Academics

2021 Katona Scholarship recognizes stand out bioengineering students

Rena Malai — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 19:49:29 +0000

2021 Katona Scholarship recognizes stand out bioengineering students Rena Malai Mon, 11/15/2021 - 14:49

From left, Dr. Peter Katona, Inas Zabin, and Michael
Buschmann, Mason bioengineering
department chair and professor

Recognizing and motivating bioengineering students to help the community in the field of bioengineering is a big part of what the Katona Scholarship for Excellence in Bioengineering is about, according to Claudia Borke, advisor for the bioengineering department at Mason.

“This is a scholarship that recognizes not only bioengineering excellence, but looks at the student holistically,” says Borke.

Named for Dr. Peter Katona, founder of the bioengineering program at Mason, the scholarship awarded $1,000 to 2021 winner Inas Zabin, a Mason senior whose education combines bioengineering with a concentration in pre-health.

“Winning the scholarship gave me the little bit of extra push that I needed, and I’m very grateful,” says Zabin. “There are so many qualified people in the bioengineering department. But if you’re thinking of applying for the scholarship, just go for it.”

According to Katona, the students selected for the scholarship show exceptional promise to engage in a successful bioengineering career, which in turn helps society.

“We certainly look at GPA, and it’s a part of the criteria for the scholarship, but it’s not all we see,” says Katona. “We also look at a student’s leadership skills and how they have tried to enhance their skills outside of the classroom.”

Showing an initiative to help other students is also an example of leadership that is a welcome asset for a potential scholarship winner, says Katona.

“We have had some excellent applicants, and we are delighted that we can do this for our bioengineering students showing exceptional promise,” he says.

The Katona Scholarship for Excellence in Bioengineering began in 2015, and is awarded to bioengineering seniors at Mason who show excellence across their academic performance, leadership initiatives, and career aspirations that aim to support society at large.

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Following the code: Computer science instructor teaches programming class on campus during COVID

Nanci Hellmich — Thu, 03 Sep 2020 19:30:06 +0000

Following the code: Computer science instructor teaches programming class on campus during COVID Nanci Hellmich Thu, 09/03/2020 - 15:30

Computer science instructor Katherine “Raven” Russell is teaching CS 310: Data Structures, a programming course, on campus this fall. Students are very respectful of the physical distancing and mask requirements, she says.

Computer science instructor Katherine “Raven” Russell likes to debug complex code, so she volunteered to tackle a different type of challenge this fall by teaching an in-person programming course on campus.

Of the approximately 400 undergraduates taking CS 310: Data Structures, 54 of them are coming into a large lecture hall where they are required to follow the Safe Return to Campus guidelines. It’s the Department of Computer Science’s (CS) only class that is meeting on campus this semester.

“The in-person class feels a bit odd right now, but students are very respectful of the physical distancing and mask requirements,” says Russell, MS Computer Science ’12, who won a Teacher of Distinction Award in 2020 from the Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning. “I only had one person I had to remind to pull up his mask because he started chewing on his pencil and didn’t realize what he was doing.”

This course is important because it introduces a lot of computer science theory and polishes undergraduates’ programming skills for senior courses, she says. “It’s one of the foundational subject areas. Some students come in and are starting to feel confident, and we can reinforce that and shore up any problems they are having.”

Russell had to make several adjustments this semester. She has everyone submit their COVID-19 Health Check before coming to class, and she wears a mask while she’s teaching on the stage about 20 feet away from the nearest student.

She uses active-learning techniques in her large lecture classes--presenting a problem and having the students solve it. In a typical semester, they work with someone who is sitting near them, and there is a lot of chatter as they come up with different solutions, she says.

But this semester, students are quietly doing the problems on their own. After they are finished, she suggests they make eye contact with someone nearby and talk about their work. “These are just odd things that are part of this year,” Russell says.

Still, she says, several students have told her how much they appreciate being able to come to class. “Some know that it’s in their best learning interests to take the subject face to face.”

Russell says she’s still working on some of the challenges, such as how to chat with students while they work on problems and maintain social distancing at the same time. “But we’ll debug the teaching problems as we go.”

Faculty redesign lab courses to provide safe instruction during pandemic

Nanci Hellmich — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 22:59:49 +0000

Faculty redesign lab courses to provide safe instruction during pandemic Nanci Hellmich Mon, 08/31/2020 - 18:59

Beth Lattanzi, an instructor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, teaches students how to test materials’ strength, ductility, hardness, and fatigue life using state-of-the-art equipment in ME 311: Mechanical Experimentation, a one-credit lab course. Students must social distance during the class. Photo by Evan Cantwell

Laboratory workstations are spaced far apart and cleaned between students for the civil engineering master's course, CEIE 636: Sources of Geotechnical Data. Students get hands-on experience in quantifying and assessing the properties of soils in the course taught by Burak Tanyu, associate professor in the Sid and Reva Dewberry Department of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering.

