This award is in acknowledgement of students who have made a notable contribution to the Global Affairs community throughout their tenure in the Master of Arts in Global Affairs.
Sebastian Bonilla is a U.S. Army Foreign Affairs Officer to the Sub-Saharan African region. While attending the George Mason University (GMU) Global Affairs (GLOA) M.A. program, he concentrated on Global Conflict & Security. The capstone project for his degree detailed the effects of globalization through a comparative analysis of Mozambique, Lesotho, and South Africa. Additionally, he participated in the Human Rights Seminar abroad in Argentina with FLACSO as part of his program requirements. As a Hispanic officer in the Armed Forces, he seeks to utilize the skills and knowledge gained from GMU to support U.S. national interests and enhance military and multi-national partnerships. Sebastian expresses gratitude to God, his family, the GMU community (Specially GLOA) and its partners, and the U.S. Army Foreign Affairs program for their support during his GMU journey, which was fully funded and supported by the U.S. Army.
Moheb Jabarkhail completed a Master in Global Affairs specializing in Global Governance and Public Management. He researched and published on human security while at Mason. In the past, Moheb received a master’s in public policy from the University of Erfurt in Germany where he focused and researched global economic development policy. Moheb’s most recent publication is “Afghanistan and the Way Forward: Incorporating Indigenous Knowledge into Policymaking” published at in Vol 14, Issue 1 of the Global Policy Journal at Durham University. Moheb thanks all the GLOA faculty, especially Director Cortney, who facilitated his tenure at Mason. Building on his career and utilizing skills and knowledge learned at the GLOA program, Moheb will continue to manage projects and programs that facilitate global development and human security. He has recently founded the Enterprise for Human Security (EfHS) nonprofit organization that promotes human security for all, especially in Afghanistan where women and youth face numerous challenges to their security and development. Moheb was born in Afghanistan and currently lives in Virginia, US with his family of three beautiful children.
Catherine Marvin completed a Master's in Global Affairs with a specialization in Global Governance and Public Management. Throughout her undergraduate and graduate career at Mason, she completed internships with the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. House of Representatives. Additionally, Catherine served as the Global Affairs representative to the Graduate and Professional Student Association (GAPSA), advocating for the needs of graduate and professional students of George Mason University. Catherine acknowledges and expresses her deep gratitude to Dr. Jennifer Ashley for her exceptional leadership in organizing GLOA's Human Rights seminar in Argentina. She also extends her appreciation to Dr. Byunghwan Ben Son for his invaluable guidance and support throughout her capstone project. Furthermore, Catherine credits Dr. Lisa Breglia for inspiring her research on microfinance, which had a profound impact on her academic journey. Lastly, she acknowledges the unwavering support provided by the GLOA graduate advisors, who played a vital role in her success throughout her graduate career.
Dhrav Parikh is a graduate student in the Global Affairs Program with a concentration in conflict resolution and human security. He has enjoyed his time at GMU and actively participated in DEI initiatives and as an undergraduate advisor for the program; giving him a chance to interact with and guide future GLOA students on their journey. His research has focused on energy security in Western Europe, the impact of mass surveillance on democracies and US-South Asia strategic foreign policy. He would like to thank Dr. Cortney Hughes Rinker, Dr. Jennifer Ashley, and Dr. Patrick Ukata for their support in his academic and professional development. Going forward, Dhrav would like to use his skills honed at GMU towards making a positive impact by furthering involvement, acceptance and normalization of marginalized communities in the democratic process.