Ryan Valdez, Ph.D.
Ryan Valdez serves as Director for Conservation Science & Policy for National Parks Conservation Association. He facilitates the application of multidisciplinary science focused on air/climate, energy, landscapes, water and wildlife toward conservation strategies helping to protect US national parks.
Ryan previously worked for Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute for over 10 years in the field, classroom, laboratory and museum settings. He has managed ecological programs throughout the Americas and East Africa and holds a strong interest in applied GIS. He frequently uses on-line interactive maps to share the story of protecting national parks.
Ryan founded the George Mason University Kenya Wildlife Study Abroad program in 2010, which has been a life-changing experience for numerous university students pursuing degrees in conservation biology. As a STEM career and academic mentor, Ryan has helped many students develop strategies toward employment opportunities and graduate level education.
Ryan holds degrees in conservation science from three universities: Texas A&M University (B.S.), Yale University (MFS) and George Mason University (Ph.D.).
Kenneth D. Reid, CAE
Kenneth D. Reid, CAE, retired as Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Water Resources Association, a scientific, educational association for men and women involved in water resources research, planning and management. He served in this capacity since 1981. He was a member of the American Society of Association Executives‘ (ASAE) first class of Future Leaders and is a Fellow Member of ASAE. He has been active on numerous committees and is a former member of the ASAE Board of Directors. In 2000, Reid was selected as the recipient of the Key Award, the highest recognition given to an association executive by the American Society of Association Executives. He was a member of the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives (GWSAE) and served on the Board of Directors of the GWSAE Foundation. He is a member of the Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives. He served as a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers Institute Organizational Planning Committee. Reid is Past Chair of the Northeast Board of Regents of the Institute for Organizational Management and is Past Chair of the National Institute for Organizational Management Board of Trustees. He also served as the first elected United States Association Member of the Board of Governors of the World Water Council, an organization, based in Marseilles, France, representing nearly 300 water related groups worldwide. Reid is a member of the International Water Academy.
He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from George Mason University and a Master of Science degree in Environmental Studies from Southern Illinois University and was selected as the George Mason University’s College of Science Distinguished Alumni Award recipient in 2016. He is Past President of the George Mason University Alumni Association and currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the George Mason University Foundation Board of Trustees.
Mark D. Monson
Mark is retired from Virginia state government after nearly 40 years of service to the citizens of the Commonwealth. He served a number of state agencies where his responsibilities included all manner of administrative, finance, and support services, ranging from budgeting and accounting to strategic planning and disaster recovery to procurement and contracting to HR and IT to fleet and physical plant management. Mark retired from the Department of Health Professions where he served as Deputy Director for administration, finance and support services. Mark currently serves as a citizen member of the Virginia Board of Nursing, first appointed by Governor Terry McAuliffe and reappointed by Governor Ralph Northam. In addition to being a recipient of the Distinguished Alumni award from the College of Science, Mark was a named a recipient of the Patrick Henry Award for distinguished service by Governor James Gilmore.
Mark received his BS in Biology from George Mason University in 1974, an MSA with a concentration in Public Administration from The George Washington University in 1977, and a certificate in Information Systems from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1990. Mark is also a graduate of the Commonwealth Management Institute, the Virginia Collaborative Leaders Program, and the Virginia Executive Institute. He can be seen on campus several days a week where he is taking classes for fun.
Living in Fairfax, Mark is a very active member of Pender United Methodist Church. He is widowed and has two children and two grandchildren.
Joseph V. Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA, FACS
Dr. Sakran is an assistant professor of surgery, director of emergency general surgery, and associate Chief of the Division of Acute Care Surgery at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. As a former victim of gun violence, Joe spends a significant portion of his time as a clinician, researcher, and advocate with a primary goal of reducing firearm death and disability in America. To this end, he recently founded the organization @ThisIsOurLane, a platform to help unite healthcare providers and deliver one strong voice in ending gun violence. Dr. Sakran completed a one-year educational sabbatical at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government where he developed a unique skill set within public policy, economics, and leadership development. In 2017, Joe was selected by Becker’s Hospital Review as one of Healthcare’s Leaders under 40. He is a sought after national and international speaker, and holds numerous national roles in surgical organizations. Beyond medicine, Joe serves as a Board Director for the Brady Campaign and recently was selected to join the Presidential Leadership Scholars program.
Jolanda N. Janczewski, MPH, Ph.D.
Dr. Janczewski is Chairman of the Board of Consolidated Safety Services-Dynamac Corporation (CSS), a $50M company providing environmental, health and life science services to both public and private sectors. A career-long safety professional, she holds a Master of Public Health in Biohazard Sciences from UNC Chapel Hill and a PhD in Environmental Biology & Public Policy from George Mason University. She has a BS in Biology for Mary Washington College and is one of a few people in the U.S. who hold an advanced degree in biosafety. She and her company CSS have played key roles in times of national environmental disasters, including anthrax decontamination of federal buildings, and deploying scientists and other specialists to assess the Gulf Oil Spill for the EPA and NOAA. In 2002, she and her company received the U.S. State Department Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year award for their extraordinary efforts in anthrax removal and restoration of the worldwide mail facility located near Dulles Airport.
Dr. Janczewski continues to be a recognized expert in her field providing testimony in front of federal regulatory hearings and serving as a federal expert witness for the US Department of Justice. She is also an international speaker and has appeared on National and International news and public services broadcast networks.
In 2012, she was an Influential Women of Virginia honoree and also recognized as a Smart CEO Magazine Washington Woman awardee. She also received the 2014 George Mason University Distinguished Alumni Award from the College of Science. In addition, she appeared as the cover feature of Smart CEO Magazine, Woman of the Year in July, 2014.
Zobair M Younossi, MD MPH FACG FACP AGAF FAASLD
Professor and Chair, Department of Medicine, Inova Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, Virginia, USA
Dr. Younossi earned his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (Alpha Omega Alpha 1989) in Rochester, NY, USA. He completed his residency in internal medicine with a fellowship in gastroenterology and hepatology at Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation in La Jolla, California, USA, while earning his master of public health degree from San Diego State University School of Public Health, San Diego, California, USA. He served as Staff Hepatologist and Senior Researcher at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA, before establishing the Canter for Liver Diseases at Inova Fairfax Hospital, which is now renowned for research related to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and outcomes research in liver disease. He served as Vice President of Research for Inova Health System and currently serves as the President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Chronic Liver Disease Foundation and Member and Vice Chairman of the Board of Inova Health System Foundation.
Dr. Younossi pioneered research in NAFLD and has been a leader in the field of patient-reported outcomes (PROs), economic assessment and other areas of outcomes research in liver disease. He leads a number of international efforts related to NAFLD and PROs in liver disease though global collaborations, including the Chair of Global NASH Council and the Global Liver Registry. I addition to research and administrative duties, Dr. Younossi has been actively involved in teaching students, residents and fellows. He has also served as Chair, Director or faculty of a number international scientific and CME related courses.
Dr. Younossi specializes in hepatology and gastroenterology and has authored over 500 articles, 3 books, 6 journal supplements, over 25 book chapters, over 780 abstracts at the international scientific meetings and over 415 faculty lectures. His academic productivity has led to an H-index of 80. Dr. Younossi also serves as the co-editor of Liver International, and on the editorial board of a number of important medical journals.
