George Mason University (Mason or GMU) is a public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia.[9] The university was originally founded in 1949 as a northern branch of the University of Virginia. Named after Founding Father of the United States George Mason in 1959, it became an independent university in 1972. The school has since grown into the largest public university in the Commonwealth of Virginia.[10][11][1] Mason operates four campuses in Virginia (Fairfax, Arlington, Front Royal, and Prince William), as well as a campus in Incheon, South Korea. The flagship campus is in Fairfax.Today, we are the largest public research university in Virginia with three campuses in Virginia and one in Songdo, Korea.We have grown to more than 39,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Our commitment to serving our students, community and the world is having a measurable impact.But let’s take a moment to step back, take a breath, and highlight some of the defining events in Mason’s history.Bestowing names to the features of our campus environment is a considerate process. The university's naming committee, comprised of representatives from faculty, staff, and students, advises on the naming of all new campus facilities, roads, and other public spaces on campus where funding is not associated with private support.The naming committee is advisory in nature, providing recommendations to the Executive Council on the naming of physical spaces at George Mason University.The committee is chaired by the Vice President of Communications and Marketing or appointee.In his seven years at UCI, Washington expanded undergraduate and graduate enrollment in the engineering school and recruited and hired one of the most diverse engineering faculty cohorts in the country. In addition, he established the University of California’s first student makerspace and launched the OC STEM Initiative, one of the nation’s first STEM ecosystems, in Orange County, California.Washington created new graduate and undergraduate programs with the UCI business and humanities schools and led the development of the Horiba Institute for Mobility and Connectivity to advance next-generation advanced mobility systems.The first African American dean of engineering at any University of California campus, and the first African American president at Mason, Washington established an Office of Access and Inclusion at UCI to enhance campus life for all students and chaired the Task Force on Ensuring a Positive Climate for the Campus’ Black Community.Washington began his academic career in 1995 as an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Ohio State University and served as interim dean of the engineering school from 2008 to 2011. Washington received the Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching, the Harrison Faculty Award for Excellence in Engineering Education, and the Lumley Research Award. He also received the National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award.A first-generation college graduate, Washington is a New York City native. He earned three degrees in mechanical engineering, including his PhD, at North Carolina State University.

George Mason University is ranked #148 in National Universities. Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence.#148inNational Universities (tie)#86inBest Colleges for Veterans (tie)#71inBest Undergraduate Teaching (tie)