Kelly Beckwith, assistant director of academic programs for the Department of Global and Community Health, has been recognized for her selfless dedication to College of Public students and graduates.

Learn more about assistant professor in the Department of Global and Community Health Iulia Fratila, how she supports her students, and her passion for researching psycho-socio-cultural factors of various risk behaviors.

All Mason employees are encouraged to participate in the Faculty and Staff Experience (FSE) Survey. 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 | 3:30-4:30 pm | Zoom

A virtual RPT information session for term faculty will provide guidance for term faculty appointment and promotion is located on the Term Faculty Information website. (Similar RPT information sessions for tenure-line faculty members are held in the fall. Guidance for tenure-line faculty is on the tenure-line RPT website.) For any inquiries, please reach out to Faculty Affairs.

2024 publications: Congratulations to CPH faculty on the 50 articles that were published since the beginning of January. I admire CPH for the breadth of these important contributions, spanning domestic and international studies, and empirical and conceptual work. CPH covers the lifespan and focuses on several populations that have been marginalized. I encourage you to have a look at the full list.

Join us! Our CPH "Aims Page" writing group is taking off. Our first meeting is on Thursday, March 28 at 12 pm. CPH researchers will meet every 2 weeks through the end of May in time for the upcoming NIH cycle. Our format is in-person, with Zoom optional. Sign up to present your Aims page or proposal equivalent, give feedback to your colleagues, and share proposal tips. Contact me at aevanscu@gmu.edu to join. 

Mason is offering a workshop on Planning for a Productive Summer. Tuesday, April 9, 1:30-3 pm, as part of its faculty development series. Summer can be both a faculty member’s best friend and biggest challenge. Gone are many of the routines and obligations that take priority throughout the academic year, and we often plan for productive writing, research, and scholarship days. But sometimes even our best laid plans can go by the wayside. Join us for the last of our interactive workshops to help you identify your summer goals, both personal and professional, and develop a concrete plan for achieving those goals. In this conversation, you will be asked to identify the support, you need for success and how you will ensure that this is your most productive – and enjoyable – summer. Registration required, sign up here. This session is co-sponsored by Mason Faculty Affairs & Development and the Office of Research.

Minority Serving Institution (MSI) Designation and Resources: Mason recently received designation by the United States Department of Education as an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI). This enables Mason investigators to apply to a subset of MSI funding opportunities. Please read the eligibility criteria carefully, as Mason will not be eligible for all MSI programs. Sample DEI Language.

The Mason research office is sponsoring a virtual SPIN Grant Database Webinar on Tuesday, April 16, 11 am to 12 pm. Join William DeCocco from InfoEd Global for a webinar on how to maximize your use of the SPIN database to identify funding opportunities. Register here.

New awards: I’m pleased to share that my team was awarded an NIMH R01 grant. Parvati Singh at The Ohio State University, is the PI on our project, “Hyper-surveillance and suicides among Black youth in the U.S.”

Your help is needed to make the Degree Celebration and reception successful events for students. Volunteer positions are still available. The 2024 CPH Degree Celebration will be held on Saturday, May 11 from 2–4 pm with the reception to follow. Email Alma Detten at adetten@gmu.edu with questions.

Positions still open: set up on Friday and Saturday, crowd control, name reader, and Saturday clean up.

Thank you to everyone who has already signed up.

April 2 | 6 - 7:30 pm | PHC Multipurpose Room

Join HAP for an engaging panel discussion featuring alumni from our Master in Health Informatics program. The panel will discuss capstone project design, job searches, career development, and essential professional skills. Please RSVP here.

April 3 | 10 am- 3 pm | SUB 1 room 4210 

CPH Career Advising is hosting a University Career Services Career Influencers Network Handshake training. Handshake is the best way to find student work. This training is especially useful for clinical placement coordinators and any departments or faculty that want to learn how to post internships, shadowing opportunities, jobs, etc. Email Raven McCormick (rgreen14@gmu.edu)  with any questions.

April 9 | 12 pm | PHC Multipurpose Room or Zoom (in-person preferred)

The CPH Faculty Development Committee invites you to a (rescheduled) Media Training workshop presented by Michelle Thompson. Learn about working with the media, responding to media inquiries, social media, and improving your professional online media presence. Participants will have an opportunity to “workshop” their own messaging on a topic of their choice. Those who RSVP will receive more details on how to prepare for the session. In-person attendees who RSVP by noon on Friday, April 5, can choose to receive lunch provided by the Office of Faculty Affairs. Zoom link for session.

 April 19 | 12 pm | PHC Multipurpose Room

Mark your calendars for the annual CPH Faculty & Staff Awards ceremony. Lunch will follow immediately in the Peterson Hall Lobby.  An RSVP link will be provided in the next newsletter.

National Public Health Week
April 1-7

Monday, April 1 | Delta Omega Day of Service

Tuesday, April 2 | Serving the Community through the Mason and Partners Clinic | virtual panel

Wednesday, April 3 | Conversations and Connections: Climate Change and Health | in-person reception and panel

Friday, April 5 | Sexual Health games and free giveaways | Outside Fenwick Library

April 3 | 6-8:30 pm | Merten 1201

Join moderator Dean Melissa Perry for a compelling panel discussion on "Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Climate Change and Health" featuring esteemed experts Dr. Lise Van Susteren, Dr. Ed Maibach, and Nsedu Witherspoon. Climate change poses significant threats to global health, exacerbating existing challenges and introducing new ones.

April 5 | 12 pm | Zoom

Please join us to hear the following CPH faculty share their scholarship during the April Lightning Talks:

Dr. Limei Chen, Social Work
"Unlocking the Potential:  Productive Aging and Community Well-Being"

Dr. Debora Goldberg, Health Administration and Policy
“Clinicians’ Perspectives on the use of Clinical Decision Support Tools in Primary Care: Previous Experience, Barriers and Facilitators, and Strategies for Adoption and Implementation”

Dr. Jacqueline Guevara, Social Work
“Let's Get Real: Being Self Care Role Models for our Students”

You should have received a calendar invite with the Zoom link. Contact Cathy Tompkins if you need the link.

You are cordially invited to attend the 2024 CPH Student Awards Ceremony to celebrate the notable accomplishments of our students. At this event, undergraduate and graduate award recipients selected by departmental committees will be announced and called to stage to receive their individual awards.   

The one-hour ceremony will be held at the Center for the Arts on Friday, April 12 at 3 pm followed by a reception with light refreshments.  

Faculty and staff may sit anywhere in the audience. There will be reserved seating in the first row for presenters who will be called to stage to present their departmental awards. If you have any additional questions, please contact cph@gmu.edu.  

April 19 | 8:30 am - 3:30 pm | Mason's Potomac Science Center - 650 Mason Ferry Ave, Woodbridge, VA 22191

Join stakeholders from George Mason University's College of Public Health, Mason and Partners (MAP) Clinic, Prince William Community Services Board, and other community partners for a free day on how community outreach can improve public health for marginalized communities in Northern Virginia. For questions or concerns, please contact Samba Pathak at spathak5@gmu.edu.

OSA is in the unit lead with Nutrition right behind and Kathy Prudden walked the most steps for an individual this week. Report your steps by noon on Monday.