Marissa Joyce

Summer internship lets George �鶹��Ƶ student help kids discover the joys of STEM

Katarina Benson — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 17:47:16 +0000

Summer internship lets George �鶹��Ƶ student help kids discover the joys of STEM Katarina Benson Thu, 07/31/2025 - 13:47

For Ryanne Mardini, the humanities and STEM go hand in hand. The criminology, law and society major's summer internship with WorldStrides has taken her across the United States, inspiring young scholars to explore the world of STEM through hands-on learning opportunities.

Mardini credits her humanities coursework for laying the necessary groundwork for her success as an advisor and ultimately strengthening her relationship with her students. Learn more about her unforgettable experience where she discusses her path to interning with WorldStrides, her advice to her fellow students, STEM's relationship to the humanities, and more!

Where is your summer internship, and what is your title?

I am an advisor and scholar support for “Pathways to STEM,” an Envision program by WorldStrides. I travel all around the U.S.

What are your main responsibilities on the job?

I have the rewarding role of guiding and encouraging young scholars as they explore the exciting world of STEM through hands-on learning. I support students throughout their adventure by helping them engage in activities such as dissecting calf hearts to learn about anatomy, building robots to explore engineering and coding, and designing rollercoaster rides to understand physics and motion. My goal is to inspire curiosity, build confidence, and ensure each scholar feels supported and empowered as they discover the possibilities within science, technology, engineering, and math.

Can you tell us more about where you traveled for your internship?

I had the opportunity to travel to American University in Washington D.C.; Villanova University in Villanova, Pennsylvania; University of Dallas in Dallas, Texas; Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee; and finally, Rice University in Houston, Texas. I worked with a different group of scholars every week. They never failed to surprise me with their large minds and enthusiasm to learn!

How have your George �鶹��Ƶ courses contributed to your success in your current internship?

I've taken a variety of courses that have strengthened both my scientific knowledge and communication skills. On the STEM side, I completed classes like nutrition, communication, and a variety of math courses, which provided a solid foundation for understanding scientific concepts and data. On the humanities side, I’ve taken communication and psychology, which really enhanced my ability to think critically and explain complex ideas in accessible ways—skills that are essential when supporting students during STEM activities.

How does your humanities major interconnect with the STEM aspects of your internship?

The humanities aspect plays a huge role in making STEM more relatable and human-centered. Through studying subjects like communication and psychology, I’ve learned how to approach STEM not just as a technical field, but as something that deeply impacts people and communities. This perspective helped me connect with the kids during the program—understanding how to communicate with empathy, encourage curiosity, and create a supportive learning environment.

How did you find your internship?

I found my internship through Handshake, a website for college students to find internships and job listings.

What is the most valuable lesson you learned as an intern?

Be patient. Not everything is going to go as planned, so pivot!

What advice would you give students about getting the most out of their internship?

Ask questions and do not be afraid of putting yourself out there!

Topics

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

internships

Students

George �鶹��Ƶ PhD student looks at deception and human-robot interactions

Colleen Rich — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:20:46 +0000

George �鶹��Ƶ PhD student looks at deception and human-robot interactions Colleen Rich Thu, 02/13/2025 - 09:20

How likely are humans to trust a robot, especially if that robot has the capacity to lie? This is the question �鶹��Ƶ psychology doctoral candidate Andres Rosero is exploring in his research on human-robot interaction.

“As robots become more integrated in human society, their roles will transition into those of a collaborative nature rather than as tools used by people,” said Rosero, who works in Applied Psychology and Autonomous Systems (ALPHAS) Lab in the Human Factors and Applied Cognition Program. “In response, these robots must be programmed with enough social awareness to navigate complex interpersonal interactions to build relationships and maintain a positive interaction with the humans they share their environment with.”

