GCI-Grand Challenge Initiative

George �鶹��Ƶ launches Grand Challenge Initiative to secure sustainable, prosperous future

Katarina Benson — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 18:45:23 +0000

George �鶹��Ƶ launches Grand Challenge Initiative to secure sustainable, prosperous future Katarina Benson Wed, 06/04/2025 - 14:45

�鶹��Ƶ has launched its Grand Challenge Initiative (GCI), a comprehensive research framework backed by an initial five-year, $15 million investment. The initiative will align university resources, faculty expertise, and educational programs around six interconnected solution areas addressing what George �鶹��Ƶ President Gregory Washington describes as “humanity’s ultimate grand challenge”—securing a peaceful, healthy, and prosperous future.

“Our world is at a crossroads,” he said. “It is time to either brace for global decline and a future that none of us want, or seize control of our destiny and work to reverse course. It will take all of us working together on all these solutions at once to alter the trajectory of our future.”

The initiative, developed through a faculty-driven task force led by Andre Marshall, vice president for research, innovation, and economic impact, focuses on six grand solutions:

Advancing 21st-century education for all
Building a climate-resilient society
Driving responsible digital innovation and sustainable infrastructure
Improving human health, well-being, and preparedness
Pioneering space exploration, research, and collaboration
Strengthening peace, trust, and engagement in democracy

In the latest episode of the Access to Excellence podcast, Marshall discusses this new initiative and how it will shape the future of our university.

“George �鶹��Ƶ is driven by discovery,” said Marshall. “This means unleashing our bold ideas from their theoretical and laboratory boundaries, thoughtfully cultivating them as they take shape, and fearlessly deploying them as innovations that will transform our lives.”

GCI will enhance educational opportunities, increase faculty talent and expertise, align current research projects, seed new proposals, and build essential infrastructure across George �鶹��Ƶ’s campuses. Working in conjunction with the university’s billion-dollar �鶹��Ƶ Now: Power the Possible campaign, the initiative seeks partnerships with government, industry, and nongovernmental organizations.

Several pioneering projects already are underway, including:

A $5 million U.S. Department of Education grant to expand the number of counselors serving high-need schools
A $1 million Google-funded cybersecurity clinic partnership with Howard University
A $6 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to help local communities become climate-resilient
A $1.78 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to improve maternal and child health through a study on environmental impacts and health outcomes
The Landolt NASA Space Mission is George �鶹��Ƶ’s first space mission and will place an artificial “star” in orbit to enhance telescope calibration
The Carter School was named a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 Hub Chair, one of only two U.S. universities selected for peace and conflict resolution

As the most innovative public university in Virginia according to U.S. News & World Report rankings for two consecutive years, George �鶹��Ƶ continues to expand its research footprint and economic impact across the commonwealth.

A media tool kit for the George �鶹��Ƶ community is currently being developed. This will include graphics, Powerpoint slides, and email signatures, and it will be made available on the GCI website.

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Research

George �鶹��Ƶ awarded $5 million from U.S. Department of Education to increase school counselors in high-need schools

Katarina Benson — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 16:03:50 +0000

George �鶹��Ƶ awarded $5 million from U.S. Department of Education to increase school counselors in high-need schools Katarina Benson Wed, 06/04/2025 - 12:03

A faculty team from several programs within the School of Education at �鶹��Ƶ has been awarded a U.S. Department of Education grant to train mental health services providers in Manassas City Public Schools. The grant is part of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to expand student access to mental health services in high-need K-12 public schools.

The training initiative supported by this award, “School Based Mental Health Alliance,” is centered on a partnership that includes George �鶹��Ƶ, Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), and the Manassas City Public Schools district. Funding under this award will approach $5 million ($4,976,702) over five years.

Principal investigator Sam Steen, a professor in George �鶹��Ƶ’s Counseling Program, is leading a multidisciplinary team that includes co-principal investigators Erik Hines, also a professor in the Counseling Program, and Elizabeth Levine Brown, an associate professor affiliated with both the Elementary Education and the Educational Psychology Programs. Other members of the team include faculty members Diane Reese and Victoria Stone of the Counseling Program; Khaseem Davis of Georgetown University; Mia Hines, interim executive director of George �鶹��Ƶ’s Early Identification Program; Richmond Hill, provost at NOVA’s Woodbridge Campus; Duhita Mahatmya, University of Iowa; and representatives from the Manassas City Public Schools district.

The significant resources provided under this grant will directly benefit Manassas City Public Schools by increasing the number of school counselors who possess expanded clinical training.

Many school districts across the country are facing an increased need for student mental health services in the aftermath of the disruption caused by the pandemic. At the same time, school districts are struggling to find trained mental health professionals to deliver these services, Steen said.

“It used to be that school counselors went into school settings and used their clinical training to help students with things like course selection, academic enhancement, college and career readiness, and development of their social emotional learning skills. That is no longer enough,” said Steen. “School counselors today are handling a much wider variety of issues that are showing up in our schools and communities daily.”

Brown pointed out that while many programs focus on those individuals entering the school counseling profession, this award provides opportunities for continued learning for in-service counselors already working in the school system.

“There has been a workforce shortage of high-quality school counselors that enter the schools and stay in schools because of the caseload increases we have seen,” Brown said. “This grant is unique in that it addresses the training of both pre-service and in-service counselors, and it is that element of the award that will help build systemic capacity in school-based mental health services.”

George �鶹��Ƶ’s graduate certificate program in counseling will provide retraining for approximately 21 counselors now employed in the Manassas City Public Schools division. Upon completing the certificate, these in-service counselors will have broader clinical training that will enable them to deliver high-quality mental health services to students and make them eligible for licensure in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

“Our hope is that eventually these students will work in high-need school districts, such as Manassas City Schools or other schools throughout the Commonwealth,” said Brown.

In other partnership activities, faculty are working closely with NOVA representatives in developing an accelerated degree pathway for eligible students, which would allow them to matriculate into a bachelor’s and then a master’s program in counseling at George �鶹��Ƶ.

