CLASS NOTES

1970s

Nancy Michael Schwab, BSEd Elementary Education ’73, retired from Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools in 2013.

1980s

Bill McClain, MBA ’82, has written two books that reflect both 40 years of corporate strategic planning and a futuristic vision of the next decade. The first, Strategic Planning in This Age of Disruption (Amazon, 2018), reflected on the arriving digital transformation technologies and their impacts on society. The second, The 4 Horsemen: Envisioning 2030 (Amazon, 2021), deals with COVID, politics, social unrest, and the arriving digital transformation of the early 2020s, and then applies the understanding of the interrelationships to more clearly see 2030.

Kristina Rose, BA Sociology ’84, was recently appointed by President Biden to lead the Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC). Previously, Rose spent nearly 20 years at the U.S. Department of Justice, serving in numerous roles including as deputy director at OVC, as acting director and deputy director for the National Institute of Justice, and as the chief of staff for the Office on Violence Against Women.

Kenneth Sosne, MBA ’86, has retired after working for 28 years in the federal civil service. He and his wife are doing nonprofit development work for a food pantry and enjoying the outdoors on the Delmarva.

Ken Budd, BA English ’88, MA ’97, wrote a feature for the Washington Post Magazine in May 2021 on why men struggle to tell each other “I love you,” based on his friendship with his old roommate from the Mason student apartments, Todd Cullop, BA English ’90. Additionally, Budd’s 2019 piece for the Washington Post Magazine, “The Moral Dilemma of Volunteer Tourism,” appears in the 2020 edition of The Best American Travel Writing.

1990s

Cindy Squires, BA International Studies ’90, was named the CEO of the American Composites Manufacturers Association.

M. Brian Blake, PhD Information Technology ’91, was named president of Georgia State University by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.

Marcia Friedman, MEd Curriculum and Instruction ’91, recently published her second cookbook, The Essential Jewish Cookbook. The book includes a brief history of Jewish culinary traditions along with 100 recipes. Her first cookbook, Meatballs and Matzah Balls: Recipes and Reflections from a Jewish and Italian Life, was published in 2013. In June 2021, she received the honor of membership in Les Dames d’Escoffier, a prestigious international culinary organization.

Brian Trent, BS Public Administration ’91, MPA ’95, has been appointed vice chancellor for business affairs for the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He previously served as the executive officer for the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health.

Dave Alpern, BA Speech Communication ’92, recently published the book Taking the Lead, with a foreword by Joe Gibbs. The president of Joe Gibbs Racing—the winningest team in NASCAR history— Alpern shares the secrets of succeeding in business and in life. Alpern, who started his career as an unpaid intern selling T-shirts for the team, shares the wisdom he’s learned over his three-decade career in NASCAR.

Richard Beck, PhD Public Policy ’93, published Engaging the Organization in Effective Performance Management—Translating Vision into Results after retiring in 2018 from a 37-year federal career at NASA and the U.S. Department of the Interior. He also taught Performance Measurement (PUAD 720) for several semesters as an adjunct instructor at Mason’s Schar School of Policy and Government. The book is based on his dissertation research at Mason and career experiences, and it presents a holistic approach guided by three main principles to help government agencies realize the vision established by their leadership. The book is available through Amazon and Kindle books.

Jennifer Enriquez, JD ’93, recently received a Becoming Beloved Community grant to continue working with children ages 4 to 12 to dismantle racism. Enriquez and a colleague developed a workshop to prepare people to talk to kids about race. Grace A. Cular Yee, BA Psychology ’93, owner of Pineapple7, a full-service travel firm, has been recognized by Condé Nast Traveler as one of the Top Travel Specialists for 2021.

Michele Davidson, BSN ’93, PhD Nursing ’99, recently opened Chesapeake Bay Psychiatry, her own psychiatric practice focusing on perinatal mental health. In 2021, Davidson was elected to the board of directors of Postpartum Support International, where she has served as the postpartum psychosis coordinator for the past 11 years. She is also celebrating her 30th wedding anniversary with her husband, Nathan S. Davidson II, BSN ’96, MSN Nurse Practitioner ’98. They reside in Chesapeake, Virginia, with their four children.

