Faculty/Staff Newsletter

We are the first public health college in the world to achieve this ground-breaking milestone. The Lab for Immersive Technologies and Simulation redefines how health professionals practice and reinforces George Mason University's leadership in cutting-edge technology that revolutionizes public health education and workforce development. 

Rochelle Davidson Mhonde was an invited panelist at the inaugural Black Maternal Health Legislative Summit, hosted by the Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Don Scott and Delegate Candi Mundon King. Davidson Mhonde shared her expertise in a clinical and policy-making panel titled, “We Have the Data, Now What? Using Data and Statistics to Drive Policy Change.” 

The College has renewed its APHA Agency membership. Here's how any CPH faculty/staff can benefit from this: 

1. Join or renew as a full member of APHA at a greatly reduced rate. Membership includes online access to all APHA publications and enables members to participate in two of our sections/SPIGs and as presenters at the APHA Annual Meeting. Visit the membership page for a full list of benefits. 

Once in the join/renew process, choose "agency individual" as the member type and use the Agency Code: gmugch18 in the blank field to the right. 

2. Register for the Annual Meeting and Expo at the regular member rate. Just use your Agency Member ID (10024829) when you start to register. 

3. Any employee may receive free online access to The Nation’s Health here. Use Agency Code gmugch18

Adjunct faculty are invited to be a part of our "Adjunct Speakers List," a rolling list of CPH adjunct faculty members who are interested in virtual synchronous or in-person lectures or short recorded presentations for asynchronous classes, to share their current or previous public health professional experience with CPH students. Please contact Shannyn Snyder at ssnyder7@gmu.edu for more information. 

Faculty Development Opportunities: Explore AI in teaching at the new, hands-on AI Test Kitchen series, improve your teaching and mentoring impact statement, and learn how to navigate challenging classroom conversations. 

Calling all Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi Members: The Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi honors societies welcome faculty and staff to participate in George Mason’s local chapters. Complete this short survey to let them know you're here and stay up to date on upcoming chapter events.

Budget Model Redesign Information Sessions: Workgroups are moving forward on finalizing recommendations for a new university budget model. Information sessions are being held across campus. For more information, visit the budget model redesign website.

PTR Process Change: Beginning with AY2024-25 cases, successful promotion cases, including librarians, will receive a 10% base salary increase which become effective August 25, 2025 (9-month) or June 10, 2025 (12-month). Please visit the provost's website for more information on process.

March 3 | 12-1:30 pm | Zoom, please RSVP

Join CPH Canvas Faculty mentor Lila Fleming, CPH Instructional Designers Terri Ann and Barbara, and guests for an engaging workshop on Canvas' gradebook. They'll review its features and important differences from Blackboard’s gradebook.  You’ll also receive personalized assistance with reviewing your own gradebook configuration. Bring your questions and ensure your gradebook is set up correctly for a seamless teaching experience. Please RSVP to submit your questions in advance.

February 18 | 12–12:30 pm | Zoom

In this week’s Staff Council Brown Bag session, learn and play with AI Tools available, including Zoom AI Companion and CoPilot for the web. We’ll feature tips for effective prompt generation and discuss advantages and concerns about generative AI use. This session will be recorded.

Congratulations! To Limei Chen, Social Work, for her new 3-year award from the Council on Social Work Education, Kendall Institute for International Social Work Education, "Fostering Global Innovators in Social Work: A COIL Approach to Social Entrepreneurship"

And to Rupali Limaye, GCH, for her award from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in collaboration with the JSI Research and Training Institute "Support Vaccine Program Optimization Technical Assistance (CHOICES 2.0)"

And to Rebecca Sutter, Nursing, on her award from the Virginia Department of Health, “Cycle 4 COVID Access and Equity Grant”

Having trouble accessing public use files from a federal website?  Librarians are working hard to identify and share alternative sources for locating U.S. public federal data which has been removed from federal government websites as of January 2025. If the data have not been reposted, you can check here:  About This Guide - Locating Deleted Government Data - InfoGuides at George Mason University

To advance our understanding of interpersonal violence (IPV), CPH has launched an IPV Pilot research program. The goal is to the development of new, collaborative cross-college research and scholarship initiatives in the area of interpersonal violence. Deadline is March 10. 

The Academic Advisor Awards are to promote and acknowledge excellence in undergraduate academic advising at George Mason University. Each faculty/staff can submit one nomination for the Patriot Inspiration Award and one for the Unsung Hero Award; faculty/staff can self-nominate. Learn more and nominate here.

February 25  | 6-7 pm | Merten Hall 1204 and Zoom:  https://gmu.zoom.us/j/92777044625

The MHA Heritage Panel honors Black and African American leadership in Health Administration. Dress Code is business smart. RSVP here.

March 7 | 12-1 pm | PHC Multipurpose Room and Zoom: https://gmu.zoom.us/j/95576614739

This workshop, presented by Farrokh Alemi, Sanja Avramovic, and Health Services Research Doctoral student Yili Lin, focuses on (1) setting up course content using AI, (2) developing video lectures using avatar and AI, (3) deploying intelligent tutors, and (4) evaluating students work. The focus is on how faculty can use AI to save time and be more effective, and not on the use of AI by students. The workshop applies to any course, including courses that do not use statistics or are not focused on computers. RSVP here. 

March 19 | 9 -10:30 am | HUB Ballroom and Zoom

All are invited to a town hall with President Gregory Washington. In-person attendance is encouraged. Zoom link to be shared in a future newsletter.

April 10 | 12 pm | Multipurpose Room | Followed by lunch

Mark your calendars for the annual CPH Faculty and Staff Awards and Retirement Celebration. An RSVP will be requested closer to the date.

April 18 | 3-5 pm |Center for the Arts Lobby

Save the date for the CPH Student Award Ceremony!

College Staff Awards – due February 20

University Outstanding Achievement Awards – due February 21

College Faculty Teaching  Awards - due March 17

College Faculty Research Awards - due March 17

February 21 | 12-12:30 pm | Zoom: https://gmu.zoom.us/j/93735937714

Join faculty members as they share a classroom practice or their research in five short minutes. The presenters are:

HAP is in the lead, with Nutrition & Food Studies close behind. Kathleen Chang had the most steps for an individual this past week. Report February 10 - February 16 steps by midnight Today, February 17.

Every Tuesday | 12 pm | Peterson 2800  

Join us for CPH yoga on Tuesdays! You are welcome to stay for as much or as little of the class as you are able. We hope to see many of you there! If you have any questions, please contact Cathy Tompkins.

Every Thursday | 12 - 12:30 pm | Peterson Lobby  

Walk with your CPH colleagues! Get updates or schedule an impromptu walk through our walking group on MS Teams.

PUBLICHEALTH.GMU.EDU

Access the CPH brand toolkit, including new CPH and department logos here.

View the newsletter archives here.