Hines said that to assist with sustainability of this project, George �鶹��Ƶ must create multiple pathways to the counseling profession, such as developing a bachelor’s to accelerated master’s degree program. “We include NOVA and George �鶹��Ƶ’s EIP students so they can start as early as their junior year in advancing through the School Counseling Program.”

This project will train about 60 mental health service providers. Approximately 30 pre-service counselors and 30 in-service counselors currently working in Manassas City Public Schools will receive certification required for full Virginia licensure. Students (pre-service counselors) recruited to participate in this training initiative will complete their required practicum and internship onsite at one of Manassas City’s nine public schools.

Participants will receive some financial and professional incentives from the funds provided under the grant. Upon completion of program requirements, individuals may receive a signing bonus or retention payment if they commit to work in a Manassas City public school or another high-need school in Virginia.

Should counseling positions within the Manassas City school district fill to capacity, the research team is confident that graduates will be able to find similar positions at one of the 20 Region IV school divisions that partner with George �鶹��Ƶ through the Educational Research Alliance of Northern Virginia, a research-practice partnership forum.

Through the resources provided under this grant, Steen believes this work with help close the gap in student access to comprehensive mental health services delivered by school counselors in the Manassas City Public Schools.

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GCI-Grand Challenge Initiative

Podcast — EP 68: A Future We Want: One Grand Challenge. Six Grand Solutions

Sarah Holland — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 17:33:12 +0000

Podcast — EP 68: A Future We Want: One Grand Challenge. Six Grand Solutions Sarah Holland Tue, 06/03/2025 - 13:33

Our world is at a crossroads. Meeting this moment requires unprecedented action to create the future we want for our planet. As one of the top-tier research universities in the country, George �鶹��Ƶ has announced an important new direction for research at our university: The Grand Challenge Initiative.

Drawing on our roots as the university that overcame adversity to become the nation’s youngest-ever R1 institution—and one whose sponsored research funding has grown 64 percent since 2020—the Grand Challenge Initiative is George �鶹��Ƶ’s university-wide strategy to sharpen our focus on humanity’s most pressing issues while maximizing our competitiveness for external research funding.

For this episode of Access to Excellence, Andre Marshall, vice president for research, innovation, and economic impact at George �鶹��Ƶ, joins President Gregory Washington to discuss this new initiative and how it will shape the future of our university.

Read the transcript

Intro (00:04):
Trailblazers in research; innovators in technology; and those who simply have a good story: all make up the fabric that is �鶹��Ƶ. We're taking on the grand challenges that face our students, graduates; inand higher education is our mission and our passion. Hosted by �鶹��Ƶ President Gregory Washington, this is the Access to Excellence podcast.

President Gregory Washington (00:27):
Our world is at a crossroads. It is time either to brace ourselves for an era of global decline and a future that none of us would choose for ourselves, or it's time to seize back control of our destiny and work together to reverse course. Meeting this moment requires unprecedented action to create the future we want for our planet. As one of the top tier research universities in the country, George �鶹��Ƶ has announced an important and bold new direction for our university and for research. Drawing on our roots as a university that overcame adversity to become the youngest R1 institution and one who sponsors research funding has grown significantly more than 64% since 2020, we are launching a university-wide strategy to sharpen our focus on humanity's most pressing issues while maximizing our competitiveness for a dwindling external research funding opportunities. We call it our Grand Challenge Initiative.

President Gregory Washington (01:29):
It will take all of us working together across schools, colleges, and disciplines at �鶹��Ƶ, in partnership with research partners in our region and throughout the world to determine the course for our collective future. So today we're gonna talk about it. We're gonna dive into this with Andre Marshall, vice President for research innovation and economic impact. In his role as the university senior research officer Andre, who joined George �鶹��Ƶ in 2021, provides overall leadership for the portfolio of research innovation and economic development activities. Prior to George �鶹��Ƶ, Andre served in leadership positions at the National Science Foundation and at the University of Maryland College Park. He is the recipient of the NSF Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering (PECASE), which is one of the most prestigious awards a young faculty member can achieve. And he's also the recipient of the Philip Thomas Medal of Excellence. And his research has been supported by national and international funding. Andre, thanks for joining us today.

Andre Marshall (02:36):
Thank you for having me. I can't tell you how excited I am to be here.

President Gregory Washington (02:40):
Outstanding. Well, look, I talked about the grand challenge issue, but you know, we often get the question, what is a grand challenge? So, given that this is a big part of your portfolio going forward, I'm asking you what's a grand challenge?

Andre Marshall (02:55):
Alright, well we spent really a lot of time thinking about this and for �鶹��Ƶ, from our perspective, the Grand Challenge Initiative, it's all about the future. And specifically as we thought about kind of what that means to operationalize this, we developed four criteria for what a grand challenge is. So a grand challenge is large and enduring. And what we mean by that is we are not trying to solve the little problems. As you say, we are focused on the big rocks and we're not looking for quick fixes. Alright? We want to have a solution that lasts.

President Gregory Washington (03:37):
Give me an example. Not one of our solutions, but give me a specific example of a grand challenge.

Andre Marshall (03:43):
A grand challenge that comes to mind would be a cure for sickle cell, for example.

President Gregory Washington (03:50):
Okay.

Andre Marshall (03:50):
You know, that challenge impacts people globally. There's a lot of suffering associated with that. It, it changes people's lives. And so if you can address those kinds of issues, you can really make a difference. And guess what? It's big. And if you solve it, you've solved it. And that's what I mean by, you know, doing something that is big and enduring. You know, also a grand challenge is complex and it requires people from not just across the, the university, but it requires external partners. So what we mean by, you know, this kind of complex, interdisciplinary, and external partner criterion is that you can't do it alone, right? You need people, the problem is bigger than just you. Alright, so we got grand challenges that are big and they endure and they require multiple partners.

Andre Marshall (04:58):
Um, and now let's talk about this third criterion. And this is focused on �鶹��Ƶ. Look, we need to focus on challenges that we can really do something about and that aligns with our strengths, our assets, and our core values. So we want things that mean something to �鶹��Ƶ in terms of our values and our expertise and strengths. And then finally, this fourth criterion is that we want to move the needle and to make a difference. So we don't want our, our our activities to just be a drop in the bucket. The things that we work on, they're going to really make a change. They're not just going to be additive. And so we have to be careful about the problems that we choose and the challenges that we choose so that they're aligned with our strengths and that we can really do something.

