Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

Eagle-eyed naturalists track wildlife at Point of View

ckearney — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 19:01:35 +0000

Eagle-eyed naturalists track wildlife at Point of View ckearney Fri, 04/10/2026 - 15:01

91��’s Point of View event and retreat facility in Lorton, Virginia, includes 120 acres of wooded land adjacent to the tranquil Belmont Bay and bordered by a protected wildlife refuge and state park.

Point of View. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Point of View presents many opportunities to observe wildlife along the water, and staffers have recently observed adult and juvenile bald eagles watching for fish in some of their "eagle trees,” as staff have started to call them.

The adult and juvenile bald eagles have certain trees at Point of View they seem to prefer. Staffers call them the "eagle trees.” Photo provided

A small staff manages the Point of View facility, which holds a Platinum LEED certification to minimize its impact on the environment.

“I think of myself as a steward of this site,” said Jessica Avila-Franco, event and operations manager at Point of View. “Being surrounded by such a peaceful, beautiful environment year-round is something I never take for granted. We have a real responsibility—and privilege—to protect the ecosystem.”

Bald eagles and other wildlife at Point of View and the larger Occoquan Bay/Meadowood area are tracked through a long-term citizen science effort. Volunteer naturalists from the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance have been visiting and tracking species in the area for the past 37 years.

A juvenile eagle. Photo provided

On a recent naturalist visit, 19 bald eagles were sighted around the area. Species observed and tracked at different times of the year include birds, butterflies, dragonflies, other wildlife, plants, fungi, and lichens.

Sunset at Point of View. Photo by Evan Centwell/Office of University Branding

Observations are logged in reports by the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance and also posted on the iNaturalist website.

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What is Tea Talk?

Paul Snodgrass — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 22:28:04 +0000

What is Tea Talk? Paul Snodgrass Tue, 03/31/2026 - 18:28

When Jonathan Fang, an Honors College student and a fourth-year undergraduate student at the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at 91��, began his internship at the Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation (MHCR), he had no idea that he would be facilitating a multi-cultural student dialogue group.

In spring 2024, during his internship with MHCR, Fang and his supervisor, Rowda Olad, a mental health and psychosocial support expert and associate director of the MHCR, came upon the idea of developing a series of student-focused conversations on difficult, but relevant topics to students and inviting different cultural and ethnic student groups to participate.

Fang hoped that through these conversations students would learn to challenge their assumptions, appreciate different points of view, and respectfully agree to disagree on sensitive topics in an open and judgement-free space.

Discussion topics are pulled from complex real-life issues facing college students. Past topics have included mental health and well-being, race and ethnicity, political polarization, and interpersonal relationship reconciliation.

The idea for Tea Talk originated with the tradition of Somali tea gatherings called Casiriya, where the communities would gather resolve disputes, and is based on the work Olad performed in Eastern Africa.

Fang continues the Somali tradition by serving traditional Somali tea and sambusas, a pastry similar to a samosas, at every session.

According to Fang, the first Tea Talk mostly consisted of Carter School Ambassadors, but has since grown to include members of the Christian fellowship student group CRU, the African Student Association, the Muslim Student Association, the College Republicans at Mason, and several other organizations. Currently, the discussion series averages a dozen student attendees per event and is preparing for its fifth monthly session.

Fang is pleased with the success of the dialogue series and hopes it will continue to grow. “It’s great to see students willing to step out of their comfort zone, open up in honest conversation with care and understanding, and listen to different or conflicting perspectives," he said.

When asked about the long-term vision for Tea Talk, Fang replied, “We’re looking to deepen and expand its impact both on campus and globally. This includes strengthening university connections and building sustained engagement among students.”

Currently, Fang is participating in a study-abroad trip to the Philippines, where he hopes to explore how to build similar programs and to facilitate the exchange of peacebuilding practices in cross-cultural settings.

For information about upcoming Tea Talk sessions, please visit the Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation for dates and times.

