Category: Winners

Between the Nile and the silk Road: Rethinking global health for certain needs and Chinese traditional healing

Author(s): Hadil Ali

Mentor(s): Peiyu Yang, Department of Modern & Classical Languages

Abstract

Traditional medicine continues to serve as a primary form of healthcare for millions of people worldwide, particularly in the Global South. In Sudan, traditional medicine encompasses herbal remedies, spiritual healing, and community-based practitioners whose knowledge is deeply embedded in cultural, religious, and historical contexts. Similarly, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) represents a highly systematized non-Western medical tradition grounded in holistic diagnostic frameworks and extensive herbal pharmacology.
This project investigates the historical and cultural intersections between Sudanese traditional medicine and TCM, with particular attention to educational exchange, medical diplomacy, and informal knowledge circulation between Sudan and China during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Drawing on Sudanese ethnomedical literature, TCM scholarship, World Health Organization policy documents, and studies of China–Africa medical cooperation, this research examines shared herbal practices, concepts of illness, and approaches to holistic care. The analysis is further informed by informal conversations with Sudanese and Chinese doctors and herbal practitioners, grounding the literature in lived experience.
Findings suggest that while both systems emphasize balance, harmony, and culturally embedded healing, they differ significantly in institutional power and global recognition. Whereas TCM benefits from extensive state support and international visibility, Sudanese traditional medicine remains under-documented despite its widespread use. By centering South–South medical exchange, this project challenges Western-centric narratives in global health and highlights the importance of recognizing indigenous healing systems in the development of culturally responsive health policies.

Audio Transcript

Hello, my name is Hadil Ali, and I’m a student in the Department of Biology at George Mason University.
My research project is titled “Between the Nile and the Silk Road: Rethinking Global Health through Sudanese and Chinese Traditional Healing.”
This project was completed under the mentorship of Professor Peiyu Yang.
This research explores how two long-standing non-Western medical traditions—Sudanese traditional medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine—intersect through history, education, and cultural exchange.
Slide 2 – Background
Traditional medicine remains one of the most widely used forms of healthcare worldwide, especially in the Global South.
In Sudan, traditional medicine includes herbal remedies, spiritual healing, and community-based practitioners whose practices are rooted in ancient Nile Valley civilizations and Islamic traditions. These methods are not viewed as alternatives to medicine, but as trusted and culturally grounded healthcare systems.
Traditional Chinese Medicine, or TCM, developed into a highly structured medical system centered on holistic diagnosis, herbal pharmacology, and balance within the body. Today, TCM also plays a role in China’s global health diplomacy, particularly in Africa.
Despite extensive research on each system individually, little attention has been given to how Sudanese and Chinese traditional medical systems may have interacted through education and medical exchange.
Slide 3 – Research Question
This gap in scholarship led to my core research question:
How did Sudanese and Chinese traditional medical systems interact through educational and cultural exchange, and what does this interaction reveal about non-Western approaches to global health?
Rather than framing Sudan as a passive recipient of medical aid, this project explores how medical knowledge circulated between two non-Western traditions through lived exchange.
Slide 4 – Methods
This project uses a qualitative, document-analysis approach.
I reviewed literature on Sudanese traditional medicine, including studies of herbal pharmacology, spiritual healing practices, and the social roles of local healers.
I also analyzed scholarship on Traditional Chinese Medicine, focusing on its diagnostic frameworks and theoretical foundations.
In addition, I analyzed research on China–Africa medical cooperation, including medical aid programs, educational exchanges, and policy documents from the World Health Organization.
This work was complemented by informal conversations with Sudanese and Chinese doctors and herbal practitioners, which helped ground the academic literature in real-world practice and contemporary experience.
Using a comparative framework, I examined shared herbs, health beliefs, and diagnostic logics across both systems.
Slide 5 – Key Findings
Several key themes emerged from this research.
First, there is significant overlap in herbal practice, including the shared use of herbs such as ginger, galangal, gum arabic, and senna. These herbs are commonly used to address digestive, respiratory, and inflammatory conditions.
Second, both traditions emphasize holistic concepts of health, where illness is understood as an imbalance involving physical, emotional, social, and spiritual dimensions.
Third, there is a clear imbalance in visibility and institutional support. Traditional Chinese Medicine benefits from state backing, formal education systems, and global recognition, while Sudanese traditional medicine remains under-documented and marginalized in academic and policy discourse.
Finally, the literature reveals a notable absence of grassroots perspectives from Sudanese healers and Chinese students, leaving many lived experiences unrecorded.
Slide 6 – Why This Matters
This research challenges Western-centered models of global health that privilege biomedical knowledge while sidelining indigenous healing systems.
By focusing on Sudan–China exchange, this project highlights South–South medical interaction and the ways healing knowledge circulates outside dominant Western frameworks.
Recognizing traditional medicine as legitimate and culturally meaningful has implications for global health policy, medical education, and patient care—especially in culturally diverse settings.
Slide 7 – Conclusion and Acknowledgements
In conclusion, Sudanese and Chinese traditional medicine share overlapping herbal knowledge and holistic approaches shaped by centuries of cultural exchange, trade, and diplomacy. Yet the contributions of Sudanese traditional medicine remain largely undocumented in global health narratives.
Future work will expand this project through oral histories and digital storytelling to better capture these underrepresented perspectives.
I would like to thank Professor Peiyu Yang, George Mason University, and the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program for supporting this research.
Thank you for listening.