Paul Arnett, BA Administration of Justice ’94, MA Sociology ’00, was selected by the Eastern District of Virginia Federal Court to serve as the next chief U.S. probation officer. He has worked in the probation field for the past 25 years.

Beom Joon Yun, BS Finance ’97, has started his own

What’s New with You?

We are interested in what you’ve been doing since you graduated. Moved? Gotten married? Had a baby? Landed a new job? Received an award? Submit your class notes to alumni.gmu.edu/whatsnew. In your note, be sure to include your graduation year and degree.

Dear Fellow Patriots,

Throughout this issue of Spirit, we’ve been exploring the question What does it mean to be a Patriot? While there are many different answers to this question, I think there are several defining characteristics that all Patriots share. We work hard, we don’t give up when things get tough, and we work to make sure others also have the chance to succeed. We are always growing, always building. We’re forward-thinking—learning from where we’ve been, while looking ahead to where we’re going. Mason Patriots are champions of diversity and makers of opportunity.

From the notable accomplishments of our fellow alums, we know many Patriots are trailblazing leaders in their industries. Mason has been home to CEOs and university presidents, to authors and astronauts, and to health care providers and researchers working to combat the COVID-19 pandemic on local, national, and global scales. Our alma mater is a place where people come to create opportunities that didn’t previously exist. It is a home to first-generation students, DREAMers, and those who need to balance their work and education. All of these different experiences exemplify what it means to be a Patriot.

Mason has had a multigenerational impact on my family as well. My father started our Mason tradition in the 1980s, when he began teaching as an adjunct faculty member in the Computer Science Department after starting his own company. Some of his company’s earliest successes were due in part to the Mason grads he employed. Mason took a chance on me early in my career, and my time in the MBA program helped me gain the confidence I needed to succeed. I have made lifelong connections at Mason, and I still keep in touch with many of my classmates. My wife is an engineering alumna, and one of my sons is enrolled in the School of Business. We are a family of proud Patriots.

As we unite to celebrate 50 years of Mason in 2022, let’s look forward to what the next 50 years will bring!

With Patriot Pride,

Sumeet Shrivastava, MBA ’94 President, George Mason University Alumni Association

investment company after working as a vice president at Morgan Stanley.

Brian Simpson, MA Economics ’98, PhD ’00, recently published the book A Declaration and Constitution for a Free Society: Making the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution Fully Consistent with the Protection of Individual Rights. It was published in March 2021 by Lexington Books as a part of Lexington’s Capitalist Thought book series.

Sheri (Keyser) Kent, BA Communication ’99, MA Telecommunications ’02, published her newest children’s picture book, The Little Monster: A Glow-in-theDark Storybook about Being Afraid of the Dark. It is her 14th book, and the seventh in The Little Series, published by Whimsical World.

Diane Williams, MA English ’99, recently became the senior scientific technical writer for the Joint Science and Technologies Office (JSTO) of the Department of Defense Chemical and Biological Defense Program. She edits articles for the “JSTO in the News” monthly report and video scripts for social media, reaching 8,000 DoD contacts.

2000s

Robert Fowler, MS Statistical Science ’03, is a senior data scientist at IBM Watson Health, where he performs health outcomes research based on IBM’s large health insurance database. Hal Nesbitt, BS Marketing ’03, was promoted to senior vice president for information and outreach at the American Society of Nephrology, where he will oversee all of the society’s marketing, communications, business intelligence, and information technology initiatives.

Deborah Willis, PhD Cultural Studies ‘03, was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in recognition of her life of activism as a photographer. The academy recognizes extraordinary people who help solve the world’s challenges, create meaning through art, and contribute to the common good. Willis is university professor and chair of the Department of Photography and Imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.

Marianne Hedrick Weant, BA Anthropology ’04, and her husband welcomed their sixth child, Russell.

Thomas J. Snee, MEd Education Leadership ’06, stepped down as the 12th national executive director for the Fleet Reserve Association in Alexandria, Virginia, in December 2019. During his term as the executive director, he represented more than 45,000 sea service personnel and their families on various boards and congressional committees for military and veterans’ benefits. He was the managing officer at the national headquarters and served on its board of directors. Snee also served (continued page 48)

The Show Must Go On

When George Mason University’s classes went online because of the pandemic, Christian White, BA Communication ’21, was able to pursue his acting career and finish his degree.

