Danielle Hawkins

With this appointment, Evelyn Tomaszewski will help elevate the global voice of social workers in advancing human rights, social justice, and promoting sustainable development through the UN and UN agencies.

From improving underserved communities’ care to supporting faculty research on women living with HIV, Janell Addo-Boateng, MPH ’25, gained hands-on experience in policy, evaluation, and communication.

Interdisciplinary teams sweep the awards with actionable plan to address sexually transmitted infections in young adults.

Findings by Ali Weinstein, a scholar of chronic illness, indicate that quality of life may be impacted long after cancer treatment concludes.

Gina S. Brown, PhD, MSA, RN, FAAN (PhD Nursing ’99), has made history as the first woman to become president of Oakwood University. Recognized nationally as a leader in nursing and education, Brown brings extensive experience revitalizing academic institutions and fostering community engagement. She credits her time at George Mason University as a formative and supportive chapter in her journey.

Felicia Baez-Smith, MPH ’19,has built a powerful public health career rooted in community impact, leading initiatives from opioid overdose prevention to pandemic response and mental health advocacy. Recently named to George Mason’s 2025 Forty Under 40 by the Black Alumni Chapter, her journey—from student advocate to statewide public health leader—shows how one person’s dedication can transform systems, uplift communities, and inspire the next generation of changemakers.

Nursing and Social Work students had the opportunity to work together in a virtual reality simulation of clinical work with patients. The event took place in the Center for Immersive Technologies and Simulation at George Mason University's College of Public Health.

A new College of Public Health study led by Raedeh Basiri in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies used new methods to help individuals with prediabetes who had obesity and overweight lose weight without following a weight-loss diet. The study didn’t focus on a reduction in calories or an increase in physical activity. Instead, it focused on healthy eating and personal goal setting based on how the body responds to different types of foods. They found that using continuous glucose monitoring devices (CGMs) along with personalized nutrition therapy doubled participants’ weight loss and fat reduction. This suggests that when participants can see the effects of foods on their blood glucose, they follow the recommendations more seriously.

The College of Public Health congratulates Sanja Avramovic for receiving a Teaching Excellence Award from the Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning and John Cantiello for being recognized as an Online Teacher of Distinction by the Stearns Center.  

How do environmental factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, air pollution, chemical exposures, social, genetic, and neighborhood exposures influence obesity and asthma rates? The College is exploring this question as it collaborates in the ECHO program, a seven-year initiative funded by the National Institutes of Health.