Individualized Studies Concentration

Kristin Metzger

I want to change policy with research. My mission is to help end solitary confinement in U.S. prisons. After studying political science and sociology in undergrad, I became interested in how humans interact with their environment. Psychology and geography are my current focus areas, and I chose the MAIS program at George Mason because behavioral geography is a new and dynamic field. The flexibility offered by the Individualized Studies concentration enables inquiry and innovation, and I gain practical skills and knowledge from my classes.

Most recently, I learned about image processing and spatial optimization in Fundamentals of Geography. I can apply both tools to psychological analysis and modeling. Next semester, I will begin designing my research in a required methods course. Solitary confinement exploits the brain’s innate capacities, disrupting neural structure and function. How does long-term isolation impact decision-making heuristics?