I came to Mason in 2003 and have been an academic advisor since 2004. I do research in theoretical astrophysics, focusing on interstellar dust, and teach physics and astronomy courses across the entire curriculum. My favorite course to teach is relativity. My inspiration for astronomy came in elementary school when I saw both the images returned from Voyager 2's encounter with Saturn and Carl Sagan's series "Cosmos." Outside of work, I enjoy nature and science fiction.

Hi! My pronouns are she/they, and I am the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) for the College of Science at George Mason University and has dedicated my career to social justice and advocating for historically disenfranchised populations. As a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), Culturo-Behavioral Scientist, and International Psychologist, I have worked with children and adults diagnosed with [neuro]developmental delays for over 20 years, which included 10 years of providing consultative services to families, professionals, and organizations in low- and middle-income countries (LAMICs).

I am an associate Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Science, George Mason University. My areas of research includes: transport and dispersion of pollutants in urban settings; turbulence modeling: large eddy simulations and very large eddy simulations; modeling of time dependent inflow boundary conditions for large eddy simulations; study of flow patterns on ship decks for landing of helicopters and unmanned vehicles; CAD and computational geometry: development of algorithms to automatize the geometry extraction of buildings and complex terrain; HPC; parallel algorithms; and subway climatology. Over 35 publications on peer review journals and 40 conference presentations.

I am a theoretical physicist working in the area of quantum condensed matter physics. I am drawn to the rich world of emergence, pattern, entanglement and mysteries of many quantum particles interacting strongly with each other. In solving problems, I do not shy away from abstract math and do not hesitate to elicit help from computers or students and postdocs who are younger and smarter than me. Outside work, I’d like to use my hands as often as possible to build or fix things.

Within Spectrum, I hope I can be a listener who help advocate students voices. I can also offer my perspective, for example, as someone grew up in a very different culture.

Hi! My name is Patrick Vora, my pronouns are he/him, and I am an experimental physicist working on quantum materials using optical spectroscopy. Originally from Northern Virginia, I left to study physics at William and Mary. Afterwards, I moved to Philadelphia to pursue graduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania. There I earned with my PhD in condensed matter physics, after which I became a NRC postdoctoral fellow at the Naval Research Laboratory. I joined George Mason University in 2014 where my students and I built a experimental physics laboratory that uses Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy to explore the properties of 2D quantum materials and their heterostructures. When not teaching and researching I enjoy spending time outdoors with my wife and daughter.

Hi! My name is Brooke Vaughn (she/her), and I am the Student Services Specialist for the GMU Department of Physics and Astronomy. Feel free to come to me with any questions regarding courses and degree requirements! I am also a professional career strategist and resume writer, and a graphic and web designer. I contribute to Spectrum with event planning and graphic design, and I provide support and guidance on all of their initiatives. I am passionate about cultivating a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment and am a catalyst for change. I received my BA in Psychology and English from DePaul University. In my free time, I enjoy playing Fortnite with my kids and binge-watching Marvel and DC shows. I foster an open-door policy (even virtually) and am looking forward to getting to know you during your time at GMU!