In this week's internal video message, Dean Perry shares our phenomenal new U.S. News rankings, reminds faculty and staff to take the Faculty/Staff Experience Survey, discusses upcoming not-to-miss events, and introduces our new chair of the department of nutrition and food studies.

The College has achieved major advancements in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings, marking a moment of recognition for its commitment to academic excellence and innovation in health education. The institution proudly announces that five of its programs are now ranked among the top 100 in their respective fields.

Kelly Beckwith will be honored with the Exceptional Support Award and Shannyn Snyder will receive the distinguished Adjunct Faculty Award on April 16.

Research led by PhD doctoral candidate Kevin Cevasco suggests patient engagement with chatbots isn’t necessarily better than human interactions in improving health intervention uptake and adherence.

New study by Mason MS, Nutrition student Eli Kalman-Rome highlights the need for population-level research on the nutritional needs of transgender people. 

Graduation Tickets – More tickets were released for graduates who would like extra tickets for family/friends to attend graduation ceremonies. Please send students to gmu.edu/graduation to claim their tickets. Note: quantities may be limited.

Graduation inquiries – If students have questions regarding graduation, please have them visit /publichealth.gmu.edu/students/graduation or gmu.edu/graduation. You can also have them email cph@gmu.edu with their inquiries.  

This spring, ITS will migrate the current enterprise file storage system MESA M: Drive, which is near end-of-life, to Microsoft 365 (M365). There will be multiple file storage options made available through M365, including OneDrive, Microsoft (MS) Teams, and SharePoint Document Libraries. In an effort to provide further support, ITS will hold weekly office hours via the Collaboration Collective MS Team – MESA Migration Project channel. Join the space for dates and times of the next session. For further timeline, project details, and training resources, visit the MESA to M365 Roadmap.

Opportunity for students! Please share the following with graduate students or postdocs passionate about science policy and communication: Research!America recently launched its 2024 summer cycle of the Civic Engagement Microgrant Program, which provides funding of up to $3,000 for student- and postdoc-led civic engagement projects. These microprojects are aimed at building dialogue with public officials, community leaders, and local community members around issues of common interest. Past grantees have developed initiatives such as podcast series, poster sessions with city council members, professional development workshops, and more. The application deadline is April 30, 2024. For more details, visit the webpage.

Experiential Learning at its Best!

Have you heard that the Department of Nutrition offers a very cool class? The class is NUTR 430/530 - Introduction to Wine and Beer! The class is offered every spring and includes a field trip to a winery and brewery to see the production process in person. Dr. Kerri Lacharite has been offering these experiences to students in the class for many years. The field trips are not required, but are well attended and the guidelines and attention to the students during the experience are impressive - no one leaves without checking in with the instructor and everyone is offered snacks if they are interested! This content is studied in class, and students absorb the content and better understand the process seeing the vineyard, equipment, and production. If there is ever an extra ticket, I recommend attending. A fantastic experience!

April 23 | 1:30-3:30 pm | Zoom

In our final general faculty meeting of the academic year, among other things, you will hear the latest information from Dean Perry, receive an update on the CEPH accreditation process, and participate in a Q&A about the transition from Blackboard to Canvas.

May 15 | Johnson Center, Dewberry Hall

Registration for the 2024 Mason Advising Symposium is open. There is limited in-person space available, so register early! If you register by April 15, you will be entered into our raffle for some prizes. Last day to register is May 13. All Mason staff, faculty, and graduate assistants are invited to attend. Full program details are on the Mason Advising Symposium Website 

June 4 | 1– 3 pm 

Calling all classified staff, wage employees, research staff, and A/P faculty: The College of Public Health Staff Council will host its first All-Staff Meeting on June 4. Options for in person and online attendance will be available. An RSVP and agenda will be announced through this newsletter in the coming weeks. 

Spring is here, and with it, many opportunities to focus on your well-being:

Public Health in Practice Walks
Every Thursday | 12:00 - 12:30 pm | Meet in the Peterson Lobby
Contact Terri Ann Guingab at tguingab@gmu.edu to join the announcement list.

Tuesday Treks
Every Tuesday | April 9 to May 28, 12:00 - 12:30 pm
Meet in front of Merten Hall. Hosted by Human Resources

Spring into Well-Being
April 22-26. Times and locations vary.
Events include Daily Walking Breaks, Stress Less Fest, Junior Patriot Palooza, and Kindness Day.

