George Mason University

The Schar School at George Mason Launches a Graduate Certificate in Strategic Trade

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

The Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University is building on the school’s existing expertise in security studies (the Schar School is ranked No. 2 by U.S. News & World Report in this category) with a new Graduate Certificate in Strategic Trade.

Strategic trade policy implies a strategic relationship between firms, countries, and export control regimes. It includes arms control, nuclear nonproliferation, and a variety of national security issues plaguing all nation states.

“This program will help students pursue jobs in trade compliance, export controls, and dual-use trade controls in both the public and private realms,” said program director Kenneth Reinert, who also oversees the Schar School’s Master’s in International Commerce and Policy program.

“We designed the Graduate Certificate in Strategic Trade […] to position students for career success in a rapidly evolving global economy.”

Reinert founded the program along with professor Andrea Viski, founder and editor-in-chief of the Strategic Trade Review and founder and director of the Strategic Trade Research Institute.

The Graduate Certificate in Strategic Trade program is the ninth graduate certificate in the Schar School’s growing portfolio of top-ranked programs. Completion of the certificate requires five courses (15 credits), including one core course in Strategic Trade Controls, and the choice of four electives in a range of topics including nuclear nonproliferation, national security technology, illicit trade, arms control, and global trade relations.

Certificate programs are an increasingly popular credential to bolster a resume and navigate career changes and advancement. The Schar School’s certificate programs are designed to feed into the master’s degrees — certificate earners can count their five completed certificate courses towards their master’s degrees, saving time and tuition expenses.

To learn more about the Schar School’s graduate programs and how to apply, request information here, or browse campus visit options here.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Amazon Buys Pentagon City Site — “Amazon.com Inc. has quietly purchased the 6.2-acre Pentagon City site where its first pair of HQ2 towers will be built. Acorn Development LLC, an Amazon subsidiary that is often listed when the company files for permits or makes land acquisitions, purchased the Metropolitan Park site on Jan. 15 from JBG Smith Properties (NYSE: JBGS) for $154.95 million, according to Arlington County records.” [Washington Business Journal]

Waverly Hills is Hot — “‘Hot’ is a subjective term in any context, including real estate. While it’s possible to measure the number of sales, price increases and how quickly homes sell, what draws one buyer doesn’t always appeal to other buyers.
According to Redfin real estate brokerage, Willowsford in Ashburn, Va., and Waverly Hills in Arlington are the No. 1 and No. 5 hottest neighborhoods in the country.” [Washington Post]

Next Step for GMU Expansion — “University officials released a request for proposals Tuesday, looking for developers interested in teaming up with Mason to build a new home for the Institute of Digital Innovation on its Virginia Square property. The building is set to include a mix of uses across its 460,000 square feet, with room for classes and research labs alongside space for companies big and small looking to partner with the university.” [Washington Business Journal]

High Water Bill Saga Continues — Residents are still seeking answers to the recent spate of high water bills, even though it appears that the drought — and outdoor irrigation — during that time period is to blame. The COO of Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services “said about 3,900 people, 11 percent of the county’s residential customers, had their bills double. He said during the 2016 drought that number was about 2,000 to 2,500 people.” [WUSA 9]

Macy’s to Close Stores — Facing major retail headwinds, Macy’s is planning to close 125 of its stores, nearly a fifth of all of its current stores, over the next three years. So far the exact location of most of the closures have not been announced. There are two Macy’s stores in Arlington, at mall in Pentagon City and Ballston. [Wall Street Journal]

Va. Lawmakers Considering Stronger SLAPP Law — “Many states have enacted tough laws making it harder to get away with so-called SLAPP suits: nuisance litigation designed to bury its targets in paperwork and fees. Virginia, however, is considered friendlier to those kinds of filings, and some experts and advocates say that has become a problem.” [Washingtonian]

What Does Transportation in the ‘City of the Future’ Look Like?

