Category: News

Concrete Possibilities Create 4-VA Match

In the construction trades, engineers and builders are constantly pursuing concrete mixes that provide greater durability and strength. Structures and roadways that stand stronger and last longer are key to their success. Moreover, concrete adaptations that are biodegradable and non-toxic with reduced greenhouse gas emissions attract even more attention. Could there be a cherry on top? If the adaptation results in lower production costs.

It was this proposition that brought Xijin “Emma” Zhang, an Assistant Professor in George Mason University’s Department of Civil, Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering, together with Bryan Berger, a Professor UVA’s Chemical Engineering Department.

When Zhang — who specializes in fungi-mediated self-healing concrete — found Dr. Berger at UVA via the National Science Foundation search tool, she immediately recognized that Berger’s extensive experience in producing various biosurfactants from fungi would create the perfect match for a 4-VA research team.

Zhang’s goal was to test concrete by incorporating Superabsorbent Polymers (SAP) — hydrogels used for internal curing to reduce shrinkage and improve durability. Berger was up for the challenge.

Together, they were interested in looking closer at these concrete possibilities.

To do so, Zhang developed a proposal for 4-VA funding titled “Multifunctional Fungi-Based Biosurfactants for Durable Concrete Structures.” Their plan was to do a barrage of experiments injecting biosurfactants (HFBI), derived from engineered yeast strain, to demonstrate the feasibility of HFBI as a sustainable alternative to conventional air-entraining agents. This research would demand careful study and analysis with particular attention to air content and workability.

Once the proposal was approved, Zhang and Berger assembled a team of students to help deliver the project:

Junyi Wang (GRA) – George Mason University – responsible for experiment design, mortar testing (workability, air content, compressive strength), data analysis, and draft manuscript preparation.
Mack A. Kinkeade – University of Virginia – supported biosurfactant extraction and purification.
Lixin Wang – George Mason University – assisted with sample testing.

Two George Mason University undergraduate students – Phillip Christovaladi Vasilakopoulos and Rafferty Houghton – volunteered their time on the project, gaining critical research experience.

“This 4-VA project provided valuable research opportunities for students at multiple levels, including graduate, undergraduate, and even at the high school level. Their involvement not only enriched their academic experiences but also helped build a strong pipeline of future researchers,” said Zhang.

High school students at the FOCUS Summer Camp learned about the 4-VA team’s work on biosurfactants and their applications in civil engineering. They also participated in experiments where they use surfactants to generate air bubbles and observe their unique properties.

Following a year of lab work, the team did prove their hypothesis — HFBI is a sustainable alternative to established air-entraining agents in concrete.

Surface morphology and height cloud map of the three groups of samples under a microscope. The blue-purple coloring on the surface indicates pores.

Zhang was then able to share their results with a variety of interested organizations including the American Concrete Institute and Brookhaven National Lab, and the Federal Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center. Explains Zhang, “These presentations at conferences and national labs helped us connect with industry partners and broadened the impact of our work.”

Zhang sees the 4-VA experience as a success on many levels including relationship building. “The 4-VA@Mason funding was instrumental in launching a meaningful and sustained collaboration with Dr. Berger at UVA,” says Zhang. “Since the start of this project, we have co-developed and submitted 3-4 research proposals to NSF, DOE, and USDA over the past year, some of which were directly inspired by the findings of this 4-VA initiative.”

George Mason and UVA Researchers Look into the Future of Hydrogen Sensors

As underwater, aerial, and ground unmanned vehicles and wearable power systems continue to play a growing role on our technology horizons, it is critical that the fuel cells necessary to power these systems operate safely, while providing durable and optimal performance. Key to this function are high-performance hydrogen sensors which monitor leakage, energy efficiency, and durability under a wide range of operating temperatures, pressures, and humidity levels.

Currently, palladium-based electrochemical hydrogen sensors are primarily used, however, it is acknowledged they often exhibit low sensitivity, a slow response rate, and mechanical instability. Although graphene-Pd hybrid materials are emerging as a better solution for hydrogen sensing, questions remain regarding their efficacy.

That was the crux of the request for 4-VA funding from Department of Mechanical Engineering’s Pilgyu Kang of George Mason University and Stephen Baek in the University of Virginia’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Kang saw an important opportunity to explore this new avenue in hydrogen sensing, but also saw the need to integrate Baek’s expertise in scientific machine learning to identify optimal design parameters — including nanoparticle size, distribution, surface coverage, and porosity — that govern the sensor’s sensitivity, response time, and long-term stability.

