Institute for a Sustainable Earth (ISE)

For its commitment to campus sustainability, George Mason University has earned a Gold rating in the STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System) Assessment. STARS is a self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance and is offered by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).

A group of scientists from George Mason University’s College of Science are calling the Page and Shenandoah County wildfires a “wake-up call” for Virginia and the Eastern Seaboard that heralds the increasing threat of wildfire to the region as the climate continues to change.

Jeremy Campbell, associate director for strategic engagement in Mason’s Institute for a Sustainable Earth, says that at the current pace the Amazon rainforest, in five to 10 years, could pass a tipping point in which it could transform into grasslands. That process, fueled by deforestation and climate change, has already begun and is a threat to the biodiversity and socio-cultural aspects that define the region.

Y. Alicia Hong, professor in the Department of Health Administration and Policy, is leading an interdisciplinary team to establish community-academic-government partnerships with the goal of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all.

Mason scientist Alireza Ermagun leads collaboration to establish disaster resilience prototype using an interactive map to protect vulnerable regions in California.

A new minor in sustainable systems engineering will be on offered at George Mason University, part of a collaboration between the College of Engineering and Computing, the College of Science, and the Institute for a Sustainable Earth

Mason scientists and partners will leverage their climate expertise and the university’s resources into broader societal implications, thanks to a $6 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Mason engineering professor Kuo Tian is monitoring landfills to make sure our trash doesn't contaminate drinking water.

Mason students are taking pictures of the campus flora, fauna, and fungi with their smartphones—sometimes in the dark—to capture the university’s biodiversity. They are trying to record as many species as possible in this fall's Bioblitz 2023, which continues through Nov. 19.

The new Virginia Climate Center (VCC) at Mason is leading research on tackling climate-related challenges, such as energy, vector-borne illnesses, and extreme weather and flooding in Northern Virginia and throughout the commonwealth.