October 9, 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

'Rich Hippies' Versus Big Oil. Supreme Court Hears Landmark Climate Change Case 

USA TODAY 

10/3/26 – Todd Zywicki, George Mason University Foundation Professor of Law, Antonin Scalia Law School, comments in this article. more 

Trump Clashes Ahead As New Supreme Court Term Begins 
NBC NEWS 

10/2/26 – Robert Luther, III, Associate Professor of Law, Antonin Scalia Law School, comments in this story. more 

Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

Silahlar Susarsa Para Nereye Gidecek? Barışın Ekonomik Temettüsü

Yetkin REPORT 

10/6/26 – Alpaslan Özerdem, Dean, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution; Professor, Peace and Conflict Studies, is the author of this piece. Translation might be needed. more 

What Peacekeepers Build, & Why It Matters For Reconstruction 

Politics and Rights Review 

10/7/26 – Silvia Danielak, Assistant Professor, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, is the author of this piece. more 

College of Education and Human Development

Learning Technology Student & Alum Find Shared Language To Develop International Trade Commission Corporate University 

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY 

9/30/26 – The author of this piece writes, “It's called the ‘eureka effect’: an ‘aha!’ moment when a student suddenly understands a previously incomprehensible problem or concept. For both George Mason University graduate student Mimi Glass, MA Arts Management ‘19, and alum Christopher Bellone, MS Learning Design and Technology ‘22, this is what they work toward in their studies and work in learning design and technology. And they brought that shared philosophy to the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) as student volunteer and mentor, respectively.” more 

College of Engineering and Computing

‘From Gujarat To India: Water Lessons For The World’ Traces 25 Years Of India’s Water Governance Journey 

ANI 

10/7/26 – Daniel W. Smith, Assistant Professor, Sid and Reva Dewberry Department of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering, College of Engineering and Computing (CEC), is one of the researchers on this project. more 

New Educational Wind Tunnel Gives George Mason's Aerospace Program Wings 

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY 

10/6/26 – The author of this piece writes, “In George Mason’s wind tunnel lab, located in the Life Sciences and Engineering Building on George Mason's Science and Technology Campus, the next generation of mechanical engineers learn the foundations of aeronautics and aerospace engineering.” more  

The Science Of Predicting Gridlock 

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND COMPUTING 
10/5/26 – Shanjiang Zhu, Associate Professor, Civil, Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering, College of Engineering and Computing (CEC), received funding for research aimed at anticipating travel demand. more 

Buzzin’ Brood Student Spotlight: Susannah Kirby, George Mason University 
biobuzz.io 

10/6/26 – The author of this article writes, “Susannah Kirby, B.S. is a microbiologist turned data enthusiast who is bridging the gap between foundational science and population-level healthcare. We sat down with Susannah to talk about her path into biostatistics, what’s exciting her right now, and where she sees herself headed next.” more 

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

One Mission, Many Paths: George Mason Senior Advances Youth Mental Health Through Research & Outreach 

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY 

10/6/26 – Read about the academic and research journey of Mehmood Shajih, a George Mason senior majoring in Psychology in George Mason’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS). more 

College of Public Health

More Social Media Use Linked To Poorer Sleep & Self-Rated Health Among College Students 

COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH 

9/21/26 – The author of this story writes, “College students who spend more time on social media tend to sleep worse, and that may have consequences for how they perceive their own health, according to a new George Mason University study.” 

 

The author writes, further, “The study, published in Public Health Reports, found that greater social media use at the start of the school year predicted poorer sleep quality six months later, which in turn predicted worse self-rated health six months after that. According to the researchers, it’s the first study to indicate that poor sleep quality may be a pathway connecting social media use with self-rated health.” more 

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

COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH 

10/5/26 – The author of this piece writes, “A new study co-led by George Mason University infectious disease expert Amira Roess explores these connections as part of a broader look at how politics, culture, economics, and international trade factor into zoonotic disease risk in livestock-herding communities. Published in Social Science & Medicine, the research is part of a long-running international collaboration funded in part by a $2.5 million National Science Foundation grant, for which Roess is principal investigator.” more 

College of Science

You Could Send Messages To Your Past Self With This Mind-Melting Technology, Scientists Say

POPULAR MECHANICS 

7/31/26 – Robert Ehrlich, Professor Emeritus, Physics and Astronomy, College of Science, comments in this story. more  

George Mason Helps Teachers Bring Quantum Science Into K-12 Classrooms 

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE 

10/2/26 – The author of this piece writes, “Through a growing series of professional development opportunities, George Mason’s Quantum Science and Engineering Center (QSEC) is partnering with K-12 educators to make quantum science approachable, relevant, and practical for students.” more 

JUST IN: 2027 Soup’s On! Details Revealed Including Hakeem Oluseyi To Keynote 
mysweetcharity.com 

10/2/26 – Hakeem Oluseyi, Affiliate Faculty, Physics and Astronomy, College of Science, will be keynote speaker at this event. more 

