President's Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence

Announcing the 2022 ARIE Seed Funding Awardees

Natalie Bui — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 20:56:10 +0000

Announcing the 2022 ARIE Seed Funding Awardees Natalie Bui Mon, 02/06/2023 - 15:56

The Office of Research Innovation and Economic Impact and the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, is delighted to announce the results of the 2022 ARIE Seed Funding Initiative. The ARIE seed funding emerged as one of the recommendations from the ARIE Task Force’s Research Committee to support research, scholarship and creative activities addressing the myriad issues on the theme of anti-racism and inclusive excellence. Such research, scholarship and creative activities continue to drive our commitment to be a national leader in anti-racism and inclusive excellence.

In April, 2022, Call for Proposals was posted for the ARIE Seed Funding. We received 29 applications which were externally reviewed by over 20 reviewers. A total of 7 applications were selected for funding.

The awarded teams PIs and Co-PIs (in no particular order), and their project titles, are noted below:

Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence: A Proposal to Improving the Hiring Process: Co-PI: Michael Fauntroy, Schar School of Policy and Government; Co-PI: Judith Wilde, Schar School of Policy and Government
Reducing Inequalities in Domestic and Sexual Violence Services in Fairfax County: A Mixed Methods Evaluation to Inform Antiracist Community Engagement through Exploring Unique Barriers to Access and Service Use Among Diverse At-risk Community Members: PI: Michelle D. Hand, College of Public Health; Co-PI: Denise A. Hines, College of Public Health; Co-PI: Jeanne Booth, College of Public Health
IndigenoUs Northern Virginia: Activating Local and Diasporic Native Identities at Mason: Co-PI: Gabrielle Tayac, College of Humanities and Social Sciences; Co-PI: T. Mills Kelly, College of Humanities and Social Sciences; Co-PI: Alison Landsberg, College of Humanities and Social Sciences;
Building a Diverse Pipeline of Anti-Racist Social Scientists: A Three-Pronged Approach: Co-PI: Meagan Call-Cummings, College of Education and Human Development; Co-PI: Amy L. Best, College of Humanities and Social Sciences; Co-PI: Khaseem Davis, Early Identification Program; Co-I: Sharrell Hassell-Goodman, College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Integrating Art and Research to Advance Social Equity: Co-PI: Janani Umamaheswar, College of Humanities and Social Sciences; Co-PI: Robert Norris, College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Anti-Racist Collaborative Arts At Mason: Co-PI: Matthew Dievendorf, College of Visual and Performing Arts; Co-PI: Michael Nickens, College of Visual and Performing Arts; Co-PI: Wendi N. Manuel-Scott, College of Humanities and Social Sciences; Co-PI: Cynthia Fuchs, College of Visual and Performing Arts and College of Humanities and Social Sciences; Co-PI: Thomas Stanley, College of Visual and Performing Arts; Co-PI: William Lake, College of Visual and Performing Arts; Co-PI: Adrienne Bryant Godwin, College of Visual and Performing Arts
Collective Organizing En La CASA: Empowering Health Equity And Healing In The Face Of Structural Racism And Illegality: Co-PI: Jhumka Gupta, College of Public Health; Co-PI: Bethany Letiecq, College of Education and Human Development

We want to thank all the teams that participated in the competition and congratulations to the teams selected for funding.

Be on the lookout for the 2023 ARIE Seed Funding Call for Proposals later this Spring. Those who are interested in last year’s Call for Proposal can find it at https://resdev.gmu.edu/funding-opportunities/2022-anti-racism-inclusive-excellence-seed-funding/

Andre Marshall, Vice President, Research Innovation and Economic Impact

Sharnnia Artis, Vice President, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion & Chief Diversity Officer

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President's Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence

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Strategic Direction

Trent leads new White House Initiative on HBCUs

Colleen Rich — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 18:39:33 +0000

Trent leads new White House Initiative on HBCUs Colleen Rich Wed, 03/09/2022 - 13:39

Dietra Trent. Photo by Lathan Goumas/Strategic Communications

Dietra Trent, special advisor to George Mason University President Gregory Washington, has been named executive director of the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity Through Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). She started Feb. 28.

