Honors College students conduct exceptionally ambitious and important research starting in their first semester at Mason. To help tell that story to the world, three of our most motivated Honors College students presented their research project to The George Mason Board of Trustees on the morning of June 15th in Merten Hall. Representative of the Honors College student body, these students, Lina Hussein, Rakibul Alam Anik, and Molly Izer represented a wide range of interests, from healthcare to sustainability.
The George Mason Board of Trustees serves the George Mason University Foundation, ensuring that its fundraising efforts support, promote, encourage, and contribute to the Mason community. Through fundraising, George Mason University Foundation helps Mason serve the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Washington DC region, and the world by providing exceptional research and cutting-edge facilities. The George Mason University Foundation additionally strives to increase student financial aid, expand learning programs, and improve career support for students and alumni.
Invited to speak to the Board of Trustees by Trishana Bowden, the Vice President of Advancement at George Mason University after their presentations at the 2023 Spring Exhibition, these projects demonstrated what motivated Honors College students can do if taught to ask good questions, systematically pursue and evaluate the best available evidence, and approach research with an openness to multiple perspectives. Each of them began learning these skills in Honors 110, during their first semester. Honors 110 provides a foundation that many Honors College students use later in their academic careers by continuing to conduct research and present their findings. Lina Hussein, Rakibul Alam Anik, and Molly Izer are among the Honors College students who have done so.
Lina Hussein’s research examined the impacts of certain provisions of the Affordable Care Act on safety in hospitals that serve at-risk or vulnerable populations. She also explored how reforming these provisions could help reduce healthcare inequity. She conducted a literature review in order to develop new criteria to identify “safety net” hospitals. Her research revealed that Disproportionate Share Hospital payments had varying impacts on these hospitals, the Value-Based Purchasing program had the potential to affect quality of care, and the Hospital Readmission Reduction program had negative impacts on hospitals serving at-risk and vulnerable populations. Lina Hussein, a neuroscience major with a minor in Public Health and an Honors College student, conducted a research project in her Honors 110 course under the guidance of Stephen Hixon.
Rakibul Alam Anik His research question was focused on how sustainable agriculture could address issues concerning high soil salinity in Coastal Bangladesh and how farmers could be empowered and educated to adopt such practices. His methodology involved an extensive literature review to develop the best practice proposals. The review revealed that rural farmers in Bangladesh are crucial but often lack updated knowledge. Practices like agroecology, ridge-and-hill planting, and improved crop rotation can address water, salinity, and soil nutrition issues, but coordinated planning is necessary. Rakibul Anam Anik conducted research under the guidance of Dr. Caroline West in Honors 110.
Molly Izer’s research explored the function of caucuses in Congress, their usefulness, and whom they benefit. To answer this, Molly interviewed key staffers for each caucus and used a unique data set to track congressional caucus membership. Her study revealed that different types of caucuses offer different benefits, mainly by connecting legislators with common interests, facilitating coordination between factions and groups, and improving congressional efficacy through knowledge of one's congressional caucus. Molly Izer is a student at the Schar School majoring in government and international politics, with a concentration in law and philosophy and a minor in American Sign Language. Molly’s interest in research began in Honors 110 under Dr. Nadeen Maklouf and continued in Government 103 with Dr. Jennifer Victor. She later worked as a data collector for Dr. Victor and received funding from the OSCAR office to conduct undergraduate research.