September 2021
September 15, 2021David Rehr said he has spent his entire life thinking about how government can be more efficient and effective. The George Mason University alumnus and director of Mason’s Center for Business Civic Engagement at the Schar School of Policy and Government spent 25 years as a lobbyist on Capitol Hill. Before that, he was a child growing up in the Midwest, the son of a hardworking postman who didn’t attend college. His time in government, he said, made him a bit cynical, feeling that citizens’ hard-earned tax dollars, like his father’s, weren’t been used the most resourcefully. Rehr said he learned about Robotic Process Automation (RPA)—what he believes could be the key to solving government and public sector inefficiencies—when he met someone from global software company UiPath in 2020.
September 9, 2021To mark the 20th anniversary of Sept. 11, we reached out to our colleagues at the Michael V. Hayden Center for Intelligence, Policy, and International Security and the Schar School of Policy and Government for their remembrances. Many of them have worked in the intelligence and policy communities and each has a unique perspective on a day that changed our world.
September 9, 2021Distinguished Visiting Professor Michael Morell is the only person who was with President George W. Bush on Sept. 11, 2001, when the 9/11 attacks occurred, and with President Barack Obama on May 2, 2011, when Osama bin Laden was killed.
September 7, 2021A team of Mason researchers at the Schar School of Policy and Government and the Volgenau School of Engineering helped the 3M corporation disrupt a significant and dangerous supply of counterfeit PPE.
September 1, 2021The new vice president of the George Mason University student body, Veronica Mata, has taken advantage of the school’s copious opportunities to practice leadership.
August 2021
August 30, 2021Collecting our thoughts: What were Schar School scholars thinking in August? See our op-eds.
August 25, 2021Mason officials welcomed its largest incoming class ever, with Schar School’s Jennifer Victor delivering a Victor-ious speech about civility.
August 23, 2021The president of the student body at George Mason University, Natalia Kanos, is majoring in government for reasons beyond the classroom.
August 18, 2021Schar School of Policy and Government alumna Hiwot Yohannes has taken her lessons from her International Commerce and Policy degree and created a global skincare company for women of color.- August 17, 2021As the government in Afghanistan collapsed and the Taliban seized power on the heels of the American exit from the country, Ellen Laipson, former vice chair of the U.S. National Intelligence Council and director of the international security program at the Schar School of Policy and Government, gave her assessment of the situation in an opinion piece for Asia Times.
August 17, 2021Armed with degrees in two different fields, Thys van Schaik found the perfect position at George Mason University. He leaves the Schar School this year a quarter of a century later.
August 16, 2021When a Philippian terrorism researcher won a Fulbright scholarship, there was only one place she wanted to work: the Schar School of Policy and Government’s Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center.
August 12, 2021New guidelines co-created by the Schar School’s Faye Taxman for the National Institute of Justice examines the “risk and needs assessment” instruments that impact those in correctional settings.
August 11, 2021A field trip to Washington, D.C., memorials introduce incoming Schar School of Policy and Government undergraduates to their new home while creating a policy-driven mindset.
August 9, 2021John S. Earle is promoted to University Professor by George Mason University’s Board of Visitors.
August 6, 2021A new book by Schar School associate professor Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera features an exclusive interview with the former secretary for public safety for Mexico. He happens to be in jail awaiting trial for corruption.
August 3, 2021After fleeing a brutal regime, a Schar School freshman finds her voice.
July 2021
- July 30, 2021The devastation by extreme weather events caused by climate change is having an impact on more than the environment: It’s a major national security concern. The Schar School is addressing it as such.
- July 28, 2021Author Raymond Kuo’s latest publication, Contests of Initiative: Confronting China’s Gray Zone Strategy, explores current dynamics in the East and South China Seas and strategies for how the U.S. can deter Chinese coercion.
July 21, 2021Longtime George Mason University adjunct professor and benefactor Col. (ret.) Douthard R. (D.R.) Butler died on July 10 at age 86.
July 9, 2021Schar School Public Policy graduate Kevin Jon Fandl passed away June 29 from leukemia.