Trent, who also served as chief of staff for Interim President Anne Holton during the 2019-20 academic year and was a key driver of Mason’s Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence (ARIE) Task Force, was previously Virginia Secretary of Education.

“I’m truly honored to have been selected to work in this capacity in the Biden-Harris Administration and for Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona,” said Trent, a graduate of Hampton University, a Virginia HBCU. “I look forward to promoting HBCUs across the country and sharing the history and excellence that come from these colleges and universities. It’s a great opportunity.”

Trent also served as Mason’s interim vice president for Compliance, Diversity and Ethics, and was pivotal in establishing ARIE, one of Washington’s signature initiatives. ARIE, with a university-wide task force of more than 100 members, harnessed and expanded Mason’s existing equity and inclusion efforts to root out systemic discrimination and racism at the largest and most diverse public university in Virginia and establish Mason as a national exemplar in anti-racism and inclusion.

“Dietra was given a number of challenging initiatives to successfully launch and manage, and she did a tremendous job,” Washington said. “In a relatively short time as a Patriot, she made a profound positive impact at Mason with work that is now embedded in the fabric of our university.”

Trent’s new role likely will intersect with Mason on occasion. Under Washington, Mason launched the Hire-Excellence and Diversity Institute (Hire-ED), a partnership with Virginia HBCUs Norfolk State University, Virginia State University, and Virginia Union University. Hire-ED connects graduates to career opportunities in high-demand industries.

Trent served as Virginia secretary of education under Gov. Terry McAuliffe, deputy secretary of education under Gov. Tim Kaine, and director of constituent services under Gov. Mark Warner. Her charge now is to work with the Executive Office of the President and Secretary Cardona to eliminate barriers faced by HBCUs. She will lead priorities focusing on government policies, projects, and programs that serve HBCUs.

“The one thing HBCUs do better than any other university in the world is teach leadership,” Trent said. “Not only do they have incredible leadership programs, but they embed leadership, excellence, and service in every course. I often say that I earned my master’s and PhD from VCU. But I got my education from Hampton University.”

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Faculty and Staff News

President's Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence

Dr. Candace Parham Lacayo Named ARIE Faculty Fellow

Natalie Bui — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 18:27:07 +0000

Dr. Candace Parham Lacayo Named ARIE Faculty Fellow Natalie Bui Wed, 03/09/2022 - 13:27

The Provost's Newsletter announced today that Dr. Candace Parham Lacayo has been selected as the ARIE Faculty Fellow for the Office of Graduate Education. In this position she will work on the development and implementation of a graduate-level mentored research, scholarship, and creative activity. She will also ensure the commercialization program provides more funded opportunities for graduate students with a demonstrated commitment to increasing accessibility, diversity, equity, and inclusion within their discipline.

“As an alumna of two Mason graduate programs, this is a full circle moment for me. I’m looking forward to developing opportunities for our graduate students that deliver impact,” Dr. Lacayo said.

Learn more about the Office of Graduate Education.

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Office of Diversity Equity and Inclusion

Graduate Education

faculty fellows

Student Voice Interview with Sharrell Hassell-Goodman

Natalie Bui — Wed, 16 Feb 2022 15:34:53 +0000

Student Voice Interview with Sharrell Hassell-Goodman Natalie Bui Wed, 02/16/2022 - 10:34

Earlier this month, Dr. Wendi Manuel-Scott had a virtual chat with Sharrell Hassell-Goodman, a doctoral student in the Higher Education program and co-chair of ARIE's Student Voice committee. Hassell-Goodman discusses her hopes and expectations for ARIE since it was formed and how Mason can keep students at the center of these initiatives.

Dr. Wendi Manuel-Scott:

Sharrell, you've been involved in ARIE since the beginning. Now that we're almost at the two-year mark, have your hopes and expectations of ARIE shifted? If so, how?

Sharrell Hassell-Goodman:

I'm in an interesting place. I've been a student, I've worked for university, I went back as a student again, and had the opportunity to teach. Right now, I'm working on my own research. and I'm back in full-time mode as a student. Being connected to ARIE’s work, it’s been so important and so refreshing to see that the university was willing and bold enough to take these initiatives on.

