GGS 2019-2020 Academic Awards
Highest Overall GPA - Bryce Collier
The Department of Geography and Geoinformation Sciences presents this award to Bryce Collier. This annual award recognizes the undergraduate student with the highest overall GPA.
"I wanted to go to Mason since an 8th-grade field trip and chose geography because I knew a few career paths with it and I enjoyed the subject. I plan to go right into work at the place I interned at when this pandemic is over."
Highest GGS GPA Award - Alana Bosco
The Department of Geography and Geoinformation Sciences presents this award to Alana Bosco. This annual award recognizes the undergraduate student with the highest GPA in GGS courses.
"Alana Bosco has thoroughly enjoyed each moment she has spent at George Mason University in the Department of Geography and GeoInformation Science. She has been pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in geography since her freshman year, in addition to pursuing a minor in intelligence analysis. After taking her first geography class as an elective, she changed her major to geography. Since that day, she has never doubted or regretted that decision despite the challenges she has faced. Her ambition and acquired skillset have allowed her to excel in her studies at George Mason University. Her passion for geography has grown with every course taken, every class attended, every hour spent in the GGS lab, and every map created. As a graduating senior, the celebration is bittersweet. As much as she will miss the wonderful faculty and mentors in the GGS Department that truly made a difference in her life, she is excited to start her career as a geography and GIS professional. Looking forward to a bright future, Alana says thank you to the amazing professors that shaped her life and went above and beyond to make her who she is today. She will never forget the mentors and colleagues that helped her along the way and made her time with the Department of Geography and GeoInformation Science a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
Outstanding Senior Award - Amy Rose-Tejwani
The Department of Geography and Geoinformation Sciences presents this award to Amy Rose-Tejwani. This annual award recognizes the graduating senior who has shown exemplary skills beyond their commitment to academics.
"I graduated cum laude from The Honors College at George Mason University with a BS in Geography and minors in Aviation Flight Training & Management and Systems Engineering & Operations Research. I am in the MS program in Geoinformatics and Spatial Intelligence where I serve as a Graduate Teaching Assistant. Additionally, I work part-time as an Aviation Systems Engineer at MITRE and as an Explainer at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. I chose Mason for the award-winning GGS department, culture of embracing diversity, and abundant opportunities for personal and professional growth. I knew I made the right choice when I met astronaut Tim Kopra on campus during my first week of freshman year."
Outstanding Service Award - YoLani Martin
The Department of Geography and Geoinformation Sciences presents this award to YoLani Martin. This annual award recognizes the graduating student who has gone above and beyond in response to the department's needs, bith in and out of the classroom.
"When I first stepped onto the campus of George Mason University (GMU) as a freshman, I had no road map for what I wanted to study. My main focus was a field that allowed me to use geospatial science after taking a course on it in high school. However, that blind wandering changed after an evening in a physical geology class. Professor Kysar Mattietti played a video where a geologist stopped a construction crew from working on a road, saying that with the poor weather conditions that a mudslide would occur. After saving this crew with nothing more than geology and geography knowledge, I realized that whatever I decided to do in my career I would apply what I learned to make an impact in someone else's life. With my double major degree in Geology and Geography, I plan to continue assisting others in any way I can. I have had the opportunity to volunteer and serve others through the humanitarian mapping club, Mason Mappers; the Geology Club; and the honor society, Alpha Lambda Delta. I have also had the privilege to intern with the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Division of Solid Minerals for the past 3 years. This has allowed me to see the importance of balancing environmental conservation with acquiring energy resources for our country. I will be utilizing the knowledge I have obtained from GMU and BLM this summer with ESRI as I intern with them as a Solutions Engineer in the National Government Environmental Science and Civilian team. Though I am sad to be closing this chapter of my life, I am excited to see what the future holds. If I have learned anything from the GGS Department and GMU, it is this: whatever you do, do it with heart and passion. I am eternally grateful for all that I have learned from my professors, my fellow students, and most importantly my parents for granting me the resources and opportunity to attain my education. "
Outstanding Certificate Student Award - Jonathan Haas
The Department of Geography and Geoinformation Sciences presents this award to Jonathan Haas. This annual award recognizes the graduate certificate student with the highest overall GPA.
"I chose Mason because I was excited by the variety of work going on in the GGS department. I wanted the opportunity to work with experts in all the sub-disciplines of geography with the strong belief that this would help make me the most well- rounded scientist possible."
