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With the conclusion of Starship's first-in-the-nation partnership with George Mason, Dining Services is preparing to launch AV Ride as the university's new autonomous delivery provider. The new fleet is scheduled to begin service at the start of the fall semester, continuing convenient on-campus food delivery for students.

July’s Patriot Packout Summer 2026 Free Store served more than 1,100 visitors, redistributing donated items such as clothes, books and academic supplies, home goods, small appliances, electronics, and more to the George Mason community. PPO's Summer Free Store showcases the program's ongoing work to decrease waste generation, create access to donation and redistribution resources, and address basic needs insecurity.

The RSR-Employee Health & Well-Being division is preparing to open a new patient exam room in Colgan Hall, bringing well-body screenings to the Science and Technology campus for the first time. While a schedule of screening dates is coming soon, ad-hoc screenings are available now by request. Email [email protected] for scheduling.

A new rainwater harvesting system was installed at the Presidents Park Greenhouse, supported by donations from the Patriot Green Fund and a nonprofit founded by a GMU graduate student. The rainwater system will supply non-potable water to the Greenhouse’s non-edible plants and supplement other campus gardens during droughts.  A local NPR affiliate was on site during the installation to interview the nonprofit organization and GMU stakeholders.

Facilities successfully completed critical electrical infrastructure work supporting key campus cooling operations by installing new bus bars during an overnight shutdown. Through careful coordination and plant operations, Facilities maintained consistent campus cooling despite the temporary loss of cooling capacity, returning the plant to normal operations by 6 am with no major service disruptions.

George Mason’s RSR-Emergency Management & Fire Safety team led the Annual Institutions of Higher Education Fire Safety Symposium at the University of Virginia on June 5. This event, started nearly 15 years ago by George Mason’s Fire Safety team, brought together fire safety professionals from across the Commonwealth and institutions of higher education to share best practices and emerging technologies, and to network with other professionals in the field. The George Mason team, including representatives from RSR-Environmental Health & Safety, presented on battery safety and led a roundtable discussion on fire watch, fire drills, and chemical inventory management.

Two new systems are now live at the Biomedical Research Laboratory. A new Vocera Minibadge system enables hands-free voice commands such as “call 911” or “call Mason Police” during emergencies for staff working alone who may be unable to reach a phone or radio. Access to the BRL itself has also been made more secure through a new video intercom and access control system, which allows security officers to communicate with guests at the entry and exit gates while remaining at their post. In the future, a mobile component will enable officers to manage visitors at the gate while conducting their security rounds.

On June 23, George Mason University officially launched the Cybersecurity Working Group, a new cross-functional governance body focused on strengthening the university’s approach to cybersecurity, privacy, technology risk, identity and access management, data governance, compliance, and the responsible use of emerging technologies, including AI. Chaired by the Chief Information Security Officer, Matthew Dalton, with representatives from academic, administrative, and research areas, the CWG provides a strategic forum for collaboration, policy development, and risk-informed decision-making. The group will help advance a consistent, institution-wide approach to protecting the university’s digital environment while ensuring cybersecurity initiatives remain aligned with operational needs and institutional priorities.

George Mason has begun Wave 1 of its Microsoft 365 Copilot Premium rollout, expanding the university’s strategic use of AI to support faculty and staff productivity, operational efficiency, and innovation. Participants have begun receiving enhanced Copilot capabilities across Microsoft applications—including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams—enabling them to draft content, analyze data, summarize meetings, automate routine tasks, and work more effectively. This initial cohort will help establish best practices, measure impact, and identify opportunities to further integrate AI into business operations as future waves of the rollout are planned.

Spring is graduation season and that meant a busy time at EagleBank Arena, which hosted 45 high school graduation ceremonies from area schools between May 29 and June 17. The celebrations required extensively coordinated event operations, traffic management, and parking services, by EagleBank, Parking & Transportation, and other teams across the university, who work together to ensure a safe, seamless, and memorable experience for thousands of graduates and their guests.