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

A free one-night seminar November 21 for prospective graduate students explores policies behind AI, big data, Uber, blockchain and more.

The Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University is offering a rare opportunity to sample a range of courses across the Master’s in Transportation Policy, Operations, and Logistics program in an evening focusing on “Transportation in the City of the Future.” The 90-minute sampler takes place Thursday, November 21, from 6:30-8 p.m. at George Mason University’s Arlington Campus.

“This will cut across all of our courses and some of the other programs offered at the Schar School,” said Laurie A. Schintler, director of the dynamic and timely Master’s in Transportation Policy, Operations, and Logistics program. “We will focus on emerging technologies in smart cities, which is very hot right now. We’ll look at everything from drones and autonomous vehicles to transportation economics and logistics.”

The sample class will also examine ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft, big data, the use of blockchain and AI in transportation, flexible and on-demand transit systems, shared-use vehicles, mobile payment systems, and a methods course and a systems course. New electives addressing additional topics, including one focusing on automated vehicles, will be introduced.

Just as importantly, Schintler will also address “the social, ethical and institutional issues that go along with these technologies,” she said. Those issues include planning, policy and privacy as well as inclusiveness, sustainability and livable communities.

The title may suggest the “City of the Future,” but Schintler said the future is already here, and so are employment opportunities.

“There are jobs in the field, but you do have to be abreast of the cutting edge,” she said. “Things are changing rapidly.”

The session is free for prospective graduate students. Space is limited. Register here. #ScharSchool

Concept of Expanded GMU Arlington Campus Released

By ARLnow.com
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The expansion of George Mason University’s campus in Virginia Square is envisioned as a gleaming glass-and-steel tower with the school’s distinctive “M” emblazoned on top.

That’s according to a new concept design for GMU’s planned Institute for Digital Innovation, released as the university announced $235 million in new funding from the state to expand the campus and develop more tech talent. The new building will be built atop the long-shuttered Kann’s Department Store, on the west side of the Fairfax Drive campus.

Gov. Ralph Northam announced the funding for GMU and ten other Virginia universities on Thursday, citing Amazon’s HQ2 in Arlington as a key reason why the Commonwealth needs more tech workers.

“Virginia will invest in the Commonwealth’s tech talent pipeline to create 31,000 new computer science graduates over 20 years, under agreements he signed with 11 universities,” the governor’s office said in a press release. “The Tech Talent Investment Program will benefit students and tech employers in every corner of the Commonwealth. It grew out of Virginia’s proposal to Amazon, which will locate its second headquarters in Northern Virginia.”

In its own press release, below, GMU said the state funding — along with an expanded Arlington campus — will help it produce 16,000 more undergrad and master’s graduates in tech fields over the next 20 years.

The press release says additional information about the new Institute for Digital Innovation facility will be revealed at an event on Wednesday, Nov. 20, which will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Arlington campus, which currently includes includes the Antonin Scalia Law School, the Schar School of Policy and Government and other departments, mostly focusing on graduate and professional programs.

The full GMU press release is below, after the jump.

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GMU Juris Master’s Program Helps Students Excel in Diverse Careers

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

When juggling a full-time job and evening classes four to five nights a week in George Mason University’s juris doctor (JD) program became difficult, graduate student Alicia Meads withdrew from the program. When she heard last year that the Antonin Scalia Law School was offering a new part-time juris master’s (JM) program, designed for working professionals, she re-enrolled.

“I wanted to understand the nuances of the law so that I could be a better lobbyist and policy professional,” said Meads, who works as a legislative affairs manager for one the nation’s largest fertilizer companies and regularly meets with members of Congress on Capitol Hill to represent her company.

Meads was able to transfer some of the credits from her JD program, and will be the first graduate from the JM program this fall. What she’s learning has been immediately applicable to her career, she said.

