|
|
| Wednesday, October 4, 2023 science.gmu.edu
| |
|
Understanding AI, the bigger picture, and ourselves
by Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm
What does it take to make a learning community thrive? A sense of curiosity? Truly valuing diverse perspectives? A spirit of innovation and constant improvement. Its vibrancy and an ability to effectively collaborate? Yes to all of these things.
The Stearns Learning Center at George Mason University creates many opportunities for our vibrant learning community to come together. This week, at the 15th annual Innovations in Teaching and Learning Conference events, more than 200 of our Mason community will come together to discuss teaching in an AI world among many other topics (they are offering 25+ in-person sessions).
I encourage our community to attend and for those who do, to bring back ideas and takeaways. Learn from each other. Come up with new ways to collaborate, engage, challenge each other, and grow. Perhaps share your thoughts at the weekly Mason Science open to all Friday afternoon coffee on the second floor of Exploratory Hall. Or at the next faculty non-agenda meeting on October 24 from noon to 1:30 p.m. or the next Mason Science Community of Scientists lunch (check the faculty teams chat or recent meeting minutes for details). Or even the all-staff meeting on October 5 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. (for classified staff and non-student wage workers). Vibrant learning communities discuss new ideas and spur creative learning and there are many opportunities to come together and connect.
Our college motto Understand. Innovate. Succeed. starts with a word that most people don't expect. Innovation has been a buzz word for years and it's one of Mason's defining traits responsible for our rise. Success is something we strive for, self-explanatory. But Understand… Why pick that word? Some may say ‘understanding’ is a critical foundation for scientific thinking and collaboration.
| |
Participate in an upcoming Compassionate Conversations Workshop
Join Erika Brown, Inclusive Education Manager in the Office of DEI and Paula Danquah-Brobby, Director of DEl in the College of Science for a faculty and staff workshop that develops skills for communication and interaction across cultures and expand opportunities to engage in authentic and compassionate communication.
Compassionate ConversationsThursday, October 12, 2023, noon to 2 p.m., Exploratory Hall, 3301Monday, October 16, 2023, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Virtual
Building Community through Compassionate Conversations*
Thursday, October 26, 2023, noon to 2:30 p.m., Exploratory Hall, 3301
*Must complete compassionate conversation module prior to attending
Be sure to check out other ABCE initiatives across the college on the Mason Science Intranet and the ABCE web page.
| |
You're invited to an 'out of this world' experience at Mason Space Day 2023
You and your family are invited to attend the second annual Mason Space Day on Sunday, October 22 from 3 to 9 p.m. on Mason's Fairfax Campus. This free, family-friendly event offers opportunities to learn about the technology and science behind some of the leading aerospace projects in the area, with lectures from the former head of NASA and former astronaut Charles F. Bolden, Jr., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Scientist Michelle Thaller, and Mason experts including Anamaria Berea who recently served on a 16-person NASA appointed unidentified anomalous phenomena panel.
| |
#FacultyFriday highlights forensic science adjunct professor
Last #FacultyFriday highlighted Ian M. Rodway, Adjunct Professor for the Forensic Science Program. Serving as an adjunct for the past twelve years, Rodway has had the pleasure of seeing and contributing to the growth of the program, both in quantity and in quality. Outside of his adjunct position, Rodway practiced law for more than 50 years, primarily as a prosecutor. He believes it is important for Forensic Science students to learn about the legal underpinnings of the system along with its real-life applications. View original Instagram post.
| |
Smith receives funding for watershed programs
by Elizabeth Grisham
Cynthia Smith, Associate Professor and K12 Education Director, Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center (PEREC), Environmental Science and Policy, received $60,750 from Fairfax County Public Schools for: "FCPS Watershed Programs." Since 2010, Smith has worked closely with the FCPS science office to deliver outdoor, hands-on field investigations to 5,200 seventh graders annually. More than 350 Mason students have worked as PEREC field interpreters, honing their science communication skills while inspiring and engaging youth in discovery, exploration, and measurement of living and non-living components in their local aquatic environments. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services.
| |
The impact of Polly Klaas' kidnapping 30 years later
by Kim Cross
The Los Angeles Times recently reflected on the case of Polly Klaas and the way it led to a nationwide shift in the way child abductions were handled. Mason Science's own Mary Ellen O'Toole, Director, Forensic Science served as the FBI profiler for the case and later wrote the FBI’s official kidnapping protocol. Photo from NewsBase/Associated Press.
| |
View updated Mason editorial style guide
Do you write about your department or unit for internal or external communications? Ever wondered whether to capitalize a job title or building name or if you really should hyphenate that word? Mason's Editorial Style Guide holds the answers to these questions and more. The guide is your comprehensive source on Mason's rules for keeping communications consistent, on brand, and grammatically correct. (Note: access requires Mason credentials). Learn more about these and other resources on the Mason Science Intranet.
| |
Apply to become a Jefferson Science Fellow
Take part in shaping the future of U.S. diplomacy and international development by applying for a 2024 Jefferson Science Fellowships (JSF). These fellowships serve as an innovative model for engaging the American academic science, engineering, and medical communities in U.S. foreign policy and international development through a one-year immersive experience at the U.S. Department of State or the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Applications due October 17, 2023 no later than 5 p.m.
| |
October 1 2023 to November 1, 2023
First observed in 1994, October was selected as LGBTQ+ History Month because it coincides with National Coming Out Day on October 11, and because it is the month of the first March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights in 1979. Check out all the events taking place this month.
Mason Science All-Staff Meeting
October 5, 2023 | 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. | Exploratory Hall, 3301 and Virtual
All classified staff and non-student wage employees are invited to attend. Meet the elected members of the 2023 Staff Advisory Committee (SAC), receive updates on the Mason Science Assessment from Tara Kuhn and Kaithlyn Kayer in the Provost's Office, and hear the latest ABCE updates from Paula Danquah-Brobby. You may attend in-person on Mason's Fairfax Campus, Exploratory Hall, 3301 or virtually via Zoom. Lunch will be provided for those who attend in-person. Register to attend.
WATER Research Symposium
October 9, 2023 | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Potomac Science Center
Attend this one-day interdisciplinary symposium to gain a new perspective on water. Talks and posters will examine water in research, education, art, culture, and society, and highlight current work by Mason faculty, students, and staff and additional external partners and collaborators. Lunch and light refreshments will be provided.
Nanotechnology Day
October 9, 2023 | 10 a.m. to noon | Institute for Advanced Biomedical Research lobby, SciTech Campus
Are you looking for an engaging way to spend the morning with your children exploring Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)? Families and K-12 children are invited to join and learn more about the Nanoscale with hands-on activities, including a Nobel Prize winning experiment. Lab tours will also be available for students 12 years and older. Register to attend.
Woman In Motion Documentary Event
October 16, 2023 | 6 to 8:30 p.m. | Johnson Center Cinema, Fairfax Campus
The College of Science Women Leaders in STEM, STEM Accelerator, and CVPA's Visiting Filmmakers Series are pleased to collaborate on a free screening and discussion of the documentary film Woman In Motion. Register on Mason 360 to attend. Guests can be registered on the night of the screening.
Deadline: November 1, 2023 | 11:59 p.m.
Please take a moment to nominate the colleagues you feel deserve recognition for their contributions to the Mason Science community the 2023 calendar year. Submit nominations for one or more of the 15 available College of Science Dean's Awards. Several NEW awards have been added this year, so be sure to visit the Celebration of Success web page for a full list of awards and eligibility.
| |
|
|
|
|
