Mason Lighting the Way spotlights

President's Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence

Mason Lighting the Way: Christopher A. Carr

Colleen Rich — Mon, 02 Aug 2021 19:47:11 +0000

Mason Lighting the Way: Christopher A. Carr Colleen Rich Mon, 08/02/2021 - 15:47

Mason Lighting the Way

Spotlights from the Task Force

Christopher A. Carr
Chief Diversity Officer, College of Engineering and Computing
Committee: Co-chair, Training and Development Committee

Christopher A. Carr

In January, Christopher A. Carr was recognized with the 2020 Rising Star in Diversity Award from the Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity (CoNECD). This award recognizes an individual in their profession for less than 10 years who has actively worked to enhance diversity and inclusion by mentoring, supporting and/or advocating for the success of historically underserved individuals.

This tells you a lot about Carr and the work he has been doing. Since he joined George Mason University in 2019 as one of the first school-based diversity officers, he has developed a strategic plan for the college and championed a number of new policies for recruiting, retaining, and advancing diverse faculty. It was no surprise when the leaders of Mason’s Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force asked him to co-chair the Training and Development Committee.

Carr said his interest in diversity and inclusion in higher education comes from his experiences growing up in Missouri. Although his father is an engineer, and his mother works in radiology, he said it never crossed his mind to go into engineering himself. But he found he was passionate about access.

“I was exceptionally privileged,” Carr said of his childhood. “I had access to resources and opportunities that others didn’t, but often I was the only one who looked like me in those rooms.”

Ultimately Carr found those situations isolating, which propelled him to make a difference.

“There is no point in having a spot at the table if we don’t get to talk,” he said. “I wanted to advocate for people who look like me.”

And that’s what he’s done. Before joining Mason, Carr was a senior staff member at the National Society of Black Engineers, where he played a key role in obtaining access to scholarships and creating outreach programming for thousands of Black college and K-12 students.

Even before the task force was established, Carr was working on trainings to help people recognize and deal with unconscious bias and microaggression. A campus-wide version of this training was also one of the recommendations coming out the Training and Development Committee.

Carr said working on the task force “has been an adventure.”

“Where we are [as a university] is not where we want to be,” said Carr, emphasizing that it is going to take some work and cooperation to make change happen. And he is OK with that.

“I’m in it for the long game,” he said. “This work will plant the seeds for a garden that someone else will walk in.”

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President's Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence

Mason Lighting the Way: Natalia Kanos

Colleen Rich — Mon, 10 May 2021 13:07:57 +0000

Mason Lighting the Way: Natalia Kanos Colleen Rich Mon, 05/10/2021 - 09:07

Mason Lighting the Way

Spotlights from the Task Force

Natalia Kanos, Photo by Shelby Burgess/Strategic Communications

Natalia Kanos
Junior, Government and International Politics and Conflict Analysis and Resolution Majors
Committee: Training and Development

Junior Natalia Kanos, who comes from Jos, Nigeria, chose George Mason University because of its proximity to Washington, D.C., and her interest in government.

“I was always fascinated by D.C. and knew there were great opportunities here to get experience in my field,” Kanos said.

One of those opportunities has been involving herself in Mason’s Student Government, where she was speaker pro tempore and now holds the highest office. In April, Kanos was elected Mason’s new student body president. Her running mate and vice president is government and international politics major Veronica Mata.

In a way, she is following a family tradition. Her brother, David, is a Mason alumnus who graduated in 2018 and also served as student body president. In fact, he was the first international student elected to the office. He is also one of the reasons she came to Mason.

Kanos has also worked a research assistant at the Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation in the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, where she participated in research on the truth commissions.

“I also did research on religious groups’ responses to COVID-19 around the world and how a government’s partnership with religious groups while making Covid guidelines affected the cooperation of citizens,” she said.

Kanos wanted to serve on the Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force because she saw room for improvements at Mason.

“I love the diversity of Mason but saw a huge lacking when it came to inclusion,” she said. “College is supposed to be a place where you are able to express yourself and find yourself. I wanted everybody to be able to feel comfortable in their space.”

Working on the Training and Development Committee also helped her pursue her personal and professional goals.

“[The work] has really allowed me to find my voice and become a true advocate,” she said. “I have also gained a lot of knowledge on [diversity, equity and inclusion] from the other members of the committee.”

She adds: “It was nice to know that others are seeing the issues I see and want to do something about it, especially students.”

While Kanos isn’t sure what her career goals are, she does want to work in government in some capacity and do international work.

