Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University

08/31/2026

Happy Monday!
Here is the schedule for the Welcome Back events for our ESP graduate students this week. Please join us for one or more of them!
Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center

08/31/2026

🎨🌎 What happens when sustainability meets art?

Students in EVPP 480: Sustainability in Action explored a creative new way to communicate complex environmental issues: turning them into visual art.

Led by Environmental Science and Policy assistant professor Jennifer Sklarew, students created felt artwork inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, tackling topics ranging from ecosystem conservation and community resilience to the environmental impacts of data centers.

The project is part of a STEAM approach that helps students think about sustainability from different perspectives and find new ways to make science accessible and engaging.

The student artwork is now on display at the Potomac Science Center in Woodbridge.

🔗 Learn more about Sustainability in Action: https://science.gmu.edu/news/sustainability-action-how-george-mason-students-use-art-communicate-environmental-solutions

📷 Sustainability in Action, EVPP 480, outdoor class with fiber artist Felicia Reed and Professor Jennifer Sklarew. Photo by R. Sison.


Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University

07/15/2026

Congratulations to our MS student Carsyn Bennett on the publication of her policy memo "Strengthening EPA's Neonicotinoid Regulations - An Integrated Approach to Pollinator Protection" in the Journal of Science Policy & Governance.

The Journal of Science Policy & Governance - JSPG
College of Science at George Mason University

Read “Strengthening EPA's Neonicotinoid Regulations - An Integrated Approach to Pollinator Protection,” an article from Volume 28, Issue 01 of the Journal of Science Policy & Governance.

07/08/2026

News Release:
George Mason Uni­versity will host a new State Cli­mate Office!

Congratulations to the Virginia Climate Center team for GMU officially being selected to host the Virginia State Climate Office.

The evid­ence of a chan­ging cli­mate is clear in Vir­ginia, even if the causes are polit­ic­ally debat­able, said James Kinter, dir­ector of both the Virginia Cli­mate Cen­ter and the George Mason Cen­ter for Ocean-Land Atmo­sphere Stud­ies.

“It is a polit­ic­ally charged topic,” Kinter said. “The issue that gets lost is that the cli­mate has changed.”

Read the story: https://www.pressreader.com/usa/the-washington-post-sunday-598/20260705/282076283609047

Visit the Virginia Climate Center website: https://www.vaclimate.gmu.edu/

College of Science at George Mason University

06/24/2026

By now, everyone's heard about the (wrong color of the) Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on the National Mall in DC.

The science behind the "wrong color" is explained by multiple experts, including professor of aquatic ecology Rosalina Stancheva Christova, who had taken water samples from the pool for analysis.

Christova confirmed that the algae belongs to the genus Desmodesmus, which she said is "growing in excessive amounts" but is not toxic or harmful. However, she would like to see the water monitored weekly.

"If we don't have any control over algal growth, we don't know what is growing," she said, adding that not all types of algae are as harmless as the one currently blooming in the pool.

Read the NPR story (heard on All Things Considered): https://www.npr.org/2026/06/19/nx-s1-5863044/dc-reflecting-pool-algae-green-trump

Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center
College of Science at George Mason University

The shallow, sunny waters of the reflecting pool are an ideal incubator for algae growth in the summertime. Experts say the recent renovation may have helped accelerate it.

06/12/2026

Collaborating researchers at George Mason University and The University of Virginia's College at Wise use phylogenomics to identify cyanobacteria in the Shenandoah River with a 4-VA grant.

You’ve probably seen slimy mats of brownish green clinging to rocks in streams or on lake beds, and perhaps not given it another thought. But George Mason University’s Rosalina Stancheva Christova has.

06/12/2026

Spend a semester away without falling behind at Mason. 🌿

Students in our undergraduate semester-away programs can apply credits toward a wide range of degree requirements, including Mason Core, and majors such as Environmental Science, Environmental & Sustainability Studies, Biology, Global Affairs, and Integrative Studies. In some programs, all semester-away credits can count directly toward concentration requirements. Plus, completing any SMSC semester program can fulfill the requirements for the Conservation Studies minor!

Talk to your advisor. Explore how a semester at SMSC can fit into your degree plan and advance your graduation goals while you gain hands-on conservation experience!

🐾🌳🌍
School of Integrative Studies at George Mason University
Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University
Global Affairs at George Mason University
GMU Department of Biology

05/16/2026

Have you made plans after graduating? George Mason University wants to know!
The Career Plans Survey is now open to all May 2026 graduates, undergrad and grad. You can update your responses later if your plans change. Your input helps George Mason showcase the success of our alums to employers, grad schools, and future Patriots. Your participation directly contributes to the strength of the Mason community – now and in the future.

https://careercollective.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bq1VyFrJE0uHF7E

05/08/2026

Going on field trips aren't just for school-aged summer campers. College students enjoy them too! 🎓

Students from the spring 2026 EVPP 336 "Tackling Wicked Problems in Society and the Environment" course and their instructor, Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University science communication and policy professor K.L. Akerlof, visited City Hall on April 17, 2026.

https://science.gmu.edu/news/evpp-336-class-takes-field-trip-city-hall-learn-about-wicked-problems-city-fairfax

City of Fairfax Government

05/07/2026