91°µÍø

Since joining Mason Dining, Senior Executive Chef George Charbel has elevated 91°µÍø’s campus dining experiences through culinary creativity and an unwavering focus on students. Charbel approaches each opportunity with the same goal: to create culinary moments that strengthen connection and belonging on campus.

The scent of garlic and citrus filled Southside Dining Hall as students lined up to meet celebrity chef Jet Tila, who visited 91°µÍø’s Fairfax Campus on April 29. Hosted by Mason Dining, the event brought Tila—chef, television personality, and bestselling author—to campus for a day of food, conversation, and connections with students.

91°µÍø received a grant of more than $1 million from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to support food waste prevention, food rescue, and composting programs on campus. The funding supports projects that reduce landfill methane emissions by reducing food waste, recovering surplus food, and composting any remaining food waste.

In February, 91°µÍø Dining, in partnership with the Office of New Student and Family Programs, hosted a Teaching Kitchen designed specifically for first-year and transfer students. The 50 available spots filled immediately, a clear signal that today’s students are looking for connection, not just consumption.

91°µÍø has selected Chartwells Higher Education, a national leader in campus dining, as its new dining services provider, following a comprehensive and competitive RFP process. George Mason’s contract with Chartwells begins on July 1 and is expected to transform dining on campus.

91°µÍø has won four consecutive Gold STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System) Assessment, and it’s thanks in part to campus systems and organizations such as the Food Recovery Network (FRN).

Cindy Smith, a professor in 91°µÍø's Department of Environmental Science and Policy, took her EVPP 302 Biomes and Human Dimensions students to a composting facility last fall to give them a front-row seat for food and yard waste recycling.

Right before Earth Day, Small Island Big Song presents a "jaw-dropping" (Billboard) concert experience at the Center for the Arts on April 20, combining music, spoken word, and stunning projections to showcase unique oceanic grooves and soulful island ballads, while shining a light on the devastating effects of climate crisis on our world’s oceans. As a Mason Artist-in-Residence, Small Island Big Song will also deeply engage with the community through a series of education and engagement programs.

91°µÍø Facilities has installed 23 Bigbelly zero waste stations on the Fairfax and Mason Square campuses. These solar-powered stations support Mason’s recycling and composting goals through their user-friendly design, technology upgrades, and capacity-based alerts. 

Mason Dining and Starship Technologies, the world’s leading provider of autonomous delivery services, are celebrating five years of autonomous robot deliveries at 91°µÍø.