inclusive excellence

As a film student at George Mason University, Roberto Ferreira De Araujo wanted to celebrate diversity and highlight the full spectrum of experiences represented by the LGBTQ+ community. During his first semester at Mason in fall 2022, Ferreira De Araujo and two of his classmates created the Here and Queer Film Festival as a final project for a class.

George Mason University is one of only 30 institutions nationwide, and the only one in Virginia, to be awarded a 2023 “best of the best” ranking in Campus Pride’s recently released survey.

George Mason University has earned the American Talent Initiative (ATI) High-Flier distinction as one of 28 colleges or universities that provide “transformative leadership in college access and success for lower-income students, serving as a model for colleges and universities across the country.”

Since May 2022, Mason has invited the families of prospective Hispanic students to learn about the university in its first Spanish-language marketing campaign.

Melissa J. Perry, the new dean of George Mason University’s College of Health and Human Services, recently sat down to discuss her personal and academic background, her vision for the college, and her approach to lifelong learning. She joined Mason August 1.

The First-Gen+ Center’s mission is to support students who are historically underrepresented in higher education and their allies, while specifically focusing on students who identify as first-generation, who identify as undocumented, have refugee status, or belong to families with limited income.

George Mason University has been recognized as a “five-star premier campus” by Campus Pride Index, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to creating safer LGBTQ-friendly learning environments at colleges and universities. It is the only Virginia university to earn this recognition and the only public university in the state included in Campus Pride's "Best of the Best" list of 40 LGBTQ-friendly universities.

Mason sociology student Charlotte Woodward has tirelessly advocated for the rights of people with disabilities—and she is being recognized for her efforts.

Mason’s LGBTQ+ Faculty/Staff Alliance provides opportunities for LGBTQIA + faculty and staff to socialize, develop community and discuss ways to further create a more inclusive on-campus environment.

Sharnnia Artis joined George Mason University on Sept. 1 as the new vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion and chief diversity officer. Before coming to Mason, Artis served as assistant dean of access and inclusion in the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences and the Samueli School of Engineering at the University of California, Irvine, one of the most diverse engineering programs in the nation.