Building a More Resilient Future
George Mason University is applying science, policy, and innovation to safeguard communities and ecosystems through sustainable practices and infrastructure, real-time weather-related information, and community planning and preparedness training. From a solar-powered greenhouse that explores resilient food production and sustainable systems that allow for food security to advanced predictive modeling and engineering nature-based infrastructures that identify or advance predictive modeling that identifies weather-related or other natural disasters, the university is developing the leadership and talent to produce solutions alongside partners on a global scale.
Grand Challenge Initiative
George Mason’s Grand Challenge Initiative is a university-wide collaboration addressing humanity’s most pressing challenges through six interlocking strategies, supported by a $15 million investment over five years.
Year 2 Call for Proposals Now Open
George Mason University invites proposals for small and large catalyst projects advancing one or more of the university's six bold solutions under the Grand Challenge Initiative. As a key next step in translating bold ideas into action, proposals are encouraged to leverage George Mason's talent, programs, and infrastructure to create scalable, sustained impact. Interested researchers should submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) to the lead school/college's dean's office by December 4, 2026. Proposals are due February 15, 2027, and awards will be announced by April 30, 2027, with funding beginning no later than July 1, 2027.
The George Mason Advantage
George Mason University is authorized to host the Virginia State Climate Office, thanks to a provision in the new state budget effective July 1, 2026. The office is charged with developing and delivering data, analyses, assessments, and expertise about Virginia’s weather- and climate-related impacts, risks, and risk management options to state and local government agencies, businesses, and communities across the commonwealth. The new office will be anchored in the university’s Virginia Climate Center (VCC), based in the College of Science and directed by James Kinter, professor of climate dynamics, who also leads the university's Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies.
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Solving Climate Challenges through research
Participant explores a nuclear reactor through virtual reality at the 2026 Constellation Small Modular Reactor Summer Academy.
From conservation to clean energy, summer programming helps students learn to build climate-resilient societies
From solving climate challenges through research to preparing the next climate leaders, George Mason University is applying science, policy, and innovation to safeguard communities and ecosystems.
Explore how our programs prepare the next generation of climate resilience leaders.
James Kinter.
George Mason University authorized to host State Climate Office
George Mason is authorized to host the Virginia State Climate Office, thanks to a provision in the new state budget effective July 1, 2026. The office will deliver expertise on Virginia’s weather- and climate-related impacts as well as strengthen federal partnerships and interstate collaboration on real-time weather and environmental challenges.
Learn how the Virginia Climate Office makes us more prepared.
Industry-University Working Group on Climate Change and Physical Risks
This project brings together industry leaders and university researchers to advance understanding of shifting climate hazards and develop practical tools that strengthen physical‑risk assessment and decision-making in the insurance, reinsurance, and finance sectors of the economy. By identifying urgent research needs and developing practical tools for insurers and financial institutions, the project will improve how physical risks are assessed and managed, strengthen climate‑risk science, support decision‑making, and help communities and industries adapt.
A GCI Catalyst Project. Learn more about this project, the colleges involved, and the cross-disciplinary leadership team.
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Preparing the next climate leaders
Patriot Green Fund
George Mason’s Mason Facilities sets aside $100,000 a year for the Patriot Green Fund, which supports infrastructure improvements and student research projects to make George Mason’s campuses more sustainable. Projects have included smart hives, rain gardens, and the Foragers Forest on the Fairfax Campus.
Green Leaf Programs and Courses
George Mason has more than 125 Green Leaf courses across 25 academic programs, covering topics from EcoArt to sustainable tourism, all designed to help raise environmental awareness while providing students with a comprehensive knowledge of their local and global environment.
Climate Resilience and Adaptation Minor
The Climate Resilience and Adaptation (CRA) minor is designed to complement students' primary areas of study with specialized knowledge in climate science and policy, local and regional climate adaptation strategies and solutions, and how to translate research into practice and action.
experts advancing climate resilience
Jennifer Salerno, a professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy, is helping redefine how we monitor and protect coral reef ecosystems. In collaboration with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Salerno is working on a technique to assess coral reef health by analyzing microorganisms in reef water.
