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George Mason University is authorized to host the Virginia State Climate Office, thanks to a provision in the new state budget effective July 1, 2026. The office is charged with developing and delivering data, analyses, assessments, and expertise about Virginia’s weather- and climate-related impacts, risks, and risk management options to state and local government agencies, businesses, and communities across the commonwealth. The office will also represent Virginia in national meteorological, climatological, and hydrological associations, strengthening federal partnerships and interstate collaboration on real-time weather and environmental challenges.

Three history PhD students—Ashleigh Williams, Jayme Kurland, and Alexandra Miller—received prestigious fellowships this past spring, the George Mason University Office of Fellowships has announced.

Fall for the Book and the Institute for Immigration Research’s New American Voices Award recognizes recently published works that illuminate the complexity of the human experience as told by immigrants, whose work is historically underrepresented in writing and publishing. The 2026 Longlist has just been announced.

Changes are coming to how community history, humanities and cultural projects get funded across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Beginning July 1, 2026, Virginia Humanities is officially reshaping its grants program into a streamlined, three-tier system designed to make funding more accessible for organizations of all sizes.

Sergei Samoilenko, associate professor in the Department of Communication, and the Lab for Character Assassination and Reputation Protection (CARP) are working to better understand how digital disruption and manipulation practices shape public perception.

Dr. Kellie S. Wilkerson is a Public and Applied Sociologist who earned her bachelor's degree in Applied Sociology from The University of Tampa, her master’s degree in Public Sociology from Cal Poly Humboldt, and her doctoral degree in Sociology from George Mason University.

During the 2025–2026 academic year, the IIR launched Leaving and Belonging, a digital storytelling initiative developed as part of its arts, culture, and storytelling initiative. This project complements the IIR’s broader mission to generate and amplify relevant research on immigrants and immigration to the United States by pairing research on migration with community engagement, using storytelling to amplify personal narratives and highlight lived experiences. 

Faculty Member of the Year award recipient Professor Cher Wexia Chen and four CHSS alumni will be recognized at the annual George Mason University Alumni Association's Celebration of Distinction in October.

George Mason University faculty members and graduate students from the from the Department of History and Art History and the Center for Mason Legacies shared their expertise as speakers at the Fairfax 250 history day, a county event held as part of the statewide commemoration of the nation's semiquincentennial.

An innovative partnership between George Mason and the United Way is shedding light on how guaranteed income can support working families facing economic hardship.