White recently appeared in four episodes of the second season of City on a Hill, a Showtime crime drama set in Boston that stars Kevin Bacon and Aldis Hodge. He didn’t have to miss classes while filming on set as he could use Zoom to continue his course work at Mason from New York City, where the show is filmed.

“Working with stars like Kevin Bacon was a surreal experience,” says White, who was a student in Mason’s Honors College. “I’ve watched these actors on TV, and now I’m working alongside them.”

Seeing how Bacon and Hodge interact and getting acting notes from them was like having a master class, White adds. And shining in the role of Isaac, a young teen living in the Braxton Summit projects of Boston, was what White calls a lesson in confidence.

“I actually had to miss class last year to go to New York to audition,” says White, who was thankful for the professor who worked with him to make up the work he missed. A couple of days later, he received a text from his manager saying he booked the role.

White was able to film two episodes of City on the Hill in March 2020 before COVID-19 hit and the industry shut down for seven months. The show started production again in October 2020 with safety protocols and COVID testing in place.

White has other acting opportunities on the horizon. He has booked another role on a show on Amazon, though he says he is not yet authorized to disclose the name of the show.

The Spotsylvania County, Virginia, native says he first caught the acting bug his senior year in high school when he took a theater class. While at Mason, White also took acting workshops in Maryland and Northern Virginia. Christian White on the set of City on a Hill

Did You Know?

One of White’s favorite courses, COMM 384 Public Relations and Social Media with Professor Suzanne Mims, gave him a framework for working on the business side of his acting career. In this class, he says he learned ways to use social media strategically to build his personal brand, expand his network, and share the projects he’s been working on— something he considers essential for an actor.

as the co-chairman for the Military Coalition, representing more than 35 veteran service organizations, and more than five million active duty, reserve, veterans, and retirees.

Jessica Monte, MA English ’07, is the director and founder of Loudoun Community Press, a 501(c)(3) that produces Loudoun County Magazine in partnership with Loudoun County Public Schools, the Loudoun County Public Library system, and the Loudoun Literacy Council. On June 22, Loudoun Community Press and its students and teachers were recognized for releasing the inaugural student issue of Loudoun County Magazine to county residents and businesses. Additionally, Monte was admitted to a doctoral program in education at George Washington University and plans to graduate in 2025.

Lana K. W. Austin, MFA Creative Writing ’08, recently published her first novel, Like Light, Like Music (West Virginia University Press), and her first poetry collection, Blood Harmony (Iris Press), which was named Alabama State Poetry Society Book of the Year. She has published widely in literary journals such as Sou’Wester, Mid-American Review, and The Pinch. Austin is also the winner of the 2018 Words and Music Poetry Award and a 2019 Hackney Award. She currently teaches creative writing and composition at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

Kathryn Crump Teague, MEd Counseling and Development ’08, was named Fairfax County Public Schools’ 2021 Outstanding School-Based Leader. She is Lanier Middle School’s director of student services. Lindsay N. Trout, MEd Education Leadership ’08, was named Fairfax County Public Schools’ 2021 Outstanding Principal. She is the principal of Terraset Elementary School in Reston, Virginia.

2010s

Jeanine Gravette, MSW ’13, began working at Prince William County’s Homeless Services Division. As a human services program manager, she oversees the coordinated entry system, drop-in center, and COVID19 motel program. Gravette is a Qualified Mental Health Professional-Adult (QMHP-A) working with home-based services and primarily works with adults. She is also in the process of working on her licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) license.

Chelsea Morris, BA Communication ’14, recently became the development director of La Casa Norte. She now leads development for Chicago’s largest nonprofit organization focused on serving youth and families confronting homelessness by providing access to stable housing and

(continued on page 50)

