Megan Bruening was recently named George Mason University’s Director of Fellowships, supporting both undergraduate and graduate programs. Bruening joined the Mason community as the assistant director of graduate fellowships in 2021 and had been serving as interim director for the past several months.
In her new position, Bruening is responsible for overseeing the recruitment and advising of Mason undergraduate and graduate students, as well as alumni, who are applying for nationally competitive awards. She also works with academic and administrative units, faculty, and student organizations to promote fellowship opportunities and encourage students to apply. Bruening further manages Mason’s institutional endorsement process for specific awards and the Mason chapters of Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi.
“We have already seen an increase in the number of fellowship applicants and recipients since I began working at Mason, and one of my goals is to keep this momentum going,” Bruening said. “It is important that we increase the number of applicants, not just awardees, because the process of applying is beneficial to student development. I also plan to work with university partners to provide programming that supports undergraduates in their search for graduate education.”
Bethany Usher, associate provost of Undergraduate Education, expressed excitement for Bruening’s promotion.
“As interim director, she has continued the excellent work by former director LaNitra Berger in identifying potential applicants, helping them choose appropriate opportunities, and supporting them through the application process,” Usher said, noting that Bruening has also increased the range of awards supported by Mason.
“She brings a dedication to Mason’s mission of inclusive excellence, and works to make sure that our applicant pools reflect the diversity of our student population,” Usher added.
Laurence Bray, associate provost of graduate education, also praised Bruening’s work in increasing awareness of fellowships. “She has been a wonderful addition to both the undergraduate and graduate education teams and has made a tremendous difference in promoting and increasing external fellowship awards for graduate students,” Bray said. “Dr. Bruening has built strong relationships with the academic programs and a solid reputation at Mason, which has shown in the increased number of students interested in and successful in external fellowships.”