Damian Cristodero

These Marines embrace their Mason mission

Colleen Rich — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 13:48:00 +0000

These Marines embrace their Mason mission Colleen Rich Thu, 11/10/2022 - 08:48

Neither Paul Deller nor Michael Harris knew anything about George Mason University before they enrolled in the Master of Public Policy (MPP) program in the Schar School of Policy and Government.

Now, both are Mason boosters.

Two Marine Corps officers from Mason's Congressional Fellowship Program. From left, Michael Harris, Anne Holton, Paul Deller. Photo provided

“Exceptional,” Deller said when asked about his experience at the university. “There are a number of people who teach at Mason who I have heard on some of my favorite podcasts and read about in the news for years. I’m still amazed that I get to learn at an institution where you regularly bump into these people in the hall.”

“Outstanding,” Harris said. “The faculty, staff, and students I’ve met so far have all been amazing.”

Deller and Harris are part of an interesting cohort of 11 Marine Corps officers attending Mason through the Congressional Fellowship Program, which gives Marines opportunities for professional development that include working on Capitol Hill in the office of a member of Congress for one year and enrollment in Mason’s graduate public policy program.

It is another example of Mason identifying educational pathways that meet students where they are, while the university engages them, in this case, on the Mason Square Campus in Arlington, Virginia, which is just six miles from downtown Washington, D.C.

It also is an example of Mason’s commitment to active-duty military, veterans, and their families. With 1,790 Mason students holding veteran certification, the university is ranked as the nation’s No. 1 military-friendly institution by College Factual.

“Mason is unique from other universities I’ve attended or graduated from,” said Maj. TJ Byers, who manages the Congressional Fellowship program and graduated from Mason with an MPP in May 2022. “The professors set us up for success. I even reached back out to them during my year on Capitol Hill to get some technical assistance for some policy stuff I was working on, or with just a generalized question in a field I needed to research.”

For Deller, 35, a major, and Harris, 33, a captain, in the Marines’ Office of Legislative Affairs at the Pentagon, the master’s degree they will receive at the end of the program will prepare them for their year on Capitol Hill and enhance their career prospects in the Marine Corps.

“I’ve always been interested in pursuing a master’s degree,” Harris said. “My undergraduate degree is in economics and the MPP program has an economic policy focus area, so it aligns with my interests. The program will assist in my ability to be an effective liaison between Congress and the Marine Corps. And learning to be a more effective team leader will pay dividends in the future.”

Anne Holton, professor of public policy and education at Mason, has both Marines in her Public Sector Leadership class.

She called Deller “outspoken and chatty” and Harris “quiet and thoughtful.” And though Harris doesn’t speak as often, “when he does, it’s powerful.”

Both of them, Holton added, are “great contributors to the class.”

“The military presence is our classes is significant,” Holton said. “It’s exciting that these folks are taking seriously what it means to be leaders and future leaders.”

And, really, that is what the Congressional Fellowship Program and the MPP program are all about.

“The ultimate purpose is to bring back this knowledge to the Marine Corps and share it with others,” Deller said. “The program isn’t about what I get to take away from it, it’s about how this experience will allow me to contribute to the development of the Marines throughout the remainder of my career.”

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Students

Veterans

Schar School

Master of Public Policy

Congressional Fellowship Program

Schar School News November 2022

Class was in session at 'Paws for a Cause'

Damian Cristodero — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 09:30:00 +0000

Class was in session at 'Paws for a Cause' Damian Cristodero Tue, 04/10/2018 - 05:30

Dylan Arthur, a senior management major, with his service dog, Bella, who acts as an interrupter when Arthur's post-traumatic stress disorder is triggered. Photo by Bethany Camp.

Bella the service dog, sat at her owner’s feet, silent and attentive.

George Mason University management major Dylan Arthur has had Bella for five years. A former Marines police officer, Arthur was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and four traumatic brain injuries after what he said was a hit-and-run car crash left him with a postcard-sized titanium plate on the left side of his skull.

