Congratulations to Mason’s Students

2009/2010

Seven current and former Mason students are traveling abroad this year to pursue their research interests in a foreign country. More »

Kimberly Burge

Fulbright winner Kimberly Burge, who completed her master’s degree in creative writing (nonfiction) this summer, leaves for South Africa in January, when their school year begins.

Rachael Lyon

Rachael Lyon, also a Fulbright winner, will travel to Vienna, Austria, in October to work as an English language assistant at a secondary school.

Amin Mehr

A third Fulbright winner, Amin Mehr, obtained his master’s degree in systems engineering in January.

Ramon Pebenito

The fourth and final Fulbright winner, Ramon Pebenito, earned a master’s degree in political science this summer. He will travel to Lithuania.

Robert Donahue

Undergraduate Robert Donahue is spending the 2009-10 academic year studying Arabic and Middle East studies at the American University of Kuwait. Donahue, a cultural anthropology major with minors in Islamic Studies and Middle East Studies, won a Boren scholarship for the year.

Aminah Teachout

Aminah Teachout, one of two Boren fellowship winners at Mason, will travel to Egypt and Israel to work on her research project, “Lessons from Cairo: Policy Implications of Displaced Sudanese in Israel.” She is currently working on a master’s in public administration.

Kimairis Toogood-Luehrs

The second Boren fellowship winner, Kimairis Toogood-Luehrs, will travel to Tajikistan to study the native language and complete her doctoral research, which explores civil society in the country. Toogood-Luehrs is a PhD student in the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution.

2008/2009

Danial Anas Kaysi

Danial Anas Kaysi, a senior conflict analysis and resolution (CAR) major with a business administration minor, has been named Mason's first Junior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Only eight to 10 graduating students across the country are selected for the Junior Fellowship each year out of a pool of nominees from nearly 300 colleges.

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is a private, nonprofit organization and leading international think tank. The organization is dedicated to advancing cooperation between nations and promoting active international engagement by the United States. More »

Philip Naudus

Junior Philip Naudus, who has a double major in physics and math, says he is “extremely excited” about being Mason’s first Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship winner. 

The federally funded Goldwater Foundation awards undergraduate scholarships to exceptional students who have outstanding potential and intend to pursue careers in mathematics, the natural sciences or engineering. 

Erica Porter, a chemistry major with a biochemistry concentration, received an Honorable Mention from the Goldwater Foundation this year.  More »

2007/2008

Patrick Rumley

Patrick Rumley is a senior majoring in Government and International Politics with a minor in Islamic Studies. Mr. Rumley has traveled, volunteered, and conducted research in the Caucasus as a NSEP/David Boren Scholar and in 2007 was a finalist in the Truman Scholarship competition. In the United Kingdom he has proposed an academic program in Islamic Law and Development Policy with reference to Central Asia. His future interests include a PhD in Development and fieldwork with an applicable organization.

Malkit (Mona) Singh

Malkit (Mona) Singh is a University Scholar and Sociology major, concentrating in Inequality and Social Change. Interested in the intersection of poverty and disease, Ms. Singh has prepared herself for medical school. She has participated in research projects through the Krasnow Institute and has traveled to South Africa to study HIV/AIDS. Ms. Singh was named a 2007 Truman Scholar in recognition of her commitment to public service. She has proposed studying Health, Community, and Development as well as Health Policy, Planning, and Financing in the United Kingdom. Her future goals include combining clinical medical practice with public health program and policy development.

2006/2007

Front Row, from left to right: Alex Antram, Toka Nusairet, Ada Valaitis, Jasmine Wilson, Mona Singh, and Katarina Doctor.

Back Row, from left to right: Jennifer Mockler, Lindsay Irvine, Kyle Munkittrick, John "Beau" Cribbs, and Ryan Hubbard.

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Three students were awarded Fulbright grants for the upcoming academic year. They are:

Catarina Au, a graduate student in the School of Public Policy, who will be undertaking research on policies concerning genetically modified crops in China.
Ryan Hubbard, a philosophy major and 2005 Mason graduate, who will be studying in Germany with a leading philosopher at the University of Frankfurt.
Ada Valaitis, a graduate student in literature in translation, who will be working on a poetry translation project in Lithuania.

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Three graduate students and one undergraduate were awarded NSEP/David Boren fellowships or scholarships to study critical needs languages, in addition to undertaking research in their disciplines, during the upcoming academic year.

Vanessa N. Brown, an ICAR graduate student, who will be studying Arabic in Morocco.
Lindsay Irvine, a graduate student in Economics, who will be studying Arabic in Yemen.
Michael Morris, a government major, who will study Turkish in Turkey.
Salome Tewelde, an ICAR grad student, who will be studying Arabic in Syria.

