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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.
Features
Studying Coral Reef Ecology in the Bahamas
By Colleen Kearney Rich on July 18, 2016
Can you earn credit while swimming with sharks? Yes, you can. For the past 13 years, School of Integrative Studies professors Greg Justice and Tom Wood have been traveling to the Bahamas each summer with students for their Coral Reef Ecology class. In the 3-credit course, students learn about reef ecosystems while living on board…
Building a Water Distribution System in Nicaragua
By Colleen Kearney Rich on July 18, 2016
Led by civil engineering major Rony Avalos, the Mason Engineers for International Development spent part of spring semester designing a new water distribution system for an orphanage in Nicaragua that supports 300 children, and planning for their May trip to install it. This was the group’s sixth trip to Nicaragua, although the projects have been in different locations throughout the country.
Continue Reading Building a Water Distribution System in Nicaragua
Learning Hindi in India
By Colleen Kearney Rich on July 18, 2016
This summer, global affairs major Beverly Harp is traveling to India for the fifth time. Two of her trips were partially funded by Critical Language Scholarships from the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Working in Public Health in Swaziland
By Colleen Kearney Rich on July 18, 2016
Community and global health major Erica Street, MPH ’16, admits she couldn’t have pointed out Swaziland on a map before traveling there last summer. But after hearing classmate Shannon Turner, MPH ’15, talk about her work in the south African country during the summer of 2014, Street knew she had to go there for her practicum.
In the Lyme Light
By Colleen Kearney Rich on July 18, 2016
Artist and writer David Michael Conner, BA English ’01, MFA Creative Writing ’09, knew something was wrong with him in early 2010. He was suffering from cluster headaches, temporary leg paralysis, double vision, panic attacks, hearing fluctuations, and bouts of fatigue so extreme he couldn’t drag himself out of bed. After years of enduring a battery of tests and struggling to get a concrete diagnosis—all while trying to work a full-time job in spite of his many symptoms—Conner discovered that all of his health issues traced back to an inadequate course of antibiotics he took for Lyme disease at the age of 18. Now Conner is speaking out internationally about Lyme disease and advocating for those who are chronically ill with it.
Lyme Disease Bites
By Michele McDonald on July 14, 2016
But a new test can now detect it earlier so treatment can start sooner.
Giovanna Chesler on the Diversity Crisis in the Film Industry
By Mason Spirit contributor on May 11, 2016
What does it mean to teach a diverse group of students a craft in an inaccessible industry? Filmmaker Giovanna Chesler has asked herself this question frequently over the past 15 years of university teaching.
Continue Reading Giovanna Chesler on the Diversity Crisis in the Film Industry
A Hollywood Remake, Mason Style
By Colleen Kearney Rich on May 10, 2016
Mason’s growing Film and Video Studies Program is incredibly diverse in an industry that isn’t. Director Giovanna Chesler is building a competitive film program that she hopes the Hollywood film industry will one day resemble.
Helping Military Kids Feel at Ease in the Classroom
By Pam McKeta on May 6, 2016
Deployments and frequent moves are just a few of the battles military children face. Mason is preparing teachers to support them and help them succeed.
Continue Reading Helping Military Kids Feel at Ease in the Classroom
Engineering Safer Bridge Inspections
By Michele McDonald on April 29, 2016
Mason engineering professor and students test a new technique in Alaska to inspect aging bridges
that is easier and safer, not withstanding the occasional wildlife encounter.
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