Cells, Individuals, and Community College of Humanities and Social Science College of Science Honors College OSCAR Winners

Women’s Perception of Safety as Demonstrated in Tiktok Trend Man Vs Bear

Author(s): Devyn Wilson

Mentor(s): Collin Hawley, Honors College

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Abstract

Stemming from the 2024 TikTok trend asking women if they would rather be stuck in a forest with a man or bear, this study seeks to answer what the internal discourse of women is when choosing a man over a bear, in order to assess their values and perceptions of safety. Early research on this subject focused on crime statistics and victimization rates. As feminist theory developed, researchers began to explore broader contexts, including public spaces, urban design, and societal norms that influence women’s feelings of safety. This transition showcased that women’s safety perceptions are often shaped by societal norms, cultural narratives, and lived experiences. However, this proposed research question explores how women assess and investigate the intersection of physical, emotional, and social aspects of safety. To explore the decision-making process of women, mixed methods including, Critical Technocultural Discourse analysis of social media posts (Brock, 2016), bear attack statistics, crime analysis, and survey analysis of women in the DMV area will be used. Critical Technocultural discourse analysis used to analyze social media discourse to find what women are saying regarding their perceived safety in either scenario, a man or a bear appearing. Bear attack analysis and crime analysis can compare the relative risk of damage if a bear or man appears. Surveys of women in the DMV area allow for a conversational component in which women will be able to express safety in their setting. The findings contribute to broader conversations around safety, risk assessment, trust, and gender in contemporary society.

Audio Transcript

Imagine walking on a trail much like this one. While walking you hear leaves rustling, would you whether the rustling be due to a man or a bear. This question was presented to TikTok users in 2024. What was supposed to be a quick, simple, easy-to-flow trend turned into discussions about women’s safety and how they perceived the world around them. It has been a little over a year since this question first appeared, allowing many people to answer it. But what does this question demonstrate about women’s perceptions of safety? What does this question demonstrate about the perceptions of safety of women. What kind of improvement and conclusions can we draw from this trend to make women feel safer. Furthermore, the project wanted to explore the intersections of social media and outlook on safety.

Academic conversations have yet to cover these discussions. Early research on women’s perception of safety focused on crime statistics and victimization rights. As feminist theory developed, researchers began to explore broader contexts, including public spaces, urban design, and societal norms that influence women’s feelings of safety. Furthermore, safety is grouped into other discussions including MeToo, Not all men, LGBTQ+, and family disputes, among others. While these papers provide context to safety, they fail to capture the true fears and realities of women, in their everyday life. The shift from victimization rates to broader contexts marked the understanding that women’s safety perceptions are shaped by societal norms, cultural narratives, and lived experiences. Despite this shift, academic papers have yet to capture the nuanced discourse of women in everyday life. This disconnect raises important questions about whose experiences are prioritized in academic discourse — and why moments like the “man or bear” debate remain outside scholarly engagement. This project seeks to highlight the internal dialogue of women set upon by this trend Man Vs Bear, exploring how women assess and investigate the intersection of physical, emotional, and social aspects of safety.

This semester primarily focused on IRB approval and gathering survey responses.