Kang

After months of wide-ranging study, Kang is pleased with the results of the collaboration. By using scientific machine learning, the team can predict how changes in material design affect sensor performance. This helps them quickly test many design possibilities and find the best combinations—something that would take much longer with experiments alone.

“Our research team has made exciting progress in developing advanced materials for next-generation gas sensors. We’ve created and tested nanocomposites made from laser-induced graphene and metal nanoparticles to improve how sensors respond to light and detect gases like hydrogen and methane. The materials we’ve developed show promising photo response behavior, which is a key step toward building compact, highly sensitive sensors for environmental and industrial use,” explains Kang.

Since the initial proposal, Kang credits two added outside collaborators as keys to their success: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and N5 Sensors — both providing important platforms to explore potential commercialization paths.

Sensor researchers Peter Snapp and Mahmooda Sultana at NASA GSFC collaborated with the research team on the development of a methane gas sensor. They provided expertise in space-relevant sensing technologies and contributed guidance on performance requirements, testing protocols, and potential integration pathways for aerospace applications. Says Kang, “This collaboration strengthens the translational potential of the 4-VA-supported laser-induced graphene nanocomposite sensing platform for real-world and extreme environment use cases.”

N5 Sensors engaged with the research team to offer industry insight into the commercialization potential of the laser-induced graphene-based sensor platform. Their involvement included feedback on sensor integration strategies, performance metrics relevant to the market, and potential pathways for transitioning the research from lab-scale prototypes to scalable, deployable systems.

The George Mason University component of the team included Peter Cho, from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, who volunteered his time to evaluate the hydrogen sensing performance of the developed materials and advising on sensors relevant to fuel cell applications.

Kang credits four undergraduate students from the Department of Mechanical Engineering who made significant contributions to the project and benefited from rich experiential opportunities:

Philip Acatrinei shared key material and device integration techniques—particularly in the use of laser-induced graphene and nanocomposite fabrication for advanced sensor platforms.
Graham Harper studied laser-induced graphene and nanocomposite materials for optoelectronic sensing applications.
Noemi Lily Umanzor helped to validate the broader versatility and cross-disciplinary potential of the materials and manufacturing approaches developed in the project.
Diego Enrique Colmenarez performed experimental tasks involving the laser manufacturing and characterization of graphene-based nanocomposites. For his work, Colmenarez received the “Outstanding Project Award” at the College of Engineering and Computing Undergraduate Research Celebration. He also presented the subject at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Undergraduate Research Symposium on Dynamics, Vibration & Acoustics.

CEC Dean Kenneth Ball and Associate Dean Jill Nelson flanking Colmaneraz at the awards ceremony.

The team has already had two published papers on the project, in the Journal of Materials Chemistry C and Advanced Science. However, Kang sees the 4-VA project as a launching pad for much more; noting, “The funding provided the essential support needed to launch a high-risk, high-reward interdisciplinary research project that might not have been possible through traditional funding channels alone. It enabled a new and productive collaboration between GMU and UVA, bringing together complementary expertise in laser manufacturing and AI-driven material design. The funding also created valuable hands-on research opportunities for undergraduate students. Beyond advancing the technical goals, the support from 4-VA has helped position our team for larger external funding, fostered long-term partnerships, and demonstrated how collaborative, cross-institutional work can drive real innovation.”

4-VA@Mason Awards 14 Grants

Faculty across George Mason University are leading or participating in innovative new projects to further research and education this academic year, thanks to grants recently awarded by 4-VA, a statewide consortium of nine higher education institutions in Virginia.

“The core purpose of 4-VA is to improve efficiencies in higher education and launch novel research via collaborations that leverage the strengths of each university,” says 4-VA@Mason Campus Coordinator and Vice Provost of Academic Affairs Janette Muir. “Through 4-VA, we encourage teamwork to bring great ideas to fruition.”

