College of Public Health

Jones and Inova Health are longtime partners of the college, working together to advance public health systems and strengthen the health care workforce.

The scholarship in honor of Dr. Barry Berkey and his wife, Velma Berkey, will cover an entire year of tuition for an undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Nursing student. This is the first full scholarship endowment at the College of Public Health.

Kerri LaCharite, Amy Preston Page, Rodman Turpin, Melissa Villodas, Sanja Avramovic, K. Pierre Eklou, Ashley Frese, and Terri Ann Guingab have been recognized for going above and beyond in their dedication to uplifting George Mason University’s mission and values.

Thomas Wilson is a second-year PhD student in the College of Public Health at George Mason University, where he specializes in Social and Behavioral Sciences. His academic work is driven by a commitment to understanding and improving the experiences of caregivers, particularly those facing structural and social inequities.

In Fall 2025, Thomas earned first place in the university’s Research Poster Competition, presenting a project that examined how caregiver identity status interacts with adverse mental health outcomes. His research focused on depression and extended periods (14 or more days) of poor mental health, using self-reported data to explore how sexual orientation and gender identity may act as modifying factors.

According to the U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Program rankings, George Mason University placed 20 programs in the national top 50, including seven in the top 10, reflecting broad strength across business, engineering, law, nursing and public health, public policy, education, fine arts, and sciences. Regionally, seven programs ranked in the top three in the Washington, D.C., region, with 13 programs topping at No. 1 in Virginia.

AI and the rise of cognitive overload.

George Mason University develops VR training program to address opioid crisis.

What to know about Glyphosate, the weed killer potentially linked to cancer.

John Cantiello received the Teaching Excellence Award for Healthcare Management and Leadership and Brenda Helen Sheingold received the Quint Studer Gratitude Prize for Teaching Excellence.

Drenkard is a nationally recognized leader who brings deep expertise in academic nursing, clinical practice, health care innovation, and strategic program development.