Before examining the responses, it’s important to note the inclusion criteria. Respondents had to be women or nonbinary, between 18 and 25 years old, and currently attending a university or college in the DMV area. A total of 70 participants met this criteria.

When asked whether they would rather be in a forest with a man or a bear, responses were as shown in the graph:

Most participants felt confident in their choice. Those who were uncertain said they wanted more context—such as the type of bear, the exact setting, or the man’s behavior—because these factors would meaningfully shape their decision.

Since the purpose of the study was to understand why participants made this choice, the explanations are central to the findings. Common themes included:

Fear of men: This appeared on both sides. Many respondents felt they could more easily predict a bear’s behavior compared to a man’s intentions. Participants mentioned strategies for avoiding bear attacks or managing the situation, while expressing concern about men having hidden motives or personal gains. Several respondents noted that some potential outcomes with men—such as assault, or not being believed afterward—felt “worse than death.”

Some pointed out that they see men every day and have survived those encounters, implying that men may not be as dangerous as perceived. Others emphasized that bear attacks are statistically less common than violent crimes committed by men.

Later questions provided broader context for these choices: 93% of respondents felt that women are conditioned to be more alert or afraid in public spaces than men. No one said “no.” 80% reported they have pretended to talk on the phone, changed direction, or taken defensive actions when encountering an unknown man in a quiet area. These behaviors highlight the role of social conditioning and hypervigilance in shaping perceived safety.

Across responses, control emerged as a major influence. Participants expressed more fear of threats whose motives could be hidden—such as a man who appears helpful but becomes dangerous.

Many respondents also said they would trust their instincts over statistics, suggesting that cultural narratives and personal experience strongly shape safety judgments. For some, choosing the bear aligns with worst-case-scenario thinking, especially for those who stated that certain outcomes with men would be worse than death.

Respondents tended to classify their fear of bears as primarily rational—based on a known, identifiable physical threat.

Fear of men, however, was described as both rational and emotional, rooted not only in real statistics but also in lived experience, cultural conditioning, and emotional memory.

indicating that fear is shaped by:

lived experience,

repeated warnings,

cultural narratives, and

observed stories of harm.

The data shows that young women and nonbinary students interpret safety through a blend of emotion, lived experience, social conditioning, and perceived controllability. The surprising preference for being with a bear over a man is not about the bear itself—it is a reflection of deep concerns about male unpredictability, cultural warnings, and threats to autonomy.

The bear becomes a stand-in for a danger they feel they can understand, while men represent dangers they feel they cannot read or control.

Looking into the coming months, Critical Technocultural Discourse analysis, bear attack statistics, and crime analysis will be put into conversation with the survey results. Together, they will uncover more about perceptions of safety and where gaps can be filled through societal shifts. Ultimately, my work contributes to a broader conversation: how gender, safety, and culture shape the way we move through the world.
The “man or bear” question may sound simple — even silly — but it reminds us that women’s fears are not irrational. They are reflections of real, lived experiences in a world that too often asks them to be cautious — even in the forest.

OSCAR Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP) - OSCAR US, Global, and Beyond Winners

SPATIAL DYNAMICS OF LOCAL NEWS: MAPPING CITY CO-MENTIONS IN ALABAMA

Author(s): Tugce Burcu Gundogdu

Mentor(s): Myeong Lee, IST

Abstract

This study analyzes 31,004 Alabama news articles (2012–2024) to examine how cities are connected through co-mentions. Using a large language model, we extracted geographic references to build networks capturing spatial and symbolic ties. We developed a relationship typology to interpret these links. Preliminary results show that news categories shape distinct spatial patterns, offering insight into how media narratives influence regional identity and reveal the relational dimensions of news deserts.

Audio Transcript

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00:00:07.560 –> 00:00:22.750
Tugce: Hi, everyone! My name is Tugce, I’m a third-year computer science student at George Mason, and my project, Spatial Dynamics of Local News, Mapping City Co-Mentions in Alabama, is about how local news connects cities in Alabama.

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00:00:22.880 –> 00:00:45.090
Tugce: So, when we talk about news deserts, which is a term in information science that mentions… that describes places that don’t get enough local news coverage, or don’t have enough news outlets to cover their local news, we mostly focus on places that don’t get covered. But something we notice is that news doesn’t just talk about places, it also links them together.

