Meet the Graduate Division Team

As the Graduate Professional and Career Development Program Coordinator in the Graduate Division, Dr. Alyssa Bivins (she/her/hers) focuses on supporting the implementation and expansion of professional training opportunities for George Mason’s graduate student population. Dr. Bivins joins George Mason with over ten years of diverse experiences in educational programming, curriculum development, and teaching in the U.S. and abroad.  

In the Associate Director role here at Mason, Dr. Bluth (she/her/hers) provides direction for the expansion and development of graduate student training alongside Graduate Student Life and University Career Services offices spanning the University. Dr. Bluth comes to Mason with over 13 years’ experience in graduate student services, curriculum development, and mentoring and career programming. She joined Mason after serving as the Director of Graduate Student Success at Sam Houston State University in Texas.

Dr. Laurence Bray is the senior associate provost for Graduate Education and leader of the Graduate Division at George Mason University.

Sora has recently joined the Graduate Division team at George Mason University. As a Graduate Program Assistant, she assists the team by working on the Graduate Teaching Academy and Communication Academy. Sora received her B.S. in Psychology from George Mason University in 2012 and is excited to be back as staff supporting the Graduate Division.

Joe joined the Mason community as a part-time temp in February, 2018. He was assigned to the Accreditation and External Reporting Office (AERO) to assist with preparation of a self-study accreditation report for all Mason student licensing programs. After that he briefly worked in Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) to assist with externship and internship program tracking and databases. In July, 2019, Joe was assigned another part-time role for Office of Graduate Education, in the Office of the Provost. Since then, he has provided support and experience for the team in many roles. In March, 2021, Joe's role became permanent part-time staff. Prior experience in the academic world includes 12 years at the University of California, San Francisco, a leading university dedicated exclusively to the health sciences. During those years, Joe progressed in administrative roles within the Department of Psychiatry, the School of Medicine, and the Dean's Office of the School of Pharmacy. In 2015, Joe retired. He and his wife left California to return to the east coast, settling in the Northern Virginia.

Makayla Johnson serve in the Graduate Division at GMU, where she manage events and social media to connect graduate students with the resources, information, and opportunities they need to thrive during their studies and beyond.

Nicole joined the Graduate Division in the Office of the Provost in 2023 and assists with the internal graduate student support in finances, including fellowships, grants, scholarships, awards, and other forms of student support.

As a doctoral student in Cultural Studies, Amirhossein’s research interests look at continental philosophy, aesthetics of politics and culture industry, phenomenology and embodiment, aesthetics and critical theory, materiality and praxis of contemporary design and avant-garde fashion. In the Office of the Provost for Graduate Education, he is a graduate assistant working on communications and marketing.

Gabriel Anel Moreno was born and raised in Panama City, Panama, I have managed to transform the challenges of humble beginnings into a story of resilience, commitment, and adaptability. Gabriel is working on his MS in Management and a graduate professional assistant in the Graduate Division working on communication and event initiatives.

Megan joined the Graduate Division at the end of 2023. As the Graduate Academic Affairs Coordinator, she assists with graduate policy development and implementation, as well as the academic appeal and policy exceptions process.  Megan has worked in various departments at GMU since 2014, including Financial Aid, Office of International Programs and Services, and Registrar. She has experience in compliance, student records, immigration, and academic advising. She holds a BA in Social Sciences from Hiram University and a MEd in Higher Education and Graduate Certificate in Conflict Resolution from Abilene Christian University.  She has a passion for higher education and student success, stemming from her own diverse educational and cultural background. Megan is a Third Culture Kid (TCK) who grew up in Bahrain and the Portuguese Azores, where she learned to appreciate different perspectives and values. In her spare time, Megan enjoys watching K-dramas, creating blackout poetry, singing all the Disney songs with her two daughters, and traveling with her family.