July 8, 2021In a world haunted by the specter of man-made pathogens, it’s useful to know where the Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) labs are. A team of Schar School researchers created an interactive map to identify them.
July 6, 2021Collecting our thoughts: What were Schar School scholars thinking in June? See our op-eds.
July 1, 2021Professor Emeritus Hugh Sockett wrote a trilogy sequel to Dickens’ Great Expectations. What else would you do in retirement?
June 2021
June 29, 2021Starting a new job as a vaccine scientist at the same time as beginning a master’s degree might be daunting for some, but scholarship winner Lewis Grant is flourishing.-
June 28, 2021A $20 million, 5-year program launched in 2019 to study substance abuse will continue its groundbreaking research in a new location beginning this summer.
- June 28, 2021An impressive list of thought-leading speakers take on global climate change in a first-ever Schar School summer study-abroad course.
June 28, 2021Master’s in Public Policy 2015 alumna Camille Touton has been tapped by President Biden to manage water and power for 31 million citizens. It’s a big job, but she’s ready.
June 24, 2021George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government will launch its new Race, Politics, and Policy Center in Fall 2021 under the leadership of Professor Michael Fauntroy. Fauntroy, who taught at Mason for 11 years before joining the faculty at Howard University in 2013, returned to Mason in June.
June 22, 2021A new study shows why government agencies should adopt Robotic Process Automation. Bottom line: It makes government work better.
June 22, 2021Ready for the future: Master’s in Public Administration student Dymon Bailey lands a prestigious state fellowship and a summer job in state government.- June 21, 2021A trio of Schar School professors assumes the editorial leadership of a seminal nonprofit journal.
- June 15, 2021A Schar School professor uncovers “hidden figures” in Jim Crow-era Kansas City high schools.
- June 8, 2021Former CNN analyst Bill Schneider retires from the faculty after a dozen years teaching American politics.
- June 7, 2021A Schar School adjunct professor brings a career full of experience and expertise to the security studies classroom.
May 2021
- May 25, 2021Schar School of Policy and Government assistant professor Fengxiu Zhang lands a grant to begin work on a timely issue: infrastructure.
May 21, 2021Thinking about a career in intelligence? A panel of distinguished former intelligence officials spell out what’s in the future for the field.- May 5, 2021ICYMI, a recap of our Hayden Center conversation with three best-selling spy authors.
- May 3, 2021A new study by the Schar School’s Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence confirms the idea that a community needs to perceive changes in correctional systems as legitimate before being effective.
- May 3, 2021The 2021 keynote speech at graduation will be delivered by a woman who rose to the top levels of federal government—and she’s an alumna of the Schar School of Policy and Government.
April 28, 2021Illegal goods can have deadly consequences. Whether it’s a counterfeit face mask that doesn’t provide a frontline worker adequate protection from COVID-19, or a counterfeit pill laced with fentanyl (a synthetic painkiller 50-100 times more potent than morphine), millions of lives can be at risk. A multidisciplinary team of researchers and students at George Mason University is working to stop such criminal activity. Thanks to a nearly $650,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF)—and a $16,000 grant supplement awarded to two undergraduates on the team—they will be investigating how to disrupt illicit supply chains, influence policy, and ultimately save lives.
April 2021
- April 30, 2021Collecting our thoughts: What were Schar School scholars thinking in April? See our op-eds.
April 30, 2021This year’s Schar School of Policy and Government’s Godbold Award winner for public administration, Hunter Young, enjoyed a range of academic and practical activities that prepared him for his post-graduation career.
April 21, 2021Playing football for University of Notre Dame was something Steve Elmer said he could only dream of when he was younger. His talent combined with a scholarship had him playing on the field with a golden helmet as freshman. He became one of the team’s most experienced offensive linemen, having 30 starts to his name.- April 21, 2021A conference addressing international crime and asylum helps a high court reverse a crucial decision.
- April 21, 2021A 2014 PhD in Biodefense graduate has won a major award as an outstanding federal employee. Brian Mazanec is a director at the Government Accounting Office specializing in security issues.
