Melanie Balog

From a branch campus to a global powerhouse: Mason celebrates 50 years

Colleen Rich — Thu, 07 Apr 2022 19:26:38 +0000

From a branch campus to a global powerhouse: Mason celebrates 50 years Colleen Rich Thu, 04/07/2022 - 15:26

In This Story

President Gregory Washington addressed an audience in the Johnson Center atrium for the university's 50th anniversary celebration. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

��AV celebrated its 50th birthday Thursday, April 7, with a green and gold tribute to its accomplishments and a look ahead to the next 50 years.

Hundreds of people attended the celebration in the Johnson Center on the Fairfax Campus to remember the university’s humble beginnings in the elementary school at Bailey’s Crossroads and marvel at its current status as the most inclusive, most diverse and innovative public university in Virginia.

With the photo of her late father, Gov. A. Linwood Holton Jr., signing the bill separating George Mason College from the University of Virginia as a backdrop, Anne Holton, former Virginia Secretary of Education, faculty member and former Mason interim president, spoke about the importance of Mason in the region and the commonwealth.

Mason alumni Lamar Butler Jr. and Folarin Campbell reminisced about the men's basketball team's Cinderella run to the Final Four in 2006 and shared what Mason has meant to them. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

“It is a source of real pride for me that my family has played a meaningful role in the rise of this university,” Holton said. “My father recognized the educational and economic impact that a major institution of higher education could have in the Northern Virginia community and on the entire commonwealth.”

Jimmy Hazel reflected on the contributions of his late father, John ‘Til’ Hazel, to building the university, including acquiring more than 400 acres for the Fairfax Campus and helping to broker the deal to acquire the law school. The elder Hazel passed away just a few weeks ago.

“I know there was only one ‘Til’ Hazel, but I see so many people with the same brand of tireless commitment and Patriot commitment that he displayed. ... I find it reassuring that this place is in good hands for decades to come.”

Comparing Mason’s relative youth to the age of our more established regional peers, Hazel said: “At Mason we are writing our own success story, not just reciting someone else’s.”

Mason professor Michael "Doc Nix" Nickens led the audience in a rendition of the Mason Fight Song at the close of the celebration program. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

Mason President Gregory Washington highlighted the Hazel family along with other Mason supporters such as Gov. Holton, Sid Dewberry, John Toups, Earle Williams, Milt Peterson and Dwight Schar. Their work to create Fairfax as a destination for learning, commerce and government was chronicled by Pulitzer-prize-nominated author Russ Banham, who spoke Thursday afternoon as part of the 50^th anniversary celebration.

President Washington also announced a transformational gift from Barry Dewberry and his wife, Arlene Evans, for the Center for the Arts. Dewberry is the son of longtime Mason supporter Sid Dewberry.

“There is one thing that 50 years has not changed, and that is the love and devotion our original supporters and their families have for Mason,” Washington said. "They have given, and given, and given to help build this place."

Also speaking at the event were Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Rogstad Guidera, Mason Board of Vice President of Advancement and Alumni Relations and President of the ��AV Foundation Trishana Bowden, student body President Natalia Kanos, and president of the Graduate and Professional Student Association Steven Zhou.

Members of the Mason Alumni Association came to campus to join in the 50th celebration. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

The crowd also heard from special guests Lamar Butler Jr., BA Communication ’06, and Folarin Campbell, BA Communication ’08, from the 2006 Final Four men’s basketball team. Campbell has returned to Mason as the assistant director of the Patriot Club.

Sumeet Shrivastava, MBA ’94, and president of the Alumni Association, shared that he was able to enroll at Mason for a graduate degree program even though he not finished his bachelor’s degree several years prior.

“They listened and they understood that I was more than the undergraduate degree I did not have and took a chance on me. That's what Mason does,” Shrivastava said. “Mason opens doors, Mason says yes when others say no.”

The event Thursday capped a week of activities including the dedication of the Enslaved People of George Mason Memorial and the groundbreaking for Fuse at Mason Square. Thursday also marked Mason Vision Day, the university’s annual giving day. This year, fundraising efforts were focused on the Green Machine ensembles. The day also saw the unofficial launch of the university’s new brand campaign and slogan, All Together Different.

Washington closed by looking to the future and talking about the world Mason students will enter after graduation.

