Office of Student Scholarship Creative Activities and Research (OSCAR)

As the use of underwater, aerial, and unmanned ground vehicles continues to grow, it is critical that the fuel cells necessary to power these systems operate safely, while providing durable and optimal performance. High-performance hydrogen sensors, which monitor leakage, energy efficiency, and durability under a wide range of operating conditions, are key to this function.

Foreign languages major Yamileth Hernandez-Becerra and community health major Melody Campos received a Best Poster award for their research, “Community Roots, Linguistic Equity: The Power of Outreach in Dual Language Immersion,” during the Summer 2025 OSCAR Celebration of Student Research and Impact in August.

For Mason Korea students Dayeon Shin and Taeyeong Kim, a classroom discussion on urban flooding turned into something much bigger- a research project on “sponge cities,” or urban areas designed to absorb and reuse rainwater, and their potential in Seoul’s Gangnam district. They presented the project at the 2025 Association of European Schools of Planning (AESOP) annual congress.

In February, George Mason University students attended the first Undergraduate Research Showcase held by the Network for Undergraduate Research in Virginia (NURVa) in Richmond. The event was an opportunity for students to present their research as well as share their work with state legislators.

George Mason University’s goals to not only “expand the impact of Mason’s research, scholarship, and creative enterprise” but also to “deliver a distinctive and inclusive student experience” provide a vast wealth of opportunities for undergraduate students to gain hands-on experience under the direct supervision from faculty to are leaders in their disciplines.

Joel Martin, associate professor of kinesiology and researcher in the SMART lab, is working to help first responders and ROTC cadets enjoy longer and healthier lives.

George Mason University anthropologist Jamie Clark and two undergraduate students spent part of the summer on an archaeological expedition in Sefunim Cave, Israel.  

In April, 39 Mason students attended the National Conference on Undergraduate Research at University of Wisconsin­–Eau Claire, where they made new friends, networked, and gained experiences that will help them in their studies and careers.

One of the highlights of biology major Gwendolyne Fields’ Mason career is her summer 2022 internship at the Cheetah Conservation Fund outside the town of Otjiwarongo in Namibia.

Honors College student Emily Synoski, who graduates this month from Mason with a biology degree, has also participated in Georgetown University’s competitive CORE pre-med program, where she and her team pitched an idea to deliver opioid overdose treatment to houseless populations via drones.