Student Spotlights

Meet Oliver Denaburg, graduate student and teaching assistant pursuing his Master’s in Forensic Science, with a concentration in Crime Scene Investigation. After watching shows like CSI: Miami, Denaburg was hooked to forensic science. He chose MasonScience thanks to our top-notch facilities and equipment like the Crime Scene House and the FARO 3D laser scanners. Some of his fondest memories of being a part of the program include working at the Research and Training Laboratory and working with the individuals from FAROTechnologies. In fact, Denaburg has started his research on the comparison of firearm trajectory determinations by using traditional hand measurements and the FARO 3D scanners. Thanks to all the opportunities and training provided by our Forensic faculty and partners, Denaburg will undeniably be a stand-out candidate when applying to crime scene units in the area after graduation.

This StudentSpotlight features Maddie Bowers, graduate student in the gmuforensicscience program. Bowers decided to pursue forensic science due to her love for DNA and genetics. Some of her favorite moments in the program include being in the DNA lab where they got to analyze the DNA profiles they worked on all semester. Bowers encourages anyone who is considering a Forensic Science degree to check out our Mason Forensic Science Program. With so many amazing opportunities, hands-on learning, crime scene investigation, and experienced professors, it’s a one-of-a-kind experience. After earning her Bachelor’s in Forensic Science this past spring, and now working to earn her Master’s in Forensic Biology, along with her DNA research internship, she will be well-prepared for her future career in the forensic DNA field.

Learn more about the program forensic.gmu.edu

MasonScience congratulates, Sky Ratcliffe, incoming doctoral student, for being one of four students to earn the 2022 Graduate Inclusion and Access Scholarship. Thanks to this scholarship, Ratcliffe is set to start their Mathematics PhD program this fall. 

Meet Melissa Miliam, GeorgeSquared alumna. She recently completed the GeorgeSquared Advanced Biomedical Sciences Program in May 2022 and is set to complete her Master’s in Physiology Georgetown University. Why did she choose the G2 program? “It’s the perfect program for students who want to pursue careers in health,” stated Miliam, “and it’s a learning environment established on compassion and support.” Prior to starting the program, she struggled with feelings of doubt and imposter syndrome. After completing the program, she has become an entirely new person. Not only did she learn the study skills needed for medical school, but she became a more confident student.

To any student considering applying to the program, “it could be the best decision they make for themselves,” Miliam says, “The program will give them the confidence they need to succeed in their future endeavors and the skills necessary to do so as well.”

Did you know road salt gets rid of ice, snow…and ecosystems? Meet Maggie Walker, a Mason Biology, Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, and Honors College student studying the negative effects of road salt on our environment. Road salt has been touted as a lifesaver when it comes to combatting icy roads. Yet using this snow-melting mineral has a dark side once it enters waterways. Read more here.

Mason Science congratulates Jordan Sims, second year PhD student, Environmental Science and Policy, for earning an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. Sims, a student in The Salerno Lab, is studying microbial ecology of coral reef ecosystems to better understand the role that bacteria play in coral reproduction and disease. The fellowship will fund her ongoing project, “Understanding the Bacterial and Environmental Drivers of Stony Coral Settlement.” Read more about this exciting achievement here.

Congratulations to the Mason team for winning second place for their presentation on Addressing Hunger with Bits and Bytes, the theme of the 2021 Virtual Virginia Datathon. The team, with Faysal Shaikh, MS student, Computational and Data Sciences, as team leader, also included Bikram Adhikari, PhD student, Computer Science; Amira Al-Khulaidy, PhD student, Computational Social Sciences; Kokou Wilfried Letsou, PhD student, Computational Science and Informatics; and Luke Palmieri, BS student, Computational and Data Sciences. The Mason team analyzed available data, in one scenario taking into account car ownership (or lack thereof) and reasonable access to a grocery store. Presentations were judged on impact, innovation, feasibility, completeness of idea, and presentation. 

Carissa Hunter, a Ph.D. Student studying Chemistry and Biochemistry at the #MasonScience, has volunteered with the Committee of Minority Affairs for a year. Composed of chemists from local universities, Hunter joined the American Chemical Society to become more involved and share important skills she learned while working with the Minority Affairs Committee. Hunter said, “I am really excited to see how far the Minority Affairs committee can grow…” Read more about Hunter’s story here.

Watch a glimpse of Hunter's graduate school journey.

Congratulations to Samantha Lawrence, Computational and Data Sciences, for being awarded the Stanley Zoltek Memorial Scholarship. The Stanley Zoltek Memorial scholarship is an award established in memory of Dr. Stanley Zoltek, a professor at George Mason from 1980 to 2018. Lawrence said, "Paving my own way as a first-generation college student is difficult. This scholarship was a big deal for me..." Learn more about Lawrence's story.