“It is getting more diverse, more technology driven, more crowded, and more affected by climate conditions. Our job is to keep pace with that change,” he said. “That tireless drive to repair the world of today, and build the world of tomorrow, is truly what unites us all. And we know the world is going change. Because together—we will be the ones who change it.”

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Mason recognized as one of 10 universities bucking the downward trend of Black student enrollment

Colleen Rich — Wed, 14 Apr 2021 16:20:18 +0000

Mason recognized as one of 10 universities bucking the downward trend of Black student enrollment Colleen Rich Wed, 04/14/2021 - 12:20

Students at Mason's 2019 Spring Commencement. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

��AV was highlighted as a national leader in Black student enrollment and graduation in a recent report from Eduventures Research.

The report, “Transcending the Current Higher Education Journey for Black Students: Colleges that Buck the Trend,” notes that from 2010 to 2019, overall undergraduate enrollment dropped 9%, but enrollment of Black undergraduates declined by 20%.

In comparison, Mason’s Black first-time undergraduate enrollment increased 73% during this period, placing Mason fourth nationally behind Towson University, SUNY-Cortland and SUNY-Albany.

Eduventures, a research and advisory firm focused exclusively on higher education, is part of the America College Test/National Research Center for College and University Admissions (ACT/NRCCUA).

The report classifies 50 schools as leaders among 191 non-Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with Black graduation rates equal to or above the national average. Ten are singled out by name for exceeding some or all of these four metrics when it comes to Black students: sustained growth in enrollment, steady gains in graduation rate, a graduation rate above the institutional average over the period, and/or a first-time undergraduate ratio above the national average.

The authors note that none of the top 10 met all four of these goals, but add that “all 10 schools show strong [quantitative] evidence of serving Black undergraduates much more assiduously than average.”

As the report notes, in 2019, the six-year graduation rate for all first-time, full-time undergraduates was 60%; for Black students, it was 40%. At Mason the Black graduation rate trend from 2011 to 2019 was 61 to 74%.

Mason’s Black graduation rate matched or surpassed the institutional average for seven years during the 2011 to 2019 survey period, behind the University of South Florida and SUNY-Stony Brook and tying with SUNY-Albany and Washington University in St. Louis.

The authors noted that although the 10 highlighted schools may not be role models in a traditional or narrow view, “they are role models in that each has managed something very few other schools, of any type, have achieved: to graduate traditional-aged Black undergraduates at a rate far above the national average and close this population’s graduation gap that is the norm at most peers.”

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Mason proposes no tuition increase for undergraduate students for 2021-22 academic year

Melanie Balog — Thu, 01 Apr 2021 20:33:39 +0000

Mason proposes no tuition increase for undergraduate students for 2021-22 academic year Melanie Balog Thu, 04/01/2021 - 16:33

In recognition of the continuing financial difficulties facing students and families, ��AV will not increase undergraduate tuition for the upcoming academic year, according to the proposed budget outlined at Thursday’s Board of Visitors meeting.

A $441 across-the-board increase in graduate tuition is proposed. This represents a 2% increase for in-state law students and a 1% increase for out-of-state law students. It’s a 3.5% increase for in-state graduate students and a 1% increase for out-of-state graduate students. Carol Dillon Kissal, senior vice president of administration and finance, noted that much of those funds will go toward graduate stipends.

Mandatory student fees will increase 3%, or $150 for most students, $77 for law students, to support continued investment in technology, career readiness, student mental health services and student organizations.

The proposed budget also includes a 4.5% increase in room and board for residential students.

At the same time, in line with allocations from the Commonwealth of Virginia, faculty and staff will see raises this summer.

“We are happy the commonwealth is recognizing the hard work of our employees over the last year and recommending a 5% average salary adjustment based on performance and other employment-related factors. More detailed information and guidance will be forthcoming from Human Resources,” Kissal said.

Mason has been allocated $31 million in new base funding, a 20% increase, moving the university closer to being on par with its peer institutions across Virginia. Board members praised President Gregory Washington’s outreach to the legislature during the pandemic and said the university community is benefiting from the leadership team’s hard work.

“When you can say no [undergraduate] tuition increase and increase the salaries by 5%, that is making a big statement,” Visitor Jon Peterson said. “We are in a position to do that and send a message that we are healthy as an institution.”

Washington said the budget shows how Mason is being transformed to meet post-pandemic needs, while maintaining a student-centric culture with support and recognition for faculty and staff.

