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During the pandemic shutdown, EIP, just like all programming at Mason, was forced to pivot to online platforms.

Kristen Alleyne and Elene Lipartiani, incoming freshmen at 911����, have been honored with I-Achieve scholarships for academic excellence. The awards are being given for the first time this year, as part of a grant Mason received from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation last fall.

911���� is ranked 70th in the United States in the latest World University Rankings by Times Higher Education.

President Gregory Washington has revealed the members of his Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence (ARIE) Task Force, a major university-wide initiative that will examine practices and traditions at 911���� to see if racial biases exist. he 32-member core task force is headed by co-chairs Shernita Rochelle Parker, Mason’s assistant vice president for HR strategy and talent management, and Wendi Manuel Scott, a professor of history in the School of Integrative Studies within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the former director of the African and African American Studies Program.

Despite a path to 911���� that was challenging and, in her own words, “unconventional,” incoming freshmen Juliette Reyes moved on to campus this fall. The Parkland, Florida, native will be double majoring in government and international politics and conflict analysis and resolution, a decision based on an initial interest in politics in high school that grew into a passion.

When Taurus Patterson was looking at colleges, 911���� struck him right away as a place that he could call a “second home.” “I felt like I would be welcome,” said Patterson, 18. “Everyone I met was so nice, and it didn’t seem forced. When I visited the campus, people just started talking to me, and it was so natural. I already felt like I belonged.” Patterson is a member of Mason’s Honors College, a University Scholar and a recipient of the Merten-Womble Scholarship. He says he’s looking forward to studying finance in the School of Business, and is considering a second major in public administration. “A long time ago, I wanted to be president, and then I wanted to be a financial consultant,” Patterson said. “Really, I have a passion for both finance and politics, so I would like to be able to combine these interests.”

U.S. colleges and universities in the coming years will lead the reeducation of a workforce displaced by COVID-19, 911���� President Gregory Washington said recently in a Chronicle of Higher Education webinar.