President Gregory Washington (05:57):
So we have world class faculty focused on a whole host of issues, right? From poverty to health, to engineering and science. How would you recommend we focus our effort? I know you, you had a committee, this committee has met for a significant period of time, some of our best and brightest faculty, and you all tackled this issue. So talk a little bit about deploying our resources and focus.

Andre Marshall (06:24):
I appreciate that question and I appreciate the intentionality of this question. We really need to deploy our resources. We need to deploy our entire research enterprise for action and for impact, especially considering all the headwinds that we have right now. We've got, uh, resource limitations in terms of research. We have increased competition for talent and resources, and we have changing priorities in the research landscape to, to be frank. And so we have to be intentional about how we're gonna deploy our resources and our research enterprise. Well, our faculty, they're committed to making a difference. So we, we need to honor that they are committed to having an impact and changing the world. So, you know, that's our foundation. That we want to do something, that the faculty care about, that they're good at that is really gonna make a difference. So we put together, uh, as you mentioned this committee, we talked about so many different possibilities of what we could do. There were 84 different ideas that came up.

President Gregory Washington (07:42):
So there, so there was a big focusing effort that happened to get it down to six.

Andre Marshall (07:47):
To get it down to six. There were 84 different ideas. And those were sourced not just from the faculty, their networks, the external community. We revisited those criteria that I mentioned. We kind of synthesized those 84 into groups. And then we did what's called the SOAR analysis, where we looked at strengths, opportunities, aspirations, and the kinds of results that we wanted in order to get things down a little further. And when we put everything together, we came up with some thrust areas. Alright? These thrust areas, they reflected our values, they reflected our strengths, they reflected things that the faculty and the researchers and our students could get excited about. They were things that could make a difference. And I'm not gonna tell you the six right now.

President Gregory Washington (08:43):
Yeah, yeah. We, we, I'm--

Andre Marshall (08:44):
Not, I'm not, I'm gonna tell you why I'm not gonna tell you.

President Gregory Washington (08:46):
No, no, no. We'll get in there. We'll get into that later.

Andre Marshall (08:48):
No, but I, I just wanna say this: a big piece of it was the money. Alright? So I want you, you asked about resources. And so during this whole conversation, I got a lot of pressure. It's like we're doing, we're doing all this work, we're being thoughtful, but are we gonna have the resources to actually do something? And I'm so proud to say that in addition to having the ideas, this effort in order to really deploy it, as you mentioned, has some resources behind it that are significant. And the fact that there's some resources that back up these ideas makes all the difference.

President Gregory Washington (09:30):
So speaking of resources, there's a lot of uncertainty right now with federal funding for research that all universities are experiencing, right? We've seen caps on overhead. Uh, we've seen reductions and grants for a whole myriad of reasons. It's started with a DEI framework, but it's gone way beyond that. I think a lot of people, so--

Andre Marshall (09:52):
You're talking about why I get up at two in the morning.

President Gregory Washington (09:54):
. Exactly. So, so I think a lot of people would be wondering why double down and make an investment in the research space right now, given all of the uncertainty.

Andre Marshall (10:05):
So President Washington, we really have you to thank for that. So I'm following your lead. I can remember, you know, more than a year ago now, you actually introducing the idea that federal funding, federal resources are gonna decline. And we need to be ready for that. We need to be thinking about what are the most important problems for us to focus our efforts on. And so, �鶹��Ƶ, as we often are, we are ahead of the, the curve on this one. We're organized, we have some focus areas, we have some resources behind this. And even in this declining landscape, we've got a long-term plan. You mentioned the stresses that are on our research enterprise right now. The budget cuts, the DEI concerns, the politics. Research is about so much more than that. Research is about discovery. It's about new knowledge, and ultimately it's about societal benefit and making the world a better place. And so we're not gonna focus on these distractions. We have to be aware of them, but we're not gonna focus on that. We're focused on the long game here. And this Grand Challenge Initiative gives us something to look forward to. It's a bright spot. It helps focus us from the distractions. We are leading on this because we're not so focused on some of these distractions, and it gives us an opportunity to set ourselves apart.

President Gregory Washington (11:45):
Well, I think that's the key issue. At a time when people are, for lack of a better way of putting this retrenching, we are going to be investing.

Andre Marshall (11:56):
That's right.

President Gregory Washington (11:56):
It follows the, the Warren Buffet adage. Warren Buffet says, look, when , when others are greedy, be afraid. And when others are afraid, be greedy. Right? And so that is the framework, that is the, the rationale for making these investments and making them now. So access to research, whether it's support for faculty or hands-on experiences for our students, is a huge driver at George �鶹��Ƶ. How could faculty get involved in the initiative?

Andre Marshall (12:28):
I'm gonna say our faculty are already involved in the initiative. When the committee was formed, we looked at broad representation from the faculty. We looked at senior faculty from across the academic units. I talked to deans about the faculty that would be good for this. We even had deans on the committee. We had junior faculty on the committee as well. So their voices have already been heard in shaping the very beginning of this. And we are just at the very beginning, there's gonna be so much more that comes out of this initiative. It it, it really does frame what our research is gonna look like strategically for the next five to 10 years here at �鶹��Ƶ. And as the effort grows, we'll engage a broader community of faculty. In fact, we're very intentional about that. We've already identified champions, grand challenge champions, that are going out throughout the university and helping people to understand more about the solution areas and the opportunities for investment and connecting.