Students in a civil engineering graduate laboratory course, CEIE 636: Sources of Geotechnical Data, are physically distanced during a lecture portion of the class.

Engineers are by nature problem solvers, so the challenge of what to do about teaching labs during the pandemic gave Mason Engineering faculty a chance to use their ingenuity to develop flexible courses for fall 2020.

They spent hours over the summer designing a variety of instructional plans from in-person laboratories that meet the Safe Return to Campus guidelines to hybrid labs that include both virtual and face-to-face components to online labs in which students can do their work remotely if all classes suddenly become virtual because of an outbreak of COVID-19 on campus.

The Department of Bioengineering had to recalibrate BENG 371: Bioinstrumentation and Devices Laboratory, a one-credit course that introduces students to the concepts and electronic tools needed to make biomedical measurements, says Randy Warren, an adjunct faculty member who teaches the class and is the department’s lab manager.

Two sessions of the lab with a total of 26 students are offered in two large lab rooms in Peterson Hall on the Fairfax Campus.

“Students build circuits, test them, and see the responses,” Warren says. “Most have had no experience in this area outside of what they learned in physics. It’s their first time working with this type of equipment. It’s kind of like jumping off the deep end of the pool.”

Last fall, undergraduates worked in pairs in the labs, but because of social distancing guidelines, students are now at individual workstations, which the department increased from nine to 16. These stations’ equipment includes an oscilloscope, a digital multimeter, and an analog/digital trainer; all must be cleaned between classes.

A few students chose to do the class virtually, so the department assembled $400 portable lab kits that students can use at home while watching the lab class online. “They have some of the same equipment as the lab, but it’s not as elaborate,” Warren says.

In case the university must pivot to total distance-learning classes, the bioengineering department is making enough portable test kits for everyone in the class, he says.

The department had to “jump through some hoops,” Warren says. But it’s worth it because “we are trying to provide the same or better level of education in a more challenging environment.”

Similarly, Beth Lattanzi, an instructor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, worked approximately 150 hours over the summer to develop contingency plans for the 81 students taking ME 311: Mechanical Experimentation, a one-credit lab course in which students take experimental measurements in solid mechanics and materials science.

In the lab on the Science and Technology Campus, students test materials’ strength, ductility, hardness, and fatigue life using state-of-the-art equipment, such as automated hardness testing machines made by the manufacturer Tinius Olsen. “I love this particular class because it’s the first time they get to do a whole semester of hands-on work, and I wanted to maintain that,” Lattanzi says.

Usually, students have one lab a week for the semester, but this fall, they’re coming in once every three weeks to meet physical distancing guidelines, she says.

The other two weeks, students conduct experiments at home that illustrate other concepts they’re learning in the co-requisite course, Material Science. “I’ve made videos showing the procedure as we do it the lab, and the at-home version is analogous but without the big equipment,” she says.

Lattanzi packed 81 experimentation kits with the necessary supplies to run the experiments at home. If the university switches to total distance learning, “I’m going to get even more creative,” she says.

Burak Tanyu, associate professor in the Sid and Reva Dewberry Department of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering, developed a different strategy for the lab he’s teaching this semester.

In his three-credit course, CEIE 636: Sources of Geotechnical Data, students get direct experience in quantifying and assessing the properties of soils. These properties are key factors in designing engineered infrastructures such as foundations, embankments, and earth-retaining structures, as well as assessing the stability of slopes, he says.

“Soils are produced from the weathering of rocks based on the geological processes that take place over a long time,” Tanyu says. “No soil type is the same, even though we may just call them clays or sands. Therefore, students need to have hands-on experience in our laboratory that would not be possible to achieve through virtual learning.”

Tanyu has 12 students in this class. He is teaching this semester with a co-instructor, Aiyoub Abbaspour, to ensure a high-quality education while also implementing all the safety rules for COVID-19.

For example, students are divided into three groups. While one group learns the background and theory associated with an experiment, another group watches how to set up the experiments demonstrated by the instructor via a projector then works in the laboratory by rotating one by one to conduct the tests.

While in the laboratory, each student stands at designated spaces that are marked on the floors with an X. The three workstations are sanitized with alcohol between students’ rotations.

Tanyu hopes that the effort they are putting into the face-to-face lab pays off “with students thoroughly learning the material.”