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00:00:45.340 –> 00:00:57.109
Tugce: For example, two cities might get mentioned in the same story because they share an event, a crime pattern, a rivalry, or a regional issue. These links tell us a lot about how local identity is shaped.

4
00:00:57.280 –> 00:01:01.840
Tugce: And they reveal a lot of information about a region’s new geography.

5
00:01:02.730 –> 00:01:21.400
Tugce: So, what we did is, we took about 31,000 Alabama news articles, ranging from 2012 to 2024, and we used an LLM to plot all the place names, and then built a co-mention network, which is kind of like a map of which cities appear together in stories.

6
00:01:22.950 –> 00:01:30.849
Tugce: We found 79,000 place mentions, 351 Alabama cities, and about 17,000 city pairings.

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00:01:30.950 –> 00:01:38.430
Tugce: Then we looked at how often each pair of cities co-appears. This gives us an idea of the region’s news geography.

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00:01:39.040 –> 00:01:51.910
Tugce: So, a few interesting patterns that I like to point out is Tuscaloosa was the main news hub overall, which makes sense because our news outlet is based there. And…

9
00:01:52.140 –> 00:02:09.830
Tugce: We see that Tuscaloosa is the city that gets mentioned together with a lot of other cities in news. And Birmingham becomes the center of crime-related news. So, in crime-related news, the other cities mostly get mentioned together with Birmingham.

10
00:02:10.000 –> 00:02:14.360
Tugce: And Montgomery becomes the center of political and economic coverage.

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00:02:14.510 –> 00:02:34.510
Tugce: And, not surprisingly, Auburn and Tuscaloosa are super connected in sports stories because of their history of ongoing rivalry. So, what does this all mean? So, when we look at these connections between these cities and how much they appear together in news, we get a story and an idea and a

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00:02:34.900 –> 00:02:49.240
Tugce: local identity appears about these regions. But when news desserts happen, they aren’t just about where coverage is missing, but also where relationships are missing, because we can’t see these stories.

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00:02:49.310 –> 00:02:59.169
Tugce: So, some cities don’t just get less coverage, they rarely get linked to other places, which adds another layer of isolation for the news deserts.

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00:03:32.300 –> 00:03:43.679
Tugce: So, thank you all for listening to my project. I would like to thank my mentors and professors for their invaluable guidance throughout this project. I am especially grateful to my mentor, Dr. Myeong Lee.

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00:03:43.680 –> 00:03:58.979
Tugce: and Dr. Jieshu Wang for their mentorship, encouragement, and expertise, which shaped the development of this research. I also really appreciate the support of George Mason University’s Oscar program for providing a great research environment.

College of Engineering and Computing College of Humanities and Social Science Honors College Making and Creating OSCAR Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP) - OSCAR Winners

A Robotic Cat for Examining Camera Clarity and Privacy in Human–Robot Interaction

Author(s): Alexia De Costa

Mentor(s): Eileen Roesler, Department of Psychology

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Abstract

This project presents the Bioinspired Automated Robotic Cat (BARC), a functional companion robot designed to support research in human–robot interaction and privacy-aware design. BARC features camera-based facial detection, expressive gaze behaviors, audio responses, and various soft and rigid materials to mimic a household cat. Because camera systems can enhance interaction while raising privacy concerns, the ongoing study compares peoples’ responses under two conditions: a clear, high-quality camera filter and a blurred, low-clarity camera filter. Using surveys and observation of touch behavior, the study examines how camera clarity shapes engagement and perceived privacy, informing the design of social robots that are effective while respecting user comfort.

Audio Transcript

Have you ever wondered what a robot actually sees when it looks at you?
Today, social and service robots are becoming increasingly common, and many rely on cameras for facial recognition and user engagement. But as useful as cameras are, they also raise important questions: Do they make people feel watched? Can a robot feel friendly while still respecting privacy?

These questions lie at a key intersection in human–robot interaction, that robots need perception to understand us, yet high-resolution sensing can make people uncomfortable. So I wanted to explore a central challenge: can we reduce privacy concerns without making interactions less enjoyable? And does being transparent about what a robot sees change how people feel?

To investigate this, I designed and built a robot cat from scratch called BARC, the Bioinspired Automated Robotic Cat. BARC is part engineering platform and part research tool. It can switch between two controlled camera conditions: a clear, high-quality camera filter and a blurred, low-clarity filter that still allows for partial facial detection. These interchangeable physical filters let me directly compare how different levels of sensing clarity influence interaction.

