susan Lawrence and Courtney Massie, director and assistant director, respectively, of the Writing Center, led a project titled “Student Writers and Generative AI: Investigating Practices, Knowledge, and Critical Literacies.” Working with a team of six undergraduate students and one graduate mentor, their research examined how George Mason students are integrating generative AI into their writing processes in realistic academic settings. It also explored the extent to which writers saw themselves thinking critically and the ownership they felt over their work.

While Lawrence and Massie oversaw the project, their team of students led the research-- interviewing participants, coding results, and analyzing data to generate findings.

“I conducted qualitative research using in-depth interviews and coding to determine insights about how George Mason students use generative AI in their writing,” said Marisa Parikh, an Honors College student majoring in public administration in the Schar School of Policy and Government. “One of the most valuable things I learned was how new developments in technology are impacting students today. This helped me look more long term at how institutions can promote accessibility to education for all students and use this technology as a tool to increase student success outcomes.”

Lawrence spoke highly of the student researchers’ work. “Having a multidisciplinary team of student researchers was a major asset for this project,” she said. “They connected easily with participants during interviews, and their diverse perspectives on generative AI helped shape how we ultimately interpreted the data.”

The team has submitted their project for presentation at the International Writing Centers Association conference in October and are moving toward publishing a manuscript. Beyond its scholarly contributions, the project also highlighted the Writing Center as a valuable setting for research on writing and literacy.

Jenna Krall, associate professor of global and community health, and Marybeth Mitcham, assistant professor of global and community health, both in the College of Public Health, along with Fengxiu Zhang, assistant professor in the Schar School, led another Summer Team Impact Project on “Supportive Housing as Climate Resiliency: Resident, Community, and Government Perspectives.” Working with a team of nine student researchers, the project sought to understand the challenges of homelessness and environmental hazards using community health, environmental science, and policy frameworks.

“There are huge knowledge gaps in this space, so we split our researchers into three groups to gather multiple perspectives,” said Krall. “Our team meetings became a space where the students could experiment and sandbox ideas for how to analyze the data they collected. They weren’t just checking boxes; they were helping build a knowledge base to inform future research and practice.”

Professor Krall's Summer Team Impact Project members take a field trip to the Lamb Center. Photo by Jenna Krall.

The research team presented their findings to local partners, including the Lamb Center and the City of Fairfax. Efforts are also underway to publish the research.

“The project provided me with real-life experience of how it is to work on a team, in particular building my skill of patience through the research process, understanding the reason for the project, working with colleagues, and letting creative ideas flow,” said student researcher Alex Romero Valenzuela, a community health major in the College of Public Health who is pursuing a master's degree in public health through George Mason's bachelor’s-to-accelerated master's (BAM) program.

For Krall, the experience was rewarding both professionally and personally. A George Mason alum, she participated in a summer research project as an undergraduate. “I’ve wanted to apply for this grant since I started teaching at George Mason,” she said. “It’s especially meaningful to come full circle and introduce current students to research as a potential career path.”

“The Summer Team Impact Projects provide valuable experience for all involved. Faculty can pursue research in areas of personal and professional interest, while students gain hands-on experience with research design, implementation, and analysis,” said Jesse Guessford, director of curriculum and initiatives in the Office of Undergraduate Education. “This program brings together two of George Mason’s key priorities: supporting student success and creating opportunities for faculty scholarship and innovation.”

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Skills-focused academic minor programs prepare George Mason students for the workforce

Susan Martonik — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 16:33:19 +0000

Skills-focused academic minor programs prepare George Mason students for the workforce Susan Martonik Wed, 10/14/2026 - 12:33

In today’s competitive job market, students are increasingly looking for ways to distinguish themselves in the eyes of potential employers. To help its graduates gain a competitive edge, 91�� is strengthening students’ career readiness through its specialized workforce-ready minor programs. To date, 34 programs are available—and more are on the way.

“These programs provide students with an opportunity to enter the workforce equipped with the practical skills and experiences that employers seek,” said Elizabeth Loun, program manager for university internships in the Undergraduate Education. “They are also highly accessible. In many cases, students can earn a workforce-ready minor by completing only a few additional courses before graduation.”

George Mason’s workforce-ready minor programs currently span seven schools and colleges. They are designed to complement any major, and all programs include internship-based courses and career-relevant assignments, giving students the opportunity to gain practical experience and ensuring career readiness. Available minors include environmental consulting, government contracting, nonprofit studies, renewable energy, leadership, arts management, and more. These programs are designated in the course catalog for the first time this fall, making them easier for students to identify and explore.

Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

The workforce-ready minors are strategically aligned with high-demand occupations identified by the Virginia Career and Technical Education Resource Center, a Virginia Department of Education-funded initiative that helps ensure that academic programs remain connected to the needs of employers across the commonwealth. These occupations are grouped into 17 career clusters—including energy, health sciences, information technology, and government and public administration—and represent 83 distinct career pathways.

“In the years ahead, we anticipate significant growth within these career clusters,” said Loun. “By helping students develop in-demand skills, our workforce-ready minor programs prepare George Mason students to pursue opportunities in these fields and contribute as future leaders.”

To expand access to career-focused learning opportunities across the curriculum, George Mason launched the Workforce-Ready Minors initiative earlier this year. Through the initiative, faculty members received stipends to modify programs, enhance courses, or create internship courses.

In the School of Art, Professor John von Bergen used the grant to redesign AVT 462 Advanced Sculpture, an upper-level course that teaches students advanced 3D fabrication techniques used in contemporary creative industries. With the Workforce-Ready Minors program, von Bergen enhanced the course to have a career-relevant focus each week. Throughout the semester, students create presentation materials tailored to careers in art, design, fabrication, and creative technology, participate in resume workshops, and engage with industry professionals to gain real-world experience and build professional networks. This course is scheduled to be offered in fall 2027.