Almost 500 participants took part in Rosero's study “Human perceptions of social robot deception behaviors: an exploratory analysis,” which he conducted with George �鶹��Ƶ graduate teaching assistant Harris Kelly and psychology professor Elizabeth Phillips. This study gauges how likely participants are to accept a lie told by a robot in various situational contexts and is one of the three manuscripts that comprise Rosero's dissertation.

Participants ranked specific scenarios involving robot deception and evaluated how deceptive the lie was, whether they approved of the robot’s actions, and if the robot’s behavior could be justified. The study placed these scenarios into three different environments: medical, domestic, and retail.

“The goal is to examine human perceptions of AI and robot collaborations across different complex social interactions,” explains Rosero, who received an MA in psychology from George �鶹��Ƶ in 2022. “This study is one of two that examine moral norms in robots and how in breaking these moral norms, humans accept and justify the robot's behaviors.”

Each environment presented a unique quandary for the participant. For example, in the medical environment, the robot lied to a patient with Alzheimer’s, telling the patient that her deceased husband was coming home. In the other environments, the robot was evasive rather than uttering false statements.

George �鶹��Ƶ PhD candidate Andres Rosero, pictured here with "Pepper," is exploring deception and human-robot interactions. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

In the domestic environment, the robot did not reveal to the individual that they were being secretly filmed. And in the retail environment, the robot did not disclose that it was capable of completing an assigned task and didn’t require human assistance. Overall, participants widely believed the robot’s lie in the first scenario, but once the robot’s capacity for deception and manipulation was revealed, they became less trusting. They also were more likely to say that the robot’s behavior in the medical environment was justified than in the other two scenarios.

“Any technology that is designed with the intention of being utilized by people is an intersection of that technology and the humanities,” said Rosero. “Our challenge as psychologists is to design experiments that properly explore this interaction to provide direction to the development of these technologies in the real world.”

Technology’s ability to potentially conceal its true capabilities remains a concern of Rosero, as a focus on human-robot dynamics continues to fuel his research. "I am planning on defending my dissertation in the summer, and I am hoping to continue doing human factors research,” says Rosero. “My goal is to conduct impactful research that can assist people in their interactions with cutting-edge technology.”

When offering advice to students in an age of artificial intelligence and its advancements, Rosero recommends understanding “the practical applications of your work.”

“As an applied psychologist, one of the most important questions I ask myself is how my research can be applied in the real world,” he said. “It is important to understand how your work helps to build upon the current knowledge of the field and how it could impact the development of the larger technology in society.”

Learn more about AI research at George �鶹��Ƶ

Topics

Artificial Intelligence

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Alumni

Temple Grandin discusses her advocacy work with George �鶹��Ƶ students

Katarina Benson — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 17:09:56 +0000

Temple Grandin discusses her advocacy work with George �鶹��Ƶ students Katarina Benson Mon, 02/10/2025 - 12:09

In January, renowned author, animal scientist, and autism advocate Temple Grandin came to �鶹��Ƶ’s Fairfax Campus for a series of talks and Q&A sessions. With support from the Department of Psychology, she was hosted by the student organization Students in Neuroscience as part of their speaker series.

Temple Grandin speaking to the �鶹��Ƶ community. Photo provided.

Grandin champions the humane treatment of animal livestock. Diagnosed with autism at an early age, she stands as an autism self-advocate and has previously noted how her autism advances her ability to understand and empathize with animals.

George �鶹��Ƶ students, faculty, alumni, and community members gathered in Merten Hall on the Fairfax Campus to witness Grandin’s work as she presented talks and responded to audience questions throughout the day. She answered questions about her research, personal aspirations, and career journey, and gave advice for autistic individuals, especially children and adults facing challenges in school and higher education.

In addition to her two presentations, Grandin spent multiple hours speaking to individuals and small groups of people. Neuroscience major Ashir Bhatti, a member of Students in Neuroscience, is currently conducting research focused on the ethical use of ejiao (donkey collagen) in Chinese skin care products. He said he appreciated the opportunity to discuss his research with Grandin.

