Trailblazers

In January, Nikyatu Jusu, assistant professor of directing and screenwriting in Mason’s Film and Video Studies Program, had her first feature film, “Nanny,” premier at the Sundance Film Festival, where she was awarded the Grand Jury Prize.

For the past decade, Mason alum Germán Perilla, cofounder and director of the Honey Bee Initiative, has led Mason’s honey bee efforts.

George Mason University alum Charniele L. Herring has made history with her barrier-breaking career in Virginia state politics.

George Mason University’s Edward Maibach is one of the most influential scientists working on climate change.

A remarkable journey has brought Mason Professor Jagadish Shukla from his childhood in rural India to world prominence as a climate researcher.

When the George Mason University senior Dacheka Kolcum heard about the August 2021 earthquake that devastated Haiti, she immediately jumped into action to help by creating a GoFundMe page that raised $5,000 to help provide basic necessities for those most adversely impacted by quake.

As a forensic nurse and former death investigator State of Maryland’s medical examiner’s office, Mason researcher Katherine Scafide has long served people who fell victim to violence.

George Mason University sociology student Charlotte Woodward has tirelessly advocated for the rights of people with disabilities—and she is being recognized for her efforts.

In 1986, Mason alum Kim Crabbe became the first Black woman called up to the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team. Decades later, she’s still giving back to the sport she loves.

Robinson Professor of Physics James Trefil is a huge proponent of science literacy and has written extensively about science for a lay audience. With his colleague, Robinson Professor of Earth Science Robert Hazen, he created and taught Great Ideas in Science, a popular course for nonscience majors.