Andre Marshall (13:50):
We're looking for faculty that can start thinking about integrating their research into these thrust areas. So they're already out there, right? And while we are doing the outreach, faculty can already be thinking, you know what? There's this grand challenge area here. I know I'm doing something in this area or adjacent to it. How can I use this Grand Challenge Initiative to amplify that? There was this wonderful Dear Patriots letter that went out at the end of April. So the students and the faculty and everyone knows about that, can start thinking about integrating some of this grand challenge activity into their curriculum, into their classes. And what I love about this is, at its core Grand Challenge Initiative is a research effort. And as we mature as a research intensive university, we should be thinking more about really nucleating our activities around research. So having these classroom activities that are kind of, uh, built around or inspired by some major research things is super exciting. They can start thinking about the facilities and infrastructure that they might need in order to really move the needle in some of these spaces. And our solution areas are broad. And so thinking about how they might collaborate across disciplines and who their peers will be or, or could be in these solution areas will be great. And in the future, in the fall, we're gonna have, you know, some structured events and activities that can really help our faculty and student community get more engaged.

President Gregory Washington (15:39):
Okay. Well let's talk about these six areas. So there are six areas of investment that in, in my opinion, are areas of grand challenge need in the country, right? Actually globally. And these are areas where we have key significant expertise, right? We have both. So one: advancing 21st century education for all. Two: building a climate resilient society. Three: driving responsible digital innovation and sustainable infrastructure. Four: improving human health, wellbeing and preparedness. Five: preparing for space exploration, research and collaboration. And six: strengthening peace, trust and engagement in democracy. Those are the six grand challenge areas. I think they're outstanding. Let's talk through a couple of them and highlight some of the big areas that we believe we have expertise and we will touch society in these general areas. So first, let's talk about advancing 21st century education for all. Can you talk a little bit about how the committee came to that conclusion of, of a grand challenge?

Andre Marshall (17:06):
�鶹��Ƶ is big. We have over 40,000 students. And so one of the biggest advantages, some of the biggest benefits that we offer is education, workforce development to our to our region and to the country. We know how to do that at scale. And that accessing 21st century education for all is about transforming education, breaking barriers to drive inclusivity and access and creating the workforce of the future. So, okay, we do things at scale. We care about education, we care about access, and we care about the future. And things are changing so rapidly in the technology space. And that's where I want to kind of talk a little bit about intersectionality. And so we've got this wonderful new initiative in AI, right? And we are looking at the future and how some of these technologies, whether it's AI or whether it's quantum, is gonna change the workforce of the future. And are there going to be opportunities for everyone in this rapidly changing landscape? And so we can bring our scale, we can bring our, our commitment to access and our research know-how in these emerging areas like quantum, like AI, like others, all together in order to do something that's relevant and impactful, like 21st century education for all,

President Gregory Washington (18:48):
There is a digital divide in the country. And we have experts that are focused in that space right? Where bridging the gap with students who have access to technology and connectivity and those who don't, teacher shortages, right? There are teacher shortages all over the country. We're one of the largest producers of educators in this region, not just in our state. A third of all the teachers in Northern Virginia are �鶹��Ƶ educated and 50% of all the leadership, right? But then there are issues like curriculum relevance, student mental health, assessment and standardization. These are all areas that I feel that our faculty are well positioned to actually tackle. And I think we're gonna have great outcomes relative to this.

Andre Marshall (19:34):
I I can give you one, one example, you know? Uh, in the research space, we just had Professor Kaya, who's an elementary education professor. She is working on this digital divide, just like you mentioned, just received a million dollars from NSF to cultivate AI literacy through inclusive linguistics and integrated elementary curriculum and educational robotics.

President Gregory Washington (20:03):
Oh, that's amazing.

Andre Marshall (20:04):
Yeah. So, so we're doing it.

President Gregory Washington (20:06):
So another one of these areas is this whole area of building a climate resilient society. And then this is an area where we actually have a significant number of outstanding scholars. And so let me highlight what I see in this area, and then you can talk specifically about what the committee, uh, dealt with in terms of their focused efforts. When we talk about climate resilience, we are talking about climate resilient energy systems, right? And that means strengthening the systems to respond and recover to climate related disasters, uh, you know, more effectively and quickly. Right? You know, we can argue about what's causing the climate change, which is what we tend to be doing in this country now. Or we could really be focused on what do we do when 40 major storms hit our country in a year causing widespread destruction and loss of life.

President Gregory Washington (20:57):
Uh, how do we rebuild systems that are resilient to what's coming of the fact that our climate has changed, you know, for lack of a better way of putting it, people will argue over whether climate change is caused by man or is caused by nature. But what they're not arguing over is the fact that our climate is changing, right? You know, people see the, the storms, they see the wildfires, they're experiencing this. It is so prevalent and so frequent that you actually can't deny that aspect. And so, uh, building systems that are resilient to these climate change, that's, that's one area where we know we have expertise and where we have strength. And then there's issues of community preparedness that's ensuring that vulnerable communities have the resources, knowledge and support to adapt to the actual changing climate, right? And so I see a whole host of areas plus others, right, where we actually have significant expertise. Talk a little bit about the committee and what the committee thoughts were as it relates to these issues.

Andre Marshall (22:01):
So we knew that we have, and we know that we have strength in those areas. And the committee spent quite a bit of time discussing our strengths in these areas and how to pull them together into a narrative that we could put forward, but we were worried about putting it forward. Because of the word climate.

President Gregory Washington (22:24):
Interesting.

Andre Marshall (22:25):
And we spent quite a bit of time talking about this. And in the end, we know that this is an important solution to the problem of and challenge of creating the future we want, and it's aligned with our values and our strengths and we move forward with it. I'd like to pull some of the things together that you mentioned in terms of how big this could be and how much �鶹��Ƶ could do in this area.

President Gregory Washington (22:59):
Okay.

Andre Marshall (22:59):
You talked about infrastructure resilience, you talked about community resilience. We have an amazing team of climate forecasters who are experts in computational fluid dynamics also. And you can pull all of that together.

President Gregory Washington (23:17):
Right? And, and, and not to mention the climate communications folks.

Andre Marshall (23:21):
Ah, it's an excellent point.