When Arthur’s PTSD symptoms are triggered, Bella acts as an interrupter and puts a paw on Arthur, licks his face or jumps on him. “Anything to reel me in,” Arthur said.

But Bella, a black Lab-shepherd-husky mix, is a cutie, and strangers often pet her without asking permission, despite that her vest indicates she is a working dog and says “do not pet.”

“And as soon as somebody does that,” Arthur said, “her focus is gone, and she can’t do her job, and that puts my health in jeopardy.”

So Arthur, with the help of George Mason’s office of Disability Services and the Student Health Advisory Board, put together “Paws for a Cause” to educate students, faculty and staff how best to interact with service, therapy and emotional support animals.

“This is like my going-away gift to Mason,” said Arthur, who will graduate in May with plans to open a business with his father refurbishing classic cars. “I would be happy to help set this up again in the future because I believe that continuing this type of education is important to having a well-rounded community.”

“We’re trying to educate the Mason community,” said Jason Northrup, associate director of Disability Services. “We’re seeing more and more students come to campus requesting to have emotional support animals with them in the dorms. We want students, faculty and staff to have a better understanding of when service animals come into the classroom, what guides that.”

Northrup said there are 10-20 registered emotional support animals on campus.

Ten dogs provided by Caring Angels, Sit Means Sit and Summit Therapy Animal Services were at “Paws for a Cause” in front of the Johnson Center on April 3, and each attracted a crowd.

Bella's vest clearly indicates she is a working dog and should not be petted. Photo by Bethany Camp.

“This is when we get to tell people to ask if you can pet the dog,” said Madeline Saylor, a dog handler with Caring Angels. “If the handler says no, then it’s no. It makes a difference when you tell them how to interact.”

Kira Bazemore, a freshman statistics major, agreed.

“I was not aware at all,” she said. “I will definitely be careful in the future. They’re doing a job. They’re not just somebody’s pet.”

Kristine Neuber, an IT accessibility coordinator at Mason, has a Goldendoodle service dog, Grady, who helps manage Neuber’s cerebral palsy with mobility support and by picking up dropped items.

“This is wonderful,” she said of the event. “I’m excited about it, and [Grady] is having a great time because he gets to meet people rather than just staying focused.”

Ultimately, though, focus on its owner is paramount for a service dog.

“Because nobody is petting her or contacting her, she can focus on me,” Arthur said of Bella.

As Arthur’s T-shirt explained: “PTSD does not mean ‘pet the service dog.’ ”

In this program, the work is like ‘pulling pieces from a puzzle’

Melanie Balog — Tue, 07 Nov 2017 22:33:40 +0000

In this program, the work is like ‘pulling pieces from a puzzle’ Melanie Balog Tue, 11/07/2017 - 17:33

Lauren Paige, a fourth year PhD Candidate in psychology, conducted a PTSD assessment on an armed services veteran who had previously been denied government benefits. Photo by Ron Aira.

Lauren Paige usually does not get to know what becomes of those to whom she gives a psychological test. The George Mason University PhD candidate said this helps her stay objective.

But in the case of Dylan Crosby, Paige made an exception, and what she found out made her smile.

Crosby had come to George Mason’s Center for Psychological Services for a post-traumatic stress disorder assessment. Paige determined Crosby has PTSD and that it is at least 50 percent attributable to his military service. Because of that, Crosby is receiving partial benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Crosby, who was denied benefits twice previously, said Paige’s assessment swayed the VA.

“I don’t know what would have happened without George Mason’s help,” Crosby said. “I definitely owe them a lot of thanks.”

“All I ever wanted to do was help people,” said Paige, in the fourth year of Mason’s six-year clinical psychology doctoral program. “Yes, I’m in school forever, but along the way I can make an impact on people’s lives. That helps fuel me.”

Paige is one of 15-20 doctoral students who will work at Mason’s center in an average year. Counting therapy and testing by both doctoral and master’s students, the center saw 441 clients the past fiscal year with more than 3,000 client contacts, said director Robyn Mehlenbeck.

