College of Education and Human Development

Patricia Kelshaw has been immersed in George Mason University’s Athletic Training Education Program for as long as she has been at the university. Kelshaw’s research endeavors to establish more specific baseline measures for children participating in sports to better manage concussions. Those measures could also enhance the Child Support Concussion Assessment Tool, a standardized evaluation instrument that helps assess whether concussions have occurred and informs care throughout recovery. Read more...

Don’t worry Virginia teachers, Amy Hutchison feels your pain and is here to help. The associate professor at George Mason University and director of Mason’s Division of Elementary, Literacy and Secondary Education understands that teaching the new mandatory Standards of Learning for computer science in Virginia’s public schools can seem daunting to those who do not have a computer science background. Read more...

Mason LIFE focuses on academics, employment, independent living, and community integration for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Life Sherpa is an app that aims to help students with disabilities become more independent in employment settings by creating routines for the students to follow while offering help, if needed. Read more...

Given a chance to use role-playing to solve real-world problems, middle schoolers who might be overlooked for advanced academic programs can perform just as well as their high-achieving peers, research by George Mason University assistant professor Anne Horak has shown. For the third consecutive year, the curriculum written for that research has won an award. Read more...

When Callie Brownson became quality control coach for Dartmouth’s football team, she had no idea she was making history as the first full-time female Division I football coach. Even now, after all the attention, including stories by the Associated Press, Sports Illustrated and The Washington Post, Brownson said the whirlwind is still difficult to believe. “To me, it was kind of crazy there hadn’t been another female coach at this level,” she said. That Brownson was the first did not surprise those who knew her at George Mason University, from where she graduated in 2016 with a degree in Health, Fitness and Recreation Resources. Read more...

Fred Schack’s colleagues at the College of Education and Human Development described him as “steady,” “consistent,” and “dependable.” If there was work to be done, he would volunteer to do it. He was also remembered for always being on time, pitching in with colleagues, and always supporting students. Basically, “he was there,” says Rich Miller, a professor of kinesiology at Mason. Schack, who retired from his position as a professor of kinesiology and physical education this past June, died in September following a short illness. He was 76. More than half of his life was spent as a faculty member at George Mason University. Read more...

Fostering Student Computational Thinking with Self-Regulated Learning is a new $3.5M (over 5 years) NSF-funded STEM+C grant that will advance research and development of new transdisciplinary approaches to computational STEM teaching and learning. Read more...

Anna Evmenova, Kelley Regan, and Amy Hutchison won a $2.5M award (over 5 years) for “WEGO-RIITE: Writing Efficiently with Graphic Organizers - Responsive Instruction while Implementing Technology Effectively” funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U.S. Department of Education. Read more...

George Mason University was ranked as one of the nation’s top institutions for diversity, innovative learning and a campus atmosphere that allows its students to thrive, in U.S. News & World Report’s 2019 rankings, released Monday. For a second consecutive year, Mason is the top-ranked institution in Virginia for campus diversity and tied for 25th nationally. Mason also tied for 28th nationally for educational innovation and was one of only 96 national institutions listed as an “A+ School for B Students,” a category that identifies universities that create an atmosphere in which spirit and hard work fosters student success. Read more...

A new NSF award was granted to Amy Hutchison and colleagues for a project that brings together faculty from George Mason University and Old Dominion University, the non-profit group CodeVA and Norfolk City Public Schools (NCPS) to broaden participation in Computer Science in Virginia. Read more...