Coming from a student perspective, it's exciting. But I’m also still wondering how Mason will maintain ARIE's commitment at its core, considering the changing landscape and the new priorities of the state. Since change takes a while, students might question if ARIE’s work will actually come to fruition. This is especially true because students aren’t always aware of what goes on behind the scenes before something is made into a tangible action item. So, I am in between being hopeful but also realistic. So, to be honest, I'm at a crossroads as I start to see changing dynamics, particularly when ARIE first started in July 2020. Students, including myself, had expressed a lot of confusion, hurt, and disappointment around racist, homophobic, or sexist experiences in academic spaces. In response, ARIE began to unpack how to maintain an environment of inclusion and ensure we're not doing any harm to students because of identities that they hold. ARIE started to give a lot of students hope for creating a place that allowed us to question racism, homophobia, and sexism in our space, particularly at Mason. The university is reflective of a diverse community. So how does that reflection permeate throughout all aspects of the academic experience?

The student voice committee had many discussions about how to create change. We knew there were students experiencing harassment in the classroom and felt like they couldn’t do anything about it because they were not getting the support that they needed. Experiencing discrimination as a student is kind of a precarious place to be, particularly when you're seeing things change and policies created in which it feels like equity is not a priority. I think Mason was on its way and is still on its way. I think some students are just nervous about whether they will see tangible changes. So, that's where I'm at. I’m questioning if this is really going to be a reality, but I’m also hopeful for the plans that have been articulated thus far.

Dr. Wendi Manuel-Scott:

I appreciate that. I appreciate the very nuanced and careful way that you express that as well. Do you think students would want or appreciate reassurance regarding the university’s commitment to ARIE? What would that look like to you?

Sharrell Hassell-Goodman:

Yes, I do think that would be helpful, particularly because some of the things that students are asking are reasonable, tangible, and easily obtainable. Students have the simple recommendation of making sure that faculty and staff are trained around issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Students also ask that there's a space they can give feedback if they're experiencing discrimination in the classroom or another campus environment. These are both reasonable expectations. For years many students have asked that their peers be educated through a course on diversity, equity, and inclusion. This should be a main priority. If ARIE doesn't adhere to this commitment, then they're not only disregarding the current student population, but they're not paying attention to the prior students who've tried to make those changes to no avail. I think the ARIE initiatives should really think about and prioritize how we adhere to students’ requests and how we implement changes in the near future. This way, students can be reassured that ARIE is taking their concerns seriously.

The other thing is, I think sometimes students don't understand why requiring training is so difficult when education is a space of higher learning where everyone is supposed to advance their knowledge, skills, and awareness. If you are committed to this idea of learning, as an institution, then why shouldn't that be an expectation for our faculty, staff, and anyone who interfaces with students? It’s beyond just language and terminology, it's about creating climates where students feel safe, heard, respected, and valued. And if we don't follow through on those basic institutional commitments, then we fall short in creating the Mason that we want and proclaim to be.

Dr. Wendi Manuel-Scott:

If we added an undergrad to this conversation, do you have a sense of one area they would want to really underline or emphasize that we haven't mentioned yet?

Sharrell Hassell-Goodman:

Their interface with community engagement looks different. I'm not an undergrad living on campus, so my concern around community policing versus a traditional approach to policing looks different. I don’t want to speak for students, but I know there was concern and distrust around traditional policing tactics and about committees being created where things go to die rather than change. One of the ways that community policing came up for students is they feel targeted or over-surveilled because of their identities. So how do we think about the ways in which police show up in times of danger? How do we move beyond simply language changing? We also need to think about the impact of systemic racism.