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2021–22

Sumeet Shrivastava, MBA ’94, President

Christine Landoll, BS ’89, MS ’92, PresidentElect

Yoshie Davison, MSW ’09, Vice President, Live

Darcy Kipp Kim, BS ’02, MPA ’20, Vice President, Work

Raymond Wotring, BA ’05, Vice President, Play David Atkins, BS ’90, Treasurer

Ailsa Ware Burnett, BS ’93, MA ’96, MPA ’08, Historian

Mary Bramley, BA ’07, Director-at-Large Harold Geller, MAIS ’92, DA ’05, Directorat-Large Steve Kann, BA ’85, Director-at-Large Jimmy Martin, BA ’07, Director-at-Large Molly McLaurin, BA ’08, Director-at-Large Whitney Ward, BA ’08, Director-at-Large Janae Johnson, BS ’11, MAIS ’15, President, Black Alumni Chapter Vacant, College of Education and Human Development Alumni Chapter Hadi Rezazad, ENGR ’03, PhD ’09, President, College of Engineering and Computing Alumni Chapter Kathi Huddleston, PhD ’08, President, College of Health and Human Services Alumni Chapter Daniel Lash, BS ’97, President, College of Humanities and Social Sciences Alumni Chapter Mark Monson, BS ’74, President, College of Science Alumni Chapter Molly Grimsley, BA ’81, President, College of Visual and Performing Arts Alumni Chapter Sawyer Dullaghan, BS ’15, President, Green Machine Alumni Chapter Elizabeth Stern, BA ’09, President, Honors College Alumni Chapter Christopher Campos-Perez, BA ’19, President, Lambda Alumni Chapter Daniel Logroño, BS ’20, President, Latino Alumni Chapter Vacant, Antonin Scalia Law School Alumni Chapter (contact lawalum@gmu.edu) J. J. Stakem, MS ’12, President, Schar School of Policy and Government Alumni Chapter Scott Hine, BS ’85, President, School of Business Alumni Chapter Tim Plum, MS ’16, Chapter Representative, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution Alumni Chapter

Natalia Kanos, Student Government Representative

If you would like to become involved in the Alumni Association, please contact the Office of Alumni Relations at alumni@gmu.edu.

An Influential Advocate for Refugees

Well before she became the director of communications at United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) USA, the American nonprofit that provides support for UNRWA’s programs for Palestine refugees, Laila Mokhiber, BA Global Affairs ’09, was a child holding protest signs in human rights demonstrations. Before then, her mother held her as a baby in the gallery of the U.S. Supreme Court, as her father argued to incorporate Arab Americans into the Civil Rights Act in 1987.

As an adult, the George Mason University alumna has made a name for herself. In 2020, she was named one of the top 40 influential Arab Americans under 40 by the Arab America Foundation.

“The work I do is a labor of love,” says Mokhiber, “and if this brings more attention to the cause that I work on, I’m pleased to have received this recognition.” UNRWA USA raises awareness about the plight of Palestine refugees to support their humanitarian needs.

“We’re trying to create our own narrative around who Palestine refugees are and demystify what it means to be a refugee,” Mokhiber says. “I love being able to advocate for the people who I see as my sisters and brothers and being able to measure the impact.”

The nonprofit supports UNRWA, mental health resources, and urgent assistance for those living in and around refugee camps, says Mokhiber, who leads a content team that helps tell the stories of refugees.

“To be that link and bring their stories to my fellow Americans, I see that as a great responsibility and duty,” she says. “Once you see what life under occupation looks like with your own eyes, you can’t ever stop speaking up or advocating about it.”

Mokhiber’s work has sent her to Gaza several times—a rare privilege for an Arab American, due to the area’s land, sea, and air blockade.

Each time, she brings back stories and is inspired by Palestinians she meets who make an impact with nearly nothing and are resilient despite supplies not being allowed into Gaza. Those included a young man who built a 3D printer from recycled materials and a young woman who engineered a way to turn rubble from bombed buildings into bricks to help families rebuild.

Mokhiber, who also co-hosts the Latitude Adjustment podcast, says she seeks to advocate for people who don’t have a platform to do so themselves. The same was true on campus, where Mokhiber expanded her community with student organizations like the Arab Student Association, Students for Justice in Palestine, and Orthodox Christian Fellowship.

“I amplified what these organizations were doing, which is how I ended up in my current line of work,” says Mokhiber. “I loved my days at Mason because it exposed me to a rich diversity of people and perspectives that encouraged my curiosity about the world and would have taken years of global travel to gain.”

Mason alumna Laila Mokhiber visits Palestine refugees from Syria displaced for a second time to the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, in February 2016.

