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Former Patriots star Tayler Cook brings winning touch to coaching

Katarina Benson — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 19:38:22 +0000

Former Patriots star Tayler Cook brings winning touch to coaching Katarina Benson Tue, 07/15/2025 - 15:38

Tayler Cook knows a thing or two about winning, and the former �鶹��Ƶ women’s basketball standout hasn’t wasted any time imparting what she knows.

Coach Tayler Cook with her Heritage team. Photo by Maya Lopez/LoCoSports

In her first year as head coach at Heritage High School in Leesburg, Cook took over a girls’ basketball team that had finished 12-12 the year before, leading the Pride to a remarkable 25-3 record and the program’s first Virginia High School League (VHSL) Class 4 state championship.

“It was definitely a good year and an exciting flip,” said Cook, who earned a BS in physical education from George �鶹��Ƶ’s College of Education and Human Development in 2018 before returning for a master’s degree in special education. “I told them before the start of the season that they could win a state title, but they had to believe it.”

Cook’s impact was almost immediate. Heritage, a Loudoun County school that had never advanced that far since opening in 2002, also claimed Dulles District and Region 4C titles while holding opponents to fewer than 33 points per game, making them one of the toughest defensive teams in Northern Virginia.

Cook was named Class 4 State Coach of the Year for her efforts.

“We’re so excited to have her,” said Pride Athletics Director and fellow George �鶹��Ƶ alum J. J. Totaro, BS Public Administration ’03. “It takes a real special coach to get players to use their talents selflessly, use them with a team mentality, and rise to the moment when situations get tough. We look forward to seeing what they can do this coming season as well.”

Coach Cook on the sidelines. Photo provided

Cook, who is a special education teacher in addition to coaching basketball, is a former VHSL Player of the Year and daughter of longtime Spotswood High School Coach Chris Dodson, whose career ledger includes 12 district titles, 10 regional crowns, and six state championships. She played a key role in Spotswood’s back-to-back state championships in 2013 and 2014.

It seems that winning is in her DNA.

Cook was a four-year player at George �鶹��Ƶ, where she still ranks 14th all-time in assists with 251 and 25th in rebounds with 495. She helped lead the Patriots to a 24-win season and a berth in the 2018 Women’s National Invitational Tournament (NIT) after three consecutive losing seasons.

Cook took over at Heritage following a successful run guiding Tuscarora High School to back-to-back state tournament appearances. She brought with her a dynamic five-out, spread offense, and a passion for player development.

“It feels different as a player than as a coach,” Cook said. “As a player, you’re definitely having fun and doing it with your best friends. I just wanted it so bad for them as a coach because I had done it.”

While Heritage graduated six seniors from this year’s title-winning team, including two starters, Cook likes her team’s chances for next year with the return of several top prospects.

“It’s a lot of fun, and I truly enjoy coaching them,” she said.

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George �鶹��Ƶ Athletics remembers Carolyn Marsh

Colleen Rich — Mon, 19 May 2025 19:41:19 +0000

George �鶹��Ƶ Athletics remembers Carolyn Marsh Colleen Rich Mon, 05/19/2025 - 15:41

The �鶹��Ƶ Athletics Department mourns the loss of long-time men's basketball administrator Carolyn Marsh, who passed away on Thursday, May 15.

Carolyn and Jay Marsh, “the first couple of George �鶹��Ƶ Athletics." Photo by the Office of University Branding

The “matriarch” of the George �鶹��Ƶ men's basketball program, and one of the foundational titans of George �鶹��Ƶ's rise to national prominence, Marsh proudly served the department for 46 years. She primarily worked as the executive assistant for the program and its head coaches.

"Carolyn Marsh was the godmother of George �鶹��Ƶ basketball,” said men’s basketball head coach Tony Skinn, who was a guard on the team from 2003-06. “She was truly one of the sweetest and kindest souls I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. I can still picture her smile lighting up the office. While her absence leaves a space that can never be filled, I know �鶹��Ƶ now has a special angel watching over us."

Alongside her husband, Jay, who served as an administrator in the department for 45 years, Marsh left an indelible mark on hundreds of George �鶹��Ƶ student-athletes over her decades of service.

"The players," Marsh said, when asked what gave her the most satisfaction from the job when she retired in 2021. "I just feel like I'm a mom."

That feeling was mutual as players, such as guard Ricky Wilson (1982-86), noted.

"Carolyn Marsh was 'my mom away from mom.' I would have never graduated from George �鶹��Ƶ in four years without her,” Wilson said. “She advised me, guided me, nurtured me, and loved me. I was not alone. There are countless former �鶹��Ƶ basketball players who would tell you the same.”

Marsh began working for George �鶹��Ƶ Athletics in 1975 as a sports information assistant, before assuming her role as executive assistant soon after.