“I’ve been able to develop an expertise in environmental, social and governance — or ESG — reporting,” said Meads, who also helps the company coordinate its sustainability reporting and disclosure. “[The JM program] is perfect for anyone who’s working in public affairs, politics or policy and still wants a law school experience.”

Other JM students agree.

Ginger Burk, who’s been a journalist for more than a decade, said she joined the program to expand her understanding of the law and become an even stronger political correspondent.

“[Understanding the law] is inherent to all political and government reporting,” Burk said.

As a result of her studies, Burk is better able to understand court documents she reads for her job and how the lawyers she interacts with everyday have been taught to think, she said.

“A juris master’s degree will bring increased credibility to one’s skillset,” said Adriane McCray Webb, a mindfulness practitioner who said she facilitates workshops to guide clients to personal transformation, creative innovation and self-actualization. The Florida native believes the program will help her better understand intellectual property laws to help her clients copyright and protect their creative works.

Jessica Sartorius, director of the JM program, said the JM degree is in high demand and offered by almost half of all tier-one law schools. With Mason being close to Washington, D.C., the program could help many more professionals in the future, she said.

In addition to professors who keep class intellectually stimulating, there are other benefits to being part of a law school, the students said.

“You’re building professional and social connections with the people that you’re in class with and that you’re learning from,” Burk said. “It is truly a well-designed program.”

For more information about the JM degree program, please visit our website or contact Jessica L. Sartorius, Director of Juris Master (JM) Degree Program, at [email protected] or 703-993-8418.

Jane Fonda Coming to Arlington for Event with Rep. Beyer

By ARLnow.com

Activist and actress Jane Fonda will be coming to Arlington next weekend for an event with Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), Beyer’s office is announcing this morning.

Fonda will be the special guest at Beyer’s fifth annual Women’s Conference and Forum, subtitled this year “Nevertheless, She Persisted.” (Last year’s conference was dubbed “Breaking Through: Women Work For Change.”)

“Rep. Beyer’s Women’s Conference is an annual event that convenes local stakeholders and experts to discuss a wide array of issues and how they impact women,” the congressman’s office says in a press release. “In addition to Beyer’s conversation with Fonda, the Conference will feature a plenary panel session focused on achieving equal rights for all people and eliminating the gender wage gap.”

The event is being held at George Mason University’s Arlington campus in Virginia Square on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 12.

The full press release is below.

Rep. Don Beyer (VA-08) announced today that Jane Fonda will be a special guest at his Fifth Annual Women’s Conference and Forum: Nevertheless, She Persisted. Fonda is an award-winning actress, and a political activist for causes including feminism, Native American rights, peace, and the environment. She is the co-founder, with Gloria Steinem and Robin Morgan, of the Women’s Media Center and the Founder & Chair Emeritus of the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power and Potential. Her philanthropic work includes charitable support for education, young people’s reproductive health, and the arts. She has been a leading voice of her generation for over 50 years. Fonda and Megan Beyer, a global women’s advocate and former Executive Director of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities under President Obama, will have a fireside chat to open the conference.

Rep. Beyer’s Women’s Conference is an annual event that convenes local stakeholders and experts to discuss a wide array of issues and how they impact women. In addition to Beyer’s conversation with Fonda, the Conference will feature a plenary panel session focused on achieving equal rights for all people and eliminating the gender wage gap. This will be followed two breakout panels – one on the impact of grassroots organizing and the other on understanding women’s rights and the law.

Rep. Beyer will also present the Clara Mortenson Beyer Women and Children First Award to McLean’s Marie Ridder, which Beyer announced last week. The event will be held at George Mason University’s Arlington Campus.

Image via Rep. Don Beyer/Eventbrite

Enrollment for Juris Master (JM) Degree Program at GMU Antonin Scalia Law School is Now Open

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Since launching in 2019, the Juris Master Degree Program (JM) at George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School has assisted students in building professional and social connections.

