Students

EagleBank Arena buzzed with high-tech aerial excitement on August 15 as George Mason University hosted the culmination of the 2nd Annual Airborne Robotics Cup, a STEM outreach competition culminating in an intense 12-hour tournament featuring dynamic, lighter-than-air autonomous blimp “soccer” matches.

This summer, as part of a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) funded by the National Science Foundation, 10 undergraduates came from around the country to spend the summer immersed in field- and laboratory-based conservation research at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s 3,200-acre campus.

These summer programs showcase how George Mason is opening doors for all students to explore, learn, and grow in their passions and skills to prepare for whatever their future holds.

When she saw Northrop Grumman's table at the George Mason University Career Fair, Neha Bandaru figured that any opportunity the company had to offer would be catered to engineering students. However, when she spoke with a Costello College of Business alum about what the aerospace and defense company had on the business side, it opened her eyes to the exciting opportunities available to her.

Interning at Deloitte was on Iman Chaudhry’s radar ever since she entered the Costello College of Business at George Mason University as a freshman and learned about the major firms in the area. As the president of the Mason Consulting Group, she’s tuned in to what’s happening at Costello and the opportunities available.

Ryen Middleton, MPH '26, applied what he learned in his coursework to strengthen his patient communication skills during his practicum with the Frederick County Health Department as a certified HIV counselor.  

Growing up, Michael Marcus Jr.’s family had an important rule: All the children would take part in both a sport and some form of art. For Marcus, that meant basketball and music. A starting forward on George Mason University’s men’s basketball team, Marcus has spent years refining his game on the court while also teaching himself to play the piano in his free time.

By applying classroom learning to real-world research, Keya Chilka discovered new perspectives on public health and strengthened the skills needed to create meaningful change for vulnerable populations.

Jack Sorenson, a marketing major in the Costello College of Business, is one of the faces behind AARP's digital newsletters.

George Mason welcomes its largest undergraduate class ever—more than 7,400 incoming students, including a record number of transfers—at New Student Convocation.