Alumni News

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is proud to honor Kimiko Lighty, MAIS '10, with the 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award in MAIS. Lighty is the founding executive director of Restorative Arlington.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is proud to honor Casey Klemmer, MAIS '23, with the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award in women and gender studies. Klemmer is a humanitarian aid worker and LGBTQ rights advocate supporting refugees in Samos, Greece. Klemmer has worked across Europe and on the border in Greece, Serbia, and Morocco, providing psychosocial support and essential services to displaced communities.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is proud to honor Mary Jo Lopez Duckwitz, BA Religious Studies '06, MAIS '09, with the Distinguished Alumni Award in religious studies. Lopez Duckwitz is a longtime adjunct instructor in Latin American politics, and serves on her staff council to foster institutional growth and cultural development.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is proud to honor Christopher Michael Johnson, MAIS '11, with the Distinguished Alumni Award in interdisciplinary studies. Johnson was named president of the University of West Georgia, effective August 1, 2025. He leads a comprehensive regional public university, which offers more than 100 academic programs and serves more than 14,000 students across multiple Georgia locations.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is proud to honor Nena Rogers, MAIS ’19, with the 2025 Distinguished Staff Alumni Award. Rogers has dedicated nearly three decades to George Mason University Athletics. As deputy athletics director for student services and performance and the department’s senior woman administrator, she champions holistic student-athlete development.

Interdisciplinary Studies alumni Mischa Geracoulis' first book Media Framing and the Destruction of Cultural Heritage: News Narratives about Artsakh and Gaza was published in April as a part of the Routledge Focus on Media and Humanitarian Action series. 

A synopsis of Mischa Geracoulis' final project has been published in "International Journal of Human Rights Education, Vol. 8" Her project is titled "Making Curricular Space for Critical Media Literacy and Human Rights Education."

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is proud to honor Mike Kostrzewa, MAIS '95, PhD Education '02, with the 2024 Distinguished Alumni award in MAIS. Kostrzewa has more than 35 years of experience as a human resources professional with Fortune 500 companies such as GTE, GE, ITT, and local professional services companies serving federal and commercial clients.

MAIS graduate receives award for their work in advocating for social justice, equality, and inclusivity at Mason.