Dean’s Blog: Faster or Further?

According to traditional African wisdom, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go further, go together.”

The spirit of collaboration is at the heart of everything we do in science. More hands lighten the load, but meaningful collaboration requires time, intentionality, and a shared commitment to common goals. This year, the university’s Grand Challenges Initiative has encouraged our domain experts to reach beyond traditional boundaries—to work across departments, across George Mason, and across government and industry partnerships—to build innovative, multidisciplinary scientific engines aimed at transformational impact. I have been inspired by the energy, creativity, and bold ideas emerging from these conversations. Together, we are shaping the future of Mason Science.

This is also the time of year when we naturally reflect on the partnerships formed, lessons learned, progress made, and successes achieved. I am thrilled with the momentum across several key initiatives: advancing our strategic plan priorities and associated processes; formalizing recommendations from the Administrative Assessment; fostering thoughtful, collective dialogue around workload policy; strengthening our student and industry advisory boards to better understand our value and growth opportunities; and increasing transparency around our budget as our college and university continue to navigate a rapidly changing academic landscape.

And we all benefit from this work—yet most of all, our students do. Every week, I hear new stories of student achievement and resilience that underscore our shared commitment to their learning, well-being, and forward progress. Thank you for all that you do to ensure our mission is more than a statement on a website. Through your dedication, we are truly advancing fundamental scientific discovery and cultivating an inclusive community capable of addressing our most pressing challenges.

As we prepare to celebrate our winter graduates and honor our Dean’s Award recipients, I want to express my sincere gratitude for the engagement, expertise, and results that our college community has delivered throughout 2025. It is clear how far we have come. Our community has also invested deeply in shaping our future—raising concerns, proposing ideas, and collaborating on solutions through thoughtful, action-oriented dialogue that considers both short- and long-term impacts. Together, we are answering the essential questions: What is the plan? How can I engage?

As we look toward the coming year, I am excited to see how much further we can go in the “student success business,” together.

-Cody