Around Mason: Week of Oct. 5, 2021

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Faculty/Staff Announcements

Have something to share? Review announcement guidelines and submit an announcement from your unit through the online form.

Deadline is close of business Wednesday for inclusion in the following Tuesday's edition.


Campus Updates


Winter Wellness Flu Shot Clinics

Registration is now open for the Winter Wellness Flu Shot Clinics. Appointments are required. Sign up using the links below:

How to Prepare:

  1. Register to reserve your flu shot appointment at the links above.
  2. Flu shots are by appointment only. No walk-ins will be accepted, in order to follow university social distancing guidelines.
  3. On the day of your appointment, come prepared to show a green Mason COVID Health Check.
  4. Bring a copy of the pharmacy's consent form (pdf).
  5. Bring your insurance card.
  6. Bring a valid form of ID.
  7. We recommend wearing short sleeves.
  8. Plan to spend 10–15 minutes at the clinic after your shot to ensure there is no adverse reaction.

For more information including what insurance is accepted, COVID guidelines, and additional Kaiser information, visit the Winter Wellness Flu Shot Clinic page.

Contact worklife@gmu.edu with questions.


Fall Career Fair

The Fall Career Fair offers students two opportunities to meet with a variety of employers. The in-person event occurred on Sept. 29, but encourage your students to participate in the upcoming virtual event on Oct. 6 from noon to 4 p.m.

Registration links will be emailed to students. A variety of employers hiring for all majors and degree programs will be attending both dates.

For more details, visit careers.gmu.edu/prepare-fair. Contact Bernadette Davey, University Career Services, at bdavey@gmu.edu with questions.


October Staff Senate Meeting

The October Staff Senate meeting will feature Mason Innovation Commission co-chairs Ken Walsh (chief of staff) and Keith Renshaw (psychology department chair and former Faculty Senate chair). The commission has made eight strategic recommendations, at least two of which directly affect staff.

Wednesday, Oct. 6
10 a.m. to 11 a.m. – Guest speakers
General meeting will follow from 11 a.m. to noon
Zoom Meeting: https://gmu.zoom.us/j/93999749658?pwd=UGRZMXdJbFpXaXpRdmRhdG1wMXMyZz09
Passcode: SS123
Call in: 301-715-8592 or 267-831-0333
Webinar ID: 939 9974 9658/ Passcode: 224754

The Staff Senate represents all classified and non-student wage employees at George Mason University. Working closely with university administration, we address concerns that have an impact on the quality of work-life for the Mason community. The work of the senate is accomplished through open and continuous communication with its constituents. Contact the Staff Senate.


New Reservable Group Study Rooms in the Johnson Center

The Johnson Center recently renovated 20 reservable group study rooms for student use. These rooms are a great resource for students who need to complete group assignments, take a virtual class, hold student organization leadership meetings, and more!

Rooms are all equipped with TV and HDMI for easy screen sharing. Rooms are reservable up to two weeks in advance and are open from 8 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. daily.

Direct students to the following webpage to make reservations: studentcenters.gmu.edu/study-rooms

Contact Student Centers at scenters@gmu.edu or 703-993-2921 with questions.


Shuttle Schedule During Fall Break Weekend

An abbreviated Mason Shuttles schedule will be in effect during Fall Break Weekend from Oct. 10–11. For details, visit the Mason Shuttles website. Contact shuttle@gmu.edu or 703-993-2828 with questions.


Training and Professional Development


Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Information Technology Service (ITS) will observe National Cybersecurity Awareness Month throughout October. Learn new tips and tune into the virtual speaker series.

ITS will send daily tweets with online safety and security tips. Follow @GeorgeMasonITS.

Scheduled events include:

  • Sherif Hashem, College of Engineering and Computing, will discuss cyber strategies and policies on Thursday, Oct. 14, at 3 p.m. (Zoom)
  • Tom Winston, director of intelligence content at Dragos, will discuss Ransomware on Wednesday, Oct. 20, at 3 p.m. (Zoom)
  • Live Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA) on Thursday, Oct. 28, from 1 to 3 p.m. The IT Security Office staff will host this forum at lu/gmu_it_security.

For additional information, visit its.gmu.edu or send an email to itsoinfo@gmu.edu.


Join Mason Speakers: Connecting the Campus to the Community

George Mason University’s speakers’ bureau is comprised of almost 100 faculty and staff who volunteer their time to speak to community groups, businesses, and nonprofits interested in learning about a wide variety of topics and Mason-based research.

