Mason Media Blog

Mason’s Helen A. Kellar Institute for Human disAbilities (KIHd) and the National Down Syndrome Society will host the State of the Art Conference on Postsecondary Education and Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities. The conference takes place at the Mason Inn Conference Center and Hotel on the Fairfax Campus on Thursday, Oct. 28 and Friday, Oct. 29 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

As an interdisciplinary program of Mason’s College of Education and Human Development, KIHd is dedicated to improving the lives and productivity of persons with disabilities.

The two-day conference will provide an opportunity for colleges, universities, researchers, organizations, program staff, parents and other supporters from across the country to participate in workshops and seminars that focus on the current state of higher education policies, research and practices that affect students with intellectual disabilities.

“We are very pleased to host this conference at Mason because it demonstrates the university’s commitment to bettering the lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities,” says Michael Behrmann, director of KIHd. “This conference will open the door for people from across the country to discuss the ways in which we can take a closer look at the effectiveness of the educational practices that are being utilized in higher education.”

The conference will open on Thursday, Oct. 28, with a keynote address by David Bergeron, acting deputy assistant secretary for policy, planning and innovation for the Office of Postsecondary Education in the U.S. Department of Education. He will speak about the implementation of legislative changes to the Higher Education Act of 2008.

The first day of the conference will focus on postsecondary education policy and advocacy. Sessions throughout the day will include how to prepare students to transition from high school to college and the strategies taken by colleges and universities to develop partnerships with state agencies. The second day will focus on research and practice in postsecondary education.  Some of the sessions will include developing effective strategies to integrate students into the community and supporting students as they transition to living independently.

Mason President Alan Merten will participate on a Higher Education Leadership panel on Thursday, Oct. 28 from 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. The panel, which also includes administrators from Coastal Carolina University, Syracuse University and the College of New Jersey, will discuss successful programs at their respective institutions, as well as some of the advantages of these programs for their universities and student bodies.

Other Mason faculty and staff who will participate in the conference include Behrmann and several members of Mason’s Learning Into Future Environments (LIFE) program including Heidi Graff, program director; Kudy Giwa-Lawal, program coordinator; Karen Ingram, academic coordinator; and Jen Labbe, employment coordinator.

The Mason LIFE program provides opportunities for young adults with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to take classes to help improve their literacy, as well as employment and independent living skills.

Other conference speakers and presenters include:

• Donald Bailey, College Transition Connection, an organization that works with select colleges and universities in South Carolina to develop postsecondary opportunities for young adults with intellectual disabilities
• Kathleen Miller, Institute on Disabilities at Temple University
• Patricia Gill, Institute for Educational Leadership, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving educational policies and systems for children and youth
• Ann Lindsey, Montgomery County Public Schools
• Andrew Sinclair, Holyoke Community College

The conference is co-sponsored by the Riggio family; the Office of Postsecondary Education and the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research; U.S. Department of Education; the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education; the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration; ThinkCollege; Association of University Centers on Disabilities the Lawrence B. Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education at Syracuse University; the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities; and PACER Center.

More information about the conference and a complete schedule of events can be found on the website.

Help George celebrate the holidays in style!

Students, faculty and staff–would you like to be a part of the Mason holiday video?

Please join the entire Mason community on Wednesday, Oct. 27 from 3 – 4:30 p.m. or on Thursday, Oct. 28 from 9 – 10:30 a.m. at the George Mason statue to be a part of the very first Mason holiday video. In addition to hanging a “peace” ornament on the statue, we welcome you to spread holiday cheer by proclaiming “Peace” or “Peace On Earth” in your native language. We want to capture a variety of students and student organizations so please feel free to wear your Greek letters, athletic uniforms, other Mason gear or something that expresses your cultural and ethnic heritage.

If you are interested in being a part of the grand finale shot for the holiday video, we invite you back to the Mason statue on Thursday, Oct. 28 at noon where students, faculty and staff from across the university will gather. If possible, please wear the same or similar clothes in which you decorated the statue.

Any questions or concerns should be directed to Catherine Ferraro in the Office of Media and Public Relations at cferraro@gmu.edu.

Building upon its already impressive offerings, the George Mason University Libraries has added something else of which it can be proud.

As a gift from Dr. Philip M. Teigen, a former deputy chief of the History of Medicine Division at the National Library of Medicine, the University Libraries recently acquired a collection of works by Jan Morris, a Welsh nationalist, historian, author and travel writer.

The collection consists of 136 titles of fiction and nonfiction. Widely known for her travel writing, the collection includes nearly all of the first editions of Morris’ travel narratives as well as proof versions and editions with composition errors.