Information Technology Services held its Ice Cream Social, bringing ITS colleagues together to beat the heat and connect outside of their day-to-day work. These events are an opportunity to foster employee engagement and build a sense of community-- while enjoying a cold treat on a hot day.

Parking & Transportation received an International Parking & Mobility Institute award for Excellence Honorable Mention for the implementation of the Metropolis parking system at Mason Square. Director of Parking Services, Josh Cantor, accepted the award at the annual conference in Milwaukee, which recognized George Mason's leadership in parking innovation.

In June, George Mason welcomed the Virginia Student Activities and Student Unions Drive-In Conference for the first time, welcoming nearly 100 higher education professionals from institutions across Virginia and the Washington, D.C. region. Hosted by Student Centers, the conference featured professional development, networking, and collaborative discussions focused on strengthening the student experience.

George Mason acquired three additional faculty and staff townhome units adjacent to the SciTech campus in May, with five more units anticipated by September. The eight new townhome units were approved in April by the Board of Visitors, adding to the 20 that have already been acquired. The townhomes offer affordable and convenient housing to university employees, and demand has been high, with most units leased. More information on available and forthcoming units is available at SciTechTownHomes.com

A&O units helped keep May’s commencement safe and smooth for graduates. Emergency Management & Fire Safety -- with help from other Risk, Safety, and Resilience teams -- helped check in graduates, staff disruption-response positions, and support physical security. Meanwhile, Parking & Transportation played a critical role in coordinating traffic flow, parking operations, shuttle service, and guest arrival logistics. Thanks to this collaborative effort, the ceremonies were safe and successful for graduates and attendees.

With the close of the spring semester, the Facilities Management team was already looking ahead to summer, turning over 284 student housing units in four days in order to meet the deadline for the summer semester. An additional 133 units were completed over the next five days, totaling more than 400 units in less than ten days.

In May, George Mason reached a significant Patriot Connect milestone with the successful delivery of Release 2: Recruitment & Admissions. Patriot Connect is the university’s centralized, Salesforce-based platform that unifies the entire student lifecycle—from recruitment and admissions through advising and graduation. By integrating systems like Banner, it replaces fragmented tools and provides a complete, 360-degree view of each student. This cross-functional collaboration is creating a more seamless, personalized, and connected experience for the George Mason community; learn more at Patriot Connect.

George Mason’s CISO Matthew Dalton joined the May 11 kink-off session for the EDUCAUSE Transforming Leadership Webinar Series, which equips higher education leaders with strategies to navigate security, governance, and organizational change in a complex digital landscape. Dalton lent his expertise to the session that emphasized the evolving role of security leaders as strategic partners, driving enterprise risk management and fostering a culture of shared responsibility.

Patriot Packout held its Spring Move-Out Donation Collection from April 20 to May 13 with more than 20 donation drop-off sites across Fairfax, SciTech, and the Smithsonian Mason School of Conservation. While the team is still sorting out the outpouring of gently used donations, more than 800 pounds of food and personal hygiene have already been allocated, with 360 pounds going to the pantry and 476 pounds allotted to Food to Others.

Employee Health and Well-being observed Mental Health Awareness Month in May, staffing a resource table during Human Resources' "Heal Together" event, providing free blood pressure tests, and sharing information about mental health resources and TimelyCare, which was also promoted through Around Mason.

RSR-Employee Health & Wellbeing secured space on the Science & Technology Campus to begin offering EHW services to include Well Body Screenings, routine occupational health services, vaccines, and travel consultations for employees traveling internationally. This satellite clinic is currently being outfitted with existing equipment and is expected to open in the fall of 2026.

The National Association of Branch Campus Administrators held its 29th Annual Conference at Mason Square from May 26-29. The conference welcomed higher education leaders from across the country for three days of programming and collaboration. Mason Campus Operations participated in a panel discussion highlighting the development of Fuse, lessons learned through the public-private partnership model, and the role of innovation districts in supporting academic, industry, and engagement.

To celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, Auxiliary and Business Services hosted a catered lunch for Child Development Center staff, recognizing the educators who support George Mason's youngest learners every day. The Cinco de Mayo-themed event provided a well-deserved opportunity for appreciation and community-building for a team that is often unable to participate in campus events due to their caregiving responsibilities.

The Operational Finance & Enterprise Governance Office continues to advance a more structured and enterprise-wide approach to how the university evaluates, prioritizes, and delivers initiatives.

• Enterprise Strategic Governance continued the maturation of university governance with the transition to a Demand Management Board to review and prioritize incoming work. Standardized intake, scoring, and documentation practices were introduced, along with initial metrics to improve transparency and consistency.
• The Enterprise Project Management Office worked to align project execution to the new intake and governance model, reinforcing a single, structured entry point for all initiatives. Progress was made toward better visibility into the project portfolio and more disciplined resource planning, including early steps toward TDX-enabled tracking and time allocation.
• Enterprise Business Analytics strengthened up-front analysis within the intake process by improving documentation, clarifying scoring rationale, and identifying process gaps. This enhanced the quality and consistency of information used by the Demand Management Board and the Domain Council to make decisions.

Throughout the summer, Auxiliary and Business Services units will play a key role in supporting New Student and Family Orientation, helping welcome thousands of incoming students and guests to George Mason. From event coordination and facility support to dining, parking, transportation, marketing, and resource outreach, the division's services help create a welcoming orientation experience while introducing new Patriots to the resources that support their success. Meanwhile, Information Technology Services -- in partnership with University Life and GMU-TV -- has developed a new AI Intro video for new student orientation. The effort promotes responsible AI use, awareness of the PatriotAI platform, George Mason AI Guidelines, and access to AI resources through the ITS AI Toolkit.

George Mason held a series of free wellness events in observance of February's Healthy Heart Month. Hosted by RSR-Employee Health & Well-Being, offerings included complementary blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose checks, well-body screenings, and a special presentation on the Mediterranean diet by campus dietician Courtney O'Loughlin.

RSR-Environmental Health & Safety officially launched Battery Safety training this February, providing education on the safe use, storage, transportation, and disposal of batteries in laboratories and other facilities at George Mason University. This training is available online.

University Sustainability and Auxiliary & Business Services were awarded $1.06M by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. The grant focuses on improving composting and food-waste diversion, redistributing unused campus dining-hall meals, and supporting waste-stream infrastructure. This funding recognizes George Mason’s successful sustainability effort and is an investment in its continued leadership.

A newly installed temperature sensor at the Central Heating & Cooling Plant enables a more stable and accurate condenser water supply temperature. This key upgrade will prevent unnecessary motor ramping and support consistent chiller performance, resulting in energy efficiency and longer equipment life.

February marked seven years since George Mason became the first university in the nation to launch autonomous food delivery through Starship delivery robots. Mason Dining celebrated the anniversary of the program, which has grown to a fleet of over 60 robots, fulfilling dozens of delivery orders each day for the George Mason community.

The final Collect the Spirit headband drop at Homecoming capped a memorable and record-breaking sales season. The mobile merchandise trailer more than doubled last year’s in-arena sales demonstrating strong demand and the effectiveness of expanded retail strategies.

George Mason is implementing a multi‑phase phishing‑inoculation program using Microsoft Attack Simulation and Training (ASAT), a capability already included in our Microsoft Defender for Office 365 licensing. ASAT provides realistic phishing simulations, behavior‑based microtraining, and leadership‑level reporting, offering a more effective security readiness model than traditional annual training. The rollout began with an ITS‑only pilot to validate tooling and playbooks, where a one‑week simulation yielded 26 clicks and 7 credential submissions out of 314 users. Phase 2 expands to ~400 early‑adopter users for fine‑tuning and communication testing. Phase 3 will scale to the full university beginning in late March/early April, introducing recurring, automated simulations to strengthen long‑term community resilience.