During 25-26, 4-VA is funding four Collaborative Research Grants led by faculty at George Mason University (partner schools in parentheses):

-Younsung Kim: COS (via support from the entire 4-VA Statewide Consortium), Designing Experiential Learning Modules for Stormwater Management and Climate Adaptation via Spatial Analysis Tools (UVA, VT)

-Quentin Sanders: CEC, Enhancing Daily Living Activities in Stroke Survivors Through Semi-Autonomous Hand Exoskeletons with Multi-Modal Sensing (UVA)

– Shaghayegh (Shay) Bagheri: CEC, Bio-Inspired Metamaterials: Design for Additive Manufacturing (VT, VCU)

-Yanika Kowitlawakul: CPH, Development and integration of Escape Room games to enhance undergraduate nursing students’ collaboration, problem-solving skills, and academic performance (UVA, VCU)

The following researchers have received 4-VA Complementary Grants to support projects managed at partner schools (partner school in parentheses):

-Silvia Danielak: Carter School, Environmental Peacebuilding as an approach for promoting just and sustainable Data Center governance in Virginia (JMU)

-David Luther: COS, Sound Ecology: Acoustic Niche Partitioning and the effects of 17-year cicadas on avian communities across an urban gradient (JMU)

-Armita Kar: COS, Safe Streets: AI-Powered Digital Twin Framework for Enhancing Urban Pedestrian Safety (VT)

-Ziwei Zhu: CEC, Towards Fair Decision Systems: Augmenting LLMs with Causual Graph Discovery (UVA)

-Ethan Ahn: CEC, CMOS-CIM Collaboration on CMOS+Xarrays for Compute-in-Memory (UVA)

-Xijin “Emma” Zhang: CEC, Safety Machine Learning-Driven Bio-Upcycling of Waste Concrete into High-Value Materials (VT)

-Tamara A. Maddox: CEC, Designing a Classroom Platform for Accountable Use of Generative AI in Writing (VT)

-Gregory Stein: CEC, Leveraging Digital Twin Environments and AI-Embodied Reasoning Models for Human-Robot Collaboration in Construction Tasks (VT)

Additionally, George Mason University faculty members were awarded grants to support course redesign, created to bring updated/relevant materials cost-efficiently to students.

-Tammy Stitz, University Libraries (assisted by James Baldo, Bernard Schmidt, and Susan Lawrence): DAEN 690: Data Analytics Engineering

-Sara-Lynn Gopalkrishna: CEC CS 108: Introduction to Computer Programming

In addition to George Mason University, other institutions in the 4-VA consortium are: Christopher Newport University, the College of William and Mary, James Madison University, Old Dominion University, Radford University, the University of Virginia, Virginia Military Institute, and Virginia Tech.

George Mason University’s Younsung Kim to Lead State 4-VA Cross-Institutional Course Redesign and Experiential Learning Project

Younsung Kim

In a first-of-its-kind statewide program, the 4-VA partnership of ten higher education institutions in Virginia has awarded George Mason University Professor Younsung Kim a grant to conduct collaborative multidisciplinary research with colleagues at partner 4-VA schools. The results will then be implemented as learning modules into undergraduate courses.

Although 4-VA has awarded Collaborative Research Grants for more than ten years, the grants have been funded separately by each institution. This new 4-VA effort is the first to be supported collectively by the statewide partnership and has added a course redesign and experiential learning element. The project will include faculty members from George Mason, Virginia Tech, and the University of Virginia with a focus to grow 4-VA’s collaborative research success.

Specifically, Kim’s proposal, “Designing Experiential Learning Modules for Stormwater Management and Climate Adaptation via Spatial Analysis Tools,” plans to use spatial mapping tools to incorporate appropriate green infrastructure to best reduce the effects of stormwater runoff. From there, the team will migrate the information into environmental policy coursework at their respective institutions, and plans to ultimately make the content available statewide.

Kim, a member of George Mason’s Department of Environmental Science and Policy for 15 years, will collaborate with UVA’s B. Brian Park, professor in Civil & Environmental Engineering and Systems & Information Engineering, and Mintai Kim in VT’s College of Architecture, Arts, and Design. Also joining the team is George Mason PhD student Colin Chadduck.

In reviewing the proposal, 4-VA evaluators noted Kim’s proposition as a standout, citing a number of key factors, including ‘addresses an important topic affecting the state and beyond,’ ‘inherent interdisciplinary approach incorporating science policy, data science techniques, and architecture,’ and ‘lends itself to creative cross-school collaborations — and the experiential module will be incredibly useful.’

“I am delighted and honored to accept this award as we work together across the commonwealth to raise the bar for our faculty and students studying this important work,” says Kim. “As climate change is increasing faster than climate prediction models have suggested, it is critical that we place more emphasis on integrating green infrastructure in climate vulnerable regions. Together, we can tackle this critical challenge.”

