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The Dean’s Challenge Scholarship is awarded to recognize exceptional students not only in their superior academic achievement but in their inspirational civic and community engagement. Learn more about this year's four graduate student awardees.

When George Mason University English professor Eric Gary Anderson steps into the classroom to teach ENGL 419 Popular Horror, he’s not just talking about things that go bump in the night—he and his students are exploring what makes people seek out horror in the first place.

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 John Robinson, MA Sociology '10, with the Distinguished Alumni Award in sociology and anthropology. Robinson is an assistant professor of sociology, associated faculty in African American Studies, and the Richard Allen Lester University Preceptor at Princeton University.

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 Mido Hajaji, BIS ’19, with the 2025 CHSS G.O.L.D. - Graduate of the Last Decade award. Hajaji is a technology executive and entrepreneur with nearly 20 years of experience driving IT modernization across public-sector and higher-education institutions. As founder and CEO of CloudAI Technologies, his company works to blend secure cloud, AI, and cybersecurity solutions for state, local, and education customers.

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.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is proud to honor Eileen Kiely, MA Economics '96, with the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award in economics. Kiely is managing director at BlackRock, where she leads the firm’s counterparty, trading, and securities lending risk function.

Burton C. Gray Jr., Economics; English BA ’95, commits to strengthening the George Mason Debate team’s community of support with generous donation.