CHSS Digest

February 15, 2024

CHSS Digest February 15, 2024
Announcements & Resources
Thank you for your donations to the CHSS book and toy drive!

Thank you for your donations to the CHSS book and toy drive!

On Feb. 14, the collected toys and books were delivered to Mason’s Contemporary Student Services (CSS). Students will be able to check out the books and toys to borrow while studying at the libraries, spending time in the CSS lounge, or when meeting with faculty or advisors on campus.  

Read More
Yearlong program celebrates American author James Baldwin

Yearlong program celebrates American author James Baldwin

The Alan Cheuse International Writers Center, in collaboration with a dozen community partners, will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of author James Baldwin with a 13-month series of public events and community readings. Photo from the Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, © Sedat Pakay 1965

Read More
Black History Month activities

Black History Month activities

African and African American Studies has a full list of events and activities to celebrate and honor the contributions of our Black ancestors, artists, scholars, leaders, innovators, and community members.

Read More
2024 Sojourner Truth Lecture

2024 Sojourner Truth Lecture

The Sojourner Truth Lecture is hosted annually at Mason in honor of Black History and Women’s History months. This year's lecture will feature Rokhaya Diallo, a French journalist, writer, and award-winning filmmaker known for her work in favor of racial and gender equality. The lecture will take place on Monday, Feb. 26, at 11 a.m. on the Fairfax Campus in Merten Hall, Room 1201. Learn more and RSVP.

Read More
LinkUp: an alumni and student mentoring event on Feb. 27

LinkUp: an alumni and student mentoring event on Feb. 27

Each semester the college organizes events for current undergraduates to speak with alumni about their career choices and paths. These sessions are a unique opportunity for students to learn from our experienced alumni and community partners.

Read More
Save the date: 2024 Mason Graduate Interdisciplinary Conference is April 5

Save the date: 2024 Mason Graduate Interdisciplinary Conference is April 5

The 2024 Mason Graduate Interdisciplinary Conference is co-hosted by the Graduate and Professional Student Association (GAPSA), Graduate Student Life, and the Graduate Division, and highlights the research of Mason’s graduate students across disciplines. Graduate and professional students from all disciplines at George Mason University are welcome to participate as presenters, attendees, or volunteers, and faculty can support the conference as discussants and attendees.

Read More
Call for nominations: CHSS Alumni Awards

Call for nominations: CHSS Alumni Awards

Each year, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences presents awards to recognize alumni from every department who are making a remarkable difference in the world. Please consider making a nomination before the May 31 deadline.

Read More
Faculty: remind your students about George Mason University Foundation scholarships

Faculty: remind your students about George Mason University Foundation scholarships

Please let your students know that George Mason University Foundation scholarships are available and are open to all continuing undergraduates, admitted transfers, and graduate students.

Read More
May '24 commencement student speaker wanted

May '24 commencement student speaker wanted

It’s hard to believe, but graduation will be here before we know it! Mason is seeking graduating students who are interested in sharing their Mason journey to serve as this year's 2024 Spring Graduation Student Speaker. Please share this information with any graduating seniors and/or graduate students who may have an incredible story to share. The deadline for speech submissions is March 11 at noon.

Read More
Patriot Pitch competition seeking volunteers

Patriot Pitch competition seeking volunteers

Led by the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Costello College of Business, the Patriot Pitch competition supports idea and early-stage business ventures and is open to current Mason students and recent alumni from all majors and fields of study. Faculty, staff, and members of the business community are invited to mentor a team, coach a practice pitch, or judge pitches during the competition.

Read More
Study abroad opportunities at Mason Korea

Study abroad opportunities at Mason Korea

Students at Mason Korea engage in the same curriculum and courses as Mason’s U.S. campuses while immersing themselves in one of the world’s most intriguing and vibrant places. Please share this information with students who may be interested in applying to study abroad at Mason Korea.

Read More
Shout-Outs, February 2024

Shout-Outs, February 2024

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

Read More
CHSS faculty and staff giving

CHSS faculty and staff giving

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.

Read More
Research & Scholarship News
Mason's social sciences lead the way in new NSF report

Mason's social sciences lead the way in new NSF report

George Mason University’s $230 million in research funding in fiscal year 2022 was a 7% increase from 2021, putting the university three years ahead of its goal of $225 million by 2025.