The JM Degree is designed for professionals who interact with lawyers and legal issues regularly in the course of their careers. This type of program is in high demand and now offered by over half of all tier one law schools.

“We are proud to offer the Juris Master Degree Program at Scalia Law School,” said Dean Henry N. Butler. “This is an opportunity for professionals to learn the law, so they will be better equipped to provide leadership in their respective fields.”

Scalia Law’s two-year part-time program is offered at the Arlington campus, and enrollment for the January 2020 class is currently OPEN.

As listed on the JM Degree website, https://jurismaster.gmu.edu/, in addition to general legal research, writing and introductory law courses, JM students can select law school courses from six concentration areas:

  • Criminal Justice
  • Employment & Labor Relations
  • Financial & Commercial Services
  • Government Contracts & Regulations
  • Intellectual Property & Technology
  • National Security, Cybersecurity & Information Privacy

JM students can maintain employment schedules, while benefiting from the opportunities afforded by a tier-one law school.

There is a growing base of legal services and legal knowledge required by employers and the JM Degree is designed to educate students with the legal knowledge necessary for them to succeed in their chosen professions.

Applications are being accepted now. For more information about the JM degree program, please visit our website or contact Jessica L. Sartorius, Director of Juris Master (JM) Degree Program, at [email protected] or 703-993-8418.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

GMU to Expand Va. Square Campus — “George Mason University wants to transform its Arlington campus into an ‘innovation district’ as it kicks off an Amazon-inspired overhaul… Mason expects to use the expansion to add 3,000 to 4,000 graduate students to the campus by 2024.” [Washington Business Journal]

Man Arrested For Assaulting Police in Ballston — “At approximately 8:32 p.m. on September 11, police were dispatched the report of a disorderly subject inside a restaurant who had allegedly been throwing items and threatening staff. Upon police arrival, the business staff requested the subject be banned from the property. While speaking with the subject, he threatened an officer and took a defensive stance. While placing him under arrest, the subject became combative, kicked and spit at the officers.” [Arlington County]

Home Inventory Tight in Arlington — “New listings in Arlington declined 16.5% in August compared with last year, said Chris Finnegan, vice president at Bright MLS. The median sale price for all home types in the 22202 ZIP code, where Amazon is building and staffing up HQ2, was $749,000 in August. It’s a 23% jump since the company made its HQ2 announcement in November 2018.” [Washington Business Journal, InsideNova]

Coffee Beanery Open in Va. Square — Coffee Beanery, a coffee chain with locations across the northeast, has opened a new location at 3444 Fairfax Drive in Virginia Square. [Facebook]

Tech Company Picks Arlington for U.S. HQ — ” Varjo, the technology leader in industrial-grade VR/XR headsets, today announced the opening of its U.S. headquarters… in Arlington, Virginia, located just outside of Washington D.C.” [Varjo via Potomac Tech Wire]

Potomac Kempo Now Open — Martial arts studio Potomac Kempo yesterday held a grand opening ceremony for its fifth location, at 3650 S. Glebe Road, in the Potomac Yard area. The studio started holding classes on Aug. 31, we’re told. [Facebook]

Video: USS Arlington Crew Welcomed at Fire Station — “Crew members from the USS Arlington were welcomed at Arlington’s Fire Station 5 before running in the The Arlington Police, Fire & Sheriff 9/11 Memorial Race. The USS Arlington honors the 184 victims and the thousands of emergency, fire and rescue personnel of Arlington County and localities in the National Capital Region who provided critical emergency assistance after the attack on 9/11.” [YouTube]

New Arts Space Coming to Virginia Square

By Vernon Miles

A new arts space, paid for in-part by Arlington County and run by George Mason University, is coming to Virginia Square.

The Latitude Arts Space is an art installation planned for the southeast corner of Latitude Apartments (3601-2625 N. Fairfax Drive). The site will be operated by the GMU College of Visual and Performing Arts.

