Training

License to skill: System engineering team takes drone training to new heights

Nathan Kahl — Mon, 12 May 2025 18:20:40 +0000

License to skill: System engineering team takes drone training to new heights Nathan Kahl Mon, 05/12/2025 - 14:20

In This Story

A �鶹��Ƶ team of Systems and Industrial Engineering (SIE) students developed a training system to assist people working toward their drone pilot license.

As part of the project, the team developed a business plan that won Best Paper in the Systems Design Track at the Annual Andrew P. Sage Memorial Capstone Design Competition and Best Paper and Best Presentation in the Modeling and Simulation Track at the GEN Donald R. Keith Memorial Capstone Conference at West Point.

The system incorporates a drone pilot simulator, Zephyr Sim, that was developed separately by George �鶹��Ƶ alumni Kyle Bishop, Alex Estep, and Stewart VanBuren, who graduated from the Computer Game Design Program in the College of Visual and Performing Arts and worked at Virginia Serious Game Institute.

All pilots using drones for commercial purposes are obliged to hold a license known as the Part 107 Drone Pilot license. The license, issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), covers all the aeronautic knowledge and the rules-of-the-road for safely flying drones. These rules include establishing where is it legal to fly, how high is too high, how to account for weather, and when and how to notify the authorities about the flight.

Drone flying. Photo credit Public Domain Archive

“To obtain a Part 107 license, all one has to do is pass a multiple-choice exam with about 70 questions,” said SIE student Hannah Nguyen. “Can you imagine getting an automobile driver’s license without the behind-the-wheel driving test? With the Part 107, just pass the knowledge exam and you are good-to-go.”

The team conducted several stakeholder interviews to inform their project, which proved very useful. “After only a few interviews it became clear that enterprises that routinely use drones for data gathering, and image collection were experiencing excess costs due improper handling of the drones by the pilots,” said team member Corbin Phillips.

Team leader Emaan Abbasi added, “We designed a drone pilot training system that integrates drone flying on the simulator in the with the aeronautic knowledge material. For example, in the section on weather, the student practices flying the drone in different wind conditions or with different levels of fog.”

The end product has 17 modules with concepts-maps, video lectures, flash cards, and practice quizzes. Each module has one or more hands-on simulator flying activities. “The training system was thoroughly tested by five students,” said team member Andrew Kuo. “We learned a lot and made several adjustments. In the end, the training to proficiency is reliably faster than the industry best practices.”

“The most enjoyable part of the capstone course was seeing all our hard work come together,” said team member Shakira Mangrio. “The system engineering approach really helped us manage all of the moving parts throughout the year, it was really rewarding to see the final result and present it. And winning awards was icing on the cake.”

Rajesh Ganesan, chair of the systems engineering undergraduate committee, congratulated the team and confirmed that the class SYST 464 Commercial Drone Pilot Training was approved and will be added to the fall 2025 University Catalog. This course will also be part of the aviation flight training and management minor.

Topics

Drones

Unmanned Aerial Systems drones

Training

Students

�鶹��Ƶ releases Civility and Violence Prevention Training for faculty and staff

Colleen Rich — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 17:16:38 +0000

�鶹��Ƶ releases Civility and Violence Prevention Training for faculty and staff Colleen Rich Tue, 09/13/2022 - 13:16

To create the safe and violence-free environment �鶹��Ƶ strives to achieve, we need everyone’s help to identify and report concerning behavior, prohibited conduct, and violence so that appropriate intervention and mitigation actions can be taken.

Most importantly, �鶹��Ƶ wants to provide support to those who experience violence, harassment, discrimination, intimidation, or other circumstances that interfere with their personal and professional development.

Therefore, in accordance with Department of Human Resource Policy, Virginia Administrative Code, and University Policy 2208, �鶹��Ƶ’s Violence Prevention Committee has released required training for the �鶹��Ƶ community on identification, reporting, and mitigation of violence, prohibited conduct, and concerning behavior that may occur on campus or during university-sponsored/related activities.

Civility and Violence Prevention Training for faculty and staff is mandatory and has been assigned to all employees in �鶹��ƵLEAPS. All faculty and staff are required to take this training within the next 90 days or within 90 days of hire. Visit masonleaps.gmu.edu and select Launch: Civility and Violence Prevention Training from the “Your Action Items” box on the Welcome page.

In addition to training, the committee also developed a Stop Violence Webpage that consolidates the university’s resources for reporting prohibited conduct, concerning behavior, or violence that might occur in classrooms, work areas, and public spaces, and during university-sponsored events. �鶹��Ƶ’s Stop Violence Webpage also provides additional training opportunities, information about the various offices dedicated to eradicating violence on campus, and support for those who experience violence.

Please make time to take Civility and Violence Prevention Training and take a moment to review �鶹��Ƶ’s Stop Violence Webpage.

Topics

Faculty and Staff News

Training

Clinical Training Meets Virtual Reality

John Brandon Cantrell — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 14:29:32 +0000

Clinical Training Meets Virtual Reality John Brandon C… Wed, 04/20/2022 - 10:29

Graduate student Sindhu Mallala studies health informatics at �鶹��Ƶ to gain a deeper understanding of how technology can transform all aspects of health care.

