Damian Cristodero

Mason’s online master’s programs rise in U.S. News rankings

Melanie Balog — Tue, 14 Jan 2020 10:00:06 +0000

Mason’s online master’s programs rise in U.S. News rankings Melanie Balog Tue, 01/14/2020 - 05:00

George Mason University has some of the nation’s top online programs as evaluated by U.S. News & World Report in its just-released 2020 rankings, with seven programs in the top 50 and several making significant gains over last year.

Mason has seven programs ranked in the top 50 of U.S. News & World Report 2020 online program rankings. File photo/Creative Services

Mason’s special education master’s program is ranked 10th, up from 16th last year. Its business non-MBA master’s program in accounting is ranked 19th nationally, up from 39th last year and 56th in 2018, and the computer information technology master’s program, at No. 24, is ranked in the top 25 for the third consecutive year.

“Online programs are now mainstream,” said Michelle Marks, Mason’s vice president for academic innovation and new ventures. “Students across the country are increasingly choosing online. Rankings like these are indicators that Mason’s programs are strong, and we are on the right path.”

According to its website, U.S. News ranks programs in five general categories: student engagement, faculty credentials and training, services and technologies that allow students greater flexibility to take classes and labs from a distance, student excellence, and a survey of “high-ranking academic officials.”

Other highly ranked Mason master’s programs are industrial/systems engineering (12th and tied with the University of Virginia, Clemson and UCLA), education curriculum and instruction (9th), education administration (11th), education (48th), and engineering (65th).

“The rankings reflect the hard work of our faculty to develop programs that are of high quality and meet the needs of our students and prepare them for success in the classroom while also acquiring the skills for success in in some of the most important fields in education today,” said Mark Ginsberg, dean of Mason’s College of Education and Human Development.

The program making the biggest move is Mason’s online MBA, which is ranked 123rd of 335 programs evaluated after being unranked last year.

“The online option of our MBA is only in its second year, so it’s fantastic we jumped into the U.S. News rankings at No. 123,” said Maury Peiperl, dean of Mason’s School of Business. “Our online MBA offers an identical curriculum to our in-class MBA, which U.S. News ranks 32nd among part-time MBAs. There are many ways students can achieve their academic and professional goals. The rankings demonstrate our commitment, and that of our outstanding faculty and staff, to deliver high-quality programs in formats that are flexible and convenient.”

Mason, NOVA, Amazon degree program is lauded

Damian Cristodero — Mon, 09 Dec 2019 19:44:44 +0000

Mason, NOVA, Amazon degree program is lauded Damian Cristodero Mon, 12/09/2019 - 14:44

Adeline Kon/Education Dive

The new four-year degree pathway in cloud computing between George Mason University and Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), and developed with Amazon Web Services Educate, has been named Partnership of the Year by Education Dive.

The degree pathway will be launched in the fall of 2020 as part of the ADVANCE Program, Mason’s partnership with NOVA that streamlines paths to four-year degrees, eliminates transfer obstacles and saves students money. The degree will provide a clear path to high-demand careers in cloud computing with Amazon Web Services partners and customers.

“We’re honored to have the cloud computing pathway recognized by Education Dive,” said Michelle Marks, Mason’s vice president for academic innovation and new ventures. “Our students are the real winners. Launching this new pathway through ADVANCE allows us to be responsive to this fast-growing job market and will be a giant step toward creating a tech talent pipeline that reflects the diversity of our region. We’re grateful to have partners that share Mason’s commitment to innovation and access.”

Mason and NOVA faculty worked with AWS Educate curriculum designers to create the Bachelor of Applied Science degree that will equip students with the technical skills and hands-on experience that will prepare them for careers in cloud architecture, cybersecurity and software development.

The degree pathway is open to students who want to begin at NOVA and transfer to Mason, or to students who come to Mason as freshmen.

“We’re really reaching the population that we’ve committed to serve, which is students from all backgrounds and all socioeconomic experiences,” said Liza Wilson Durant, an associate dean for strategic initiatives and community engagement in Mason’s Volgenau School of Engineering. “The collaboration with AWS helps give our students a competitive edge.”

