Small Business Development Center

Economic Development

Opportunity Starts Here, Partnerships Grow Here

Colleen Rich — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 14:54:09 +0000

Opportunity Starts Here, Partnerships Grow Here Colleen Rich Fri, 04/12/2024 - 10:54

When Shrishti Singh, PhD Bioengineering ’22, came to ��ӽ紫ý for her doctoral studies, she had a goal in mind: developing a new technology that would allow the visualization of cancer in deep tissue and perhaps enable earlier diagnoses.

Entrepreneur Shristi Singh in her lab on Mason's Science and Technology Campus.
Read more about Singh's research. >>
Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Using a combination of FDA-approved dyes and photoacoustic imaging, Singh created an injectable dye that attaches to tumor cells and increases the contrast of those cells against the background tissue.

During her time at Mason, Singh used all the tools the university provided to bring her discovery to the marketplace. In April 2023, Singh was on one of the 15 teams that competed for $40,000 in prizes at the Costello College of Business Patriot Pitch Competition. She took home first place and the Mason’s Choice Award in the competition’s science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) track.

In November 2023, Singh was at Mason Square pitching her technology at Mason’s annual Accelerate Investor Conference, which attracts more than 400 entrepreneurs, investors, students, and members of the Washington, D.C., entrepreneurial ecosystem. She was also awarded $75,000 by the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation’s Commonwealth Commercialization Fund.

Singh, now a postdoctoral fellow at Mason, co-founded her company NIRView Biosciences with her bioengineering faculty mentors Remi Veneziano and Parag Chitnis. Singh and NIRView Biosciences have been designated a 2023 Virginia Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Success Story.

Growing Small Businesses

The Virginia SBDC, a part of Mason Enterprise, is an organization of 25 offices across Virginia providing professional advising and resources to help businesses grow. Singh participated in its Innovation Commercialization Assistance Program (ICAP), a no-cost incubator that helps technology start-ups from ideation to initial funding and beyond.

NIRView Biosciences worked with ICAP’s life science business mentors over the course of a year to position their technology for successful commercialization, and in 2023 they were accepted into the National Science Foundation’s I-Corps program, which provides financial support and experiential education to help university researchers commercialize scientific discoveries.

Singh was one of 30,000 entrepreneurs who participated in a Virginia SBDC workshop, seminar, or training in 2023. Through its 16 programs, the Virginia SBDC helped 10,000 businesses, provided 40,000 hours of one-on-one counseling, offered 1,600 training programs, and incubated more than 550 companies with an impact of $3.36 billion. Of the businesses they served, 61 percent were woman- owned, 46 percent were minority-owned, and 15 percent were veteran-owned.

Paula Sorrell, associate vice president of innovation and economic development, leads Mason Enterprise. This university-based economic development organization focuses the energy, skills, and intellectual capital of Virginians on lab-to-market expansion of university research, new company creation, and small business expansion. Virginia Business magazine recently named Sorrell to its list of 100 Virginians to Meet in 2024: Innovators.

“Mason has used its university position to develop a powerhouse of interwoven federal, state, and local programs,” says Sorrell. “But even more critical are the partnerships among the private and public organizations that help support and codevelop the programs and mentor innovators.”

Through a broad array of activities that include business counseling, workshops, training, and connections to Mason assets—faculty research, classes, and potential interns—Mason Enterprise strengthens the strategy development and operations of businesses, governments, and other institutions throughout Virginia and the region. The Virginia APEX Accelerator (DoD) helps small businesses compete for government contracts, which total more than $1.5 billion annually.

The Virginia SBDC is also part of the larger Mason Virginia Promise, which offers a pathway to a bachelor’s degree or help starting a small business to any Virginian who wants one.

In 2023, Mason also expanded its small business incubator programs to the Town of Herndon, with the aim of empowering more Northern Virginia businesses with high growth potential. Herndon becomes the fifth Northern Virginia locale to partner with Mason Enterprise, joining Fairfax, Arlington, Fauquier County, and Springfield.

And the Virginia SBDC is also going global. Its International Business Development Program was a stage one and a stage two winner in the 2023 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition from the U.S. Small Business Administration. It received $50,000 and then $150,000 to build strategic partnerships that will support the launch, growth, and scale of STEM and research and development-focused small businesses that target international markets.