BARC is also designed to feel expressive and lifelike. It uses camera-based facial detection for gaze behavior, animated OLED eyes, a speaker for cat-like sounds, and soft and rigid materials that mimic the look and feel of a household cat. Through surveys and observations of touch behavior, my ongoing study explores how these two camera conditions shape user engagement and perceived privacy.

To create BARC, I began with feline anatomical references, studying limb placement, joint spacing, and overall proportions, to inspire the CAD model for the chassis. I laser-cut the acrylic components and assembled them using screws and tab-and-slot joints for a sturdy, lightweight frame.

At the heart of the robot is a Raspberry Pi 4, which handles perception and behavioral control.

A camera provides the main sensory input for facial detection.

Two OLED displays animate expressive eyes that track the user once a face is detected, giving the illusion of attention and social presence.

A speaker and amplifier generate a range of cat sounds, from meows to purrs to alarmed yowls.

An accelerometer-gyroscope detects movement, such as being picked up or shaken, so BARC can respond appropriately.

Servos are controlled by a PCA9685 driver, animate the limbs, jaw, head, and tail.

All behaviors are programmed in Python and organized in a state machine with modes such as Idle, Seeking Attention, Interacting, and Startled. BARC transitions between these states based on sensory input and probability, helping interactions feel natural rather than scripted.

To examine how camera clarity influences engagement and privacy perceptions, BARC serves as a fully capable research platform. Seventy-two participants are currently part of a single-blind study with two groups:

Group 1: interacts with BARC using a clear camera filter

Group 2: interacts with BARC using a blurred, privacy-preserving filter

The physical filter is noticeable, so using filters in both groups keeps the robot visually consistent. That way, any differences we see are truly due to what the robot can or can’t perceive.

Participants interact with BARC, complete a survey measuring constructs such as Perceived Sociability and Perceived Enjoyment, and then are shown a live camera feed so they can see the actual resolution of the robot’s vision. Afterward, they complete a second survey measuring perceived privacy, perceived surveillance, disturbance, and attitudes about robots.

The hypotheses are:
1: No difference in sociability, enjoyment, or touch behavior.
2: The filtered-camera group will report higher perceived privacy.
3: The clear-camera group will report higher perceived surveillance.

This interdisciplinary project connects mechanical engineering, psychology, and human-robot interaction to better understand how people perceive robotic sensing. BARC’s expressiveness, biological inspiration, and controlled camera conditions make it a powerful research platform.

By comparing clear versus filtered camera views, this research explores whether privacy concerns come from what the robot actually sees, or what users believe it sees. Ultimately, the goal is to guide the design of future social robots that remain engaging and respectful of user’s privacy

Special thanks to Dr. Eileen Roesler (Psychology) and Dr. Daigo Shishika (Mechanical Engineering) for their invaluable mentorship. Thank you to Katya Schafer for assistance with data collection, and to Dr. Karen Lee and OSCAR for their support and funding, which made this project possible.

Thank you!

College of Humanities and Social Science Award Winners OSCAR

Improving Judicial Confidence in Pretrial Release Decisions: Pretrial Risk Assessments and
Structured Guidelines