More Carter School News

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A Focus on Peace Week: Navigating the Impact of Changes in Climate Governance on Fragile States
March 23, 2026
PhD student Olesya Vartanyan briefs U.S. Congress on the political situation in Georgia
March 4, 2026
Carter School welcomes Walk for Peace to Northern Virginia
February 18, 2026
Study abroad influenced this graduating senior’s worldview
December 2, 2025

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A Focus on Peace Week: Navigating the Impact of Changes in Climate Governance on Fragile States

Paul Snodgrass — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 20:25:35 +0000

A Focus on Peace Week: Navigating the Impact of Changes in Climate Governance on Fragile States Paul Snodgrass Mon, 03/23/2026 - 16:25

On Thursday, April 16, the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at 91�� will host the virtual panel discussion “Navigating the Impact of Changes in Climate Governance on Fragile States.” Presented as part of the Carter School’s 2026 Peace Week, the event will examine shifts in the global climate governance landscape and identify emerging institutional and governance gaps.

Engy Said. Photo provided

The discussion will be facilitated by Counsellor Engy Said, a Carter School PhD candidate and Egyptian diplomat, and Diego Osorio, a senior policy advisor, former Canadian diplomat, professor, and government official. Said and Osorio were also Harvard Fellows together in International Affairs.

Said brings more than 20 years of experience in diplomacy and international affairs, climate change, and sustainable development. Osorio is a practitioner and academic specializing in climate change and conflict, with nearly three decades of experience working in regions such as Iraq, Southeast Asia, and Haiti with organizations including the United Nations, NATO, the World Bank, and the Government of Canada.

The panel builds on recent efforts to better connect climate action with peace and development agendas. It comes at a time of shifting global priorities that are reshaping climate governance and placing additional pressure on fragile and conflict-affected contexts, where climate risks intersect with political and institutional challenges.

Diego Osorio. Photo provided

“Climate security isn’t a future concern, it’s already shaping how we govern, protect, and adapt,” Osorio said.

Said adds, “Addressing climate change without considering conflict dynamics overlooks the lived realities of the most vulnerable, particularly in fragile contexts.”

The session will bring together experts in water and food security, climate diplomacy, and peace operations, including Hans Ibbrek of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Tatiana Miškova, Slovenian ambassador for water diplomacy; Jeff Helsing of the Better Evidence Project; Khaled El Taweel, senior programmers coordinator at FAO; and Cedric de Coning, senior research fellow at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI).

To learn more about this panel discussion, as well as other Peace Week events, visit the Carter School Website.

More Carter School News

What is Tea Talk?
March 31, 2026
A Focus on Peace Week: Navigating the Impact of Changes in Climate Governance on Fragile States
March 23, 2026
PhD student Olesya Vartanyan briefs U.S. Congress on the political situation in Georgia
March 4, 2026
Carter School welcomes Walk for Peace to Northern Virginia
February 18, 2026
Study abroad influenced this graduating senior’s worldview
December 2, 2025

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PhD student Olesya Vartanyan briefs U.S. Congress on the political situation in Georgia

Paul Snodgrass — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 19:53:11 +0000

PhD student Olesya Vartanyan briefs U.S. Congress on the political situation in Georgia Paul Snodgrass Wed, 03/04/2026 - 14:53

On February 11, 2026, Olesya Vartanyan, a first-year PhD student at 91��'s Carter School and conflict analyst with more than 15 years of field experience in the South Caucasus, took part in a congressional briefing on the political situation in Georgia. The event was hosted by the U.S. Helsinki Commission, a bipartisan body bringing together members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. In recent years, the commission has been a leading voice in shaping U.S. policy toward Georgia, particularly following the country’s political crisis triggered by the disputed parliamentary elections of 2024.

Olesya Vartanyan. Photo provided

Vartanyan was invited to share her assessment of developments in Georgia and to outline possible pathways toward resolving the protracted political standoff. Her long-standing work on conflict dynamics, negotiation processes, and crisis management in the region formed the basis of her recommendations.

This was not her first engagement with the U.S. Congress. In 2020, she testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on the situation in Georgia’s conflict regions, which remain disputed territories following multiple wars involving Russia. In 2024, she also briefed members of Congress on developments between Armenia and Azerbaijan after renewed cycles of violence in their decades-long conflict.

Her most recent appearance came at a particularly sensitive moment. More than a year into Georgia’s political crisis, tensions remain high between the ruling authorities and opposition forces. The Georgian leadership has sought to reset relations with the current U.S. administration, amid ongoing international concerns regarding the 2024 election results in Georgia, the detention of opposition figures, and the adoption of restrictive legislation affecting civil society. At the same time, the European Union has signaled the possibility of additional measures in response to democratic backsliding.

Olesya Vartanyan testifying before a hearing of Helsinki Commission leadership from the House and Senate in 2024.