Mason has strong showing in U.S. News graduate program rankings, led by security studies and part-time law

Melanie Balog — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 09:00:32 +0000

Mason has strong showing in U.S. News graduate program rankings, led by security studies and part-time law Melanie Balog Tue, 03/12/2019 - 05:00

George Mason University has a dozen graduate programs in the top 50 of the U.S. News and World Report rankings released March 12, 2019. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

George Mason University has 12 graduate programs ranked amongst the top 50 in new rankings released by U.S. News and World Report on March 12.

Leading the way were the security studies program in the Schar School of Policy and Government, which was ranked No. 2, and the part-time JD program at Mason’s Antonin Scalia Law School, ranked No. 4.

Mason’s security studies program is ranked behind Arizona State University and ahead of such prestigious institutions as Columbia University and the Naval Postgraduate School.

“We continue to do what we do well, which is deliver a classroom experience grounded in both theory and practice in the field,” Schar School dean Mark J. Rozell said. “Our program is made up of full-time faculty who are both scholars and practitioners. Students see that investment by the school in their success.”

In addition to its part-time program, the law school’s intellectual property study area was ranked No. 32, and the overall law school was ranked No. 45, retaining its place as a top 50 program.

“I’m delighted that U.S. News again recognized Scalia Law in the top five for part-time juris doctor programs,” said Scalia Law School dean Henry N. Butler. “Part-time students are a proud tradition at the law school. Their experiences enrich the classroom, student organizations and the entire law school community.”

Several programs were ranked among the top 50. The criminology, law and society program in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences is ranked 11th. The special education program in the College of Education and Human Development was ranked No. 16, and the part-time MBA program in the School of Business jumped 15 spots to No. 32.

“I’m particularly happy to see the growing recognition of one of our most practical and applied programs,” said School of Business dean Maury Peiperl. “The part-time MBA brings together program participants who know from experience how to get the job done, with faculty and guest speakers whose research and professional expertise helps them to raise their game. It’s an unbeatable combination that exemplifies Mason’s deep connection with business practice.”

The public policy analysis program also came in at No. 32, and the public affairs program ranked No. 47.

The health care management program in the College of Health and Human Services ranked at No. 33, and the industrial engineering program was ranked No. 36. Also in the College of Health and Human Services, the doctor of nursing practice (DNP) program improved by seven spots to rise to No. 37, and the master of science in nursing (MSN) was ranked No. 49, up from last year’s ranking of No. 55.

Mason’s graduate programs offer outstanding networking opportunities with more than 112,000 Mason alumni who live and work in the Washington, D.C., area, and classes offer convenient scheduling and online options.

See how Mason fares in other rankings such as Money Magazine and the Shanghai Rankings here. See more details from the U.S. News 2020 edition of Best Graduate Schools here. Mason’s national rankings are also listed below:

BUSINESS

Part-time MBA: 32

CRIMINOLOGY

Overall program: 11

EDUCATION

Special education: 16

Overall program: 52

ENGINEERING

Overall program: 111

Industrial: 36

Computer: 77

Civil: 89

Electrical: 90

Biomedical: 91

HEALTH CARE MANAGEMENT

Overall program: 33

Public health: 78

Social work: 96

LAW

Part-time JD: 4

Intellectual property: 32

Overall program: 45

International law: 54

Trial advocacy: 76

Tax: 82

Health care: 86

Environmental: 127

Clinical training: 143

Legal writing: 152

NURSING

DNP: 37

MSN: 49

PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Security studies: 2

Public policy analysis: 32

Overall program: 47

Mason ranks 11th  nationally in cybersecurity education

John Hollis — Mon, 11 Feb 2019 20:18:17 +0000

Mason ranks 11th  nationally in cybersecurity education John Hollis Mon, 02/11/2019 - 15:18

George Mason University was ranked 11th nationally by Cyber Degrees in its recently released top-20 list of institutions with top cybersecurity programs.

Mason was also ranked fourth nationally for its online cybersecurity bachelor’s program, 10th for its online master’s in information technology program and 12th for its online information technology bachelor’s program.  