As a partner of the Lewis B. Puller Jr. Veterans Benefits Clinic in the William & Mary Law School, and other participants in the National Veterans Legal Services Program, the center has done an average of five PTSD assessments a year. That might jump to five a month because of a new partnership with the Virginia Department of Veterans Services, Mehlenbeck said.

Mehlenbeck said she handles all referrals, and only advanced doctoral students test veterans, but not before doing five comprehensive assessments to show their competency.

Paige, who majored in psychology at Spelman College and has a master’s in mental health counseling from the University of Miami (Fla.), has those qualifications.

“She has a remarkable ability to get people to open up to her,” Mehlenbeck said. “And she has an incredible strategic mind to put puzzle pieces together, which is what you need to do in these exams.”

Paige said Crosby’s assessment took about eight hours over two days and included an IQ test and two personality tests, with 200 and 567 questions, respectively. There also was an interview in which Crosby explained his symptoms and the traumas that might be causing them.

In the Navy from 2003 to 2009, Crosby said he told Paige about pulling bodies from the water in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, the mysterious death of a buddy and what he called the harrowing training that is supposed to prepare soldiers for torture in case they are captured.

“I wake up screaming once or twice a week,” Crosby said in a phone interview. “I have a much shorter temper than I used to. I get pretty anxious in a crowd and I’m on medication. Most days I’m on the verge of tears and complete anger and rage. I’m not that kind of person.”

Paige put it all in a 20-page report.

“The assessment hat is my favorite hat, personally, because it’s like pulling pieces from a puzzle,” she said. “It really does involve figuring out what’s relevant and what’s not, and coming up with this really comprehensive view of the person.”

For Paige, who wants to work as a military psychologist, the experience was invaluable, as has been her time at Mason.

“You can tell people are passionate about what they do here,” she said. “That’s really reflected in the faculty and the students as well. It’s incredible. It’s what I need.”

D. R. Butler put his imprint on Mason and military history

Melanie Balog — Thu, 10 Nov 2016 21:35:40 +0000

D. R. Butler put his imprint on Mason and military history Melanie Balog Thu, 11/10/2016 - 16:35

D. R. Butler took the index finger of his right hand and tapped it lightly on his chest.

“You have to be able to look at what you’ve done,” he said. “You see the results and you know it in here.”

Butler has done much in his 82 years, the past 25 ½ at George Mason University, from where he will retire on Feb. 1.

The associate athletic director for academics and intercollegiate athletics is a well-known personality around Northern Virginia, and has positively affected lives and futures as an adjunct professor, evinced by the binder full of laudatory letters sent to him by former students in his GOVT 351 class, Administration in the Political System.

Butler, who earned his public administration doctorate from George Mason in 1992, also imprinted his name in U.S. military history when in 1971 he wrote what became known as the Butler Report. The groundbreaking equal-opportunity study detailed how black army officers were being evaluated an average 10 to 15 points below white officers. The downgrading had a devastating effect on promotions and careers.

“I briefed the two-star general, and he briefed the secretary of the army,” said Butler, a helicopter pilot in Vietnam who retired from the service in 1985 as a full colonel. “Shortly thereafter, the one-star board met and for the first time in the history of this country, out of 55 officers making one-star general, five were black. It changed the promotions board. From what I understand, for 20 years, they used that report to brief the board.”

That is why Mason’s Military Services office is honoring Butler at its annual Veterans’ Day Lunch.

“Whether looking for social justice in his own ranks, serving Mason students for decades or working as a community ambassador for the university, Dr. Butler’s positive leadership has provided opportunities and transformed lives,” said Mason President Ángel Cabrera, who will speak at the event.

Butler’s class is a practical one. Students write memorandums and talking points. There are plenty of assigned readings, but there are no right or wrong answers.

“I’m teaching them how to think,” Butler said.