"Carolyn Marsh was simply wonderful. She touched so many lives with her amazing personality. Although she worked for me for 14 years, she was the one who was always in charge,” said Jim Larrañaga, men’s basketball head coach from 1997-2011. “I valued her opinions and welcomed her advice."

In addition to the Marshes' years of service to George �鶹��Ƶ, “the first couple of George �鶹��Ƶ Athletics,” as they’re often referred to, also provided significant support to the department through the Patriot Club.

In addition to funding an endowed scholarship in their name, the Marshes provided a signature gift of $50,000 to renovate the George �鶹��Ƶ men's and women's basketball locker rooms. The gift also funded the creation of the men's basketball film room, known as the Carolyn Marsh Film Room.

"Carolyn was one of the most wonderful people I have ever met in my life,” said Rick Barnes, who served as men’s basketball assistant coach (1980-85) and then head coach (1987-88). “She had an incredible spirit and made everyone who came in contact with her a better person.”

Tom O'Connor, who served as athletic director at George �鶹��Ƶ from 1994 to 2014, agreed. “Anyone who had the great pleasure to have met Carolyn at �鶹��Ƶ or anywhere knew that she was special. She was quiet, loving, and loyal. The coaches and student athletes and I always felt at ease knowing she would help them in any way she could. All of us who knew her will never forget her kindness.”

Lamar Butler, former guard (2001-02, 2003-06) and director of player development since 2023, also remembered Carolyn’s kindness to players. “After I graduated, she would always call to check in and see how I was doing. She loved seeing pictures of my daughters. Her big smile and warm spirit will be greatly missed.”

"Mrs. Marsh was a wonderful person who I always enjoyed spending time with,” said Otis Livingston II, guard from 2015-19. “We had many conversations about basketball and life. She always put a smile on my face, and I considered her a friend. She encouraged me to strive for greatness both on and off the court. I want to offer my deepest condolences to Jay Marsh. I saw firsthand the connection, love, and relationship they had.”

Funeral services will be held Thursday, May 22, at noon at Woodward Funeral Home, 200 Fredericksburg Ave., Louisa, Virginia. A reception will be held from 1:30-3:30 p.m. at Callie Opie’s Orchard, 4533 Zachary Taylor Highway, in Mineral, Virginia.

Burial will be private.

In honor of Carolyn's passion and pride for Patriot basketball, the family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to George �鶹��Ƶ Basketball. Donations can be made online. Please check the box for additional comments and include "Memorial Donation/Carolyn Marsh." Contributions may also be mailed to �鶹��Ƶ Foundation Inc., 4400 University Drive, MS 1A3, Fairfax, VA 22030. Please make checks payable to GMU Foundation Inc. and write "Memorial Donation/Carolyn Marsh" in the memo line.

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Billups finishes his George �鶹��Ƶ career with a record-setting season

Colleen Rich — Wed, 07 May 2025 12:38:17 +0000

Billups finishes his George �鶹��Ƶ career with a record-setting season Colleen Rich Wed, 05/07/2025 - 08:38

Senior and men’s basketball guard Jared Billups might have joined �鶹��Ƶ as a transfer student, but in his two years here, he has managed to leave a historic mark.

Billups, who is graduating this month with a bachelor’s degree in economics, is George �鶹��Ƶ’s first conference Defensive Player of the Year since 2001 and was a finalist for the Lefty Driesell Award, given to the nation’s top defensive player.

As captain, Billups helped lead the men’s basketball team to its best season in the program's Atlantic 10 history. With 15 A-10 league victories, the Patriots set a new university record and started league play 12-1 for the first time in the program's 59-year history.

With Billups leading the charge, the team’s Patriot Pressure defense also ranked in the Top 25 nationally this season, and the Patriots ranked third in the nation in field goal defense.

This year the A-10 Tournament was played at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., and �鶹��Ƶ Nation packed the building to support the Patriots. The team locked up a double bye in the tournament for the first time and reached the conference title game for the first time since 2009. Behind �鶹��Ƶ Nation's huge turnout, the A-10 Final became one of the top-3 highest attended games in the tournament's history.

Billups said the team could feel the love. “It’s one of the best feelings in the world,” he said about playing before a roaring arena. “The crowd is cheering for you and you’re playing well, and you just feel so good. I don’t think there is anything else like it in world.”

Billups started his college career playing basketball for Siena College in New York. He was interested in George �鶹��Ƶ to be closer to family in Waldorf, Maryland, and because he wanted to play at a higher level. When he had the opportunity to visit campus, he said he knew he had found something special. “I just felt the love and support of the community here,” he said.

Billups admits that George �鶹��Ƶ pushed him academically. He said that the George �鶹��Ƶ Athletics makes sure everyone stays on course to graduate. “You care about your basketball. You care about your academics. You’ve got to be a whole person,” he said, adding that not all schools are like that.

