Category: News

“Follow the Science” 4-VA Team Investigates the Stability of Viral RNA to Detect Pathogens in Wastewater

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) — identifying pathogens in wastewater — has been employed for decades, notably in the 1940s when WBE was used for the detection of poliovirus in sewage of large US cities including New York and Chicago. WBE again rose to prominence during the pandemic; surveilling community infection trends of SARS-CoV-2.

However, scientists have long recognized that WBE results often underrepresent disease prevalence due to a limited understanding of RNA stability in wastewater. It was just this issue that Associate Professor Benoit Van Aken in George Mason University’s Chemistry and Biochemistry Department wanted to investigate. Van Aken had researched viral pathogens detection during the pandemic, monitoring said SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater. This experience led him to the idea that large macromolecules present in wastewater could help stabilize viral RNA, making its lifetime longer than usually suspected. In collaboration with his colleague Zhiwu (Drew) Wang at Virginia Tech, who also has a background in wastewater contamination, they proposed the research to 4-VA and were awarded a grant to look closer at this question.

Following a year of more than 300 analyses to characterize the decay of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the presence of macromolecules (proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates) — — the team’s research yielded robust, quantitative evidence on the reaction rates of SARS-CoV-2 RNA degradation in macromolecule-rich solutions that mimic wastewater. The research was conducted in large part by George Mason graduate student Brandi Williams under Van Aken’s direction. Further complementary experiments with different lengths of the marker to quantify RNA – using a technique known as reverse-transcriptase quantitative PCR — revealed that measured decay rates depend strongly on target length, with shorter amplicons exhibiting greater apparent persistence.

Williams pictured with the team’s thermocycler, which is described as a “high-tech copy machine” that reproduces a single DNA fragment into millions of identical copies, allowing for further detection and precise quantification.

“Our research provides new insights about the stability of RNA in complex environments by showing that macromolecules in wastewater can stabilize free RNA molecules—a finding that directly challenges current beliefs about the stability of RNA in environmental sample,” explains Van Aken.

Initially, the team planned a secondary aim to measure RNA decay in real wastewater samples from local wastewater treatment plants, but based on the observation of the dependance of RNA degradation rate on amplicon length, they redirected the research for the systematic evaluation of this effect using newly developed primer/probe sets targeting markers of different lengths. “Our revised findings produced innovative and field-relevant results as it clearly established that amplicon length is a critical parameter governing observed RNA degradation kinetics in WBE assays and, consequently, the comparability and interpretability of viral RNA signals across studies,” added Van Aken.

George Mason University PhD Candidate Brandi Williams pictured above right with
(now) VA Governor Abigail Spanberger and Benoit Van Aken.

Concludes Van Aken, “The novelty of this study provides a mechanistic framework that may partially explain the persistence of free RNA molecules in complex environments, such as wastewater. This work will be of interest — bridging environmental chemistry and public health and demonstrating how the fundamental understanding of nucleic acid stability in complex matrices can enhance community-level pathogen monitoring and inform future biosurveillance systems.”

4-VA Researchers at George Mason and UVA Wise Use Phylogenomics to Identify Cyanobacteria in Shenandoah River

You’ve probably seen it – slimy mats of brownish green clinging to rocks in streams or on lake beds – and perhaps not given it another thought. But thankfully for the sake of our environment; George Mason University’s College of Science Assistant Professor Rosalina Stancheva Christova has.

Christova has been researching Microcoleus, a common mat-forming cyanobacterium found in streams and lakes worldwide, for more than 20 years. The troublesome thing about Microcoleus is, that while some strains pose a risk to human, animal, and aquatic ecosystem health ; curiously, others do not. Christova wanted to learn more about Microcoleus in George Mason University’s backyard – the Shenandoah River. To do so, she reached out to a colleague at UVA Wise, A. Bruce Cahoon, who shared her interest in the same research. Together, Christova and Cahoon aimed to study the species diversity, distribution, and toxicity of this cyanobacterium in the Shenandoah.

4-VA approved their Collaborative Research Grant proposal, Integrative Characterization of the Anatoxin-a-Producing Benthic Cyanobacterial Genus Microcoleus in the Shenandoah River, and Christova and Cahoon got to work. The research was protracted and laborious, but proved successful and surprising – revealing a stunning breakthrough in identification of Microcoleus collected from the river.