For Sindhu Mallala, serving as a physician in her home country of India is an honor. She learned about the essential role physicians have in health care while studying at the Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences in Andhra Pradesh, India. When she began practicing medicine, she realized the impact she could make by incorporating her dedication to helping others with her love of science and technology to resolve issues that health systems in India were experiencing.

"While working, I saw the amount of data we collected in a hospital [that] just sat in piles, as the concept of digital records is still not as established back home," said Mallala. "I looked up ways to make sense of it, like pieces of a puzzle to solve both medical and hospital issues; Health informatics was the answer to my question."

Mallala's mission to study health informatics fueled her move to America to gain a deeper understanding of how technology can transform the way health systems operate, especially in storing, managing, and accessing critical patient data more quickly and securely.

"The health informatics program at �鶹��Ƶ is well-tailored,” Mallala said when asked why she chose �鶹��Ƶ for graduate school. “I wanted to learn from the best, so I could go back home and use this in a way that helps everyone in my community."

While at �鶹��Ƶ, Mallala pursued opportunities that gave her insight into just how impactful technology can be—not just for hospital operations but also for training the next generation of health care providers.

"Now that I have been on both sides of the spectrum, IT and as a health care provider, I have a better understanding of how to bridge the gaps in between,” Mallala said.

Discovering New Opportunities at the Virtual Reality Simulation Lab

Mallala teaching �鶹��Ƶ President Dr. Gregory Washington how to use the virtual reality technology.

Mallala soon became a graduate teaching assistant at the College’s Virtual Reality Simulation Lab, an opportunity that allowed her to have a direct role in discovering how technology can reshape the future of health care. The Lab provides students in various health majors with interdisciplinary opportunities to practice the skills they learn in class through virtual real-world scenarios. For Mallala, this was a chance to incorporate her clinical background with her newfound knowledge of health informatics.

"The Virtual Reality Lab encourages critical thinking and provides a safe space to practice and make mistakes," said Mallala. "Improving technical and patient communication skills are two primary goals of our Lab. We practice evidence-based medicine, and most of the cases that we practice are with diagnoses that students might come across during their [training]."

Having the opportunity to help prepare future health care professionals through virtual reality technology has developed Mallala's perspective on the possible ways technology can enhance health care delivery and training. With her education in health informatics and experience as a physician, she selects appropriate cases for students to explore in virtual reality that align with their course requirements. She also assists Bethany Cieslowski, VR and simulation coordinator in the School of Nursing, in setting up the lab and debriefing with students about the cases they completed.

Until �鶹��Ƶ, Mallala said that she did not consider virtual reality simulation as a way to train medical professionals.

"I find the concept of learning skills and practicing patient case management in a lab to be quite intriguing,” she said. “The Lab serves as an opportunity [to prepare students] to handle cases in an informed and methodical way. I've gained a great deal of knowledge from this interprofessional association of informatics and nursing. My perspective on education has shifted significantly as a result of the Virtual Reality Lab. I personally learned a great deal from Dr. Bethany Cieslowski, my mentor, about how to engage students and encourage participation."

In her pursuit to strengthen herself as a physician by obtaining a master's degree in health informatics, Mallala values the many opportunities she receives at �鶹��Ƶ that have aided her along her journey in health care. Now, she looks to the future for ways she can further health and technology research by applying her clinical knowledge with her newfound technological skills.

"Now that I have been on both sides of the spectrum, IT and as a health care provider, I have a better understanding of how to bridge the gaps in between,” Mallala said.

Topics

CHHS News

Health Informatics

Healthcare Technology

Training

Department of Health Administration and Policy

HAP News

Student Spotlight

Tech Talent Investment Pipeline (TTIP)

TTIP

Tech Talent Investment Program

Department of Health Administration and Policy Awarded HRSA Cooperative Agreement to Create Health Workforce Resilience Training

John Brandon Cantrell — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 14:34:25 +0000

Department of Health Administration and Policy Awarded HRSA Cooperative Agreement to Create Health Workforce Resilience Training John Brandon C… Tue, 02/22/2022 - 09:34

Funding supports efforts to improve mental health and well-being of health care providers.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded �鶹��Ƶ’s Department of Health Administration and Policy in the College of Health and Human Services a $2 million three-year cooperative agreement to create a Health and Public Safety Workforce Resiliency Training Program. The goal is to support the mental health and well-being of the current health care workforce and preserve and enhance the psychological well-being of future health professionals.

“Burnout is not new to health care and public health professionals, but it has reached a crisis point due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Debora Goldberg, associate professor in the Department of Health Administration and Policy, who will lead the Program. “Health care professionals are dealing with longer work hours, inadequate staffing, sleep deprivation, and increased exposure to death and dying. All these factors lead to extraordinary levels of stress, burnout, and serious psychiatric symptoms, including increased risk of suicidal thoughts and suicide.” In addition to the health of individual workers, this also has a negative effect on patient care and health care organizations.