In addition to George Mason, other schools in the 4-VA collective include Christopher Newport University, James Madison University, Old Dominion University, Radford University, the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Military Institute, Virginia Tech, and the College of William and Mary. 4-VA was established in 2010 upon the recommendation of the Governor’s Higher Education Commission and the Governor’s Commission on Economic Development and Job Creation to encourage collaboration in both education and research, leverage the strengths of each institution, and reduce working in silos.

State Working Group Chair Matt Banfield of UVA explains, “4-VA has a long track record of success with the Collaborative Research Grants program and we are excited to expand this model to support course redesign initiatives. 4-VA collaborative projects have built bridges between our institutions, nurtured hundreds of faculty and student relationships, provided valuable opportunities for experiential learning and hands-on research, and jumpstarted novel research projects that have gone on to receive national and international attention. We are looking forward to supporting this project proposed by Professor Kim and her team.”

Kim’s Research Team Joins State 4-VA Meeting

Course Redesign Using Game Playing Promotes Understanding of Data Base Management

Undergraduate computer science majors in the database management course at Virginia Military Institute (VMI) are now having fun learning Structured Query Language (SQL), through a unique game playing approach — bypassing the traditional educational methods of memorization and passive participation.

Although mastery of SQL is recognized as a necessary skill to manage a variety of data-intensive domains, it is acknowledged that the instructional methods have not evolved to address the learning challenges found in the course materials. Thanks to George Mason’s Jacob Enfield, in the College of Visual and Performing Arts and the Virginia Serious Game Institute, and Sherif Abdelhamid at VMI — along with a 4-VA grant — students at VMI are approaching SQL education in an entirely different way, and the results are impressive.

To add in the fun factor, Enfield and Abdelhamid created a ‘murder mystery’ game. As players advance through the game, they encounter a series of questions designed to test their SQL skills. Each correctly answered question brings the player closer to solving the mystery and reinforces concepts in a practical approach. The game provides a simulated real-world context in which learners apply their skills to solve an authentic problem within the simulated context of the game world. Additionally, the game incorporates common components that enhance engagement, such as story, goals, points, and increasing levels of challenge. The scoring system introduces a competitive element among players, as players answer more questions correctly their scores increase and they can advance to the next level. “With this approach, we were able to target today’s digital-native students, accommodating their preference for interactive, feedback-rich learning environments,” explains Enfield.

Supporting Enfield and Abdelhamid in the development of the system were Mason students Swetha Annapoorna and Ajay Addike, who built the web apps.

Student evaluations show that the new learning approach is working. Students liked the system’s engaging nature, competitive elements, visual simplicity, and interactive features. In addition, students rated the game highly for reinforcing SQL concepts learned in class. All students reported interest in understanding more about SQL due to the game. Says Abdelhamid, “A large majority of the students felt that this approach taught them to manage SQL problems strategically, which is essential for learning any programming language.”

With the successful course redesign under their belt, Enfield and Abdelhamid are now in the dissemination process. The course was featured at George Mason’s Innovations in Teaching and Learning Conference and presented at the Frontiers In Education Conference.

In another result of the collaboration, the Enfield and Abdelhamid relationship has proved fruitful, as the two have already received outside funding for a different project. “This 4-VA opportunity has helped me reach out to other universities and make connections I normally would not have made,” concludes Enfield. “And we were able to deliver a great new way to teach an important skill.”

4-VA Calls for Proposals: Course Redesign for Virginia Institutions of Higher Learning

4-VA statewide is now accepting proposals which provide new opportunities for course redesign. The consortium is interested in the collaborative development of specific course elements and sequence of courses, supporting faculty-led research that could inform a future course or program redesign effort, or support the convening of stakeholders throughout the commonwealth on the topic of course redesign and embedded experiential learning.

Faculty and staff from 4-VA’s member institutions are eligible to apply for a grant of up to $40,000. Proposals must involve at least three 4-VA institutions, with one institution designated as the Project Lead and the others as Co-Leads. Successful submissions will propose projects that impact more than one institution and are not duplicative of existing statewide efforts. Proposed projects must be available to share among all 4-VA members and accessible to a broader set of stakeholders.

Proposals are being accepted through November 1, 2024. Funding will be available in early January 2025 and the project must be substantially completed by June 30, 2026.

For more information and to access the submission link click here.