President Gregory Washington (23:22):
Who, when you talk about engaging communities, right? When we talk about this whole aspect of community preparedness, ensuring that vulnerable communities have the resources, knowledge, and support to adapt, right? That's all about how you get information to people and how you do it in a high quality and accessible fashion, right? Let me talk a little bit about probably the , the one that's probably most controversial, right? And that is grand challenges, uh, relative to what we're doing in the area of peace, trust and engagement in democracy. Peace, trust and engagement in democracy. Because in my opinion, the political climate in the country is really changing our ability to be successful in many of the other areas, right? Because the political climate is affecting our funding, and that funding affects how we tackle all of the other grand challenges. So we gotta deal with it. We gotta talk about it, right? And so, so what kind of challenges are we talking about here? The erosion of trust. There's clearly declining public trust in democratic institutions. We actually have the faculty here who could study, who can analyze that. And that's declining trust in democratic institutions. There's declining trust in the media. Uh, the declining trust in higher education...

Andre Marshall (24:44):

President Gregory Washington (24:45):
Where, where, where we sit. And so we have faculty who are working in that space. We have people that are working in this general area of disinformation and misinformation, right? Uh, we have faculty who are studying that. And the whole idea of the spread of false or misleading information, and that's amplified right now by social media and, and bringing in and, uh, those aspects of social media and understanding and helping people to understand what kind of tools and systems we need to have in place to thwart that and to ensure that the public is actually getting accurate and actionable information.

Andre Marshall (25:21):
Yeah. These are great points. And again, our strengths and our values are aligned with this. And we have international clout in this space.

Andre Marshall (25:32):
We just received or we were just designated as the UN Hub for Sustainable Development Goal 16, which focuses on peace, trust and strong institutions. So we have an international position here that we can build on for moving the needle in that space. And that is through our Carter School of Peace and Conflict Resolution. But we'll draw on all of the centers and academic units to, to fields of study to support this. One thing that comes to mind is some of the nice work that Max Albanese, uh, does in the area of election security. So I wanna make this point, whether we're talking about these areas like strengthening peace, trust, and engagement in democracy, or building a climate resilient society. Many of the activities that we've been talking about, they're what you need to build an ecosystem, okay? When you're talking about these areas, we can't think of 'em like, oh, we have just a few strong faculty, or we've got some great infrastructure. We are looking at building ecosystems around these communities of experts and partners and networks and infrastructure and projects and programs that span research and education all in this thrust area. Because when you have that network and that infrastructure and the talent all there activated, that's when you can move the needle in a space. And that's what we're trying to buy.

President Gregory Washington (27:13):
This is, this is good. There's so many areas in this space where we have really strong expertise, voter suppression, electoral integrity, we got experts there. We got folk who are focused in dealing with this issue of political polarization. Even, uh, when it comes to technology and surveillance. So if you think about that, you know, these are, you got these digital tools and they can empower citizens, right? But they, they also raise concerns about privacy, about surveillance, and about algorithmic bias in these systems, right? And, you know, we have this whole AI initiative with this AI group that's really strong. But the reality is that group has a focus in, uh, for lack of a better way of putting this, AI and integrity, right?

Andre Marshall (27:59):
Yes.

President Gregory Washington (28:00):
AI and ethics.

Andre Marshall (28:00):
Yes.

President Gregory Washington (28:02):
That's where this technology piece intersects with the political realm and having folk looking at the ethical questions and the ethics of AI and focused in that area, I think we run the possibility of being able to change, uh, outcomes, uh, relative to that space.

Andre Marshall (28:21):
Yeah.

President Gregory Washington (28:21):
And then finally looking at authoritarianism and democratic backsliding, right? We have expertise in that space. And so the reality is that some countries elected leaders are weakening democratic checks and balances. They're restricting freedom of the press and they're eroding judicial independence. Being able to look at that and look into the effect that that will have on societies in general, even on our own, is critical as we, as we move forward. And so I think these are the right six areas. I know we didn't have time to get into all six of them, but you all chose an outstanding set. We haven't even began to talk about some of the more fun ones like space exploration, right? You know? Well, so why is that important? Because if we screw this thing up on this planet, we need to find another one to go to. . Right. But all kidding, all kidding aside, these are the right areas for focus. I think that we're, we're gonna do really, really well with these, and I look forward to the great outcomes that our faculty will achieve in the space.

Andre Marshall (29:34):
So thanks, uh, for saying that President Washington, I'm really excited about where we're gonna go and I'm most excited about having a plan and a good plan that we all can get behind and row in the same direction and focus on the future and not be worried about all of the things that we can't do anything about right now.

President Gregory Washington (30:01):
So before we close, talk about your next steps. We have this entity in place now. It's been approved, we've allocated some resources to it. And so what are some of the next steps as you roll this out?

Andre Marshall (30:16):
So there are really three things that I'd like everybody to think about as we move forward. We're raising awareness, we're driving engagement, and we're making investments. Those are the three things that we're doing. So the email that you sent out at the end of April really kicked off the Grand Challenge Initiative. And people are already contacting me about how can they get involved, what can I do right now to begin to work on this, to be a part of the solution? I'll give you an example. Young man contacted me who's president of AIAA: the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics. And he says, I can't tell you how excited I am. I think he saw that space

President Gregory Washington (31:05):
. He did.

Andre Marshall (31:06):
He saw that space solution, you know?

President Gregory Washington (31:08):
Yeah. He saw that one in, he, he just couldn't, uh, resist. We got it.

Andre Marshall (31:14):
. So, but, but here's a point. This, to be candid, is exactly what I was hoping for, right? When people see research opportunities and opportunities for investment, oftentimes there's this very narrow view like, oh, okay, there's gonna be a seed funding opportunity. I'm gonna write a proposal and I'm gonna get, you know, a little bit of support to catalyze a research area. And we're gonna do that. Okay? But we have our entire community now. We have a student organization that's connected to a national network that's thinking about our grand challenge solution area in space. Could they do a student competition? Could they host a national or international student competition at �鶹��Ƶ? Might they want to write a proposal for that? Again, there are ecosystems that I'm talking about.

President Gregory Washington (32:13):
So step one is awareness. What's the next step?