Curious about PatriotAI but haven't made it to a training yet? Check out the recap of February's user training at Mason Square, held on February 17 and 19, which introduced generative and agentic AI, explained how AI models generate responses, and taught users how to craft effective prompts using the PACE framework (Problem, Action, Context, Expectations).

Raj Murthy has joined George Mason University as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for ITS. Raj brings more than 20 years of leadership in higher education technology, with strengths in infrastructure modernization, cybersecurity, service reliability, and data‑driven decision-making. Raj leads with an emphasis on inclusion, clarity, and execution, enabling teams to focus on meaningful outcomes and deliver results that matter.

The Fleet Management telematics pilot was successfully implemented across F&CO, with hardware installed on all 138 department vehicles along with training on system functionality, safety features, and data interpretation.  The first set of operational dashboards is in development to provide real-time visibility into vehicle usage, safety alerts, idle time, and maintenance needs.  Automated notifications are under development for idling expenses and critical events (excessive speeding, engine fault codes), as well as methods for associating trip data with individual operators.

Enterprise Risk Management has updated the university’s Creating and Maintaining University policy (Policy 1101), along with associated procedures and policy website, in partnership with the Provost’s office. In addition to modernizing the policy to create a stronger, more transparent framework for how policies are maintained going forward, this update wasn’t just procedural—it was designed to build consistency, strengthen accountability, and treat policy management as an essential component of institutional risk mitigation.

In January, George Mason received notice that it exceeded its energy curtailment commitment to the PJM demand response program testing event last fall, with an overall performance of 119%. From these results, the University will receive $333,133 in payments for this fiscal year. The success of this testing event was the combined effort of our Central Heating & Cooling Plant, Energy Management, and Building Controls teams, and the university’s commitment to responsible stewardship of resources.

George Mason has launched its Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) assessment project in early January. The team is partnering with Attain to evaluate current processes in Banner and determine the best long‑term system to support HR, Finance, Student, and Financial Aid operations. The resulting roadmap will guide future investment decisions, align with enterprise initiatives planned for FY27–28, and help move the university from reactive maintenance toward a strategic, future‑focused operating environment.

Mason Dining achieved Green Restaurant Association (GRA) Certification across all dining halls, exemplifying the university’s commitment to sustainability and environmentally responsible operations. In addition, The Mason Mensch expanded its inclusive dining offerings by earning halal certification alongside its existing kosher certification, further supporting diverse dietary and cultural needs across campus.

All three George Mason campuses were once again recognized as Best Workplaces for Commuters, highlighting continued excellence in commuter support, transportation programs, and sustainable commuting initiatives that benefit students, faculty, and staff.

Homecoming Week launched with a pair of Johnson Center events. On January 29, Rally at the Court brought students together for live music by The Green Machine, performances by the Masonettes and Cheer Team, and appearances by the men’s basketball team, along with banner voting and a spirit wear fashion show. The Johnson Center Atrium also hosted the 2nd Annual Joust, where Men’s Wrestling staged a high-profile matchup against Rider University. The event drew a packed student crowd and a national audience on ESPN+.

The Mason Bookstore launched the third Collect the Spirit headband drop at the Spirit Trailer during the January 10 rivalry game against VCU. Momentum from the mobile retail experience continues to build, with spirit trailer sales already surpassing total sales for last year. In partnership with Athletics and the Office of University Branding, ABS Marketing and the Bookstore launched the new mobile merchandise trailer and the Collect the Spirit fan-engagement campaign. The initiative continues to debut exclusive game-day drops and amplify school spirit across home basketball games this season.

Print and Mail Services launched new smart lockers in the print hub, expanding secure, self-service pickup options and improving convenience and efficiency for the campus community.

The ITS website is now 99% accessible, the product of work by the ITS team and partners. The major visual and functional refresh of the public ITS site improved user navigation and content clarity, long-term maintainability, alignment with university brand guidelines, and ADA Title II accessibility standards. The ITS website’s accessibility rating is now 99%.