While graduating is in some ways bittersweet for Billups—“We had an amazing season, and it was an amazing group of guys.”—he is looking toward the future and plans to play basketball professionally. He has already signed with an agent.

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This former rower is racing toward the finish of her accelerated master’s

Sarah Holland — Fri, 02 May 2025 18:40:51 +0000

This former rower is racing toward the finish of her accelerated master’s Sarah Holland Fri, 05/02/2025 - 14:40

Monika Blakely, BS Information Technology ’24, has lived all over the world, but her time at �鶹��Ƶ has been particularly special. From rowing with the women’s rowing team to working as an influencer with Shop�鶹��Ƶ, this soon-to-be double George �鶹��Ƶ graduate has left her mark on Fairfax Campus.

Photo provided

Blakely plans to graduate in spring 2025 with a master’s in management from Costello College of Business, completed through the Bachelor’s to Accelerated Master’s Program.

What inspired you to combine information technology and management?

My long-term goal is to be a project manager, and I think it’s useful to know both the technical side and the management side to understand how to be effective as a project manager. It also gives me the flexibility to do what I want in a different career path, if that ends up being right for me. I had extra spaces in my undergraduate classes, so I added the Bachelor’s to Accelerated Master’s Program for management.

Tell me about your internships.

Currently I have two internships. The first is with Fairfax City Economic Development (FCED). I started there in fall 2023 as a social media intern. I thought local government was interesting. I’d never been involved in that industry before and wanted to learn more about who’s involved and what they do for the city. I figured I’d try it and see if I liked it, and I did! I became a marketing fellow with FCED in spring 2024, and I am now a part-time programs associate.

My second internship is with General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT). I’ve been a public relations intern there since summer 2024.

What classes would you say have set you up for success at your internships?

Senior Capstone, for one, because I think that’s been the most similar to real-world problem solving. We worked with different concentrations in the IT department. We had people doing web development, programming, cybersecurity, and so on, seeing how those different skill sets can contribute to that one broad end goal.

GBUS 653 Organizational Behavior has also been helpful, just learning about different learning styles, how your learning style can fit in with others, and so on.

How have your extracurriculars impacted your work in the classroom?

Teamwork and communication are probably the biggest things. In rowing, you have different parts of the boat, different strengths coming together, and you have to work to stay in sync. Sometimes when you work in a team, it’s not always ideal for you. You have to learn how to work with other people, how to adjust your learning style to fit with theirs, and how to make compromises with decisions that won’t be agreed on.

My roles at FCED and GDIT helped me improve my communication skills. Even if you don’t work within your team, you’re working with other sections, and you always have to cross-collaborate. So, with FCED and GDIT, you have people from different backgrounds and different departments, which taught me how to collaborate effectively across teams to deliver a clear, unified message.

Shop�鶹��Ƶ also helped strengthen my communication skills, because you’re constantly collaborating with students and departments across the university and you have to come together to share a clear and engaging message. That experience has helped me better contribute in classroom discussions, group projects, and presentations.

Blakely, 6th from left, with the staff of FCED. Photo provided.

What are you most proud of from your time at George �鶹��Ƶ?

Being involved in different organizations and meeting a bunch of people I probably wouldn’t have connected with otherwise. I’ve been involved in organizations that reflect my culture and my studies, like the Japanese Student Association, the National Society for Black Engineers, and the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation. Connecting with students similar to me has made the university experience worth it.

What makes George �鶹��Ƶ special?

As the daughter of military service members, I’ve lived on different military bases around the world, and I think what makes George �鶹��Ƶ special is that it has a space for everyone. There are cultural organizations, religious groups, interest groups...everyone can find a place to belong here, and that’s not the case everywhere.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?

If there’s a skill you want to develop or an interest you have, pursue it in undergrad when you have the time and space to do so. You never know when those skills will be useful, and if you’re passionate about your work, people will notice.

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George �鶹��Ƶ bioengineering team’s start-up is the next wave of athletic rehabilitation and performance

Shayla Brown — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 21:09:36 +0000

George �鶹��Ƶ bioengineering team’s start-up is the next wave of athletic rehabilitation and performance Shayla Brown Tue, 04/22/2025 - 17:09

Based on their years of research studying how student-athletes move, �鶹��Ƶ bioengineering professors Parag Chitnis and Siddhartha Sikdar have created a start-up called Myokinetics LLC with the goal of providing personalized rehabilitation programs for injured athletes that can help them recover faster and prevent them from getting injured in the future.

Erica King (left) and researcher testing the Myokinetics device. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding.

This effort builds on more than $5 million in funding from the Department of Defense for developing wearable ultrasound technologies that help rehabilitate musculoskeletal injuries through a Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs grant, and two Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium awards, which is a funding mechanism that supports fast translation and development of new technologies relevant for military health.

For the past 10 years, Chitnis and Sikdar have been developing the Myokinetics device “to understand not only when musculoskeletal injuries occur, but to help track the recovery process from the injury as well as prevent re-injury,” said Chitnis, who along with Sikdar, co-directs George �鶹��Ƶ’s Center for Advancing Systems Science and Bioengineering Innovation (CASSBI), formerly the Center for Adaptive Systems of Brain-Body Interactions.

Their device personalizes the treatments and rehabilitation that's provided so that users can recover in the most optimal manner. Chitnis and Sikdar are also working with multiple collaborators including George �鶹��Ƶ PhD students, George �鶹��Ƶ Athletics, and the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD).

Margaret T. Jones is the director of the Patriot Performance Lab within CEHD’s Center for Sport Management. The lab conducts research and provides services that focus on athlete health and performance.

Margaret T. Jones (center right) with student athletes. Photo provided.

“The wearable ultrasound allows you to look at what the muscles are doing underneath the skin when they contract and what the contraction looks like,” said Jones, who has been working with the George �鶹��Ƶ men’s and women’s volleyball teams since August 2024.

“The research methods vary based on the sport, but [the volleyball players] wear the ultrasound device and we go to their practice facility once a week. Since the sport involves a lot of jumping, we have them jump on what's called a force plate, which is sort of a fancy scale, and collect data to share with the bioengineering team that way,” she said.

In addition, Jones and the team monitor the athletes during their practices and games via the wearable microsensor, which assist in the interpretation of their findings from the weekly jumps and ultrasound tests.

As the team’s research scientist, fourth-year PhD bioengineering student Erica King, BS Bioengineering ’21, works closely with Jones and the Patriot Performance Lab.

“I’m using the device for specific applications and testing and validating against other gold standards that are currently in the market,” said King, who spent all four years of her undergrad on George �鶹��Ƶ’s women’s swim and dive team.

“I've seen my fair share of injuries as an athlete, either my own or my friends, and it’s a continuous cycle. You'll rehabilitate the injury, feel better, and then when you go back to your sport or activity, you'll get injured again,” said King, who was in the Honors College.

“Being able to have a device to help understand what's going on at the muscle level during your rehabilitation to ensure that you're doing the exercises correctly to get the desired results and perform your sport while mitigating the risk of reinjury is so beneficial,” she said.

Partner collaborators include North Carolina State University, Cephasonics Ultrasound, and Infinite Biomedical Technologies (IBT). IBT CEO Rahul Kaliki is also a co-founder of Myokinetics LLC.

A close up of the device. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding.

“At CASSBI, different people and resources are pulled in to work on multidisciplinary projects like this one. This collaboration enables a lot of iterative prototyping efforts, which would not have been possible without the center,” said Abhishek Aher, MS Bioengineering ’24.

“I would like to see the Myokinetics device being used nationwide on the fields of major sports leagues. This should enable more metrics for the players,” said Aher, who is the Myokinetics team’s research engineer.

“For example, metrics such as how many points a player scored or how many minutes they ran are discussed pregame or postgame, but with our device, Myokinetic metrics can become an essential conversation point. That’s where I would like to see this go in the next five years,” he said.

King hopes to continue researching human performance after injury and focus on the most safe and effective ways that athletes can get back to their optimal performance.

“I hope to stick with Myokinetics and implement the devices and the metrics that we're currently developing into the rehabilitation setting. This is for the general population, but athletes will always have a special place in my heart,” said King.

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George �鶹��Ƶ sends three to NCAA Wrestling Championship

Katarina Benson — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 18:18:06 +0000

George �鶹��Ƶ sends three to NCAA Wrestling Championship Katarina Benson Thu, 03/20/2025 - 14:18

Three members of �鶹��Ƶ men's wrestling team will be competing at the NCAA Division I Men’s Wrestling Championship, held March 20-22 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

The student athletes headed to the championship.

The Patriots DJ McGee, Kaden Cassidy, and Malachi DuVall earned bids to compete. McGee and DuVall are returning to the championship, having competed last year as well. McGee heads to the tournament as the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Champion, while DuVall and Cassidy earned third place finishes.

McGee is slotted as the No. 17 seed, while DuVall is 21, and first-time NCAA qualifier Cassidy goes into the tournament in the No. 27 slot. The junior battled his way through wrestle-backs with four straight wins to finish third in the conference.

The three qualifiers were a major reason George �鶹��Ƶ finished the season with a 12-6 record, its best finish in the MAC (6-2). This is the team’s third consecutive season with double-digit wins. After back-to-back 11-win seasons, the Patriots won 12 this season. It is the most wins in a season since the 2007-08 season when they finished with a 13-5 record.

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George �鶹��Ƶ, men's head soccer coach Rich Costanzo agree to contract extension

Katarina Benson — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 20:11:41 +0000

George �鶹��Ƶ, men's head soccer coach Rich Costanzo agree to contract extension Katarina Benson Wed, 02/05/2025 - 15:11

�鶹��Ƶ and men's soccer head coach Rich Costanzo have agreed on a contract extension through the 2029 season, announced Assistant Vice President and Director of Athletics Marvin Lewis on Tuesday. Costanzo came to George �鶹��Ƶ in 2022.