College of Science researcher Alireza Ermagun is working in collaboration with Villanova University and the University of South Carolina on a $1.8 million NSF grant studying how frequent, low-level flooding disrupts daily transportation systems and finding solutions.
James Kinter, a professor in the Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Earth Sciences, directs both the Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies (COLA) and the Virginia Climate Center. His research focuses on climate variability and predictability — including monsoons, El Niño, and extreme weather — and through the VCC he works to strengthen the resilience of Virginia's communities to a changing climate.
Jenna R. Krall of the College of Public Health is a biostatistician with research interests in air pollution and environmental epidemiology. Her work has been focused on developing methods for estimating sources of air pollution and their associations with health.
Luis Ortiz, an assistant professor in the Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Earth Sciences, studies how cities interact with the atmosphere in a changing climate and what that means for people and infrastructure. He co-leads the Virginia Climate Center and serves on the New York City Panel on Climate Change, translating high-resolution climate modeling into adaptation strategies for decision-makers.
Daniel Tong of George Mason’s Center for Spatial Science and Systems is part of the NASA Health and Air Quality Applied Sciences Team working on improvements to the National Air Quality Forecast Capability.
Partnering for Real World Impact
Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation (SMSC)
In a unique partnership, George Mason and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute established the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation (SMSC), offering hands-on, interdisciplinary programs in conservation where students can work alongside Smithsonian scientists and conservation experts from around the world.
The Virginia Climate Assessment
George Mason's Virginia Climate Center produced the commonwealth's first comprehensive, science-based climate assessment—a peer-reviewed synthesis of decades of Virginia-specific research, developed with experts from across the state and beyond. It gives communities and decision-makers a shared, evidence-based baseline for understanding and preparing for a changing climate.
Center for Resilient, Adaptable, and Safe Communities (C-RASC)
Established in 2019, C-RASC is a joint research center of the College of Science and the College of Engineering and Computing. It coordinates transdisciplinary teams—working with industry and government partners—to help communities co-develop resilience strategies that are locally led, scalable, and impact-driven. Recent work includes partnering with Fairfax County to build an AI-powered training system for 9-1-1 operators.
Building Sustainable Infrastructure for the Future
Virginia Climate Center
Established at George Mason in 2023 with funding through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Virginia Climate Center (VCC) works with communities across the commonwealth to strengthen resilience to extreme heat, flooding, and the growing risk of vector-borne disease. In 2025, the center released the first Virginia Climate Assessment—the state's first comprehensive, science-based evaluation of how a changing climate affects Virginia and its people.
The Institute for a Sustainable Earth (ISE)
The Institute for a Sustainable Earth (ISE) faculty, staff, and students engage with communities of practice on George Mason’s campuses, in the region, nationally and globally, to ensure a deep understanding of the challenges that enable or constrain the development and adoption of sustainable solutions. ISE focuses not only on natural and engineered systems but also the socio-economic-legal systems that impact community sustainability and resilience and enable the development of holistic solutions.
Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center (PEREC)
The Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center (PEREC) is a key component of George Mason’s Potomac Science Center in Belmont Bay, focusing on Potomac River restoration and local sustainability practices, so that the local ecosystem will be healthy for years to come. Research is translated into award-winning field programs for K-12 students and the larger community.
Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies
The Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies is a research center dedicated to understanding climate fluctuations on seasonal, interannual, and decadal scales, with special emphasis on the interactions between Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, and land surfaces.
The Center for Climate Change Communication
Since 2007, the Center for Climate Change Communications in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences has helped change the way local media, communities, and organizations talk about climate change. They study audiences and conduct original research on climate communication.
Living Lab
From the canopies of the trees in the accredited Level II Arboretum to the stormwater running into Mason Pond, George Mason’s nearly 1,000 acres of land, waterways, forests, and buildings is being used as a dynamic Living Lab for hands-on environmental research that may one day have an impact globally.
Podcasts
Access to Excellence
What will become of the Amazon?
On this episode, Jeremy Campbell of Mason’s Institute for Sustainable Earth speaks with President Washington about the magnitude of the loss of the Amazon rainforest and how the Institute is actively working to address this crisis. Listen to this episode
Are Earth's oceans suffocating?