“We received a tremendous response to our call for proposals this spring and summer,” said Loun. “The strong interest from faculty enabled us to double the number of workforce-ready minor programs in just a few months. In some cases, existing programs already met the workforce-ready minor criteria and required no additional funding.”

She continued, “With a final round of grants being distributed this fall, we look forward to building on this momentum and broadening our portfolio of offerings even further.”

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George Mason receives $6 million grant to increase supports for low-income students

Susan Martonik — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 13:00:48 +0000

George Mason receives $6 million grant to increase supports for low-income students Susan Martonik Wed, 10/14/2026 - 09:00

As one of Virginia's leading institutions for enrolling and graduating Pell Grant recipients, 91�� has a strong track record of increasing educational opportunities for low-income students. A recent grant from the Pell Initiative for Virginia will provide $6 million to enhance programs and services supporting these students during the 2027 fiscal year. With this latest investment, the university has received a total of $16.7 million from the initiative since 2023.

Administered by the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV), the Pell Initiative for Virginia aims to expand access to higher education for Pell-eligible students across the commonwealth, as well as improve their retention and completion rates. The program is part of Virginia’s Pathways to Opportunity strategic plan, which seeks to make Virginia the “best state for education” by 2030 by focusing on equitable access, affordability, and transformative experiences.

“The grants from the Pell Initiative for Virginia have been instrumental in supporting pathways to enrollment and degree completion for Pell‑eligible Virginians over the past several years,” said Sally Lorentson, interim vice president for University Life, who serves as chair of the Pell Initiative for Virginia Implementation Committee and primary investigator for the grant at George Mason. “Our programming has reached 13% of current Pell‑eligible students at George Mason and thousands of prospective students, plus we’ve awarded more than $6 million in direct student aid through fiscal year 2026.”

Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Initiatives to date have included expanding the Early Identification Program, establishing financial well-being mentors, and offering campus tours and transition workshops for Pell-eligible applicants. The funding has also supported a first-year laptop program, need-based housing and completion grants, digital purchasing cards to address basic needs, and summer math boot camps. In addition, the university used Pell Initiative for Virginia funds to purchase access to Single Stop, a platform available to all students, faculty, and staff that connects users with community and federal resources.

An Institution-Wide Barrier Review Report submitted to SCHEV in fall 2025 found that these programs are producing positive results. George Mason experienced a 15% increase in Pell-eligible student enrollment from fall 2023 to fall 2024, along with greater parity with non-Pell-eligible students in GPA, credits, and time to degree.

Looking ahead, this year's efforts will focus on continued expansion of programs with the greatest impact, such as housing and completion grants, along with the Patriot Fellows program supporting students through financial well-being mentoring and success coaching. Additional institutional work will focus on building and sustaining the infrastructure to support students with the greatest need across campus.

“As we continue to support the recruitment, enrollment, retention, and completion of Pell-eligible students, we are helping create pathways to opportunity for individuals whose talents will strengthen communities across the commonwealth,” said Lorentson. “These programs, and the dedicated faculty and staff who run them, are opening doors to higher education while preparing graduates for long-term academic and career success.”

According to new research published in AERA Open, a journal of the American Educational Research Association, George Mason ranks among the nation’s highest-performing Pell institutions. The university placed in the top 10% of more than 1,400 colleges and universities evaluated on access for Pell Grant recipients, degree completion, and postgraduation earnings.

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OSCAR associate director earns national recognition for advancing undergraduate research

Susan Martonik — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 14:50:33 +0000

OSCAR associate director earns national recognition for advancing undergraduate research Susan Martonik Mon, 09/28/2026 - 10:50

Behind many successful researchers is a mentor who helps shape their academic journey. For countless undergraduate researchers at 91��, that mentor is Karen T. Lee, associate director of the Office of Student Creative Activities and Research (OSCAR), a newly inducted fellow of the Council of Undergraduate Research (CUR).

Earlier this summer, Lee received the CUR Fellows Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research Leadership. This lifetime achievement award recognizes CUR members who are leaders and role models within the undergraduate research community and whose careers represent the values and ideals set forth by CUR.

“I am thrilled to be one of the recipients of the CUR Fellows Award,” said Lee. “I believe that undergraduate research has the power to transform a student’s educational experience—helping them build confidence, develop critical skills, and discover new possibilities for their future. I’m grateful to be part of a George Mason community that is deeply committed to creating those opportunities.”

Karen Lee (left) receives the CUR Fellows Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research Leadership from CUR President Karen Resendes. Photo provided by the Council on Undergraduate Research.

For more than three decades, Lee has advanced undergraduate research through mentorship, program development, and national leadership. Beginning her career as a faculty researcher in biology, she mentored dozens of undergraduate students in ecological research, with nearly half of her peer-reviewed publications including undergraduate coauthors. Her leadership has been instrumental in institutionalizing undergraduate research programs at multiple institutions.

At George Mason, Lee continues to expand access to research opportunities through innovative funding programs, peer-leadership models, and cross-campus collaborations. Her sustained contributions have helped hundreds of students engage in meaningful research experiences and have strengthened the undergraduate research ecosystem locally, regionally, and nationally.

“Karen’s recognition as a fellow of the Council on Undergraduate Research reflects her steadfast leadership in advancing undergraduate research and mentoring students,” said Ajay Vinzé, interim provost at George Mason when Lee received the award. “Through her work with OSCAR, she has expanded opportunities for George Mason students to engage in discovery, scholarship, and creative inquiry, and her national recognition will further strengthen George Mason’s commitment to undergraduate research.”