“I would like to work in Africa and help advise leaders,” said Kanos, who hasn’t been home to Nigeria because of the coronavirus. “I would love to work with the United Nations too.”

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President's Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence

Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

Schar School of Policy and Government

Mason Lighting the Way: Na’ama Gold

Colleen Rich — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 12:36:56 +0000

Mason Lighting the Way: Na’ama Gold Colleen Rich Thu, 04/15/2021 - 08:36

Mason Lighting the Way

Spotlights from the Task Force

Na’ama Gold
Executive Director, Mason Hillel

Na'ama Gold

Na’ama Gold is from Arad, Israel, and has been working in the United States for the past six years. She has led George Mason University’s Hillel for four of those years.

Hillel is the largest Jewish campus organization in the world with representation at more than 550 universities and colleges around the globe. While the name and branding are internationally connected, Gold said each campus Hillel is its own standalone nonprofit.

The mission of Mason Hillel is to serve the educational, religious, cultural, social and emotional needs of Jewish students attending Mason and to support the Jewish campus community, which Gold has been doing from a small office in the Johnson Center. The coronavirus pandemic hasn’t made her job easy.

“What we tried to do this academic year was copy what we did in person to a virtual mode,” said Gold. “It took us about two to three months to understand it doesn't translate well, and we’ve had to adjust everything we do.”

What she has found is that the students who have been involved with Mason Hillel continue to attend activities, but it has been difficult to connect with new students.

“I think that’s the most painful part [of this pandemic],” said Gold. “If you're new, you're not going to hop into a Zoom. It's not the space.”

Gold sees providing resources as one of the most important parts of her job.

“The majority of my community comes from an interfaith household and often their first step into Judaism would be with us,” said Gold. “They know they're Jewish, but never had the experience or time or support…. And then you go to college, Mason, and you try to find your identity, right?”

For many students, this transition involves exploring their religious and spiritual identities.

Gold was very excited to be part of the Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force because, well, it’s complicated.

"I come from a Jewish state where religion plays a significant part in shaping the culture, politics, and administration. From my experience in the United States though, it seems like you're American outside, and religion is something you do at home," she said. "But for many, especially in Judaism, faith is a lot more than where and what you pray. It's a combination of ethnicity, culture, food, history, values, and for some, even nationality."

She added that, according to FBI reports, Jews are the most targeted religious minority group in the United States. And the politics surrounding Israel makes it even more challenging. As an example, Gold talks about someone defacing a Star of David.

“Is that anti-Semitism or an anti-Israeli political activity?”

Gold also feels it is important to also keep anti-Semitism in mind when examining the naming of campus buildings and programs, a process that is already underway based on one of the recommendations coming from the task force.

Gold also cites microaggressions as one of the biggest problems facing Jewish people, including many offensive jokes and comments based on stereotypes.

Mason Hillel, which is part of the Campus Ministry Association in University Life, has a five-year strategic plan, and Gold is working on a number of initiatives, including having more kosher foods available on campus.

She has been in conversation with Provost Mark Ginsberg, Vice President Rose Pascarell, the Faculty Senate and others on improving awareness of Jewish high holidays and bringing anti-Semitism on campus to light. And she would like to have more interfaith conversations on campus.

While Gold feels like there has been huge progress in her four years here, she believes Mason can still do more to be welcoming to Jewish students. From kosher food to a place to pray, Gold is striving to provide Jewish students, faculty, and staff with the resources they need to practice their faith.

“I have to say, too, a huge respect to Mason, whenever we’ve knocked on doors, people opened them.”

Topics

President's Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence

Mason Hillel

Mason Lighting the Way: Sharrell Hassell-Goodman

Colleen Rich — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 14:15:27 +0000

Mason Lighting the Way: Sharrell Hassell-Goodman Colleen Rich Wed, 03/31/2021 - 10:15

Mason Lighting the Way

Spotlights from the Task Force

Sharrell Hassell-Goodman. Photo provided

Sharrell Hassell-Goodman
Doctoral Student, Higher Education Program

Committee: Co-chair, Student Voice

One of the things Sharrell Hassell-Goodman loves about George Mason University is its diversity. Prior to coming to Mason, Hassell-Goodman studied at Miami University in Ohio, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in early elementary education and two master’s degrees, an MEd in education leadership and MS in college student personnel.

Mason’s diverse student body was a welcome change for her.

“I loved seeing so many Black and brown faces,” she said.

She also worked on the student services side of universities, including a stint as director of sorority and fraternity life at Ohio State.

