coronavirus; COVID-19; Editorial

Mason faculty, staff, students, contractors, and their families and friends can register to receive their first dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, April 28 at Mason’s EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, VA.

George Mason University has begun administering COVID-19 vaccinations to students.

Ceres Nanosciences, a Northern Virginia bioscience company spun out of George Mason University that specializes in diagnostic products and workflows, has opened a 12,000-square-foot advanced particle manufacturing plant in Prince William County’s Innovation Park.

These Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area's Community Conversations, “Vaxx Facts: Our ‘Shot’ at Recovery,” feature experts from the member institutions who have years of experience working and researching in public health, the sciences, and medicine, as well as presidents from the universities within the consortium.

Children and teens who are experiencing increased anxiety and anger during the coronavirus pandemic will need guidance and validation as their lives continue to change, said Robyn Mehlenbeck, director of George Mason University’s Center for Psychological Services.

For their timely and vital support to the business community, the Fauquier Chamber of Commerce recently recognized Christine Kriz and Renee Younes, regional manager of the MEC, with the 2020 Business Hero of the Year awards.

Mason President Gregory Washington praised the Mason community for its collective response to the COVID-19 pandemic, calling it “as great of a team effort as I’ve ever seen in academia,” in remarks at a general faculty meeting Wednesday, which was televised on GMU-TV.

“For some people, it will be tough to go back,” said Keith D. Renshaw, chair of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences’ Psychology Department and director of the Military, Veterans and Families Initiative. “Many of us have spent the year with reduced human interactions. For people with anxiety, this has meant they’ve been able to turn off the technology when they needed to unplug.”

In the next installment of the Office of the Provost’s Mason Vision Series, Mason epidemiologist Amira Roess will address “COVID-19: A Vision for Future Response.”

I’m pleased to say that our community continues to do a remarkable job of showing how to thrive during this pandemic. A crisis can be an opportunity to learn and lead, and we have done both.