Mason Speakers serves as a direct link between the campus and the community, providing the opportunity to share your expertise with the citizens who support our institution.

To join, visit masonspeakers.gmu.edu and click on “Become a Speaker.” All arrangements for speaking engagements are handled by the Office of Community and Local Government Relations.

Questions may be directed to Traci Kendall at 703-993-8846 or tkendal2@gmu.edu.


Resources for You


Suit-Up Mason Runs Through Oct. 31

Get dressed for success with the annual JC Penney Suit-Up Mason event, which runs Sept. 20 through Oct. 31. This is a completely virtual mega-sale on career wear just for the Mason community. How to shop:

  • Step 1: Text GMUSUITUP21 to 67292 to get your extra 30 percent off discount code.
  • Step 2: Visit jcpenney.com/m/suit-up to find discounted items.

Sustain & Save Program for Arlington Campus Faculty and Staff

Are you a faculty/staff member who commutes on I-66 to the Arlington Campus during tolling hours?

Mason has partnered with Commute66 to help faculty and staff who currently pay tolls on I-66 take advantage of Sustain & Save. This program provides $100 per month to employees who switch their commute from driving and parking at the Arlington Campus to using transit, carpooling, vanpooling, biking, walking, or another sustainable option.

Conditions apply. Review the details. Contact transpo@gmu.edu with questions. 


Upcoming Performances at Mason

Visual Voices Lecture with Leslie Hewitt
Thursday, Oct. 7, at 7:30 p.m.
Virtual Event

Leslie Hewitt explores political, social, and personal narratives through photography, sculpture, and site-specific installations. Drawing on material from Black popular culture of the 1970s and '80s, Hewitt is interested in how we rely on images to provide memories of personal experience, how collective memory of past events is shaped and preserved, and in how the two overlap, coexist, and inform each other. 

Wind Symphony Concert
Thursday, Oct. 7, at 8 p.m.
Center for the Arts, Concert Hall

The George Mason University Wind Symphony, led by composer-conductor Mark Camphouse, is a select ensemble comprised of outstanding wind, brass, and percussion players in the School of Music and the university. The ensemble’s mission is to study and perform the best literature available for wind band, while emphasizing soloistic and orchestral performance practice.

The Mason Players' Originals!
Friday, Oct. 8, at 8 p.m.
Virtual Event

Tune in for an evening of original new works featuring Mason School of Theater’s talented student playwrights and students. Recorded previously and edited for a digital Mason Arts at Home premiere, Originals! offers Mason’s creative artists the chance to share their work in a variety of forms. Whether it’s a musical, a one-person show, choreographed devised work, or the traditional 10-minute play structure, explore the brilliant imaginations of our students.

Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel: Classics Declassified
Sunday, Oct. 10, at 2 p.m.
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Merchant Hall

Uncover the stories behind some of the most familiar piano works by Beethoven, Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Debussy, and more. In Classics Declassified, Jeffrey Siegel acts as your musical detective and guide to unlock the intrigue and beauty of enchanting musical narratives by Mozart, Chopin, Franz Schubert, and Robert Schumann. An interactive question and answer session will conclude this program. 

​Faculty Artist Showcase Recital
Sunday, Oct. 10, at 3 p.m.
Center for the Arts, Concert Hall

Attend this annual showcase recital of performances by Mason's stellar School of Music faculty including vocal, instrumental, and piano artists.

Family Series: The Magic of Bill Blagg Live!
Saturday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m.
Center for the Arts, Concert Hall

Witness the impossible with top illusionist Bill Blagg in his mind-bending and hilarious magic show, The Magic of Bill Blagg Live! The whole family will rub their eyes in disbelief as the “Houdini Times Ten” (NBC), makes objects disappear, teleports across the theater, levitates in mid-air, and so much more. Recommended for ages eight and up.  

Mason Artist-in-Residence Sphinx VirtuosiTracing Visions
Sunday, Oct. 17, at 3 p.m.
Center for the Arts, Concert Hall
Welcome Mason Artist-in-Residence Sphinx Virtuosi, the chamber orchestra dedicated to increasing racial and ethnic diversity in classical music. Prepare to stretch beyond the usual notions of the classical music canon with a dynamic program of music by women and composers of color. With this program, Sphinx Virtuosi contemplates our country’s present division and through creative expression, offers ways to evolve together toward a more just and equitable future.