The congressional event also took place against a broader geopolitical backdrop. The United States has shown increased interest in expanding trade and transport connectivity between Central Asia and Europe through the South Caucasus. Following U.S.-facilitated diplomatic efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2025, Washington has emphasized regional stability as a strategic priority.

In her remarks, Vartanyan structured her recommendations around three core lessons drawn from Georgia’s own political history. She argued that any sustainable reset in U.S.-Georgia relations must be grounded in a genuine political settlement inside the country. She outlined a roadmap centered on inclusive dialogue, compromise across political divides, and a longer-term vision for institutional reform.

“No process will succeed without a real prospect of equal access to power for all political groups,” she stated, arguing that technical reforms alone are insufficient if political actors do not believe that power can change hands peacefully. The process, she suggested, should include elements of transitional justice as well as political agreements capable of restoring public trust.

The United States, she noted, remains uniquely positioned to encourage meaningful dialogue. “No process can succeed without a strong external guarantor,” she said, referencing earlier moments when international mediation helped overcome political stalemate in Georgia.

She also cautioned that U.S. sanctions should be used strategically and paired with diplomacy. Drawing on comparative experience, she observed that punitive measures are most effective when complemented by political engagement; absent diplomatic follow-up, they risk entrenching positions and increasing pressure on vulnerable groups within society.

Linking domestic reform to international strategy, Vartanyan warned that “without meaningful contribution to a political resolution, no reset in U.S.–Georgia relations will be sustainable.” If the structural roots of the crisis remain unaddressed, she argued, Georgia risks entering repeated cycles of instability, with consequences for its sovereignty and for broader regional security.

The briefing attracted considerable attention both in Georgia and among policymakers in the United States and Europe. Broadcast live, it was followed by viewers in Georgia despite the late hour. Local media outlets widely reported on the discussion, and transcripts of Vartanyan’s remarks circulated in both English and Georgian. Commentators across the political spectrum described the proposals as a structured and actionable roadmap for beginning a credible political process.

Although Georgia’s political crisis remains unresolved, the congressional exchange reinforced the central message of her intervention: that stability cannot be achieved through tactical resets alone. By linking domestic political reform to broader regional and strategic considerations, Vartanyan’s remarks positioned crisis resolution not as a concession to one side, but as a prerequisite for Georgia’s long-term resilience and for effective U.S. engagement in the South Caucasus. At a moment of heightened polarization, her intervention introduced a policy framework that moved the discussion from managing crisis to resolving it.

Carter School News

What is Tea Talk?
March 31, 2026
A Focus on Peace Week: Navigating the Impact of Changes in Climate Governance on Fragile States
March 23, 2026
PhD student Olesya Vartanyan briefs U.S. Congress on the political situation in Georgia
March 4, 2026
Carter School welcomes Walk for Peace to Northern Virginia
February 18, 2026
Study abroad influenced this graduating senior’s worldview
December 2, 2025

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Honors College student leads with purpose, passion, and a global vision

Katarina Benson — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 20:04:36 +0000

Honors College student leads with purpose, passion, and a global vision Katarina Benson Wed, 02/25/2026 - 15:04

Honors College student Marisa Parikh embodies the drive, curiosity, and global mindset that define 91�� students. She serves as president of Be the Change, a student-led organization dedicated to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on campus. Under her leadership, the group focuses on raising awareness and inspiring action around the goals that most directly affect George Mason students.

On March 2, Parikh and Be the Change will take part in in a virtual panel “Embrace Healing and Reconciliation in Countries That Suffer from Broken Systems.” Open to students and the public, this student-led conversation explores how restorative justice can help repair harm, rebuild trust, and transform systems affected by deep structural inequities. It also serves as a prelude to the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution’s spring Peace Week.

Marisa Parikh is president of Be the Change. Photo provided

Parikh arrived at George Mason already ahead of the curve, having earned her associate’s degree at the Central Virginia Community College in Lynchburg, Virginia, while still in high school. Today, she is pursuing a major in public administration at the Schar School of Government and Policy, paired with a minor in conflict resolution and analysis from the Carter School.

Her commitment to meaningful impact took root during an internship with George Mason professor Solon Simmons at the Carter School’s Narrative Transformation Lab. There, she contributed to Little Minds, Strong Values (LMSV), a Rotary International-supported initiative in Sri Lanka that uses music and dance to teach children values like kindness, honesty, and respect. Parikh conducted ripple mapping research to help measure the project’s reach and influence—an experience she describes as transformative.