Research Impacting Society

Mason Enterprise operates two federal programs in support of all Virginia universities: the National Science Foundation’s I-Corps program, designed to guide researchers and students on the first steps toward commercializing a technical discovery, and the National Institutes of Health’s REACH program, which funds proof-of-concept research for promising biohealth technologies.

Sorrell and her team are also mentoring entrepreneurs through the annual Accelerate Investor Conference, which is an investor event and start-up business competition held at Mason Square that showcases the mid-Atlantic region as a powerhouse for innovation and business opportunity.

The competition fuels innovation-based business growth by showcasing the best and brightest new tech start-ups to potential investors to foster their development within the region.

Among those angel investors and companies supplying prize money to Accelerate entrepreneurs was Mason alum Sumeet Shrivastava, MBA ’94. A leader in the government IT industry, Shrivastava recently launched the Shrivastava Family Refugee and Immigrant Success through Entrepreneurship (RISE) Program, which focuses on mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs from refugee and immigrant back-grounds. Nanomaterial research and development company NanoBioFAB received the Shrivastava Family RISE Program prize at last fall’s conference.

Mason’s Costello College of Business Patriot Pitch Competition offers support and resources to student-led start-ups. Now in its 23rd year, the competition is open to all Mason students and recent alumni and attracted 50 teams from across the university last year. Powering the success of the student and alumni pitch teams were more than a dozen mentors who are CEOs, consultants, entrepreneurs, start-up coaches, Mason faculty, and alumni. By sharing their real-world experience in launching and managing start-ups, mentors were incredibly valuable to the teams.

The finalists, including Singh, pitched to judging panels of local business leaders whose professional experience included consulting, derivatives exchange, energy consulting, food technology, nonprofits, and venture capital.

The Mason Innovation Exchange, also known as the MIX, is also part of Mason Enterprise and helps student entrepreneurs. With its makerspace and fabrication lab, a digital media lab, and a start-up incubator, the MIX offers creative thinkers everything from metal fabrication to business mentoring. It is open to all members of the Mason community regardless of their major or affiliation. Currently, there are six student start-ups in the MIX’s incubator. Mentors meet individually with student entrepreneurs and provide a range of business advice.

In 2023, the Virginia Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) recognized Gisele Stolz, senior director of entrepreneurship and innovation programs at Mason, with an Impact Award for her work with its cyber-security start-up internship program.

“From envisioning the internship program to building out the structure of the Commonwealth Cyber Incubator and Accelerator Program cohort programming, few people within the CCI network have had such a widespread impact as Gisele,” says Liza Wilson Durant, associate provost for strategic initiatives and community engagement at Mason and director of the CCI Northern Virginia Node.

Under Stolz’s stewardship, the internship program attracted more than 700 applicants, placing 83 Mason undergraduates with more than 50 companies. Of the students placed, 73 percent received offers for follow-up positions with their host company, including full-time employment.

Beyond this internship program, the CCI Northern Virginia Node, led by Mason and headquartered at Mason Square in Arlington, supported experiential learning opportunities for more than 3,000 students, including more than 100 internships and apprenticeships in cybersecurity.

The MIX's makerspace enables Mason students to create prototypes of their inventions. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Talent Development = Workforce Development

All these Mason opportunities align with the university’s vision of graduating students who can power Northern Virginia’s economic engine and serve in areas of critical need, while also providing a pathway of opportunity to all Virginians.

“Mason is committed to providing novel and varied experiential learning opportunities for our students, preparing our workforce for the future and readying them to compete on a global scale,” says Andre Marshall, vice president of research, innovation, and economic impact at Mason.

The need for well-trained health professionals, across disciplines and among fields, is one of the most critical issues facing communities in Virginia and throughout the nation. The Mason Center for the Health Workforce was established in 2022 to help address the shortage in Virginia. The center supports the development and delivery of public-private strategies to optimize physical and behavioral health career education and postgraduate skill training. It also serves as a technical assistance center for health workforce research, program evaluation, and planning and analysis for government agencies, academic entities, and professional organizations.

Mason’s Center for Community Mental Health in Fairfax is unique in its dual function as both a working clinic and a training facility. Last year, the center helped train 77 undergraduates and 57 graduate students while providing more than 2,100 therapy sessions to the community.

In 2019, Mason joined the commonwealth’s Tech Talent Investment Program (TTIP). The top TTIP goal is to build and sustain a diverse tech talent pathway, and Mason, as the largest and most diverse public university in Virginia, and the largest producer of technology talent among four-year institutions in the state, is poised to lead.

At that time, Mason agreed to educate about 30 percent of the 25,000 additional graduates in tech fields over the next two decades to serve regional and state employers, including Amazon and its HQ2. Mason continues to exceed its goals. In 2023, Mason was 281 percent over its bachelor of science target and 192 percent over its master of science target in terms of graduating students in computing and computing-related majors.

Mason is also working to add faculty members in computer science and related fields to teach and mentor these students. The College of Engineering and Computing will soon expand into Fuse at Mason Square. The college is already working to build robust curricula for students in Arlington and provides ample opportunities to explore skills through research opportunities, state-of-the-art labs, hackathons and competitions, and student organizations.

Computer science student Quang Vo demonstrated virtual reality applications that will be part of the visualization labs at Fuse at Mason Square. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

If You Build It…

From Mason Square in Arlington to the Science and Technology Campus in Manassas, Mason is building a new economic corridor along Route 66 in Northern Virginia.

Fuse at Mason Square, the university’s LEED Platinum building opening this summer, is a digital innovation center that will house research and development labs, corporate centers, incubators, accelerators, and convening spaces, alongside classrooms and retail spaces.

The SciTech Campus is home to the new outdoor Forensic Science Research and Training Laboratory—or “body farm,” one of only eight in the country—and the Biomedical Research Lab, one of 12 biosafety level-3 labs in the nation.

New to this campus is the Nanofabrication Facility, which is the only cleanroom facility and resource of its kind for partners in Northern Virginia and offers hands-on nanofabrication workforce training in research applications that will accelerate the growth of high-tech companies.

“The most powerful asset we offer is opportunity,” says Marshall. “Only through providing opportunity can we educate, inspire, and equip the next generation of leaders to solve the grand challenges of our day.”

Jennifer Anzaldi, Sarah Holland, John Hollis, Katie Maney, and Ryley McGinnis contributed to this feature.

As Virginia's largest public research university, Mason is an economic driver in the region and the state.

Learn more about Tech Talent at Mason

In This Story

Promoting small business development in Southwest Virginia

Colleen Rich — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 18:33:22 +0000

Promoting small business development in Southwest Virginia Colleen Rich Mon, 09/25/2023 - 14:33

Elected officials, economic developers and small business owners operating in Scott, Lee and Wise Counties, known as the LENOWISCO Planning District, gathered Sept. 20 in Scott County to highlight the importance of ��ӽ紫ý’s support of small businesses innovators through its Small Business Development Centers.

Mason President Gregory Washington highlighted state and federal investments in Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) managed by ��ӽ紫ý.

Local business owners Renee Huffman Morris of Henry’s Produce, Jan Meade of Ivils Tutors, and sisters Melissa Hubbard and Jan Brown, owners of the Whistle Pig Country Store in Lee County, spoke about their experiences working with the Mason-operated SBDC in Duffield, Virginia, and the critical support they received to develop business plans, locate accounting and business services, and find mentorship on their journey to start a business.

Keith Harless, town manager of Pennington Gap in Lee County; Jeannie Stidham, Town of Pennington; and Jean Jordan, representing Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA); detailed ongoing efforts to incentivize small business development in the region by leveraging SBDC funds and other grant opportunities to provide workforce development and employment opportunities.

Kris Westover, Mountain Empire Community College (MECC) president; William Brownsberger, MECC’s vice president for academic affairs; and Virginia House of Delegates Majority Leader Terry Kilgore (R-1) also attended.

The Virginia SBDC network is a partnership among the U.S. Small Business Administration, ��ӽ紫ý, and premier local host organizations throughout Virginia, with continued investment from the Virginia General Assembly.

From left, Melissa Hubbard, Mark Smith, Jeannie Stidham, Keith Harless, Jean Jordan, Tracy Nayar, MECC President Kris Westover, Mason President Gregory Washington, Del. Terry Kilgore, Lauren Posey, William Brownsberger, Jan Brown, Renee Huffman Morris, Becki O’Quinn-Purdie and Jan Meade. Photo by Justin Barker/MECC

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Award will help Virginia SBDC assist businesses looking to go global

Sarah Holland — Mon, 26 Jun 2023 14:16:59 +0000

Award will help Virginia SBDC assist businesses looking to go global Sarah Holland Mon, 06/26/2023 - 10:16

The Virginia Small Business Development Center’s (SBDC) International Business Development (IBD) program is a Stage One winner for the 2023 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC) from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The Virginia SBDC, hosted through ��ӽ紫ý, will receive a $50,000 cash prize to, according to their press release, “build strategic partnerships that will support the launch, growth, and scale of STEM/R&D-focused small businesses with a focus on international markets.”

Members of the SBDC team from the IBD and Charlottesville offices pose with Antwaun Griffin, head of socially responsible purchasing at Amazon Business and the former chief of staff at SBA. Photo provided.

The Virginia SBDC network of 27 regional centers serves current and prospective small businesses around the commonwealth by providing ongoing support and resources to help them achieve their short- and long-term goals. They offer confidential, no-cost advising to small businesses, entrepreneurs, and individuals hoping to start and/or grow their businesses, as well as training and workshops for business management and connecting business leaders to critical resources such as funding partners. Businesses from hair salons and toy companies to IT consulting and manufacturing have utilized SBDC services to develop successful business models.

On President Washington’s Access to Excellence podcast, Paula Sorrell, associate vice president for innovation and economic development at Mason, called this methodology a “no wrong door approach”: no matter where they come from or where they’re going, an entrepreneur can go to an SBDC and be connected to resources to get them to where they need to be.

The Virginia SBDC is part of the larger Mason Virginia Promise, which promises a pathway to a bachelor’s degree or small business for any Virginian who wants one. Through the SBDC, Mason has an estimated economic impact in Virginia of more than $1 billion.

“The Mason Virginia Promise is a commitment from the university to say that we are available and accessible to everyone in the commonwealth,” said Jody Keenan, state director of the Virginia SBDC. “We can meet you where you are and figure out what’s the best game plan to help you accomplish whatever goals or milestones you have for yourself or your business.”

The IBD specifically helps businesses expand into international markets through market research, training programs, and customized business advising on topics such as market selection, regulatory compliance, and the mechanics of trade. The IBD’s goal is to be issue-spotters: preventing small business from making costly mistakes in foreign markets.

Through its GAFC-supported project, the IBD program will enhance its services to Virginia’s STEM companies. “Innovative firms with global aspirations have an entirely different set of considerations they need to incorporate into their business practices,” said Aaron Miller, international trade director for the IBD.

With the prize money, Miller explained that the IBD will “convene partners and potential partners to discuss how we can best provide foundational awareness on international issues—such as intellectual property protection, data privacy, and export control laws—for more STEM companies. In particular, we will be seeking more ways to engage with founders from underserved communities to ensure that resources are being equitably provided.” To that end, they are building on their partnership with the Black and Global Business Network and hope to create a tailored approach to training and counseling for traditionally underserved and under-resourced companies.

“We want to make international expansion part of an integrated, inclusive approach to business assistance for high-potential STEM firms. Hopefully, this new focus helps more innovative Virginia businesses to enter and succeed in global markets,” said Miller.

The IBD will have the opportunity to compete for an additional $50,000 to $150,000 from the SBA’s Growth Accelerator Fund later this summer.

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Mason Virginia Promise

Economic Development

Access to Excellence podcast

Podcast - EP 48: Everything is business

Damian Cristodero — Fri, 28 Apr 2023 18:35:39 +0000

Podcast - EP 48: Everything is business Damian Cristodero Fri, 04/28/2023 - 14:35

Paula Sorrell, Mason associate vice president for innovation and economic development and School of Business dean, Ajay Vinzé in the studio for this episode of the Access to Excellence podcast with ��ӽ紫ý president, Gregory Washington.
photo credit: Cristian Torres / ��ӽ紫ý

Business is at the heart of everything.

So says Ajay Vinzé, dean of ��ӽ紫ý's School of Business. In a conversation with Mason President Gregory Washington, Vinzé joined Paula Sorrell, associate vice president for innovation and economic development at Mason, to celebrate National Small Business Week, and discuss how Mason Enterprise is an economic engine for Northern Virginia, and how the School of Business is changing the way business is taught.

In this Episode

Gregory Washington

Ajay Vinzé

Topics

Podcast Episode

podcast

Costello College of Business

Mason Enterprise Center

Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Costello College of Business News

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Mason expands entrepreneurial and small business support to Herndon

Colleen Rich — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 17:48:32 +0000

Mason expands entrepreneurial and small business support to Herndon Colleen Rich Mon, 01/23/2023 - 12:48

��ӽ紫ý is expanding its small business incubator programs to the Town of Herndon, with the aim of empowering more Northern Virginia businesses with high-growth potential.

Photo by Getty Images

The newest Mason Enterprise Center (MEC) will focus on supporting small, entrepreneurial and emerging businesses while promoting Herndon’s economic growth.

Herndon becomes the fifth Northern Virginia locale to partner with the MEC, joining Fairfax, Arlington, Fauquier, and Springfield. The no-cost and low-cost services brought to small businesses include business advisory services and educational workshops from federal and state programs such as the Virginia Procurement Technical Assistance Center (Virginia PTAC), the state Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network, and the Innovation Commercialization Assistance Program (ICAP) among others.

“We are thrilled to continue the success of the Mason Enterprise Centers with this expansion by bringing Mason assets directly into the Herndon business community,” said Paula Sorrell, Mason’s associate vice president of innovation and economic development.

In conjunction with partners in Office Evolution and the Town of Herndon, Mason will continue to grow its services, which include access to health insurance, payroll support, and other critical business services in an effort to boost business growth and overall independence to small businesses in the Town of Herndon.

Others services to be provided by the MEC will include access to Mason classroom and research projects, and capstone students and interns.

The project enhances Herndon’s reputation as a tech-savvy area, Sorrell said.

"We are delighted to partner with the Mason Enterprise Center and Office Evolution in creating this space for businesses to grow and prosper,” said Mayor Sheila Olem. “We look forward to welcoming many new enterprises to the town as a result of this collaboration.”

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Mason Enterprise Center

Mason roundtable connects business owners, state and federal leaders to showcase infrastructure bill’s ‘immense’ opportunities for Virginia

John Hollis — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 22:39:20 +0000

Mason roundtable connects business owners, state and federal leaders to showcase infrastructure bill’s ‘immense’ opportunities for Virginia John Hollis Mon, 01/24/2022 - 17:39

Mason officials joined state and federal officials in discussing more ways to create opportunities for government contracts. Screen shot

To inform Virginia small business owners about how they can tap into opportunities created by the recently passed Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, ��ӽ紫ý on Monday convened a roundtable of legislators, federal and state transportation officials, and representatives of more than 600 small and minority-owned businesses in a free virtual event televised live on GMU-TV.

Maurice A. Henderson II, senior advisor, U.S. Department of Transportation, and Sandra Norman, division administrator for civil rights, Virginia Department of Transportation, joined Virginia congressmen Gerry Connolly and Bobby Scott, Mason President Gregory Washington and others to discuss a bill that Henderson called “a transformative, once-in-a-generation—probably once-in-a-lifetime—investment opportunity.”

Michelle Harris, manager for the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, joined Henderson in representing the the U.S. Department of Transportation at the roundtable.

More formally known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the law is expected to create millions of jobs over the next decade, and fund projects related to roads, bridges, public transportation, broadband access, and other areas.

“We have to have an eye towards recovery that creates new opportunities for those who seek them,” Connolly said. “The opportunities will be immense. Remember, on infrastructure, it is not an expenditure, it is an investment with a return on it. It will be the gift that keeps giving for generations.”

“We know we have to go beyond recovering from COVID-19 if we are going to address the disparities in our economy and keep America competitive in the global market,” Scott said. “And that is what we did by passing this legislation.”

Scott said the best way for businesses to find out about new opportunities is through the Minority Business Development Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration as well as state programs that serve small businesses.

“We can’t do this by ourselves,” Norman said. “This is a lot of infrastructure dollars coming to Virginia. We have to have partners to make sure that we can deliver the program that the federal government expects us to.”

Mason President Gregory Washington emphasized that Mason is a crucial and willing partner for entrepreneurs around the state. Mason, the largest and most diverse university in the commonwealth, manages the 27 Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) in Virginia as well as Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) and other related small business programs that last year had an estimated $2 billion impact on the state.

Through those programs, Mason supported 10,000 small businesses (more than half led by women or people of color), conducted 27,000 hours of one-on-one counseling and hosted 863 workshops with 18,000 attendees.

In addition, the Mason Virginia Promise, one of President Washington’s signature programs, is a guaranteed pathway to a bachelor’s degree or help starting a business for any Virginian who wants one.

“We want to help entrepreneurs in and around Virginia learn about how they can benefit from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill,” Washington said. “This is a big part of our mission at Mason.”

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Office of the President

Mason event provides support to small and minority-owned businesses

Colleen Rich — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 20:38:34 +0000

Mason event provides support to small and minority-owned businesses Colleen Rich Wed, 01/19/2022 - 15:38

Photo by Getty Images

��ӽ紫ý will host the Small and Minority-Owned Business Roundtable on Jan. 24 to inform regional and state businesses owners and operators how they can compete for contracts related to an infrastructure and jobs act recently passed by Congress.

The free virtual event, set for 1 to 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 24, has attracted more than 400 registrants from the small and minority-owned business community. Virginia Congressmen Gerry Connolly and Bobby Scott will take part in the roundtable, as will federal and state transportation experts, including Sandra Norman, division administrator for civil rights at the Virginia Department of Transportation.

The event will be carried live on GMU-TV.

“One of our most important roles as the largest and most diverse public research university in the commonwealth is to expand opportunity and economic development in our state and region,” said Mason President Gregory Washington. “This event highlights our strengths in those areas.”

Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in November to rebuild U.S. roads, bridges and rails; provide greater access to clean drinking water and high-speed internet; and to address environmental challenges. The act also is expected to create millions of jobs over the coming decade. Regional and state businesses can benefit from that economic growth if they have all the necessary information.

“The roundtable will enable the business community to learn more about the types of services needed, timeline and prioritization of projects, and how they can best position themselves for contracting/subcontracting opportunities,” said Dietra Trent, a Mason special advisor who is organizing the event.

The roundtable is the latest Mason initiative to support small and minority-owned businesses. Mason Enterprise operates a suite of entrepreneurial programs including 27 Virginia Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) around the commonwealth and the Virginia Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC). Both provide advising and training for small business owners. Last year these programs advised and supported 10,000 small businesses with 27,000 hours of one-on-one counseling across the commonwealth. In addition, about 18,000 attendees took part in 863 programs sponsored by SBDC or PTAC.

Mason also serves budding entrepreneurs with the Mason Virginia Promise, a guaranteed pathway to a bachelor’s degree or help starting a business for every Virginian who wants one.

“Mason is here to support small businesses no matter their needs,” said Jody Keenan, Virginia SBDC state director. “Whether it’s providing emergency guidance and resources during the pandemic, formulating growth strategies, or supporting economic development organizations, Mason is a valuable resource for the small and minority-owned business community.”

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Mason leads Virginia in innovation and diversity as engineering numbers climb in latest U.S. News rankings

Mariam Aburdeineh — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 20:33:10 +0000

Mason leads Virginia in innovation and diversity as engineering numbers climb in latest U.S. News rankings Mariam Aburdeineh Mon, 09/13/2021 - 16:33

In This Story

Gregory Washington

Kenneth Ball

First day of classes at ��ӽ紫ý, 2021. Photo by: Shelby Burgess/Strategic Communications/��ӽ紫ý

��ӽ紫ý is the most diverse and most innovative institution in Virginia according to the latest rankings by U.S. News & World Report for its 2022 Best Colleges List, reflecting the university’s mission of providing access to excellence. Six programs made the top 100, including engineering, which rose 16 spots in the past year.

Mason also rose in its social mobility rankings (graduating Pell Grant students), to No. 127 (up from 144). Over the past five years, Mason grew its number of Pell Grant-receiving students by the fifth largest total in the country.

“Universities have a responsibility to equip graduates with the knowledge and skills they need to make a difference in their communities,” said Mason President Gregory Washington. “These rankings highlight that Mason has taken that a step beyond, providing access to excellence for students of all walks of life, and positively impacting not only the region, but the nation through our innovative research and leadership.”

In addition to being best in Virginia, Mason ranked No. 9 among public institutions for innovation and No. 18 nationally, up from No. 35 in 2020, when the institution tied with Virginia Tech.

“Mason’s rapid increase in research over the last five to seven years has been significant, especially as one of the youngest R1 research institutions,” said Paula Sorrell, associate vice president of Mason’s Office of Research. “The research that the faculty is doing is leading to technologies that are very market-related, and Mason has always done a good job in working with its partners to better understand their needs, both from an academic and research perspective.”

Sorrell added that the rating also speaks to the work of Mason’s Small Business Development Center, the recently launched Institute for Digital InnovAtion (IDIA), its growing entrepreneurial programs, and community partnerships across the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The university, which ranked No. 148 overall (No. 67 among publics), also maintained its top ranking in Virginia for ethnic diversity (No. 21 overall; No. 12 among publics).

“This ranking is a reflection of Mason’s commitment to build a community where all feel welcome and supported, and provides affirmation of the quality of our programs, as well as the achievements of our students, faculty, and staff,” said Sharnnia Artis, vice president at the Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the university’s chief diversity officer. “We are very pleased U.S. News has recognized our university’s approach to inclusive excellence.”

For cybersecurity, Mason ranked No. 28 (15 among publics). For undergraduate engineering at schools that offer a doctoral degree program, Mason is ranked No. 86 (up from 102).

“Our programs, enrollment, and research are all growing along with our impact on the nation and the commonwealth,” said Kenneth Ball, dean of the College of Engineering and Computing. “While we have long been known for our cybersecurity expertise, our other programs are now being recognized for their outstanding quality, resulting in higher rankings.”

In partnership with the commonwealth’s Tech Talent initiative and to support Amazon’s HQ2 and other regional employers, the university has been expanding its programs in computer science and related fields.

“We’re on a fabulous trajectory, and I am very excited about our future,” Ball said, adding that Mason is the largest producer of tech talent in Virginia.

The university was also named a top 100 best school for veterans (No. 86, up from No. 100) and is listed as an “A+ School for B Students.”

In 2020, Mason began offering undergraduate teaching degrees for the first time. The program has already claimed a spot in U.S. News’ top 100. The program is No. 20 among public institutions, tied with University of Virginia.

“This ranking reflects the impact of Mason’s education programs resulting from our exceptional faculty, comprehensive curriculum, and school-based field experiences,” said Robert Baker, interim dean of the College of Education and Human Development. “Through cutting-edge research, outstanding instruction, and top-notch partner school systems, our diverse student population is readied to assume leadership roles in the evolving educational environment.”

U.S. News added a new category this year for undergraduate nursing, for which Mason also made the top 100.

“The latest rankings for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing reflect Mason’s commitment to providing students with interprofessional learning experiences in culturally diverse and underserved populations,” said Germaine Louis, dean of the College of Health and Human Services. “Upon graduation, Mason nurses are prepared to become health care leaders in many roles including clinicians, educators, researchers, and administrators and across employment sectors.”

Mason also ranked in these U.S. News categories, released Monday, Sept. 13.

Overall ranking

Nationally: 148

Publics: 67

Most Innovative Schools

Nationally: 18 (Best in Virginia; up from 35)

Publics: 9 (up from 13 in 2020)

Ethnic Diversity

Nationally: 21 (Best in Virginia)

Publics: 12

A+ School for B Students

(Selection, no rankings)

Undergraduate Business

Nationally: 84

Publics: 52

Undergraduate Nursing (new category for 2022)

Nationally: 96

Publics: 71

Undergraduate Computer Science

Nationally: 82

Publics 45

Cybersecurity

Nationally: 28

Publics: 15

Best School for Veterans

Nationally: 86 (up from 100)

Publics: 62

Best Value Schools

Nationally: No. 137

Publics: No. 45

Undergraduate Engineering (for schools with a doctoral program)

Nationally: 86 (up from 102)

Publics: 51

Top Performers on Social Mobility (graduating Pell Grant students)

Nationally: 127 (Up from 144)

Publics: 66

Undergraduate Teaching

Nationally: 71

Publics: 20

Editor’s note: This story may be updated as more information is released.

