philanthropy

Robert “Bobby” Kestyn, a graduate student thrower on Mason’s track and field team, has been named the inaugural recipient of the Becky Hartley Memorial Scholarship.

In December, Mason’s Black Alumni Chapter saluted its history while looking to the future at “A Toast to 20,” a gala celebration of the chapter’s 20th anniversary.

Audiences at the Hylton Center will soon see a unique name adorning the halls of the Education and Rehearsal Wing. An anonymous donor has recently included the Hylton Center in their estate plans, and as such, the Hylton Center has recognized their outstanding generosity by naming the first of two classrooms in the Education and Rehearsal Hall the “Koko H. Beetle Classroom.”

Additional funding secured by SPARK, the education foundation for Prince William County Schools, will expand that life-changing collaboration and fully support an additional 20 Early Identification Program students from Prince William County starting this spring.

ARTS by George! returned on Saturday, September 30, 2023, hosted by the College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) at George Mason University. The benefit event, which was headlined by GRAMMY and Tony Award winner Renée Elise Goldsberry, raised more than $275,000 for student scholarships in visual arts, dance, music, theater, game design, film, arts management, as well as for the Mason Community Arts Academy, Green Machine Ensembles, and the Great Performances at Mason season at the Center for the Arts.

The George Mason University community gathered Sept. 28 to celebrate the launch of the university’s largest comprehensive campaign in its history, Mason Now: Power the Possible. The event at Merten Hall was dedicated to the people who work every day to drive Mason’s success: the university’s faculty and staff.

Mason President Gregory Washington lauded brothers Maruf and Mahfuz Ahmed at a special event for embodying the possibilities that Mason offers with its steadfast commitment to access and inclusion.

Mason's Board of Visitors last week approved the renaming of the School of Business to the Donald G. Costello College of Business to better reflect the unit’s size and stature. The business school was initially named in honor of Costello, a late Northern Virginia entrepreneur, in April, retaining the “school” designation.

Led by the Office of Annual Giving, Mason Vision Day 2023, held on April 6, highlighted the challenges posed by student food insecurity—which is a growing issue at Mason and at college campuses across the nation. This year, Mason Vision Day raised $290,000 for Mason causes with nearly $90,000 dedicated to student food insecurity.

In May 2023, Mason honored philanthropist Diane Portnoy with an honorary doctor of humane letters, given in recognition of her extraordinary contribution to society and decades of service in support of immigrants and refugees.