Daniel Garrison, director of Mason Engineering Online in the Volgenau School of Engineering, said Mason’s regional and national standing in cybersecurity education is one reason Amazon decided to choose Northern Virginia as the site for one of its newest headquarters.  

“That signals not only the strength of our region but, in [Amazon’s] decision to partner with George Mason, an affirmation of our leadership in all things computing, including the security of its cyber infrastructure,” Garrison said.  

According to the Cyber Degrees website, its rankings are based on Integrated Postsecondary Education Data Systems data on computer science and engineering program completions, the Ponemon Institute’s report on the best schools for cybersecurity and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and National Security Agency-designated National Centers of Academic Excellence-Cyber Defense report.

Pursuing goals on and off the ice

Damian Cristodero — Mon, 11 Feb 2019 10:30:00 +0000

Pursuing goals on and off the ice Damian Cristodero Mon, 02/11/2019 - 05:30

Injuries helped derail Cameron Smith's dream of playing professional hockey. Now he studies computer science and stars for Mason's powerful club team. Photo by Lathan Goumas.

Once Cameron Smith made the decision that he wasn’t going to pursue his dream of playing professional hockey, he went all in with his new career plan: studying applied computer science at George Mason University.

“I really had to look inside myself,” Smith said. “I already had a few injuries. It was tearing up my body. Maybe being a pro hockey player isn’t what I’m supposed to do for the world. Maybe it’s not my fate.”

Smith, from Arlington, Virginia, enrolled at George Mason University, where he said he plans to be an applied computer science major with a concentration in software engineering.

That said, the sophomore, nicknamed the “Smith Show,” hasn’t completely given up on hockey. The forward—all 5 feet 9, 170 pounds of him—leads Mason’s club team and was tied for the lead in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division 3 with 51 goals in 23 games, through Feb. 11. That after a freshman season in which he led the ACHA with 72 goals in 27 games.

“He’s one of the fastest players on the ice all the time, and his skill set rounds out his ability,” said Alex Grose, a former Mason player who is now a coach and recruiting coordinator. “He has great hands and a great shot. He knows how to score.”

When professional hockey was his dream, Smith was all in. He committed to play for NCAA Division I Dartmouth, and he honed his skills playing for various teams in the junior North American and United States leagues.

But Dartmouth cooled on Smith after he sustained a serious left knee injury, he said. And after several trades, Smith said he was tired of the grind.

Grose, who knew Smith from their playing days with the junior Potomac Pirates, advised him to come to Mason.

Smith went all in again, this time to take advantage of the opportunities the university afforded.

In addition to his studies, Smith joined the Mason Enterprise Center to learn better ways to run and promote his business building aquariums that double as tabletops. Smith said he built the aquariums in his garage and shipped them around the country.

“He has an entrepreneurial spirit about him,” said George Siragusa, who teaches ME352, Entrepreneurship in Engineering, in Mason’s Volgenau School of Engineering and is a senior business advisor in the Enterprise Center’s Small Business Development Team. “He has a quality that I like, in that he knows what he doesn’t know, and he seeks out mentors to fill in those gaps.”

Smith said the business had a chance to be successful but, long-term, developing a career in computer programming is more important.

“This summer I’m looking to dive into programming and use my creativity to get some real experience,” Smith said. “I need that perspective of what it’s like in the workplace.”

He certainly knows what it’s like on the ice, as Smith is pacing a team that was first and undefeated (9-0) in its division in the Delaware Valley Collegiate Hockey Conference, through Feb. 11.

“I’m a software engineer,” Smith said. “I get to study that, and at the same time I get to play my sport.”

Mason online programs trending upward in U.S. News rankings

Damian Cristodero — Tue, 15 Jan 2019 19:38:45 +0000

Mason online programs trending upward in U.S. News rankings Damian Cristodero Tue, 01/15/2019 - 14:38

George Mason University has some of the nation’s top online programs as evaluated by U.S. News & World Report in its just-released 2019 rankings, with several programs making significant gains over last year.

Mason was ranked 24th in the category of information technology graduate programs; 39th (tied, and up from 56th in 2018) for non-MBA business graduate programs; 42nd (up from 115th last year) for education graduate programs; and 52nd for engineering graduate programs.