I think students are very excited about some of the initiatives around renaming buildings and prioritizing Mason's landscape, which is a start. Students also talked about going through the “Mason shuffle” instead of receiving the services that they need, which involves being directed to four and five offices instead of being able to easily go to one person at times. This is particularly challenging for those students who are working full time and commuting. They have to go to four or five offices within a day to get an answer. Since Mason has taken on some of the most historically marginalized populations, we have a lot of students that are children of immigrants, who are commuters, who are caregivers for loved ones who are working full time jobs. In addition to being students and are trying to matriculate, and maybe have matriculated from a community college to a four-year institution, one of their most precious resources they have is time. If we exploit their time going to different offices, then we’re not really thinking about ways that we can support these students who need support. And what about student retention? We’ve created this space that has attracted diverse groups of students, so how do we show that we care and honor them in ways that other institutions might not be set up for? I think that Mason is set up for it in a lot of ways. But how do we take it to the next to the next level and really show that we see them, hear them, understand them, and want to encourage their success?

Dr. Wendi Manuel-Scott:

I think you're spot on. It's one thing to say you care about students. That you value who they are, and all the identities that they bring with them. But that needs to be embodied right through policies and practices, and it needs to be apparent through the very structures of the institution. When that falls short, in a sense, that reveals a perceived lack of care and respect for students. So, I appreciate you sharing that.

Your response also makes me think about another identity that you've been very transparent about. I recall that you shared during one of the town halls that you are a student with a disability, sometimes seen as an invisible disability. I wonder if you have thoughts about Mason’s responsibility to students with disabilities.

Sharrell Hassell-Goodman:

Yeah, absolutely. I do think the Office of Disability Services is doing a wonderful job trying to meet demands and expectations, but how do we think about larger infrastructures that could be made more accessible? I think that we're starting to make progress. But how do we go to that next phase of acknowledging students with disabilities in terms of the way that the physical campus structure is laid out? As we think about future construction, as we think about accessibility beyond being able-bodied. So how do we think about long term plans and being more supportive as we've gone online?

Moving forward, I think it’s important that we realize the long-term impact or how some policies make things more challenging for certain communities. I think that's where we really start to see the impact of policies, procedures, and structures. As we make these changes, we should consider how it would affect all end users of all identities. That’s something we don't always think about or put at the forefront, but rather something that we respond to once we see it as an issue after the fact.

Dr. Wendi Manuel-Scott:

I think that's so right. We want to be intentional about making sure that we understand those Nexus points in terms of their identities, and we're providing services that speak to the whole student population.

Okay, final question. One day, you will look back on your magnificent time at George Mason University, and your contribution to Mason. What will you be most proud of?

Sharrell Hassell-Goodman:

I mean, I'm giggling at that. I guess I'm giggling because I don't necessarily stop and reflect on that and say, “Oh, I'm so proud. I did XYZ” because I also don't feel like I've done anything. I’ve just tried to connect with different communities that are interested in making changes, being a part of collectives, and seeing what is something that I can leverage my abilities towards making Mason a better place. I am so incredibly proud to be a Mason student. I am so blessed to be here and to have these opportunities. The fact that we're having this difficult conversation and Mason is willing to do it is a reason I'm so proud. No, there's other places that wouldn't dare gauge or create an ARIE initiative and would make changes only by student demand. So, I think it's very brave that Mason has even chosen to move forward on this initiative. But it's even more inspiring that there's so many faculty, staff and students that are committed to doing the work.

As much as I'm kicking back or giving feedback, I would be remiss if I didn’t say that I'm honored to be in a space where I can do that. I don't fear retaliation for being honest about where Mason stands. If we can continue to respect, honor, and center students and make Mason better, then Mason will be here for the long-term and be a space that even more students want to be at. Mason is such a unique campus and with unique students, I get that. But if we're not doing anything about that uniqueness, then we're just saying it. And eventually, we're no longer going to be unique for that, because we're not really keeping up with the changing dynamics of the environment, to continue to pay attention to the uniqueness of student needs.

I think that is the difference. We can't just be happy that they're here by circumstance. Instead, we should make the most of this amazing opportunity with such special students. Mason is an amazing place that has amazing possibilities and potentials… and now is our time to do it. Even though it's going to be tough because we can't control contextual factors. How do we make sure that this campus, this space with ARIE, is still safe for students?

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President's Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence

Office of Diversity Equity and Inclusion

Mason Lighting the Way: Deion Maith

Colleen Rich — Wed, 12 Jan 2022 19:46:58 +0000

Mason Lighting the Way: Deion Maith Colleen Rich Wed, 01/12/2022 - 14:46

Mason Lighting the Way

Spotlights from the Task Force

More than 130 faculty, staff and students are working on George Mason University’s Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force, which is taking a hard look at the current state of diversity and inclusivity efforts at the university and making recommendations for the future.

