July 24, 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

Biden Recordings Case Could Head To The Supreme Court 

THE CENTER SQUARE 

7/21/26 – Robert Luther, III, Associate Professor of Law, Antonin Scalia Law School, comments in this story. more 

Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

After The Final Whistle: Sport As Humanity’s Greatest Untapped Peace Infrastructure – Alpaslan Özerdem 

GLOBAL PANORAMA

7/20/26 – 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. more 

College of Education and Human Development

Where Communities Thrive: CEHD Celebrates National Parks and Recreation Month 

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

7/22/26 – The author of this article writes about Sammie Powers, Assistant Professor, 
School of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management, College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), and her research. more 

College of Engineering and Computing

Podcast | A New Project to Build AI ‘From Scratch’ 

SupplyChainBrain 

7/17/26 – In this piece, Maryam Parsa, Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering and Computing (CEC), and Giorgio Ascoli, Professor, Bioengineering, CEC, discuss a collaborative effort by researchers from George Mason, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Northwestern University. more 

Four Questions For AI-Ready Biological Data 

Nature Machine Intelligence 

7/10/26 – Amarda Shehu, Inaugural VP and Chief AI Officer; Associate Dean for Research; Professor, Department of Computer Science, College of Engineering and Computing (CEC), and Ruth Nussinov, Principal Investigator, National Cancer Institute, are the authors of this piece. more 

College Of Engineering & Computing Dean Ken Ball Named Fellow At Engineering Education Society 

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND COMPUTING 

6/23/26 – The author of this piece writes, “The American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) inducted Ken Ball, dean of the George Mason University College of Engineering and Computing (CEC), as a Fellow Member at ASEE’s annual conference in June in Charlotte, North Carolina.” more 

Mobile Forensics & Security Analysis Of RedNote: A Cross-Platform Investigation On Android & iOS 

Forensic Science International: Digital Investigation 

September 2026 – Umit Karabiyik, Associate Professor, Cyber Security Engineering, College of Engineering and Computing (CEC), is one of the authors of this journal article. more  

NSF CAREER Award Allows Researcher To Look Under AI’s Hood 

gmu.edu 

7/20/26 – The author of this piece writes, “George Mason University Department of Computer Science Assistant Professor Ziyu Yao received a prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER award for $674,100 over five years to peel the layers back on AI. Specifically, Yao will develop new methods for understanding the internal mechanisms of LLMs. Her research aims to make these AI systems more transparent and useful.” more 

A CAREER In Robot Learning 

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND COMPUTING  

7/6/26 – Read about research Xuan Wang, Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering and Computing (CEC), is conducting with a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation. more 

George Mason Researcher Develops An Affordable Helping Hand For Stroke Recovery 

gmu.edu 

7/14/26 – Quentin Sanders, Assistant Professor, Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering and Computing (CEC), is developing hand exoskeletons for stroke survivors. more 

Mechanical Engineer Alum Takes Robotics To New Heights 

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND COMPUTING 

6/23/26 – The author of this piece writes, “At George Mason University’s College of Engineering and Computing, Chigozie Erondu’s passion took shape through a deliberate commitment to hands-on learning, seeking every opportunity to build, test, and collaborate.” more 

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

George Mason Unveils Interactive U.S. Immigration Timeline For America 250 

patch.com 

7/20/26 – The author of this piece writes, “As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, the Institute for Immigration Research (IIR) in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) at George Mason University has unveiled “Immigrants & America 250: Data, Stories, and Policy Across United States History,” a first-of-its-kind interactive digital timeline that explores how immigration has shaped the United States from its earliest years to present day.” more 

Why Summer Slips Away So Quickly & How To Make It Feel Longer, According To Brain Science 

The Optimist daily 

7/22/26 – Martin Wiener, Associate Professor, Psychology, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS), comments in this story. more 

From Booze-Filled Parties To Mail Ballots: How Did American Voting Actually Evolve? 

Politifact 

6/29/26 – Rosemarie Zagarri, Distinguished University Professor, History, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS), comments in this story. more 

College of Public Health

Roess Offers Expertise On Safely Handling Produce To Avoid Illness 

THE HILL 

7/16/26 – Amira Roess, Professor, Global Health and Epidemiology, College of Public Health, said, “Most of us should be fine washing our fruits and vegetables thoroughly and proceeding as usual.” 

 

Roess said, further, “Those who are immunocompromised particularly if they live in areas with growing cyclospora outbreaks may want to consider sticking to fruits and vegetables that they can peel or cook.” more 

College of Science

HAKEEM OLUSEYI 2026 Black Inventors Hall Of Fame Inductee 

Black Inventors Hall of Fame (via YouTube) 

5/31/26 – Hakeem Oluseyi is Affiliate Faculty, Physics and Astronomy, College of Science. He is a 2026 inductee in the Black Inventors Hall of Fame. more 

How ‘Citizen Scientists’ Collect Data On Extreme Heat For George Mason University 

WTOP.com (via YouTube) 

7/17/26 – Watch researchers with Virginia Climate Center and the Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions map areas of extreme heat in the region. more 

GMU Air Pollution Simulation Reinforces Public Health Data On Dangers Of Airborne Toxins 

patch.com 

7/17/26 – The author of this article writes, “B.H. Baek, research associate professor in George Mason University’s Center for Satellite and Earth Science Research in the College of Science, is developing air quality and emissions modeling systems to help track and predict local and regional air pollutants and their adverse human health impacts.” more 

Costello College of Business

EV Test Drives Are Supposed To Boost Adoption—But They Can Backfire 

business.gmu.edu 

7/16/26 – The author of this piece writes, “Newly published research by Ioannis Bellos and Hang Ren, professors in the information systems and operations management area at Costello College of Business at George Mason University, focuses on one of the main levers at the dealers’ disposal: extended test drives. Bellos and Ren’s paper in Production and Operations Management was co-authored by Vishal Agrawal of Georgetown University.” more 

Schar School of Policy and Government

Alexandria Home Prices Edge Up As Northern Virginia's Housing Market Shrugs Off Economic Headwinds 

Alexandria LIVING

7/11/26 – Terry L. Clower, Northern Virginia Chair and Professor of Public Policy in the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University; Director, Center for Regional Analysis, comments in this story. more 

Virginia Business Climate Still Cloudy Despite CNBC Ranking 

Richmond Times-Dispatch 

7/12/26 – Terry L. Clower, Northern Virginia Chair and Professor of Public Policy in the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University; Director, Center for Regional Analysis, comments in this story. more 

Clower Comments On Ghost Jobs 

WUSA9.com 

7/15/26 – Terry L. Clower, Northern Virginia Chair and Professor of Public Policy in the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University; Director, Center for Regional Analysis, discusses ghost jobs in this clip. more  

How Pennsylvania Agencies Are Using AI & The Cloud To Transform Public Services 

StateTech 

6/29/26 – Alan Shark, Associate Professor, Schar School of Policy and Government, comments in this story. more 

Incoming Socialist DC Mayor Has A Weak Hand Against Trump Administration 

Washington Examiner 

6/27/26 – Jeremy Mayer, Professor; Director, Political Science Master's Program, Schar School of Policy and Government, comments in this article. more  

I Used AI To Navigate Cancer. It Gave Me Hope, But It Couldn’t Give Me Certainty 

Metro Tribune 

6/25/26 – J.P. Singh, Distinguished University Professor, Schar School of Policy and Government, is the author of this piece. more  

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