The College of Humanities and Social Sciences development and alumni relations team engages alumni and the broader community in the life of the college. We develop active volunteers, well-informed alumni, and committed donors. Our mission is to help the community make a meaningful contribution to the important work of the college and to ensure the college has the resources it needs to maximize its impact. We seek support for student scholarships, encourage interest in funding for faculty and research centers, and generate resources to sustain and expand the college’s educational footprint.
Connect with a member of our team to learn more about how to get involved in supporting our college.
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Eleanor Weis, MPA eweis2@gmu.edu |
Eleanor has worked in fundraising for 20+ years, most recently at Mason for six years. She is responsible for the strategic goals for the team, serves as an advocate for the college’s goals, and is a resource to faculty and staff who wish to donate or to learn how to raise funds. Upon request, Eleanor offers a “How to Ask” workshop and has taught classes in Donor Stewardship and Professional Presence and Communication. |
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Dawn Cassidy dcassid2@gmu.edu |
Dawn's work encompasses every aspect of office operation, especially prospect management, board relations, stewardship, and development activities for a campaign. She works closely with chairs, directors, and departmental staff to execute stewardship programs and provides financial management of our foundation accounts. |
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Alecia Bryan abryan4@gmu.edu |
Alecia is the team’s strategic development communities lead—managing corporate and foundation grant applications for CHSS centers and faculty research, writing donor-specific proposals, and working closely with the college's marketing and communications team to contribute alumni profiles for both the college's annual report and magazine, Horizon. Alecia also works with top prospects and major donors on their initiatives. |
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Raymond Davis, MSL rdavis40@gmu.edu |
Raymond joined the college in June 2021, bringing nearly 6 years of major gift and more than 9 years of fundraising experience in higher education. He is responsible for connecting with Mason alumni and prospective donors in the DMV area, and around the country, to discuss how their philanthropic interests align with the needs and goals of the college. Additionally, he partners with CHSS faculty and leadership to secure resources for the college and our students. He is a resource to discuss simple (and more complex) estate and planned giving questions and to share stories of how some individuals take advantage of these gift vehicles to benefit their communities and families.
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Shannon Donohue, CFRE |
Shannon joined the team in January 2022 and she brings more than 5 years of experience in fundraising for Mason, which includes her previous roles with the College of Health and Human Services and the Scalia Law School. Her role with CHSS includes connecting faculty, alumni, and donors to discuss how their philanthropic interests align with the needs and goals of the college. Shannon is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) and an active member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. |
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Nikki Jerome Ouellette njerome@gmu.edu |
Nikki is a double alumna of George Mason University and as associate director, she is responsible for securing volunteer support and financial resources for the college with an emphasis on helping alumni manifest their passion into meaningful philanthropic and volunteer support for the college. She also leads the team for scholarship management, alumni recognition, and annual fund support. |
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Nadia Daghistani ndaghist@gmu.edu |
Building on her success leading the fundraising events for the Center for Psychological Services, Nadia is also developing virtual events for alumni engagement and events to honor alumni achievement. She is the project lead for LinkUp events, which involve alumni in student mentoring. Nadia builds off of these events to form meaningful relationships with prospects and donors. |
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Karol Escalante |
Karol has more than fifteen years of experience working in the communications field. In her role as graduate assistant, she serves as a liaison to CHSS alumni, conducting interviews with our diverse graduates to learn about their Mason and career experiences. Karol also provides writing support for articles we publish on our website and for the college's print publications. Karol is a graduate student in the Communication Department and is working on her masters degree. |