“We [asked] Dr. Grandin to come and speak because we recognize the benefits of her interdisciplinary knowledge and how it could benefit those studying neuroscience, psychology and beyond,” he said.

“It was a great day," said Tim Curby, chair of the Department of Psychology in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. "Hearing Dr. Grandin speak in-person about her research on both animal behavior and autism, while also taking the time to our questions, served as an encouragement personally and professionally for all of us who were there.”

Topics

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

College of Science

Students

Art history students’ museum exhibit unearths four centuries of Indian history

Katarina Benson — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 20:31:06 +0000

Art history students’ museum exhibit unearths four centuries of Indian history Katarina Benson Wed, 01/29/2025 - 15:31

During the fall 2024 semester, �鶹��Ƶ students had the opportunity to apply their classroom curriculum to a real-world museum environment. The students, led by art history professor Robert DeCaroli, worked directly with objects in the holdings of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Asian Art as part of the ARTH 495/595 Curating an Exhibit course.

George �鶹��Ƶ students work with pieces of the National Museum of Asian Art collection. Photo by Robert DeCaroli

Through a partnership with the National Museum of Asian Art and the generosity of Debra Diamond, the curator for South and Southeast Asian art, DeCaroli’s students studied painted miniatures and manuscript pages dated 1500-1800 from India’s Rajput and Pahari Courts. Students curated their own online exhibit and designed all of the museum-related materials necessary for their display, including labels, wall texts, catalog entries, educational programming, gallery talks and more.

Senior Charmaine Mapp explained that museum curation begins with the intention of education. “You need to know what this culture is and what story you're trying to tell,” Mapp said.

From there, the students proposed what they wanted to do based on the 14 paintings they had selected.

“We considered the stories presented in these paintings,” said Mapp, who is a business major. “What did we want to say with our exhibition? What did we want our theme to be, and how would everything connect?”  

DeCaroli’s class ultimately settled on the theme of “Loving Krishna: Four Centuries of Indian Painting,” a title which has a double meaning, referring to the Hindu deity as both a loving god and the object of his followers’ love. The exhibit is currently on view at Fenwick Library until February 15.

"Loving Krishna" runs through February 15 at Fenwick Library. Photo by Charmaine Mapp

For DeCaroli, the course is just as rewarding for him as it is for his students. “It has been a joy watching the students feel connected to their paintings,” he said. “That enthusiasm provides motivation for excellent research into the history and meaning of the artwork.”

With George �鶹��Ƶ’s proximity to Washington, D.C., dedicated faculty members and generous community partners, there is so much for students to explore both within and outside of the classroom.

Mapp has been interested in curation for as long as she can remember. “When you walk into a museum or a gallery, you just see the end result. But you often don’t realize that that's created from nothing. So, this was a really good experience, especially being able to go into the archives, work with the actual paintings, and meet people who worked at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art,” she said.

“If you’re interested in art, history, or any other field, look at the classes available,” said Mapp. “I didn't know that Curating an Exhibition was a class until I looked in the course catalog. Courses like this really allow you to get more hands-on experience, develop relationships with professors, and make connections that lead to special opportunities.” 

“I have been impressed with the class's professionalism and collaborative spirit,” said DeCaroli. “Exhibitions are group efforts and good communication skills are vital to a successful project. This class has been exemplary in that regard.”

Marissa Joyce

Summer internship lets George �鶹��Ƶ student help kids discover the joys of STEM

Where is your summer internship, and what is your title?

What are your main responsibilities on the job?

Can you tell us more about where you traveled for your internship?

How have your George �鶹��Ƶ courses contributed to your success in your current internship?

How does your humanities major interconnect with the STEM aspects of your internship?

How did you find your internship?

What is the most valuable lesson you learned as an intern?

What advice would you give students about getting the most out of their internship?

Topics

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Temple Grandin discusses her advocacy work with George �鶹��Ƶ students

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Art history students’ museum exhibit unearths four centuries of Indian history

Dive into studying art history at George �鶹��Ƶ

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