The Mason Spirit

Mason’s lovable former mascot, Gunston, has taken on a new role this school year. As the university’s sustainability ambassador, the furry creature travels to local elementary schools to spread the word about environmentalism. The university, in partnership with the National Energy Education Development (NEED ) project, created an interactive environmental education program for children in…

Continue Reading Gunston Gets a Green Makeover

Feel free to call it a comeback. The Mason Women’s Volleyball Team, facing a two-set deficit, stormed back to take home its eighth Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championship last November, upsetting top-seeded Virginia Commonwealth University on the Rams’ home court. Mason is the first team ever to rally from a 2-0 deficit and win the…

Continue Reading Women’s Volleyball Claims CAA Championship

For the second year in a row, Mason was ranked one of the top 100 North and Latin American universities by the Academic Ranking of World Universities. The analysis is conducted annually by Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Institute of Higher Education.  Universities are ranked by several indicators of academic or research performance. These include the…

Continue Reading Mason Amasses Top Rankings

In terms of physical growth, 2009 was a big year for Mason, with seven buildings coming online and 10 more in the works. Several big gifts signal that the expansion won’t be slowing down anytime soon. In December, Mason announced a major land gift of 37 acres in Loudoun County, Virginia, from Van Metre Companies….

Continue Reading Major Gifts Signal Major Growth

In April, the George Mason University Alumni Association honored the 2010 alumni award recipients at the Celebration of Distinction. This annual ceremony has evolved into a hallmark event for the university at large, and a look at the awardees reveals why. The work of our alumni in leadership, research, volunteerism, entrepreneurship, and leading-edge thinking helps…

Continue Reading A Time for Inspiration, Reflection, and Looking Ahead

Every year, George Mason University takes in about 5,000 new undergraduates. Half are freshmen, and half are transfers. A large part the transfer group comes from Virginia’s community colleges. It is this group of students that most remind me of myself. My parents didn’t go to college. My father had two years of high school;…

Continue Reading Opening Doors

Much has changed since 1972. Richard Nixon was president, and The Godfather was the year’s highest grossing film. A gallon of gas set you back about 36 cents, and a new home could be purchased for about $40,000. And in a church basement in Washington, D.C., five attorneys started what later would become the George…

Continue Reading The Law Won

For the first two decades of its life, the George Mason University School of Law held court in a former department store, complete with escalators to guide students to and from classes. Back then, the old Kann’s department store building was also home to Mason’s graduate and continuing education programs. According to a Washington Post…

Continue Reading Mason’s Law School: Building Memories

The Washington Post glibly called it a “mall of knowledge” in an early 1996 review, and, frankly, it does look like a mall, with a fountain, lots of windows, hanging banners, and large ornamental staircases. There is even a Taco Bell. Sure, it is a large student center—lots of the universities have them—but when the…

Continue Reading Evolving Epicenter

When Mason’s men’s basketball team went all the way to the NCAA Final Four in 2006, Coach Jim Larranaga, borrowing from the Greek philosopher Aristotle, spoke to the media about “a habit of excellence” that permeated not just the university’s approach to basketball but all Mason sports and the entire campus. It became a university…

Continue Reading A Winning Tradition