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91����’s Point of View event and retreat facility in Lorton, Virginia, includes 120 acres of wooded land adjacent to the tranquil Belmont Bay and bordered by a protected wildlife refuge and state park. Point of View presents many opportunities to observe wildlife along the water, and staffers have recently observed adult and juvenile bald eagles watching for fish in some of their "eagle trees,” as staff have started to call them.

In spring 2024, during his internship with MHCR, Jonathan Fang and his supervisor, Rowda Olad, a mental health and psychosocial support expert and associate director of the MHCR, came upon the idea of developing a series of student-focused conversations on difficult, but relevant topics to students and inviting different cultural and ethnic student groups to participate.

On Thursday, April 16, the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution will host the virtual panel discussion “Navigating the Impact of Changes in Climate Governance on Fragile States.” Presented as part of the Carter School’s 2026 Peace Week, the event will examine shifts in the global climate governance landscape and identify emerging institutional and governance gaps.

On February 11, 2026, Olesya Vartanyan, a first-year PhD student at George Mason's Carter School and conflict analyst with more than 15 years of field experience in the South Caucasus, took part in a congressional briefing on the political situation in Georgia. The event was hosted by the U.S. Helsinki Commission, a bipartisan body bringing together members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Honors College student Marisa Parikh embodies the drive, curiosity, and global mindset that define 91���� students. She serves as president of Be the Change, a student-led organization dedicated to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on campus. Under her leadership, the group focuses on raising awareness and inspiring action around the goals that most directly affect George Mason students. 

From October to mid-February, the Venerable Buddhist monks of the Dhammacetiya Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center of Fort Worth, Texas walked more than 2,300 miles to Washington, D.C. Known as the Walk for Peace, their goal was to raise awareness of the global need for peace as well as how we can practice and foster peace in our own lives and neighborhoods.

91���� recently held its first-ever Qualitative Research Day, an event for PhD students of all disciplines to engage in hands-on and interactive opportunities with the goal of learning new qualitative research techniques and methodologies. The inaugural event is the latest innovation in George Mason’s ongoing efforts to find new ways to support its PhD students.

Honor College student Cashlyn Bonds said her time at 91���� has been defined by her passion for justice, human security, and international understanding.  

Faculty across 91���� are leading or participating in innovative new projects to further research and education this academic year, thanks to grants recently awarded by 4-VA, a statewide consortium of nine higher education institutions in Virginia.

George Mason’s Center for Resilient and Sustainable Communities is implementing AI in collaboration with the Fairfax County Department of Public Safety Communications. It may forever change the way 9-1-1 operators are trained.