Student Success Blog

Doctoral Graduate Research Assistant Position Open with Project E-Ignite

Project E-Ignite is a Jacob K. Javits grant housed in the College of Education and Human Development. The project is looking for a doctoral graduate research assistant for the 2023-2024 academic year.  

The grant focuses on:
  • Identifying and serving Gifted and Talented students from underserved populations including Black, Latinx, and English Learners, as well as those who are economically disadvantaged and children with disabilities.
  • Promoting effective instruction in classrooms in high-poverty schools.
  • Increasing teacher understanding of Problem-Based Learning (PBL).
  • Increasing student cognitive skills, engagement, and motivation to learn.
  • Promoting STEM Education with PBL curriculum.
A GRA on Project ExCEL-Ignite will engage in the following tasks:
  • Development and creation of research measures
  • Curriculum revision and development
  • Preparation of teacher professional development materials
  • Analysis of quantitative and qualitative data (student and teacher data)
  • Preparation and maintenance of student consent and assent data
  • Collaboration with team faculty and staff on school implementation, data collection, analysis, and dissemination tasks
The GRA will learn and improve:
  • Qualitative and quantitative research skills on a large-scale federal grant in multiple school districts
  • Academic writing and referencing skills
  • Interviewing skills
  • How to work effectively as part of a collaborative team
How To Apply:

For information about the project or to apply, please send a resume/CV and a letter of interest to Dr. Kimberley Daly, Coordinator, Project E-Ignite at [email protected]. If you have any questions about the project, you can also email Dr. Daly.

This position is a full-time GRA position (20 hours/week). Optimally, we are looking for a student who has past qualitative or quantitative research experience or has completed EDRS 810.

VCLA Writing Preparation Workshops

Student's hand writing in a VCLA test booklet

In addition to the resources and workshops already offered at Mason, the Writing Center is now offering VCLA-specific writing preparation.

The VCLA is comprised of multiple-choice questions, as well as summary and composition writing. In an effort to increase scores and provide practice for the VCLA writing components, the Writing Center now offers two workshops to address each writing subtest:

  1. A summary workshop
  2. A composition workshop

Summary Workshop

Wednesday, July 12
5:30 – 6:45 pm

Register Here

In this workshop, students will learn strategies for completing the VCLA Writing Summary assignment. Participants will analyze the summary prompt and sample responses, identify features of successful responses, learn strategies for composing the summary, and practice some of these strategies.


Composition Workshop

Wednesday, July 26
5:30 – 6:45 pm

Register Here

In this workshop, students will learn strategies for completing the VCLA Writing Composition assignment. Participants will analyze the composition prompt and sample responses, identify features of successful responses, learn strategies for composing the composition, and practice some of these strategies.

Pre-Service Teacher Summer 2023 Institute

George Mason University’s ACE-STEM Project Team is excited to host Summer Institute 2023 in June! ACE-STEM stands for “Advancing Content-Integrated Education for English Learners with a STEM Focus,” and is a multi-year grant project funded by the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) in U. S. Department of Education. Starting Fall 2022, our Cohort 1 Teachers from Prince William County Schools began their 5-course studies to earn the Graduate Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) as a part of this project and are comprised of content and ESOL teachers from PK-12th Grades.

For ACE-STEM Summer Institute 2023, we are expanding the learning opportunities to pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, and educational leaders from our region. Through various presentations and interactive workshops, participants will learn about cutting-edge topics such as content-language integrated STEM education, Translanguaging, ChatGPT, Universal Design for Learning, Media Literacy, Family & Community Engagement, and more! A stipend of $100 per day will be offered.

If you are a Mason student and a PRE-SERVICE teacher, and would like to attend the 2-day event from (6/21-6/22), show your interest by completing the short survey using this link. Please email us at [email protected] with any questions you might have.

Feel free to check out our program at our website: ace-stem.cehd.gmu.edu/

Three CEHD Students Awarded Fellowships

Three students in the College of Education and Human Development were awarded fellowships for the 2022-2023 academic year.

Read this news story for more, and learn more about each student below.


