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It was an award win for a group of George Mason IT capstone alumni, as they were honored with the Distinguished Achievement Award from the Fairfax County History Commission last weekend.
The team was presented with the award by Virginia Congressman Gerry Connolly and Chairman Jeff McKay.
Roman Patrick, Akbar Suri, Brian Do, Steve Cheuko, Samuel Pitch, and Fernando Galarza collaborated together in Alpha Team 4 during their senior capstone project in the 2021-2022 academic year. With Suri as project lead, the team created a platform called the Fairfax County African American History Inventory database that includes physical sites, private records, collections, and more as it relates to African American culture and previous residents.
The project is a collaborative effort between the Fairfax County History Commission and the Center for Mason Legacies. The goal is to capture, communicate, and preserve the African American experience throughout Fairfax County’s history
The county took the project on as a major initiative last year. The committee for the database was formed in January 2021, and led by history commissioners Mary Lipsey and Phyllis Walker-Ford.
“I want to give a special shout out to history commissioners Mary Lipsey and Phyllis Walker Ford for their assistance and communication all year as well as Professor John McLaughlin for his guidance (during) our entire capstone course,” says Patrick.
The database is hosted by George Mason and is designed to be interactive, user-friendly, informative, and easily updated.