Category: Staff

Sue Muraida

SUE MURAIDA

Assistant Director

Sue Muraida is a best-selling author, speaker, and pursuer of abundant life. Over the past 30 years, she has worked as a medical photographer, photojournalist, leadership trainer, writer, and teacher. Sue has published three books, Change For a Penny, The Silent Sound of Darkness, and her memoir Going Back For Me, as well as co-authored the anthology Deserts To Mountaintops: Our Collective Journey To (Re)Claiming Our Voice. She is currently the program director for Humanities North Dakota.

Madison Gaines

Junior Faculty Advisor

Madison Gaines is a Creative Writing major and a Math minor in George Mason University’s Class of 2021. She attended WJMC as a correspondent in 2016, returned to WJMC in 2017 as an Intern, and is looking forward to attending WJMC as a JFA this year! Currently, Madi is a Mason Ambassador, a member of Mason’s Honors College Recruitment Team and the GMU Green Machine, and plays intramural soccer. As an Ambassador and an HCRT member, Madison spends a lot of time interacting with prospective students and giving tours of campus. After college, her goal is to become an author and an editor in a book publishing company, and then use her vast riches to turn an old hotel into a public library. Madi loves puns, mozzarella sticks, and spreadsheets, in that order.

Samantha Shaw

SAMANTHA SHAW

Faculty Advisor, WJMC Alum 2016

Samantha earned her B.A. in English and comparative literature and M.A. in teaching from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was named Student Teacher of the Year in 2022. Now, she teaches English and has started a journalism program at Carrboro High School. In 2023-24 she was recognized as the runner up Beginning Teacher of the Year for the state of North Carolina. Sam loves inviting students’ passions into a project based and equity focused classroom. It’s true: words have the power to change us — whether that’s a potent literary work or the unique power of the press. Her teaching has been inspired by her experiences at WJMC. She is a WJMC 2016 alumna, worked as an intern and a JFA; she’s ecstatic to be back for her third year as an FA! When she’s not in the classroom, Sam is managing social media or editing books for the author Katie Cross, listening to audiobooks, or going on hikes with her fiancé.

Camden Layton

Advance Team Member

Camden Layton is a rising senior at George Mason University studying Public Administration. After first attending the conference in 2016, he then returned as a Conference Intern in 2017, and then again as a Junior Faculty Advisor in 2018. His favorite part about the conference is the friendships he has made and those he has been able to watch form. He is involved in many different things on campus, but when he is free you can normally find him in a Dunkin Donuts with his friends. Camden is super excited to be returning to the program again this summer!

Olivia Vermane

Junior Faculty Advisor

Olivia is beyond excited to return to her third year of WJMC, this time as a JFA! Coming from Long Island, New York, Liv is a Communication major with a concentration in journalism and a minor in religious studies right here at GMU. Aside from her work with the conference, Olivia is also part of the IV Estate student newspaper at GMU, as well as Cru Christian Fellowship on campus. She also works in the Office of Admissions as a Telecounselor and a member of the Welcome Team. Liv was one of five selected interns at last years conference, and her involvement with the program is one of the main reasons she chose to attend Mason. Liv cannot wait to share all that WJMC has to offer with her correspondents!

Ali Dodson, MS, MPP

ALI DODSON

Associate Director, Washington Scholars Program

Ali is the Associate Director of the Washington Scholars Program. She has a B.S in conservation biology from George Mason University, and an M.S. in sustainable development and conservation biology and M.P.P. in environmental policy from University of Maryland. Her master’s research focused on student perception of environmental issues. Before coming to Mason, Ali worked with the Environmental Protection Agency, where she was an ORISE fellow researching coastal wetlands. In her free time, she attempts to grow her own vegetables, hangs out in her back yard with her family, and sings karaoke as often as possible.

Rachel Cleaver, MPA

RACHEL CLEAVER

Senior Associate Director, K-12 Partnerships

Rachel is the Senior Associate Director of K-12 Partnerships in the Office of Admissions where she creates and oversees partnerships to bring students to the George Mason campus. She works with departments and organizations across the campus and the community to talk about college access and success. Prior to coming to George Mason, Rachel led the programmatic efforts at two college access and success programs,, Let’s Get Ready and The Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund. She has experience in curriculum design and program management and in helping under-served high school students achieve their college dreams. She earned B.S. degrees in elementary education and human/organizational development from Vanderbilt University and a M.P.A. from George Mason University. She loves living in Washington, D.C. and looks forward to welcoming students to WJMC this summer!

Elena Johnson, MED

ELENA JOHNSON

Director, Washington Scholars Program

Elena is the Director of the Washington Scholars Program (WSP) which includes the Washington Journalism and Media Conference (WJMC) and the Washington Youth Summit on the Environment (WYSE). As the director, she works to create fulfilling Summit experiences by developing curriculum for the programs, as well as recruiting professional faculty and nationally recognized speakers in the fields of journalism and the media and environmental science. Under her leadership the programs have tripled in size and furthered their reach through key partnerships. Elena also manages college access initatives, events, and recruitment partnerships for the Office of Admissions. Elena earned a B.A. in journalism and mass communication from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and her M.Ed. from George Mason University.