Andre Marshall (32:15):
Driving engagement. We have champions in each one of these thrust areas that are developing briefs that kind of serve as our roadmap or our foundation of what each challenge is about. And those champions are writing those up and then they're gonna visit local academic units. They're going to convene their networks and partners and stakeholders with our help. There'll be large meetings in the fall where we get everyone together and our external networks and really help people understand what's possible with this grand challenge opportunity. And to make sure that people are imagining what can happen. And the thing that I didn't mention that I need to in the, uh, raising awareness space and driving engagement space is at the end of this month, we're sending out a request for information--an RFI--and it's just like an idea solicitation. We just want people to just write us and tell us what they're thinking about, what they think they could do, alright, in the grand challenge.

President Gregory Washington (33:24):
That's a good step.

Andre Marshall (33:25):
We'll collect all these ideas and that's gonna help us with these events early in the fall to organize people because we'll already know what they're thinking and we can build on their thoughts and add our own. And we'll be able to have relevant conversations in the fall based on all these ideas.

President Gregory Washington (33:47):
And what's the, last, the last step,

Andre Marshall (33:49):
That's the money piece: making investments. We have an investment committee. That's looking at putting together a solicitation of sorts that our community and stakeholders can apply to for funding. And that's gonna be informed by the RFI. It's gonna be informed by our community on exactly what these investments may look like. We're thinking that the investments might be really high level at the institutional level. They could be at the team level or even at the individual level working that out.

President Gregory Washington (34:26):
Well that's great. Well, look, this is big and I want to thank you and all of the research faculty, staff, and students who are working so hard already on these bold solutions. Every day we read new awards, new outcomes, new discoveries, and they're outstanding. And I know George �鶹��Ƶ research is a major reason why students come to the university. Every year we get more and more applications because we are creating the access, the affordability, the flexibility, and the opportunity for people to achieve great things by solving problems like the ones we've outlined today. And that leads to a successful career and a successful life. So I am just ecstatic about where we're going with this, and I look forward to great things that come.

Andre Marshall (35:16):
Thanks so much, President Washington. I really appreciate the time, uh, that you spent the visibility that you're giving this important initiative, and I'm happy to be connected to it. Thank you.

President Gregory Washington (35:26):
Outstanding. I am George �鶹��Ƶ, president Gregory Washington. Thanks for listening. And tune in next time for more conversations that show why we are all together different.

Outro (35:42):
If you like what you heard on this podcast, go to podcast.gmu.edu. For more of Gregory Washington's conversations with the thought leaders, experts, and educators who take on the grand challenges facing our students, graduates and higher education. That's podcast.gmu.edu.

We are looking at building ecosystems around these communities of experts and partners and networks and infrastructure and projects and programs that span research and education all in this thrust area. Because when you have that network and that infrastructure and the talent all there activated, that's when you can move the needle in a space. — Andre Marshall

Be a part of the solution with our Grand Challenge Initiative

Listen to more episodes of Access to Excellence

Podcast — EP 68: A Future We Want: One Grand Challenge. Six Grand Solutions
June 3, 2025
Podcast — EP 67: Building community and conversation through the arts
April 21, 2025
Podcast — EP 66: Peace building amid the rise of global conflict
March 17, 2025
Podcast — EP 65: James Baldwin’s insights on American life and identity
February 17, 2025
Podcast — EP 64: Navigating AI’s risks and rewards
January 21, 2025

�鶹��Ƶ Korea undergrads publish research in international environmental journal

Katarina Benson — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 14:44:09 +0000

�鶹��Ƶ Korea undergrads publish research in international environmental journal Katarina Benson Mon, 06/02/2025 - 10:44

An undergraduate student-led �鶹��Ƶ Impact project at �鶹��Ƶ Korea results in a co-authored article published in the peer-reviewed international journal Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. “Accessible water quality monitoring through hybrid human–machine colorimetric methods” stems from the �鶹��Ƶ Impact project focused on environmental conditions in the Seunggi-cheon stream in Incheon.

Under the mentorship of Soyoung Kwon, associate dean of external affairs and professor of global affairs, and Dakota McCarty, an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy, �鶹��Ƶ Korea students collected and analyzed water samples, tested an innovative low-cost method for monitoring water quality, and contributed new insights to the field. Their approach combined colorimetric testing with human-guided digital analysis, producing data that closely aligned with laboratory results.

Students test the water samples. Photo provided

The project gave students valuable, hands-on experience in all stages of academic research—from fieldwork and data analysis to writing and publication. It introduced them to the world of scientific inquiry and academic publishing, equipping them with the skills, confidence, and credentials to pursue future research and graduate study.

“Working with Dr. McCarty and the other Center for Security Policy Studies (CSPS) Fellows gave me new insight into environmental security concerns like access to clean drinking water,” said Sam Sims, a junior global affairs major. “Now it’s an important part of how I think about security as a whole.”

CSPS, founded by director Ellen Laipson, is a unit of the Schar School of Policy and Government.

“[This paper] highlights the power of collaborative inquiry and the real social impact of student research,” Kwon said. “Mentoring these emerging scholars was incredibly rewarding, and I hope it inspires future student-led projects.”

McCarty agreed. “I’m incredibly proud of the students. Moving from a local project to a peer-reviewed international publication is a rare achievement at the undergraduate level,” he said. “It not only gives students a glimpse into real research but also strengthens their academic profiles for graduate school and beyond.”

Students with their research poster. Photo provided

Learn more about �鶹��Ƶ Korea

Topics

Schar School of Policy and Government

GCI-Grand Challenge Initiative

Carter School dean leads peacebuilding workshop in Hiroshima

Katarina Benson — Fri, 30 May 2025 17:51:01 +0000

Carter School dean leads peacebuilding workshop in Hiroshima Katarina Benson Fri, 05/30/2025 - 13:51

In This Story

Alpaslan Özerdem

Alpaslan Özerdem, dean of the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at �鶹��Ƶ, opened the 2025 Korea-U.S.-Japan Young Trilateral Leaders Regional Workshop Series, held in May at the Hiroshima Bunka Koryu Kaikan.

The opening ceremony featured a welcome from Özerdem, as well as remarks by Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui, U.S. Consul General for Osaka/Kobe Jason Cubas, and Republic of Korea Consul General for Hiroshima Hojeung Kang.

