MS Profiles

Earlier this year, George Mason University alumna Rhea Seehorn, BA Art (Studio) ’94, won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Drama for her performance as Carol Sturka in Pluribus on Apple TV. It was both her first nomination and her first win—an achievement that also marked a milestone for George Mason, as she became our first alum to receive a Golden Globe.

Mahmut Cengiz, PhD Public Policy ’10, of George Mason's Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center, is a seasoned expert in terrorism, organized crime, and illicit economies. His work focuses on the dynamics of terrorism, smuggling, and criminal networks and contributes significantly to understanding and combating these global challenges. His latest book, Typologies of Terrorist Organizations: Conceptual Lenses and Counterterrorism Measures (Carolina Academic Press, September 2025), was cowritten with Mitchel Roth and Huseyin Cinoglu.

Near the Italian town of Bormio, visitors can ride a mountain cable car to take in a breathtaking panorama from a café perched near the peak. Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Special Agent Mohamed Hassan, BA Religious Studies ’20, who was a field liaison officer during the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Games, recounts taking a break from supporting Team USA to sip a cappuccino alongside Olympians: “Everyone was really interested in what everyone's there to do…. Everyone's motivating one another.”

For most people, planning for an emergency might only come to mind every now and then. But some George Mason University employees spend each day preparing for emergencies and planning how to protect the Mason Nation in a crisis. As director of emergency management and fire safety in the Office of Risk, Safety, and Resilience, Gregg Black, MPA’13, helps the university plan for the unexpected.

The athlete and competitor in her fuel George Mason’s Jaylin Lott’s love for volleyball, but it’s the inner serenity that singing brings her that she treasures away from the court.

Amanda Haymond Still is director of Undergraduate Student Research Initiatives and Internships, College of Science.

When Trish Jarvis, BS Biology ’10, tells people what she does for a living, their eyes usually light up. As an employee at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Washington, D.C., Jarvis has one of the most coveted—and adorable—jobs around: She’s a panda keeper.

For nearly two decades, George Mason alum Nawal Rajeh has been transforming the way Baltimore’s youth see themselves—shaping them into peacemakers through long-term relationships, hands-on education, and a community-wide commitment to nonviolence.

Herbert, a junior and men’s volleyball opposite from Ashburn, Virginia, feels he may be primed for a breakout season with the Patriots this year.

Soukaina Amniouel, MS Bioinformatics and Computational Biology ’20, PhD ’24, is a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).