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When Songqing Chen joined George Mason University in 2004, the Nguyen Engineering Building didn't exist. Research Hall wasn't there either. Parts of campus that are now busy with students and researchers were still forest.
Twenty-two years later, Chen has watched George Mason grow into an R1 research university, and the Computer Science Department has grown right along with it. Now, as a newly appointed department chair, he's helping to guide the department through another major transition: the rise of artificial intelligence.
Chen came to George Mason because of its strong computer science and cybersecurity programs and because he saw a university on the rise.
What made him stay was the people.
Over the years, he found a department where colleagues were willing to share advice, collaborate on ideas, and support one another. That collegial atmosphere remains one of the things he appreciates most about the university.
"It's been a very welcoming environment," he said.
As chair, Chen's focus is simple: helping people succeed. “At the end of the day, a department is defined by its people -- our students, faculty, and staff," he said.
He lights up when talking about former students who have gone on to become professors, researchers, and leaders in industry, as well as faculty and staff who have grown professionally and made lasting contributions to the department. Those successes, he says, are the clearest sign that the department is doing its job.
Like many computer science leaders, Chen is spending a lot of time thinking about artificial intelligence and what it means for students entering the workforce.
He understands why some students and parents are nervous. Headlines often focus on AI replacing jobs, especially entry-level programming work. But Chen believes the story is more complicated.
After all, the AI systems changing the world today were built by computer scientists.
Rather than trying to hold back the technology, he believes universities need to help students learn how to work with it effectively and shape where it goes next.
He says, "We need to evolve as the field evolves." The evolution means updating courses, rethinking how students learn and are assessed, and teaching students when AI is useful and when human judgment still matters. It also means creating new opportunities, including George Mason's planned Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence.
Beyond AI, Chen sees potential in other emerging fields, including quantum computing, where the university is building momentum through interdisciplinary research and new investments.
His own research reflects that forward-looking mindset. In recent years, he has focused on immersive computing, bringing together artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and extended reality technologies. His projects include using VR to help students better understand scientific concepts and creating immersive environments that allow researchers at different locations to collaborate more effectively.
For someone who has spent more than two decades at George Mason, Chen has seen plenty of change already. But he believes some things remain constant.
Students are still the priority. Collaboration still matters. And the willingness to adapt is what keeps both universities and individuals moving forward.
More than two decades ago, Chen arrived at a campus where some of today's research buildings were still forest. Since then, he has watched Mason grow, helped build a department that has become a national leader, and mentored countless students.
The trees may be gone, replaced by labs, classrooms, and innovation hubs, but the work of building continues. As computer science enters an era shaped by artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and technologies yet to be imagined, Chen is still looking ahead to what comes next.