George Mason University Congratulates Four Faculty Inducted into the Virginia Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine
Four George Mason faculty members have been elected to the Virginia Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (VASEM) and were recognized at the 2025 VASEM Annual Summit held at the Virginia Tech Institute for Advanced Computing, in Alexandria, Virginia on Sept. 30 - Oct. 1.
Since 1863, the National Academies have tapped the expertise and experience of the nation’s most accomplished and innovative leaders in science, engineering, and medicine and tasked them with providing nonpartisan, objective guidance to decision-makers across the nation on the most difficult, challenging issues of the day. In 2013, with the support of Sen. Mark Warner, National Academy members and other key individuals from Virginia formed a similar group to serve the Commonwealth by providing nonpartisan, objective guidance to decision-makers in Virginia. According to its website, the VASEM is charged to inform and educate the state’s executive branch agencies, as well as its residents, on issues related to policy, the economy, and quality of life. The organization also promotes research, the application of knowledge, and engagement of future generations.
The 2025 elected class includes two George Mason University College of Science faculty and two College of Engineering faculty
Missy Cummings, PhD
Professor College of Engineering and Computing, Director of the Responsible AI program and Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center
Cummings’ research interests include the application of artificial intelligence to safety-critical systems, assured autonomy, human-systems engineering, and the ethical and social impact of technology. She holds faculty appointments in the Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Computer Science departments. A naval officer and military pilot from 1988 to 1999, she was one of the U.S. Navy’s first female fighter pilots. She is a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and recently served as the senior safety advisor to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Dr. Lance Allen Liotta MD, PhD
Distinguished University Professor College of Science, School of Systems Biology
Prior to joining George Mason in 2005 as the Co-Director of the Center For Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine, Liotta served in the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, as Chief of the Laboratory of Pathology, Chief of the Section of Tumor Invasion and Metastasis, and NIH Deputy Director of Intramural Research. As a very highly cited ISI investigator, he is recognized internationally for his pioneering work in the molecular mechanisms of cancer invasion and metastasis, and as an inventor of medical research analytical tools in the fields of laser microdissection, proteomics, biomarker discovery, and personalized therapy. He received the NIH PHS Distinguished Service Award and Commendation Medal, and the US Surgeons General Medallion. In 2015 he received the Society for Higher Education in Virginia (SHEV) Outstanding Faculty Award, the George Mason Dean’s Challenge Award in 2021, and the 2023 Lifetime Innovation Award. He is a Fellow in the American Institute for Medical and Biomedical Engineering.
Elise Miller-Hooks, PhD
Professor College of Engineering and Computing, Bill and Eleanor Hazel Endowed Chair in Infrastructure Engineering, Chair of the Sid & Reva Dewberry Department of Civil, Environmental & Infrastructure Engineering
Miller-Hooks was a program director at the National Science Foundation and is a former faculty member at the University of Maryland, Pennsylvania State University, and Duke University. Her research applies operations research concepts to transportation and infrastructure, with emphasis on disaster protection and resilience. Miller-Hooks served on the U.S. Congress-initiated Transportation Resilience Metrics Committee for the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine and as chair for the 2023 Roundtable on Transport System Resilience at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s International Transport Forum. She is founding editor-in-chief of Sustainability Analytics and Modeling and has advised the World Bank.
Jagadish Shulka PhD
Distinguished University Professor Emeritus, College of Science, Atmospheric, Oceanic and Earth Science
During his time at George Mason, Shukla founded the Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Earth Science and the Climate Dynamics Doctoral Program. His research on monsoons, deforestation, and climate predictability led to the concept of predictability in the midst of chaos, and he contributed to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, which shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. Shukla has authored over 250 scientific papers and received honors including India’s Padma Shri Award, the Walker Gold Medal, NASA’s Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal of the Indian Meteorological Society (IMS), the Rossby Medal, and the International Meteorological Prize. He serves as a fellow of the IMS and an associate fellow of the World Academy of Sciences and the Indian Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change. Shukla and his wife, Anastasia, founded Gandhi Degree College in his home village in India to empower rural students, especially women, through education.
