Prince William County is navigating challenges as it seeks to balance the growing demand for data centers with its aspirations for technological innovation and education, particularly around the George Mason University SciTech Campus.
This dynamic was discussed at the Prince William Board of County Supervisors meeting on September 10, when leaders and stakeholders expressed concerns over how the expansion of data centers could impact the county's economic growth potential, particularly at the college's Innovation District, outside Manassas.
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George Mason University’s Potomac Science Center in Woodbridge is raising funds for a new dock and a boat to enhance its environmental research and education efforts. Dr. Chris Jones, the academic director of the Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center, discussed the initiative at The Health of Our Waterways Gala event on June 28, 2024, held at the science center in Belmont Bay.
The new dock will enable students and researchers to access the Potomac River for hands-on learning experiences. Dr. Jones emphasized the importance of fieldwork, stating, “Rather than just giving lectures or showing videos about sampling and studying aquatic organisms in their habitat, we go out and collect them, experience them, make measurements in the field, and demonstrate the concepts that they’ve learned in lab and lecture in the real world.”
The center’s current location poses challenges due to shallow waters extending 500 feet from the shore, making it difficult to launch boats. Dr. Jones explained, “We ended up here by a process. Let’s just say that we needed donation of land on the water, and there was not a lot of thought put into how would we access the water once we were there.”
The proposed dock will include a long raised walkway to deeper water, with five boat slips, including one at channel depth for larger vessels. “We have to have a long gangway, essentially just a raised walkway to get out to near where the water is deep enough to have boats,” said Dr. Jones. The project is estimated to cost between $1.2 million and $1.4 million. An initial architecture and engineering study is expected to cost $300,000.
In addition to the dock, the center aims to acquire a trailer-able boat, costing around $70,000, to facilitate access to different parts of the Potomac River, including areas near the Chesapeake Bay. “The boat that we’re asking for does not require a pier. It is trailerable, so we can keep it on a trailer out here and drive near where we want to sample, launch it, and go out and sample,” Dr. Jones said.
This boat will allow for more reliable sampling and studying of diverse aquatic environments. Dr. Jones highlighted the research opportunities, particularly in studying stratification in estuaries and the impact of anoxic (low or no oxygen) conditions on bacteria. “Up here, the river is well mixed from the surface to bottom. But in a classic estuary, you have stratification where the freshwater glides over the salt water, leading to potential anoxic conditions.”
The university has already received $100,000 from the College of Science dean for the initial design study but requires additional funding to complete the project. The center’s efforts to enhance its research infrastructure aim to provide students with valuable hands-on learning opportunities and contribute to understanding aquatic ecosystems.
George Mason University's Patriot Pitch Competition awarded its top prize in the General Entrepreneurship Track to Zachary Suh, a 19-year-old freshman from Ashburn studying marketing.
Suh's venture, ElderlyEats, aims to provide senior citizens with nutritious and culturally familiar meal plans.
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Local and state leaders, alongside George Mason University faculty and partners, cut the ribbon at the newly constructed, 1,946-square-foot Nanofabrication Facility on its Manassas Campus.
George Mason University has unveiled a new logo, concluding a three-year-long rebranding effort aimed at unifying the university and its athletic program under a modern and inclusive identity. The updated logo reflects the university's status as a top 50 national public university and emphasizes its commitment to innovation and diversity.
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George Mason University is implementing enhanced security measures to prioritize the safety and security of all attendees at the upcoming Spring Commencement and individual college and school degree celebrations.
Security checkpoints will be set up at the entrances to EagleBank Arena’s Spring Commencement and the various degree celebrations at EagleBank Arena and the Concert Hall, on the Fairfax Campus. All graduates and guests must pass through these checkpoints, where thorough security procedures will be conducted.
Both Spring Commencement and the college and school degree celebrations will require tickets for entry. According to the university, implementing a ticketing system allows for better control over the number of attendees and helps ensure that only authorized individuals gain access to the venues.
The university will augment its security staff presence at key venue locations. Trained security personnel will be positioned to monitor the event areas.
The Spring Commencement is scheduled for 10 a.m. on May 9 at EagleBank Arena . During this ceremony, doctoral candidates will have the honor of crossing the stage and receiving individual recognition. Bachelor’s and master’s degree graduates, on the other hand, will be acknowledged as a group by major from their seats.
For the college and school degree celebrations, taking place from May 9 to May 11 at EagleBank Arena or the Concert Hall at the Center for the Arts on the Fairfax Campus, bachelor’s and master’s degree graduates will be recognized by name. The Antonin Scalia Law School will host two separate degree celebrations, one at Van Metre Hall at Mason Square and another at the Concert Hall.
Due to the growing size of the College of Engineering and Computing, it will conduct two degree celebrations on May 9 at EagleBank Arena. The complete degree celebration schedule and additional ticketing information for both the Commencement and the degree celebrations will be available in the coming weeks.
Notably, doctoral candidates, advisors, and faculty will gather for a Commencement morning breakfast on the East concourse of EagleBank Arena. The morning will feature a processional involving doctoral candidates, faculty, and platform guests.
George Mason University celebrated the achievements of nearly 11,000 degree and certificate earners at the 2023 Spring Commencement.
On Tuesday, January 23, 2024, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) is set to host a high-profile event at the Hylton Performing Arts Center on George Mason University's SciTech Campus outside Manassas, featuring President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and second gentleman Douglas Emhoff.
This event is not affiliated with the university and is strictly invitation-only, states a university spokeswoman. Security measures will be robust to ensure the safety of attendees and dignitaries. The anticipated high-profile nature of the gathering is expected to result in significant traffic and parking disruptions on and around the SciTech Campus.
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“The U.S. Department of Education’s (DOE) Office for Civil Rights is investigating George Mason University (GMU) for “discrimination involving shared ancestry” following accusations of antisemitism against the school,” WJLA-TV reports.
Insidenova.com: “A recent listserv issue at George Mason University exposed emails from students replying to the president’s message on the Israel-Hamas war to the entire university.”
“The university then removed the emails from everyone’s inboxes, leaving students wondering if their school was trying to silence them.”
The Prince William Chamber of Commerce will hold a debate between Jeanine Lawson, the Republican, and Deshundra Jefferson, the Democrat. Both seek the Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chairman At-large seat.
The chamber is requiring attendees to register for the event before they may attend. Registration for the event is closed, according to the chamber’s website.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 7, 2023.
![Zachary Suh, 19, is the George Mason University’s Patriot Pitch Competition winner. Suh’s venture, ElderlyEats, aims to provide senior citizens with nutritious and culturally familiar meal plans. [Submitted photo]](https://www.potomaclocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/JWB-041124-GMU-BizPitch-0925-final-3-1260x840.jpg){kind=link}
![Zachary Suh, 19, is the George Mason University’s Patriot Pitch Competition winner. Suh’s venture, ElderlyEats, aims to provide senior citizens with nutritious and culturally familiar meal plans. [Submitted photo]](https://www.potomaclocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/JWB-041124-GMU-BizPitch-0979-final-1260x840.jpg){kind=link}
![Zachary Suh, 19, is the George Mason University’s Patriot Pitch Competition winner. Suh’s venture, ElderlyEats, aims to provide senior citizens with nutritious and culturally familiar meal plans. [Submitted photo]](https://www.potomaclocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/JWB-041124-GMU-BizPitch-1257-final-3-1260x840.jpg){kind=link}