About 8,000 family and friends filled EagleBank Arena to celebrate one of the largest graduations in Mason’s history on Saturday, May 20. More than 8,700 students received degrees, and 1,600 of them attended Saturday’s ceremony.

Nereyda Sevilla created a computer model for tracking and stopping suspected pandemics transmitted by air travel. She studied biodefense at Mason’s Schar School of Policy and Government.

Desmond Moffitt wants to create a program in which teachers get cultural competency training and study abroad for a semester.

Stephanie Mui is Mason’s youngest graduate in the Spring 2017 class. She was awarded a master of science in mathematics from the College of Science.

PhD candidate Andrew Salamone, who is visually impaired, created a podcast for a history class assignment that originally called for students to create a video.

Laurence Bray, associate chair of the Department of Bioengineering, developed the popular Applied Neurotechnologies course, which combines classroom learning with clinical experience at Inova Fairfax Hospital’s campus. “The class filled up in half a day,” Bray said.

Robinson Professor John Paden retires in May after a 30-year career at Mason, but he won’t be slowing down. “I’m not the kind to go fishing and watch the clouds go by,” he says. “Nigeria never lets me go.”