“The rankings demonstrate our faculty’s excellence, as well as Mason’s commitment to delivering high-quality programs in formats that are flexible and convenient,” said Michelle Marks, Mason’s vice president for academic innovation and new ventures. “We continue to develop online learning experiences that are meaningful for our students and enable them to achieve their academic and professional goals.”

According to its website, U.S. News rankings are determined by evaluating how an institution’s online content allows students to engage with faculty, faculty credentials and training, the services and technologies used and outside expert opinions on the programs.

“The [applied information technology] master’s program is always under continual improvement,” Daniel Garrison, director of online programs for the Volgenau School of Engineering, said of the specific program that was ranked. “In the past two years, the faculty went and looked at the rigor of the program. It’s more of a technical program than in the past. We’re going to continue to see that payoff with the type of students brought in.”

It is the second consecutive year that Mason’s applied information technology graduate program has ranked in the top 25 nationally.

The education graduate program made the biggest rankings leap, gaining 73 positions from last year.

“We’re proud of the quality of our program and the depth and breadth of the experiences that our students will have that will make a difference in their careers and their lives,” said Mark Ginsberg, dean of the College of Education and Human Development. “Over the past couple of years, our faculty have worked diligently to create online programs that engage and integrate the most important new knowledge in the field and to provide learning experiences that are meaningful to help guide student learning in successful ways.”

“The true test is: Does this work for students?” Garrison said. “Are they getting jobs coming out of here? We’re seeing that [they are].”

In other recently released rankings, Mason’s Criminology, Law and Society Program was ranked first nationally by collegefactual.com, which also ranked Mason as sixth-best nationally for veterans.

For Mason senior, big data is a big deal

Damian Cristodero — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 14:03:20 +0000

For Mason senior, big data is a big deal Damian Cristodero Mon, 09/24/2018 - 10:03

Evan Cypher, a senior economics major, says big data "offers information and outcomes that—before contemporary machine learning—would have never been possible."

Evan Cypher loves big data.

The George Mason University senior loves the idea that statistics, computer science and mathematics are, as he said, “all rolled into one.”

But what’s really special about big data, the economics major and Honors College member said, is that “it ventures into entirely new fields to discover insights and find more efficient ways to solve problems in marketing and business, pharmaceuticals and finance, anything you can imagine.”

By his own admission, Cypher wasn’t a numbers kid while growing up. But an Advanced Placement statistics class in high school piqued his interest because he said it showed him how to apply knowledge in different areas. His work as a junior with Mason statistics professor David I. Holmes solidified his enthusiasm.

Using stylometry, the statistical analysis of literary styles between authors, Holmes and Cypher researched the authorship of a 100-year-old book about how to cheat at cards. The research, funded through OSCAR (Mason’s Office of Student Scholarship, Creative Activities and Research), came up with two possible writers, Holmes said.

“Evan was immersed in it,” Holmes said. “He’s a great student, but what impresses me most is his ability to think outside the box, and he’s very good with software.”

A more business-centric application of big data was on display at last spring’s DC DataFest, which was hosted by Mason’s chapter of the American Statistical Association, of which Cypher is president, and included teams from 12 universities.

Cypher’s team won for best visualization for its presentation of how the internet job website Indeed can better connect U.S. health care employers with nurses.

Cypher said the team—which also included new alumnae Alyssa McDonald, BS Criminology, Law and Society ’18; Brooke Gipson, BS Community Health ’18, and Megan Maloney, BS Economics ’18—analyzed 20 million observations and 30 variables set up by Indeed for the exercise.

“We started by using different variable thresholds,” Cypher said. “We looked at how many clicks were on a posting, a measure of its popularity. We looked at which jobs were on the site the longest. The vast majority of them were almost all for licensed nurses. Why aren’t they clicking? Why aren’t they sending applications?”

The team used outside data to discover which states would have nurse shortages during the next few years. The conclusion was that Indeed could work with employers to fashion job ads that play up crucial selling points, such as offers to pay for continuing education and travel expenses. Working in states in which licenses were applicable regionally also could be a selling point.

