As an integral part of the greater community, George Mason University has continually strived to build and maintain a multitude of partnerships, provide a variety of services and programs geared toward the region we serve, and explore research that enhances the quality of life for all. 

Through Community Connections, you can learn more about how Mason engages with and enhances our shared community. 

George Mason's chapter of Food Recovery Network is a key part of the university's Zero Waste Mason, a collaborative university-wide program that aims to reduce waste. Since the chapter began in 2018, they have recovered over 1,600 pounds of excess food.

The diverted food is donated to nonprofit organizations in the Northern Virginia community, such as New Hope Housing’s Mondloch House, a shelter in Alexandria, and the Katherine Hanley Family Shelter, an emergency family shelter in Fairfax. Read more.

George Mason's College of Humanities and Social Sciences and Costello College of Business are assisting federal employees impacted by the recent changes in the workforce by offering a one-time application fee waiver to graduate programs for fall 2025. 

President Gregory Washington spoke with participants in Leadership Arlington about the state of higher education and workforce development. George Mason University is proud to partner with organizations, like Leadership Arlington, that develop community leaders.

George Mason's Coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis is the featured guest on Fairfax County Government's “Connect with County Leaders” podcast. Under her leadership, the George Mason Women's Basketball team captured its first A-10 Conference championship. Listen.

Helen Chin, an assistant professor in Department of Global and Community Health at George Mason University, received a new grant from the National Institutes of Health’s Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Opportunities and Innovation Fund to study the impacts of air pollution exposure on child development.  

“There are growing concerns about how puberty is starting earlier in children and the impacts this might have on childhood and long-term health,” says Chin.

Her work on exposure to environmental endocrine disruptors and reproductive outcomes has earned several awards for research excellence. Read more. 

George Mason University researcher Alireza Ermagun has been awarded a $1.8 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to address mobility challenges caused by nuisance flooding.

Nuisance flooding frequently inundates roads and overwhelms stormwater systems, creating widespread transportation challenges. Ermagun emphasizes that such flooding disproportionately affects vulnerable populations who depend on public transit, walking, or biking.

“Our ultimate goal is to not only mitigate the impacts of nuisance flooding,” said Ermagun, “but also to empower communities to adapt and thrive in the face of increasing climate challenges.” Read more. 

On March 27, George Mason's newest facility, the Life Sciences and Engineering Building (LSEB) at the Science and Technology Campus opened with great fanfare. The LSEB offers experiential learning in microbiology, kinesiology, forensic science, engineering, and more.

The LSEB helps provide higher education access to students in Prince William, Fauquier, western Fairfax County, the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park, and beyond.

The building, encompassing 132,000 feet of space, includes more than 30 teaching, design, and fabrication labs. The LSEB is designed to promote collaboration and engagement among students and faculty. Learn more. 

How likely are humans to trust a robot, especially if that robot has the capacity to lie? George Mason University psychology doctoral candidate Andres Rosero is exploring that question in his research on human-robot interaction. 

“As robots become more integrated in human society, their roles will transition into those of a collaborative nature rather than as tools used by people,” said Rosero, who works in Applied Psychology and Autonomous Systems (ALPHAS) Lab in the Human Factors and Applied Cognition Program. Read more.

Kaiden AI’s co-founder and CEO Ali Aldubaisi, BS Neuroscience ’21, was thrust into the distance learning space due to COVID that led him to start vRealm, an online tutoring platform. Kaiden AI delivers immersive, voice-driven simulations to prepare for real-world scenarios. 

After seeing limited traction in higher education, Aldubaisi and his team built a small-scale simulation demo to test a new direction. Steve Gladis, a senior scholar at George Mason’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being and a former FBI special agent, was among the first to see the new model and suggested a new path – law enforcement training.

Aldubaisi and his team partner with law enforcement agencies and regional academies to implement their simulation platform, with organizations like the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Academy currently piloting the technology. Read more.

Roddena Kirksey is the public relations specialist for the Office of Government and Community Relations (GCR). A Hampton Roads native, she is a communications professional with an extensive experience in higher education. Roddena has planned events and managed communications for student activities (University Life), alumni relations, and fundraising campaigns. 

She arrived at George Mason in 2019 as the Assistant Director of Alumni Communications, managing email marketing, social media, and the alumni website. In May 2022, she transitioned to the GCR team. She supports GCR by developing messaging to engage elected leaders, businesses, and the local community including direct email marketing and information sharing, social media content, as well as producing various newsletters, including this one - Community Connections. Since joining GCR, she’s learned a great deal about the intersection of government and higher education. “I’ve always had a lifelong interest in politics. This was a perfect opportunity that aligned my personal interest and professional experience,” she said.

Her superpower is distilling complex data and transforming it into impact stories to showcase Mason’s value. “I monitor Mason’s ecosystem and keep a watchful eye out for information, such as rankings and program news, research, economic impact, community engagement, sustainability, events, and resources that give value to the community, to share with colleagues and ultimately elected leaders,” she remarked.

Roddena works closely with her colleagues to inform and influence legislators. For instance, she worked with Lauren Posey, Director of State Government Relations, to showcase data regarding the economic impact of Mason Small Business Development Centers and Lyme disease research that impacted constituents in Southwest Virginia to present Mason’s value to legislators from that area. “It’s rewarding when colleagues tell me that something that I’ve helped them with was able to make a difference in building relationships with our elected partners,” she affirmed.

When Roddena’s not at Mason, she loves watching movies. She asserts, “There’s nothing like spending an afternoon with your favorite snacks (buttered popcorn, Raisinets, and fruit snacks) and getting to escape from everyday life with a movie.”

Her favorite movie is Curse of the Golden Flower, a drama and action film about the imperial family in the Tsang Dynasty. “The set design, costumes, hair and makeup are extremely detailed and transports the audience into the royal household,” she recollects.

She’s currently obsessed with Wicked. “I love musicals! “No One Mourns the Wicked” and “Defying Gravity” were on my 2024 Apple Replay list,” she declared. “I’m definitely looking forward to watching Wicked: For Good.”  

April 30 | 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. | Empty Bowls | Fairfax Campus: Center for the Arts Lobby

May 5 | 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. |Food for Thought| Leidos Headquarters: 1750 Presidents Street, Reston, VA 20190

May 27 | 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. |Mason Square Markets | Mason Square: 3351 Fairfax Dr. Arlington, VA 22201, outside on the Mason Square Plaza

Office of Government and Community Relations

relations.gmu.edu

703-993-8846