Our Mentors
Mohamed El Gazzah
Hi everyone, my name is Mohamed El Gazzah, a student studying Physics and Mathematics in my junior year. I am very excited to be a part of the Spectrum mentor team as helping those in need is my key goal. I had become passionate about Physics around the age of 14, which is why I chose to continue studying purely Physics at university. Throughout my first 2 years, I had some doubts about how I would continue my studies, but through the confusion I arrived at clearer goals and a greater appreciation for Physics. I hope to be able to share my passion of physics with those who may be considering or interested in physics. My current research is in the synthesis and study of magnetic topological materials. Like I previously said, I am very excited to be a part of Spectrum to help as many students as possible.
Taylor Ellingsen
Hey! My name is Taylor Ellingsen, my pronouns are he/him. I am a Physics graduate, and I research exoplanet discovery. I spent two years at NOVA Community College before transferring to GMU. I love to play video games, watch anime, draw, and play Dungeons and Dragons. I am excited to share my experience with everyone!
Will Barnett
Hey! My name is Will Barnett, my pronouns are he/him/his, and I am a GMU alumni. It took me two years and 5 different majors for me to finally settle on physics, but here I am and I wouldn’t change a thing about where I am or the path I took to get here! In my free time I would love to go outside more, but usually I find myself watching movies, tv shows, and playing video games. I love helping others and getting to know new people, so naturally I very much look forward to meeting you!
Raina Elliott
Hey! My name is Raina, my pronouns are she/her, and I’m a senior, as well as Spectrum leadership! As an Army brat, I’ve lived in 9 different states and Italy, but my family is located in Pennsylvania. I started as an Aerospace Engineering student at Penn State University before transferring to Mason. Now, I study astrophysics part-time and work as a Satellite Systems Engineer for Mission Operations at Northrop Grumman. The first satellite launch I was ever a part of was the NASA Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite 2 (ICESat-2) in 2018, and my most recent project was the launch of the Mission Extension Vehicle 2 (MEV2) on August 15th. When I’m not juggling work and school, you can find me travelling, hiking, reading, listening to music, or spending time with family. I’m soooo looking forward to meeting you all and figuring out how to navigate and improve the constantly evolving STEM community together!
Undergrad and Alumni Mentors
Brandan Iversen
Hey, my name is Brandan Iversen (He/Him) and I'm a George Mason University graduate student. I am majoring in astrophysics. My goal is to do research in neutron stars and strange matter. In my free time I prefer to draw, play video games and bake. Under normal circumstances, I'm in the physics lounge arguing how to properly write variables. Now I have to do it in discord ;-;. I also love Doctor Who and monster movies. Hopefully, we can geek out and get to know everyone!
Blake Vogel
Hello, my name is Blake Vogel (he/him). I am a first year graduate student at George Mason University. I am majoring in physics with a focus on astrophysics. I’ve been researching at Mason working on a variety of topics such as the radio infrared correlation in dwarf galaxies, simulating the motion of charged particles in a dipole approximation of earth’s magnetic field, and just recently studying the mergers of AGN’s. For my hobbies I like to play video games, bake (especially fresh bread), and occasionally rollerblade. I have learned a lot from other mason students and would love to be able to return the favor to fellow students!
Refati Abulizi
Hi! My name is Refati Abulizi, and my pronouns are he/him. I am currently a first year graduate student at George Mason University. My experience in both Physics and Chemistry led me to the research field of inorganic solid-state chemistry: synthesis and characterization of functional solid-state materials from intermetallics to oxides. In other words, it is using Chemistry to explain the physical properties. I always found Physics fascinating; especially, the quantum field makes me wonder about the infinite possibility of Physics. In my free time, I usually play video games or read some books. Also, I play sports. I can't wait to get to know everyone and explore more about the field of Physics and GMU in general.
Natasha Latouf
Hello! My name is Natasha, my pronouns are she/her, I am a first-year graduate student and NSF Fellow at George Mason University, and a co-founder of Spectrum! I’ve been a Physics major since entering the school, and I primarily work on simulating exoplanets. As a Syrian woman in STEM, my experiences led me to co-founding Spectrum, and I want to help others with similar experiences! Usually you can find me studying in the physics lounge or goofing off in the Johnson Center Library. In my spare time, I love to read, listen to music, and binge historical Docu-Series on Netflix. I can’t wait to get to know you, and hopefully make your experience as a physicist a little bit easier, a little bit less frightening, and a little bit more fun!
Kevin Collins
Hi everyone! I’m Kevin (he/him), and I’m a third year PhD student at GMU. I received my BA in Physics from Vanderbilt University. For my graduate research, I use the GMU campus observatory in collaboration with the NASA TESS mission to discover and characterize exoplanets. In my free time I enjoy playing Dungeons & Dragons and bothering my two cats, Hubble and Cosmo. I look forward to meeting you and learning from each other!
Emma Schwartzman
Hi everyone! My name is Emma Schwartzman (she/her), and I’m a 2nd year graduate student in Astrophysics at GMU. I spend most of my time at the U.S. Naval Research Lab, where I work in the area of radio astrophysics, studying galaxies, galaxy cluster mergers, and AGN. Outside of work and school, I am a competitive ballroom dancer, and I play the piano. I also like to read, try cool new restaurants, and relax with my hedgehog (Spike). I look forward to meeting you!