“Working on Little Minds, Strong Values helped me find my niche,” she said. “The South Asian community is my community and contributing to a project that uplifts children in that region was incredibly fulfilling. My coursework and the LMSV project together were a pivotal moment for me.”

“Marisa was a core member of our lab team, anchoring a ripple effects mapping evaluation in Sri Lanka, a key research site in our Rotary partnership, and representing the Carter School in a national student dialogue on civic engagement at the University of Delaware,” said Simmons.
“She made a substantive contribution to the school in more than one area and was a delight to work with.”   

After her internship, Parikh’s sense of purpose continued to grow. She became involved with Ashiyanaa, a nonprofit supporting South Asian women and children affected by gender-based and domestic violence. Her work with Ashiyanaa led her to join the Collective Organizations of South Asia (COSA), a George Mason student group dedicated to unity and cultural celebration. Through these connections, she helped facilitate a workshop on interpersonal relationship violence within the South Asian community—an effort that blended advocacy, education, and cultural understanding.

Parikh’s love for her heritage also shines through in her creative life. As a member of the COSA dance team, she performs styles from across South Asia and helps shape the team’s digital presence as co–social media coordinator. Though she enjoys the full range of regional dance traditions, Gujarati Garba, a dance form from Gujarat, India, holds a special place in her heart. “It’s where my family is from. I grew up doing it,” she said.

Learn more about Peace Week

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Carter School welcomes Walk for Peace to Northern Virginia

Katarina Benson — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 18:21:35 +0000

Carter School welcomes Walk for Peace to Northern Virginia Katarina Benson Wed, 02/18/2026 - 13:21

From October to mid-February, the Venerable Buddhist monks of the Dhammacetiya Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center of Fort Worth, Texas walked more than 2,300 miles to Washington, D.C. Known as the Walk for Peace, their goal was to raise awareness of the global need for peace as well as how we can practice and foster peace in our own lives and neighborhoods.

Carter School students Angelina Di Matteo and Grace McIntyre traveled to Fort Belvoir to greet the monks as they arrived for their lunch break at the Chùa Hoa Nghiêm temple. Photo provided

On February 8and 9, students and staff from 91��’s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution gathered together in the cold and wind to greet and witness the Walk for Peace.

The monks, ranging in age from 29-68, represent monasteries and temples from around the globe. In past years, they have gathered for walks in other locations across the globe, including India, Cambodia, and Thailand. They gather when there is a sense that the world is in crisis, and peace is especially needed.

On Sunday, February 8, Carter School undergraduates Angelina Di Matteo and Grace McIntyre traveled to Fort Belvoir, Virginia, to greet the monks as they arrived for their lunch break at the Chùa Hoa Nghiêm temple. Carter School doctoral student Heather Rosso was one of the volunteers escorting the monks as they arrived at the temple.

Rosso had been following the Walk for Peace on Facebook when she noticed a call for volunteers at the Virginia locations and volunteered. “We were told to be prepared for anything, including the cold weather, so I bundled up and headed to the temple.”

Rosso’s assignment was to escort the monks through the temple grounds while maintaining crowd control and respect for the monks. In addition to typical crowd control for an event, the monks required special care and attention. “For monastic reasons, we had to be sure nobody touched or approached the monks.”

"It was an amazing experience," said Rosso, who studies U.S. mass violence, extremism, and coercive control. "It was bitter cold and windy, filled with love and peace, long hours on our feet, and over in what seemed like the blink of an eye. I was so honored to have been among those chosen to assist as a volunteer that morning."

The next day, February 9, one of the last days of the walk, George Mason students, members of the Carter School, and Mason Square faculty and staff greeted the monks as they passed by Vernon Smith Hall at Mason Square in Arlington, Virginia. They were joined by the Rotarians from District 7620. The Rotary is a Carter School partner organization, as both share a mission of fostering peace locally and globally. Participants laid yellow flower petals along the monks’ path, and greeted them with a banner, flowers, and signs representing the Carter School for peace studies.

The gathering was an incredible experience filled with “fellowship, hope, peacefulness, healing, resilience,” said Shirley Al-Jarani, director of operations for the 91�� Instructional Foundation (GMUIF). Al-Jarani captured the experience well when she recalled, “The hope I felt as a group of virtual strangers [as we] talked in fellowship getting to know each other realizing we may never meet again but we were connected in that moment and stood together in solidarity for peace and hope.”