Read More
Upcoming: humanities and social sciences advocacy events

Upcoming: humanities and social sciences advocacy events

The National Humanities Alliance (NHA) will be hosting their 2024 Annual Meeting and Humanities Advocacy Day March 10-12 in Washington, DC. The Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA) will be hosting their 2024 Social Science Advocacy Day April 8-9 in Washington, DC. Registration is required for both events.

Read More
Grant writing support programs for faculty

Grant writing support programs for faculty

Research Development Services in collaboration with the College of Humanities and Social Sciences is continuing grant writing support for faculty. This is open to all faculty eligible to serve as a Mason Principal Investigator. Sign up required.

Read More
Acclaimed author Tania James balances writing and teaching at Mason

Acclaimed author Tania James balances writing and teaching at Mason

Tania James is having an amazing year. Since her novel Loot was released by Knopf in June 2023 she has been named to longlist for the National Book Award. The novel has also been included in the Best Books of the Year lists by the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, NPR, and Kirkus Reviews.

Read More
IIR welcomes Dr. Jonathan Schulz as faculty affiliate

IIR welcomes Dr. Jonathan Schulz as faculty affiliate

Jonathan Schulz is an assistant professor in the Department of Economics. In addition to being affiliated with the Institute for Immigration Research (IIR), he works with The Center for Study of Public Choice and The Interdisciplinary Center for Economic Science at Mason.

Read More
MFA students Chelsea Lebron and Jaime Goh lead Creative Writing courses for the Mason Community Arts Academy

MFA students Chelsea Lebron and Jaime Goh lead Creative Writing courses for the Mason Community Arts Academy

This February, MFA students Chelsea Lebron and Jaime Goh will be teaching creative writing courses for the Mason Community Arts Academy, the community arts education division of George Mason University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts. For the first time at Mason, MFA teaching assistants were given the opportunity to apply to teach a creative writing course of their own design for the academy.

Read More
Fellow highlight: Ian Sinnett

Fellow highlight: Ian Sinnett

CHR Summer Research Fellow talks about his path to Mason, the CHR, and the broader impact of his project "Hip Hop Sampling and the Aesthetic Repair of Spatiotemporal Disjuncture."

Read More
70 years young: Robert Younger's lifelong learning pursuits

70 years young: Robert Younger's lifelong learning pursuits

At 70 years young, Robert Younger is far from typical when it comes to pursuing academic goals. With four advanced degrees already under his belt, including a BA in Psychology, MS in Psychology, MSCP in Clinical Psychopharmacology, and a PhD in Clinical Psychology, Younger decided to embark on yet another academic chapter.

Read More
Career retrospective of a BIS graduate

Career retrospective of a BIS graduate

In the mid-90s, Christopher Hunt Robertson transitioned from his role as a law office manager back into academia, enrolling in Mason's Bachelor of Individualized Studies program. Reflecting on his journey, he underscores the transformative power of education and the doors opened by his Mason experience, illustrating the lifelong value of continued learning and interdisciplinary study.

Read More
Events

CHR Fellow Talk: Assistant Professor Christopher Berk (Schar School), "At Risk: Democratic Culture in a Community Boarding School"

Clock Icon for Tuesday, February 20, 2024 12:00 PM to  1:00 PM ESTTuesday, February 20, 2024 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EST

Map Icon for Hybrid Event in Horizon Hall 6325 and on ZoomHybrid Event in Horizon Hall 6325 and on Zoom

Breaking the Mold with Marlon James

Clock Icon for Thursday, February 22, 2024  7:00 PM ESTThursday, February 22, 2024 7:00 PM EST

Map Icon for Harris TheaterHarris Theater

Marlon James has won high praise for his Dark Star Trilogy – which Entertainment Weekly describes as “drenched in African myth and folklore.” The first book, Black Leopard, Red Wolf was a finalist for the National Book Award, and was named one of TIME’s 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time. Now James is back with the second installment, Moon Witch, Spider King, which flips the story on its head, retelling it from the Moon Witch’s perspective – a tale that’s “part adventure tale, part chronicle of an indomitable woman who bows to no man.”

Details

Itoro Bassey, Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond, and Kim Coleman Foote talk Belonging and Exile

Clock Icon for Thursday, February 22, 2024  1:30 PM to  2:15 PM ESTThursday, February 22, 2024 1:30 PM to 2:15 PM EST

Map Icon for Fenwick Library, Fenwick Library Reading RoomFenwick Library, Fenwick Library Reading Room

Novelist Itoro Bassey, and editor Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond, chat with Kim Coleman Foote, in this African diaspora writers panel. More information to come. Collaboration between the Fall for the Book Minifest and the Cheuse Center.

