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.  

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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