Fuse at Mason Square unlocks opportunities for College of Humanities and Social Sciences research

Eileen Roesler can't help but be giddy about her new digs-and the opportunities that await.

An assistant professor in the Human Factors and Applied Cognition (HFAC) program, Roesler is one of three professors in the Department of Psychologyin George Mason University's College of Humanities and Social Scienceswho recently relocated their office to Fuse at Mason Square.

Joining Roesler will be HFAC assistant professor Elizabeth Phillips, along with clinical psychology assistant professor Natasha Tonge. At Fuse, they'll be able to use state-of-the-art facilities and technology to expand their respective studies and research with units from other colleges. Tonge and Roesler will serve as lab managers for the Human Subjects and Behavior Lab on the second floor at Fuse and Phillips will co-manage the Robotics Lab on the third floor.

With the Institute for Digital Innovation and the College of Engineering and Computing also housing specialized labs at Fuse, Roesler welcomes the cross-disciplinary research opportunities. Much of her excitement is geared toward her students, who will gain experience collaborating with other academic programs along with industry and government leaders.

On the Fairfax Campus, Roesler currently heads the Human-Agent Collaboration (HAC) Lab and collaborates with Phillips in the Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) Lab. Phillips also leads the Autonomous Systems (ALPHAS) Lab while Tonge runs the Trust and Interpersonal Disclosure (TIDL) Lab.

"It is really nice for the people who are at the intersection of technology and humans because we have the perfect surroundings to do research on both," Roesler said. "It is a really diverseoutlet space we can use for different topics. So, we are extremely excited about the research opportunities, but we are even a little more excited about having the chance of meeting industry, government, and faculty in the same space."

Psychology won't be the only CHSS department represented in the new building. Next System Studies, an initiative of the Center for Social Science Researchand the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, will also call Fuse home. The Digital Commonwealth Project (DCP) in Next System Studies fits nicely into the mission of Fuse. The DCP connects leading technologists with local community groups, civic leaders, workers, business associations, and universities in a community-led design process that addresses local priorities while supporting resilient local business ecosystems and increasing community and employee ownership.

Ben Manski, an assistant professor in sociology and the director of Next System Studies, said the ample meeting space and being closer to community partners such as the NOVA Web Development cooperative, the Arlington Education Association, and Latinx community cooperative SECOSOL-among others-will be extremely beneficial.

"We need to be closer to where our people are, and they are all throughout Northern Virginia," Manski said. "The use of the Fuse facilities will be very helpful with our research and action."