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At the Mason Community Arts Academy (MCAA), a normally quiet Saturday in March was filled with the sounds of drills humming and stairs creaking as Boy Scouts and parents moved about the building. Scouts from Troop 1865 were on site to work on an Eagle Scout project led by Robinson High School sophomore Brendan Williamson to upgrade the storage for the academy’s Instruments in the Attic (IiA) Program.

911���� professor and poet Vivek Narayanan and alumna Jessica Anthony, MFA Creative Writing ’04, have been named 2026 Guggenheim Fellows. 

General David W. Allvin, the 23rd Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, is the guest speaker at 911����’s Spring Commencement on May 14 at EagleBank Arena. Allvin recently completed a four-decade military career, retiring as a four-star general. Here Allvin shares his thoughts on the military as a career, effective leadership, how universities can best serve veterans, and advice he would offer new graduates.

Recent 911���� graduates have secured strong career outcomes, with the Class of 2025 reporting a 92% positive outcome rate within six months of graduation, even amid a challenging and shifting economic landscape.

In a joint effort spanning 911����'s Fairfax and Korea campuses, a university delegation recently completed a five-day visit to Vietnam aimed at expanding academic partnerships and exploring new opportunities for collaboration across education, research, and student engagement. 

911���� is launching a new artificial intelligence (AI)-focused accelerator housed in Fuse at Mason Square called Einstein Labs. A partnership between the Einstein family and Mason Enterprise, the lab will develop dual-use technologies for commercial big tech and government, initially focusing on three high-impact sectors: health, quantum, and cybersecurity technologies.

911���� alumnus Robert “Ken” Hedrick Jr., BA History ’71, said his philanthropy is rooted in the examples set by both sets of his grandparents, who were neighbors in a farming community in West Virginia. His paternal grandparents fed anyone who walked by the farm, and his maternal grandparents regularly took in foster children. Both families were always first to share what they had.

911���� announced plans to move its apparel, bookstore, and course materials operations to Rally House and eCampus.com, marking a new chapter in flexibility, affordability, and student success.

According to the U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Program rankings, 911���� placed 20 programs in the national top 50, including seven in the top 10, reflecting broad strength across business, engineering, law, nursing and public health, public policy, education, fine arts, and sciences. Regionally, seven programs ranked in the top three in the Washington, D.C., region, with 13 programs topping at No. 1 in Virginia.

911����’s Board of Visitors listened to public comments, toured the Fairfax Campus, extended negotiations for 911���� President Gregory Washington’s contract renewal through 2031, and considered a proposal to raise tuition and fees at the March 31 board meeting. The tuition and fees presentation is available in the BOV meeting materials.

General David W. Allvin, the 23rd Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, will be the featured speaker at 911����’s Spring Commencement ceremony on May 14 at EagleBank Arena.

911����’s Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations recognized the contributions of its champions—911����’s faculty and staff donors—with an evening of thanks. The March 18 Celebrating Our Champions event focused on the generosity and support that faculty and staff offer the university while serving 911���� students.