These individuals come from across our campuses and bring their different skill sets and expertise to this work. In this series, we will spotlight members of the task force and find out what drives them.

Mason graduate student Deion Maith. Photo provided

Deion Maith

Graduate student, Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Social Justice and Human Rights

Committee: Student Voice

George Mason University graduate student Deion Maith said he will never forget July 13, 2013, when he heard on the radio that George Zimmerman had been acquitted of killing Trayvon Martin.

“That sparked my fire,” said Maith, a native of Heathsville (in Virginia’s Northern Neck), “knowing that Trayvon could have been me or my younger brother.”

He began researching scholars like James Baldwin, Jane Elliott, and others who have contributed so much to the academic body of work on social justice and human rights.

When he had the opportunity to meet Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon Martin’s mother, at the 2018 Sojourner Truth Lecture at Mason, Maith recounted his reaction to her son’s murder. She shook his hand firmly and told him: “Don’t ever lose that fire. You are our future and don’t let anyone ever tell you different.”

Maith joined Mason’s Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence (ARIE) Task Force because he thinks it’s important to share lived experiences with other students and faculty/staff.

“It’s an amazing opportunity to voice the concerns of students who look like me,” he said. “I’ve always been eager to have a seat at the table where conversation turns into action, and I’m hopeful that the task force can accomplish just that.”

Maith, who graduated from Mason with a bachelor’s in integrative studies in 2020, is former president and student advisor of Collegiate Black Men; former undersecretary for Contemporary Student Services, Student Government; and former secretary and student advisor for Mason’s Chapter of NAACP. He’s also been involved with the Black Student Alliance, the Black Male Success Initiative, and the School of Integrative Studies Peer Ambassadors.

“The main goal of the Student Voice Committee is to make sure we’re effectively receiving feedback from students and figuring out the best way to reach them,” said Maith. Committee members are meeting with registered student organizations and their members, and working with student-focused offices.

Maith said he’s been pleasantly surprised by the feedback the task force has received from the university community. “Although there has been some backlash, I believe there has been more positivity than anything,” Maith said.

Maith’s work with the task force motivated him to pursue a graduate assistant position in Mason’s Center for Culture, Equity, and Empowerment (formally ODIME), where T. Garey Davis, assistant director of coalition building and diversity education, has served as a mentor.

Maith said Davis is passionate about optimizing the student experience for everyone, but especially students who belong to historically marginalized groups, and together they have built a team to improve Black male success at Mason.

“Promoting social justice and human rights doesn’t exclude anyone,” he said. “It includes everyone no matter your race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, etc. But we must self-reflect and take accountability for the ways in which we benefit and contribute to systematic and institutional racism to move forward.”

Maith has accepted a role at Cooley LLP in Washington, D.C., a Fortune 500 global law firm. After he graduates this fall, he plans to pursue a law degree at Howard University.

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Enslaved People of George Mason Memorial highlights Wilkins Plaza

Colleen Rich — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 16:52:21 +0000

Enslaved People of George Mason Memorial highlights Wilkins Plaza Colleen Rich Wed, 11/03/2021 - 12:52

When Wendi Manuel-Scott walks through the Enslaved People of George Mason Memorial, she sees more than an acknowledgement that the namesake of George Mason University was both an American patriot and a slaveowner.

She sees the result of Mason students asserting their voices.

“We want students to feel empowered,” said Manuel-Scott, a professor of history in the School of Integrative Studies and associate director of the Center for Mason Legacies. “We want students to carve out spaces to make our communities more inclusive and sustainable for all.”

That is exactly what happened in 2016 when students, mentored by faculty, delved into the little-known legacy of George Mason IV. The result was the Enslaved Children of George Mason Project, which revealed the lives of the enslaved people who lived and worked at Gunston Hall, Mason’s home in Northern Virginia.