Author(s): Sydney Reuter

Mentor(s): Dr. Evan M. Lowder

Across the United States, different counties are implementing and using pretrial risk
assessments (PRAs) and guidelines to inform pretrial decision-making. Research on pretrial risk
assessments has shown they are effective in increasing non-financial release rates while
reducing or having no impact on pretrial outcomes. Further research has discovered that
judicial adherence has a substantial impact on the effectiveness of PRAs in increasing release
rates and lowering rates of pretrial misconduct. However, there is less research on factors that
may be linked to greater adherence to PRA recommendations. The purpose of this study is to
address this gap in research by examining one factor that may be relevant to adherence: how
judicial confidence can vary given the presence or absence of a PRA and guideline. This
quantitative, prospective study conducts a cross-sectional survey of criminal-legal professionals.
Professionals were sampled across U.S. states using a cluster-random and snowball sampling
strategy. Participants were randomly assigned to different vignette conditions, which
manipulated the presence and absence of a PRA and guideline while measuring pretrial release
decisions and corresponding confidence; familiarity with risk assessments, experience in the
criminal-legal field, and baseline levels of confidence were considered as moderating variables.
Findings show the relationship between the presence of PRAs and guidelines and confidence in
pretrial release decisions while accounting for the moderating variables. No significant effect on
confidence was found, suggesting PRAs and guidelines may be implemented without affecting Hello, my name is Sydney Reuter and I’m presenting
my research project from Honors in Criminology,
Law and Society.
My research project examines whether or not
judicial confidence varies based on the presence or
absence of pretrial risk assessments and guidelines.
Pretrial risk assessments predict the likelihood an
offender has of returning to court for their hearing.
As you can see in the table, my study consisted of
three different conditions that were presented in a
vignette. Condition one provided a police narrative,
but no pretrial risk assessment or guideline.
The second condition provided only a pre-trial risk
assessment score but no guidelines.
Condition three provided both the pretrial risk
assessment score and the guideline.
These were presented in a survey of criminal-legal
professionals from 50 US states.
The sample consisted of 122 of these professionals.
The average amount of experience was 11 years
and the average age was 49 years old.
About 50% of these professionals were defense
attorneys and about 10% were judges.
The other 40% consisted of prosecutors, pretrial
service officers, and other criminal legal positions.
During the analysis, I found that the presence of a
risk assessment and guideline did not affect judicial
confidence in pretrial release decisions.
I also considered three moderating variables. These
were familiarity with risk assessments, experience
in the criminal legal system, and baseline levels of
confidence.
These moderating variables were analyzed through
multiple linear regression where each variable got
its own regression. The interaction effects between
the variable and condition were considered.
However, the interaction effects were not found
significant.
These variables also did not have an effect on
confidence.
While surprising, I hypothesize that this lack of
significance is due to a couple of reasons.
First, judges tend to rely on legal factors over risk
assessment tools.
Second, since these tools are so new, judges may
not have strong positive or negative feelings toward
them. This means familiarity does not play a big role
in decision making
However, despite this lack of significance, I would
suggest the study be replicated again in a couple of
years. This is because pretrial risk assessment tools
may play a bigger role in five to ten years.
This means that judges may be more familiar with
them, and therefore more likely to rely on them,
meaning their confidence may be more influenced
by these tools.
Thank you for listening to my research project
judicial confidence.

Excellence Award Winners

Nadya Steare – 2023 Student Excellence Award Recipient

Nadya’s Nomination

I met Nadya through the exhibition she installed at the GMU Art School where she displayed her paintings created during her residency in Iceland. I thought that the artwork was not only beautiful and inspiring to look at, but that it was also very meaningful and educational. It brought light to an important environmental topic and taught viewers about everyday life in another country. Nadya’s OSCAR project was unique and required lots of perseverance and a strong artistic vision to achieve.

Excellence Award Winners

Renee McCauley – 2023 Student Excellence Award Recipient

Renee’s Nomination

I strongly nominate Renee McCauley for the OSCAR Excellence Award. I met Renee in February of 2022 through the Undergraduate Psychology Honors Program. I agreed to mentor her project on, “The Intersection of Accent, Ethnicity, and Gender in Job Interviews”. I have been thoroughly impressed with her motivation to excel on the project beyond the honors course requirements, including aspirations to publish the project in a top tier I-O journal and present the work at a national conference. With this mindset, Renee has taken advantage of many opportunities to enhance her skillset. For example, I enrolled her as a user in my graduate level research methods course and she took advantage of absorbing all of the information through videos, learning resources, exercises, and even attending weekly live office hours. Renee continues to learn about the field by attending our weekly learning series, as an undergraduate student. She has been selected twice for GMU’s Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (USRP) and once for a Mason Impact MINI grant. Renee has immersed herself in research by working in Dr. Stephen Zaccaro’s lab and closely working with Steven Zhou, resulting in one publication and a few projects in progress.