And preparing them for the real world, said Juan Soto, a junior public administration major.

“As a student, I feel he cares deeply about me,” Soto said. “If you look into his history and hear his life experiences, it is incredible he isn’t more famous.”

“I learned very early there’s no limit to what you can accomplish if you’re not concerned with who gets the credit,” Butler said. “Let the historians sort it out.”

Mason honored for its commitment to veterans education

Melanie Balog — Tue, 01 Nov 2016 20:46:24 +0000

Mason honored for its commitment to veterans education Melanie Balog Tue, 11/01/2016 - 16:46

George Mason University has been named one of the nation’s top schools in terms of best practices for military- and veteran-supported education.

The distinction was announced by Military Advanced Education & Transition Magazine as part of its 2017 guide to colleges and universities. George Mason was also named, again, as a military friendly institution in Victory Media’s annual rankings.

“All those designations are indicators of our commitment to the student-veteran population,” said Jennifer Connors, director of Mason’s Office of Military Services. “When you are looking nationally at schools, it postures us to be a premier institution dedicated to student veteran support.”

The guide published by Military Advanced Education & Transition reports results from a questionnaire about military-supportive policies at more than 600 private and public two- and four-year institutions, the magazine’s website says. The questionnaire evaluates military culture, financial aid, on-campus support and online support services.

Connors said Mason has about 3,200 students who are veterans or family members of veterans. What distinguishes Mason, she said, is its focus on career services and that it has an on-campus point person to help students deal with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs questions and complications.

Thanks to a fundraising campaign, Mason’s Office of Military Services has an emergency fund through which applicants can get need-based scholarships. There also is a sense of community promoted through a lounge in SUB I where Connors said “students can come and have some fellowship and camaraderie, which is priceless.”

“Other institutions,” she said, “don’t have that.”

How to reverse STEM avoidance? 'Keep the curiosity'

Damian Cristodero — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 14:23:36 +0000

How to reverse STEM avoidance? 'Keep the curiosity' Damian Cristodero Thu, 08/11/2016 - 10:23

When Aubrey Whitehead counsels his daughter, Khaliah, about schoolwork, he tells the high school senior to focus less on grades and more on inquiry.

“I tell her, I’ll take a hard C over a soft A,” Whitehead said. “If you’re in school and learning, I’m ecstatic. Once you get to college, something will click.”

For Whitehead, that position is logical and empirical. The former Air Force officer is working toward a PhD in education at George Mason University with specialization in educational psychology. His dissertation, expected in 2018, will explore factors that influence high school students to avoid STEM programs and how to reignite student interest.

“Research shows students want to learn about science,” Whitehead, 42, said. “What’s important is to get away from ‘smart person’ and ‘not smart.’ You’re going to get a grade. Just keep the curiosity.”

To pursue his PhD, Whitehead left his U.S. State Department job, where he was senior coordinator for resource management and planning in the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.

He said he chose George Mason because of the quality of its faculty.

“I looked at a lot of schools,” said Whitehead, who has a master’s degree in human resources development from Webster University. “It just made sense.”

Whitehead said his research shows several factors can keep students in STEM programs, including motivation from teachers, parents and administrators. Most importantly, though, grades should be celebrated less and students encouraged more.

“Once they hear they’re not good in it, we’ve lost them,” Whitehead said. “It starts in ninth, 10th grade. Focus less on grades and more on ‘Do you like this?’ ”

“He’s passionate about learning how we can increase student self-regulation so they can succeed,” said Anastasia Kitsantas, director of the College of Education and Human Development’s PhD in education program at Mason. “I think in a couple of years he will make a difference in the field, especially for students.”

Whitehead, who was team leader in the Presidential Management Fellows program at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, is making a difference now, and enhancing his PhD research, in Mason’s University Career Services Office. There he talks to students about the office’s programs, gives resume advice and even asks why they might have avoided STEM.

“It’s amazing how many people fall out,” he said of STEM programs. “I think you can bring them back.”