October 23, 2026

The Office of Research publishes this weekly media report to assist with keeping up with news relevant to research at George Mason. It includes news items about recent research of consequence by current George Mason faculty. Items and topics are identified using Google alerts, scientific email newsletters, the media tracker Talkwalker and by monitoring George Mason departmental social media accounts. Stories are sorted by academic unit and, if available, by topic. If stories about George Mason research are not captured by the report, email Elizabeth Grisham. 

Antonin Scalia Law School

Scalia Law Students Showcase Advocacy Skills In 2026 Thacher Trial Competition 

ANTONIN SCALIA LAW SCHOOL 

10/14/26 – The author of this article writes, “Scalia Law students demonstrated their courtroom advocacy skills throughout the 2026 Thacher Intramural Trial Competition, culminating in a final round at the Arlington County Circuit Court.” more 

Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

‘Made In Europe’: AB Türkiye’yi Dışlayarak Neyi Riske Atıyor? 

Yetkin REPORT 

10/19/26 – Alpaslan Özerdem, Dean, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution; Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies, is the author of this piece. Translation might be needed. more 

College of Education and Human Development

How Technologies Like VR, AR, & AI Are Enhancing Research In Human Movement 

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT (via YouTube) 

10/2/26 – In this feature, Tiphanie Raffegeau, Assistant Professor, Kinesiology, Sports Medicine Assessment Research and Testing (S.M.A.R.T.) Laboratory, College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), discusses how emerging technologies are changing the way researchers study human movement, rehabilitation, exercise, and healthy aging. By combining tools like virtual reality, augmented reality, and AI with movement science, researchers can better understand real-world performance and develop more personalized approaches to care and rehabilitation. more 

Education Leadership Program Maintains Partnership With Fairfax County Public Schools To Achieve Sustained Change Through Application Of Improvement Science 
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 

10/19/26 – The Education Leadership Program at George Mason University has maintained a long-standing partnership with Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) aimed at enhancing the capacity of current and aspiring school leaders to achieve positive change benefiting students. Leading this partnership is Farnoosh Shahrokhi, Associate Professor and Academic Program Co-Coordinator of Education Leadership, College of Education and Human Development (CEHD). Shahrokhi is recognized for her research and scholarship on the use of improvement science in educational settings. Improvement science is an evidence-based framework that enables education leaders to develop continuous and sustainable system improvements at their schools. more 

College of Engineering and Computing

Waymo's Plan To Flood US Cities With Chinese-Made Robotaxis Sparks National Security Fears Over Ties To Beijing 

Daily Mail 

10/19/26 – The author of this piece cites comments by Missy Cummings, Professor and Director of Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center (MARC); First American Bank Chair, College of Engineering and Computing (CEC). more 

Shehu Spoke At University Of Minnesota – Twin Cities 

UMN CSE Data Science Initiative (via YouTube) 

9/21/26 – Amarda Shehu, Vice President and Chief AI Officer, Associate Dean for Research, College of Engineering and Computing (CEC), spoke on "What Autonomous Scientific Discovery Demands of GenAI Foundations" in GenAI Methods Session 1: How can science drive new foundations of GenAI? more 

A Hands-On Curriculum For Handling AI 

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND COMPUTING 

9/21/26 – The author of this piece writes, “George Mason University cybersecurity researcher Kun Sun is helping prepare students and professionals to meet that challenge through a new National Science Foundation (NSF)–funded project focused on hands-on education in agentic AI security.” 

 

The author writes, further, “Sun, a professor in the Department of Information Sciences and Technology, and researchers from Miami University and The University of Texas at Dallas received $500,000 through an NSF program focused on cybersecurity and AI education. The researchers will develop a modular, hands-on curriculum to explore security throughout the lifecycle of agentic AI systems.” more 

Alexandre Barreto Selected For National EM-FUEL Leadership Program 

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND COMPUTING 

10/19/26 – The author of this piece writes, “The Department of Cyber Security Engineering celebrated a national honor for Associate Professor Alexandre Barreto, who was selected for the inaugural 2027 cohort of EM-FUEL (Entrepreneurial Mindset for Future University Engineering Leaders), a leadership-development program supported by KEEN and Engineering Unleashed. Designed for emerging leaders in engineering and computing, the year-long program helps faculty develop the skills and networks needed to drive innovation and institutional impact.” more 

