Learn more about Wai Ling Fong’s experiences by watching the full interview here.
Wai Ling Fong graduated this year with a PhD from the Higher Education Program in the College of Education and Human Development at George Mason University.
During her time at Mason, Wai Ling conducted research on the long-term influence of an online faculty development program that was created during the COVID-19 pandemic. By conducting a case study to compare data from 2021 and 2024, Wai Ling gained a better understanding of how online training shapes teaching practices as well as the greater need for wellness programs within higher education.
In addition to her research, Wai Ling also made the most of her time as a graduate student at George Mason. She was an active participant in Communication Academy and the Communications Clinic at the Writing Center, going on to create a writing circle to assist with moving through her dissertation process.
In 2024, Wai Ling also earned Second Place in the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. Reflecting on her experience with 3MT® Wai Ling explained:
It was a really enriching experience because I not only learned about public speaking, but I also learned how to condense my research into a palatable format that is applicable to the general audience and also integrate elements like storytelling and speaking to the audience. To me, this was one of the most enriching experiences I have had.
In 2025, Wai Ling also received the Mary Zamon Doctoral Student of the Year award from her program. She was also the PhD graduate speaker for the Spring 2025 International Student Graduation Celebration. She shared her experience of beginning graduate school and provided advice to aspiring doctoral students:
I would say go in with a beginner's mindset. I came to Mason as an adult learner with multiple years of professional experiences, and I thought that graduate school would be a breeze, but turns out it's different. It's never a checklist. It's not about just following your program of study but about taking the time to consider what are the experiences that you want to walk away when you are done with the time that you are going to invest. So, I would say go out, find the resources that you want, to get involved with communities and just take advantage of all the resources that are available.
After graduation, Wai Ling looks forward to using her research and experience in program design to develop wellness and well-being programming for students in higher education, as well as continuing to work in student affairs.