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For Justin Bour, returning to �鶹��Ƶ to complete his degree more than 14 years after leaving to pursue a career in professional baseball, is the fulfillment of a promise—one he made to himself.

Nearly 100 student representatives and 20 advisors from 13 Fairfax County public high schools gathered on �鶹��Ƶ’s Fairfax Campus in June for a day of workshops and team-building activities to support the peer-led student ambassadors program.

Liza Burrell-Aldana, MEd Education Leadership ’13, joins a legacy of �鶹��Ƶ alumni honored for their exceptional leadership in school administration.

Jeffery W. Keller, �鶹��Ƶ alum and high school history teacher, is currently pursuing his PhD in education and is the 2024 Virginia Teacher of the Year.

�鶹��Ƶ has 10 graduate programs in the top 30 among public institutions, according to the latest rankings from U.S. News & World Report, reflecting the university’s reputation for innovation and ability to make significant impacts on the national stage.

As the student enrichment coordinator in �鶹��Ƶ’s College of Education and Human Development, Caroline Masakayan helps organize a variety of student activities. She also supports student organizations and the college’s two learning communities. Outside of work, Masakayan volunteers as a court-appointed special advocate (CASA), helping children experiencing tough living situations, abuse, and neglect.

Kathryn “Katy” Blackburn, a program assistant for Division of Education Leadership and Policy in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), is April Employee of the Month.

Experts and leaders in the fields of education and information technology came together at �鶹��Ƶ to discuss how advances in the digital landscape can be harnessed to solve the unique challenges facing today’s educators in a two-day Dell Technologies Innovation Summit held in February at �鶹��Ƶ Square in Arlington, Virginia.

�鶹��Ƶ’s $214 million in research funding in fiscal year 2021 represented an increase of more than $100 million over five years, and puts the university on track to meet its goal of $225 million by 2025.

�鶹��Ƶ’s online degree offerings are some of the best in the nation, with five programs in education and engineering ranked in the top 20 among public universities, according to the 2023 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs rankings released Jan. 24.