The culminations of these experiences have led to several observations. First, she exhibits incredibly strong writing skills. Her thesis proposal received an “A+” and was noted by all faculty, including Dr. Jennifer Brielmaier, Dr. HoKwan Cheung, and myself, as demonstrating high writing quality. She also has three successful grant submissions under her belt, including funding from the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program for the Spring and Summer terms, as well as the Mason Impact MINI grant. During the Fall 2023 term, I invited her to contribute to an IOP commentary (with a two week turn-around time) and was impressed with her contributions and offered co-authorship. Second, Renee exhibits high levels of critical thinking skills. As a researcher, I am blown away by her attention to detail. She is working to ensure that results are not skewed due to a confound variable, whether it be length of time the candidate speaks or a particular accent being less understandable. In order to thoroughly explore the interaction of variables in her research topic, she is pursuing an ambitious 18-condition study with strong justifications for each condition! Third, Renee is an independent and hard worker. We meet weekly and I may give some direction during this time, but she follows through and produces near-finished products. Fourth, Renee is incredibly professional. She carefully drafts correspondence to a variety of audiences, including scholars in our field as well as outside of the field. While working on the IOP commentary, colleagues (a program director from another institution) noted Renee’s professionalism and how her contribution to the project was more in the scope of a collaborator vs. a student contribution.

Over time, Renee has become more certain about her educational and career goals. In a short timeframe, she decided to apply to the doctoral program and take her GREs. She has performed extremely well in coursework, the honors project, research lab, on the GREs, and more. She was one of the few selected into our prestigious doctoral program and she will continue on this trajectory of contributing to the Mason community and broader field of I-O psychology.

Please give this talented candidate your best consideration.

Excellence Award Winners

Dr. John M. Woolsey – 2023 Mentoring Excellence Award Recipient

Dr. Woolsey’s Nomination

I’m writing to nominate my colleague, Dr. John Woolsey, Director of Faculty and Curriculum Development, for the OSCAR Faculty Mentoring Excellence Award in recognition of the phenomenal work he has done over recent years to support the mentorship of undergraduate research within and beyond OSCAR and the Honors College. His unparalleled achievements in this area have fostered student learning and development and promoted diversity and inclusion in undergraduate research at George Mason University.
As a member of the Honors College faculty, I have had the opportunity to witness firsthand the incredible work Dr. Woolsey has done to champion undergraduate research. Some of this has occurred through individual mentorship, while in other cases, it has been through supporting broader structural improvements to support undergraduate research more broadly. For example, in recent years, he has worked to redesign the HNRS 110 Research and Inquiry course and foster a community of faculty who support and mentor undergraduate research in the Honors College.
When Dr. Woolsey began working full-time in the Honors College in the fall of 2014, the Honors College had experienced a period of rapid growth, doubling in size over a 5-year period (from 676 enrolled students in the fall of 2009 to 1,249 students in the fall of 2014). Further, the college has continued to grow in the intervening years, reaching approximately 2000 students this spring. This growth demanded a curriculum that could meet the needs of a growing student body with a diverse range of abilities and learning needs. This was a task that Dr. Woolsey met with impressive skill, dedication, and foresight.
Dr. Woolsey always works to center students as he mentors undergraduate research. Through the process of enhancing the research focus of the Honors College curriculum and making it sustainable for a fast-growing student population, he has expanded, sustained, and inspired the Honors College Peer Mentor (PM) program. Today, there are approximately 30 PMs each fall who serve as peer leaders for the HNRS 110 Research Methods course. These students, mentored directly by Dr. Woolsey, give back to the community by supporting incoming first-year students in learning about the foundations of inquiry, while also developing as leaders and citizens. Each year, several of the PMs join the Curriculum Development Team in the spring semester. Led by Dr. Woolsey, this group of students work to draw on recent research to enhance specific assignments in the research curriculum.
Students who have worked with Dr. Woolsey as Peer Mentors have a variety of rewarding learning experiences. Below I include a few quotes shared by those who have taken part in the program:
“Dr. Woolsey is an innovative and inspiring leader who has built an amazing program to help teach undergraduate students the importance of research and the utility of inquiry-based learning. As a PM, I have had the opportunity to work with Dr. Woolsey, and the team of PMs he has assembled, to improve and continue to develop the program to best suit incoming Honors College freshmen. He is always open to great ideas and willing to discuss how the Honors 110 curriculum can be improved. I am looking forward to continuing to work with Dr. Woolsey and the other PM’s to make the HNRS 110 Curriculum a positive and informative experience.”
“What’s unique about Dr. Woolsey is that he’s genuinely excited about advancing students’ understanding of research… Last Wednesday, he and I took a few minutes to plan what we were doing in his 110 class that day, and we stumbled on a tool on Web of Science that let you visualize which disciplines are citing a particular source. Dr. Woolsey spent probably a solid ten minutes geeking out about how helpful that would be to helping students get the concept of multiple perspectives and how evidence functions across different disciplines, because that’s how happy he is about helping students. Having known him as a professor, a research mentor, an academic advisor, and supervisor, it’s clear that he views his work as a professor to be first and foremost about his students. That’s the part he prioritizes, and to me it seems like the one he most enjoys, which I think is what helps him have such a profound impact on the people he works with.”
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Dr. Woolsey as a PM for HNRS 110. Dr. Woolsey is extremely committed to making the entirety of HNRS 110 program as stimulating as possible and pushes not only the students, but us PMs, as well, to think outside the box and explore new ideas. He is one of those professors who truly strives to ensure that the 110 curriculum is tailored as best to the student’s needs so that they are further able to use the information they’ve gained outside of 110 setting. Within our PM class, Dr. Woolsey encourages us to take part as leaders in various activities throughout the semester both in the general and Honors College setting.”
“Dr. Woolsey is one of the most intelligent, funny, and actively supportive people I have ever met. I don’t think you can find someone else who cares more about getting freshmen engaged in scholarly research to see how it can them find their passions. It has been a pleasure learning from him as a supervisor and an honor to have him as an academic adviser as well. He is the first person I go to whenever I need advice on anything school related and I often come out with great life advice. I really credit Dr. Woolsey in giving me, and so many others, the confidence needed to feel like we belong in our future careers.”
Sentiments like these speak to the incredible impact Dr. Woolsey has had in implementing and organizing research mentorship within his everyday practice as a teacher and the broader research curriculum.
Finally, as Dr. Woolsey’s colleague, I can speak firsthand to the effort he has made to support other faculty in becoming research mentors. When I was a new Mason faculty member, Dr. Woolsey was one of the individuals who introduced me to the OSCAR office and URSP program. He is always generous in sharing advice and strategies for mentoring undergraduate research, and I’ve learned a great deal from him over the years. This is a role he plays for so many faculty here at Mason through the professional development activities and idea exchanges he facilitates on a frequent basis. For these reasons and more, I’m excited to nominate John Woolsey for this award.