—Mariam Aburdeineh, BA ’13

Calahan Young, MHA ’21, traveled to Tokyo in August with the U.S. men’s goalball team to compete in the Paralympic Games. Young, who is the team captain, has been playing goalball for 13 years. He was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at a young age and is legally blind. Goalball is a team sport for the blind. Using ear-hand coordination, participants compete and try to throw a three-pound ball that’s been embedded with bells into the opponent’s goal. The team lost the bronze medal to Lithuania, but you can check out one of their games at bit.ly/GoCalahan.

delivering comprehensive services that act as a catalyst to transform lives and communities in Chicago. Previously, Morris was associate director of development at Cradles to Crayons. Prior to that position, she led corporate fundraising and digital media marketing at Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Omar Battle, MS Peace Operations ’15, founded his own business, End Your Conflicts LLC, after becoming a trained and certified mediator. End Your Conflicts is located in Maryland and performs services virtually. Its mission is to help youth, adults, families, communities, and organizations resolve conflicts through peaceful, non-adjudicative, alternative dispute resolution processes. End Your Conflicts also offers conflict resolution training, education, and coaching to individuals and organizations, empowering them to prevent and manage their own conflicts.

Meredith Coad, BS Civil and Infrastructure Engineering ’18, represented Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Washington for Engineers Week. She is an environmental engineer who serves in the environmental business line at NAVFAC Washington’s Core in Washington, D.C.

Melissa Duluc, MA Foreign Languages ’18, was named Fairfax County Public Schools’ 2021 Outstanding Secondary School New Teacher. She is a Spanish language teacher at McLean High School.

Katie McCarty, BS Recreation Management ’18, and Connor Claytor, BS Marketing ’19, celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary. They were married on July 18, 2020.

Beth Young, PhD Education ’18, received one of the inaugural Virginia Business Women in Leadership Awards. The awards spotlighted a cohort of 30 executives who have excelled in their careers and are paving the way for other women to follow in their footsteps. More than 200 women business leaders were nominated.

Liz Andrews, PhD Cultural Studies ’19, was recently named executive director of Spelman College’s Museum of Fine Art. She began her new role August 2.

Shruti Sanghavi, MEd Education Leadership ’19, was chosen to be the keynote speaker at a national SMART Technologies virtual summit. She worked with a Mason professor to write “Mathematical Representations in an Online Math Specialist Program,” which was published in The Journal of Science and Mathematics: Collaborative Explorations. She was also chosen to be one of 20 teachers to participate in an Amazon/George Mason University externship program to bring computer science programs to schools and introduce computer science to historically underserved students.

Breana Turner, BS Kinesiology ’19, was crowned the first-ever Miss Virginia Volunteer in August 2021. As the winner of the statewide scholarship pageant program, Turner receives $10,000 in scholarship funds and use of an apartment and vehicle for her year of service. She holds a master’s degree in public health from Virginia Tech, where she is currently working on her PhD in translational biology, medicine, and health.

2020s

Susan Howard, PhD Environmental Science and Policy ’20, and her team at Game of Choice, Not Chance are implementing methodology from Howard’s dissertation to change people’s attitudes and behaviors through mobile gaming innovation to support young people in becoming active decision-makers in their own lives. The work has received a multimilliondollar grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Heidi Sloan, MEd Education Leadership ’20, was named head of school at St. Michael’s Catholic Academy in Austin, Texas. She has served as director of academics at the school for the past five years.

Alexander Hammett, BA Film and Video Studies ’21, received the Miami Indie Films’ Best Director award for directing Tale of Tarot. The film is available on Amazon Prime.

We’re 50 and Fabulous!

Happy anniversary to us! In 2022, we will be celebrating 50 years as an independent university. It was on April 7, 1972, that Governor Linwood Holton signed legislation separating George Mason College from the University of Virginia. Celebrating our past while looking toward the university’s very bright future, we will be incorporating Mason at 50 into many events throughout the year, which will culminate with a week of festivities April 4–10, 2022, and a commemorative issue of the Mason Spirit.

We hope you’ll join the celebration.

Check out 50th.gmu.edu for updates on what’s planned.