Seventeen George Mason Faculty Awarded 4-VA Grants

Through 4-VA@Mason, faculty from schools across George Mason University have embarked on new pilot research projects in collaboration with higher education institutions throughout Virginia. The 4-VA Collaborative Research Grants, first launched in the 2013-2014 academic year, are designed to forge relationships in Virginia higher education to leverage the strengths of each school, decrease working in silos, and launch novel research projects that can provide a springboard for future external funding. Other schools in the 4-VA system are the College of William and Mary, James Madison University, Old Dominion University, University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Military Institute, and Virginia Tech. Christopher Newport University is also participating in Collaborative Research Grants.

During the 2024-25 year, nine of the Collaborative Research Grants are being led at George Mason and 11 faculty members will serve as co-PIs for research spearheaded at partner institutions. Janette Kenner Muir, Vice Provost, Academic Affairs and Campus Coordinator of 4-VA@Mason, notes that the 24-25 proposals were especially strong, “Each year, we are more and more impressed with the breadth and depth of the proposals providing our faculty this unique opportunity.”

The 4-VA@Mason 2024-25 Collaborative Research Grant awardees, proposal title and partner schools (in parentheses) are:

Christova, Rosalina; College of Science, Department of Environmental Science and Policy and Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center – Integrative Characterization of the Anatoxin-a-Producing Benthic Cyanobacterial Genus Microcoleus in the Shenandoah River (UVA/Wise)

Croitoru, Arie; College of Science, Department of Computational and Data Sciences & Center for Social Complexity – Quantum-Inspired Modeling for Understanding Social Complexity (ODU)

Kabbani, Nadine; College of Science, School of Systems Biology – Proteomic profiling of molecular changes associated with chemotherapy induced neuropathy (VCU)
Lee, Myeong; College of Engineering and Computing, Department of Information Sciences and Technology – Understanding Multidimensional Measures of Social Capital: Impacts of Ethnic Heterogeneity, Social Classes, and Historical Legacies of Urban Policy (VCU)
Luke, Rayanne; College of Science, Department of Mathematical Sciences – Data-Driven Modeling of the Time-Dependent Immune Response to Infection and Vaccination (UVA)
Madden, Amanda; College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of History – Historical Mapathons: Team-Based GIS Training and Transformation of Seventeenth Century Maps (VT)
Nam, Sang; College of Visual and Performing Arts, Computer Game Design Program – Developing A Multimodal LLM AI Agent for the XR, Extended Reality Platform for Personalized and Highly Immersive Trauma Training (UVA)
Zhang, Xiaokuan; College of Engineering and Computing, Department of Computer Science – Uncovering Secrets from Virtual Reality Headsets via Electromagnetic Side Channels (VT)
Zhang, Xijin (Emma); College of Engineering and Computing, Department of Civil, Environmental and Structural Engineering – Multifunctional Fungi-Based Biosurfactants for Durable Concrete Structures (UVA)

The following Mason faculty received funding as Co-PIs for the 24-25 academic year collaborating with other 4-VA institutions (in parentheses):

Bagheri, Shaghayegh; Mechanical Engineering – MOMENTUM: Assessing the Merits of Personalized Feedback with Generative AI for Foundational Engineering Mechanics Courses (VT)
Bloom, Michael S.; Global and Community Health – A new green space exposure index utilizing AI methods and an eye-tracking device (VT)
Bray, Harrison and Lukyanenko, Anton; Mathematical Sciences – Collaborative workshops in topology (UVA)
Dong, Pei; Mechanical Engineering – Printing of Ultrathin Conductive Films on Liquid for 3D Wearable Electronic (UVA)
Otis, Jessica; History and Lawrence, Heidi; English/Medical Rhetoric – Human Dimensions of Infectious Diseases (VT)
Yang, Jingyuan; Costello College of Business – Building Machine Learning Resilience During Disasters (UVA)

NEH Award Expands 4-VA Piloted Project

The National Endowment for the Humanities recently awarded $220,000 to a project originally funded by 4VA@Mason to focus on a deeper approach to teaching the history of higher education in the United States. Thanks to 4-VA’s seed funding, this research developed at the state level will now be propelled onto a national platform.

“Reimagining the History of Higher Education in the Digital Age,” was awarded a 4-VA@Mason Collaborative Research Grant in 2020, proposed by professor of higher education Kelly Schrum. Virginia Tech assistant professor Chase Catalano also received a 4-VA Complementary Grant at that time to launch the project in Blacksburg.

