Students

Freshmen moving into the residence halls on Wednesday, Aug. 18, marks the start of the 2021-22 academic year at George Mason University.

Mason will welcome new and returning students to the Fairfax Campus during New Student Convocation on Friday, Aug. 20. This year, two classes will be acknowledged at EagleBank Arena: the incoming Class of 2021 and the returning Class of 2020, whose official on-campus welcome was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nearly 100 Mason students presented the results of their summer multidisciplinary research and creative projects on Aug. 5-6 in a virtual celebration of student scholarship.

George Mason University is a large and diverse school with more than 39,000 students. For incoming freshmen, that can be overwhelming. Quill Camp is an extended Orientation program that helps them navigate their transition to their new home at Mason.

Calahan Young qualified for the USA Men’s Goalball team and will compete in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, which begin Aug. 25.

Spelman College in Atlanta recently named Mason alum Liz Andrews executive director of Spelman College Museum of Fine Art. She began her new role Aug. 2.

Deborah Willis (PhD cultural studies 2003) remembers wanting to be a photographer since she was 10 years old. Her mother worked as a beautician, and Willis said the images and stories that surrounded her in her mom’s shop had a lasting impact on her career and her view of activism. Willis was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences this year in recognition of her life of activism as a photographer.

Through her internships for PolitiFact, Voice of America and USA Today, Sudiksha Kochi learned about the life of a reporter and the ins and outs of investigative journalism.

Computer game design student Ying Wang wanted to help kids protect themselves from COVID-19, so she designed an app to do just that.