Faculty/Staff Newsletter

Y. Alicia Hong, a digital behavioral health interventionist, will support older adults in honing their digital technology skills. The program, through an interdisciplinary partnership, will pair youth and older adults to practice real-life AI scenarios.

In her latest Mindful Epidemiologist, Dean Melissa Perry discusses how AI companions may soothe briefly, but real human connection is essential for health. Explore neuroscience, risks of AI overuse, and ways to nurture resilience through daily ties.

College of Public Health alum Sinoxolo “Susan” Favor and Raven McCormick,  career advisor in the college, tailor applications, perfect resumes, and refuse to let temporary setbacks derail professional success.

Congratulations to Jhumka Gupta, GCH, on receiving NIH funding for her project “Adaptation and pilot trial of an intervention to reduce intimate partner violence and mental health symptoms among forcibly displaced resettled Congolese populations in the United States."

Kat Scafide will be giving the opening keynote at the American Nurses Enterprise Research Symposium on October 7. She will discuss "Pioneering the Future: Unleashing the Power of Innovation in Nursing Research."

ORBIT seeks to increase the skills of Fellows in a phased approach to behavioral intervention development, including associated questions, innovative methods, and study designs for early-phase translation of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research to improve health. Any post-graduate investigator (doctoral or terminal degree received) in the medical, behavioral, social, and statistical/methodology sciences who has a demonstrated pre-existing interest in contributing to investigator teams in developing and testing behavioral treatments is eligible to apply to this course. Deadline is December 4. See the FAQ page for more information. 

Interested in palliative care topics? Then follow the new Advancing the Science of Palliative Care Research across the Lifespan (ASCENT) Consortium, a national research initiative focused on providing resources, expertise, and coordination across institutions to advance innovative, high-quality research for those living with serious illness and those who care for them. The ASCENT Consortium also has 2 new funding opportunities (Research Scholar Award and Pilot/Exploratory Studies Award) to promote the palliative care research workforce and build the evidence base for palliative care across the lifespan and a range of populations.

NIH: NINR Community-Partnered Nursing Research Centers (P20 Clinical Trial Optional) PAR-25-439

The CPH pilot program provides seed funding to stimulate research activity, underscoring our commitment to pioneering investigations and impactful scholarly pursuits. We encourage you to submit your applications.

The deadline for submission is January 21, 2026. Awards will be made by March 9, 2026, and extend for 12 months. The CPH pilot awards will support the direct costs of research, such as laboratory experiments, field studies, data collection, or data acquisition. Investigators may request up to $30,000; in all, approximately 8 awards are anticipated. Details on how to apply and on the review process are provided here.

Ali Weinstein has been appointed as the Center for the Advancement of Well-being's new Director of Research and Scholarship. Weinstein has been a vital part of our center’s community since joining as a Senior Scientist in 2019 and is poised to steer its research initiatives into a new era of collaborative success. Learn more. 

November 14 | 8:30-5:30 pm | Fairfax Campus

Join faculty and students from across campus for this event to engage doctoral students in deeper learning of qualitative research methods. Doctoral research students having completed their first year of coursework, postdoctoral scholars, researchers, and others interested in enhancing their qualitative research skills would benefit from participating in the qualitative research day.

Space is limited, so complete the registration only if you can commit to attending the full day. Register here by October 10. CPH is a sponsor of this event. 

Writing Research, Scholarship and Creative Work Statements
October 15 | 1:30 to 3 pm | Zoom | Register

Navigating Politics in Academia
November 5 |1:30 to 3 pm | Zoom | Register

The workshops are open to all faculty (full and part-time), post docs, and doctoral students. These workshops provide essential strategies and tools to help you grow professionally. 

If you are interested in joining a faculty community that helps keep you accountable for your writing, join the Faculty Writing Community sponsored by Faculty Affairs & Development and Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC). Both weekly in-person and online writing sprints are offered throughout the semester.

Online: Hosted by Faculty Writing Fellow Jeff Moran, Fridays from 9-11 am. Join here.

In-Person: Hosted by Faculty Writing Fellow Thalia Goldstein, Tuesdays from 3-4:30 pm. RSVP here.