That project led to the Enslaved People of George Mason Memorial, which recently opened as the centerpiece of the redesigned Wilkins Plaza on the Fairfax Campus, and is the focal point of how the university is addressing its identity as it relates to a complicated Patriot.

See the video to learn more.

“Courage, debate and truth define this reexamination,” said Benedict Carton, an associate professor of history and an associate director of the Center for Mason Legacies. “Our submerged histories can be recovered. Our unknown histories can speak. Our multi-perspective histories are alive with different understandings of evidence and inquiry.”

The memorial includes panels describing the lives of two of the enslaved at Gunston Hall: Penny, who was gifted by Mason to his daughter, and James, Mason’s personal attendant.

A fountain lined with a pattern of stones symbolizes an African custom practiced at Gunston Hall. Enslaved people used the Gunston Hall site to pray and look to their origins across the sea, Carton said.

The fountain includes a quote from Roger Wilkins, the late African American civil rights leader, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, and Mason Robinson Professor for whom the plaza is named.

The four quotes added to the base of the George Mason IV statue, which is also part of the memorial, “exemplify four Masons in one,” said Mason historian George Oberle, director of the Center for Mason Legacies.

The quotes highlight the brilliant legal scholar, who penned the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which was the basis of our nation’s Bill of Rights; the defender of freedoms for a limited few; the enslaver of Black men, women and children; and the father of nine who provided for his family.

“The memorial is an opportunity to face the fullness of who Mason IV was and who we are as an institution, in the past and present,” Manuel-Scott said. “The memorial gives us an incredible opportunity to reckon with the past and care for those erased by structures of inequality and domination.”

“It is a weighty responsibility,” she said. “An opportunity not to be taken lightly.”

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Enslaved People of George Mason Memorial

Wilkins Plaza

President's Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence

Mason Lighting the Way: Shelby Adams

Colleen Rich — Fri, 17 Sep 2021 20:38:47 +0000

Mason Lighting the Way: Shelby Adams Colleen Rich Fri, 09/17/2021 - 16:38

Mason Lighting the Way

Spotlights from the Task Force

Shelby Adams. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

Shelby Adams
Undergraduate Student of Criminology, Law and Society
Committee: Student Voice

As a native to Northern Virginia, Shelby Adams wanted to join George Mason University’s Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence (ARIE) Task Force because she truly believes that change starts within the community.

“Even though Mason is a diverse school, we still have work to do structurally and institutionally to make Mason a more inclusive environment for everyone,” said the criminology, law and society major. “I wanted to be part of that change-making process.”

Adams is former student body president, president of the Mason’s NAACP Chapter, and treasurer of the Black Justice Association. On the ARIE Task Force, she was co-chair of the Student Voice Committee with graduate student Sharrell Hassell-Goodman.

Adams’ work with the task force has allowed her to examine the current structures at Mason and how they can be improved.

She learned how an anti-racist framework can be implemented in education systems, which taught her that it could be implemented in any environment. Adams hopes to continue her anti-racist work in her future career field.

When asked if anything was surprising about working on the task force, Adams said she was surprised how passionate ARIE members were throughout the process.

“I knew this task force would be great, but I have learned so much from other individuals,” she said. “I am extremely grateful that I have been able to be a part of this with such incredible minds.”

She hopes ARIE’s future impact on Mason will create a more inclusive environment within every sector of the university. She sees a future Mason, “where every student, faculty, and staff member works to create and foster an anti-racist environment in whatever they participate in.”

After Adams graduates in spring 2022, she plans to attend law school.

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President's Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence

Mason Lighting the Way spotlights

Mason Lighting the Way: Austin A. Deray

Colleen Rich — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 16:16:05 +0000

Mason Lighting the Way: Austin A. Deray Colleen Rich Thu, 08/19/2021 - 12:16

Mason Lighting the Way

Spotlights from the Task Force

Austin A. Deray
Doctoral Student, Cultural Studies
Committees: Student Voice and University Policies and Practices

Austin A. Deray

As a graduate student with intersectional racial and ethnic identities, George Mason University doctoral student Austin A. Deray said he believes it is his responsibility to champion the voices of his communities.

His work on the Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence (ARIE) Task Force directly aligns with those personal and professional goals.