Explains Christova, “The genome of the common and abundant mat-forming taxon, morphologically most similar to Microcoleus lacustris, was sequenced by our team from field material. Phylogenomic evidence demonstrates that this taxon represents a species new to science and should be classified within the genus Limnofasciculus.”

In all, they identified six species and isolated two monoclonal strains, one non-toxic and one producing anatoxin-a. “Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences confirmed that both strains belong to the genus Microcoleus. The toxic strain was most closely related to M. anatoxicus from California, confirming the wide distribution of this problematic cyanobacterium,” says Christova.

The breakthrough and all the associated research didn’t come easily, beginning with the collection of the benthic mats over a two-year period from 11 sites in the North and South Forks of the Shenandoah River.

Samples from field sites

Mormando and Brown collect Microcoleus samples

Christova credits her large team for doing the good, yet, difficult work. She was supported by Benoit Van Aken (who as her co-PI) and Pat Gillevet, both of George Mason University. Involved in the project were graduate student Jacob Mormando – who collected a sample with novel Limnofasciculus species for genome analysis and conducted temperature experiments with the toxic Microcoleus strain; Sydney Brown – who handled molecular and morphological studies of the species, field work collecting benthic cyanobacteria from the river, molecular work and cyanobacteria culturing; and Rwan Alsaadi – who developed distributional and ecological data and field work collecting benthic cyanobacteria from the river.

Undergraduate students also played a role in the effort – Armon Ghaffari did data analysis of Microcoleus distribution in the river samples and Emma Boyden oversaw the laboratory maintenance of cyanobacterial cultures. Two undergrads at UVA Wise, Amelia Clark and Matthew Sullivan, prepared molecular work.

Additionally, Janice Lawrence and Cecilio Valadez-Cano, of the University of New Brunswick, Canada, helped with the molecular studies.

Another important collaborator on the project was Gordon M. Selckmann, Associate Director for Aquatic Habitats at Interstate Commission on The Potomac River Basin (ICPRB). The 4-VA team used some of the field material Selckmann collected as part of an ongoing investigation of the benthic harmful algal blooms in the Shenandoah River funded by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and ICPRB.

In the Lab: L to R, Alsaadi, Brown, Mormando, Cahoon and Christova

With the groundbreaking work behind them, they are now sharing their findings, including at the Society for Freshwater Science Annual Meeting, the Southeastern Phycological Colloquy, the Potomac River Conference, and the Biennial Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation Meeting, organized by Selckmann.

Concludes Christova, “The 4-VA@Mason funding was very important to me, as it supported the establishment of my research lab, fostered the development of regional and international research collaborations, and provided funding for undergraduate and graduate students interested in aquatic and cyanobacterial research.”

Personalizing Immune Response Through Mathematical Modeling

One size does not fit all in the world of antibody reactions. That is, a patient’s response to infection and vaccination differs based on when antibodies bind to and dissociate from antigens. Because each antibody reaction is unique, understanding and predicting an individual’s response is critical for ‘personalizing’ and optimizing therapeutic strategies.

Probability distributions can be used to solve this puzzle; accounting for uncertainty in data, rather than a single definitive outcome. Predictions with a level of confidence are preferable. This is achieved using probabilistic modeling, a concept that resides at the junction of medicine and math. And, that intersection is exactly where you’ll find Rayanne Luke, George Mason University assistant professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences within the College of Science.

Luke has a strong background in the field. However, she was interested in taking one step further. She wanted to investigate, through a probability distribution modeling lens, demographic differences in antibody responses using datasets collected from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and vaccination. Further, she wanted to account for differences between those with and without pulmonary symptoms post-acute coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Luke recognized that this information could provide a useful framework for a comprehensive understanding of antibody kinetics for infectious diseases — and lead to an effective way of analyzing the protective power of natural immunity or vaccination, predict missed immune events at an individual level, and inform booster timing recommendations.

Taking that step required just the right mixture of math and science knowledge, datasets, communication skills, time, and patience. Luke saw that was possible by joining together with colleagues at UVA — Lyndsey Muehling and Glenda Canderan, using the 4-VA system. Importantly, working with Muehling and Canderan, she could access a database of measurements related to SARS-CoV-2 immune responses in different populations.

