Tony Skinn

Around Mason: Summer Camps Takeover

Sarah Holland — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 13:43:20 +0000

Around Mason: Summer Camps Takeover Sarah Holland Wed, 08/09/2023 - 09:43

Summer goes by fast—whether you’re a kid, or a kid at heart. The K-12 students who attended camps and youth programs at Mason this year filled those fleeting summer days with memories. With many camp options—including music, arts, recreation, sports, science, and space, just to name a few—these kids got to experience life in the Mason Nation at an early age. And we couldn’t be happier to host them. Here are some snapshots from their summer to remember.

CONS 100: Introduction to Field Conservation, Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation

Photo by Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation

The Introduction to Field Conservation Ecology program at the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation (SMSC) offers high schoolers hands-on experience in research field methods, with an emphasis on developing observational skills. Participants also earn college credit.

Many decades ago, the land that now makes up the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute functioned as a U.S. Army remount—a space used to provide exercise to horses. Racetrack Hill now serves as the site for many SMSC field activities, as well as recreation. During the first night of the program, high school students got to take in fantastic views, knowing that they would be returning many times in the coming days for hands-on conservation activities. See more photos.

Interstellar Dreams Space Center, College of Science

Photo provided

At the Interstellar Dreams Space Center at Mason's Fairfax Campus, middle schoolers took on roles as "mission specialists" to plan a lunar space station. The mission specialists made their own websites, learned to program a micro-controller to control electronics hardware and blink morse code with a light, learned about space, physics, astronomy, and more.

Campers also checked out various telescopes at the Mason Observatory—including the second largest on-campus optical telescope on the East Coast. The week culminated with a "press conference" attended by VIPs and families, where campers presented their lunar space station design.

Conflict Resolution Youth Summit, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

Photo by Ayman Rashid/Office of University Branding

The Conflict Resolution Youth Summit, hosted by the Carter School, explores some of today's toughest problems through the lens of peace and conflict resolution. Through simulations, workshops and facilitated discussions, high schoolers delved into important conflicts and practiced the processes of promoting peace. Participants came away with new knowledge about global conflicts, social justice, peacebuilding, and collaborative leadership.

Mason Summer Band Camp, Mason Community Arts Academy

Photo provided

This summer, Mason Community Arts Academy (MCAA) kicked off the first-ever Mason Summer Band Camp. More than 100 students participated in the program led by faculty from the Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music and the Green Machine.

Gold Star Volleyball Camp

Photo provided

George Mason Women’s Volleyball Head Coach Megan Shifflett Bachmann and other Mason volleyball staff hosted Gold Star Volleyball Camp on the Fairfax Campus. The camp emphasized the development of players of all levels to become more skilled and competitive athletes.

WGMU Podcasting and Radio Camp, WGMU

Photo provided

WGMU’S Summer Podcast and Radio Camp provided campers with training in a professional radio environment. Students had a chance to produce podcasts and be deejays, playing music over the WGMU radio station. Campers also learned from broadcast professionals how to write, edit, and produce podcasts, live DJ shows, commercials, promos, and public service announcements.

Tony Skinn Basketball Camps

Photo provided

Mason Men’s Basketball Head Coach Tony Skinn hosted two weeks of basketball camps at the Fairfax Campus. Boys and girls ages 7–14 learned about the game from Skinn, who was a two-time all-conference guard with the Patriots from 2003-06 and competed in the Final Four with the Patriots in the 2006 NCAA Tournament.

Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program, College of Science

Photo by ASSIP Intern Team

The nationally known Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) provides transformative research opportunities for high school and undergraduate students. Selected participants work one-on-one with faculty researchers at ��AV and collaborating institutions using state-of-the-art technology across many disciplines. This summer’s ASSIP program welcomed a record 266 students, including 195 who participated in person. The program is open to high school students and Mason undergraduates.

Washington Journalism and Media Conference

Photo by Rafael Suanes/Washington Journalism and Media Conference

The Washington Journalism and Media Conference (WJMC) is an interactive, youth leadership program hosted on Fairfax Campus that provides highly engaged, high-performing high school students with a unique experience exploring careers in the areas of journalism, media, and related fields. Students experience an integrated and forward-thinking approach to journalism and media while acquiring valuable “in-the-trenches” knowledge through hands-on learning with industry leaders, award-winning journalists, international media outlets, and Washington insiders.