“As my dissertation is on the lived experiences of racial and ethnic identity students attending predominantly white institutions (PWIs), I feel my work on the Student Voice committee, being a voice for my communities, and the University Policies and Procedures committee, advocating and helping change university policies to be more inclusive and equitable, is aligned with my current and future work in higher ed,” said the Savannah, Georgia, native.

Austin began his PhD work in Mason’s Cultural Studies Program in 2016, and he is interested in how regionalism and institutionalism codify collegiate masculinity, the socio-historical creation of the collegiate man, and the space fraternal organizations hold both on campuses and in the collective understanding of collegiate men. He expects to complete his PhD in Cultural Studies by Spring 2022.

For the past five years, Deray has worked the Office of Graduate Student Life, a part of Mason’s University Life.

“I like to joke that I am the longest-lasting GA in University Life as I am working on my PhD and most leave after their two years are up,” said Deray. “I've stayed because I love the work we do, am blessed to have the mentorship of Dr. Julie Choe Kim, director of Graduate Student Life, and have the support and advocacy of the Dean of Students Juliet Blank-Godlove.”

Currently Deray advises the Graduate and Professional Student Association (GAPSA) and works with other graduate student organizations on campus.

“This job has also given me the opportunity to continue advocating for and working with graduate students of color,” he said.

Deray said he is proud of how the University Policies and Practices Committee has set an example for creating equitable experiences for students, faculty, and staff.

“I feel validated by the faculty and staff who I have worked with on the committee for creating the space for my voice and experiences and letting me be a driving voice in the room,” he said.

When asked what future impact he envisions ARIE will have on Mason, Deray sees “an R1 institution that has moved away from an ivory tower model.” He hopes the university will focus more efforts on inclusivity and equity for graduate and professional students.

During his time at Mason, Deray has been involved with an impressive list of student organizations.

In addition to advising GAPSA, he serves as a faculty advisor of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity, is the past chair and current admissions committee member of Student Organizing Committee for Cultural Studies, is a non-voting Graduate Student Life GA representative of Graduate Council, and faculty advisor to the Afghan Student Association.

He is also the Diversity and Inclusion Commissioner and Delta North Provence President of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, which seeks to establish a chapter at Mason this year.

In his free time, Deray is “an avid reader, traveler, foodie, and open to discuss any argument uttered in earshot.”

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Students

President's Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

University Life

Mason Lighting the Way: Christopher A. Carr

Colleen Rich — Mon, 02 Aug 2021 19:47:11 +0000

Mason Lighting the Way: Christopher A. Carr Colleen Rich Mon, 08/02/2021 - 15:47

Mason Lighting the Way

Spotlights from the Task Force

Christopher A. Carr
Chief Diversity Officer, College of Engineering and Computing
Committee: Co-chair, Training and Development Committee

Christopher A. Carr

In January, Christopher A. Carr was recognized with the 2020 Rising Star in Diversity Award from the Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity (CoNECD). This award recognizes an individual in their profession for less than 10 years who has actively worked to enhance diversity and inclusion by mentoring, supporting and/or advocating for the success of historically underserved individuals.

This tells you a lot about Carr and the work he has been doing. Since he joined George Mason University in 2019 as one of the first school-based diversity officers, he has developed a strategic plan for the college and championed a number of new policies for recruiting, retaining, and advancing diverse faculty. It was no surprise when the leaders of Mason’s Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force asked him to co-chair the Training and Development Committee.

Carr said his interest in diversity and inclusion in higher education comes from his experiences growing up in Missouri. Although his father is an engineer, and his mother works in radiology, he said it never crossed his mind to go into engineering himself. But he found he was passionate about access.

“I was exceptionally privileged,” Carr said of his childhood. “I had access to resources and opportunities that others didn’t, but often I was the only one who looked like me in those rooms.”

Ultimately Carr found those situations isolating, which propelled him to make a difference.

“There is no point in having a spot at the table if we don’t get to talk,” he said. “I wanted to advocate for people who look like me.”

And that’s what he’s done. Before joining Mason, Carr was a senior staff member at the National Society of Black Engineers, where he played a key role in obtaining access to scholarships and creating outreach programming for thousands of Black college and K-12 students.