Once off the ground in 2021, colleagues at William and Mary, James Madison, and Old Dominion were interested in joining the endeavor, with Ben Boone, Art Dean, and Kim Bullington and Bill Nuckols, respectively, at the helm. WM, JMU, and ODU faculty also received 4-VA support for their contribution to the research.

Collaborating with Schrum at Mason is Nate Sleeter, Director of Educational Projects at the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media.

Since the outset of the project, participating faculty, students, and student researchers have curated more than 100 primary sources, created asynchronous learning activities for the course, collected input from history of higher education instructors, and developed an extremely well-received database of resources for the project website, the History of Higher Education: An Open Educational Resource — higheredhistory.gmu.edu.

In addition to primary and secondary sources, the website contains an invaluable database of institutional archives with digitized historical content, including yearbooks. Seven hundred institutional archives are cataloged on the site, including 48 Hispanic-Serving Institutions, 24 Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and 15 women’s colleges. Additionally, the list includes 63 community colleges — especially important given the historic lack of attention to these institutions.

Recognizing the value of this new approach to more fully understand the history of higher education, the NEH grant will allow the 4-VA collaborators to expand the project https://unpacking.chss.gmu.edu/ and to conduct a Summer 2024 four-week institute, “Unpacking the History of Higher Education in the United States,” designed to improve the history of higher education courses nationally and to deepen humanities engagement among future higher education leaders.

“This project has been a wonderful exercise in collaboration and research,” concludes Schrum. “Working together and leveraging the resources at each university through 4-VA made this effort a success.”

4-VA@Mason Funding Smartphone App to Support Transfer Students

Over the past 10 years, 4-VA@Mason has bolstered efforts to smooth the transition for first-generation transfer students from NOVA to Mason via roles in ADVANCE, developing the Bachelor of Applied Science program, and aligning course subject content and objectives between NOVA and Mason. It was natural, then, for 4-VA@Mason to step in to fund a proposal for a novel smartphone-based augmented reality campus tour of Mason to help traditionally underserved transfer students.

The concept is being led by Kelly Schrum, a professor in Mason’s Higher Education Program in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Schrum has brought together a group of faculty members, undergraduate, and graduate students to put the plan into action. In addition, representatives from ADVANCE, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, and the First-Gen+ Center will also play a role in the project.

After reviewing the considerable research on common challenges facing transfer students, including the need to feel connected and find community, the group is developing a prototype of the app for prospective students to download. “After much research, we believe that an app of this type can go a long way to help make our transfer students more comfortable in the new Mason environment,” explains Schrum. “We are so pleased with the initial enthusiastic reception from students as well as our partners in this effort.”

Through the app, students will ‘meet’ a virtual character — wearing a First Gen Mason T-shirt — who welcomes them to Mason. Students will see a virtual panel where they will find questions and answers from current students and be invited to add their voice to the conversation. Encouraging words from the First Gen+ Center will appear on the screen, such as “You are the first, but you won’t be the last.”

The virtual character will encourage the student to walk toward the Johnson Center where a simulated First Gen+ table is set up for an ice cream social. The student will create a sundae — with Mason colors — while interacting with the character who will share fun facts about Mason regarding first gen transfer students and provide an overview of events and activities hosted by the First Gen+ Center. The student can ask questions, powered by a chatbot, and can also submit more personalized or in-depth questions that will be directed to the right department, such as Admissions or Success Coaching, all designed to make the students more comfortable with campus and their fellow students.

The prototype is being tested this winter with prospective students in coordination with ADVANCE. The Admissions office will distribute flyers about the app, place them in bags for transfer students, and highlight the app on transfer student tours.

“This is a great opportunity to help our new transfer students feel more comfortable with their transition to Mason, and get them off to the right start,” says Janette Muir, Vice Provost, Academic Affairs and 4-VA@Mason Campus Coordinator.

Following the beta testing, Schrum’s team will collect and analyze data with the goal of improving and expanding the prototype, contributing to scholarly research on using technology to improve student success, and applying for external funding.

4-VA@Mason Awards Funding for 12 Promising Investigations Led by Mason Faculty plus Eight Additional Collaborations for Mason Co-PIs

4-VA@Mason, announces the Collaborative Research Awards for the 23-24 academic year — with 12 projects spearheaded by Mason faculty, and eight for Mason faculty acting as Co-PIs. “These 4-VA@Mason Collaborative Research Grants are the core of what our state program is all about — providing seed funding to encourage faculty from our eight partner schools to launch novel research efforts and build critical relationships among the institutions,” said Janette Kenner Muir, Vice Provost, Academic Affairs and Campus Coordinator of 4-VA@Mason.

