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January 2008

The "Mason Connection" is Mason's electronic newsletter, designed to keep you informed of the latest developments at the university. The newsletter is sent monthly when the General Assembly is in session and every other month when it is not in session.

New Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship to Shape Next Generation of Real Estate Leaders

The Washington, D.C., region is the fourth largest metropolitan area in the United States, and its real estate market is one of the most desirable investment markets in the world. To serve this sector of the economy, Mason has established a new Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship, a university-wide initiative that will further the educational and professional opportunities of real estate industry professionals in Northern Virginia and beyond.

Relying on existing resources and expertise from the School of Management, the School of Public Policy, and the Volgenau School of Information Technology and Engineering, the center will offer degree programs in areas of real estate development, such as land use and environmental considerations, acquisition dynamics, and construction management.

To provide the most valuable and pertinent education offerings geared toward the needs of the region, Mason will work with the Northern Virginia Chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties. In addition, key members of the Washington, D.C., real estate community will serve as adjunct faculty and guest lecturers.

A University Engaged

Mason Counselors Without Borders Reach Out to Wildfire Victims

In the wake of the California wildfires that burned more than 500,000 acres in October and November, many families and communities needed a shoulder to lean on.

Counselors Without Borders, a program begun at Mason following Hurricane Katrina, is the nation's first counseling program that includes graduate students training to be counselors or psychologists under the supervision of licensed professionals. The program is endorsed and supported by three major counseling associations nationally and internationally.

Counselors Without Borders sent a team of counselors to California in early November for a week to support and counsel Professor Fred Bemak, Photo By Creative Services fire victims who often feel neglected by most mainstream relief agencies. During the week, the counselors worked 15-hour days and met with more than 1,247 people.

"This experience isn't just about providing an opportunity for our students," says Fred Bemak, professor of counseling and development and director of the Diversity Research and Action Center in the College of Education and Human Development. "We are there to reach out to the community and help them find their way."

Did You Know?

Mason is a distributed university, with campuses in Fairfax, Arlington, and Prince William counties, an international campus in the United Arab Emirates, and satellite sites in Loudoun County, Herndon, Reston, and Front Royal. Each Mason campus has a distinctive academic focus that plays a critical role in the economy of its surrounding region.
The majority of the university's more than 30,000 students are from Virginia; however, all 50 states and Washington, D.C., as well as 130 countries, are represented in the student body. In the Princeton Review's most recent survey of more than 110,000 students at 357 top colleges, Mason ranks second in the nation in diversity.
Mason offers 64 bachelor's degrees, 70 master's degrees, 25 doctoral degrees, and 1 professional degree (law).

Research Spotlight

Mason Researchers Apply New Strategies in War on Breast Cancer

Photo by Creative Services Scientists at Mason's Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine (CAPMM) and clinicians at the Inova Fairfax Hospital Cancer Center in Falls Church, Virginia, will investigate living breast tissue to determine if cancer stem cells-thought to be the driving force behind the development of cancer-are present in the earliest stages of premalignant tumors.

This is the first known study of its kind to use living, precancerous human breast tissue. The scientists hope that this research will lead to new strategies for breast cancer screening and treatment. Ductal carcinoma in situ, or DCIS, will be studied to understand how early invasive and metastatic cancer cells develop. DCIS is the most common noninvasive breast cancer.

The CAPMM scientists aim to not only discover a premalignant stem cell, but also use their unique protein array technology to crack open the protein pathways that are activated. "By doing this, we could identify which therapies could be used to kill or differentiate the very cell that would go on to cause invasive cancer," says CAPMM codirector Emanuel Petricoin III.

In The News

Friday, December 14, Washington Post

Proposed School Budget Increase Adds to Shortfall

"A battle could be brewing between Loudoun County officials and the school district, which is seeking a hefty increase in spending in the face of a budget crisis that could result in significant property tax increases.. 'You can't save $200 million by just tweaking and letting jobs go unfilled or not giving raises,' said Stephen Fuller, director of the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University."

Saturday, December 15, CBS News: The Saturday Early Show

Profile: Michael Fauntroy on presidential politics

"Michael Fauntroy, assistant professor in the School of Public Policy, was interviewed by co-host Maggie Rodriguez about presidential politics. When asked about Ed Rollins signing on to run the campaign of Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, Fauntroy said, "I think it's a coup. I think it's an absolutely huge get, if you will. You have to remember, for many Republicans the name Ronald Reagan means almost everything, and Ed Rollins can claim credit as being the architect, if you will, of a landslide victory.'"

Wednesday, January 2, CNN Headline News

Late Night Talk Show Revival

"Robert Lichter, professor of communication, was interviewed on CNN Headline News about the situation surrounding the Writer's Guild strike and the comeback of late-night talk shows. David Letterman and Craig Ferguson recently signed deals with the Writer's Guild, allowing both hosts to go on with their writing teams intact. 'It's a huge advantage over Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, and Jimmy Kimmel, who will be left writerless,' Lichter said."

Mason Connection is a free service and official publication of George Mason University. It is designed to give you quick, monthly updates on the happenings at Mason. You received Mason Connection because of your affiliation with George Mason University. Subscribe and unsubscribe requests for Mason Connection, including address changes, are handled by sending an e-mail to the Office of Community Relations at tclaar@gmu.edu. Please be sure to include your name and e-mail address. For more information, contact Traci Claar, Director of Community Relations. For additional campus event information, please visit Today@Mason. Editorial content produced by Devon Madison, Creative Services.