Una Canción Puede Convertirse En Una Orden Secreta Para Los Asistentes De IA 

El Periódico de España 

10/19/26 – The author of this piece cites research by Qiang Zeng, Associate Professor, Computer Science, College of Engineering and Computing, and Ying Meng, Doctoral Student, Computer Science, CEC. Translation might be needed. more 

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Climate Change Is Getting More Expensive — Will It Matter in the Midterms? The Issue Is Getting
Personal & Pricey. 
KATIE COURIC MEDIA 

10/19/26 – The author of this piece writes, "A spring 2026 survey from Yale and George Mason University found that 64 percent of registered voters believe global warming is affecting their personal cost of living at least a little. Two-thirds (66 percent) said global warming is increasing their utility bills, while 61 percent said it's making groceries more expensive. More than half also pointed out the rising cost of owning and operating a vehicle (56 percent) and homeowners insurance (51 percent)." 
Read the research here: more 
Read the news story here: more 

This Forgotten Artist’s Extraordinary Work Was Saved From A Dumpster 

The New York Times  

9/22/26 – Michele Greet, Director, Art History Program, History and Art History, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS), comments in this story. Subscription might be needed to access full article. more 

How Does False Information Spread So Fast? 

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY (via LinkedIn) 

10/21/26 – Sergei Samoilenko, Associate Professor, Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS), explores how the speed, volume, and reach of online content have made misinformation and disinformation more widespread and how people can unintentionally amplify false information by sharing it with others they know and trust. more 

Gour Discusses Health Implications Of Data Centers 

Full Measure with Sharyl Atkisson (via YouTube) 

10/4/26 – Neha Gour, doctoral candidate, science communication, Center for Climate Change Communication (4C), College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS), discusses health concerns related to data centers. Gour starts at 4:02. more

¿Te Preocupa No Tener Un Propósito En La Vida? 

Infobae 

10/19/26 – The author of this piece quotes Todd Kashdan, Professor, Psychology, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS). Translation might be needed. more 

CHSS Student & Faculty Researchers Team Up To Drive Societal Change 

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY (via LinkedIn) 

10/14/26 – The author of this piece writes, “This summer, classrooms gave way to labs, field sites, and data sets as George Mason University 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.” more 

College of Public Health

How Political, Cultural, & Economic Forces Can Shape The Risk Of Zoonotic Disease 

COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH 

10/5/26 – Read about new research by Amira Roess, Professor, Global Health and Epidemiology, College of Public Health. more 

Health Services Research PhD Student Uses AI To Study Quality Of Life After Sepsis 

COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH 

10/19/26 – Read about Priscille Ngana, a doctoral student in George Mason’s College of Public Health, and her research examining patient quality of life after sepsis. more  

College Of Public Health Students Receive Harris C. Spencer Interprofessional Award  

COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH (via LinkedIn)

10/20/26 – George Mason College of Public Health students were awarded the Harrison C. Spencer Interprofessional Award at the 2026 National Academy of Medicine DC Public Health Case Challenge Competition on Friday, October 16. more 

College of Science

Uhen Featured In PBS Program

NOVA

10/14/26 – Mark Uhen, Chair of the J. Shukla Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Earth Sciences, College of Science, is featured in this program. Uhen comments at 3:03. He discusses echolocation. more

What’s The (Dark) Matter With AI? | Dr. Ferah Munshi | TEDxGeorgeMasonU 

TEDx Talks (via YouTube) 

10/19/26 – Ferah Munshi, Associate Professor, Physics and Astronomy, College of Science, uses dark matter, an unseen but measurable “scaffolding” of the cosmos, to examine a popular phrase in tech: the “dark matter of AI.” The metaphor is tempting—but it breaks in a crucial way. Dark matter is a precise physical unknown; intelligence and consciousness are not single hidden ingredients waiting to appear at the end of a scaling curve. AI systems are engineered artifacts shaped by objectives, data, incentives, and governance. more 

NSF Grants To Support Novel Space Weather Prediction Models & Cybersecurity That Could Help Further Non-Terrestrial Infrastructure 

