June 5, 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

George Mason Selects New Dean 

TaxProf Blog 

5/30/26 – The author of this piece writes, “George Mason University has named Daniel B. Kelly the next dean of the Antonin Scalia Law School, effective June 25, 2026. Kelly currently serves as dean of the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Prior to that role, he spent 15 years on the faculty at the University of Notre Dame, where he served as director of the Law School’s Program on Law and Economics and founding director of the university’s Fitzgerald Institute for Real Estate.” more 

Things Are Looking Good At George Mason 

NATIONAL REVIEW 

5/29/26 – The author of this piece writes, “In many ways, GMU is exactly what we need more of in higher ed. Yes, it’s an R1 research institution, but it’s also the kind of school where kids in Northern Virginia can get a solid and affordable education to cement them in the middle class with good jobs.” more  

Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

University Scholar Combines Art & Conflict Resolution To Build Bridges

JIMMY AND ROSALYNN CARTER SCHOOL FOR PEACE AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION

6/1/26 – The author of this piece profiles Avery Shippen, a 2026 graduate of George Mason's Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution and College of Visual and Performing Arts. more 

College of Education and Human Development

Becoming Culturally Competent School & School-Based Mental Health Counselors For Gifted & Talented Black Students: Theories & Practices For Support 

Roeper Review 

4/23/26 – Erik M. Hines, Professor, Counseling, College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), is among the authors of this article. more 

College of Engineering and Computing

Philanthropist Gives Half Her Fortune To George Mason 

virginiaBUSINESS 

6/1/26 – The author of this piece writes, “Last year, [Kimmy] Duong donated $20 million, roughly half of her fortune, to George Mason University in Fairfax County — a gift announced almost 50 years to the day after she fled war-torn Vietnam. Though she arrived in the U.S. as a refugee with only $30 in her pocket, Duong didn’t need financial assistance from the government, thanks to a job with IBM. Instead, she benefited from a tremendous amount of emotional and spiritual support.” more 

‘Driving Like Teenagers’: Waymo Robotaxis Have Run Red Lights & Nearly Hit Pedestrians, CNN Finds 

CNN.com 

6/3/26 – Mary L. (Missy) Cummings, Professor and Director of Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center (MARC); First American Bank Chair, College of Engineering and Computing (CEC), comments in this story. Subscription might be needed to access full content. more 

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

US University Honours Pakistani Academic For Excellence In Science Communication 

geo.tv 

5/31/26 – Syed Muhammad Abubakar, Graduate Teaching Assistant, Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS), received the Joe Witte Special Recognition in Science Communication Leadership award by George Mason. more 

Your Mind Has The Secret Machinery To Manipulate & Stretch Time. Here’s How To Tap In. 

POPULAR MECHANICS                                                                            

6/2/26 – Martin Wiener, Associate Professor, Psychology, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS), comments in this story. Subscription might be needed to access full content. more 

College of Public Health

Gupta Receives 2026 HEIG Award 

Andrea Thoumi (via LinkedIn) 

5/28/26 – Jhumka Gupta, Professor, Global and Community Health; Ph.D. Program Director, College of Public Health, received a 2026 Health Equity Interest Group Award from AcademyHealth. more 

College of Science

The Quantum Realm, The Cosmological Realm, & The Multiverse, In 69 minutes | Hakeem Oluseyi 

Big Think (via YouTube) 

5/22/26 – Hakeem Oluseyi is Affiliate Faculty, Physics and Astronomy, College of Science. more 

Researchers Use Phylogenomics To Identify Cyanobacteria In Shenandoah River 

PHYS.ORG 

6/1/26 – The author of this piece writes about research Rosalina Stancheva Christova, Assistant Professor, Faculty Fellow, Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center (PEREC), Aquatic Ecology, Algae Taxonomy and Ecology, College of Science, and her colleagues are conducting. more 

College of Visual and Performing Arts

Soil Collection Ceremony Commemorates Tulsa Race Massacre Victims & Survivors 

FOX 23 (TV – Tulsa, OK) 

5/31/26 – Thomas Stanley, Associate Professor, School of Art, College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA), comments in this piece. more 

University Scholar Combines Art & Conflict Resolution To Build Bridges

JIMMY AND ROSALYNN CARTER SCHOOL FOR PEACE AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION

6/1/26 – The author of this piece profiles Avery Shippen, a 2026 graduate of George Mason's Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution and College of Visual and Performing Arts. more 

Costello College of Business

After Three Decades In Federal Acquisition, Mike Derrios Is Investing In The Next Generations 

WASHINGTONEXEC 

6/1/26 – Mike Derrios is Executive Director, Greg and Camille Baroni Center for Government Contracting, Costello College of Business. The author of this piece profiles Derrios. more 

Schar School of Policy and Government

The Quiet War: Invisible Attacks | What's Behind Havana Syndrome & Anomalous Health Incidents

The Hayden Center (via YouTube)

Video Date: 5/28/26 | Event Date: 4/15/26 – Officials with Michael V. Hayden Center for Intelligence, Policy, and International Security, Schar School of Policy and Government, hosted this event April 15, 2026. more

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