From left, Mark Flanigan, Paul Snodgrass, Monica Solis, Heather Rosso, Shirley Al-Jarani, Angela Mandizvidza, and Rotary's Mari Clark welcomed the Walk for Peace with a banner as the monks made their way through Arlington. Photo provided

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George Mason faculty and students host inaugural Qualitative Research Day

Shayla Brown — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 14:46:15 +0000

George Mason faculty and students host inaugural Qualitative Research Day  Shayla Brown Wed, 01/21/2026 - 09:46

In This Story

Supriya Baily

Erin D. Maughan, PhD

91�� recently held its first-ever Qualitative Research Day, an event for PhD students of all disciplines to engage in hands-on and interactive opportunities with the goal of learning new qualitative research techniques and methodologies. The inaugural event is the latest innovation in George Mason's ongoing efforts to find new ways to support its PhD students.

The event was a collaboration between faculty and students from the College of Public Health, the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), and the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, including Supriya Baily from Carter School, Erin Maughan from the School of Nursing, Bethany Letiecq from CEHD, PhD students Karthik Ramanujam and Tara Altay, and Fenwick Library team members, including Debby Kermer and Ramanujam.

The team received funding from each of the colleges as well as the Graduate Nursing Organization and the Graduate Division.

Baily, who served as president of the Comparative and International Education Society, an academic association comprising more than 3,500 researchers, analysts, practitioners, and students, used her connections to bring national research experts to the event to deliver keynotes, lead workshops, and guide students through data analysis activities. Students were able to refine their qualitative research skills and network with professional qualitative researchers from across the globe.

Keynote speakers Kevin Roy (left) and Colleen Vesely at Qualitative Research Day. Photo by Shayla Brown/Office of University Branding.

"We did this purely because we thought the students needed it. We were determined that this was going to be a hands-on and interactive event to ensure that the students left having learned something new," said Baily, who was previously co-director of the Center for International Education.

"I was very grateful they were willing to come here and share their expertise with the students," Baily said of the guest speakers.

"PhD students need to enhance their skills in this area—be more rigorous, professional, figure out how it's valued—and look at the new methodologies of doing it," she said.

Maughan teaches NURS 920 Qualitative Research in Nursing and Health Care in the School of Nursing where she met students who were passionate about qualitative research, including Altay, her advisee and doctoral nursing student.

"I was helping Tara navigate the resources on campus, and that's when we realized that there's actually a bit of a gap in resources for qualitative research compared to that for quantitative research, which tends to be the more traditional research for many [PhD candidates]," said Maughan.

The team made sure the events really resonated with the students by identifying where they wanted more information. The biggest area of interest for PhD students focusing on qualitative research was analysis.

Qualitative Research Day presentation. Photo by Shayla Brown/Office of University Branding.

Guest speaker Jeffrey Lee, former professor of education at University of Massachusetts Global, guided students through best practices in data coding, data analysis, and theme development. His workshop helped students build expertise by framing the complexity of data analysis in an accessible and scaffolded approach.

Lee also categorized reviews from the recent Bruce Springsteen biopic Deliver Me from Nowhere to demonstrate the process for qualitative analysis of audience reception.

Altay, who is working on a PhD in nursing and earned a Qualitative Research Certificate, worked with Maughan and Baily to help make Qualitative Research Day happen.

"To my knowledge, it's rare for students in the School of Nursing to do a full qualitative dissertation, but the nursing faculty have been super supportive of my doing a full qualitative dissertation, which is such a huge thing," said Altay, whose research focuses on the stigma sex workers face with health care providers.

"It's all about students' professional development so they can be the best versions of themselves when they go off and get jobs as researchers and scholars," said Baily. "As the next generation of academics, they'll be able to say 'George Mason trained me well.'"

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Study abroad influenced this graduating senior’s worldview

Katarina Benson — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 23:30:30 +0000

Study abroad influenced this graduating senior’s worldview Katarina Benson Tue, 12/02/2025 - 18:30

Honor College student Cashlyn Bonds said her time at 91�� has been defined by her passion for justice, human security, and international understanding.

She graduates in December with a BA in Conflict Analysis and Resolution with a concentration in human security and justice, from the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution. She also has minors in intelligence studies and Spanish.

Her commitment to understanding and resolving global conflicts through empathy, research, and collaboration are the driving forces behind her academic success, she said.