Mason launches cloud computing professional certificate to give employees a competitive advantage

Martha Bushong — Wed, 29 Jul 2020 12:52:16 +0000

Mason launches cloud computing professional certificate to give employees a competitive advantage Martha Bushong Wed, 07/29/2020 - 08:52

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a torrent of stormy economic forecasts, but for employees with experience and certification in cloud computing, the coming days look sunny.

Beginning in October, faculty from George Mason University’s Department of Information Sciences & Technology will offer a suite of online courses to working professionals who want to gain a competitive advantage in this high-demand field through the university’s Continuing and Professional Education (CPE) division. The professional certificate provides a solid foundation for cloud services management and for building, deploying, and maintaining various cloud models and applications.

“This certificate elevates the great work our faculty are doing and allows to take advantage of Mason talent,” says Marc Austin, executive director of the Continuing and Professional Education division and academic ventures for the university.

Students completing the professional certificate will have learned some of the core competencies tested when taking Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS) Certification exams, such as the Foundational Certification (AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner), Associate Certifications (e.g. AWS Certified Solutions Architect, AWS Certified Developer), and Specialty Certifications (e.g. AWS Certified Data Analytics, AWS Certified Security). The certificate was designed for a variety of roles, including DevOps Engineer and Cloud Security Architect.

“Building a pipeline of qualified cloud talent is vital for AWS and our industry as a whole,” said Ken Eisner, director of worldwide education programs for AWS and head of AWS Educate. “George Mason University’s five-course cloud offering provides learners with a direct pathway to skill up for cloud careers in growing fields.”

Kammy Sanghera, interim executive director for the Institute of Digital InnovAtion (IDIA), said, “The upskilling, and retraining associated with this new certificate, is one of the many ways that Mason continues to partner with industries, serve the community, and promote economic growth.”

The courses are designed for working professionals who have prior knowledge in the field, who can handle the demanding workload and can balance multiple tasks at the same time.

The professional certificate consists of five courses designed to help students gain specific knowledge and skills at a lower price than a traditional degree. Once they complete the suite of courses, they also earn an employer-recognized digital badge. The badge enables them to highlight their new expertise in resumes or LinkedIn profiles.

The coursework will require students to build, deploy, implement, optimize, test cloud service infrastructure and applications on an actual cloud platform, such as AWS.

The launch of the new cloud computing certificate follows “[George] Mason’s long history of partnership with industry to deliver high demand knowledge and skills in real-time,” says Liza Wilson Durant, associate dean for strategic initiatives and community engagement. “The new certificate enables us to bring our cloud computing expertise to a broader audience of learners beyond the traditional student and support the expansion of a highly-skilled workforce on a regional and national scale.”

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See our program flyer.

Department of Computer Science poised for growth

Nanci Hellmich — Tue, 26 May 2020 19:06:56 +0000

Department of Computer Science poised for growth Nanci Hellmich Tue, 05/26/2020 - 15:06

Sanjeev Setia, professor and associate dean for computing programs and initiatives for the Volgenau School of Engineering, says the Department of Computer Science is expanding its depth and reach to provide a diverse array of programs and courses in computing to students from all backgrounds and at all levels. Photo by Creative Services

Computing devices permeate all areas of our lives, and computational methods are used in almost every field ranging from the arts and humanities to the sciences and engineering.

Given the importance of computing in today's world, Mason Engineering’s Department of Computer Science (CS) has expanded its depth and reach and is well-positioned to help more students develop expertise in computer science and computing to meet the needs of industry.

“Our goal is to provide a diverse array of programs and courses in computing to students from all backgrounds and at all levels,” says Sanjeev Setia, professor and associate dean for computing programs and initiatives for the Volgenau School of Engineering.

A changing landscape

During the past two years, key developments have created seismic shifts in the computer science landscape of Northern Virginia. The first came when Virginia’s Crystal City won the bid to become the location for Amazon’s HQ2 in 2018. This announcement was coupled with a commitment from the Commonwealth to create more than 25,000 high-paying jobs by 2030.

To meet the needs of Amazon as well as thousands of other Virginia employers constantly searching for world-class computing talent, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam also announced the Commonwealth would invest $750 million to grow Virginia’s tech talent pipeline and to diversify its innovation economy.

This 20-year initiative—the Tech Talent Investment Program (TTIP)—seeks to increase the number of Virginia graduates from computer science, computer engineering, and software engineering programs at both the undergraduate and master’s levels.

Computer science programs continue to be robust with growth increasing by 86 percent over the 2015-2019 period. With new TTIP investments in faculty and student success, the university is confident that it can meet its TTIP commitment to prepare 8,410 graduates over the 20-year period largely from the computer science program.

In 2020, the Department of Computer Science enrolled about 2,000 students, making it one of the largest at VSE and at the university.

