Honors College at George Mason University

11/15/2024

Join us for this year's Honors College Winter Exhibition on Friday, December 6th from 10:30 am to 1:00 pm in Dewberry Hall. We hope to see you there!

10/27/2024

Richard Todd Stafford, Honors College director of communications, is at WETA studios this morning, welcoming the "It's Academic" student contestants. It’s Academic showcases the best and brightest high school students from around the Washington Metro area competing head-to-head in a quiz show format. George Mason University is proud to sponsor this season of It's Academic!

10/15/2024

Honors College faculty member Aimee Weinstein just published a piece in the Chronicle of Higher Education reflecting on the Honors College study abroad trip to Japan she organized this Summer.

Some key take-aways for faculty planning their own study abroad trips:
✅ Students crave independence. Plan for it.
✅ Students feel most comfortable when the know what to expect.
✅ But they get the most of out of experiences that surprise them.
✅ Pay attention to group dynamics.
✅ Cultural sensitive isn't easy!

🔗 Read details on these five tips - and five more - over in the article in the Chronicle!

This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

09/30/2024

The Honors College offers a select few incoming Freshman the opportunity to participate in something called the Honors Scholars program. This is the highest academic distinction that George Mason offers to undergraduate students and includes a full tuition scholarship. One of the new Fall 2024 Honors Scholars is Cece Foye, a freshman from Greensboro, North Carolina who is studying Conflict Resolution and Analysis in the Carter School.

Read more about CeCe here: https://carterschool.gmu.edu/news/2024-08/if-you-see-somebody-struggling-help-them-says-carter-school-freshman-who-brings

09/13/2024

In the Honors College, students are connected with experiences aimed developing their professional skills. Honors College student Rakbul Alam shares his experience interning at the Pentagon.

08/23/2024

As the fall semester draws closer, we wanted to highlight some of the awesome things our Honors Students have been doing this summer:

Stefania Galarza-Centellas spent her summer as a Peer Mentor for the Student Transition Empowerment Program (STEP). Having participated in STEP last year and delivered the closing ceremony speech, Stefania is now helping first-gen students navigate their transition from high school to college.

08/22/2024

As the fall semester approaches, we wanted to highlight some of the thing our Honors Students have been doing over the summer:

Government and International Politics major Sreelakshmi Veettil had the opportunity to see the world this summer by visiting her brother in Poland, studying abroad in Rome, and visiting her parents in India.

08/21/2024

As the fall semester approaches, we wanted to highlight some of the awesome experiences of our Honors Students this summer:

Meet Lina Bondesson, a sophomore majoring in Conflict Analysis and Resolution, who spent her summer building on her experiences at American Councils for International Education. As the alumni coordinator for YES Abroad and FLEX Abroad programs, Lina drew on her experiences from studying in North Macedonia as inspiration for excelling at this position.

08/20/2024

As we approach the new semester, we wanted to highlight some of the things our Honors Students have been doing this summer:

Biology student Sofie Strompf joined the Gensemer Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Intern Program at the Norris Lab at the Medical University of South Carolina. As one of five interns, Sofie spent eight weeks completing wet lab research related to hEDS as well as shadowing physicians and surgeons.

08/20/2024

Freshman Move-In is soon, so check out this episode of Honors College Tips for helpful reminders for a smooth move-in!

07/23/2024

Why does the Honors College actively work to include the full diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and disciplines found at George Mason University and in the broader Washington DC Metro region? On the "Positive Philter" podcast, Honors College dean Zofia Burr tells our story, emphasizing that an inclusive learning environment helps prepares students to ask real questions that can't be answered without considering them from multiple perspectives:

"I had been involved with creating the Honors Curriculum in 1997. [When I took leadership of the Honors College a decade later in 2006,] I had had the pleasure in the general education classroom [...] of having a really diverse group of students in conversation and saw the value of that to the students' learning. [So] we want to be open to every possible student, studying every possible thing, doing every possible activity [....] We want our students to be in classrooms with the full diversity of perspectives and have that opportunity to learn from everyone."