Bonds has studied all over the globe. In the summer of 2023, she participated in a study-abroad program in the Balkans, traveling to Bosnia and Croatia through Mason Korea to study the aftermath of the Yugoslav Wars.

Cashlyn Bonds. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Most recently, she completed a semester-long exchange program in Madrid, Spain, where she furthered her cross-cultural understanding and Spanish proficiency.

“The global perspective and meeting people from all around the world has proved to be the most influential thing in my life,” Bonds said of her time at George Mason.

Her commitment to service at George Mason began her first year when she joined George Mason’s chapter of Camp Kesem, for children whose parents have had cancer. She attended the camp as a child growing up in Metairie, Louisiana.

“Knowing that you were part of something as a child and seeing how you can continue the cycle and continue spreading joy fulfills you and fulfills the community,” she said.

She also served as the communications director for the university’s chapter of Pi Gamma Mu, the International Honor Society in Social Sciences.

After graduation, she plans to continue her education and pursue a career in international law and humanitarian advocacy. She hopes to use the knowledge and perspective she gained at George Mason to create meaningful change and promote peace and equity across communities.

Learn about the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

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George Mason faculty awarded 14 grants from 4-VA

Katarina Benson — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 16:32:04 +0000

George Mason faculty awarded 14 grants from 4-VA Katarina Benson Thu, 10/09/2025 - 12:32

Faculty across 91�� are leading or participating in innovative new projects to further research and education this academic year, thanks to grants recently awarded by 4-VA, a statewide consortium of nine higher education institutions in Virginia.

“The core purpose of 4-VA is to improve efficiencies in higher education and launch novel research via collaborations that leverage the strengths of each university,” said Janette Muir, 4-VA @ Mason campus coordinator and vice provost of academic affairs. “Through 4-VA, we encourage teamwork to bring great ideas to fruition.”

4-VA is funding four Collaborative Research Grants led by George Mason faculty with partners from other institutions.

Younsung Kim in the College of Science (COS) received funding for a project titled “Designing Experiential Learning Modules for Stormwater Management and Climate Adaptation via Spatial Analysis Tools.” She is working with faculty at the University of Virginia (UVA) and Virginia Tech (VT).
Quentin Sanders of College of Engineering and Computing (CEC) is working on “Enhancing Daily Living Activities in Stroke Survivors Through Semi-Autonomous Hand Exoskeletons with Multi-Modal Sensing” with faculty at UVA.
Shaghayegh (Shay) Bagheri, also of CEC, is working on a project titled “Bio-Inspired Metamaterials: Design for Additive Manufacturing” with collaborators at VT and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).
Yanika Kowitlawakul of the College of Public Health received a grant for her project titled “Development and integration of Escape Room games to enhance undergraduate nursing students’ collaboration, problem-solving skills, and academic performance.” She is working with collaborators at UVA and VCU.

The following researchers have received 4-VA Complementary Grants to support projects managed at partner schools (listed in parentheses).

Silvia Danielak of the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution is working on “Environmental peacebuilding as an approach for promoting just and sustainable data center governance in Virginia” (James Madison University [JMU]).
David Luther, COS, for “Sound Ecology: Acoustic Niche Partitioning and the effects of 17-year cicadas on avian communities across an urban gradient” (JMU).
Armita Kar, COS, for “Safe Streets: AI-Powered Digital Twin Framework for Enhancing Urban Pedestrian Safety” (VT).
Ziwei Zhu, CEC, for “Towards Fair Decision Systems: Augmenting LLMs with Causual Graph Discovery” (UVA).
Ethan Ahn, CEC, for “CMOS-CIM Collaboration on CMOS+Xarrays for Compute-in-Memory” (UVA).
Xijin “Emma” Zhang, CEC, for “Safety Machine Learning-Driven Bio-Upcycling of Waste Concrete into High-Value Materials” (VT).
Tamara A. Maddox, CEC, for “Designing a Classroom Platform for Accountable Use of Generative AI in Writing” (VT).
Gregory Stein, CEC, for “Leveraging Digital Twin Environments and AI-Embodied Reasoning Models for Human–Robot Collaboration in Construction Tasks” (VT).

Additionally, George Mason faculty members were awarded grants to support course redesign and bring updated and relevant materials to students in a cost-efficient manner.

Tammy Stitz of University Libraries (assisted by George Mason faculty James Baldo, Bernard Schmidt, and Susan Lawrence) is updating the course DAEN 690 Data Analytics Engineering.

