Admin & Academia
Super seniors take their time as undergrads
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| GMU is also one of the few universities that deal with many nontraditional students, including those who have their own families and full time jobs nearby to the university (photo courtesy of George Mason University Events Management). |
Super Seniors often warn against taking time off from finishing their degree as it can lead to lack of motivation when pursuing their education years later.
Cabrera addresses students' concerns in recent AMA
|Among recent efforts to engage students with the GMU faculty, the George Mason University sub-reddit featured an AMA on Friday, April 19 hosted by President Ángel Cabrera.
Prince William lab helps fight bioterrorism
|During the week of April 17, 2013, a man mailed ricin-laced letters to a congressman and the president of the United States. Ricin is highly toxic and is often fatal to humans. While no one was injured in the incident, it was highly reminiscent of the 2001 anthrax letters that killed five and stunned the nation.
In lieu of these attacks, new facilities were created between 2001 and 2005 to investigate bioterrorism and to fortify national defense against viral agents. One of these facilities was the National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases (NCBID), founded in 2001 and located at George Mason University’s Prince William Campus.
Global affairs continues to be popular major for graduates
|Graduation day is one of nerves, self-doubt and fear. However, it is also a day of celebration with the promise of a bright future.
Mason searching for new vice president of research and economic development
|George Mason University officials are currently searching for a new vice president to lead the Office of Research and Economic Development.
There were originally around 80 candidates for the job. This week, the list was narrowed down to the five finalists.
Among those interviewing the candidates is James Olds, the director of the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study and chair of the search committee.
Mason facing budget shortfall after new state requirements
|At a budget town hall on April 15, Senior Vice President J. J. Davis and Provost Peter Stearns discussed increasing student tuition and the 2014 fiscal year budget.
Tuition rates are expected to rise, however, the exact amount of the increase is yet to be determined. Stearns hopes that it will be less than 4.2 percent, which is the expected increase for other Virginia public universities.
Chief applicants present their visions for Mason Police Department
|In the first two weeks of April, finalists for the chief of police at George Mason University met with students and held presentations about their vision for the future of the department.
Three finalists were selected to give presentations: Drew Tracy, who is currently serving as interim police chief, Larry Volz and Eric Heath.
Tracy was selected to fill in as interim chief after former chief Mike Lynch decided to switch roles at the department, but ultimately decided to retire. Lynch had been with the department for 13 years.
Mason law school faces declining application rate
|With law school application rates declining nationwide, George Mason University School of Law has not been exempt for the 2013–2014 academic year.
Mason’s law school has seen a steady decline in applications since 2009, but the drop this year appears unusually large. According to a recent Fairfax Times report the school could be facing as large as a 50 percent drop in applications from 2012 to 2013.
Krasnow Institute likely to play role in Obama brain initiative
|On April 2, President Barack Obama proposed to Congress to invest $100 million in the BRAIN Initiative.
BRAIN, which stands for Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies, is meant to map the human brain and to create technology that can record brain electrical activity. The goal of the initiative is to find cures for brain conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and autism.
If approved, George Mason University’s Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study is likely to play a major role in Obama’s BRAIN Initiative.
Cabrera to hold online discussion with students
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| President Cabrera will hold an "Ask-Me-Anything" on George Mason's sub-reddit on April 19 (photo courtesy of GMU sub-reddit). |
On April 19, President Ángel Cabrera will hold an online discussion with students through an "Ask-Me-Anything" session on George Mason University's sub-reddit.
Students can ask any questions from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The sub-reddit group has hosted previous AMA's with Fairfax County Supervisor John Cook and Josh Cantor, director of transportation and parking services for the university.