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About the Magazine
Mason Spirit is published three times a year by the Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations in conjunction with the Office of Communications and Marketing.
Profiles
Student Profile: Shaquib Chowdhury
By Damian Cristodero on March 9, 2018
Growing up in Bangladesh, Shaquib Chowdhury knows firsthand the effects of rising sea levels due to climate change. Bangladesh is a low-lying country prone to flooding, and citizens from coastal towns are constantly relocating to the capital, Dhaka, already one of the world’s most densely populated cities. Chowdhury has decided to do something about it.
Meet the Mason Nation: Saskia Clay-Rooks
By Arthur Wesley, BA '17 on March 7, 2018
Saskia Clay-Rooks, executive director of Mason’s University Career Services, is constantly updating the programs and web resources offered to ensure they are timely and relevant to students in their career search. While plenty of resources are available online, she looks to provide students and recent graduates with other opportunities—the biggest of which are the connections her staff is able to facilitate between students and employers, alumni, or faculty.
Picturing Prince
By Mason Spirit contributor on March 1, 2018
Over Alumni Weekend, Mason alumnus Steve Parke came to campus to share his experiences working with music icon Prince and sign copies of his new book, Picturing Prince (Octopus Books, 2017), for an enthusiastic crowd of the Purple One’s fans.
Seeing What Others Don’t
By Cathy Cruise, MFA '93 on March 1, 2018
On an otherwise ordinary day near Springfield Mall in Northern Virginia, a car came to an abrupt stop on the side of the road. The driver jumped out, dragged his passenger outside, and threw her onto the curb. Then he got back in the car and sped away. Luckily, Mason alumni Kimberly Mehlman-Orozco, an expert on human trafficking, was in her own car nearby, and saw the whole thing.
Bringing People Together
By Buzz McClain, BA '77 on March 1, 2018
As a practitioner in the peacebuilding field, Alma Abdul-Hadi Jadallah, MAIS ’96, PhD Conflict Analysis and Resolution ’06, helps clients ranging from the Fairfax County Public Schools system to the Security Council of the United Nations with conflict assessment studies, mediation, and training.
Dreaming Big
By Mason Spirit contributor on December 12, 2017
The life of Mason benefactor Long Nguyen is a monument to the idea of the American dream. Born in Vietnam during World War II, in a time and place of conflict, Nguyen came to the United States in the early 1960s for his education.
Alumni Profile: Rion Amilcar Scott
By Tara Laskowski, MFA '05 on December 4, 2017
Rion Amilcar Scott, MFA Creative Writing ’08, my friend and fellow MFA grad, won the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction for his story collection Insurrections.
Alumni Profile: Tracy Russillo
By Mason Spirit contributor on November 30, 2017
Lt. Col. Tracy Russillo, BS Law Enforcement ’88, a 28-year veteran of the Virginia State Police, is the first woman to be appointed deputy superintendent of the department. Prior to this position, she was also the first female to receive major and lieutenant colonel status.
Patriot Profile: Katie Lai
By Colleen Kearney Rich on November 27, 2017
When communication major Katie Lai enrolled in a speech class at Las Positas College, she had no idea the course would completely change her trajectory. She found she was good at public speaking and was soon competing on the college’s forensics team.
Meet the Mason Nation: Dan Walsch
By Colleen Kearney Rich on November 7, 2017
You might recognize Dan Walsch, PhD Communication ’11. For nearly 20 years, he served as Mason’s director of media relations and spokesperson and could be seen on the local news from time to time. He also taught public relations classes in the Communication Department for most of his 28-year career at Mason. In fact, teaching is what led him to his current position.
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