College of Education and Human Development
CEHD Alumni News

Mason alums are among those named as 2023 Washington Post Teacher and Principal of the Year Award recipients and finalists
May 12, 2023
Announcement of Washington Post award finalists and winners recognizes the contributions made by three Mason alums in improving education. Read more...

Mason alum finds way to make sure low-income students don’t go hungry
January 27, 2023
Fairfax County teacher who studied at Mason leads an effort to eliminate student lunch debt. Read more...

‘Rewarding Experience’
October 7, 2021
Recent Sport Management grad Hunter Kelly helped the Washington Nationals stay in play during the pandemic. Read more...

Giving Back
September 21, 2021
Kinesiology grad student Christopher Frost helps Town of Warrenton manage return to recreation with independent study.
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Royal Promotion
September 15, 2021
Alumnus Dayton Moore, who received his bachelor’s degree in physical education and master’s degree in athletic administration (sport management), has been elevated to team president for baseball operations of the Kansas City Royals. Read more...

Lofty Goals
July 23, 2021
Sport management alum and Olympic track and field gold medalist David Verburg hoping to qualify for 2024 Olympic Games representing Team USA in rugby. Read more...

Prioritizing Well-Being
June 10, 2021
Alumna Diana Karczmarczyk (PhD, ’13) named D.C. Police Department’s first Director of Employee Well-Being.
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‘Super Invested’
March 11, 2021
Kinesiology grad Mike Snowden (’15) enjoying success as the Alabama men’s basketball strength and conditioning coach. Read more...

‘Importance of Service’
March 9, 2021
Alumna Amanda Smialek juggles teaching, parenting and National Guard duties. Read more...

Presidential Pick
March 3, 2021
Two-time grad Bernadine Futrell (’06 MEd, ’09 PHD) named director for the Office of Head Start by Biden-Harris Administration. Read more...

Helping Others
February 11, 2021
Internship helps alumna Katherine Leon land full-time job with National Alliance on Mental Illness. Read more...

Inaugural Moment
January 25, 2021
Sport and recreation studies alumna Ariana Freeman soaks in opportunity to cover presidential inauguration for CBS Evening News. Read more...

Stepping Up
January 14, 2021
Sport management alumna Callie Brownson rising to the challenge for Cleveland Browns’ coaching staff during playoff run. Read more...

‘Proud moment’
December 2, 2020
Sport management alumna and Vanderbilt soccer coach impressed by student-athlete’s barrier-breaking opportunity for college football team. Read more...

Breaking Barriers
November 30, 2020
Sport management grad and Cleveland Browns chief of staff Callie Brownson becomes first woman to coach a position group during an NFL game. Read more...

Principal of the Year
June 18, 2020
Education Leadership alumnus Jesse Kraft named Washington Post’s Principal of the Year. Read more...

Gracious Legacy
May 21, 2020
Former CEHD dean Jeff Gorrell remembered for mastery as educator and artist. Read more...

Digital Interning
April 27, 2020
Therapeutic recreation senior Riley Wilkerson makes adjustments to complete internship from home. Read more...

Molding America’s Best
April 8, 2020
Alumnus with degrees in educational psychology and kinesiology serving as strength and conditioning coach for U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.
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Transferrable Skills
April 3, 2020
Educational psychology alumna utilizes her Mason training on daily basis in role with Facebook.
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Full Circle
April 3, 2020
Early Childhood Education grad student wins teaching award at Alexandria school that’s “like a home.” Read more...

Into the Wild
March 6, 2020
Recreation Management grad thrilled to start full-time job in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest. Read more...

An NFL Coach on the Rise
February 4, 2020
Sport management grad Callie Brownson hired by Cleveland Browns as first female chief of staff in NFL history. Read more...

Model of Upstanding Character
January 30, 2020
From the archives: Mason grad interviews former baseball coach who died in helicopter crash. Read more...

Big League Jobs
January 9, 2020
Recent Mason alum goes from Baltimore Ravens internship to a full-time job with the Boston Red Sox. Read more...

Helping Others
November 18, 2019
Therapeutic recreation grad says new job and activities have brought things “full circle”. Read more...


George Mason University’s College of Education and Human Development Dean Mark R. Ginsberg announced the creation of three new schools within the college.
August 28, 2019
The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) approved the School of Education, the School of Kinesiology, and the School of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management. Read more...

Sport management major hones her skills at summer internship with Irish pro soccer club
August 7, 2019
Jamie Olsen serving as sports marketing and media relations intern for Shamrock Rovers. Read more...

Maria Barrios was named CEHD’s 2019 Exemplary Early Career Teacher
July 19, 2019
Two-time Mason alumnus entering third year at Keene Mill Elementary School. Read more...

CEHD Grad Honored for Paying it Forward
July 20, 2018
For the past 25 years, Gregory Baldwin has seen his work in Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) as a calling—and an opportunity to pay it forward to his students. The city of Alexandria recently recognized Baldwin’s passion with its second annual Champions of Children Award, which he received in June. Read more...

