Accolades

“This is an excellent and important book that makes a significant contribution to the studies of migration, refugees, resettlement, and the creativity of people facing forced migration.” • Amy Shuman, The Ohio State University “This is a rare and vital contribution to the field —one that bridges scholarship, creative nonfiction, and advocacy. I am so impressed, inspired, and deeply supportive of this work. It is a much-needed addition to the growing literature on art, trauma, and forced migration.” • Fadi Skeiker, Fordham University “Thank you for the care you put into the book and for including my story alongside those of so many remarkable young people working hard to create positive change in their own lives, their families, and the communities they live in and come from.” • Gabriel Ndayishimiye

Folklore faculty and director of the Institute for Immigration Research, Lisa Gilman has been selected as a recipient of Fulbright U.S. Scholar Awards for 2026-2027.

Dr. Matt Malzkuhn is an alum of the Cultural Studies Program at George Mason University, and his dissertation research on deaf home video filmmaking has turned into a book that has been picked up by Oxford University Press. Dr. Malzkuhn’s book, co-authored with Dr. Ted Supalla, Home Movies Hardly Silent: Unlocking Our Deaf Folklife Films represents a much needed documentation on the folklore and folklife of the deaf community. Dr. Malzkuhn was gracious enough to take the time to answer some questions about his upcoming book and how his experiences at George Mason ultimately led him to publish a book on Deaf Folklore. 

This award recognizes a member of the English department staff for exceptional performance in their position while honoring the 25+ years of dedication Barb has put into the department.

This book not only celebrates these two amazing women but gives voice to their artistic narrative of the injustices and sacrifices, as well as accomplishments, made by so many in their pursuit of freedom. By exploring the artists' visual narrative of Black emancipation through the lens of nineteenth-century political, racial, and gendered influences, the book tells a story, rather than just a history, of the first fifty years of Black freedom.

Members of the Mason Folklore Community travelled to Ottawa, Canada this past July to participate in the 39th annual Perspectives on Contemporary Legend Conference, hosted by The International Society for Contemporary Legend Research (ISCLR).

The committee agreed to award graduate student Sarah Holland for their paper and also recognized fellow graduate student Amanda Ellard’s paper “Cases of Taoist Folkloresque in Popular Chinese Digital Media” with an honorable mention.

Don't miss the CHSS Community and Catalysts event on Thursday, November 18 at 7 p.m. Distinguished alumni, faculty, staff, and students will be recognized for their leadership, research, service, and contributions.

English Professor Eric Anderson was selected for the 2014 Teaching Excellence Award, with special recognition in General Education.