April 29 | 12:30 - 3:30 pm | Johsnon Center, Dewberry Hall

OSCAR holds the celebration three times a year, inviting undergraduate students to share their projects with the Mason community and celebrate what other Mason undergraduate students have accomplished this year. Save the date for the Spring Celebration! It is an in-person event with poster presentation sessions, musical performances, videos, food trucks, and more. We encourage you to announce this opportunity to your students to participate in the Celebration. For students who want to present their research projects or creative activities, check out https://celebration.oscar.gmu.edu/submission-materials/ for more information. 

May 2 | 6 - 9 pm | Country Club of Fairfax

Guests will enjoy an evening in this contemporary setting while sampling culinary delights from our mindfulness menu and sipping signature drinks and cocktails. Your participation will help to reduce our waitlist of 200+ individuals and provide free community health programs, low-cost therapies, testing services, and family psychological support. Learn more and register here.

April 25 | 5 - 7 pm | Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, 2300 Opitz Boulevard, Woodbridge, VA 22191

Join the Northern Virginia BioHub at State of Bio, an evening of networking among healthcare professionals, life science industry leaders, and academic researchers.

Come for an evening of networking, drinks, and fun! Hear from a panel of experts as they hare knowledge, and new discoveries driving science and medicine forward. The panel will highlight innovations needs in health care, and the importance of research and healthcare partnerships. The event is free.

Speakers:
Jeff Joyner, President, Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center
Sean Connaughton, President and CEO, Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association
Melissa Perry, Dean, Mason College of Public Health
Virginia Espina, Mason Research Professor, Director CAP CLIA Lab

All Mason employees received the Faculty and Staff Experience (FSE) Survey in their email inbox on April 3 and are encouraged to participate. The survey is an opportunity for faculty and staff to communicate engagement needs and co-create an environment that better understands, creates space for, and invests in well-being, inclusion, and belonging practices. We are aiming for a 90% response rate in the College. All responses remain anonymous.

This survey is separate from the COACHE survey that many faculty completed in 2019 and 2022. New for 2024, the Faculty Evaluation of Administrators (FEA) will be added to the FSE Survey and an evaluation of academic chairs and directors has also been included. After completing the FSE, you will advance to the FEA survey. Learn more about the Faculty and Staff Experience Survey.

April 16 | 12:30-1:30 pm | Peterson 2000 or Zoom

Join us for the final meeting for this school year of the Health Equity Journal Club. All students, faculty, and staff are welcome. We look forward to this conversation! The article for April is available here: Adverse childhood experiences and mental health conditions (2022).pdf. 

Weller, B. E., Conrad, J. K., Wilburn, V. G., Ramamonjiarivelo, Z., & Gladden, J. (2022). Adverse childhood experiences and mental health conditions among multiracial adolescents. Ethnicity & Health, 27(5), 1088–1102. https://doi.org/10.1080/13557858.2020.1869187

Email Karen Trister Grace (kgrace@gmu.edu) for any questions.

April 18 | 12 - 1 pm | Zoom

Join HAP for an enlightening session titled "Regression Through Search in Data," where Professor Alemi will delve into the intricacies of data analysis. Explore the fascinating world of regression and its applications in navigating and interpreting vast datasets.

April 19 | 12 pm | PHC Multipurpose Room

RSVP now for the annual CPH Faculty & Staff Awards ceremony. Lunch will follow immediately in the Peterson Hall Lobby. Deadline to RSVP for lunch is 5 pm today, Monday, April 15.

April 24 | 6 - 8 pm | Peterson Lobby

Graduate health administration and informatics students will showcase their hands-on experience solving current healthcare challenges, demonstrate skills, and prepare for future careers. Refreshments will be provided.

In the previous week of the challenge, Nutrition has slightly nudged out OSA and Michelle Williams was top individual stepper. Today starts the final walking week of the Spring 2024 Challenge. Turn in your Monday, 4/15 - Sunday, 4/21 steps by 5 pm (a little extra time) on 4/22, and look for the winning unit to be announced in the April 29 newsletter! Report your steps by 5 pm on Monday 4/22.

You can now find archived links to all the CPH faculty/staff newsletters on the Faculty resource page and here. February 2024 through last week are currently linked. We are working on adding links to older newsletters.