In this episode, I am joined by the dean of the honor college, Dr. Zofia Burr. We discuss her academic career and how literature can serve as a tool for insightful discussions among students of various identities. Another great episode in the Dean mini-series of Positive Philter! http://positivephilter.libsyn.com/literature-as-a-tool-for-dialogue-featuring-dr-zofia-burr?tdest_id=635657

07/09/2024

Congratulations to Spring 2024 winners of the Schwartzstein Outstanding Achievement award, Gabriella Grabovska and Daniel Horvath. The Schwartzstein Outstanding Achievement award recognizes the exceptional achievements of second-year students representing the diverse interests of students in the Honors College

Daniel has been supported by the Honors College faculty in his various pursuits. He mentioned, "Many of the Honors College classes I've taken have allowed me to engage with the professors. It's like having a mentorship.” The Schwartztein Outstanding Achievement Award will assist him in pursuing his studies in mechanical engineering, providing financial support for his education and alleviating the pressure so he can concentrate solely on his academics.

Gabriella excels in both the Honors College and the Schar School. She has worked in internships at Capitol Hill and succeeded with her academic responsibilities. Gabriella plans to use the Schwartzstein Outstanding Achievement Award to advance her research interests in the Charter School Honors program. She intends to conduct research on voting rates, political behavior, and election campaigning in order to write her dissertation.

06/27/2024

Each semester, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences recognizes some of their most outstanding graduating students. Honors College Spring 2024 graduate Katelyn Moore was nominated by the School of Integrative Studies for her academic achievements and contributions.

Katelyn says that the most impactful class taken at George Mason was INTS 337: Social Justice Consciousness with Dr. Aoi Yamanaka. During their time at George Mason, Katelyn was involved with the Alpha Kappa Chi (AKX) fraternity and the Patriot Public Interest Research Group (PIRG).

Katelyn future includes finding a community-oriented job in Richmond, where there is so much opportunity there for people who are interested in community engagement and environmental preservation.

06/25/2024

Each semester, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at George Mason University recognizes some of their most outstanding graduating students. Honors College Spring 2024 graduate Amanda Magpiong was nominated by the Department of Sociology and Anthropology for her academic achievements and contributions.

She says that the most impactful class she's taken at George Mason was tro to Biological Anthropology with Dr. Rick Smith. Since taking the course, she says Dr. Smith has coached her through research, 2 conference presentations, and helped her land internships and jobs even outside of anthropology.

Her next steps include possibly working in politics in DC or applying for a PhD program.

06/18/2024

Each semester, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences recognizes some of their most outstanding graduating students. This Spring, Honors College graduate Neha Kannan was nominated by the Psychology department for her academic achievements and contributions.

As a member of the Honors College Recruitment Team, she attended admissions events for George Mason and helped answer questions potential students may have about the Honors College. She credits this experience with helping her improve her public speaking skills.

She encourages current and future students to experiment with class and clubs to find their place at George Mason and have some fun during their time here. Her next steps include pursuing a PhD in Human Factors and Cognition here at George Mason with a goal of becoming a Technology Research Scientist.

06/14/2024

Each semester, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences recognizes some of their most outstanding graduating students. This Spring, Honors College graduate Grace Catello was nominated by the Psychology department for her academic achievements and contributions.

During her time at Mason, Grace was involved in the Honors Psychology Program, in which participants develop a research thesis over several semesters, and was a member of the Women's Club Lacross Team.

She also presented research at the Honors College Winter Research Exhibition in 2023. She identifies this experience, as well as the course she took in Industrial-Organizational (I-O) Psychology as inspiring her next steps as a graduate student pursuing a Master's in I-O Psychology beginning in the fall.

Congrats, Grace!

05/30/2024

05/26/2024

Senior of the Year, and Honors College student, Celine Apenteng has made an impact during her time at George Mason University, and she isn’t done. After graduating this spring with a bachelor’s degree in conflict analysis and resolution with a concentration in global engagement, and minor in intelligence studies, the Silver Spring, Maryland, native will continue to pursue her master’s degree in international security at the Schar School of Policy and Government through the university’s accelerated master’s program.

Senior of the Year is awarded annually by the George Mason Alumni Association. In nominating Apenteng, her academic advisors at the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution—Isaac Jasper, Jane Walker, Averi Jordan—wrote: “From her academic to her professional success, Celine has shown she is leaving the university as an ambassador of the best George Mason has to offer.”

On how she has grown while at George Mason, she said, "Mason has helped me create a life of collaborative relationships instead of competitive ones. When I look for friendships, workspaces, and all other types of connections, I find myself gravitating toward people who want the same, a life filled with supportive people, doing their best, whatever that looks like, and wanting the best for the people around them. I can’t say that wanting that has changed since coming to Mason, but my efforts to seek it out certainly have."