The mission of the �鶹��Ƶ Health and Public Safety Workforce Resiliency Training Program is to develop and deliver accessible education and training activities that advance the overall safety, health, and well-being of a diverse population of nurses, social workers, public health practitioners, and leaders practicing in rural and underserved communities. �鶹��Ƶ's interdisciplinary team will take a systems approach to address resiliency and optimal well-being of the individual within their health care organizations and working environments.

“The pandemic has shown us how vital it is to take care of ourselves, especially for our health care professionals who are facing immense challenges on the front lines of COVID-19,” said Senator Tim Kaine (VA-D) in a press release. “As we’ve seen the last two years, to ensure our nation has the medical workforce necessary to respond to public health crises, we need to support our health care providers.” �鶹��Ƶ is one of three Virginia universities that received funding as part of the American Rescue Plan that U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is distributing across the country to reduce burnout and promote mental health among the health workforce.

The Program at �鶹��Ƶ is an interdisciplinary, collaborative effort. Nance Lucas, executive director of �鶹��Ƶ’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being will lead the Program’s short-term trainings. Cheryl Oetjen, Interim Chair of the School of Nursing; Holly Motto, Associate Professor of Social Work; and Ali Weinstein, Associate Professor of Global and Community Health, will serve as leads for curriculum enhancement in their departments.

Additionally, the program will draw on the expertise and outreach capabilities of a wide range of national and regional partner organizations, which will help the �鶹��Ƶ Program understand the needs of health professionals in rural and underserved areas. National partners include America’s Essential Hospitals (AEH), the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO). Regional organizations include the Northern Virginia Area Health Education Center (NVAHEC), Virginia Community Health Association (VCHA), the Virginia Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW-VA), and the Virginia Association of Colleges of Nursing (VACN).

The Program at �鶹��Ƶ will offer a variety of in-person and distance learning pathways to students and working health care professionals. The program will include special guest speakers in the Leading to Well-Being Speaker Series, Leading Thriving Organizations Certificate Program, a specialized Resilience Badge for frontline health workers, and the Mental Health First Aid Certificate program. Funding will also support enhancing the College of Health and Human Services’ curriculum to include evidence-based strategies to reduce burnout, suicide, mental health complications, and substance use disorders, and promote resiliency among health care professionals. Students will also use the College’s Virtual Reality and Simulation lab to prepare for challenging situations in an interprofessional team and learn strategies to increase resiliency.

Topics

Department of Health Administration and Policy

HAP Faculty

workers

workforce

�鶹��Ƶ 101 Returns, Sign-Up Now!

Janae D. Johnson — Sun, 11 Aug 2019 05:15:08 +0000

�鶹��Ƶ 101 Returns, Sign-Up Now! Janae D. Johnson Sun, 08/11/2019 - 01:15

Topics

Faculty/Staff Announcements

Training

David Smith

admin_alpha — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 23:30:01 +0000

David Smith admin_alpha Tue, 10/20/2015 - 19:30

Adjunct Faculty, Carter School

President, Forage Center for Peacebuilding and Humanitarian Education (humanitarian education and training)

Principal, David J. Smith Consulting LLC (career coaching)

Personal Websites

David J. Smith Consulting, LLC

Forage Center

Biography

David J. Smith is an educator, consultant, and career coach focusing on the fields of conflict resolution, peacebuilding, and humanitarian action. He is also the president of the Forage Center for Peacebuilding and Humanitarian Education, Inc., a 501c3 not-for-profit that offers experiential learning opportunities for students and professionals. He was formerly a senior program officer and manager of national outreach at the U.S. Institute of Peace. He has taught at Harford Community College, Goucher College, Towson University, Georgetown University, Drexel University, the School of International Service at American University, and at the Carter School at �鶹��Ƶ. He serves on the board of advisors for the master’s in humanitarian action program at the Joan B. Kroc School for Peace Studies at the University of San Diego. He served as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar at the University of Tartu (Estonia) where he taught peace studies and alternative dispute resolution. David is past president of the National Capital Area Chapter of the Fulbright Association. David is a recipient of the William Kreidler Award for Distinguished Service to the field of Conflict Resolution given by the Association for Conflict Resolution. He has published Peace Jobs: A Student’s Guide to Starting a Career Working for Peace (Information Age Publishing 2016), Legal Research and Writing (Cengage 1995) and Peacebuilding in Community Colleges: A Teaching Resource (USIP Press 2013). David has completed course work with Coach Training Alliance and is an official member of Forbes Coaches Council. David is a graduate of American University (BA), �鶹��Ƶ (MS, conflict resolution), University of Missouri (graduate certificate, positive psychology), and the University of Baltimore (JD). He is a member of the Maryland bar.

Degrees

J.D., University of Baltimore
M.S., Conflict Analysis and Resolution, �鶹��Ƶ
B.A., Political Science and Urban Affairs, American University
Graduate Certificate, Positive Psychology, University of Missouri (Columbia, MO)

Media Appearances

The Today Show, August 24, 2020
TEDxFulbright, June 2017
Just Asking, Washington Post, April 10, 2018