“What’s really brilliant about big data is it offers individuals, researchers and companies an unprecedented amount of information so they can find increasingly accurate results,” Cypher said. “It offers information and outcomes that—before contemporary machine learning—would have never been possible.”

New web design minor puts it all together

Damian Cristodero — Wed, 22 Aug 2018 16:37:38 +0000

New web design minor puts it all together Damian Cristodero Wed, 08/22/2018 - 12:37

The description of George Mason University’s new digital media and web design minor is of a program that provides students with “transformative learning experiences to gain competence in all major disciplines involved in web design.”

In other words, “intellectual cross-training,” said Robert Matz, senior associate dean of curriculum and technology in Mason’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS).

“It brings together course work that was being done across the university into a coherent curriculum that can be greater than the sum of its parts,” Matz said. “Students will really get all aspects of web design and development.”

The minor, which is available as of the 2018-19 academic year, is offered mostly online and brings together courses taught in CHSS, the School of Art in the College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) and the Volgenau School of Engineering.

It also helps put forward one of Mason’s strategic goals: the encouragement of academic innovation.

“It’s just taking the things we all do, and taking the parts we do best, and putting it all together,” Lisa Kahn, CVPA’s associate dean for academic affairs, said.

Students will be required to take one of three introductory courses (AVT 271 Introduction to Web Design, ENGH 375 Web Authoring and Design or IT 213 Multimedia and Web Design.

Students also must take one course from each of three skills and knowledge categories: design, content development and user experience design or accessibility. There is one elective course and a capstone project that integrates knowledge from all the disciplines studied.

“The current state of the art in web design requires a multidisciplinary approach,” said Diana Wang, an associate professor in Volgenau’s Department of Information Sciences and Technology. “A web designer cannot be market-ready without knowing other fields that include content development, visual design, and coding usability. This equips them with the multidisciplinary knowledge that will make them more capable.”

In fact, Matz said, part of the impetus to create the minor was conversations with employers who want students to have capacity across different domains of knowledge.

Another driver was the university’s call for more multidisciplinary curriculum. The minor is supported by a Curriculum Impact Grant, a program through Mason’s Office of the Provost that provides seed grants to innovative multidisciplinary curricular ideas and pilot programs.

The web design minor was one of 16 grantee programs in 2017-18. Twelve grantee programs were chosen for the 2018-19 cycle.

“An unexpected benefit of this has been conversations among faculty across campus, which is good for the students,” Matz said. “It lets us help students see opportunities that they were less familiar with and also helps us avoid duplication in the courses we offer, and instead shape those courses so the courses students are getting are complementary.”

A motivated Mason student with a blog and Twitter account sets a worldwide agenda

Damian Cristodero — Mon, 25 Jun 2018 15:07:06 +0000

A motivated Mason student with a blog and Twitter account sets a worldwide agenda Damian Cristodero Mon, 06/25/2018 - 11:07

Veronica Lewis

Veronica Lewis, a George Mason University junior, who plans to major in information technology, said she takes the greatest pleasure in one-on-one interactions with those who have been helped by her blog “Veronica With Four Eyes.”

“I don’t need to hear it from millions of different people,” she said.

But that’s kind of what happened after Lewis wrote a Twitter thread that went viral describing how the movie “Incredibles 2” could affect audience health because of scenes with strobe and flashing lights. In apparent response, Disney/Pixar asked theaters to post signs advising of those scenes, Variety reported.

The story was reported worldwide. You can read the Twitter thread here.

“I just wanted to help as many people as I could,” Lewis said. “I’ve been thrilled to see my message has done that all around the world.”

Lewis has low vision (specifically, blurry double vision, limited peripheral vision and no depth perception, none of which can be corrected with glasses) and accommodative esotropia, which refers to crossed eyes. She said she had a migraine headache after watching the movie.

Her thread warned that strobe and flashing lights could adversely affect people with epilepsy, chronic migraines, vision impairment, vertigo, autism and PTSD. The Epilepsy Foundation warns that seizures can be triggered by flashing lights.

