As we begin the first semester of 2020, we acknowledge the contributions of four longtime Schar School stalwarts who retired in 2019.
Stephen Fuller
Stephen Fuller announced his “first” retirement in 2014, effective 2017, but clearly that didn’t stick. In January of that year, the Schar School opened the Stephen S. Fuller Institute for Research on the Washington Region’s Future Economy with Fuller at the helm, but this time, he’s made it official: In December he handed his (literal) crystal ball—used, it is said, for forecasting economic changes—to Deputy Director Jeannette Chapman. It is predicted with all the accuracy of a Fuller Economic Forecast that he will reappear on occasion to provide insights on the region he has studied for more than 50 years.
Timothy Conlan
During Timothy Conlan’s 32-year legacy at Mason he has seen “enormous growth and progress during my tenure here,” he said. “I am pleased to have played roles in establishing our PhD programs in Political Science and Public Policy and enhancing the MPA and undergraduate programs. Most of all I am grateful for having had wonderful colleagues and students throughout my time at Mason. I will miss the people more than anything. Meetings, maybe not so much.” He intends to keep up his award-winning research but will “replace school committees with schools of fish,” as he takes to “anywhere worth traveling to and spending time outdoors.”
Bill Coester
After more than 20 years at Mason, most of them spent on-boarding TIPP/PIA/SPP/SPGIA/Schar School personnel, Hawaii native Bill Coester finally said "aloha!" and headed off to retirement. More than 80 Schar School faculty and staff members attended his October 16 farewell party. Bill said after a Hawaiian vacation he hopes to volunteer at Baltimore-Washington Airport and the Red Cross as well as spend more time working with his church.
Susan McClure
Longtime Schar School Executive Assistant to the Dean, Susan McClure, retired at the end of July. Susan began her career at George Mason 26 years ago in various capacities before finding her way in 1999 to The Institute of Public Policy to work for founding dean Kingsley Haynes. It is no understatement that Susan's contribution was crucial to each one of the milestones in the development of what is now the Schar School.