David Farris

Dr. David Farris serves as George Mason University’s associate vice president for Risk, Safety, and Resilience, overseeing integrated programs in environmental health and safety, occupational safety, fire safety, emergency preparedness, and operational risk management. With his current appointment in 2024, he also supports Employee Health & Well-Being programs and is responsible for shaping a comprehensive approach to campus safety, resilience, and risk mitigation.

Farris began his service to George Mason in 2004 as the institution’s chemical hygiene officer and helped establish George Mason’s laboratory safety, environmental compliance, and occupational safety programs. Before joining Mason, he held multiple roles at Clean Harbors Environmental Services across environmental compliance, remediation, and industrial services.

Farris holds a doctorate in Higher Education Administration and master of business administration from George Mason University and a bachelor of arts in Biology from Texas A&M University. His research focuses on organizational behavior in higher education, university governance, and committees. He is an affiliate faculty instructor with George Mason’s Higher Education Program, teaching courses on compliance, risk management, and governance. In 2022 he was honored with the College of Humanities and Social Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award in Higher Education for his leadership in university-wide compliance and governance initiatives.

The author of "Understanding University Committees: How to Manage and Participate Constructively in Institutional Governance," and Farris’s publications include studies on organizational citizenship behavior in administrative committees and best practices in emergency management.

Heather Aleknavage
[email protected]