“I was excited that 24 hours after I wrote the thread that Disney listened to me and started putting up warnings at ticket windows,” Lewis said. “For that, I cannot thank them enough.”

Lewis, who plans to pursue a master’s degree in the Assistive Technology Program at Mason, has been thanked numerous time through Twitter and said her Twitter followers increased from 200 to 520 after the thread went viral.

“All the attention is great, but I feel like my favorite interactions are when someone comes up to me who has a vision impairment similar to mine and says thank you,” Lewis said.

“I want my blog to continue to be a resource for people with vision impairments,” she said. “I just want to write positive posts about how to help students with vision impairments navigate special education and assistive technology and help a lot of other people as well.”

Mason team wins prestigious Franz Edelman Award for work with FCC

Damian Cristodero — Wed, 06 Jun 2018 09:30:00 +0000

Mason team wins prestigious Franz Edelman Award for work with FCC Damian Cristodero Wed, 06/06/2018 - 05:30

The FCC team that won the Franz Edelman Award for Achievement in Operations Research and Management Science (left to right): Carnegie Mellon's Michael Trick, Dinesh Menon, Tony Coudert, Rudy Sultana, Melissa Dunford, Steve Charbonneau, Karla Hoffman, James Costa, Brian Smith. Photo provided.

If we want driverless cars, George Mason University professor Karla Hoffman said, if we want the internet of things, drones and new medical technologies, the electromagnetic spectrum must be repurposed.

To do that, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently repurposed 84 megahertz of low-frequency spectrum. It did this by purchasing spectrum from the nation’s television broadcasters and auctioning that spectrum to wireless providers. Television stations remaining on the air were reassigned channels within a smaller TV band.

Developing the optimization software and analytics both for the auction and to place 2,990 television stations in the United States and Canada on channels that allow them to reach the same number of viewers was the job of a nine-person team with deep Mason roots, mostly handpicked by Hoffman, a professor of systems engineering and operations research in the Volgenau School of Engineering.

So successful was the four-year project that the FCC team was given the 2018 Franz Edelman Award for Achievement in Operations Research and the Management Sciences. The $10,000 award, the most prestigious in the field, is given annually by the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences.

“It was my dream project with my dream team,” said Hoffman, whose FCC experience and reputation as a leader in the field of mathematical and statistical modeling positioned Mason to have a prominent role in the venture.

The team included Mason graduates Steve Charbonneau, MS Operations Research and Management Science ’95, MS Systems Engineering ’97, PhD Information Technology ’04; James Costa, MS Operations Research ’12; Melissa Dunford, MS Mathematics ’99; and Brian Smith, MS Operations Research ’15.

Also on the team were Hoffman’s former students Dinesh Menon, Tony Coudert and Rudy Sultana, as well as Michael Trick, the Harry B. and James H. Higgins Professor of Operations Research at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar.

“The auction could not have been possible without operations research,” said John Shortle, professor and chair of Mason’s Systems Engineering and Operations Research Department. “We are proud of the Mason faculty and alumni on the winning team.”

“It does speak volumes about the quality of the [Mason] program,” Costa said. “It obviously prepared people to execute on a massive project that had a huge real-world impact.”

The spectrum auction brought in $20 billion, $7 billion of which went to reducing the federal deficit. Through operations research, and mathematical and computer science techniques, 78 percent of the television stations remained on their same channels after the auction.

“We were worried about all the stations,” Smith said. “If they were moving to a new channel, would they still reach the same population they were broadcasting to before; would they interfere with each other and cause populations to not get their services?”

What to do?

First, Smith said, the physics of the individual television signals were modeled to determine whether stations operating on close to the same channels would interfere with each other. That data was processed into mathematical equations that, with the help of a lot of computer processing power, allowed the team to provide solutions that satisfied the FCC’s goals and overcome all interference constraints.

Get a more detailed look at the process with videos here, here and here.

“We were so excited when the tools and models we developed outperformed all expectations,” Smith said.

“The FCC believed in the project and the team but warned that all the software had to work flawlessly,” Hoffman said. “There would never be a second auction of this type if this one failed. I got to work with my ‘A’ team on an impactful, challenging problem. There can’t be anything better than that.”