Dean Özerdem. Photo provided

Özerdem also led a workshop session that focused on the opportunities new technologies offer for peacebuilding, designed to help the 26 young leaders from Japan, South Korea, and the United States deepen their understanding of conflict resolution, inter-group reconciliation, and international relations from historical and cultural perspectives.

The young leaders have been working in four multi-national teams to develop plans that will utilize emerging technologies to cultivate a new generation of leaders equipped to navigate and address the complex challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region, with a particular focus on big data and artificial intelligence, the challenges of mis/disinformation, the future of cybersecurity, the transformative power of peace-oriented technology, and technological platforms for social reconciliation activities between Japan and Korea.

“We believe that empowering young people with the tools and skills of peacebuilding—especially through the innovative use of technology—unlocks tremendous potential for transformative change across societies,” Özerdem said. “I am especially honored that this workshop is taking place in Hiroshima, a city whose history powerfully reminds us of the critical need for peace and reconciliation. We view this U.S. Department of State-funded project as a timely and valuable opportunity to build lasting partnerships with local peacebuilders in Hiroshima and beyond.”

The workshop series comprises four phases. The Hiroshima session was the third phase. Phase one began with four weeks of online pre-learning, conducted from March 10 to April 4. The second phase featured the first in-person workshop, held in Incheon, South Korea, from May 11 to 14. The series will conclude with a fourth and final session, an online evaluation scheduled for early June.

YTL workshop participants. Photo provided

Özerdem’s outreach work ties to George �鶹��Ƶ’s recently launched Grand Challenge Initiative and the work being done across the university to strengthen trust and engagement in democratic institutions and foster global stability by bridging economic divides and advancing strategic alliances and diplomacy.

The Carter School was also recently named a United Nations Academic Impact Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Hub Chair for Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. As chair, Özerdem and his team will be responsible for education and training, research, community engagement, developing partnerships, and working with other SDG hubs to strengthen and further the United Nations’ mission of peace and justice.

Topics

GCI-Grand Challenge Initiative

Campus News

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

George �鶹��Ƶ dean shares bold vision for K-12 education at Innovation Africa conference

Katarina Benson — Wed, 28 May 2025 15:02:01 +0000

George �鶹��Ƶ dean shares bold vision for K-12 education at Innovation Africa conference Katarina Benson Wed, 05/28/2025 - 11:02

Before an audience of ministers, ambassadors, educators, and global innovation leaders, Ingrid Guerra-López, dean of �鶹��Ƶ’s College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), delivered a keynote address that called for a bold, system-wide transformation of K–12 education to secure Africa’s workforce future—and the world’s.

“Africa’s future is already in motion,” she said. “It’s sitting in today’s classrooms. The one billion young people who will shape the continent’s future are learning—or trying to learn—right now. And what happens in those classrooms will determine the future of economies, democracies, and entire regions.”

Guerra-López speaking at the summit. Photo provided

The “Innovation Africa 2025” summit, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, convened senior policymakers and international partners to tackle the most pressing challenges in education and skills development across the continent. Guerra-López emphasized that education is not simply one among many priorities in development—it is the foundation upon which all others rest.

With this sense of urgency and opportunity, Guerra-López proposed a six-pillar framework to guide education system transformation. She emphasized that meaningful and sustainable change requires a coherent, integrated response—one that bridges workforce development, teacher preparation, digital learning, access for all learners, and alignment with long-term economic opportunity.

“Too often we treat education reform as a series of disconnected efforts—fixing curriculum here, training teachers there, or piloting tech solutions in isolation. But the truth is, systems only improve when the elements are aligned and mutually reinforced,” Guerra-López said. “Strengthening teacher pipelines without modernizing curriculum, for example, won’t yield lasting gains. True transformation requires intervention at the system level.”

Her framework calls for action in six interconnected areas:

strengthening the education workforce,
transforming learning through technology and innovation,
expanding access and opportunity to all learners,
aligning education with economic opportunity,
equipping learners with future-ready skills, and
building global and regional partnerships to scale what works.

Each pillar supports the others, offering a roadmap for national leaders and development partners seeking to improve education outcomes in both the short and long term.

In discussing workforce development, Guerra-López acknowledged UNESCO estimates that Sub-Saharan Africa will need more than 17 million additional teachers by 2030 just to meet basic education goals. This, she said, presents both a challenge and a powerful opportunity—to professionalize teaching and create lifelong pathways of growth for educators. Similarly, she cautioned against overreliance on devices alone, arguing that educational technology must be embedded in broader digital ecosystems that include training, localized content, and robust infrastructure, in alignment with a clear national educational technology strategy.

One of the most resonant themes of her talk was the role of education in building more just, prosperous, and resilient societies, emphasizing that education systems must intentionally prepare learners for an uncertain future shaped by automation, climate change, and shifting labor markets.

“Future-ready skills aren’t just a buzzword—they are a necessity,” Guerra-López said. “The World Economic Forum and countless global studies make clear that skills such as critical thinking, creativity, digital fluency, and environmental stewardship are the currency of tomorrow’s workforce. These must be embedded early, across all learning pathways—not just as add-ons or electives.”

Innovation Africa summit. Photo provided

Equally critical is ensuring that education is accessible and effective for all learners. She called attention to the persistent disparities in access and outcomes between rural and urban learners, boys and girls, and students with and without disabilities.

“Education for all is about more than enrollment,” she said. “It’s about removing both visible and invisible barriers—so every learner, everywhere, has a genuine opportunity to thrive and contribute meaningfully to their communities and economies.”

Dean Guerra-López’s systems-based approach resonated deeply with the summit’s focus on scalable and sustainable solutions. She stressed that while innovation and investment are essential, national leadership and community ownership must drive change.

It is in this spirit that CEHD engages with partners across government agencies, universities, and the private sector—co-creating education strategies that reflect local priorities while drawing on global expertise.

“Transformation doesn’t come from outside. It comes from within—when local leaders, educators, and communities shape solutions that reflect their vision and context. Our role, as education and research partners, is to listen, align, and bring evidenced-based tools and support that enable sustainable progress,” she said.