Outstanding Masters Student Award - Jeffrey Heuwinkel
The Department of Geography and Geoinformation Sciences presents this award to Jeffrey Heuwinkel. This award recognizes the Masters student with the highest overall GPA.
"Geography, Cartography, and GIS has always been an interest of mine. The outdoors has always been a major part of my life which has always involved maps and physical geography, which probably led me to this field. I love seeing data visually and discovering patterns that might not have been seen. I hope to develop a career in analyzing transportation and human movement, especially in urban areas. In my free time, I will continue to enjoy and improve my tennis and cooking skills. The thing I loved most about Mason is the diversity on campus. Mason really does bring the world to campus and I'll miss being surrounded by such diversity."
Outstanding PhD Student Award - Md. Shahinoor Rahman
The Department of Geography and Geoinformation Sciences presents this award to Md. Shahinoor Rahman. This award recognizes the PhD student with the highest overall GPA, with emphasis to those who have published work.
"Dr. Md. Shahinoor Rahman is the recipient of this year's Outstanding Ph.D. Student Award by the GGS Awards Committee at Mason for his excellence in the studies, prolific track record of scholarly publications, and his commitment toward the future of geography field. Dr. Rahman believes in the quote by Robert Boyce, "Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied. Therefore, he devoted his life to research and teaching to develop more human resources and generate new knowledge in the field of geography and geoinformation. A former Assistant Professor of the apex engineering university in Bangladesh, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dr. Rahman completed his Ph.D. from Mason in December. Right after graduation, he received multiple job offers from several research organizations and universities and he chose to join the Department of Earth and Environmental Science at William J. Maxwell College of Arts & Sciences of New Jersey City University (NJCU) as Assistant Professor from Fall, 2020. Before starting his doctoral program in the Department of Geography and Geoinformation Science (GGS) at Mason in 2015, Dr. Rahman completes his undergraduate in Urban and Regional Planning from BUET and masters in Regional Development Planning jointly offered by TU-Dortmund, Germany and Universidad Austral de Chile with full scholarship from German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). At Mason, he primarily specializes in the application of remote sensing (RS) and geographic information science (GIS) in natural hazard assessment, natural resource management (e.g. water, agriculture, and environment), climate change impact assessment, and urban studies. His dissertation focuses on remote sensing-based rapid flood crop loss assessment. Dr. Rahman received Ph.D. admission offers from several universities in the UK, Australia, and the USA and he was drawn to Mason because of the rich graduate curriculum focusing on advanced geoinformation science here. He was very much intrigued by Mason’s core institutional characteristics that value students, diversity, and innovation, and he could see a true translation of those when he arrived here. He believes he has got a breakthrough in his career because of the mentorship of his supervisor Prof. Liping Di. Dr. Rahman blends his strength in both academic and research knowledge. His excellent research and writing skills and knowledge of geography and geoinformation science earned him 13 peer-reviewed journal articles publication, where he is the first author in seven of them. He has also contributed 23 full-length conference proceedings and two technical reports among these he is the first author of seven proceedings. He also contributed to eight conference abstract presentations. All of these promises to make significant contributions to the literature, research, and future of the geography field. A self-motivated, collaborative, and devoted student and a teacher, Dr. Rahman has several accomplishments such as honors, awards, and fellowships. He was an invited speaker at the International Conference on the Rohingya Crisis in Comparative Perspective held in University College London (UCL), which had a nationwide impact in Bangladesh and beyond because of the Rohingya crisis at that time. He received two awards Agro-Geoinformatics Young Scientist Award 2017 and GIS Day Best Poster Award 2018. He also the recipient of the UNAVCO fellowship to attend a short course at the University of California San Diego. Always in academic good standing, Dr. Rahman was awarded a grant from the DAAD to attend a winter school at Universidad Austral de Chile. He received a GPA of 4.00 (A or A+ grades) in all course works at GMU. He also received superior for his Ph.D. dissertation and defense. Dr. Rahman believes, at Mason, students and faculties work together to nurture a positive and collaborative environment that contributes to the well-being and success of every member that helped the making of himself as an engaged citizen, well-rounded scholar and prepared personality to act upon. He also compliments his beloved wife Sudha and daughter Mrimoyee for always being there and support him."
