'Distinguished Student' Award Winner Hopes to Reform Corrupt Police Forces
As a former member of the police force in the Ukraine, SPP student Yuriy Gavryliuk has firsthand knowledge about his chosen field of study. But he also realizes that he still has a lot to learn about how to use policy to build a stronger police force. That’s why the winner of the SPP Alumni Chapter’s 2004 Distinguished Student Award is relishing his time as a master’s student in the Peace Operations Policy Program (POPP).

U.S. Presidency Expert, SPP Professor Speaks in Wales
As a special guest to the University of Wales at Swansea, UK, on October 8, SPP Professor James Pfiffner spoke about the issues at the center of the 2004 Presidential Election. “The focus of my remarks was on national security and the election,” he said. “I told the audience that national security and particularly the war in Iraq was a driving factor in the election.”

Media Interviews Draw SPP Professor, Mason into the Spotlight
SPP Professor Jerry Mayer admits that the media often misrepresent his words. However, this didn’t stop him from agreeing to answer reporters’ questions about the 2004 Presidential election. In the days before and after the election, he was interviewed by dozens of journalists from newspapers, radio and television stations.

Metro Financing Concerns Intersect into SPP Professor’s Responsibilities
When SPP Professor John Petersen was asked to help suggest funding options for the future of the Washington area’s deteriorating Metro system, he couldn’t refuse the voluntary position. “ I’ve been very fortunate,” he said. “If I’m going to be here taking up space in a public university, I guess I’ve got to roll up my sleeves and do some of the work,” said Petersen.

SPP Professor Advises Policy Experts on Education Reform
With the publication of his latest book about education reform, “Maximizing Intelligence,” SPP Professor David Armor is attracting the attention of top education policy makers and shakers. Robert Lerner, Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics in the Department of Education, invited him to speak on Oct. 28, and the Heritage Foundation hosted him on November 10.

MEC Program Director Gets Hometown Honors
Wally Johnson, director of the Mason Enterprise Center’s (MEC) Mentor-Protégé and Procurement Technical Assistance programs, had come a long way from his roots when his hometown asked him to come back for a celebration in his honor. The request came in the form of a phone call from the director of the Oklahoma City Public Schools’ board of trustees.

SPP Sponsors Citizen Panel for Department of Homeland Security
The Critical Infrastructure Working Group at the School of Public Policy recently conducted a citizens' panel on critical infrastructure protection, vulnerability and public confidence for the Department of Homeland Security/National Capital Region (NCR). The panel met from November 5 through 7 at GMU’s Arlington campus.

Speaker Series Spotlights Issues to Unite GMU with Arlington Community
The Spotlight Speaker Series, sponsored jointly by GMU and the Arlington Country Public Library, entered its second year this semester on Oct. 27 with “The Election: What’s at Stake?” During the event at the Arlington Campus, a panel of SPP professors spoke with Arlington residents, as well as GMU students and faculty, about the Electoral College, the religious right, U.S. fiscal policy, the European Union and the “angry voter.” The panel included Professors Desmond Dinan, James Pfiffner, Mark Rozell and Susan Tolchin.

ICASIT Funds Help Interpreters Close Communication Gaps for Refugees
Language barriers pose one of the biggest obstacles for refugees trying to survive in a strange land. Unable to speak the language of their host countries, the displaced have no means to communicate their needs. Touched by this plight and presented with a hopeful solution, Dr. Steve Ruth, director of Mason’s International Center for Applied Studies in Information Technology (ICASIT), earmarked $30,000 from a foundation grant to help the American University in Cairo train refugee interpreters through its Cairo Community Interpreters Program (CCIP).

Fulbright Scholar Looks for Ways to Help India Produce Better Business Leaders
When Dr. Asha Bhandarker, a Fulbright Scholar from India who is being hosted by SPP, researched how business schools in her home country trained future managers, she was disappointed at the results. “Top schools were not shaping students into managers and future leaders,” she says. They were focusing on theories, ignoring the importance of interpersonal skills and, ultimately, failing to mold the kind of leaders that Indian and global companies need, she says.

Former Doctoral Student Shares Dissertation Research with Experts
It’s been two years since John Bordeaux, a 2003 Ph.D. graduate, defended his dissertation about the inefficient use of combat aircraft during conflict. But he’s still sharing his research in this country and abroad. After delivering his dissertation at the Command and Control Research Technology Symposium (CCRTS) in San Diego in June, he was chosen to host a second discussion session – this time at CCRTS’ international symposium in Copenhagen in September.