Mason's innovative spirit and reputation for excellence have attracted some of the brightest minds in the country. Our faculty members and researchers are on the cutting edge of their fields, affecting policy changes, protecting the world from the threat of biological weapons, and making transportation safer, to name but a few.
In Science and Society we highlight a selection of faculty making a difference in the community, region, and the world. This section will be updated regularly.
If you would like more information about our faculty and their work, please check out the following resources:
Amy Best
Sociologist Amy Best researches youth, culture, and social inequalities by examining everything from cars to proms to fast food.
Jack Hadley
Jack Hadley studies the financing and cost of care used by the uninsured, as well as the scope of health insurance coverage, medical education financing, and the effects of managed care on health delivery systems.
Susan Hirsch
Drawing from research on responses to extreme violence in the United States, Europe, and Africa, cultural anthropologist Susan Hirsch explores emerging approaches to justice that seek to fulfill the expectations of victims and societies.
David Anderson
David Anderson's specialization in drug and alcohol abuse prevention, particularly within colleges and universities, has earned him a national reputation for promoting comprehensive, innovative, and accountable programs and policies.
Ariela Sofer
Ariela Sofer was one of the first scientists to focus on the application of operations research to medical treatment.
Claudio Cioffi-Revilla
Claudio Cioffi-Revilla uses computer simulations to shed light on complex social phenomena ranging from warfare to wealth.
Walter Kravitz
Artist Walter Kravitz's passion for baseball and sculpture culminated in a permanent installation at the Washington Nationals Ballpark.
Louise Shelley
Louise Shelley's expertise in transnational crime and corruption includes money laundering and illicit financial flows, human smuggling and trafficking, and national security issues.
James Wolfe
Entrepreneur-in-residence Jim Wolfe specializes in new ventures and organizations, both large and small, undergoing dramatic transitions.
Allison Macfarlane
Geologist Allison Macfarlane, a leading technical expert on nuclear waste disposal, recently sat on a National Research Council committee evaluating the Department of Energy's nuclear power research and development programs.
Stephen Mastrofski
Policing expert Stephen Mastrofski has worked extensively to help reform policing practices both nationally and internationally. Most recently, his research has focused on improving police culture in Trinidad and Tobago.
Naomi Lynn Gerber
Physician Lynn Gerber is among the Mason researchers involved in a collaboration with Inova Health System.
Andrea Bartoli
Andrea Bartoli works primarily on peacemaking and genocide prevention. His latest efforts involve developing a United Nations program training member government officials in genocide prevention methods.
Maggie Daniels
Maggie Daniels has spearheaded research in the niche event area of wedding consulting and was named, along with the university, as one of 25 trendsetters with Modern Bride magazine.
Sushil Jajodia
Sushil Jajodia researches information privacy. He and his colleagues are currently working on a new method to combat malware in order to keep computers—and personal data belonging to their users—safe.
Anne Magro
Anne Magro’s research examines how characteristics of the task, individual, and environment interact to inform judgments and decisions of tax professionals.
Michael Fauntroy
Professor and political commentator Fauntroy is the author of the recently released book “Republicans and the Black Vote.” He specializes in race and American politics.
Kim Blackwell
Neuroscientist Kim Blackwell’s research is devoted to the study of learning and memory, specifically the mechanisms behind long-term memory storage. She is currently looking for alternate ways to treat Parkinson’s disease.
Yuntao Wu
Yuntao Wu has spent the past six years decoding the molecular processes of the AIDS virus. His research focuses on viral-host interaction, as well as on the development of new therapies.
Kim Sheridan
Education professor and painter Kim Sheridan focuses her research on cognition and learning in the arts and media. She is currently working on a NSF-funded project that looks at computer game design and collaboration in a Washington, D.C., high school.