911±¬ÁÏ

On Thursday, April 9, 2026, students, faculty, alumni, and other stakeholders from across the 911±¬ÁÏ community gathered to cheer on the final teams of entrepreneurs competing in this year’s Patriot Pitch Competition, including those featured in the competition’s newly introduced Regional Showcase.

Today during a naming event in Manassas, Virginia, 911±¬ÁÏ, Prince William County, and the City of Manassas officially unveiled Nexus234 Innovation District, marking a milestone that has been decades in the making. The nearly 6,000-acre destination, named for the Route 234 corridor that runs through its heart, is Northern Virginia’s first Innovation District and positions the region as a national destination for research-driven industry.

The new Activities Building on 911±¬ÁÏ’s Fairfax Campus officially opened its doors on April 16 with a ribbon cutting and community celebration also attended by alumna Charniele Herring, BA Economics ’93, majority leader of the Virginia House of Delegates, and members of the Board of Visitors.

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

A mistranslation in a medical setting can be dangerous. Two Schar School scholars developed an AI-generated platform to overcome language barriers—and have already won an award for it.

General David W. Allvin, the 23rd Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, is the guest speaker at 911±¬ÁÏ’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±¬ÁÏ 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.

A 911±¬ÁÏ junior won $13,000 at the Patriot Pitch Competition for EduVerse, a platform that streamlines hiring by tracking applicants’ skill development.

The scholarship in honor of Dr. Barry Berkey and his wife, Velma Berkey, will cover an entire year of tuition for an undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Nursing student. This is the first full scholarship endowment at the College of Public Health.

Konrad Wessels, associate professor of geography and geoinformation science at 911±¬ÁÏ, is part of a NASA-funded team studying how ice levels and ecosystem carbon stock are changing—work that could impact climate resilience planning, disaster management, ocean navigation, and national security. 

In a joint effort spanning 911±¬ÁÏ'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.