Now Hassell-Goodman is working on a PhD in higher education with a specialization in women and gender studies and social justice, and enjoys working on the academic side of Mason. She has taught courses in the School of Integrative Studies on identity, social justice, and social science research.

As a first-generation college student herself and one of the founders of the Black Graduate Student Association at Mason, she understands the importance of supporting students and has focused some of her research on first-generation students. Her research interests also include Black women in higher education, social justice advocates in higher education, identity and leadership, and critical participatory action research.

“I really wanted to look at the experiences of those who are historically marginalized,” said Hassell-Goodman.

For her dissertation research, Hassell-Goodman has been inspired in part by a group of Black women in academia, a movement that is often called #Blackintheivory in social media. In fact, she has her own “research collective.”

“It was students and alumni talking about their experiences in the academy, and then the world shifted,” Hassell-Goodman said of how George Floyd’s death changed the conversation. “[Then] Black women, who identify as first-generation college students, from across the country were interested in being a part of this research collective.”

The stories and experiences of these women are informing Hassell-Goodman’s research. Her dissertation is titled “An Endarkened Feminist Critical Participatory Action Research Project: First-Generation Women of the African Diaspora.”

As co-chair of the Student Voice Committee of the Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force, Hassell-Goodman had the opportunity to present at both town halls and bring forward recommendations from the committee that included adding anti-racism to the university’s research agenda, more courses on anti-racism and inclusion topics, and faculty training to create more inclusive classrooms.

“The students on this committee represent many different demographics, but all want to interrupt all forms of oppression,” she said. “I am so impressed with these students and how committed they are.”

She also feels this task force provides a great opportunity. Not only have all the student committee members learned more about how a university works, they are involved in this process at an optimal time.

“We are at a place where we are creating action,” she said. “Students are so central to this process, and Mason is thinking of students first.”

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President's Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence

Graduate Education

Mason Lighting the Way: Creston Lynch

Colleen Rich — Wed, 10 Mar 2021 21:01:44 +0000

Mason Lighting the Way: Creston Lynch Colleen Rich Wed, 03/10/2021 - 16:01

Mason Lighting the Way

Spotlights from the Task Force

Creston Lynch
Assistant Vice President, University Life

Committee: Co-Chair, Campus and Community Engagement

Creston Lynch. Photo provided

Creston Lynch tells people he started his career in multicultural affairs as a freshman at the University of Memphis when he walked into the then-named office of minority affairs and got a job as a student worker.

“In a way I've never left,” Lynch said. “There hasn't been a day in my career where I haven't been centering my work around diversity, equity and inclusion.”

Lynch is an assistant vice president in George Mason University’s University Life, where he leads the Center for Culture, Equity and Empowerment and is responsible for helping launch Mason’s new Center for Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT), one of 23 such centers in the United States. He is also an adjunct in the Higher Education Program and is teaching a course on cultural pluralism in higher education this semester.

Before joining Mason in July 2018, he directed diversity programs at a number of universities including Southern Methodist University, where he was director of multicultural student affairs. After earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees from University of Memphis, Lynch continued on to get a PhD in higher education administration from University of North Texas.

“I come from a family of educators, so it's literally in my DNA,” said Lynch, who is the son of a retired high school guidance counselor and retired high school principal.

It is his grandmother’s story of becoming an educator that inspires him each day. She earned her master's degree from Indiana University in the mid 1950s, but to do so, she had to leave her family, including his mother, in Mississippi each summer to go and do her studies.

“There were no places for Black people to get advanced degrees in Mississippi,” said Lynch. “Her sacrifice is a part of my legacy. And it's a reminder as to why it's important for me to do what I do, in honor of the sacrifices she made in order to be a trailblazer for our family.”

Lynch serves as co-chair of the Campus and Community Engagement Committee of Mason’s Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force. Among the committee’s recommendations is building the community connections, including K-12 partnerships, for the new Center for Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation.

“Here at Mason we're intentionally building an infrastructure that supports long-term, tangible and sustainable change,” he said of the work. “There is a level of of investment on the part of our students. Our students are motivated and are looking for ways to raise and use their voices for positive change, which is a great thing.”

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President's Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence

Mason Lighting the Way: Josh Kinchen

Colleen Rich — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 21:07:11 +0000

Mason Lighting the Way: Josh Kinchen Colleen Rich Thu, 02/11/2021 - 16:07

Mason Lighting the Way

Spotlights from the Task Force

More than 100 faculty, staff and students are working on George Mason University’s Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force, which is taking a hard look at the current state of diversity and inclusivity efforts at the university and making recommendations for the future.