Men's soccer head coach Rich Constanzo. Photo by Art Pittman/Athletics

After leading the Patriots to one of the most successful regular seasons in program history, Costanzo is the first George �鶹��Ƶ men’s soccer coach to earn the Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year honor. He is the fifth Patriots' coach across all sports to be named A-10 Coach of the Year since George �鶹��Ƶ joined the conference in 2013.

"In just three seasons, Rich has transformed the George �鶹��Ƶ men's soccer culture, elevated our on-field performance, and brought a renewed energy to our university,” said Lewis. “His leadership has resonated deeply within our Northern Virginia community, inspiring youth leagues, �鶹��Ƶ students, and our campus with an exciting, innovative brand of soccer. We are fully committed to supporting Rich's championship vision as he leads our program into an even brighter future."

Costanzo, in his third year with George �鶹��Ƶ, guided the club to the Atlantic 10 regular season title for the first time in program history. The Patriots finished the season 13-4-1 overall, won seven of eight matches at home in the regular season, and went 6-1-1 in conference play to post six wins in the A-10 regular season for the first time. After earning the top-seed in the A-10 Championship, they advanced to the semifinals of the conference tournament.

Costanzo was named the head coach in April 2022 and inherited a club that finished a combined 4-18-5 over the two previous seasons. Under his leadership, the Patriots climbed to 13th in the United Soccer Coaches Association poll this season, marking the first time in 10 years that George �鶹��Ƶ has been in the national rankings. The team finished the A-10 regular season third in total goals (33) and goals per match (2.2) and tied for the third-fewest goals allowed (17).

Six Patriots earned Atlantic 10 post-season honors, including freshman midfielder Martim Sereno, who was selected to the 12-member All-Rookie Team. He is the seventh Patriot to earn a spot on the A-10 All-Rookie Team. Graduate student Marek Gonda and sophomore Quentin Clain were named All-Conference Second Team forward, sophomore James Eliuda was tabbed All-Conference Second Team midfielder and graduate student Luis Maestre and senior Javi Sanchez earned All-Conference Second Team defender honors. Beyond their success on the field, the team also excelled in the classroom, earning an impressive 3.50 GPA during the fall semester.

"I want to thank Marvin Lewis and Deputy AD of Intercollegiate Sports Todd Bramble for their support, belief, and confidence in our coaching staff and program," said Costanzo. "Our athletics department leaders share in our vision in competing for championships and developing George �鶹��Ƶ soccer into a national brand.”

Costanzo joined the Patriots after five seasons as an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh men's soccer program, where he helped guide the Panthers to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (2019 to 2021) and an appearance in the College Cup.

Costanzo played at Penn State (2004-05), where he was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2004 and was also selected Freshman All-America by Soccer America and TopDrawerSoccer. He transferred to the University of Maryland (2006-08), and as a senior captained the 2008 squad to the NCAA Division I National Championship and ACC Championship. He graduated from the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business in December 2008 with a bachelor of science degree in general business.

After his collegiate career, Costanzo played professionally in more than 100 games over five years with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (43 games), Rochester Rhinos (2010-11), and the Minnesota Thunder (20 games) of the U.S. Soccer League.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to continue leading our program and working with this talented and committed group of student-athletes and coaches,” Costanzo said. “We have stayed focused on the process and have worked diligently to build a strong foundation and a culture focused on kaizen. We are excited for the future at George �鶹��Ƶ."

"We are thrilled to continue having Rich at the helm of our men's soccer program," Lewis said. "He is a proven winner, building a championship-caliber program from the ground up in Fairfax.”

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From South Sudan to Virginia, Eliuda delivers for George �鶹��Ƶ

Colleen Rich — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 18:48:23 +0000

From South Sudan to Virginia, Eliuda delivers for George �鶹��Ƶ Colleen Rich Tue, 01/07/2025 - 13:48

Growing up in Juba, South Sudan, James Eliuda knew nothing about America and never thought about picking up all his things and leaving his hometown.

This past season, James Eliuda has solidified himself as an integral piece to the best season George �鶹��Ƶ’s soccer program has had since joining the A-10 conference. Photo by Art Pittman/�鶹��Ƶ Athletics

"I was just playing soccer, having fun, living with family … everything happened so fast," he said.

In South Sudan, Eliuda lived with his mother and eight siblings and proved at an early age to be leaps and bounds ahead of his hometown's competition. Most soccer players in South Sudan have few opportunities to grow and showcase their talents and skills. Eliuda is the exception to this rule.

Playing at Future Stars Academy in Juba and graduating from Juba Diocesan Secondary School at just 15 years old, Eliuda was afforded the opportunity to train with South Sudan in the under 15 and under 17 competitions.

