In a letter to Mason deans, the Office of the Provost shares information on helping faculty and staff in need, safety concerns, and public statements following the events that continue to unfold in Israel and Gaza.

On Mon., Nov. 6, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m., President Washington will hold an academic unit town hall with faculty and staff from across the university. In-person attendance in Dewberry Hall is encouraged.

The Truman Foundation supports US citizens pursuing graduate study in a public service field. The Office of Fellowships will support applicants through 1:1 advising, essay feedback, and application refinement. Learn how to apply.

CHSS faculty and staff can express their support for our college by opting for payroll deduction, an efficient means to make contributions to the program, scholarship, or initiative of their choice at Mason.

A summer institute called IndigenoUS Northern Virginia brought students together with different communities and tribal members to learn about their role in the foundation and growth of Northern Virginia, an opportunity a student called impactful. Learn more about the program, created with the Center for Humanities Research (CHR) and the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media (RRCHNM).

Dr. Ismail Nooraddini is a sociologist and child of an Iranian immigrant. Dr. Nooraddini worked as a Graduate Research Assistant at the Institute for Immigration Research (IIR) from 2017 to 2020 and completed his PhD in Sociology at George Mason University in 2022. He is currently an Analytics Associate Manager at Accenture Federal Services, serving as a survey and methodology consultant for the U.S. Department of State.

Proposals due November 21-30 have an internal deadline to OSP of Tuesday, November 14, and are due to CHSS for department review by Friday, November 10. Proposals due December 18-January 5 are due to OSP by Friday, December 8, and due to CHSS for department review by Wednesday, December 6.

Did you know that Mason has a license to SPIN, a web-based information resource and searchable database for federal and non-federal funding opportunities?

CHSS is partnering with the Office of Research Development to pilot grant writing feedback for faculty. There are two services provided: copyediting and proposal feedback. Faculty with nearly finalized proposals OR previously submitted proposals that did not compete successfully in review will benefit from these pilots. There are still a few spaces left for these pilot programs!

The 2026 CHSS Community and Catalysts awardees will be celebrated on November 7 Horizon Hall. Faculty and staff are invited to attend and are encouraged to RSVP.

Welcome to our monthly compilation of good news, gathered from the college's faculty and staff!

Research by Economics professors Tyler Cowen and Alex Tabarrok that shows how genAI can be particularly useful in the classroom is cited in CNN article.

Todd Kashdan, Department of Psychology, writes that flow—becoming absorbed in an activity, losing track of time and self, and leading to optimal performance—is about letting your skills and strengths shine, whether they meet expectations or not.