“We are moving from an exclusion framework to an inclusive framework where everybody is included in our success, and more importantly, everybody is included as it relates to opportunity,” Washington said. “That is the direction we are going, and I am really excited to see our future.”

Washington also took the opportunity to highlight Mason’s ongoing vaccination efforts at EagleBank Arena and with mobile clinics launching this weekend.

“We have helped vaccinate more than 33,000 individuals in our community,” Washington said. “We figured out ways to make ourselves not just a part of this community, but integral to its success and safety.”

No members of the public registered to make public comments during the meeting. The board meets May 6 to vote on the budget. The meeting will be broadcast on GMU TV.

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Answer the call to participate in Mason’s COVID testing

Colleen Rich — Thu, 10 Sep 2020 09:00:00 +0000

Answer the call to participate in Mason’s COVID testing Colleen Rich Thu, 09/10/2020 - 05:00

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Gov. Northam announces renewable energy initiative at Arlington Campus

Melanie Balog — Fri, 18 Oct 2019 20:36:34 +0000

Gov. Northam announces renewable energy initiative at Arlington Campus Melanie Balog Fri, 10/18/2019 - 16:36

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Mason earns Aa3 rating from Moody’s Investors Service

Melanie Balog — Tue, 08 Oct 2019 15:57:18 +0000

Mason earns Aa3 rating from Moody’s Investors Service Melanie Balog Tue, 10/08/2019 - 11:57

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Honoring the recipients of the 2019 Presidential Faculty Excellence Medals

Melanie Balog — Mon, 29 Apr 2019 16:40:42 +0000

Honoring the recipients of the 2019 Presidential Faculty Excellence Medals Melanie Balog Mon, 04/29/2019 - 12:40

Winners of the Presidential Faculty Excellence Awards during the 2019 Spring Commencement. Photo by Lathan Goumas/Strategic Communications

The United Bank Presidential Medal for Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion

Rita Chi-Ying Chung, Professor, Counseling and Development Program, College of Education and Human Development

Rita Chi-Ying Chung

I am deeply humbled and honored to be a co-recipient of the United Bank Presidential Medal for Faculty Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion, especially since I am an immigrant and a first-generation high school and college student. As I reflect on my 19 years at Mason, it has been an incredible ride.

Being at Mason has been an extremely rewarding experience that included support from colleagues, deans, and university administrators regarding the various diversity and inclusion regional, national and international initiatives that I incorporated in my research, teaching and service.

Mason has provided me with the space to dream big and creatively follow my passion. My teaching involves providing students with opportunities to participate in “classroom-without-walls” interdisciplinary projects within Mason, the greater Washington, D.C., region and nationally, with projects such as the Mason-supported Counselors Without Borders trips where I have co-led and taken teams of students to do postdisaster counseling after Hurricane Katrina, the wildfires in California and Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

Educating future mental health counselors and school counselors utilizing classroom-without-walls initiatives, while simultaneously instilling the value of “giving back, paying it forward,” provides the ingredients needed for students/future counselors to be leaders in building diverse, harmonious and cohesive communities.

Witnessing students’ growth and commitment to diversity and inclusion is tremendously gratifying. I am most proud of my students’ success in becoming the next generation of leaders who speak out and advocate for disenfranchised groups and empower their clients to find and (re)claim their voices.

The United Bank Presidential Medal for Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion

Frederic Paul Bemak, Professor, Counseling and Development Program, College of Education and Human Development

Bemak

Since the beginning of my career working with Upward Bound, I have been committed to diversity and inclusion. Mason was a dream come true—an invitation to develop a program focused on diversity and social justice, expanding on the foundation of my work with Upward Bound. With Mason colleagues, we redesigned the entire mission of the graduate counseling program, infusing diversity and social justice into every course. Faculty were hired who were dedicated to the mission in their scholarship and teaching, while students were admitted based on their commitment to these ideals.

It was an exciting time as the Mason program became a national and international model for other graduate counseling programs. What came along with this was remarkable—we attracted one of the most diverse student bodies at Mason and became one of the most competitive programs for admission. At the same time, faculty were national and international leaders in promoting diversity and social justice in the mental health field.

Supporting innovation and creativity was incredibly part of the Mason ethos, which was instrumental in my founding Counselors Without Borders (CWB), an organization providing culturally responsive counseling for marginalized populations following disasters. For example, CWB brought faculty and graduate students to location after Hurricane Katrina, the San Diego wildfires and earthquakes in Haiti, Peru and Thailand.