Details

The 2024 Mastrofski Lecture featuring Dr. Nancy La Vigne

Clock Icon for Monday, February 26, 2024 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM ESTMonday, February 26, 2024 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM EST

Map Icon for Fenwick Library, #2001Fenwick Library, #2001

Join us for the 2024 Mastrofski Lecture featuring Dr. Nancy La Vigne for her talk entitled, “Public Criminology: Charting the Course to Bridge Evidence to Action.” Please RSVP for this event as space is limited.

Details

College of Science and Visiting Filmmakers Series: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Clock Icon for Monday, February 26, 2024  6:00 PM to  8:00 PM ESTMonday, February 26, 2024 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EST

Map Icon for Johnson Center, CinemaJohnson Center, Cinema

The film tells the true story of Henrietta Lacks, a Black woman whose cells were used to create the first immortal human cell line, known as HeLa.

Details

IIR Colloquium Series: Fumilayo Showers

Who Cares for America? West African Immigrants at Work in US Health Care

Clock Icon for Wednesday, February 28, 2024  1:00 PM to  2:00 PM ESTWednesday, February 28, 2024 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM EST

Map Icon for Horizon Hall, 6325Horizon Hall, 6325

This presentation, based on the book, Migrants Who Care, draws attention to the reserve of immigrant labor that is called upon to meet care needs. Migrants Who Care tells the little-known story of a group of English-speaking West African immigrants, who leave their countries of origin for myriad reasons, migrate through various channels and provisions in immigration law, and become absorbed into the U.S. health care industry as workers in home care; institutional care for older adults and individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities; and professional nursing.

Details

Queering Black History Month Trivia

Clock Icon for Wednesday, February 28, 2024  5:00 AM to  7:00 PM ESTWednesday, February 28, 2024 5:00 AM to 7:00 PM EST

Join us for trivia night during Black / African Heritage History Month where we focus on queer and trans folks in the history of the Black Diaspora! Registration required.

Details
CHSS in the Media

Welcome to CHSS in the Media! Some articles may be behind a paywall. Mason's University Libraries provides direct access to current news sources. For more information, go to InfoGuides: Current News: Direct Subscriptions

Communication student Brandyn Fragosa appears on Fox 5's DMV Zone

Communication student Brandyn Fragosa appears on Fox 5's DMV Zone

Watch Brandyn's exciting television debut on Fox 5's DMV Zone's new segment Campus Corner.

Read More
In the Baltimore Sun, Carol Petty writes op-ed, "Sociology is worth fighting for"

In the Baltimore Sun, Carol Petty writes op-ed, "Sociology is worth fighting for"

Carol Petty, CSSR faculty affiliate and adjunct faculty in sociology and anthropology, writes about the importance of sociology in a core curriculum.

Read More

Christy Pichichero interviewed about the history of rum on BBC’s The Food Programme podcast

Christy Pichichero, Department of Modern and Classical Languages, discusses how rum was once used as currency to buy enslaved Africans and why understanding the true story of rum is an important part of our shared history.

Read More

Ed Maibach quoted in Environmental Magazine article about the Biden administration’s decision to temporarily pause gas export projects

Ed Maibach, distinguished university professor and director of Mason’s Center for Climate Change Communication, says that his prediction is that stopping the development of LNG export terminals will win President Biden many more votes than it will cost him.

Read More

In The Hill, James Witte writes op-ed, "Why bootleggers and Baptists are resisting change on the southern border"

Forty years ago, economist Bruce Yandle — who is affiliated with George Mason University’s Mercatus Center— used regulatory economics and U.S. alcohol regulation to illustrate why seemingly polar opposites join forces and benefit from the status quo, only in very different ways. This provides a framework for understanding why Washington fails to get anything done to understand the situation on the southern border and immigration policy more broadly.

Read More

On Marketplace, Keith Hall is quoted in article on increased productivity in the nonfarm business sector

Keith Hall, Mercatus Center, said the increase in productivity is not because of technological advances, but rather the return of a healthy economy.

Read More

Charles Blahous interviewed on C-SPAN about the future of Social Security

Charles Blahous, Mercatus Center, talked about the future of Social Security and the 2024 presidential candidates' views on the program.

Read More

Help us share your news!

Tell us your good news (brag a little).
Submit a story for the next CHSS Digest.
Boost your content with CHSS social media.
Check out our creative resources.
Use our marketing request form.
Share a quote for the Word Wall.