Access to Research and Inclusive Excellence (ARIE)

George Mason University’s commitment to anti-racism and inclusive excellence is being honored with the 2022 NAACP Arlington Branch President's Award.

When Gail Christopher, executive director of the National Collaborative for Health Equity and a Mason senior scholar, talks about “ensuring a future,” she’s really talking about creating a system of equity that produces opportunities for everyone to “actualize their potential.”

George Mason University’s first Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence (ARIE) Conference on October 24 celebrated both the impact of research and the shared goal of shaping a more equitable future.

Mason’s Board of Visitors voted on September 29 to issue credits to in-state undergraduate students in an amount equal to the 3% increase that was approved for the 2022-23 academic year, in effect returning Fiscal Year 2023 tuition levels to 2022 levels.

George Mason University is among the top 10 most diverse and innovative public universities in the country, as well as top 10 in undergraduate cybersecurity, according to U.S. News & World Report’s “2023 Best Colleges List” rankings.

Dr. Candace Parham Lacayo has been selected as the ARIE Faculty Fellow for the Office of Graduate Education.

Mason graduate student Deion Maith joined Mason’s Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence (ARIE) Task Force because he thinks it’s important to share lived experiences with other students and faculty/staff.

First and foremost, all organizations need a North Star – a vision of what their best can be. With respect to diversity and inclusion, Mason’s North Star is that this university should reflect the rich diversity of our students, the broader Commonwealth of Virginia (whose tax dollars support us all), and the nation.

Mason Lighting the Way: Creston Lynch

As associate director of the LGBTQ+ Resources in the Center for Culture, Equity, and Empowerment (CCEE), formerly ODIME, Kinchen advises student groups, sits on many committees and does a lot of consulting and training with schools, colleges, and departments across the university that want to learn more about working with LGBTQ+ students.

Junior Dominique Dowling has been working to enact social change since high school. She joined the GMU NAACP chapter in her second year at Mason, and now she is the group’s vice president. Through the chapter, she has been involved in numerous panels and committees, which inspired her to do more anti-racism work on campus.“Being part of the NAACP has exposed me to different initiatives and people who have been doing this work for years,” said the integrative studies major. “It made me realize that anti-racism work requires an ongoing dedication because there is always work to be done.”

Mason's annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Evening of Reflection event on Thursday included a discussion between President Gregory Washington and a student panel about the opportunities they have to make changes to improve social justice and equity. Spirit of King award winners were also announced.