Faculty/Staff Newsletter

Larry Cheskin will lead the trial. The College was chosen as one of six trial sites for its expertise in obesity and weight loss.

A study by health behavior researcher Martha Kubik suggests that increased access to physical activity opportunities at community sites participating in the congregate meal program, a federally-supported healthy meal program for seniors, results in a more active lifestyle for older Black adults at greater risk of high blood pressure.

Thank you to everyone who attended the Dean's Address last Thursday. It was great to be gathered to hear about the college and connect with colleagues. If you missed it, you can review the slides here, and the recording here (Password: *R$BTT5&).

Jhumka Gupta (GCH) received an Association for Women in Science Bridge grant that allows PIs to continue to support trainees on research. She wil use the award for the ongoing research examining the role of Federally Qualified Health Centers in promoting healing among Central American Immigrant Women with histories of violence against women. 

Denise Hines (SW) was named a High Ranked Scholar by ScholarGPS in the field of violence, ranking in the top 0.05%.

Interested in NSF’s CAREER program? Join George Mason's Office of Research, Innovation, and Economic Impact NSF Career Cohort by completing this brief registration form.

Deadline is January 26, 2026. Applicants commit 4-6 hours per month, prepare a 15-page project description by May 22, 2026, and receive comments from program mentors and reviewers. 

Substantial changes are coming to NIH's Biosketch Form starting January 25. Stanford and UNC do a great job of listing the changes.

Change highlights include:

BIOSKETCHES

Two Forms (SciENcv will combine the two forms into one PDF document when investigators download and certify a NIH biosketch from SciENcv):

1. Biographical Sketch Common Form (Professional Preparation, Appointment and Positions, Products)

-Up to 10 products total will be allowed on the NIH Common Form, categorized into two subsections.
-Up to 5 products most closely related to the proposed project (aligns with products formerly in Personal Statement).
-Up to 5 Other Significant Products (aligns with products formerly in Contributions to Science).

2. NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement

-Personal Statement - 3,500 character limit
-Contributions to Science - up to 5 entries, each no more than 2,000 characters
-Honors - 15 entries max

CURRENT AND PENDING (OTHER) SUPPORT

-Form Name Change from Other Support to Current and Pending (Other) Support.
-Effort: Report only in Person Months* rather than Calendar or Academic/Summer.

PCORI is inviting patients, caregivers, researchers and the health care community to apply to join one of its four advisory panels: 

-Clinical Trials Advisory Panel 
-Patient Engagement Advisory Panel 
-Rare Disease Advisory Panel 
-Comparative Clinical Effectiveness Research (CER) Advisory Panel

If you are interested, register for the Applicant Town Hall on February 9. Applications are due March 6.

Deadline: January 21

Details on the application and review process are available here. 

Rene Geschke received 2026 Stearns Center Curriculum and Teaching Leadership funding for her project "AI-Enhanced Scenario Learning Toolkit for Healthcare Leadership Education."

Esther Park, Iulia Fratila, Allison Miner, and Yanika Kowitlawakul were featured on a Keystone Concepts in Teaching: A Higher Education Podcast from the Stearns Center. They discuss how they got started as new faculty members, their efforts to transform their teaching and students’ learning, and engagement with professional development. Listen here.

February 16, 2026 | Faculty Annual Performance Reviews due. Learn more about the faculty annual review process and procedures here.

 January 29 | 6:30 - 7:30 pm | Virtual, link in calendar invite

All CPH Faculty are invited to join this presentation by Laina Lockett from the Stearns Center. All instructional faculty (tenure-line and term faculty) should have received a calendar invite with a Zoom link. If you did not receive a calendar invite/zoom link and you are interested in attending (you don’t need to be instructional faculty), please let Cathy Tompkins know.

CPH Adjunct Faculty Connections Program

January 20 | Zoom | Link in Calendar Invite

Please join us with any questions that may be on your mind. We discuss adjunct faculty engagement within their departments/school, at the college and university levels. 

Spring 2026 Adjunct Faculty Meeting

January 29 | 6 - 7:30 pm | Virtual | Link in Calendar Invite

All CPH adjunct faculty should have received a calendar invite with a Zoom link. At 6:30, we will have a presentation by Laina Lockett from the Stearns Center titled AI Teaching Strategies for CPH Faculty (the presentation is open to all CPH faculty). 

February 9 | 11:30 am -12:30 pm followed by lunch | Multipurpose Room | RSVP here

Join the Dean for "A New Direction for Students in an AI World: Prosper, Prepare, and Protect," with Rebecca Winthrop, a leading global authority on education, the director of the Center for Universal Education at Brookings and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University. Winthrop is dedicated to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive in life, work, and as an engaged citizen. She leads cutting-edge research and initiatives aimed at transforming education systems around the world to better support children's learning and development.

Winthrop is a trusted advisor to both school communities and national and international organizations. Her expertise is sought by many including parent networks, schools, district education leaders, the White House, the United Nations, and Fortune 500 companies. Winthrop's work is centered on developing and advocating for evidence-based strategies that bring people together—families, educators, policymakers, and companies—to help children maximize their potential.

She holds a PhD from Columbia University’s Teachers College, an MA from its School of International and Public Affairs, and a BA from Swarthmore College.

January 21 | 12-1:30 pm | 2044 Rayburn House Office Building | Register

Dean Melissa Perry will moderate the Capitol Hill briefing, “Health Services Research 101: Improving Health Outcomes by Improving Health Care,”  to explore how Health Services Research strengthens health care delivery, increases value, and advances more accessible, effective care nationwide. Dean Perry examines HSR - a vital yet often undervalued field that ensures medical advances translate into meaningful patient outcomes. Learn more and register.

January 27 | 1-2 pm | Merten Hall 1204 | Register Here

George Mason's Operational Risk Management is hosting a Programs Serving Minors Summit. Representatives from University Events, Human Resources, University Counsel, Office of Access, Compliance, and Community, Housing & Residence Life, Risk, Safety & Resilience, Parking & Transportation, Fiscal Services, Dining Services, and University Branding will be participating. Following the presentations, there will be a Q&A session and an opportunity to connect directly with campus partners. If your department offers a program, event, or camp (PEC) that serves minors, hosts a minor in an internship or mentorship, or plans to develop a PEC, you are welcome to attend. 

It is time to nominate your colleagues (and self-nominate) for the CPH faculty and staff awards!  Nominate now for:

Staff Awards -  due February 20, 2026  

Faculty Teaching Awards -  due March 16, 2026 

Faculty Community Service Impact Award – due March 16, 2026

Research Awards -  due March 16, 2026

Note: these are Word documents and might not automatically open in a window. Check your Downloads folder.

February 4, 2026 | 12 – 1 pm | Zoom

Join the Faculty Development Committee in a discussion about AI’s impact on teaching and learning. CPH faculty and students will share their experiences with AI-powered intelligent tutors built by CPH faculty, AI-assistance in grading, and other methods of using AI to enhance workflows.

PUBLICHEALTH.GMU.EDU

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

View the newsletter archives here.