Jennifer Anzaldi

Fifteen teams competed for $40K in prizes at the George Mason University School of Business Patriot Pitch Competition during the in-person April 13 event on Mason’s Fairfax Campus.

With $40,000 in seed funding up for grabs, George Mason University undergraduate students and recent alumni are preparing to pitch their business ideas to a panel of local business professionals and Mason alumni on Thursday, April 13 at the School of Business Patriot Pitch Competition.

Faculty, staff, and students from three units across Mason have worked together to create a new VR experience so elementary students can take a “field trip” to the Mason apiary and learn from an expert beekeeper.

For Mason Korea students, the transition from Songdo, Korea, to Fairfax, Virginia, can be challenging, but the opportunities are immense. Many students pursuing their degree at Mason Korea are looking to a future career in the United States. This makes their time in Fairfax critical. The School of Business accounting program is one of the most popular degrees offered at Mason Korea, and faculty in Fairfax work hard to offer students support for their future career success.

Graduating this past May, Doug Chapman MBA’22 was honored as the 2022 MBA Outstanding Student of the Year; a recognition by faculty of his demonstrated overall excellence in academic performance. Chapman was recently featured in a video spotlight where he shared memories of his experiences at Mason and offered advice to both current and future Mason graduate students. 

George Mason University's School of Business now offers students a STEM-designated program through the newly launched Master of Science in Business Analytics. A STEM-designated program is an academic program that is classified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as having a focus on science, technology, engineering, and math topics. For international students on an F-1 visa, graduating from a STEM-designated program allows them to extend their time in Optional Practical Training from 12 to 36 months in the U.S.

George Mason University recently welcomed Dean Ajay Vinzé to the School of Business. Dean Vinzé comes to Mason from the Trulaske College of Business at the University of Missouri. We spent a few minutes chatting with Dean Vinzé to learn a little bit more about who he is, how he came to Mason, and his goals for his time here.

In keeping with its commitment to preparing students for the workforce of tomorrow, George Mason University School of Business recently launched a new Master of Science in Business Analytics program. Designed to provide a deeper knowledge of analytics and data-driven decision-making, the program can be completed in just one year.

Cameron Harris, BA Integrative Studies ’06, associate professor of business foundations in the School of Business, was recently awarded the George Mason University Presidential Award for Faculty Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion. Sponsored by the Office of the President, the Presidential Awards for Faculty Excellence were created to recognize, promote, and honor outstanding members of the George Mason University community for excellence in teaching, research, social impact, and diversity & inclusion. The Faculty Excellence Award in Diversity & Inclusion recognizes activities that directly advance diversity and inclusion within and outside of the Mason community.

Brian Ngac and Nirup Menon, from the information systems and operations management area at the School of Business, were recently awarded a $100,000 grant from the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) located in Arlington, Virginia. This Commonwealth Cyber Initiative Grant was awarded for their proposal to develop a new experiential learning program that will engage students and companies from the Commonwealth.