Remarkably, Mason helped fund some of the trips to support faculty and graduate students. Watching students grow, blossom and graduate to become leaders in promoting diversity and inclusion is a lifetime gift.

The Earle C. Williams Presidential Medal for Excellence in Social Impact

Christianne Esposito-Smythers, Professor, Department of Psychology; Director, Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program; College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Esposito-Smythers

My most rewarding moments from my time at Mason are those that signify the impact that my teaching and research has on others. This may come in the form of comments on my undergraduate teaching evaluations, such as “thank you for helping me find my passion in life.” Or seeing my graduate students land their top clinical internships or submit their first federal grant. Or hooding doctoral students who go on to do exceptional work that betters the lives of others.

Perhaps the best example is when two graduate students shared with me as they ended the program, “I remember the first day of class when you told us that we were about to be given a very special gift—the ability to change a child’s trajectory in life.” They said that this motivated them to do their very best in their graduate work.

Sharing with the local community my research and clinical expertise in adolescent suicide prevention has also been immensely rewarding. In response to the recent loss of multiple adolescent lives to suicide, I worked with community partners to develop the Fairfax Consortium for Evidence-Based Practice, which offers free training in evidence-based therapies for adolescent suicidal behavior and mental health to community-based clinicians. We use data collected during and after trainings to improve our training methods and dissemination efforts in order to have an immediate impact on the community.

I am extremely honored to receive this award as it embodies what I value most in my work.

The John Toups President Medal for Excellence in Teaching

Kathleen E. Wage, Associate Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Volgenau School of Engineering

Wage

I am honored to receive the John Toups Presidential Medal for Faculty Excellence in Teaching. As I reflect on this award, I am grateful to the many teachers who inspired me.

Shortly after joining Mason, I started work on a decade-long engineering education project with a friend from graduate school. John Buck (University of Massachusetts Dartmouth) and I developed the Signals and Systems Concept Inventory (SSCI) exam, an assessment tool for researchers and faculty.

The SSCI project introduced me to active learning, fundamentally changing my perspective on teaching. It also forged a wonderful collaboration with other Mason faculty members—Margret Hjalmarson (College of Education and Human Development) and Jill Nelson (Volgenau School of Engineering)—which has sparked other projects. To date, thousands of students have taken the SSCI, and the exam has been translated into Spanish and Chinese.

My most rewarding moments involve the synthesis of ocean acoustics research and teaching. I love using experimental data from deep water arrays to illustrate applications of abstract signal-processing concepts. Ocean data is also a great way to spark young people's interest in engineering. My friend Lora Van Uffelen and I (aka the Able Sea Chicks) broadcasted live from a research ship in the Philippine Sea back to a conference session for the Girl Scouts, sponsored by the Acoustical Society of America.

At Mason, I am blessed with colleagues interested in active learning and an institution that nurtures conversations about teaching and writing through workshops and retreats. I look forward to exciting new collaborations in the future.

The Beck Family Presidential Medal for Excellence in Research and Scholarship

Tyler Cowen, Holbert L. Harris Professor of Economics and Director, Mercatus Center, College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Cowen

The most rewarding time for me at George Mason was perhaps my years here as an undergraduate student, class of 1983, major of economics. It was that background I drew upon for my later and second Mason career, namely that of faculty.

I learned early on that economics research should be relevant and that economists should try as hard as possible to acquire real-world experience and also talk to people in other disciplines. Furthermore, it was then of essential import to communicate that knowledge and understanding to students—after all, I was one of them.

I’ve been given this award for excellence in research and scholarship, but what I am proud of is something else—namely, what I have learned in my 30 years as faculty at ��AV. I hope I can ask much better questions now than when I started. I am less interested in my impact on the world and, rather selfishly, more interested in the impact of the world upon me!

Here’s to hoping I have another 30 years on the way.

Three female civil rights activists visit Mason as part of MLK commemoration

Melanie Balog — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 10:00:32 +0000

Three female civil rights activists visit Mason as part of MLK commemoration Melanie Balog Tue, 01/29/2019 - 05:00

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Six Supreme Court Justices join Mason community to dedicate Antonin Scalia Law School

Melanie Balog — Thu, 06 Oct 2016 20:26:08 +0000

Six Supreme Court Justices join Mason community to dedicate Antonin Scalia Law School Melanie Balog Thu, 10/06/2016 - 16:26