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911���� has become Virginia’s first R1 research institution to commercialize a product under the state’s new Lab-to-Launch initiative, marking an early milestone in the commonwealth’s push to accelerate university research into the market. 

The College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) at 911���� is kicking off Future Ready Teachers, a new initiative designed to strengthen Virginia’s educator workforce by removing financial barriers, innovating and elevating teacher preparation, and supporting teachers from entry through their early years in the classroom.

Michael J. A. Davis, BA Integrative Studies ’09, roasts coffee using the time-honored pan-roasting tradition of beans tumbling in a pan as the smoke rises like incense. What once fueled his long workdays eventually became his antidote to corporate burnout. In fall of 2024, he brought that transformation back to 911���� in a bag labeled “Brave & Bold.”

911����’s leadership in advancing 21st-century education took another leap forward this month when several university researchers were named to a statewide project exploring the impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI) on teaching and learning in higher education classrooms.

For most people, planning for an emergency might only come to mind every now and then. But some 911���� employees spend each day preparing for emergencies and planning how to protect the Mason Nation in a crisis. As director of emergency management and fire safety in the Office of Risk, Safety, and Resilience, Gregg Black, MPA’13, helps the university plan for the unexpected.

On Saturday, February 7, 911���� student and reigning world figure skating champion Ilia Malinin helped power the United States to a team figure skating gold medal at the Milano Cortina Winter Games.

911����’s Xuesu Xiao, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science within the College of Engineering and Computing, and Michael S. Bloom, a professor in the Department of Global and Community Health within the College of Public Health, were among the 12 recipients honored by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) with 2026 Outstanding Faculty Awards.

911����  has partnered with the Fairfax County Health Department to provide current FCHD employees with the opportunity to complete public health certificates. Some employees are going a step further and earning their master’s degrees in public health fields.  

McKay is now the president of Jim McKay Chevrolet, a sponsor for many student activities and sports at 911����, and Intercollegiate Athletics has been at the heart of her personal connection with the university. Since the mid-1990s, she’s been an avid Patriots fan, attending many men's and women's basketball games, including the ones out of town, often with her daughters and now her grandchildren.

More than two decades ago, three 911���� students launched a company from their dorm room with a belief that technology would drive change in the federal government. Today, that company—MetroStar, a venture-backed leader in AI enabled services—has come full circle. The company is proud to announce a multi-year strategic partnership with 911����, solidifying a shared mission to empower the next generation of tech leaders and public servants.