Mason Grad is The Washington Post's Teacher of the Year
June 18, 2018
Every morning, Mason alumnus Dan Reichard starts his fifth-grade class at Kate Waller Barrett Elementary School in Stafford, Va., with a secret handshake—27 of them, to be exact, one for each of his students.
Reichard said it took about two weeks to memorize the handshakes he asked his students to invent at the beginning of the school year. And the students cut Reichard little slack if he forgets even the tiniest nuance. Read more...

CEHD Alumnus Is Virginia’s 2018 National Distinguished Principal
May 10, 2018
On April 4, Andy Jacks was sitting in a meeting with the associate superintendent of Prince William County Public Schools when his secretary called and said there was an emergency in the cafeteria.
Jacks had been discussing the power of good leadership with the associate superintendent. Later, Jacks realized that his colleague was engaging in a bit of creative deception. Read more...

Looking Back, Looking Forward: A Conversation about the Changing Landscape of Education Policy
September 6, 2017
The field of education policy is constantly changing. But there is a way to make sense of an area in perpetual flux. College of Education and Human Development Dean Mark R. Ginsberg will moderate “Looking Back, Looking Forward: A Conversation about the Changing Landscape of Education Policy,” presented by CEHD. A panel of distinguished Mason faculty will discuss the current landscape of issues, their implication for education practice in schools, and the learning and development of students in Virginia and throughout the nation. Read more...

CEHD Alumna Kaleigh O’Donnell Receives Exemplary Early Career Teacher Award
July 10, 2017
Kaleigh O’Donnell (MEd ’15) is the 2017 recipient of Apple Federal Credit Union Education Foundation’s Exemplary Early Career Teacher Award. The award is given to an alumnus or alumna of CEHD who has demonstrated excellence, leadership, and innovation in the classroom within the first three years of teaching in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). Read more...

Mason Alumnus is The Washington Post’s Principal of the Year
June 7, 2017
When Nathaniel Provencio became the first in his family to attend college, he felt a sense of obligation more than privilege. “I knew,” he said, “that if I was going to go to university, I needed to do something where I could give back to the community. Teaching is one of the best ways to do that.” ...excerpted from Mason News
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CEHD Distinguished Alumnus of the Year
May 15, 2017
Congratulations to Dr. Britt J. Davis, the 2017 College of Education and Human Development Distinguished Alumni recipient. Davis received the award at the April 26 Celebration of Distinction awards banquet hosted by Mason’s Alumni Association. He is a two-time graduate of George Mason University, graduating in 1991 with a bachelor of science degree in parks, recreation, and leisure studies and in 1996 with a master of public administration degree. Read more...

Alumnus Makes a Difference as Founder of Ellie's Hats
January 4, 2016
Jay Coakley is a physical education teacher whose compassion for a kindergartener facing cancer grew into a nationwide charity. Read more...

Nominate a Teacher for the Exemplary Early Career Teacher Award 2016
December 15, 2015
Do you know an extraordinary teacher who deserves a $2,500 award? Nominate him or her today! Nominations are due February 29. Read more...

Enjoy These Videos from "An Evening With Professor Behrmann"
December 4, 2015
Enjoy these video excerpts from the special CEHD event featuring Mike Behrmann, held during Mason Alumni Weekend 2015. Read more...

World Series Champs Include Four Mason Alumni
November 3, 2015
Congratulations to the Kansas City Royals, World Series champions! We're proud of the four Mason alumni who led the team to success. Read more...

Alumna Receives CLD Outstanding Researcher Award
October 28, 2015
Congratulations to Anne Eichorn Brawand (PhD Education '13), recipient of the Outstanding Researcher Award from the Council for Learning Disabilities. Read more...

CEHD & The Campaign for George Mason University
September 25, 2015
Private philanthropy will help the College of Education and Human Development support transformative opportunities and go Faster Farther. Read more...

Alumnus Hailed for Compassion on the Job
September 16, 2015
In a compassionate act captured on video, Dan Hicks, a CEHD alumnus and North Carolina police officer, saved a man in distress with a hug. Read more...

You're Invited! An Evening With Professor Behrmann
August 25, 2015
Register today for this special CEHD event, part of Mason's Alumni Weekend 2015. All students, faculty, alumni, and friends are invited to attend! Read more...

Tara Fitzpatrick-Navarro Receives 2015 Distinguished Alumni Award from CEHD
May 5, 2015
The 2001 graduate is the executive director of the United States Tennis Association Mid-Atlantic Section. Read more...

2015 Agnes Meyer Honorees and Other Award-Winning CEHD Alumni
April 13, 2015
Congratulations to the award-winning educators who are alumni of the College of Education and Human Development. You make us proud! Read more...

What Do We Look for When Hiring? The Superintendents' Perspective [Video]
December 16, 2014
Thinking about applying for an administrator position? Check out this video for an inside look from four Northern Virginia assistant superintendents. Read more...

Young Alumna Lands Her Dream Job at Nike
December 8, 2014
Just two years after graduating from George Mason, Kelsey Moore is at Nike headquarters in Oregon working on a global sports initiative. Read more...

KC Royals' Front Office is Led by George Mason Alumni
October 22, 2014
GM Dayton Moore and two additional Mason alumni have been key to the Kansas City Royals' resurgence and World Series run. Read more...