The university’s draft report on the School of Computing from April 2020 states, “It is within this dynamic environment that Mason will launch its new School of Computing (SoC). Informed by the increasingly pervasive role of computing in society and leveraging TTIP investments from the commonwealth, the university has an unprecedented opportunity to play a leadership role in shaping the future of computing regionally, nationally and globally while also enhancing economic prosperity and the quality of life for residents in the region and beyond.”

Size, numbers, and financial investment matter, but what is even more important is the partnership and vision for computing that a unified school provides. Although the Departments of Computer Science, Information Sciences and Technology, and Statistics will form the core of the School of Computing, the school will strive to enrich computing programs and collaborations across campus in all disciplines.

Huzefa Rangwala, current chair of the Department of Computer Science, envisions that new innovative computer science courses and program offerings will cater to students across disciplines. Photo by Ron Aira.

Huzefa Rangwala, current chair of CS, envisions that new innovative courses and program offerings would be catered to students across disciplines who are interested in computing broadly and the career opportunities it presents. Creating an inclusive and diverse computing workforce is one of the top priorities for the faculty in computing, he says.

Leadership and growth

To prepare for increased enrollment, the department recruited 13 new faculty for full-time positions beginning in August 2020. This brings the total to 50 tenured and tenure-track faculty members, 11 teaching and research faculty, and 500 graduate students, including 200 PhD students.

Incoming chair David Rosenblum, who will take the helm of the department in August 2020, says he is looking forward to returning to the United States after a 16-year absence.

Rosenblum completed his education in the United States, including earning his PhD from Stanford, and he started his career here before moving overseas. He has worked both in industry and in academic institutions on three continents—the University of California Irvine, University College London, and National University of Singapore.

Rosenblum says, “I am thrilled to be joining the Computer Science Department at Mason. I’m greatly impressed by the department’s highly cohesive and collaborative spirit and by its clear ambition to realize the potential that modern-day computing offers to the full range of academic disciplines and industry sectors. The department is ready to become a significant partner with many of the units on the Mason campuses in major research and educational initiatives.

“Our faculty's excellence is reflected in the list of awards including 14 CAREER/Young Investigator awards, seven Mason Emerging Researcher awards, and eleven Mason Excellence in Teaching awards,” Rangwala says.

For instance, professor Jeff Offutt , who received an outstanding teaching award from the university joins his colleague Danny Menasce in earning the state-wide award for faculty excellence. Menasce who earned the award in 2017 says, “Most importantly, what I try to do with my students is tell them they need to learn how to learn.”

Offutt agrees that life-long learning is crucial, and he is constantly adapting to changing technology and helping students become resilient.

Offutt and Menasce have been with the department for many years, but relative newcomer Jonathan Katz sees a tremendous opportunity for computer science in Northern Virginia and at Mason. Katz was hired in 2019 as professor and Eminent Scholar in Cybersecurity and brings impressive credentials and a strong background in cryptology to the department.

He is a recipient of a Humboldt Research Award, and he was recently named an International Association for Cryptologic Research Fellow in recognition of "his broad contributions, especially in public-key encryption and cryptographic protocols, and for dedication to service and education."

Katz says that he is excited by the possibilities opened up by the recently announced School of Computing at Mason, as well as the new cybersecurity department within the engineering school.

Research budget continuing to expand

The Computer Science Department’s annual research expenditures where faculty are either principal investigators or co-principal investigators doubled between 2016 and 2019, rising from $7 million to $14.1 million.

Faculty members have expertise in a wide array of fields including artificial intelligence, algorithms, computational biology, computer graphics, computer vision, cryptography, databases, data mining, parallel and distributed systems, real-time systems, robotics, security, software engineering, and wireless and mobile computing.

Craig Yu, an assistant professor in the department, recently received a prestigious CAREER Award, which recognizes early-career researchers, from the National Science Foundation. Yu is developing a computational design framework that companies can use to develop customized virtual reality programs for headsets more easily and efficiently, which would lower costs.

His research on virtual reality is groundbreaking, Rangwala says. “He is one of the new leaders in the field, and his passion for making this technology available to everyone is exciting for everyone at the university, especially our students.”

Likewise, Eric Osterweil, an assistant professor of computer science, is breaking new ground with his research on creating a more secure, stable infrastructure for the Internet. He spent almost 20 years working in industry, operations, standards, and policy communities to gain insights into cybersecurity. But now, he’s glad to be “with Mason’s talented researchers who have a great reputation in the computer science and cybersecurity communities.”

One of the benefits of being part of an R1 university involves the ability to cross departmental and disciplinary boundaries. CS faculty are actively engaged in inter-disciplinary research collaborations with colleagues from all over campus and other universities. Their efforts include partnerships with data scientists, bioengineers, political scientists, and earth scientists.

“Inter-disciplinary collaboration in research and education is a key component of the department's vision and strategic plan for the future,” says Setia.

Amarda Shehu, a professor of computer science, is one of the leaders of Mason’s new Center for Advancing Human-Machine Partnership, which is an effort to rethink human-machine partnerships and to design technology in a way that puts people in control. Photo by Ron Aira.

For example, Amarda Shehu, a professor of computer science, is one of the leaders of Mason’s new Center for Advancing Human-Machine Partnership.

The purpose of the center is to rethink human-machine partnerships and to design technology in a way that puts people in control, Shehu says.

The interdisciplinary team includes faculty members from six colleges, including VSE, the College of Education and Human Development, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the College of Science, the College of Visual and Performing Arts, and the Schar School of Policy and Government.

The payoff with computer science degrees

Graduates of the program find jobs not only in the technology sector of the economy but also in higher education, financial services, and as entrepreneurs.

Notable alumni from the department include Ronald Ritchey, managing director of JP Morgan Chase & Co.; Peng Ning, director of engineering at Google; and M. Brian Blake, provost at The George Washington University, and Abdur Chowdhury, an entrepreneur and former chief scientist of Twitter.

Computer science alumni live and work all over the world, but many live in the greater metropolitan area of Washington, D.C. The department has an active external advisory board composed of respected leaders in industry and government from a wide spectrum of organizations.

The members provide the department with critical guidance and feedback so that our courses and programs reflect the state of the art in computing technology. The board plays a fundamental role in assisting the department in its goal of graduating students who are well prepared to meet the workforce needs of the commonwealth and the nation.

Putting it all together

As CS begins its next chapter by welcoming a new department chair, new faculty, and returning students the growth and accomplishments of the department point toward continued success.

“We have world-class faculty members with research strengths in almost all areas of computing, and a strong commitment to teaching,” Rangwala says.

Contributing: Nanci Hellmich

Computer science professor paved the way for virtual instruction

Nanci Hellmich — Thu, 16 Apr 2020 14:07:36 +0000

Computer science professor paved the way for virtual instruction Nanci Hellmich Thu, 04/16/2020 - 10:07

It’s difficult to overstate Mark Pullen’s "commitment to getting online education going at Mason. He was way ahead of his time.”

— Robert Simon, professor of computer science

Mason Engineering's Mark Pullen was a pioneer in distance education in the ’90s, never dreaming that all of Mason’s faculty would end up using virtual instruction this spring during the coronavirus pandemic.

“I was an early advocate of teaching online,” says Pullen, a professor in the Department of Computer Science (CS). “I developed supporting software, taught online, and recruited enough colleagues to offer a master’s degree in computer science as Mason's first online degree in 2005.

“My vision for online teaching was that it was inevitable that the day would come that it would be the norm, not the exception,” he says. “I thought that it would be a decade or two in the future, not that it would come about because of a medical disaster.”

He saw the advantages of distance education: Students wouldn’t have to commute and could finish their degrees anywhere in the world.

Pullen, who is retiring at the end of May, taught his last course in the fall semester, and even though it was an in-person class, he offered online video lectures as an option for students.

He came to Mason in 1992 after serving 21 years as a U.S. Army officer supporting military needs for advanced information technology. His last seven years with the military were at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), where he was instrumental in transitioning the Internet from a federal research project to the commercial system used today.

Computer Science Professor Mark Pullen was an early advocate of teaching online. He created supporting software, taught online, and recruited enough colleagues to offer a master’s degree in computer science as Mason's first online degree in 2005.

He’s known for his broad expertise in information technology with a special focus on interoperability and networked multimedia systems for education and military training.

Pullen's goal at Mason was to teach computer networking while continuing his research in military information technology. “My vision was that networks could improve human life—both in distance-learning and for the international military community,” he says.

When Pullen and his colleagues began working on virtual instruction in the early 90s, there wasn’t much out there except correspondence videos, he says.

“There was little software of any kind for distance education. We took components from various places, integrated and customized them, creating a predecessor of today’s conferencing tools like Zoom and WebEx,” he says. “We developed what amounted to a prototype, where the commercial world followed.”

Sanjeev Setia, associate dean for computing programs and initiatives for the Volgenau School of Engineering, says Pullen was ahead of his time on virtual instruction. “Mark led a project that enabled audio and video to be delivered synchronously over the internet. This was used to support the CS department’s efforts in online education, way before the rest of the university got involved in online education.”

Robert Simon, a professor of computer science, says it's difficult to overstate Pullen’s "commitment to getting online education going at Mason. He was way ahead of his time.”

Besides researching distance learning, Pullen has been laser-focused on research for the military while at Mason.

For the past 10 years, he has served as director of Mason's Center of Excellence in Command, Control, Communications, Computing, Intelligence, and Cyber (C4I & Cyber), establishing it as a major research center for the Department of Defense applications. “It grew into a bunch of major research projects with my work focusing on interoperability,” Pullen says.

Of particular note is his leadership in enabling military command and control systems to interoperate with simulations and robotic systems, in the same sense as the Internet enables a wide range of systems to operate together.

In his role as director of C4I & Cyber Center, Pullen mentored several faculty from computer science and other engineering departments and helped them establish vibrant research programs.

Simon says Pullen spearheaded large efforts in distributed simulation for the Department of Defense community that involved many research groups across the world, and, ultimately, many of his contributions have made their way into various international standards. “He helped to put together research teams for proposals that spanned multiple universities and companies, often without even insisting he was part of the team.”

In retirement, Pullen will continue his work with NATO on standards that enable systems supporting a coalition to simply plug into the network and work together.

He has made the most of his time at Mason. “It has been gratifying the way all of my work, whether it was to improve teaching and learning or military coalition operations, has flourished in the academic environment," Pullen says.

“My vision for online teaching was that it was inevitable that the day would come that it would be the norm, not the exception. I thought that it would be a decade or two in the future, not that it would come about because of a medical disaster.”

— Mark Pullen, a professor in the Department of Computer Science

Statistics professors offer opportunity to attend virtual lecture from England

Nanci Hellmich — Thu, 09 Apr 2020 17:32:13 +0000

Statistics professors offer opportunity to attend virtual lecture from England Nanci Hellmich Thu, 04/09/2020 - 13:32

Jonathan Holmes will give a virtual talk to statistics students called "Codebreaking at Bletchley Park: Enigma and Lorenz."

David Holmes and Elizabeth Johnson, both assistant professors in the Department of Statistics, worked for more than a year to develop a study abroad trip to England for students pursuing a BS in statistics.

There are very few study abroad opportunities for STEM majors, but with the help of grants from Mason's Global Education Office, they developed a first-of-its-kind statistics study abroad trip. The date was set for spring break 2020 for the trip called "The History of Statistics: English Origins," but all spring break trips were canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Holmes was especially disappointed because he was looking forward to showing students his home country and having his brother Jonathan Holmes discuss the history of codebreaking.

Jonathan Holmes, who holds an MA degree in physics and a PhD in astrophysics from Oxford University, is a physicist specializing in the numerical simulation of physical processes for the energy industry.

As a scientific advisor for Schlumberger, he assisted in the construction of computer simulation codes for oil and gas reservoirs, production facilities, and multiphase flow in wells and pipelines.

Now retired and living in the United Kingdom, Jonathan Holmes follows a variety of interests within the scientific community. He is a member of the Institute of Physics and a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Because some of the students will be graduating this spring they will not be able to go on this study abroad trip when David Holmes and Johnson try to do it again next year. So the Holmes brothers developed a plan to have Jonathan Holmes give his planned talk to the students via Blackboard Collaborate Ultra.

They practiced using the system and on Tuesday, April 14, Jonathan Holmes will give his talk called “Codebreaking at Bletchley Park: Enigma and Lorenz" for Johnson's statistics capstone class.

Anyone interested in attending the virtual lecture should email Johnson for information.

Mason Engineering faculty share secrets to success with virtual classes

Nanci Hellmich — Mon, 16 Mar 2020 18:29:54 +0000

Mason Engineering faculty share secrets to success with virtual classes Nanci Hellmich Mon, 03/16/2020 - 14:29

Test the programs and software you’ll be using ahead of time so you don’t miss an online class, says Kamaljeet Sanghera, associate professor in the Department of Information Sciences and Technology.

Cracking the code to successful online learning could mean developing new skills, as well as applying self-discipline, and Mason Engineering professors encourage students to gear up now to excel in virtual instruction.

From March 23 until the end of the semester, the university will offer alternative virtual instruction instead of on-campus classes because of concerns about the coronavirus outbreak.

Online classes will be taught by the same professors with the same content as in-person classes, says Daniel Garrison, director of Mason Engineering Online for the Volgenau School of Engineering.

Some classes may involve synchronous delivery, in which there are specific meeting times for virtual real-time classrooms, or asynchronous delivery, in which there is no specific meeting time and flexible learning with deadlines the instructor provides, he says.

Students should stay up to date on what’s happening, Garrison says. They need to complete readings and assignments and seek help when needed. They should now view their instructors as facilitators of content rather than drivers of content, as is common in the classroom.

“We have comprehensive plans in place to ensure students continue to have the best quality of education,” says Kamaljeet Sanghera, associate professor in the Department of Information Sciences and Technology. She and Garrison are the engineering school representatives for Mason’s Instructional Continuity Working Group, convened by the Provost’s office.

While the educational platform has changed, services from departments such as the Office of Accessibility and Advising will continue to be available, she says. Students are urged to be proactive and not wait to seek assistance.

They should plan to spend the same amount of time on their virtual classes as they would if they had in-person lectures, says Laura Kosoglu, associate chair of the Sid and Reva Dewberry Department of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering (CEIE). “They should hold themselves more accountable and budget their time accordingly,” she says.

Use the time you would have spent commuting to re-watch a lecture or review the notes the professor has posted online, she says.

Don't try to multitask during an online class, says Dave Lattanzi, an associate professor of civil engineering. “In my experience, students who try to do that struggle with online learning.”

“One of biggest challenges is that we are all used to multitasking when we use computers and internet-connected devices,“ says Dave Lattanzi, a CEIE associate professor, who already teaches parts of his classes online. “Most of us think we’re really good at multitasking while learning, but studies have shown that none of us are. When you are in a classroom, your focus is mostly on the instructor and the material in front of you, and you learn differently because of that.”

When you are by yourself, it’s easy to think you can listen to a lecture while you do something else and you can get distracted, he says. “In my experience, students who try to do that struggle with online learning.”

Do whatever you have to do to be present and mindful during the online class, Lattanzi says. "Sitting up in a chair is good. Watching videos while laying down in bed is not."

When he asks students what they like most about his online lectures, they say that it’s the ability to watch the lectures several times or pause them to repeat a section, he says.

Practice the skills are you learning, says Huzefa Rangwala, chair of the Department of Computer Science. Take advantage of all the activities—readings, problems, pre-recorded lectures, and quizzes, he says.

Throughout this semester, keep practicing the skills you are learning, says Huzefa Rangwala, chair of the Department of Computer Science. “Faculty members will often offer activities—readings, problems, pre-recorded lectures, quizzes. Do them at least once to make sure you know the material.”

And if you have questions, reach out via email, discussion forums, or chat tools to the instructor, teaching assistant, or your peers, when appropriate, he says.

Keep in mind that distance learning requires discipline and maturity from students, adds Lance Sherry, an associate professor in the Department of Systems Engineering and Operations Research. “You have to allocate the time to perform online class activities, whether it’s watching a video, doing an assignment, or participating in a group chat.”

Other ideas to increase student success with virtual classes:

Test the programs and software you’ll be using ahead of time so you don’t miss an online class, Sanghera says.
Stay focused. When you are online listening to your professor, don’t open other programs—it can be distracting, she says. Find a quiet place where you can focus, and use headphones to block out other noises.
Make the most of virtual study groups, she says. You can work together online with other students to learn the material and prepare for exams.
Contact your academic adviser if you need assistance, she says. They are going to be available to you.
Take advantage of online resources that the university offers, including the online writing center and the online library services, Sanghera says.

Use the time that you would have spent commuting to re-watch a lecture or review the notes the professor has posted online, says Laura Kosoglu, associate chair of the Sid and Reva Dewberry Department of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering.

Manage stress. Try not to dwell on how this change could affect your grades and learning. Use your time constructively to review the material or check in with your professor, Kosoglu says.
Keep up with the homework. Don’t wait until the last minute. That is cramming, not learning, Sherry says.
Take stock of what you don’t know and fill the knowledge gap by actively seeking information, he says.
Become an engaged and active learner. See if you can apply your knowledge beyond the class practice problems. Post a video or blog on social media about something you have just learned. Be the next Khan Academy on the subject, Sherry says. Or apply your knowledge to a problem/issue in the news. Did it change your understanding? Take it the next step, see if you can develop a product/service using your knowledge to solve a real-world need.
Remember that posted office hours will most likely also be available virtually, says Garrison. So no matter where you are, reach out to the instructor to take advantage of talking with them, especially if you find yourself falling behind.
Stay up-to-date on the university by visiting the Stearns Center website, the Mason website, the coronavirus page and the Blackboard page.

Adapting to an online environment will be a learning experience for everyone, says Michael Buschmann, chair of the Department of Bioengineering. Students should challenge themselves to keep a high level of engagement with the professor and the material and look beyond the virtual instruction for additional virtual discussion with the professor and teaching assistant, he says.

Rangwala asks students to remember that they are not alone—many faculty members are also new to this, so give them a break if things don’t run smoothly all the time.

How engineers and peacebuilders work together to construct harmonious futures

Damian Cristodero — Fri, 06 Mar 2020 19:28:21 +0000

How engineers and peacebuilders work together to construct harmonious futures Damian Cristodero Fri, 03/06/2020 - 14:28

Alpaslan Özerdem, dean of Mason's School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution holds a picture of the Mostar Bridge in Bosnia and Herzegovina after its post-war reconstruction.