Even before the task force was established, Carr was working on trainings to help people recognize and deal with unconscious bias and microaggression. A campus-wide version of this training was also one of the recommendations coming out the Training and Development Committee.

Carr said working on the task force “has been an adventure.”

“Where we are [as a university] is not where we want to be,” said Carr, emphasizing that it is going to take some work and cooperation to make change happen. And he is OK with that.

“I’m in it for the long game,” he said. “This work will plant the seeds for a garden that someone else will walk in.”

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Mason Lighting the Way spotlights

Faculty and Staff News

President's Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence

Student request, involvement leads to Mason Core class on racial justice

Colleen Rich — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 15:05:03 +0000

Student request, involvement leads to Mason Core class on racial justice Colleen Rich Fri, 07/09/2021 - 11:05

As part of President Gregory Washington’s establishment of the Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence (ARIE) Task Force in July 2020, students called for broader curriculum changes related to racism, diversity and inclusion, building on requests and discussions since the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

The Black Lives Matter movement and the increased attention around the murder of George Floyd intensified these efforts, and students and faculty collaborated to create UNIV 381: Foundations for Building a Just Society. The course has been scaled up using recommendations from ARIE. The three-credit class fulfills two Mason Core requirements—global understanding and social/behavioral sciences—and is projected to evolve over time into a required course for all students.

“Once implemented, this course will be part of a greater educational plan that allows Mason to be a national exemplar of inclusive excellence,” said Bethany Usher, associate provost of undergraduate education. “Beyond that, our students will have the skills and knowledge they need to tackle the complicated problems they’ll encounter in the classroom and the world in a just and constructive way.”

UNIV 381 evolved from a 2019 pilot program created by an interdisciplinary team with a framework for a course that would help students engage with these complex issues in a meaningful way.

Sarah Osman, a rising senior studying community health with a concentration in clinical science, was one of the students in the pilot class in Fall 2019. Osman said the course helped her understand how her own implicit biases made a strong impact on how she views others, their situations and their behaviors.

Osman said the course gave her a greater understanding of what implicit biases she carries, why others think the way that they do and what institutions have influenced their viewpoints on race.

“We live in a world where the color of one’s skin determines every opportunity they receive and whether or not they will live to see tomorrow,” Osman said. “[But] diversity goes far beyond the color of one’s skin. Although the issue of racism is something embedded in this country, we have the power to challenge the perpetuation of the social hierarchy that currently defines our nation.

Lauren Cattaneo, associate professor of psychology, helped create UNIV 381 and is one of five faculty members teaching it this fall. She noted that the course has the potential to engage students in critical thinking with a goal of learning not to respond to others judgmentally but instead to understand others’ experiences and what they are trying say about them.

“I hope students emerge with the foundational knowledge, vocabulary and skills to connect across differences and to set their intentions on how to build on those foundations,” said Cattaneo, who co-chaired the Task Force’s Curriculum and Pedagogy Committee. “That mental shift is so important to learn. I want students to learn how in the past people have moved the levers of change to shift the ways society functions, to learn from examples current or historic about how changes happen, and then decide where they want to go with their new understanding.”

The course begins with basic civic questions: What do we mean by a just society? And what gets in the way of its realization? From there, students delve into their own experiences, address their personal identities, and define words such as race and ethnicity. As the course progresses they will explore how these concepts are related, how people perceive others on the basis of race or ethnicity, and how this impacts their own identities.

Shauna Rigaud, a PhD candidate in the Cultural Studies Program and the course’s curriculum supporter and instructor, said UNIV 381 will help promote campus diversity because it will provide students with a foundation for understanding race, ethnicity, gender, and social class.

“The class will allow students the opportunity to have difficult conversations with each other,” said Rigaud, who also served on the Curriculum and Pedagogy Committee. It’s an opportunity to apply what they understand to parts of our world, society, and then provides them with the bedrock to think critically about that as they go on into their fields of training.”

“With the help of this course, Mason will create a generation that not only appreciates diversity but works hand-in-hand to combat the issue of racism,” Osman said.

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Committees: Student Voice and University Policies and Practices

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