After impressing the head coach, he and a few others were invited to train with South Sudan’s first division team, and Eliuda was soon training with a professional team in Kenya.

After three months of valuable training, as well as plans to travel to Dubai that fell through, Eliuda decided to make the drastic move to the United States to continue his soccer journey at DME Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

Although grateful and excited for with the opportunity to play high-level soccer in the United States, Eliuda had to adjust to being a student-athlete and living in an new environment, thousands of miles away from his family.

Future Stars Academy in Juba, South Sudan. Photo provided

"Everything was different: the weather—in my country it is always hot—and I was tired when I came here. We used to write on blackboards back home, but when I went to DME, they gave me a computer [that] took me almost one month to learn," he said.

This is where �鶹��Ƶ men’s soccer head coach Rich Costanzo saw Eliuda on the pitch and knew he was the right fit to bring to George �鶹��Ƶ.

"You could see how much quality he had, but how much more potential he has to give. I could tell he was a good player," said Costanzo. “Everything I heard about the type of person he was, I knew he'd be someone we'd want to work with and someone who'd be receptive to becoming a better player."

"No one talked to me about how I played and how they wanted me to play for their team, so when he said that to me, I was like 'this guy believes in me,' so if I go there, I'm going to believe in myself even more that I'm a good player," said Eliuda.

As a freshman, his dreams were put on hold when Eliuda was ruled ineligible by the NCAA for much of the Patriots’ season in fall 2023. He already had a year of eligibility stripped due to his two-year absence from traditional schooling before DME Academy, bringing his NCAA eligibility years down to three.

"We had to do waivers and petitions, and he is still entering college at 18 like everyone else. It took all year," said Costanzo. "Every time I'd ask him [how he was doing] he'd say to just trust in God, and we're going to get there."

After a hard-fought battle with the NCAA, Eliuda was permitted to play the remaining five games of the season and also granted all four years of eligibility.

"We cried when we got approved. It was a real blessing, for him, for us, for everything," said Costanzo.

Eliuda’s time finally came in October 2023 against the University of Dayton. Since coming off the bench in the middle of the first half of that game, he has started every game. He scored his very first goal for George �鶹��Ƶ in the next game against Radford, which the Patriots won 7-0.

This past season, Eliuda has solidified himself as an integral piece to the best season George �鶹��Ƶ’s soccer program has had since joining the A-10 conference. He scored two goals and tied for second in the club in assists this season, helping the Patriots win their first-ever A-10 regular season championship with 13 wins. He was also named Second Team All-Conference for the midfield position.

"I never thought of the personal accolades," said Eliuda. "Our goal is to win."

Although he is a proven and dedicated athlete, Eliuda is a student first and foremost. His phenomenal academic track record can be traced all the way back to his formative years in South Sudan. He received the 2023-24 A-10 Commissioner Honor Roll distinction for his academic performance in his first year at George �鶹��Ƶ. He plans to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in sport management.

Outside of class and on the pitch, Eliuda can almost always be found at the George �鶹��Ƶ Field House working out, getting treatment, and being a social butterfly.

"The first thing you notice when you speak to James is his smile, he's always talking and smiling," said George �鶹��Ƶ basketball player Chase Tucker.

Although George �鶹��Ƶ has embraced Eliuda as one of their own, his heart will always be with his family in Sudan, who he hasn't seen since he came to the United States. "It's so hard because the time difference,” he said, “I'm sleeping when they're waking up."

Despite his homesickness, Costanzo and the George �鶹��Ƶ faculty have helped Eliuda navigate life in Virginia and feel at home.

"There's a lot I can say about [Costanzo] … not playing all last season, that was the toughest moment, and I give credit to him the most … he's taken [me in] like a son,” Eliuda said, expressing his gratitude.

"We use the term Kaizen—we try to get better a little bit every day, and [Eliuda] embodies that," said Costanzo. "At his core, he's a winner, whatever he does he's going to be great."

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George �鶹��Ƶ BOV approves design for student-athlete center, adopts institutional neutrality principles

Colleen Rich — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 21:08:16 +0000

George �鶹��Ƶ BOV approves design for student-athlete center, adopts institutional neutrality principles Colleen Rich Wed, 12/11/2024 - 16:08

The �鶹��Ƶ Board of Visitors has approved the schematic design for the Basketball and Academic Performance Center, a Fairfax Campus project that will upgrade and expand the Recreation Athletic Complex (RAC) and modernize facilities to better serve the university’s student-athletes.

Plans call for a 30,000-square-foot multi-story addition to the RAC as well as a 14,000-square-foot renovation of the building. The Basketball and Academic Performance Center will occupy the northwest corner of the RAC, which originally was the P.E. Building, built in 1972, and renovated in 2009.