If you have not set up your account with the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD), please do so soon here. George Mason has an institutional membership, so faculty simply go to the website and set up a free account; then, you will see a plethora of resources, including 14-day writing challenges, pre-recorded faculty development webinars, and much more. If you have any questions, please contact Cathy Tompkins, ctompkin@gmu.edu.

The study leave deadline for both tenure-line and term instructional CPH faculty has been extended. The new deadline is October 20. Learn more here for tenure-line study leave information and here for term instructional faculty study leave information. Contact Cathy Tompkins with any questions.

Congratulations to Maryam Sadat Farvid for being the Wall of Wow winner for September. A prize will be delivered to Maryam within the next couple of days. There are so many great things to read on each department’s Wall of Wow! Please keep the kudos and support coming!!

OSA welcomes departments and student organizations to submit items to its weekly student digests. A digest for undergraduate students and one for graduate students is sent out each Thursday, providing information about academic updates/deadlines, upcoming events, and career opportunities. Submit an announcement here. Any questions can be directed to Colleen Vernola-Atkinson, cvernola@gmu.edu.

October 16 |  9:00 AM – 4:15 PM | Johnson Center, Dewberry Hall | Register on MasonLEAPS

Each year, George Mason designates a day to bring faculty and staff together for professional and personal growth: Faculty-Staff Enrichment Day (FSED). The event features development workshops, networking opportunities, and time to reflect, recharge, and connect with colleagues from across the university.

Thursdays | noon | Peterson Hall Lobby

Thursday walks continue in the fall. It's great weather to take a break from work and catch some fresh air. This week's walk will be led by Sarah Atif from the George Mason Ombuds Office. There's also a Team you can join to get announcements about the Thursday walk.

October 13 | 10 am - 2 pm | SciTech Campus | RSVP

Explore how nanotech is shaping medicine, materials, energy, and everyday life through interactive demos, hands-on activities, and live talks with researchers pushing the field forward. Wander through booths, test out experiments, and get a glimpse of science that’s changing the future, one tiny breakthrough at a time. And yes, we’ll have food trucks on site to keep you fueled while you explore.

October 6 | 12:30 - 1:30 pm | Multipurpose Room & Zoom

The Staff Council leadership team invites all wage, classified staff, and AP faculty to join us for our first official business meeting for the Staff Council of the College of Public Health. At this meeting we will review operations, brainstorm ideas for the coming year, share important ADA announcements, and host an open discussion. View the meeting agenda. Any questions or concerns, please contact Allie McKay at amckay4@gmu.edu.

 October 7 | 1:30 - 3 pm | Merten Hall Room 1204 | RSVP

The Social Work Department invites you to the Human Rights Dialogues Series. The first hybrid event on October 7 features Dr. Claudia Mahler, UN Independent Expert on the Enjoyment of All Human Rights by Older Persons, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. She is currently working on the convention for human rights for older adults! Contact Li-Mei Chen with questions.

October 13 | 2 - 3:30 pm | HUB Ballroom & Zoom: https://gmu.zoom.us/j/99562266010?pwd=OLLNm0NoIfP1yN9Yzn03jcNp4JJYug.1 

All are invited to a town hall with President Gregory Washington. In-person attendance is encouraged. Questions will be taken at the conclusion of the town hall, but the Zoom chat function will not be enabled. Q&A will not be available on the livestream and the session will not be recorded. Zoom link will be shared in a future newsletter.

October 20 | 11:30 am Speaker, 12:30 pm Lunch | PHC Multipurpose Room | RSVP

November 3 | 6:30 - 8:15 pm | Washington Convention Center, Room 149B | RSVP

Join us for a George Mason College of Public Health reception at the APHA Annual Meeting. You don't have to attend the APHA Conference to attend the reception. Connect with alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends in a relaxed, welcoming setting. Enjoy light refreshments and conversation as you network with public health professionals and catch up with colleagues and classmates. 

Tuesdays | 12 pm | PHC Multipurpose Room

All faculty and staff are welcome! Contact Cathy Tompkins with any questions. 

Déjà vu: Nutrition & Food Studies still a hair’s breadth ahead of HAP, and T Rebmann again had the most steps for an individual last week.

Reporting for September 29-October 5 is due today by 11:59 pm. All CPH employees can join in—this includes adjuncts, GRAs, and wage staff. Report your preceding week’s steps here.

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Questions or comments about the newsletter? Email mcunni7@gmu.edu.