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Laurence Bray, associate provost for graduate education and leader of the Graduate Division at George Mason University, has been elected to serve as president of the Virginia Council of Graduate Schools (VCGS). Bray will succeed current VCGS president Jeannine Perry, dean of the College of Graduate and Professional Studies at Longwood University, on July 1, 2023.
Founded in 1999, VCGS is a consortium of colleges and universities that builds awareness of the benefits of post-graduate education for students across the commonwealth and for the citizens of Virginia who rely upon those benefits socially, professionally, and economically.
“Dr. Bray has made significant advancements in the future of graduate education and has been the engine that moved the creation of the Graduate Division forward,” said Mason Provost and Executive President Mark R. Ginsberg. “Through the cultivation of relationships with administrators and faculty in all our colleges, she has managed to create seamless experiences across the full spectrum of our students. I am delighted Dr. Bray will be leading the Virginia Council of Graduate Schools and look forward to seeing how graduate education across the commonwealth will benefit from her energy, creativity and clarity in this new role.”
Bray’s vision of elevating graduate education, its visibility, and impact within the commonwealth and beyond aligns with VCGS’s strategic goals. During her presidency, Bray plans to be an advocate on behalf of member institutions for graduate policies, legislation, and funding that advances the mission of graduate education within Virginia. She also will develop possible solutions to mutual challenges in graduate education.
In addition, Bray will collaborate with other organizations, such as the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools, and the Council of Graduate Schools, to exchange and disseminate information and promote mutually beneficial opportunities. Finally, she will place diversity, equity, and inclusion as core values in the Council’s decision-making, allocation of resources, and advocacy.
“I am honored and humbled to have been elected by my peers to serve as the new President of VCGS. This recognition will help elevate the impact and visibility of Mason’s new Graduate Division and grow collaboration with other institutions and partners that promote graduate education,” Bray said.