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE 

10/20/26 – The author of this piece writes, “Edward Oughton, associate professor of geography and geoinformation science in the College of Science at George Mason University, was recently awarded two grants from the National Science Foundation: $499,837 for  "AI-enabled, Uncertainty-Aware Space Weather Risk Characterization and Mitigation for Satellite Operations," and $49,357 as co-PI with Alexander Sprintson, professor and chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the College of Engineering and Computing, for "NSF Workshop on Security Challenges and Research Directions for Space and Non-Terrestrial Networks.” more 

Brain Dynamics As Outcome Predictors Of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury During SSRI Treatment In Adolescent Depression: A 14-month Longitudinal Study 

mental health research 

10/19/26 – Hongbao Cao, Sr. Director of Bioinformatics, AIC LLC, Affiliate Faculty, School of Systems Biology, College of Science, is among the authors of this study. more 

Stakeholder Perspectives Inform Cascading Hazard Resilience 

natural hazards 

7/7/26 – Cailin Leahy, Research Assistant, Geoinformatics and Geospatial Intelligence, College of Science, and Alireza Ermagun, Associate Professor, Geography and Geoinformation Science, College of Science, are the authors of this research. more  

Team Of George Mason Neuroscientists & Virologists Assess Nicotine’s Long-Term Health Impact In Those With HIV-Related Brain Disease In $3.8M NIH-Sponsored Study 
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE 

10/20/26 – Yuntao Wu, Professor and Co-Director in George Mason’s Center for Infectious Disease Research, College of Science, and Nadine Kabbani, Professor and Associate Chair for Research in George Mason's Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, College of Science, received funding for research focused on health effects of nicotine. more 

Costello College of Business

Childhood Experiences Of War Loom Large Over CEOs’ Decision-Making 
COSTELLO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS 

10/20/26 – The author of this piece writes, “The trauma of war has long-lasting reverberations, influencing business decisions taken decades later, argue Eun Hye Jo and Jenny Jung-Wha Lee, accounting professors at Costello College of Business based in George Mason University Korea.” 
 
The author writes, further, “Their recent paper in Journal of Business Research (co-authored by Laurelle (Ellie) Chapple of Queensland University of Technology) examines how early-life experience of the Korean War (1950-1953) affected CEOs’ responses to business challenges.” more 

Anil & Anupama Sharma Center For Innovation & Entrepreneurship To Be Celebrated October 29 At Fuse

BCN NEWS 

10/19/26 – The author of this piece writes, “22nd Century Technologies, Inc. (TSCTI) announced today that founder and CEO Anil Sharma and his wife, Anupama Sharma, will join George Mason University leaders on October 29 for a formal celebration of the newly named Anil and Anupama Sharma Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at George Mason University's Costello College of Business. The event, to be held at Fuse at Mason Square in Arlington, follows the Center's formal unveiling at an October 5 ribbon-cutting on George Mason's Fairfax campus.” more 

Amazon Now Has 1 Million Robots & 1.5 Million Employees 

Techblog  

10/21/26 – The author of this piece highlights comments by Brad N. Greenwood, Costello Distinguished Professor of Business, Costello College of Business. Article is in Greek. Translation might be needed. more 

Schar School of Policy and Government

Specialist Questions Both Governments' Actions In Jáuregui Case 

nortedigital.mx 

10/21/26 – Guadalupe Correa Cabrera, Professor, Schar School of Policy and Government, comments in this story. Translation might be needed. more 

Washington Post-Schar School Poll Finds Arab Americans Optimistic Despite Concerns About Discrimination 

SCHAR SCHOOL OF POLICY AND GOVERNMENT , The Washington Post

10/17/26 – Read details from Schar School of Policy and Government here. 

Read analysis from “The Washington Post” here. Subscription might be needed to access full article. 

Commentary: Data Centers & AI – A Rare & Raw Issue In Virginia for This Midterm Election 

ROYAL EXAMINER 

10/19/26 – The author of this piece quotes Mark J. Rozell, Dean, Schar School of Policy and Government. more 

Growth & Grand Challenge Initiative

CHSS Student & Faculty Researchers Team Up To Drive Societal Change 

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY (via LinkedIn) 

10/14/26 – The author of this piece writes, “This summer, classrooms gave way to labs, field sites, and data sets as George Mason University 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.” more 

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