On this episode of Access to Excellence, President Washington speaks with Geoffrey Gilleaudeau, associate professor in the Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Earth Sciences in the College of Science, about the past, present, and future of the physical and chemical characteristics of sedimentary rocks. Listen to this episode
The modern grid: the intersection of energy and the environment
On this episode of Access to Excellence, President Gregory Washington is joined by two guests working at the intersection of innovation and sustainability to develop George Mason’s capabilities as a living laboratory for students, faculty, and staff to find solutions to our grand challenges: Liling Huang, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering in the College of Engineering and Computing and the Dominion Energy Faculty Fellow in Power and Energy Systems, and Leah Nichols, executive director of the Institute for a Sustainable Earth (ISE) in the Office of Research, Innovation, and Economic Impact. Listen to this episode
News
- October 12, 2026
- October 5, 2026
- September 24, 2026
- July 30, 2026
- July 21, 2026
EVENTS
Sustainability Month
Events include Food Redistributions, Kiosking, Energy Efficiency Day, and more. Information.
Year 2 Request for Proposals (RFP)
Details, including an FAQ and budget worksheet, are available for George Mason University's Grand Challenge Initiative RFP to advance transformative solutions.
December 4, 2026. Proposals are due February 15, 2027, and awards will be announced by April 30, 2027, with funding beginning no later than July 1, 2027.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is George Mason University helping build a climate-resilient society?
George Mason advances climate resilience through interdisciplinary research including the Grand Challenge Initiative, fostering impactful community partnerships, policy expertise, educational outreach, and workforce development. Researchers are developing solutions related to extreme weather, sustainable infrastructure, environmental health, food security, climate adaptation, and community preparedness.
What makes George Mason a leader in climate resilience research
George Mason combines expertise across science, engineering, public health, policy, communication, and sustainability. The university is also authorized to host the Virginia State Climate Office, further strengthening its role in delivering climate data, risk assessments, and decision-support tools for communities across the commonwealth.
What is the Virginia State Climate Office and why does it matter?
The Virginia State Climate Office provides climate and weather-related data, analyses, and expertise that help governments, businesses, and communities understand and manage climate risks. The office is anchored within George Mason's Virginia Climate Center and supports evidence-based planning and resilience efforts across Virginia. In addition, the Virginia State Climate Office contributes high-quality, timely, and relevant climate data to NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information through the Southeast Regional Climate Center. This network of state climatological information provides Virginia and the nation with vital data for climate preparedness, risk management, and resilience.
How can students get involved in sustainability and climate resilience initiatives at George Mason?
Students can participate through Green Leaf courses, degree programs such as the Environmental and Sustainability Studies, BA, the Atmospheric Science, BS, and the Climate Resilience and Adaptation minor; sustainability and conservation-focused research opportunities, and projects funded by the Patriot Green Fund. These experiences connect classroom learning with real-world environmental challenges.
What kinds of climate-resilience research are conducted at George Mason?
Research spans climate modeling, air quality forecasting, environmental health, flood and heat resilience, ecosystem conservation, sustainable infrastructure, transportation impacts, climate communication, and community adaptation. Many projects bring together experts from multiple disciplines to develop practical, scalable solutions.
Who are George Mason's climate-resilience partners in climate-resilience and sustainability work?
George Mason collaborates with local governments, federal agencies, industry leaders, nonprofit organizations, and other academic institutions. Notable partnerships include the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, The U.S. Department of Energy, and statewide collaborations through the Virginia Climate Center.
What research infrastructure supports climate- resilience work at George Mason?
Faculty and students leverage a robust ecosystem of research centers, facilities, and institutional support. Examples include the interdisciplinary Institute for a Sustainable Earth, Virginia Climate Center, in the College of Science, the Flood Hazards Research Lab in the Volgenau School of Engineering, the Center for Climate Change Communication in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center, among others.
How does George Mason translate climate research into real-world impact?
George Mason works directly with communities, policymakers, industry leaders, and public agencies to apply research findings to real-world challenges. Projects address issues such as water and air quality, extreme heat, flooding, air quality, climate risk management, conservation, emergency preparedness, and resilient infrastructure development.