Approved proposals were from a range of colleges at Mason including the College of Visual and Performing Arts, Computer Game Design/Virginia Serious Game Institute; the College of Humanities and Social Sciences; the College of Engineering and Computing; and the College of Science.

One proposal funded this year is Dr. Chris Jones’ work, Using Taxonomic, Pigment, and Molecular Analysis to Characterize Algal Blooms in the Shenandoah River. Professor Jones, a member of the Environmental Science & Policy Department and Director of the Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center, has already seen the benefit of 4-VA support with growing research projects focused on harmful algal blooms that threaten Virginia’s Shenandoah River and also plague waters throughout the world. In the Shenandoah, these blooms originally consisted of green algae, which while troublesome for recreational activities, did not present a danger to humans and wildlife. In the past two years, however, the blooms have included cyanobacteria that contain toxins. Environmental engineers recognize that it is critical to identify the toxic bacteria quickly and definitively, but current methodologies are inadequate. Jones’ team of Mason faculty and students, together with their partners at Old Dominion University, will tackle this important challenge.

The following are the 4-VA@Mason 2023-24 Collaborative Research Grant winners, with partner schools in parentheses.

Akerlof, Karen Bridging Science and Policy in the States: A Study of Emerging Mechanisms to Train Scientists and Engineers (VT)
Enfield, Jacob MySQL Murder Mystery (VMI)
Furst, Kirin Emlet The role of the air-water interface in breakthrough of PFAS and phthalate esters during wastewater treatment (VT)
Jones, R Christian Using Taxonomic, Pigment and Molecular Analysis to Characterize Algal Blooms in the Shenandoah River (ODU)
Kang, Pilgyu Machine learning assisted laser manufacturing of alloy nanoparticle graphene hybrid materials for high performance hydrogen sensing (UVA)
LaFrance, Michelle The Virginia Community and Public Writing Collaborative (JMU, VCU, VT, UVA)
Lawrence, Heidi A Rhetorical Approach to Challenges in Blood Donation (VT)
Raffegeau, Tiphanie Using Virtual Reality to Study Cognitive and Affective Risk Factors for Falls in Older Adults (ODU)
Straus, David The Role of Diabatic Heating in Determining Atlantic Storm Paths (UVA)
Van Aken, Benoit Protection of RNA by Association with Macromolecules Implications for Wastewater Based Epidemiology (VT)
Yu, Yun Nanoscale Visualization of Electrocatalytic Carbon Dioxide Reduction Activity at Cu Nanocatalysts (UVA)
Zhu, Ziwei Towards Consolidated and Dynamic Debiasing for Online Search and Recommendation (VT)

The following Mason faculty received funding as Co-PIs collaborating with other 4-VA institutions in parentheses:

Chowdhury, Ahsan The Commonwealth Proofs Project Collaborative: Promoting Students’ Understanding of Logical Implications and their Transformations (VT)
Dromgold-Sermen, Michelle New American Resources: Partnerships and Initiatives at Virginia Higher Education Institutions to Strengthen Virginia’s Migration Support (VT)
Jing, Hao Acoustics-enabled Noncontact Manipulation, Patterning, and Assembly of Complex-shaped Micro/nanoparticles for Advance Manufacturing (VT)
LaToza, Thomas Visualizing Code Changes to Understand Students’ Mental Models in Programming Education at Scale (VT)
Stone, Victoria Increasing Mental Health Services in K-12 Settings by Helping Provisionally Licensed School Counselors Meet the Requirements for Full Licensure as Professional School Counselors in Virginia (JMU)
Stone, Victoria Supporting K-12 Students after Psychiatric Hospitalizations: Piloting Mixed Reality Simulation Training for School Mental Health Professionals (UVA)
Van Aken, Benoit Hyperspectral imaging for the real-time detection of microplastic particles in seafoods (VT)
Zhu, Ziwei Break the Dilemmas between Model Performance and Fairness: A Holistic Solution for Fairness Learning on Graphs (VT)

“We are looking forward to the new discoveries we will find with these 4-VA collaborative projects,” comments Vice Provost Muir, “Our faculty, students, and the Commonwealth of Virginia will benefit from these partnerships as the schools approach the work from their own perspectives and strengths, building solid partnerships for future initiatives.”