Ninamarie Avedissian

Ninamarie Avedissian, pursuing an MEd in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), was awarded the Critical Language Scholarship.

Headshot of Ninamarie Avedissian

“As an avid language learner, I want to utilize the methods that have helped me learn languages, such as translating songs, in my future ESOL classroom and help students see the beauty in learning another language.

Through participating in CLS Spark, I hope to expand my cultural awareness and gain inspiration for culturally inclusive activities I can implement in the classroom. I hope to better understand the challenges Arabic-speaking students may face when learning English and create meaningful connections with students and families of Arabic backgrounds.”

Ninamarie Avedissian

Trinidee Baker

Trinidee Baker, graduating this spring with an MEd in Education Leadership, was awarded the Presidential Management Fellowship.

Headshot of Trinidee Baker

“I chose the Education Leadership program because I wanted to advance my career within the educational realm. I also hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, which helped me develop leadership and relationship-building skills.

I have taught English as a Second Language for the past 10 years and I have held various leadership positions during my teaching journey. I have a desire to positively affect the lives of people and I am dedicated to being a lifelong learner. As a recipient of the Presidential Management Fellowship, I hope to continue to use my teaching skills to help others and continue to fight for equitable and fair treatment for all.”

Trinidee Baker

Melissa DeLury

Melissa DeLury, pursuing a PhD in Education with specializations International Education and Research Methodology, was awarded the Cosmos Scholars Grant.

Headshot of Melissa DeLury

“I chose International Education and Research Methodology as my primary and secondary specializations. My career before Mason was rooted in international education: working in higher education settings, conducting research as a graduate student at Trinity College Dublin (2013-2015) and Fulbright Scholar in India (2017-2018), and currently working as an Education Technical Manager in international development. I wanted to explore the role of history education in facilitating peace and/or conflict in postcolonial settings via listening to the experiences of teachers and students.

My Cosmos Grant will allow me to work with Queens University Belfast by visiting different schools in Belfast to understand both the role of history education in current contexts, and the meanings that teachers and students make to narrations of past conflict. I hope to continue working internationally to explore how history education can facilitate peace through using more participatory methods.”

Melissa DeLury

Mixed Methods Research Seminar

The College of Education and Human Development at George Mason University and Panteion University are collaboratively offering a two-day virtual seminar on Mixed Methods Research on Monday, June 19 and Tuesday, June 20 (9 am – 12 pm EDT) for graduate students and other interested scholars. The session will be facilitated by Dr. Divya Varier (George Mason University) along with Dr. Stella Ladi (Panteion University), Dr. Anastasia Kafe (Panteion University), and Megan Stutesman (George Mason University). 

This workshop will introduce participants to the use of mixed methods in social science research. Mixed methods research involves integrating qualitative and quantitative approaches in a research study and is a rapidly developing and widely adopted research approach in recent years. 

The seminar is intended for graduate students in social science disciplines that use predominantly quantitative or qualitative approaches to inquiry. Prior knowledge of, or experience in, mixed methods is not necessary. A basic understanding of quantitative and qualitative research traditions will be helpful. The facilitators will provide reading materials and resources before and during the workshop.

Participation is free for attendees. Interested students and scholars can get more information and apply to participate here.


Additional Information

The virtual seminar will introduce participants to the established, emerging, and potential use of mixed methods in social science research. Mixed methods research broadly involves the integrated use of qualitative and quantitative approaches in a research study. The last three decades were marked by accelerated development and acceptance of mixed methods as a methodological approach.

The two-day workshop will include short lectures and interactive sessions for participants to learn about mixed methods approaches. Participants will generate ideas for using mixed methods in their own field of interest and collaborate with other attendees to critique, reflect on, and brainstorm innovative ways to address various research problems.

The seminar is intended for graduate students in social science disciplines that use predominantly quantitative or qualitative approaches to inquiry. Prior knowledge of or experience in mixed methods is not necessary. A basic understanding of quantitative and qualitative research traditions will be helpful. The facilitators will provide reading materials and resources before and during the workshop.

Please email [email protected] or [email protected] with any questions about the seminar.