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Two Mason students who worked with me were awarded CAORC/State Department funded Critical Needs Language Summer Scholarships.

Alexander Bucaj, a Russian Studies major who will study Russian in Russia this summer.
Azita Ranjbar, a grad student in Public Policy, who will study Persian in Tajikistan.

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Congratulations to Katarina Doctor, a junior and geography major, who is
Mason's First Udall Scholar!

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Congratulations to Malkit (Mona) Singh, who was accepted as a Truman Scholar! For the Mason Gazette article, see here.

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Congratulations to Jasmine Wilson, who was accepted into an NSF-funded
Biochemistry Research Experience for Undergrduates (REU) at Duquesne University in the summer of 2007. Ms. Wilson plans to obtain a graduate degree in biochemistry and to pursue a forensic science career.

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Mason ranks high in the number of Truman Finalists. Good luck on your interviews Mari, Patrick and Mona!

Institution	Number
Rice University	4
United States Miltary Academy	4
Washington University	4
American University	3
Ball State University	3
Baylor University	3
Brown University	3
George Mason University	3
Harvard University	3
Northwestern University	3
Occidental College	3
United States Naval Academy	3
University of Chicago	3
University of Texas	3
University of Wisconsin-Madison	3

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All three Mason nominees have been invited for an interview in this year's Truman Scholarship competition. We are proud to have such accomplished young people representing Mason and look forward to learning about their future accomplishments.

Patrick Rumley is the co-founder of the GMU environmental Awareness group and an active volunteer for the Clean Water Action campaign, promoting the strengthening of EPA protection policy. Additionally, Patrick has spent much of his available time working with orphans and underpriveleged children in the tri-state area and abroad. Originally from Fairfax, Virginia, Patrick is currently a Government and International Politics major at George Mason University, and is conducting research in Armenia on an NSEP/David Boren undergraduate scholarship. He enjoys photography, hiking, rock climbing, and good ol' shenandoah folk music.

Mari Leavitt is a Social Work student at George Mason University where she is doing research on the effectiveness of treatment programs on recidivism of female offenders. She is an advocate for women in the criminal justice system through her work as a counselor at the Friends of Guest House, a transitional house for women ex-offenders. She serves as an executive officer for Mariposas, a Latina women's mentoring program; co-founder of Aguilas, a Latino men's mentoring program; President of the International Student Umbrella, overseeing 25 cultural organizations at her University; and ESL teacher at a local community center. She also works for the Religious Youth Service, organizing community development projects in the Caribbean and South Pacific regions. She plans to pursue an MSW/JD degree to obtain skills as a clinical social worker while also understanding the impact of law on social policy.

Malkit (Mona) Singh is a junior, premed University Scholar, majoring in Sociology. Her future goals include practicing medicine in underserved areas and being active in the public health and health policy sectors. She has served as Scholar Class Representative each year, is President of the American Society for Microbiology, and a member of Ek Taal Dance Team. Mona has served as Mason Ambassador, Supplemental Instructor, and Vice President of Alpha Epsilon Delta. She is committed to community service, volunteering with several programs, including the Hospital Elder Life Program at Fairfax Hospital, and is also dedicated to fund-raising for AIDS relief and education. Mona has traveled to South Africa to study the treatment of HIV/AIDS with limited resources and plans to volunteer at a medical mission in Mexico over the summer. During her sophomore year, she served as a research assistant for the Center for Neural Dynamics in the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study. Mona was awarded the C.R. Walter Award for Outstanding Performance in Organic Chemistry for the Year of 2005-2006.

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Mason selected two candidates for endorsement in this year's USA Today competition.

Amanda Agan is a senior economics major. She has an outstanding academic record and has published her research and presented her work at conferences. Her research, undertaken with Dr. Alexander Tabarrok, has focused on the economic effects of government regulation on American communities. Her topics include the impact of homeowners' associations on housing prices, medical malpractice awards and the price of insurance and sex offender registries. She has been an undergraduate apprentice at Mason, helped to establish the Economics Society and Pro Choice Patriots, and has used her knowledge of Spanish as a Girl Scout troop leader. Amanda was a campus nominee for the prestigious Marshall Scholarship.

Alex Antram, a senior anthropology major, was a finalist for the prestigious Marshall Scholarship. She has studied in the Kingdom of Tonga and in Mason’s program at Oxford, has undertaken several ethnographic projects, and has published research in two journals. Alex is involved in research with Dr. Terry Zawacki, Director of the University Writing Center, analyzing non-native English speakers’ writing processes, and is a peer writing tutor. She is undertaking research at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) with her mentor in the university apprenticeship program, Alexander Benitez, on spiritual rituals and the representation of sacred objects in the museum. Alex is president of the Sociology and Anthropology Club, is active in National Coalition Building Institute, and practices Tae Kwon Do.