College of Visual and Performing Arts

Learning Technology Student & Alum Find Shared Language To Develop International Trade Commission Corporate University 

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY 

9/30/26 – The author of this piece writes, “It's called the ‘eureka effect’: an ‘aha!’ moment when a student suddenly understands a previously incomprehensible problem or concept. For both George Mason University graduate student Mimi Glass, MA Arts Management ‘19, and alum Christopher Bellone, MS Learning Design and Technology ‘22, this is what they work toward in their studies and work in learning design and technology. And they brought that shared philosophy to the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) as student volunteer and mentor, respectively.” more 

Costello College of Business

When The 4% Rule For Spending In Retirement Works—& When It Doesn’t 

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

9/30/26 – Derek Horstmeyer, Professor, Finance, Costello College of Business, is the author of this piece. more 

The Vision Behind The Greg & Camille Baroni Center For Government Contracting 

COSTELLO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS 

10/5/26 – The author of this piece writes, “In 2020, the Greg and Camille Baroni Center for Government Contracting received its naming gift, two years after the government contracting initiative at the Costello College of Business at George Mason University had officially become a center. It all began with an idea that George Mason should be more strongly connected with the surrounding $700 billion government contracting industry, which hires so many of the university’s graduates.” more 

George Mason University Renames Entrepreneurship Center For Anil & Anupama Sharma

THE AMERICAN BAZAAR, COSTELLO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS 

10/6/26 – The author of this piece writes, “George Mason University has renamed the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at its Costello College of Business in honor of Northern Virginia entrepreneur Anil Sharma and his wife, Anupama Sharma, recognizing the couple’s commitment to education, entrepreneurship and expanding opportunities for future generations.” more 

Leveraging AI For Defense Industrial Base Acquisition 

GREG AND CAMILLE BARONI CENTER FOR GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING 

10/5/26 – Mike Derrios, Executive Director, Greg and Camille Baroni Center for Government Contracting, Costello College of Business, talks with Jon Baba, a partner at Guidehouse. more 

Schar School of Policy and Government

Data Centers & AI: The Midterms’ Fastest Growing Issue | Guest Column 

richmond.com 

9/30/26 – Mark Rozell, Dean, Schar School of Policy and Government, is the author of this piece. Subscription might be needed to access full content. more 

What Virginia’s Data-Center Backlash Shows About How Americans Feel Right Now — & It’s Not Just Anger 

FORTUNE, THE MERCURY, TechXplore  

9/28/26 – Fengxiu Zhang, Associate Professor, Schar School of Policy and Government, and Saba Siddiki, Professor, Citizenship and Democracy, Syracuse University, are the authors of this piece. more 

Hunzeker & Students Develop Tool To Help Analyze U.S. Foreign Military Sales Deliveries To Taiwan 

Michael Hunzeker (via LinkedIn) 

10/7//26 – Michael Hunzeker, Associate Professor, Schar School of Policy and Government, and students have developed a tool to assess U.S. foreign military sales deliveries to Taiwan. more   

Schar School Alumnus Daniel Gerstein’s First Novel Explores The Future Of Warfare 

SCHAR SCHOOL OF POLICY AND GOVERNMENT 

10/1/26 – Daniel Gerstein graduated with a doctorate from Schar School of Policy and Government in 2009. Gerstein has since authored a book: “War Without Humanity: Conflict in the Post-Human Era” (Casemate, May 15, 2026). more  

Growth & Grand Challenge Initiative

New Educational Wind Tunnel Gives George Mason's Aerospace Program Wings 

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY 

10/6/26 – The author of this piece writes, “In George Mason’s wind tunnel lab, located in the Life Sciences and Engineering Building on George Mason's Science and Technology Campus, the next generation of mechanical engineers learn the foundations of aeronautics and aerospace engineering.” more  

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

COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH 

10/5/26 – The author of this piece writes, “A new study co-led by George Mason University infectious disease expert Amira Roess explores these connections as part of a broader look at how politics, culture, economics, and international trade factor into zoonotic disease risk in livestock-herding communities. Published in Social Science & Medicine, the research is part of a long-running international collaboration funded in part by a $2.5 million National Science Foundation grant, for which Roess is principal investigator.” more 

OSCAR Celebration Of Student Scholarship & Impact Highlights Undergraduate Research & Creative Pursuits 

George Mason University 

9/28/26 – The author of this piece writes, “‘This event represents the essence of what George Mason is about,’ said Keith Renshaw, senior associate provost for undergraduate education. ‘It’s making sure each and every student has the opportunity to go beyond the classroom and engage in the hands-on work that applies what [they’ve] learned.’” more 

Mason Korea’s C5I Center Signs MOU To Advance Next-Generation Drone & Command-&-Control Research 

George Mason University (via LinkedIn) 

10/6/26 – The author of this piece writes, “The George Mason University Korea Center of Excellence in Command, Control, Communications, Computing, Cyber and Intelligence (the C5I Center) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Cross Sentinel and Taekyung Electronics on September 1. The MOU establishes a collaborative research framework for next-generation command-and-control technologies.” more 

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