- April 21, 2021A Guggenheim ‘Distinguished Scholar Grant’ will help the Schar School’s Philip Martin and colleagues to study post-conflict peacebuilding in Côte d’Ivoire.
- April 21, 2021Former senator and Schar School professor Chuck Robb discusses his new memoir May 5 with Brian Lamb.
- April 20, 2021A new Schar School program makes rapid grants available to improve practices affecting those in criminal justice settings. Speed is everything.
- April 19, 2021Professor Peter Mandaville discusses the Middle East tonight. We wondered what fascinates him about the region?
April 13, 2021Schar School alumna Lisa Greenhill has never let not being something stop her. Now she’s in a leadership position at an association, helping a professional field diversity.- April 5, 2021The Schar School’s Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence becomes part of a national network of like-minded university centers.
- April 1, 2021Collecting our thoughts: What were Schar School scholars thinking in February? See our op-eds.
March 2021
- March 31, 2021The new U.S. News & World report rankings show the Schar School’s graduate programs continue to climb.
- March 29, 2021A new $400,000 grant will enable Schar School and CINA experts to combat illicit trade that disguises itself as cybercurrency transactions.
- March 26, 2021More than 400 students representing120 universities from across 30 countries competed to control a simulated pandemic. Three students from the Schar School advanced to the final round.
- March 24, 2021A panel of law enforcement experts will examine the rise of domestic terrorism Thursday, March 25.
- March 11, 2021How Mason has changed in the past 31 years through the eyes of Schar School professor, Priscilla Regan.
- March 11, 2021Schar School Professor J.P. Singh is a Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow for the second time. Encore!
- March 11, 2021Retired professor Hazel M. McFerson died February 27. She was 78.
- March 11, 2021House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) discussed the state of U.S. intelligence with Michael Morell from the Schar School’s Hayden Center.
- March 11, 2021Collecting our thoughts: What were Schar School scholars thinking in February? See our op-eds.
February 2021
- March 11, 2021The new Graduate Certificate in Strategic Trade is already leading students towards their lifelong career in export controls.
- March 11, 2021Three Schar School biodefense graduates—all from the class of ‘19—take the helm of a global health organization, the Next Generation Global Health Security Network.
- March 11, 2021Hayden Center Distinguished Visiting Professor Michael Morell will come “Face to Face” with House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff on February 25.
- March 11, 2021George Mason University President Gregory Washington will discuss his experiences in change management in an inaugural event for the Master’s in Organization Development and Knowledge Management program.
- March 11, 2021Master’s in International Security student Sarah Erickson is named a visiting fellow at the think-tank Independent Women’s Forum. Here’s how the Schar School is helping.
- February 15, 2021When it comes to educating future diplomats for the Foreign Service Office, Mason is in the top 10 of U.S. universities.
- February 15, 2021Will we be in a rush to return to the days of “rush hour”?
- February 15, 2021One Schar School professor addresses climate change by studying what happens to those affected by it. His students get to create a map of communities affected by it.
- February 15, 2021NOT going with the flow: A new book by Schar School scholars collects public policy essays examining the Flint, Michigan, water crisis.
- February 15, 2021Orlando native Natalie Nehme uses what she learned in her government and international politics degree daily as a Washington, D.C., advocate.
January 2021
- February 15, 2021An Air Force veteran applies his expertise in a PhD dissertation that could have international impact.
- February 15, 2021The Schar School’s Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC) at the Schar School of George Mason University becomes a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
- January 19, 2021Former CIA officer and author David Priess becomes a professor in the Schar School of Policy and Government’s master’s in international security program.
- January 19, 2021The Schar School of Policy and Government partners with software firm UiPath to bring robotic efficiency to governments.
- January 19, 2021A graduating Schar School of Policy and Government senior overcomes childhood obstacles to excel in college life.
- January 19, 2021Collecting our thoughts: What were Schar School scholars thinking in December? See our op-eds.
- January 10, 2021Retired professor and former Schar School of Policy and Government department chair Louise White dies from complications from the novel coronavirus.