The collection also includes two signed Morris publications: a poster of the artwork that appears on the dust jacket of “Manhattan ’45” signed by Morris; and a copy of “Coronation Everest” signed by Sir Edmund Hillary who is among one of the first individuals to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

Morris has authored more than 40 books about her travels and is best known for the “Pax Britannica” trilogy, a history of the British Empire, and for portraits of cities such as Oxford, Venice, Wales, Hong Kong and New York City. Her most recent book titled “Contact! A Book of Encounters” was published in April 2010.

“This is a notable gift to the university and we are appreciative that Dr. Teigen chose Mason to give this rare collection and that more and more collectors are trusting Mason’s University Libraries with their collections,” says John Zenelis, university librarian.

The University Libraries also received a generous grant from the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation to assist with the processing and cataloging of the late Roy A. Rosenzweig Papers. Founded in 1976, the foundation recognizes and supports the humanities, research libraries, performing arts and promotion of Venetian studies.

Rosenzweig, a Mason professor of history and founder of the Center for History and New Media, pioneered the application of digital technology to advance the field of digital humanities. The collection documents his research and writing through articles, notes and correspondence, and also includes rare history and humanities periodicals.

“Although sadly Professor Rosenzweig is no longer with us, the grant will ensure that his papers are cataloged, preserved and readily accessible to future scholars,” says Zenelis. “We are very grateful to the Delmas Foundation for their generosity in making this possible.”

Celebrating the 10^th anniversary of the Metro D.C. Dance Awards, the George Mason University Dance Company shared the stage with some of the most talented dancers and choreographers in the area in a night filled with spectacular performances.

This marked the first time that a college or university dance company has performed at the awards ceremony, which took place at the Harman Center for the Arts in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 6. Some of the other performances that evening included the Suzanne Farrell Ballet; Next Reflex Dance Collective; and Urban Artistry.

Dance/MetroDC, a branch office of Dance/USA, the national service organization for nonprofit professional dance, presents annual awards to the best dancers, choreographers, designers and productions throughout the region in the past year.

Reprising their performance from the annual Gala Concert in March 2010 and clad in the Mark Morris Dance Group’s own costumes, the Mason dance students performed “Polka,” the final movement from Mark Morris’ masterpiece “Grand Duo.” The piece is set to Lou Harrison’s duet for violin and piano.

According to Elizabeth Price, director of the Mason’s School of Dance, the opportunity to perform at the Metro D.C. Dance Awards arose when Peter DiMuro, director of Dance/MetroDC, visited last year to guest teach a class. Impressed by the professional level of the students, he invited the Mason Dance Company to perform at the event.

“Having the opportunity to perform with some of the most talented dancers and companies in the area is a sign that we have been embraced as a part of the professional dance community,” says Price.

In a world full of aggressive drivers, playground bullies and celebrity scandals, a new course at Mason aims to bring back the lost art of civility.

The course called Professionalism and Civility was launched this fall and delves into the ever-increasing problem of bad manners and behavior in society. As one of only a handful of universities throughout the U.S. to offer such a course, students learn everything from making eye contact when speaking to someone to proper table manners.

“Having bad manners and behavior is something that has not only been tolerated, but has now become acceptable,” says Leslie Morton, Mason adjunct professor who teaches the course. “Etiquette, manners and civility are things that must be practiced and there are students here at Mason who are eager to bring back this lost art.”

Offered through Mason’s School of Recreation, Health and Tourism, other elements of the course include proper office behavior and appearance, cultural sensitivity, and “netiquette” – being respectful of others while online.

As part of the course, students are not allowed to have their computers or cell phones on during class and often discuss poor behavior they recently encountered and ways to deal with it. In an assignment to teach tolerance, students were tasked with striking up conversations with people they didn’t know well or who had frustrated them in the past.

Starting in fall 2011, the course will be required for all tourism and events management students.

Have you ever wanted to see the ancient artifacts that lay hidden away in the vaults of the Smithsonian Institution?

In a unique partnership, Mason and the Smithsonian Institution will offer a master of arts in the history of decorative arts that will give students direct access to the vast collections of the Smithsonian museums. The degree program is the only one of its kind offered in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Exploring the National Museum of American History, National Museum of Natural History and the National Portrait Gallery, students will investigate American, European and global aspects of architecture and interior design, textiles and costume, and ceramics and glass.

Through hands-on examination of artifacts dating from the Renaissance, students will be prepared for careers as curators, historic site directors, authors and art educators.

“The history of the decorative arts has only recently begun to be treated with the critical eye it deserves, and this degree program emphasizes both research and practical job skills in a way that increases the potential for career opportunities for students,” says Robert DeCaroli, associate professor and director of Mason’s art history program.