The County Board is scheduled to vote this weekend on a $150,000 grant to partially fund interior construction at the project as part of the consent agenda. A county staff report said the goal of this and similar projects is to provide active, publicly accessible spaces that can be flexible in their programming with limited financial commitments from Arlington County.

When the site plan for Latitude Apartments was approved by the Arlington County Board in 2013, it included a provision for an arts space. The goal of the provision was to fulfill goals in the Virginia Square Sector Plan. The Latitude Apartments project was completed in 2016, after which Arlington Economic Development staff worked to help find a new tenant.

“The proposed grant is critical to realizing the opportunity to occupy the Latitude Arts Space with an active and appropriate use that Mason will be able to deliver,” the staff report said. “The grant funds from Arlington County to Mason will be used to offset costs of interior construction of the space and are essential in removing a hurdle for Mason to absorb this previously unbudgeted expense.”

The grant funding only accounts for 25-30 percent of the total interior construction costs, the rest of which will be covered by the property owner and the university.

GMU Antonin Scalia Law School has Launched a New Juris Master (JM) Degree Program

George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School is excited to announce the January launch of its Juris Master (JM) Degree Program!

The JM Degree is designed for professionals who interact with lawyers and legal issues regularly in the course of their careers. This type of program is in high demand and now offered by over half of all tier one law schools.

“We are proud to offer the Juris Master Degree Program at Scalia Law School,” said Dean Henry N. Butler. “This is an opportunity for professionals to learn the law, so they will be better equipped to provide leadership in their respective fields.”

Scalia Law’s two-year part-time program is offered at the Arlington campus, and enrollment for the Fall 2019 class is currently OPEN.

As listed on the JM Degree website, https://jurismaster.gmu.edu/, in addition to general legal research, writing and introductory law courses, JM students can select law school courses from six concentration areas:

  • Criminal Justice
  • Employment & Labor Relations
  • Financial & Commercial Services
  • Government Contracts & Regulations
  • Intellectual Property & Technology
  • National Security, Cybersecurity & Information Privacy

JM students can maintain employment schedules, while benefiting from the opportunities afforded by a tier-one law school.

There is a growing base of legal services and legal knowledge required by employers and the JM Degree is designed to educate students with the legal knowledge necessary for them to succeed in their chosen professions.

Applications are being accepted now. For more information about the JM degree program, please visit our website or contact Jessica L. Sartorius, Director of Juris Master (JM) Degree Program, at [email protected] or 703-993-8418.

GMU’s Schar School of Policy and Government No. 2 for Security Studies Programs

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The Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University has been named No. 2 in the country in the 2019 U.S. News & World Report for its security studies programs.

If you dream of a career in international security, homeland security, emergency management or other fields that tackle “wicked problems” around the world, the Schar School has top-rated master’s degrees, graduate certificate programs and PhD programs to help you achieve your goals.

The Arlington, Virginia-based Schar School, convenient to the decision-and policy-makers of Washington, D.C., boasts a faculty that includes program former Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency director Michael V. Hayden, former ambassador Richard Kauzlarich and inaugural Carnegie Fellow and terrorism expert Louise Shelley.

Faculty also includes border security expert Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, former president and CEO of the Stimson Center Ellen Laipson, regional economics expert Stephen Fuller and former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe.

The Schar School is an important part of George Mason’s Research 1 Doctoral Universities rating as its faculty and students contribute research of consequence in fields including biodefense, homeland security, emergency management, global relations, war, elections, federalism, economics, energy and others.

For more information about Schar School offerings, including graduate programs in Biodefense, International Commerce, International Security, Organization Development & Knowledge Management, Public Administration, Public Policy, Political Science, Transportation Policy and Operations & Logistics, click here.

Join us for an online information session to learn more about the Schar School’s Master’s in International Commerce and Policy program. The webinar begins at noon (EST) on Thursday, April 11. The webinar is free. Register here.

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