The Academic Service suite will provide resources for student-athletes in all of George �鶹��Ƶ’s Intercollegiate Athletics programs and replace the academic trailers currently in use on West Campus.

The center will better enable George �鶹��Ƶ to compete for talent with peer universities that have built new athletics facilities in recent years. The basketball practice facility will have dedicated courts for the university’s men’s and women’s basketball programs as well as team offices, locker rooms, strength and conditioning spaces, and other amenities to serve the university’s student-athletes.

"The Basketball and Academic Performance Center will truly stand as the crown jewel of George �鶹��Ƶ Athletics," said Marvin Lewis, assistant vice president and director of Athletics. "This cutting-edge facility reflects the exceptional achievements of our student-athletes, both in competition and in the classroom. It also showcases the university's dedication to supporting our basketball programs for sustained national success."

Construction is scheduled to begin in July 2025, with occupancy planned for winter 2026-27. The BOV approved the project at their Dec. 5 meeting.

“It’s a fabulous facility, and we need it desperately,” said BOV member Robert Pence, who chairs the governing body’s Finance and Land Use Committee and is one of the board’s Athletics liaisons. “As time goes by, we’re going to need this and many more additions and improvements to our athletic facilities. I think most of you know that the ground rules for NCAA schools and athletics is shifting seismically,” he added.

The addition of the transfer portal and name, image, and likeness opportunities have created additional complexity to operating college athletic programs.

Also at the Dec. 5 meeting, the board voted to adopt the Kalven Committee Principles of Institutional Neutrality, a policy that clarifies the scope of what university leaders comment on publicly. To guide its application, the board also adopted existing, informal university guidelines already used when leadership determine what issues merit an official pronouncement from George �鶹��Ƶ leadership.

The guidelines call for statements to be balanced, and generally to occur when events of the day call for leadership to convey instructions, explanations, consolation, or messages of de-escalation.

The framework applies solely to statements coming from the president and the rector. The board reiterated that the Kalven Principles expressly do not apply to students or individual faculty or staff.

Many colleges and universities have adopted the Kalven Principles since they were developed in 1967 at the University of Chicago, including some institutions recently.

At its September meeting, the BOV directed Provost Jim Antony and the Academic Programs, Diversity and University Community Committee (APDUC), chaired by Visitor Lindsey Burke, to engage university stakeholders, including students, faculty, deans, and administrative leaders, on the possibility of adopting of the Kalven Principles.

The stakeholders’ pros for such a policy, as reported out by Antony, included preserving viewpoint diversity, establishing a consistent practice for official response, and supporting academic freedom. The stated cons for adopting the principles included the necessity of George �鶹��Ƶ needing such a policy given its existing framework for issuing statements, determining which issues require neutrality, and running the risk of the university community interpreting a lack of university response as indifferent or being a political statement in itself.

“I do think that what the provost described is a fair description of all the possible critiques of this type of policy,” said Visitor Armand Alacbay, who favored adopting the Kalven Principles. “At the end of the day, this policy is about people generally don't like being spoken for on things they’re passionate about. And when you are in a position of leadership of any institution, restraint is a virtue because the words you speak carry weight, and so there is responsibility to be representative as best as possible of this very diverse and large community.”

In a follow-up from a presentation at the September BOV meeting, Vice President for Enrollment Management David Burge provided information about how standardized test scores and median high school GPAs have increased for George �鶹��Ƶ applicants since 2007 when the university stopped requiring SAT scores for undergraduate admission.

Burge said about 2,000 colleges and universities are test-optional, or test-blind, which means the institution will not consider a student’s standardized test score in their admittance process, unless the applicant requests that they do.

In 2006-07, 96.8% of George �鶹��Ƶ applicants submitted SAT scores. At that time, the median SAT score was 1100 and the applicants’ median high school GPA was 3.36.

In 2024-25, 18.6% of applicants submitted SAT scores. The median SAT was 1260 and the median high school GPA was 3.75.

“During that period, we have seen some growth in some of the metrics that would be emblematic of the quality of our incoming class,” Burge said. “I think it is safe to say that there has certainly not been harm done to that quality as part of this practice and we’ve been able to grow and produce more graduates and find talent in some atypical places.”

Biology professor Aarthi Narayanan and Mary Ellen O’Toole, director of the university’s Forensic Science Program, made presentations during the BOV Research Committee meeting, highlighting the university’s expertise in viral infections and the science of decomposition, respectively.

Narayanan, who recently secured a $1.4 million grant from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency to investigate how an infection spreads between organs and how a therapeutic will impact connected organs, discussed the necessity to scale discoveries and technologies. She also outlined the difference between readiness and preparedness. Readiness is about meeting current challenges and threats. Preparedness is about meeting future challenges and threats.