After receiving the 4-VA award, Luke brought in George Mason University graduate student Kelsey Ellis and undergraduate students James O’Hanlon and Kaitlyn Sullivan. International postdoctoral associate Prajakta Bedekar, then at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, also assisted on the project.

The 4-VA Team: (L to R) Rayanne Luke, Kelsey Ellis, Lyndsey Muehling, Glenda Canderan,
Kaitlyn Sullivan, and James O’Hanlon meet at UVA.

With the pieces in place, the work began. Explains Luke, “We fit time-dependent probability distribution models to the SARS-CoV-2 data to obtain distributions of longitudinal antibody response and cytokine values. We assessed differences between the modeled response curves of the groups using an overlap metric.”

The results were striking. Explains Luke, “Our antibody models suggest significant differences between male and female populations and demonstrate deficient antibody responses of less-healthy groups such as smokers. Our cytokine models suggest that those with pulmonary symptoms post-acute infection have elevated responses over time. Further, we found that the cytokine response increases and then decays more rapidly than the antibody response.” All are important permutations for consideration in treating patients with personalized medicine.

This part of the project, driven by O’Hanlon and Sullivan, led to a recently-published paper in Spora: A Journal of Biomathematics. Additionally, O’Hanlon and Sullivan presented their work through posters at the Virginia Academy of Science Annual Meeting. Ellis presented related research at the Association for Women in Mathematics Research Symposium.

The 4-VA@Mason support partly funded a larger project in which, for the first time, Luke and colleagues designed conditional probability density models for population antibody response that simultaneously address the interplay of antibody levels; prevalence; multiple classes; time-dependence; and multiple immune events. The UVA dataset and collaboration were critical for validating this effort.

“Our work is an important step towards a comprehensive understanding of antibody kinetics for infectious diseases that could lead to an effective way to analyze the protective power of natural immunity or vaccination, predict missed immune events at an individual level, and inform booster timing recommendations,” continues Luke. “Further, this approach is fully generalizable to other diseases that exhibit waning immunity, such as influenza, RSV, and pertussis.” Further dissemination of their research is currently under review by a mathematics journal; the review is now available on arXiv, a mathematical pre-print repository.

L – Sullivan

R – O’Hanlon

L – Ellis

R – Luke

Luke also shared findings at the National Institute for Theory and Mathematics in Biology MathBio Convergence Conference, the Joint Mathematics Meetings, and as a keynote speaker at The Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics DMV Conference.

The team is now planning to submit a proposal jointly to the National Science Foundation Division of Mathematical Sciences and National Institutes of Health National Institute of General Medical Sciences to further the research.

Luke concludes, “The 4-VA@Mason funding served as a catalyst to bring this project up to speed. It facilitated invaluable in-person collaboration with immunologists at UVA, disseminating our findings, and importantly, training students in mathematical biology research and science communication.”

4-VA Collaborative Research Grants: Calls for Proposals

George Mason University faculty interested in pursuing a novel research project in conjunction with colleagues at one of nine other 4-VA schools in Virginia are encouraged to respond to the annual 4-VA@Mason Collaborative Research Grants (CRG) calls for proposals. These grants, of up to $20,000, are designed to facilitate and support alliances which leverage the strengths of each partner university to improve efficiencies in research and higher education, reduce working in silos, and provide hands-on experiential learning opportunities for students. The grants were created to encourage the development of baseline projects in the sciences and humanities and to help secure future funding to extend the work.

Other Virginia higher education institutions participating in the 4-VA CRG program 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. In some cases, additional funding is available to co-PIs at the partner schools.

“Together, we support a broad range of initiatives with resources to develop programs and pedagogies that advance educational design and research,” explains 4-VA@Mason Campus Coordinator and Vice Provost, Academic Affairs Janette Kenner Muir. “Through the hundreds of 4-VA Collaborative Research Grants awarded throughout the state, 4-VA has truly made a difference for faculty, students, and citizens statewide and beyond.”

The application link for proposals is found here; with more information posted on the 4-VA@Mason grants page, including information on associated policies and procedures, as well as examples of successful proposals. Applications will be accepted through February 13, 2026, with awarded grant funding available July 1, 2026.

Questions?

Contact Elizabeth Gillooly, 4-VA@Mason Faculty and Community Outreach Coordinator

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.