The Mason Spirit

When Louis C. Buffardi and James F. Sanford arrived at Mason in 1971 and 1973, respectively, parking was $2 for two cars for the year, hoagies sold in the cafeteria for 10 cents an inch, the computer was a room-sized punch card contraption, and the department secretary found typing on the new electric typewriter slower than on the manual. And Lou’s sideburns were hip. Now the associate psychology professors and best friends, who first met in graduate school, are retiring after more than 40 years of teaching together. Let the reminiscing begin.

Continue Reading The Exit Interview

Mason students showed their class spirit while giving back to the university during the second annual Patriots for Patriots campaign this past spring. More than 1,200 students contributed upward of $3,200 over the two-month span, compared with 800 students giving more than $2,000 just a year ago.

Continue Reading Student Giving Campaign Grows in Its Second Year

“Czars are a constitutional aberration,” says Mason policy professor Mark Rozell. “There is no official title of executive branch ‘czar’ in the U.S. Constitution, federal laws, or government manuals. Czars may in theory exist to merely provide advice to presidents, but the reality is that many of these officers have gone well beyond merely advising and often supervised statutory programs, administered a policy area, controlled appropriated funds, or regulated industries. White House and executive branch aides who exercise decision-making authority that has the force of law and are not confirmed by the Senate violate the U.S. Constitution.”

Continue Reading All the President’s Czars

When Nicole Livas, BA Communication ’90, returned home to Hampton Roads, Virginia, in 2001 to work as an on-air journalist for WAVY-TV 10, she had rather large footsteps to follow, namely those of her mother, Becky.

Continue Reading A Newsworthy Family Business

“Homework is the first ‘job’ for students with clear consequences if not completed,” says Mason educational psychology professor Anastasia Kitsantas. “It is a vehicle for students to assume responsibility and to learn that they are accountable for their own actions.” Recent research studies reveal that homework experiences increase students’ responsibility for learning and help them…

Continue Reading Top 5: Homework Tips for Parents, Teachers, and Students

I am honored to serve as the new president of the George Mason University Alumni Association. In July, Mason embarked on a new era when Dr. Àngel Cabrera began his tenure as president. We look forward to working with President Cabrera as he builds on the strong foundation laid by former president Alan Merten.

Continue Reading Greetings, Fellow Patriots

Mason School of Law graduates taking the Virginia Bar Exam for the first time achieved a 100 percent pass rate for the February 2012 sitting of the exam. While Mason Law’s Virginia Bar Exam pass rates for first-time takers have consistently bested the state average every year since 2002, this is the first time that the school has achieved a perfect pass rating for first-time takers.

Continue Reading School of Law Enjoys Banner Year of Achievements

Steven Pearlstein has made a career taking a critical look at global events as an economics and business columnist for the Washington Post. The 2008 Pulitzer Prize winner for Commentary joined the Mason faculty in 2011 as a Robinson Professor of Public and International Affairs. We caught up with him at the end of his first semester to see how he fared.

Continue Reading Five Questions for Robinson Professor Steven Pearlstein

Exercising, eating a healthy diet, and playing brain games may help you keep your wits about you well into your 80s and even 90s, advises a new book by Mason researchers.

Continue Reading Old Dogmas, New Tricks

Mason alumna Noelle Fanella parlayed her Mason minor in sports management into a paying job working at Medinah Country Club last summer and followed up with another job this year. It just so happened Medinah was hosting the Ryder Cup. Now she has a sports “mega-event” on her resume—and she shared fairways with the world’s best golfers.

Continue Reading Sports Management Program Prepares Grad for Golf’s Ryder Cup