On December 10, George Mason hosted a District Energy and Data Center Workshop at the SciTech Campus, focused on capturing and repurposing waste heat exhausted by data centers. The university is currently exploring opportunities to partner with these data centers, which have proliferated in the area. While this process is established in Europe, it is not currently employed at any of the Northern Virginia data centers. The conference was organized by the Northern Virginia Regional Commission in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, International District Energy Association, and Ramboll.

In Fall 2025, the university made a number of physical security enhancements on our campuses, including the implementation of an event security rubric, securing a third-party contract for as-needed additional event support, deployment of vehicle barriers for outdoor venues, and procuring a weapons detection system for events and venues. These reflect the continuous, collaborative efforts of Risk, Safety, & Resilience, in partnership with University Events, University Police, University Life, Auxiliary and Business Services, and others across our campuses, dedicated to keeping our community safe.

To protect the university community from unwanted text messages and smishing attempts, SMS texting was disabled on Vonage, the university’s phone service provider. This proactive measure reduces exposure to malicious SMS attacks. Reinstatement of SMS service will now require a Pinnacle ticket submitted through your telecom coordinator, ensuring tighter control and oversight. Visit the Vonage Phone & Voicemail Services page for more information.

ITS continued implementing new storage quotas to manage growth within the Microsoft 365 environment. Phases included applying quotas in Exchange (email and calendar), creating a MyHub request process for additional MS Teams and SharePoint spaces, and investigating retention policies. In 2026, ITS will focus on refining account lifecycle management and respective policies. This effort improves efficiency and safeguards resources. See the M365 Storage Roadmap for updates.

Mason Dining achieved Green Restaurant Association Certification for all four dining halls on campus, marking a significant milestone in sustainability, environmental stewardship, and responsible dining operations. The Green Restaurant Association is a national nonprofit that evaluates dining programs on an extensive set of environmental criteria, including water and energy efficiency, waste reduction, sustainable food purchasing, and pollution prevention. Mason Dining’s certification reflects the coordinated effort of dining partner, Chartwells, and Auxiliary and Business Services to implement sustainability improvements.

In December, Facilities & Campus Operations launched a GPS pilot program to improve the university’s vehicle management program, with the installation of Geotab GPS tracking units in vehicles and golf carts. This provides real-time insights into vehicle locations, usage, maintenance needs, and performance, which will help make informed decisions, extend the life of our vehicles, and deliver consistent, reliable service to the George Mason community. The six-month Facilities and Campus Operations pilot lays the groundwork for a broader university rollout, with pilot results and next steps expected in summer 2026.

EagleBank Arena now offers contactless checkout systems and roaming concession hawkers during events, powered by Mashgin contactless systems. These improvements create a seamless and convenient concessions experience for guests while increasing operational efficiency and driving additional revenue. Outside the venue on game days, George Mason Bookstore fans can visit the new mobile merchandise trailer, launched alongside the debut of the Collect the Spirit campaign, creating a high-energy retail experience that expands on-site merchandise access for fans. 

George Mason Nation gathered on December 6 for the Patriot Perks Watch Party at Banditos to support the men’s basketball team on the road against Virginia Tech. A partnership between Auxiliary and Business Services, Athletics, and the Alumni Association, the event drew more than 125 attendees, fostering strong student engagement and off-campus partnerships that enhance the George Mason fan experience.

ITS simplified George Mason University’s Wi-Fi network in fall 2025 by fully transitioning to eduroam and retiring MASON-SECURE. Eduroam has served as Mason’s primary Wi-Fi network since 2022, offering secure and seamless access across all campuses and at hundreds of participating institutions worldwide. With MASON-SECURE permanently shut down on December 19, the transition streamlined connectivity, strengthened security, and ensured consistent access for students, faculty, and staff both on campus and at partner institutions. For more information, see the MASON-SECURE Retirement FAQs.