Obituaries

ALUMNI AND STUDENTS

David S. Cutlip, BS Biology ’72, d. April 28, 2021 Dorothy B. Montague, BSEd Elementary Education ’72, MEd Counseling and Development ’81, d. April 10, 2021 Joy G. Vick, BA Psychology ’73, d. June 10, 2021 Sherry M. Miles, MEd Curriculum and Instruction ’75, d. May 5, 2021 Jorge L. Hazera, BA Sociology ’76, MA Economics ’80, d. June 30, 2021 Steve L. Payne, BS Biology ’76, d. April 13, 2021 Patricia S. Kobus, MBA ’77, d. July 3, 2021 Carl J. Seaton, BIS ’77, d. June 1, 2021 Diane L. Bode, BS Business Administration ’78, d. June 26, 2021 Jacqueline M. Lohr, MA English ’79, d. April 26, 2021 Norbert Flatow, BS Business Administration ’80, d. May 3, 2021

Barbara B. Shea, JD ’80, d. April 11, 2021 Helen L. Winter, BS Business Administration ’80, MEd Counseling and Development ’84, d. May 1, 2021 Linda M. Buhl, BS Business Administration ’81, d. April 10, 2021 Kenneth W. Horn, BS Business Administration ’81, d. April 14, 2021 Margaret M. Moss, BSN ’82, MSN ’91, PhD Nursing ’07, d. May 28, 2021 Margaret E. Abenante, BS Accounting ’83, d. April 4, 2021 Deborah Y. Lipsey, MEd Counseling and Development ’83, d. June 25, 2021 Ingrid S. Dinsmore, BA Mathematics ’84, d. May 2, 2021

Jane U. Phillips, BA Sociology ’84, MA ’91, d. May 28, 2021

James H. Allamong, JD ’85, d. June 14, 2021

Gerald W. Oakley, JD ’85, d. May 21, 2021 Edward W. Arnold, BA History ’86, d. June 15, 2021 Peter J. Beim, BS Decision Science ’87, d. May 27, 2021 Francklyn “Wynne” Paris II, BA Biology ’87, d. March 22, 2021

Andre F. Peronneau, BS Law Enforcement ’88, d. June 11, 2021

Sharon S. Winstead, MEd Elementary Education ’89, d. June 18, 2021 David J. Leader, BSN ’90, d. May 27, 2021 Melvin W. Little, BA Biology ’91, d. June 26, 2021 Raymond J. Mataloni Jr., MA Economics ’91, d. April 25, 2021 Mary M. Dorsey, MSN Nurse Practitioner ’93, d. June 18, 2021

Carol J. Hallauer, MEd Counseling and Development ’93, d. June 26, 2021 Patricia A. Bennett, JD ’94, d. June 10, 2021 Judith D. Nossaman, MEd Curriculum and Instruction ’94, d. April 26, 2021 Ralph E. Beatty, BS Marketing ’95, d. April 24, 2021 Melynda M. Griggs, BA Psychology ’95, d. May 14, 2021 Louisa E. Atchison, BS Accounting ’96, d. June 15, 2021

Marc R. Amos, JD ’97, d. April 17, 2021 Kevin L. Gilbert, MS Software Systems Engineering ’97, d. May 28, 2021 Robert J. Peldo, BS Public Administration ’98, d. March 21, 2021 Richard J. Busch, MS Accounting ’99, d. May 20, 2021

Jessie D. Duncanson, BA Theater ’00, d. April 23, 2021 Mieke J. Frishman, BS Biology ’00, d. June 15, 2021 Michelle J. Biltcliffe, BA Foreign Languages ’01, MEd Curriculum and Instruction ’04, d. June 5, 2021 Kristen Jennings, BA Communication ’01, d. June 13, 2021

Bryan F. Holland, MEd Education Leadership ’02, d. May 12, 2021 Alice V. Leaderman, MFA Creative Writing ’02, d. May 20, 2021 Allison D. Roberts, MEd Education Leadership ’02, d. May 12, 2021 Heather M. Creed, BFA Dance ’04, d. May 7, 2021 Dean D. Bellas, PhD Public Policy ’05, d. June 23, 2021 Tracey M. Hrovat, BA Communication ’05, d. April 23, 2021