“Mason will benefit greatly by having access to the incomparable resources and expertise that come with the unique partnership with the Smithsonian Institution.”

More information about the degree program can be found here.

Greg Mortenson spoke as the Mason Award winner during Fall for the Book. (photo by Laura Foltz)

This interview by Aisha Jamil was originally published in Broadside, Mason’s student newspaper, in a slightly different form. Greg Mortenson recieved the Mason Award at this year’s Fall for the Book Festival, which was held Sept. 19-24.

“The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger. The second time you take tea, you are an honored guest. The third time you share a cup of tea, you become family.”

Those are the words of Haji Ali, Greg Mortenson’s mentor in Pakistan, who also was his role model and inspiration for the title of Mortenson’s best-selling book, “Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace … One School at a Time.”

Mortenson, who has built more than 160 schools in the rural villages of Afghanistan and Pakistan, spoke last Friday, Sept. 24, at Mason’s The Center of the Arts regarding the challenges global education is facing today. He sat down with Broadside before the show for an interview.

AJ: Your original hardcover title was published as “Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Fight Terrorism and Build Nations … One School at a Time” despite your protests. When you published the paperback version almost a year later, you had it changed to “Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace…One School at a Time.” Why?

GM: The publisher picked that subtitle and I didn’t like it. I do this [build schools] to promote peace. I don’t fight terrorists. Statistics show that one out of eight books make a profit so I was told that I need to have that title in order for my book to do well. I agreed with the condition that if the book did not do well in the first year, then the title will be changed from “fighting terrorism” to “promoting peace”.  The book sold only 20,000 copies that year. The subtitle was then changed in January of 2007 and my book has been the number two on the New York Times Bestseller’s List for 190 weeks.

AJ: True or false: ignorance is bliss.

GM: False. Ignorance breeds hatred.

AJ: What would you say to the Muslim clerics that have declared two fatwas (orders to kill) against you?

GM: The first word in the revelation of the Koran was “Iqra”, which means “to read”. What Allah said is that we should seek truth and get an education. I have talked to imams and nothing in the Koran says that girls can’t go to school. And finally, I would say that in the Hadith (teachings of the Prophet), it says that the ink of the scholar is greater than the blood of a shaheed (martyr).

AJ: What do you think about the mosque building near ground zero?

GM: I think it’s a constitutional right that we have freedom of worship and faith. We seem to fight about constitutional issues but the real issue is about tolerance, education and healthcare.

AJ: And the 9-11 Koran burnings?

GM: Burning the Koran shows the greatness of the Constitution.  The U.S. military burned Bibles in the Afghanistan that were written in Pashto and Dari because soldiers there weren’t allowed to give out Bibles. That shows our tolerance to be sensitive. But, there shouldn’t be a law saying that you can’t burn religious books.

AJ: Rallies seem to be the new norm these days. Have you ever considered having a rally for your cause?

GM: If I had a rally, it would be a rally for peace, education and tolerance. I have visited over 120 cities and I have seen more hope in those small communities than anywhere else. But, if there was a rally, it would be a rally hosted by kids and for kids. It has to be a rally that would effect change.

AJ: A school you built in the town of Olander, Afghanistan was attacked by the Taliban in 2007. Are all of your schools heavily guarded since then?

GM: No. No school has been shut down. Two schools have been attacked but in both cases, local militia came and killed some of the Taliban members and kicked others out. The militia leaders have their own orders to kill anyone who comes to attack these little girls or their schools.

AJ: And finally, a little off topic, but how does one know love in six days? You married your wife six days after meeting her. Have you considered writing a story about love?

GM: [Laughs.] I could write a story about love but my wife has asked me not to write about our personal lives. So, I respect that.

Aisha Jamil is a senior communication major at Mason with a concentration in journalism. She is an intern in the Office of Media and Public Relations.

Thousands of people will gather on the National Mall for the USA Science and Engineering Festival, which runs from Sunday, Oct. 10, through Sunday, Oct. 24. George Mason University science and engineering faculty will be there showcasing some of their most fascinating research projects. As a leader in the “citizen science” movement, Mason’s faculty is interested in engaging the general public about science and increasing science literacy.

The projects below highlight some of the research that Mason is doing and the ways our scientists are bringing real science to everyone.

Galaxy Zoo

It’s no secret we live in a world of information overload. Satellite images are producing tons of information every day and millions of galaxies and other objects in space are just waiting to be classified and categorized.

At Mason, Kirk Borne, associate professor of astrophysics and computational sciences, is transforming the way scientists do their jobs. His project, Galaxy Zoo: Mergers, asks citizen scientists to categorize and model the more than one million galaxies in our universe with a few clicks of the keyboard.