Learn more about Summer Camps at Mason

Topics

Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

Mason Community Arts Academy

WGMU

Washington Journalism and Media Conference

Faculty and Staff News

Around Mason (E-Files)

Mason formally welcomes new men’s basketball coach Tony Skinn

Colleen Rich — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 20:31:40 +0000

Mason formally welcomes new men’s basketball coach Tony Skinn Colleen Rich Mon, 04/10/2023 - 16:31

The storied past of the ��AV men’s basketball program and its promising future came together with the formal introduction of Tony Skinn as the Patriots’ next head coach.

The former standout point guard played a key role on the Patriots’ magical ride to the 2006 Final Four, and that mythical pedigree served as the unofficial backdrop as Skinn was formally welcomed as the school’s 12th head coach during Monday’s introductory event at EagleBank Arena.

Tony Skinn, now coach of the Mason Patriots' mens basketball team, during the exhilarating 2006 championship season.

“Who better?” asked Mason President Gregory Washington. “Who better than an all-conference basketball player? Who better than an Olympian? Who better than someone who has come up the ranks as an assistant coach at some of the finest basketball programs in our country? Who better than somebody who bleeds green and gold and was responsible for that [2006 Final Four] banner?”

Skinn, who succeeds Kim English, said it was a “dream come true” to come back to the place where he helped Mason permanently etch its name into college basketball lore and made lasting friendships among teammates and classmates that remain strong even today. Skinn and his wife, Weyni, met at Mason and are now parents to three children.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling right now,” he said of coming home to his alma mater. “The times that I had at George Mason were among the best moments of my life. So it’s really incredible to see it come full circle. It’s truly remarkable and words can’t really describe it.”

Interim Athletic Director Nena Rogers and University President Gregory Washington stand with new men's basketball coach Tony Skinn at the April 11th welcome event.
Photo credit: Mason Athletics

A first-time head coach, Skinn promised to play fast and spoke of the four pillars of attitude, commitment, class and family upon which he intended to build his program. He listed recruiting the talent-rich Washington, D.C., area, competing for Atlantic 10 Conference championships, winning NCAA Tournament games and successfully mentoring young men as his primary objectives.

“Winning is not easy,” he said, “but the formula to winning is clear.”

Five members of that Mason 2006 team were among the 200 or so people on hand to proudly welcome back one of their own.

“He’s likeable and connects with guys,” said Lamar Butler, a member of the 2006 team who will serve as a member of Skinn’s basketball staff. “Tony was always like that. He always brought out the best in you as a competitor. It’s just that he’s doing it now as a coach.”

A Hyattsville, Maryland, native with deep ties to the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, Skinn spent a combined eight years in assistant coach roles at Ohio State, Seton Hall and Louisiana Tech.

Most recently, he served on Kevin Willard’s staff at Maryland, helping the Terps to a 22-13 record this past season that included a first-round NCAA Tournament win over West Virginia.

Skinn’s former college coach, current University of Miami coach Jim Larrañaga, predicted that his former floor general will “lead the George Mason Patriots to new heights.”

“He’s a tremendous young man, a tremendous coach,” Larrañaga said in a video tribute, “and he’s going to be a great head coach.”

A two-time All-CAA selection with Mason from 2003-2006, Skinn totaled nearly 1,100 points while starting 68 games in his George Mason basketball career. During the memorable 2006 Tournament run, he averaged 11.3 points per game while shooting 35 percent from bonus range to lead the underdog and 11th-seeded Patriots past college basketball bluebloods North Carolina, Michigan State, and Connecticut and into the Final Four.

Skinn played professionally in Europe for a number of years following graduation, and took part in the 2012 London Olympics as a member of the Nigerian National Team.

“We have all the pieces in place to make the month of March exciting again,” Mason interim athletics director Nena Rogers said.

Skinn was already anticipating meeting with all of his players following the day’s public events and sounded very much like a guy who couldn’t wait to get started.

“I haven’t been this excited to take on something since I was a basketball player,” he said.