Josh Kinchen
Associate Director, LGBTQ+ Resources

Task Force Committee: University Policies and Practices

Josh Kinchen

Josh Kinchen uses the pronouns he/him, and he wants you to know that. He was co-chair of the team that revamped George Mason University’s Chosen Name and Pronouns Policy and worked to add “gender expression” to the nondiscrimination policy.

As associate director of the LGBTQ+ Resources in the Center for Culture, Equity, and Empowerment (CCEE), formerly ODIME, Kinchen advises student groups, sits on many committees and does a lot of consulting and training with schools, colleges, and departments across the university that want to learn more about working with LGBTQ+ students.

“Some of that work looks like training; some looks like conversation,” said Kinchen who serves in leadership roles in the national association ACPA-College Student Educators International. “It's more helping people connect the dots.”

It is work that Kinchen feels called to do.

Kinchen enlisted in U.S. Marine Corps after high school and was at boot camp when 9/11 happened. After his service, he worked some hospitality jobs before ending up at a community college in North Carolina where he was working while taking classes. He found he really loved higher education.

“I had an advisor who said, ‘You should think about working with students for a living.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, that!’” he said.

In the years between that “aha” moment and Mason, he earned a BA in communication studies and an MEd in higher education administration from University of North Carolina-Wilmington, where he also held a graduate assistant position working with LGBTQ+ students. Before coming to Mason in February 2018, he was working at Florida State as the program coordinator for student governance and advocacy.

Kinchen said he was excited to be working on the Policies and Practices committee because this work directly impacts the students and communities he and his CCEE colleagues interact with on a daily basis.

“This is the ecosystem that I work in,” he said. “There are some places that you when say ‘diversity and inclusion,’ the only aspect that comes out is race and ethnicity, which of course is incredibly important. [LGBTQ+ work] is intersectional with every other identity. So having someone who brings LGBTQ+ work into that conversation elevates the whole process.”

For Kinchen, the task force is about coalition building and helping his colleagues understand the nuances of identity and how things might affect people in different ways.

“I think the folks that do diversity inclusion work, none of us would consider ourselves experts because there's always more to know,” he said. “Having more people at the table with different perspectives and understandings makes the work richer, more dynamic and just better in general.”

“It behooves all of us to understand who our students are, to know what they need. We have to understand the complexity of the world for us to be able to do our work. Every social movement in the past 50 years has started on a college campus. Students can lead the way because they are intuitively understanding what the next thing is—and we get to be a part of that process.”

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President's Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence

ARIE

Mason Lighting the Way: Dominique Dowling

Colleen Rich — Wed, 03 Feb 2021 18:36:10 +0000

Mason Lighting the Way: Dominique Dowling Colleen Rich Wed, 02/03/2021 - 13:36

Mason Lighting the Way

Spotlights from the Task Force

A few weeks ago the United States was captivated by poet Amanda Gorman and the words she spoke at President Biden’s inauguration. Among them were: “For there is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.”

President Gregory Washington wants Mason to be a national exemplar in anti-racism and inclusive excellence, and these task force members are helping to light the way for this important work.

Dominique Dowling
Junior, Integrative Studies Major
Committees: Student Voice and University Policies and Practices

Junior Dominique Dowling has been working to enact social change since high school. She joined the GMU NAACP chapter in her second year at Mason, and now she is the group’s vice president.

Through the chapter, she has been involved in numerous panels and committees, which inspired her to do more anti-racism work on campus.

“Being part of the NAACP has exposed me to different initiatives and people who have been doing this work for years,” said the integrative studies major. “It made me realize that anti-racism work requires an ongoing dedication because there is always work to be done.”

Dowling has been involved with a number of organizations including Student Government. She said she was excited to be involved with the task force because she believes students are often left out of the conversation.

“Many times our voices are not heard due to the lack of representation or the simple fact that one student can't express the concerns of more than 30,000 students,” said Dowling. “I felt like this was my opportunity to elevate the voices and grievances that many students have.”

When asked about her career goals, Dowling is clear about her aspirations: She wants to one day be the U.S. secretary of education. Toward that goal, she plans on continuing on at Mason to complete her MEd and then become an elementary school teacher and eventually work in school administration. And she said her task force work has influenced her trajectory.

“I want to implement anti-racist and social justice components into my teaching,” she said. “Through administrative roles, I want to help other teachers to also implement those principles so that young people don't have to wait until they get the opportunity to take a college course on identity to become aware of inequities.”

Topics

President's Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence