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| Wednesday, August 23, 2023 science.gmu.edu
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Focusing on our ABCs
by Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm
Welcome to the Fall 2023 semester and the new academic year at Mason Science! This is one of my favorite parts of the year, giving us all the opportunity of a new beginning and the promise of great things to come, including new challenges and experiences.
As we come together to start this academic year, I’d like us to consider focusing on the basics, our ABCs if you will.
A – Access. Access to opportunity, to experiences, to information, to ideas.
B – Belonging. Build a thriving community, a place where people want to work, learn, and grow.
C – Community Engagement. Fully engage. Enhance what we do, and how we do it, bringing forward new or previously proven ideas and approaches, to expand research impact, evolve and optimize our learning and working environments, and build and strengthen partnerships.
As we envision our future, Mason Science is embarking on a journey to increase sustainability, improve student, staff, and faculty success, and enhance the impact of our research. Critical to our success is a defined strategy created with insights gathered from faculty, staff, students, and partners, to establish our new, comprehensive, and community-driven five-year Strategic Plan.
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Weatherspoon selected as Associate Dean for Undergraduate and Graduate Student Affairs
On July 25, 2023, Gerald L. R. Weatherspoon joined the College of Science Dean’s leadership team as the Associate Dean for Undergraduate and Graduate Student Affairs. A well-known leader and scholar within the Mason community, he will provide leadership, vision, advocacy, and oversee execution for the college’s Office of Student Affairs.
Weatherspoon joined Mason in 1996 as a tenure track assistant professor. For the past seven years, he served as Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. “I have learned invaluable lessons by working with leadership as we navigated unchartered waters, while addressing some extremely complex student-centric matters that required engagement of multiple university entities,”
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Planting the ‘seed’ to advance nanoparticle growth reactions
by Laura Powers
The synthesis of gold nanoparticles is a process studied and applied for more than 20 years, yet scientists are just now understanding how they originate. Interim Chair for Mason’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Andre Clayborne and Chemistry PhD candidate Nia Pollard were both a part of a recent study published by Nature Communications that identified an atomically precise “seed” that will develop into a specific nanoparticle type—opening the door for scientists to understand how to produce specific gold nanoparticle shape based on a given application.
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Students apply mathematical modeling to drug addiction and recovery in summer research program
by Tracy Mason
The Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) chose five sites across the United States for its inaugural summer SIAM-Simons Undergraduate Research Program in applied mathematics and computational science. George Mason University, and specifically the Department of Mathematical Sciences in the College of Science, was one of those sites. Mason Science mathematics professor Padmanabhan (Padhu) Seshaiyer served as program mentor with support from Mason mathematics PhD student Alonso Ogueda-Oliva. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding.
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Uhen helps introduce tiny ancient whale
by Skyler Ware
Mason Science's Mark Uhen, Professor and Chair of the Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Earth Sciences, spoke to ScienceNews about a recent study that identified one of the earliest and smallest basilosaurids, a family of ancient aquatic creatures related to modern whales. Uhen was not a part of the study, but is an expert in the origin and evolution of whales and dolphins. Photo by Ahmed Morsi and Hesham Sallam.
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Mason alumnus believes there is still hope for the future of coral reefs
by David Guggenheim
A recent article in Global Americans by Mason Science alumnus David Guggenheim, PhD Environmental Science and Public Policy '98, addresses the continued decline of coral reefs around the world. However, Guggernheim notes that the reefs in Cuba are, in contrast, healthy and thriving—an anomaly he addresses in his latest book.
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Welcome2Mason Events
The Welcome2Mason event series kicks off the fall semester, now through mid-September. Activities include:
- Mason Square Fest (multiple events through Aug. 24)
- IVth Night, a carnival with food, games, and the annual Mason Fight Song T-shirt giveaway (Aug. 24)
- Get Connected Fair, where students can learn about university offices and student organizations (Aug. 30)
Photo by Cristian Torres/Office of University Branding.
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'Arts Alive!' at the Hylton Center
Arts Alive! at the Hylton Performing Arts Center is a family-friendly arts festival featuring Prince William County Arts Council members, community performers, and fine artists.
Enjoy hands-on activities for all ages, multiple stages of performances, food and beverages available for purchase, and more.
Join the celebration on Sunday, Sept. 10, from noon to 5 p.m. on the SciTech Campus. This event is free; no tickets required. Photo provided.
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Mason Night with D.C. United
August 26, 2023 | 7:30 p.m. | Audi Field
Join your fellow Mason Patriots for an exciting evening with D.C. United as they take on the Philadelphia Union. If you've never seen a Major League Soccer match in person, this is an experience you won't want to miss.
Mars, Voted Most Likely: A Grand Tour of the Solar System
August 29, 2023 | 8 to 10 p.m. | Virtual
Mars is the most explored planet in our solar system besides Earth, and for good reason. Katie Stack Morgan, the deputy project scientist on the Perseverance rover mission and a mission scientist on the Curiosity rover mission, explains why Mars remains the best place in the solar system to look for signs of ancient life. Purchase tickets. Presented by the George Mason University Observatory and Smithsonian Associates.
Workshop: Relate to the Real World: How to Make Your Assignments Relevant
August 31, 2023 | 9 to 10 a.m. | Virtual
In this workshop, you will learn how to use the Transparency in Learning & Teaching (TILT) framework, a set of strategies that have been shown to boost academic confidence, sense of belonging and skills valued in the workplace for all students, particularly underserved students. Register to attend.
ScienceConnect 2023
September 12, 2023 | 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. | Fairfax Campus
September 14, 2023 | 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. | SciTech Campus
Encourage your students to attend. Meet Mason Science students while discussing your programs and sharing research and professional opportunities with free food and chances to win Mason Science SWAG. Register to attend.
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