A Magazine for the George Mason University Community

Alumni Profiles

Lani Leary: Life Lessons from the Dying

By Cathy Cruise, MFA '93 on May 21, 2013

Lani Leary

Two major occurrences prompted Mason alumna Lani Leary to make death her life’s calling. The first was when her mother died. The second was when Leary herself died.

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Phil Becnel: G Is for Gumshoe

By Buzz McClain, BA '77 on May 21, 2013

Philip Becnel

The commonly accepted stereotype of a private investigator is one of intrigue and danger, of native cunning, and a willingness to shed shoe leather in all-out efforts to crack a case. PIs have been romanticized in popular culture since the Victorian era, with the film nor likes of Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe paving the way for Veronica Mars and Mike Hammer in movies and television.

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Katie Monroe: Seeking Justice for All

By Corey Jenkins Schaut, MPA '07 on May 21, 2013

Katie Monroe

One class can change your life in ways you would never imagine. Just ask Mason law alumna Katie Monroe. As a student at Mason’s School of Law, Monroe was searching for her legal niche—until she took Professor Robert Davidow’s criminal procedures class.

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Steven Wagoner during his time at Mason. Photo courtesy of Mason Athletics.

A new National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) semi-professional soccer team is expected to draw not only players affiliated with Major League Soccer’s D.C. United but also George Mason University players and top amateurs from around the United States. And a George Mason alum is the owner.

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Vincent Oppido: Composing a Career from Mason to Hollywood

By Buzz McClain, BA '77 on March 28, 2013

Mason alumnus Vinnie Oppido with his mentor, Mason music professor Anthony Maiello.

The image scrolls by in an instant, and unless you are looking for it, you might not see the name “Vincent Oppido” rushing over Kristin Chenoweth’s glittery gown at the end of February’s broadcast of the 85th Academy Awards. But there it was, and now it’s on Oppido’s resume, along with a host of other accomplishments achieved during and after his studies at George Mason University.

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Mason Alumna’s Impact Stretches Throughout World

By Rashad Mulla, BA '11 on March 19, 2013

Acanda at one of the Off Our Mats, Into the World events. Photo courtesy of Elise

In 1996, Elyse Leeds Acanda, BA English ’94, continued a life of fitness–which included cheerleading throughout high school and college–by immersing herself in the practice of yoga. She took classes with a variety of qualified yoga teachers, practiced multiple styles of yoga, and even trained in locations from Arlington, Virginia, to Miami.

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Newly Discovered Owl Species Named for Mason Alumna

By Cathy Cruise, MFA '93 on March 12, 2013

Two of the owls names for Jolanda Luksenburg. Photo courtesy of Jolanda Luksenburg.

A career in animal research has kept Jolanda Luksenburg, PhD Environmental Science and Policy ’12, hard at work all over the globe, but it was a trip she made while vacationing that led to one of her most fascinating discoveries, and to having her name bestowed on a whole new species.

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School of Management Alumnus Develops Credit Card Rewards App

By Mason Spirit contributor on February 28, 2013

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Everyone likes getting more bang for their buck and credit cards with reward programs have become increasingly popular because they offer perks and bonuses on purchases. Figuring out how rewards programs work, however, can be a bit of a hassle. Some offer a percentage of cash back or number of reward points for a specific…

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From Soccer Star to Globe-Hopping Entrepreneur: Martin Dunphy Finds Success

By Mason Spirit contributor on January 11, 2013

Martin Dunphy

Many say the key to success in business is reinvention—the ability to reinvent yourself, your product, your company. That may explain the success that Mason MBA grad Martin Dunphy has had throughout his career that has seen him reinvent himself from trained chef to soccer star to globe-hopping entrepreneur.

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Mason alumnus Bobby Saini did his homework in the Johnson Center—as a student at a different college. After three tries, the budding entrepreneur was finally admitted to Mason. Now he is helping lead a technology startup into the burgeoning field of cyber security.

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