Graduate Division

Rania Zaied, a fourth-year PhD student in George Mason University’s Department of Communication, has won first-place at the annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, an engaging event that showcases the innovative research of doctoral candidates. She will advance to the 2026 regional competition in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, hosted by the Council of Southern Graduate Schools. 

This October, members of George Mason’s Graduate Education team - Graduate Student Life and Graduate Division - attended the biannual Virgina Council of Graduate Schools (VCGS) meeting. Hosted at the University of Virginia this semester, leadership from graduate education offices from universities across the state came together to discuss updates from their campuses, plans to host the 2027 Conference of Southern Graduate Schools in Northern Virginia, mentor/mentee expectations, services and supports for post-doctoral fellows, graduate assistant stipends, enrollment trends, and graduate student professional development.

This summer, George Mason graduate students rolled up their sleeves in busy labs, learned their way around unfamiliar equipment, and even played a part in moving clinical trials forward, working with start-ups and biotech companies in the recently established Innovation District anchored by the university’s Science and Technology Campus.

In her role as associate director for graduate professional and career development, Stephanie Bluth has established programs that allow Mason to meet state, national, and federal requirements while preparing students for the changing workforce and ensuring that those who come to Mason not only leave with degrees but also with job force readiness skills.

The Office of the Provost is excited to announce the launch of George Mason University’s Graduate Division. The Graduate Division will be one of the major units of Academic Affairs within the Office of the Provost.

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.

The new Graduate Division, directed by Associate Provost Laurence Bray, plays a lead role in preparing well-rounded and diverse graduates to contribute to research productivity and workforce development.