All News

Next System Studies welcomes April Doner, Dr. Matt Burke, Hannah Gokaslan, and Nairuti Shastry as this year's guests for our 2026 Next System Speakers series!

Welcome to our monthly compilation of good news, gathered from the college's faculty and staff!

Mark Oppenheimer, 2022 Distinguished Lecturer in Judaic Studies, returns to George Mason University on March 30, 2026, to talk about his landmark biography of Judy Blume. He will speak at 6:30 in Fenwick Library Main Reading Room. This event is open to the public. Most Americans know the name Judy Blume because of her beloved classics: Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret; Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing; Deenie; and Summer SistersBut little is known about the real woman behind the iconic persona, and the unlikely journey of her literary ascension, until now. In Judy Blume, journalist, historian, and longtime Blume aficionado Mark Oppenheimer pens a beautiful, multidimensional portrait of the acclaimed author through extensive interviews with Blume herself, invaluable access to her papers and correspondence, and thoughtful analysis of Blume’s beloved novels, including early, unpublished works that shed light on the pathbreaking writer she would become. Oppenheimer goes deep, exploring Blume’s middle-class 1950s upbringing, complicated childhood, varied relationships and marriages, unabashed sexual experiences, bouts of heartache and loss, and enduring legacy as a champion of free speech and contemporary literature. Oppenheimer peels back the curtain to reveal the woman behind the literary empire in all her complex, multifaceted glory—a true gift for anyone who grew up reading and loving these extraordinary books.

Universities nationwide are currently reporting technical hurdles with the new SciENcv biographical sketch requirement for federal applications. CHSS Pre-Award has provided some guidance to ensure your NIH application doesn't run into any issues!

Next System Studies at GMU is excited to announce the latest cohort of the Next System Fellows!

Sadana discusses the Delhi government's new budgeting proposal for metro expansion and electrified buses.

For metros and buses to be a real solution for Delhi’s pollution, they need to be the backbone of urban life – not an afterthought.

Lucia Liu discusses ancient roots of burials for Hans Chinese population after residents in Guizhou’s Mushan village in rural China thwarted government attempts to enforce cremation in place of traditional burials.

On December 3, CHSS faculty and staff gathered to recognize the outstanding achievements of CHSS staff and A/P faculty at the 2025 Mary Roper and CHSS Staff and A/P Faculty Awards ceremony at the Center for the Arts.

Rashmi Sadana, professor of Anthropology, comments on car culture and urban life in an interview with Adam Tuss, NBC4 news anchor and transportation reporter.