Excellence Award Winners

Dr. Myeong Lee – 2023 Mentoring Excellence Award Recipient

Dr. Lee’s Nomination

Dr. Lee has been a great colleague, professor and advisor during my time at Mason. He is detail-oriented and thorough in his approach for all professional tasks. He is also very patient while mentoring and provides well constructed feedback. He is dedicated to his work and research, and is the director of his lab (Community Informatics Lab). His research and work ethic has been known in the research community, inviting many collaborations from other universities. He has received recognition and funding from state and NSF.

Excellence Award Winners

Dr. Joel Martin – 2023 Mentoring Excellence Award Recipient

Dr. Joel Martin Nomination

Dr. Martin has mentored 2 students this year starting with engaging in a research project to presentation at a regional conference. He is an excellent example of how faculty can integrate undergraduate students in their scholarly pursuits and all involved have a positive experience. Due to his interest in educating and mentoring students, there are now 2 more students that have a unique research experience that will positively impact their future endeavors.

Excellence Award Winners

Dr. Nadine Kabbani – 2023 Mentoring Excellence Award Recipient

Dr. Kabbani’s Nomination

Dr. Nadine Kabbani is amongst the most dedicated and creative teacher and mentor in the University. Her teaching and service to the education crosses the boundaries of department and college. She has developed and taught many important courses at the intersection of neuroscience, technology, and society at both the graduate and undergraduate level. Her scientific passion extends into her laboratory where she mentors a diverse body of students.
She is true academic leader and an inspiration within the Mason Community.

Excellence Award Winners

Lindsay S. Shaffer – 2023 Mentoring Excellence Award Recipient (Graduate Student)

https://youtu.be/tD335wUQJ8k

Lindsay’s Nomination

Lindsay Shaffer mentored me while I was an undergraduate student and worked as her Research Assistant. She played an impeccable role in my academic success and was the prime role model of exactly what I desired in a mentor. Once I started graduate school, she continued to mentor me and help guide me throughout the program. Lindsay is someone I go to for advice, assistance, and a genuine accommodating hand. She has never failed to provide me anything I needed in assistance and always does an exceptional job, going above and beyond in her career and everything she does. Lindsay is exceptionally deserving of this award and I couldn’t be more honored to nominate her.