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91���� faculty are leading groundbreaking work in defense and security research, bringing deep expertise from across the university’s colleges, schools, and specialized centers to address some of the nation’s most pressing security challenges. 

Faculty leaders in the College of Engineering and Computing (CEC), College of Science, Antonin Scalia Law School, and the Schar School of Policy and Government—together with researchers in the Center for Secure Information Systems and the C4I and Cyber Center—are advancing capabilities in integrated sensing, advanced communications, cybersecurity, space, and AI. 

These efforts position George Mason as a vital partner to the U.S. Department of War (DOW) and the broader national security community, with George Mason faculty emerging as national leaders in defense and security research. Their work is supported by administrative enhancements in secure computing, facilities, and infrastructure at Fuse at Mason Square, creating an ecosystem where innovation thrives. 

Supporting and amplifying this faculty-driven innovation is Sarah Campbell, MS International Commerce and Policy ’11, associate vice president of research for defense and security initiatives. Campbell ensures George Mason faculty expertise is linked to the right national partners by guiding collaborations and forging relationships with such influential organizations as the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD), MITRE, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and the Office of the Secretary of War’s Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (USD R&E). 

“George Mason has the talent, the technology, and the partnerships to be a driving force in advancing our nation’s defense capabilities,” Campbell says. “By working at the intersection of research, innovation, and application, we are paving the way as pioneers in the academic space by working with the government and industry to build solutions that matter.” 

Faculty contributions are already shaping national strategy. In 2024, George Mason secured an inaugural DOW contract to convene the first-ever academic workshop on integrated sensing and communications (ISAC), a transformative field that merges advanced sensing technologies with next-generation communications. 

Led by Campbell, members of CEC faculty, George Mason’s Rapid Prototyping Research Center, and Virginia’s Commonwealth Cyber Initiative worked alongside government and industry experts to identify national research priorities to produce a report that is featured  on the USD R&E website and is informing current federal strategy. 

That momentum carried into 2025, when the university hosted a 300-person ISAC Strategy Summit. Faculty members from across disciplines showcased expertise that aligned with the Pentagon’s future generation wireless and Golden Dome missile defense initiatives, which aim to integrate sensing, communications, and defense systems into a unified protective architecture. 

The event—supported by corporate partners such as Nokia, AT&T, Ericsson, and Lockheed Martin—underscored George Mason’s ability to convene industry leaders and highlight faculty capabilities.  

“There is a serious gap in the ISAC talent pipeline— not only is there no dedicated curriculum or formal field of study, but the knowledge base is scattered across separate disciplines that need to be integrated,” 

Campbell says. “This creates an opportunity for George Mason to build an interdisciplinary program that develops the next generation of ISAC experts, creating a community for this nascent technology. Our partnership with the War Department and the work that follows highlight the university’s strength across the full spectrum of sensing capabilities.” 

As for the future, Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Economic Impact Andre Marshall emphasizes the importance of George Mason’s commitment to investing in faculty-led research in integrated sensing, advanced communications, AI, space, and cybersecurity, and positioning faculty members as national thought leaders.  

He noted that by deepening collaborations with federal laboratories, strengthening partnerships with defense contractors, and pursuing major research investments, the university will remain both a pioneer and a leader in advancing critical defense priorities. 

“George Mason’s Defense and Security Program exemplifies the university’s ability to align world-class research with national priorities,” Marshall says. “These initiatives not only expand our impact in defense and security but also elevate the university’s reputation as a premier research institution delivering solutions that matter.” 

Marshall says what sets George Mason apart is its ability to bring interdisciplinary teams together— engineers, data scientists, policy experts, and security specialists—to boldly take on the complex challenges facing the United States. Marshall also leads the university’s Grand Challenge Initiative (GCI), which champions these interdisciplinary teams as a way of tackling humanity’s ultimate grand challenge— securing a peaceful, healthy, and prosperous world. 

GCI is a comprehensive research framework, backed by an initial five-year, $15 million investment, to align university resources, faculty expertise, and educational programs around six interconnected solutions, including driving responsible digital innovation and sustainable infrastructure. 

“As we engage with initiatives like ISAC and the Golden Dome, we are preparing to shape the next generation of defense technologies, while also training the workforce that will carry them forward,” Marshall says. 

A CEC faculty team secured a $3.9 million grant in early 2025 from the National Science Foundation’s CyberCorps® Scholarship for Service (SFS) program to support cybersecurity students who intend to work for the U.S. government after graduation. 
With that funding, George Mason’s new Empowering American Government Leadership in Security through Education (EAGLE) Program will support 12 under-graduate students, nine graduate students, and two doctoral students over the next five years, according to the program’s principal investigator Kun Sun. 

In addition to financial support, each scholarship recipient is paired with a faculty advisor and will complete a summer internship with one of the government agencies that recruit from CyberCorps SFS programs. EAGLE is an ambitious initiative aimed at bolstering the cybersecurity workforce within U.S. government agencies, such as the National Security Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy, and military branches, to address the critical need for skilled professionals in the field. 

George Mason is also working with Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) via cooperative agreements for workforce development activities and technical exchange and research development on complex naval warfare systems, including enhancing cybersecurity information and operations capabilities and leveraging AI to help identify and mitigate threats. 

The partnership is connecting George Mason undergraduate and graduate students to real-world DOW projects and creating a talent pipeline for the U.S. Navy. George Mason research faculty exchange technical knowledge with NSWCDD staf and have presented guest lectures at the division. In addition, Liza Wilson Durant, George Mason’s associate provost for strategic initiatives and community engagement, and a team of George Mason systems engineering and cyber security engineering faculty developed a summer course related to cybersecurity for NSWCDD personnel. 

“This is the type of innovation ecosystem that ensures George Mason remains a trusted partner for years to come,” says Marshall.