Guerra-López positioned CEHD and �鶹��Ƶ as not only a hub for innovation, but as a platform for consequential research that drives measurable progress and meaningful societal impact. She echoed George �鶹��Ƶ’s Grand Challenge Initiative, especially the university’s commitment to “advancing 21st-century education for all,” framing this work as both a critical component of sustainable development and a strategic investment in global stability and shared prosperity.

Guerra-López’s address made clear that global transformation begins with local action—and that George �鶹��Ƶ is committed to walking alongside the leaders shaping that future.

“Africa holds extraordinary promise—not just for the continent, but for the world. If we act boldly and collaboratively, we can unlock that potential—starting in the classroom, where the seeds of every future workforce are planted.”

Topics

Campus News

College of Education and Human Development

GCI-Grand Challenge Initiative

K-12 Partnerships

George �鶹��Ƶ civil engineering students are helping local communities improve their flood resilience

Katarina Benson — Wed, 07 May 2025 18:04:10 +0000

George �鶹��Ƶ civil engineering students are helping local communities improve their flood resilience Katarina Benson Wed, 05/07/2025 - 14:04

In September 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane and quickly became the deadliest hurricane in the United States since Hurricane Katrina. It brought catastrophic flooding, storm surge, landslides, and tornadoes, resulting in more than 250 deaths and $78.7 billion in damages, which some estimate may rise to $110 billion. Areas of Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee were devastated by the rainfall it brought, and Southwest Virginia experienced significant flooding.

“Flooding is a growing issue across local communities,” said Celso Ferreira, who leads �鶹��Ƶ’s Flood Hazards Research Lab. “It is one part of engineering that’s not well-solved. Communities want to understand and adapt to flood risk, but it’s expensive. If it were easy and cheap, it would already be solved. That’s where this idea came in—we thought, why not involve students? Not just teach them engineering but help them create useful products for these communities. Can we make a difference without a multimillion-dollar firm? Can we bridge the gap?”

George �鶹��Ƶ PhD student Diana Veronez runs a modeling demonstration for the Flood Hazard Engineering and Adaptation course. Photo provided

Ferreira recently redesigned the CEIE 445/645 Flood Hazard Engineering and Adaptation course to work with community partners to deliver real projects as part of the Institute for a Sustainable Earth’s (ISE’s) NSF Accelerating Research Translation (ART) Seed Translational Research Project (STRP) Program. He taught it for the first time in its new format in fall 2024 and plans to offer it again this fall.

In CEIE 445/645, a course for civil engineering students, undergraduate and graduate students work together on teams to develop flood risk maps and conduct analyses to help real clients in local communities improve their flood resilience. For some communities, especially smaller counties or tribes with fewer resources or no engineers on staff, this can provide critical data to help them address areas at higher risk of flooding.

The student teams used the recently developed Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) models, which provided ground elevation surface (topography), hydraulic friction values, and surface water infiltration values. This served as a common framework each project could be built upon.

The class used Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation models to run scenarios. This figure shows areas of potential flooding in the Town of Quantico. Photo provided

During the first part of the semester, the students learned how to create models like those provided by Virginia DCR. Then, they worked with their clients to address individual case studies on flood mitigation.

“I think it’s transformational for the students,” Ferreira said. “I’m glad we’re able to do that. At the beginning, they wonder what they’ve gotten themselves into, but by then end, they’re proud of the projects they built. [This challenge] really captures their attention, and they get enthusiastic about it.”

Examples of student projects include:

Pamunkey Reservation Flood Resiliency Plan - Located on a peninsula east of Richmond, the reservation is just slightly above sea level, increasing its risk of tidal and pluvial (surface water) flooding. The student team—Jacob Ryan Tomechko, Amanda Mullen, Paul Pacheco, Angela Haines-Perez, and Heriberto Perez—helped identify potential problem spots for roadway flooding including scenarios to address sea-level rise and significant storm events such as hurricanes.
Forwarding Roadway Resiliency Efforts in Mathews County – Matthews County is located on Virginia’s middle peninsula and is at risk of coastal and pluvial flooding due to its low-lying roadways. The student team—Matthew Cantos, Daniel Cardona, Mike DeCarlo, Eglal Salih, and Allyson Skahen—assessed which areas were at a higher risk of flooding due to poorly designed drainage ditches or other characteristics.
Flood Adaptive Roadways in Quantico, Virginia – Located in Prince William County, the Town of Quantico is near the Potomac River and Quantico Creek. The student team—Sebastian Galarza, Marcos Sanchez, Roberto Mejia, and Gabby Wade—helped the town assess roadway flooding scenarios to inform future evacuation efforts.

As part of their work, the student teams created ArcGIS storymaps for each project, available through the course website.

After the course, several students were hired as undergraduate research assistants to continue working on the projects so that they could take them beyond one semester’s work and provide the clients with more advanced projects. They are reviewing and enhancing all the projects to improve alignment with the clients’ requests and developing a standardized product that each client will receive.

One client was interested in using the student maps and analysis to assist with their proposal for funding to address these flooding issues. This is one way Ferreira sees clients being able to use the student projects. He explained that when communities apply for a grant to hire an engineering company for a project, they need to do preliminary analysis as part of this proposal. Many communities don’t have this capacity—they don’t have engineers to do preliminary analysis.

Ferreira worked with a graduate research assistant, two post-docs, and a PhD student over the summer of 2024 to redesign the course. “The funding from the ART program made it possible. It provided the resources to adapt the course in this way. It was key to have those resources, because it was a huge undertaking that couldn’t be done by one faculty member alone.”

The goal of the NSF ART program is to translate science from the university to real solutions for local communities that can help them better prepare for climate-related disasters. The ISE and Virginia Climate Center (VCC) are collaborating with the University of Kentucky and the Center for Climate Strategies on the NSF ART initiative to close this gap and help communities in Virginia improve their resilience.

CEIE 445/645 will be offered in the fall 2025 semester, and applications are still open for local communities to participate as clients.