Sara-Lynn Gopalkrishna of CEC is renovating the course CS 108 Introduction to Computer Programming.

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Dialing up new 9-1-1 training with AI

Nathan Kahl — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 18:34:13 +0000

Dialing up new 9-1-1 training with AI Nathan Kahl Tue, 09/09/2025 - 14:34

91��’s Center for Resilient and Sustainable Communities (C-RASC) is working with the Fairfax County Department of Public Safety Communications (DPSC) to implement artificial intelligence (AI) and possibly forever change the way 9-1-1 operators are trained.

Photo provided

Funded by a grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) through a congressional earmark led by the late congressman Gerry Connolly, C-RASC started working with Fairfax’s DPSC in 2024. The goal was to implement AI to improve the resiliency of the county’s emergency response system, using AI to assist 9-1-1 operators by answering calls.

But Kathy Laskey, professor emerita of Systems Engineering and Operations Research, said, “There are all kinds of legal and other sticky issues with putting AI on the phone with people calling 9-1-1.” The researchers pivoted quickly. “The DPSC told us that where they could use help is training, because operators need a lot of practice in taking calls before they actually respond to real callers.”

Training is very labor-intensive in a 9-1-1 call center, and typically an instructor will play the role of a 9-1-1 caller and improvise a call scenario from a large scenario booklet, with the trainee responding and getting feedback on the responses they give.

The Conversational AI-assisted Scenario Training System developed by the George Mason faculty together with industry partners and guided by DPSC is very sophisticated in generating realistic scenario calls and is customizable.

“Trained in part on the scenario booklet being fed into this AI system, the scenario narration by the voicebot is done in such a way that it mimics a wide range of typical caller behavior,” said Hemant Purohit, associate professor in the Department of Information Sciences and Technology and director of the Humanitarian Informatics Lab.

From left, Hemant Purohit, Monika Bochert of NIST, and Lin Wells impressed the Public Safety Innovation Summit Conference attendees with the new technology. Photo provided

Lin Wells, executive advisor to C-RASC, added, “Each caller may have a different situation, and the training staff helped us identify those variables in terms of the components they want trainees to practice.”

The project team is enhancing the system in several ways. One is by incorporating various difficulty levels so the system can be used both for new employees and as a refresher for existing staff. Another is to add realism, such as the sounds of passing cars in a scenario involving a traffic accident. Another enhancement is to include diverse speech patterns, such as accents, different tones of voice, language, and other real-world challenges the operators face.

Purohit said the team recently attended the NIST Public Safety Innovation Summit Conference (5 x 5) in Seattle and got a very positive response to the technology. A 9-1-1 communications and training coordinator from another state, who had 27 years of work in public safety and received this year’s award at the conference, said the technology was the best she had seen.

Laskey added that Fairfax County also has been very supportive of the work. “I taught at George Mason for 32 years, and I've worked on a lot of research projects. I've never before in my life demonstrated a software project to a client where the recipients applauded when we were done.”

Perhaps the most important endorsement of all came from the 9-1-1 training instructors, who were impressed with how well the AI callers mimicked real-life situations and how this could save them hours of training.

The other project team members include Paul Houser, professor and executive director of C-RASC, and Karina Korostelina, professor and director of the Sustainable Peace Lab at the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution. Korostelina is leading the project’s community engagement study, which has involved interviews with Fairfax County citizens. Her findings showed the barriers to effective 9-1-1 services include language, delays with interpreter access, limited public understanding of emergency-vs.-non-emergency use, rigid questioning protocols, human error, and the need for more experience in handling mental health crises.

“The increase in adaptive capacity of new technologies requires deep considerations for micro-dynamics of identity and power in communities,” said Korostelina. “To build this capacity as a part of community resilience, the project will codesign the systemic approach for community engagement, including public education campaigns using schools, libraries, media, and community workshops to teach the difference between emergency and non-emergency calls and how to conduct emergency calls more efficiently.”

The project team is supported by doctoral students Ramya S. Nayaka and Hamad Edhah Yaslam Aldhlea from the College of Engineering and Computing and the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution respectively, as well as industry partners OmniBot Advisors and BlueHorse Digital.

In addition to working with Fairfax County on a possible continuation of the project the group is exploring academic-industry partnerships and preparing to discuss possibilities for commercialization with the university’s Office of Technology Transfer.