Corey Schaut

Each year, the George Mason University Alumni Association’s annual Celebration of Distinction recognizes outstanding alumni, faculty members, and students.

Mason Alumni Association’s annual Celebration of Distinction recognizes outstanding alumni, faculty members, and students. This year’s celebration was held October 20 at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner.

Samantha Harrison, who graduated this spring with a bachelor’s degree in community health with a global health concentration, says that discovering the community health degree provided her with a comprehensive way to achieve her ambitions to bring equity to communities through well-being. 

Substance use disorder affects more than 40 million Americans according to the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Recovery can be a difficult path, but an interdisciplinary team led by Holly Matto, associate professor in the Department of Social Work, aims to make it a little easier through a recently patented technology-based therapy. 

For more than 30 years, the George Mason University Alumni Association has honored outstanding alumni, faculty members, and students at their annual Celebration of Distinction. The 2022 awardees include a diverse group of Patriots who exemplify service to others.

In a recent study, George Mason University Associate Professor Hong Xue, PhD and colleagues evaluated the impact of ending market exclusivity for brand-name statin drugs. The first study to comprehensively assess the economic impact of generic competition for statins found that ending market exclusivity for statins saves U.S. $12 billion and individuals nearly $1,000 annually.