Joyce A. Lightner, MA New Professional Studies ’05, d. June 1, 2021 Janessa R. Neal-Brewer, MEd Special Education ’05, d. May 11, 2021 Louis A. Pharao, MA History ’05, d. June 8, 2021 Barbara V. Wilhelm, MEd Curriculum and Instruction ’05, d. June 22, 2021 Vivek K. Chopra, BS Public Administration ’06, d. May 31, 2021 Candace S. Rogers, MEd Education Leadership ’06, d. June 18, 2021 Roderick L. Zollinger, MEd Education Leadership ’08, d. May 12, 2021 Daniel C. Hearlihy, MEd Curriculum and Instruction ’09, d. June 20, 2021 Kevin Fandl, PhD Public Policy ’10, d. June 29, 2021 Susan M. Llewellyn, MA History ’10, d. April 26, 2021 Penny S. Waite, BA History ’10, d. May 28, 2021 Russell P. McCullough, BS Finance and Information Systems and Operations Management ’11, d. April 19, 2021 Sarah J. Jenkins, MA Art History ’12, d. May 18, 2021 Kathleen N. Teets, BSN ’15, d. June 25, 2021 Sean C. Mattingly, BS Applied Information Technology ’18, d. May 16, 2021 Sachin Jain, former student, d. May 13, 2021 Frank Jenkins, former student, d. May 16, 2021 Sang Ho Baek, student, Biology, d. June 12, 2021

FORMER FACULTY/ STAFF Nancy K. Burnett, d. April 30, 2021 Bruce B. Cooper, d. November 3, 2020 William F. Garney, d. June 21, 2021 Helen S. Garson, professor emerita of English, d. October 19, 2020 Maria Z. Kolker, d. May 1, 2021

Robert E. Pugh, d. May 25, 2021

Edith M. Rob, d. July 2, 2021 Florence I. Smoczynski, d. June 5, 2021

FACULTY, STAFF, AND FRIENDS

Col. (ret.) Douthard R. (D. R.) Butler, PhD Public Administration ’92, who retired last year after serving as an adjunct professor in the Schar School of Policy and Government for 20 years, died on July 10 at age 86. Butler enrolled at Texas’s Prairie View A&M University at age 16, joined the campus ROTC program, and entered the U.S. Army after earning his degree. The Vietnam veteran flew helicopters and served at the Pentagon during his military career, retiring as colonel in 1985. He was the author of The Butler Report, a 16-page statistical analysis of the Army’s officer evaluation rating system. The findings of the report revealed startling disparities in the ratings given to officers based on race. These disparate ratings showed a devastating impact on Black officers’ advancement potential, and, ultimately, their underrepresentation in the leadership of the Army’s officer corps. A longtime Mason benefactor, Butler established the Butler Family Endowment in Women’s Athletics in 2010. The fund now totals more than $125,000. Butler is survived by his wife, three daughters, and two grandchildren. Edwin A. Fleishman, professor emeritus of psychology, passed away on February 17 at the age of 93. An internationally renowned industrial and organizational psychologist and prolific author on the subject, Fleishman was a World War II U.S. Navy veteran who went on to work for the U.S. Air Force. His role included participating in the design of the cockpit of the first capsule for the Project Mercury Program and developing a program to increase motor skills efficiency for Air Force pilots. As a professor in Yale’s psychology department, he founded the human skills research laboratory and published the book Psychology and Human Performance, which helped delineate the most effective exercises to achieve physical fitness. Fleishman was a Guggenheim fellow and a guest lecturer around the world. He joined Mason’s faculty in 1986 and founded the Center for Behavioral and Cognitive Studies. He is survived by his wife, two sons, a brother, and two grandchildren. Bruce Earl Johnson, BS Biology ’70, of Henrico, Virginia, passed away at home surrounded by family on May 21, 2021. He was 72. Bruce is survived by his wife of 49 years, Mariann Hilts Johnson, BS Biology ’71, who he met at Mason. Together, the Johnsons enthusiastically supported numerous Mason functions and fundraising events for more than 35 years. Bruce served on the George Mason University Foundation Board of Trustees and as a member of the Finance Committee, along with other volunteer positions. The couple was recognized for their generosity with the Alumni Association’s Alumni Service Award in 2007. There is also a Mariann and Bruce Johnson Award for biology students in Mason’s College of Science. Bruce was a practicing OB-GYN physician in Richmond for 40 years, during which time he estimated he delivered more than 3,000 babies. He is also survived by a son, a daughter, and four grandsons.