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| Wednesday, September 20, 2023 science.gmu.edu
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Celebrating Mason Science’s Hispanic Heritage
by Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm
The month between mid-September and mid-October is taken to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month. I thought I’d devote this blog post to share some thoughts on this traditional celebration across the country and how science intertwines with it.
Even though I was born in the U.S., I grew up in another country (Venezuela), and am a dual citizen. I did my undergraduate education in Caracas and came to the U.S. for graduate school and have lived here ever since, for most of my adult life. This makes me an immigrant for practical purposes, even though I have never felt like one. Because of my background, for me the U.S. has always been one of my two home countries, and as strange as that may seem (it does to most people I have shared this with), that is the way I have lived and that has shaped my perspective on what it can mean to be a Hispanic in the U.S., and thus how I celebrate this tradition.
I am also a scientist, and over my career of 30+ years now, I have seen the meaningful impact that colleagues from all walks of science have on solving problems of importance to society, from health and disease to the environment to space and earth exploration. My usual “pitch” for science when I talk to current and prospective students, to their parents and families, is that it is very difficult to think of a problem in today’s world that does not require science to solve it.
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Attend the Mason Science all-staff meeting Oct. 5
All classified staff and non-student wage employees are invited to attend the upcoming all-staff meeting on Thursday, October 5 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Meet the elected members of the 2023 Staff Advisory Committee (SAC), receive updates on the Mason Science Assessment from Tara Kuhn and Kaithlyn Kayer in the Provost's Office, and hear the latest ABCE updates from Paula Danquah-Brobby. You may attend in-person on Mason's Fairfax Campus, Exploratory Hall, 3301 or virtually via Zoom. Lunch will be provided for those who attend in-person.
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#FacultyFriday highlights forensic science adjunct professor
This past #FacultyFriday featured Alexa Genalo, Adjunct Professor, Forensic Science. Genalo is a proud #MasonScience alum who earned both her BS and MS from our Forensic Science Program and is currently working towards her PhD in Chemistry and Biochemistry. Genalo has been an adjunct professor for the program since Fall 2021, working previously as a forensic scientist in toxicology for the Virginia Department of Forensic Science (DFS). View the original Instagram post.
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Wu publishes invited review article about HIV
by Christopher Ryan
Yuntao Wu, Professor, School of Systems Biology published an invited review article about HIV preintegration transcription and host antagonism. The article gives the most comprehensive review of the subject in the past 20 years. Wu is a leading expert on HIV preintegration transcription. He discovered the synthesis of a functional Nef protein prior to HIV integration (Wu and Marsh, 2001, Science, 293:1503). Image summarizes the main points covered in this review.
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van Hoek Lab publishes paper in Antibiotics
by Christopher Ryan
The van Hoek lab recently published a paper describing the computational design of new antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with activity against multi-drug resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii.
Biosciences PhD students Fahad Alsaab and Shravani Bobde worked together to design and test a set of new peptides called HRZN, as in “horizon”, designed to be effective against MDR A. baumannii. Image shows a field-emission scanning electron microscopy image of MDR A. baumannii AB5075 cells treated with HRZN-15 peptide. Blebs can be seen on the bacterial membrane.
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Mathematics student awarded at recent SIAM conference
by Noemi Petra and Chrysoula Tsogka
At the start of the summer, Mathematical Sciences PhD student Shraddha Verma placed third in a poster session at the 2023 SIAM Conference on Optimization hosted by the Association for Women in Mathematics. Verma's presentation, “Data Assimilation for Quantum Nv Diamond Spectroscopy," earned her funding from the Math Sciences Institutes Diversity Initiative to attend a one-week workshop or event of her choice at a participating mathematical sciences institute. Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash.
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Mason soars in national rankings
by Preston Williams
Released earlier this week, U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges 2024 ranks Mason at #51 among all public universities and #105 among all universities nationwide. Mason also remains a top 20 university nationwide for innovation and a top 50 (#49) for veterans, according to these national rankings. The most significant change in this year’s rankings is the addition of social mobility factors to ranking methodologies, in recognition of growing public demand for more affordable, inclusive, and accessible universities. Mason places No. 1 in Virginia across all rankings that measure social mobility.
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New Policy for I/R faculty on conflict of commitment
A new policy for Mason's I/R faculty regarding conflict of commitment took effect Sept. 1 and is intended to comply with new federal regulations expanding disclosure and reporting requirements.
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Asteroids: Celestial Interlopers a Grand Tour of the Solar System
September 21, 2023 | 7 to 9 p.m. | Virtual
For centuries, asteroids have fascinated and puzzled astronomers. These rocky remnants from the early formation of our solar system hold a wealth of cosmic stories waiting to be unraveled. Terik Daly, a planetary scientist at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory’s Planetary Impact Laboratory and member of NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test mission, dives into the complexities of these celestial bodies. Register to attend.
Refugee Resettlement and STEM Education Conference
September 22, 2023 | 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Virtual
This conference will focus on how STEM oriented educational opportunities through high schools, registered apprenticeships, community colleges, and four-year institutions can all play a significant role in addressing urgent humanitarian needs, while also expanding the nation’s STEM workforce. Register to attend.
UN Sustainable Development Goals - Workshop and Training
September 22, 2023 | Noon to 2 p.m. | Vernon Smith Hall, 5th Floor, Room 5183
Learn from Omar Hernández, Program Manager of the United Nations Academic Impact and Public Information Officer about sustainable development and the 2030 Agenda, the role of higher education in advancing it, ideas for implementation on campus and beyond highlighting core areas of action for universities, and potential review mechanisms.
Fenwick Fellowship Applications
Deadline: September 22, 20233
Faculty can apply for the Fenwick Fellowship, awarded annually to a Mason faculty member to pursue a research project that uses and enhances the University Libraries’ resources while advancing knowledge in their field.
Mason Now: Power the Possible Faculty and Staff Reception
September 28, 2023 | 4 to 6 p.m. | Merten Hall
The Mason community is celebrating the launch of the biggest, boldest campaign in the university’s history. Join us for an afternoon of food, fun, and giveaways
as we get ready to make a difference—together. If you are joining us from another campus, parking will be available in the Rappahannock parking garage. Shuttles to the Fairfax campus are also available. Register to attend.
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