Large Synoptic Space Telescope (LSST)

Kirk Borne is also working with the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). The project is a partnership among more than 30 other institutions that will build a telescope that can create a 10-year-long “movie” of the section of sky visible from its perch atop a mountain in Chile. Hoping that the project will be become “the telescope for everyone,” Borne and other researchers at Mason will engage citizen scientists in educational programs related to the telescope and its vast data collecting capabilities.

Jim Trefil

Science Cheerleader

Building his career on bridging the gap between science and society, Jim Trefil, Robinson Professor of Physics at Mason, partnered with former Philadelphia 76ers cheerleader and science journalist  Darlene Cavalier on her Brain Makeover website. Featuring the 76ers cheerleaders, the Brain Makeover website brings general science concepts to the public in a fun, easy-to-understand way.

On the Brain Makeover website, you can find videos of cheerleaders reciting science concepts as well as Trefil’s explanation of each phenomenon. You can also take a quiz to see how much you know and win prizes.

Nifty Fifty

Padmanabhan Seshaiyer, associate professor of mathematical sciences, was chosen as one of 50 scientists and engineers from around the country to represent Mason as part of the science and engineering festival.

The Nifty Fifty, as they are called, will go into middle and high schools throughout the Washington, D.C., area in October to discuss their work and help re-invigorate the interest of the nation’s youth in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

On Oct. 19, Seshaiyer will visit Patterson Mill Middle/High School in Bel Air, Md., and Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Md., to talk to students about applying problem-solving techniques and mathematics to real-world problems.

Media Advisory

When: Thursday, Oct. 14, 7 p.m.

Where: George Mason University Fairfax Campus, Research I, Room 163, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030

“Do it yourself!” From scientific research to policy formation to the grand challenges of science and technology, experts are tapping the wisdom of the general public like never before. Why? Why now? And what’s next? As a complement to the USA Science and Engineering Festival, George Mason University will host a panel of scientists and policy makers to discuss the area of “citizen science”—bringing real scientific challenges and unsolved puzzles to non-scientists.

Panelists:

Kirk Borne

George Mason University, associate professor of astrophysics and computational science, College of Science. Team member of the wildly popular citizen science project called Galaxy Zoo. Borne works on ways to analyze large data sets in astronomy, including the Large Synoptic Survey, using both machine learning and citizen science.

Lisa Reinhold

Vice president, Client Services, InnoCentive. Using challenge-based innovation methodologies, Reinhold and her team have enabled a global network of more than 200,000 individuals and teams to participate in finding solutions to important problems for governments, corporations and non-profits.  In addition, Lisa is responsible for the acquisition and management of InnoCentive’s non-profit clients.

David Rejeski

Director, Science and Technology Innovation Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The program aims to develop new tools to help address public policy challenges as science advances. Rejeski is a founding member of ECAST: Expert and Citizen Assessment of Science and Technology, a distributed network of science museums and universities working to foster greater public dialogue in science/technology policy formation.

Robynn Sturm

Advisor for Open Innovation to the Deputy Director of the White House, Office of Science and Technology Policy. Sturm’s work, in part, enables federal agencies to open doors to public engagement. Sturm is the former deputy chair of the Clinton Global Initiative.

Judging for the Mature Market Resource Center’s second annual New Product and Technology Awards®–which recognizes innovative products and services for older adults and their families—will be held on Friday afternoon October 8, 2010, from noon to 5 p.m. at the Fairfax Campus of George Mason University – Student Union Building I, Third Floor, Room B, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030.

The George Mason University Program in Assisted Living/Senior Housing Administration will serve as host for the competition. The program offers the first academic curricula in the nation dedicated exclusively to the senior housing and care industry.

This year’s competition features more than 20 entry categories, including internet and computer technologies; monitoring/detection devices; prevention/health maintenance products and services; housing and design; safety products; fitness/recreation/hobbies and more. A complete list of categories together with entry details can be found on the official awards program web site:  www.agingawards.com.

Entries will be available for media preview Friday morning, October 8 from 10 a.m. to noon. Judging will begin at noon, and members of the media may stay throughout the afternoon to interview judges and discuss the entries.

Judges include representatives from AARP, the Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST), The Guide To Retirement Living, the Virginia Telehealth Network, and Mason faculty, including Andrew Carle, director of the Assisted Living/Senior Housing Program, who coined the term “Nana” Technology in 2004 to describe microchip-based technologies for older adults.  As part of the competition, the program will be reviewing entries for special recognition as best “Nana” Technology™ recipients.

National sponsors of the 2010 competition include the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) and its Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST); George Mason University’s Program in Assisted Living/Senior Housing Administration and American Custom Publishing.