“The infectious disease footprint for viral infections is expanding nationally and globally,” Narayanan said. “What we are dealing with as a nation is certain pathogens, which were not endemic to the United States, [are] now running the real risk of becoming endemic to the United States, and that would affect not just human health but also animal health, which automatically almost immediately translates into not just a health burden but also an economic burden at the national level.”

O’Toole presented on the Forensic Science Research and Training Laboratory, a Science and Technology Campus facility better known as the body farm. The lab, one of 11 in the country and the only one on the East Coast, recently received its fourth human donor.

O’Toole discussed the forensic training and expertise required to help solve homicides and missing persons cases, including locating the victims of natural disasters.

“People have to be found,” she said. “Their loved ones don't want closure…They want to be reunited with their loved ones. We want to be able to not only prosecute people that are responsible for homicides, but in doing that, we exonerate the innocent.”

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The world of MLB is no longer ‘inside baseball’ for this statistics student

Colleen Rich — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 17:44:01 +0000

The world of MLB is no longer ‘inside baseball’ for this statistics student Colleen Rich Mon, 12/09/2024 - 12:44

For Abby Finch, baseball is more than just a game. Growing up, she spent hours watching baseball with her dad. While her early years were spent playing soccer, a hip injury in high school redirected her passion for sports into career aspirations in baseball scouting.

George �鶹��Ƶ statistics major Abby Finch took her ambitions to the next level by participating in Major League Baseball's Diversity Pipeline Scout Development Program in Glendale, Arizona. Photo provided

"I needed something team-related but couldn't be athletic anymore," Finch said. "That's when I began working as a student manager with my high school's baseball team."

This early experience provided a pathway for a career combining her love for sports and her analytical skills.

Out of high school, Finch chose to go to the University of Charleston in West Virginia, where she worked as the baseball team's director of analytics. However, when the head coach left, she decided to transfer to �鶹��Ƶ, a move the statistics major describes as one of her best decisions.

"I'm happy that I made the move to George �鶹��Ƶ," said Finch. "I really wanted more, and [Patriots’ Head Baseball] Coach [Shawn] Camp has all this knowledge from playing at a high level that has helped me."

Finch's future in baseball analytics is bright as she approaches her graduation in May with a Bachelor of Science in Statistics from George �鶹��Ƶ’s College of Engineering and Computing.

This October, Finch took her ambitions to the next level by participating in Major League Baseball's Diversity Pipeline Scout Development Program in Glendale, Arizona. Hearing about the MLB program just as the deadline was passing, Finch quickly jumped on the opportunity and applied to the program the same day. Soon after, Finch was accepted into the program, and less than a month later, she was in the air, flying to Glendale.

"I was nervous," Finch admitted, reflecting on hearing about the program's late application submission. "I didn't think I had a shot, but I guess they liked my resume." When she got the acceptance email, she immediately called her parents, Coach Camp, and her professors to coordinate missing classes for the program. Everyone supported her without hesitation, understanding the incredible opportunity the program represented.

The MLB Diversity Pipeline Scout Development Program was designed to provide women and people of color with the tools and knowledge to thrive in the male-dominated world of baseball scouting. For Finch, the experience was transformative. "It taught me that I'm not the only one trying to do this. It's not crazy or a pipe dream—it's achievable."

During the week-long program, Fitch participated in classroom sessions that covered the intricacies of scouting and writing professional scouting reports. She also put what she learned in the classroom into action, analyzing players at the Arizona Fall League games.

"We would scout two pitchers and a position player during the game and write scouting reports that included pitch velocity, swing path, and overall performance," she explained.

These scouting exercises culminated in a mock draft on the final day of the program, where participants selected players based on the quality of their scouting reports. This gave participants an opportunity to get a feel for a draft night situation and a real-life example of how impactful a scout's work is in a player's overall career success.

Finch came away from the program with a deeper understanding of the game and said that her view of the game has completely shifted. "Before, I could see things happening on the field but didn't always know what they meant. Now I can watch a swing or a pitch and understand its significance, good or bad, and how it impacts a player's development."

Entering her second season as director of analytics for the George �鶹��Ƶ baseball program, Finch is already making a difference. Coach Camp credits her insights with giving the team a competitive edge, both offensively and defensively. "Abby's commitment to our program and her ability to provide analytics-based insights have been pivotal to the development of our players," Camp said. "�鶹��Ƶ has provided her with a front-row seat to the game. She travels with us, and she's made the most of that opportunity by playing a critical role in helping our team grow and compete at a higher level."

Looking ahead, Finch has her sights set on working in a MLB player development department. Through the MLB scout development program, she built connections with women who hold roles she aspires to and even submitted her resume to all 30 MLB teams. "The program gave me invaluable experience," she said. "I'd encourage anyone with the opportunity to participate to go for it."

For Finch, the journey from high school student manager to MLB diversity program alumna proves that passion, persistence, and a willingness to learn can open doors in even the most competitive fields. Finch is ready to take a big swing with her eyes set on a career in professional baseball.

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