The College of Engineering and Computing’s (CEC) Office of Outreach, Student Success, and Engagement (OSSE) hosted its annual BLAST Off Week event from September 16-20, 2024. Throughout the week, students attended events focused on themes of belonging, leadership, access, success, and trailblazing.
BELONGING
BLAST Off Week began with the CEC Belonging Fair. Students, faculty, and staff enjoyed popcorn and ice cream while learning about some student organizations, academic departments, and campus resources.
LEADERSHIP
On Tuesday, students attended “Leading with Peraton,” a lunch and learn panel event featuring representatives from CEC Industry Partner Peraton moderated by Associate Dean Chris Carr discussing how aspiring engineers and technology professionals can become a part of corporate organizations.
ACCESS
On Wednesday, students met a variety of student-facing offices at George Mason related to undergraduate research, wellness, community engagement, fellowship, international education, and more.
SUCCESS
On Thursday, CEC students participated in the Career Prep Lab with Industry Partner CACI, where they met CACI hiring managers and staff to learn about resume building, online job applications, crafting professional correspondence, and developing an elevator pitch. Students were also offered snacks, free haircuts, and make-up tips and tricks.
TRAILBLAZING
BLAST Off Week ended with OSSE's third annual Trailblazer Awards. Awardees represented outstanding exemplars who helped the CEC accomplish its institutional mission and set the standard for excellence in socially conscious engineering and technology. This year’s recipients included the following: Faculty members Humaira Akhtari (Information Sciences and Technology) and Vivian Motti (IST); staff members Jennifer Lee and Timothy Diggins; university partners Mary Crowe and Colton Goodman; corporate partners AnitaB.org and the Stonewall Community Foundation; and, students Renan Claure and Ishmael Kamara.