Research

This week, areas close to George Mason University are experiencing a stunning and unusual view of the aurora borealis—also called the northern lights, thanks to Solar Cycle 25. Solar activity is ramping up. Find out what that means from George Mason expert Peter Becker, professor of astrophysics and space sciences.

A new study from the College of Public Health, led by Professor Janusz Wojtusiak and Health Services Research doctoral candidate Ghaida Alsadah explores the use of machine learning to predict social isolation among caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease and related disorders.

Nora McDonald, an assistant professor in the Department of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), is exploring the impact of smartphone-free schools in Prince William County.

George Mason University School of Education professor Jennifer Suh was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant in support of her project “Framework for Integrating Technology for Equity (FIT for Equity).” Working with Suh as coprincipal investigator is Theresa Wills, also of the College of Education and Human Development.

Sometimes the most elegant solutions are the simplest, like using one waste product to eliminate another, such as used coffee grounds, called CoffeeBots, engineered in a George Mason University laboratory.

Daniel Gartenberg became passionate about the study of sleep during his graduate studies at George Mason. He is now founder and CEO of SleepSpace and a scientific advisor to other companies in the sleep science field.

Post-Covid complaints about “Zoom fatigue,” work-life imbalance, etc. belie a deeper longing for what was lost in the transition to remote work.

The Department of Statistics’ Lily Wang and George Washington University’s Huixia Judy Wang are developing scalable, distributed computing methods to analyze large-scale spatiotemporal datasets. The collaborative research project is funded by the National Science Foundation.  

With his 4-VA proposal “Nanoscale Visualization of Electrocatalytic Carbon Dioxide Reduction Activity at Cu Nanocatalysts,” Yun Yu wanted to investigate options in catalytic electrode materials to improve and enhance electrocatalysis, a process essential for harnessing sustainable energy sources for artificial photosynthesis.

George Mason University professor Lisa Gilman lived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) from the time she was born until she was 9 years old. She is currently working on her research of migrants and displaced people who have been affected by war and trauma with her project, “My Culture, My Survival: Arts Initiatives by Refugees for Refugees.”