To the untrained eye, peacebuilding and engineering might not have much in common, but a new peace engineering initiative at George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution (S-CAR) explores just how much the two fields intersect.

On Tuesday, March 17, S-CAR will host “Peace Engineering: How Technology Can Prevent Conflict and Spur Peacebuilding” at 6:30 p.m. in Van Metre Hall on the Arlington Campus. The discussion will explore the impact that technological innovation can have on conflict dynamics and highlight how Mason can become a hub for ethical, conflict-sensitive innovation.

The initiative comes as Mason transforms its Arlington Campus into a hub for tech talent, which will include a new School of Computing and Institute for Digital InnovAtion (IDIA).

“In response to the complex peace and security challenges of our contemporary world, it is imperative that researchers and practitioners of different disciplines collaborate together, and peace engineering is just one of those critical areas,” S-CAR Dean Alpaslan Özerdem said.

The conversation is part of the university’s Arlington Forward event series, which explores the multidisciplinary ways innovation and technology impact how communities live, work, learn and play. It will also be the first public event inspired by S-CAR’s peace engineering initiative, which will support the studies and research of peace engineering fellows.

“Peacebuilders and engineers need to work toward the prevention of conflicts and building sustainable peace,” he said. “There is so much to share and learn between these two disciplines and George Mason, with two excellent schools in these areas of focus, is an ideal ground for peace engineering to flourish and make an impact.”

As a new generation of Mason students is educated to drive technological innovation forward, they will also need to understand the impact their work can have on societies around the world, especially in conflict or post-conflict settings, Özerdem said.

Discussion panelists will include Sheldon Himelfarb of PeaceTech Lab; Dr. Mira Olson of Drexel University’s College of Engineering; Dr. Ramesh Sepehrrad of the Center for Security Innovation; Lual Mayen, CEO and founder of Junub Games; and Sara Cobb, S-CAR’s Drucie French Cumbie professor, whose research on the Arctic ice melt with Volgenau School of Engineering professors Elise Miller-Hooks and Celso Ferreira highlights synergies between peacebuilding and engineering.

George Mason University establishes first-of-its kind Cyber Security Engineering Department

John Hollis — Tue, 18 Feb 2020 10:00:00 +0000

George Mason University establishes first-of-its kind Cyber Security Engineering Department John Hollis Tue, 02/18/2020 - 05:00

George Mason University’s Volgenau School of Engineering has received approval to create the Department of Cyber Security Engineering, the first of its kind in the country.

George Mason University’s Volgenau School of Engineering has received the approval of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) to create the Department of Cyber Security Engineering, the first of its kind in the country.

“The creation of the Cyber Security Engineering Department is timely as it not only meets Mason’s overall goal to contribute to and expand tech talent in the Northern Virginia region, but is a direct response for a specific type of worker to meet the growing cybersecurity demands nationwide,” Provost and Executive Vice President S. David Wu said.

The new department, which will be officially established March 1, will be home to the 500 undergraduate students currently working toward bachelor of science degrees in cyber security engineering and led by Duminda Wijesekera, the interim director and a professor of computer science within the Volgenau School of Engineering.

“This is an exciting time in Mason’s history as we are training and preparing a 21st-century workforce that will impact the world’s population,” said Ken Ball, dean of the Volgenau School of Engineering. “There is a national shortfall of personnel who are trained to handle the increasing numbers of cybersecurity issues and intrusions.

The Cybersecurity Workforce Gap, published by the Center of Strategic and International Studies, reports that by 2022, “the global cybersecurity workforce shortage has been projected to reach upwards of 1.8 million unfilled positions.” Further, “workforce shortages exist for almost every position within cybersecurity, but the most acute needs are for highly skilled technical staff.” Many other reports put that number above 3 million. 

The curriculum will advance hardware and software security in such areas as health, finance, 5G cellular networks, supply chain, logistics, infrastructure, autonomous vehicles, smart cities, and the internet of things. Both Cybercrime Magazine and the Center for Cyber Safety and Education noted that there is a global shortfall of 3 million skilled personnel in cybersecurity.

“Graduates from the department will have broad expertise across all areas of cybersecurity in engineered systems, and will be able to design systems proactively that are resilient to cyber attacks,” Ball said. “They will be in demand to fill jobs in all industries, not just in the U.S., but across the globe. The new department will allow us to enroll and support more students and will become one of the top recruitment destinations for employers seeking cybersecurity professionals.”

Mason’s proposed MS degree in Cyber Security Engineering is currently under review by SCHEV.