Topics

Rankings

U.S. News & World Report

Access to Excellence

Office of Research

innovation

Institute for Digital InnovAtion (IDIA)

College of Engineering and Computing

CEHD

College of Education and Human Development

Nursing

CHHS

College of Health and Human Services

Mason Enterprise to expand mentorship support for bio startups across the state, in partnership with Virginia Bio

Colleen Rich — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 15:12:31 +0000

Mason Enterprise to expand mentorship support for bio startups across the state, in partnership with Virginia Bio Colleen Rich Thu, 08/12/2021 - 11:12

Fairfax, VA—��ӽ紫ý’s Mason Enterprise is establishing a new network of life science business mentors to help startups across Virginia launch and scale their ventures. The new team of mentors will support a broad range of life science companies in bringing their innovations, including therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics and software, to market.

This network will be formed under the Innovation Commercialization Assistance Program (ICAP), a program of the Virginia Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network. It will be funded through a partnership with Virginia Bio, a statewide trade association representing the commonwealth’s life sciences industry.

Virginia Bio received a $3.2 million GO Virginia grant to create VA Bio-Connect, a hub for the life science community to access commercialization and entrepreneurship programs, funding sources, accelerators, job and internship programs, and research facilities. This multi-regional collaborative effort seeks to advance the growth and competitiveness of Virginia’s biohealth economy.

“Building a thriving life science economy in Virginia absolutely depends on having the right infrastructure for advancing innovations,” said John Newby, chief executive officer at Virginia Bio. “By partnering with Mason, we are building on a wealth of partnerships across the state as well as unique expertise in supporting entrepreneurs. These mentors are an integral piece of the puzzle as we work to achieve deeper synergies and connections across Virginia’s life science sector.”

The mentors will have broad expertise in launching new tech ventures and will support client startups in strategic planning, investor outreach, product development, navigating regulatory pathways, and fostering customer and research partnerships. They will also bring specialized industry knowledge in areas such as medical device technology, pharmaceutical products, and vaccine development.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Virginia Bio on this important work,” said Paula Sorrell, associate vice president of innovation and economic development at Mason. “Mason has a track record of supporting thousands of successful entrepreneurs across Virginia because of its ability to convene diverse resources and experts. We look forward to building on these wins and contributing to a vibrant life science industry.”

Virginia Bio-Connect addresses a statewide demand for life science-focused mentorship and fills existing commercialization gaps by making it easier for inventors to manufacture and sell products and services such as state-of-the-art medical devices, advanced telehealth options, life-saving cancer treatments, and innovative health care data solutions. The network of hired mentors will serve as a single point of entry for any life science startup in the commonwealth that wants to launch or scale their business.

“This work is really perfectly timed,” said Jody Keenan, state director for the SBDC Network. “We are seeing more innovations centered on human health and well-being, such as vaccines and rapid diagnostic tests that were developed in response to the global health crisis we are experiencing. At the same time, we have been building our capacity to deliver very targeted mentorship to Virginia’s entrepreneurs.”

In the last three years, 15% of the companies that have accessed ICAP programs were in the life science sector. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, that number became closer to 25%.

Mason recently received a GO Virginia grant to expand its network of tech mentors in the SBDC-ICAP program. The life science mentors are expected to work closely with these new tech mentors, and will also leverage partnerships established across the state with accelerators, technology councils, economic development organizations and investors.

“Almost all of today’s startups operate across sectors, and almost all life science ventures have a tech dimension,” said Keenan. “Our goal is to ensure that innovators benefit from a wide range of expertise and go on to build successful and thriving businesses.”

About ��ӽ紫ý

��ӽ紫ý is Virginia’s largest public university and the country’s fastest growing research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls 39,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility. Learn more at www.gmu.edu.

About Mason Enterprise

Mason Enterprise provides a suite of programs, incubators, and business advisors that support research lab-to-market, tech startup, and small business activities. Launched in 2018, the Innovation Commercialization Assistance Program (ICAP) contributes to building Virginia’s technology competitiveness by helping inventors and entrepreneurs bring new innovations to market. The program is run by Mason’s Virginia Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network that provides advising, support and training to small businesses and future entrepreneurs.

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Media Contact: Angelina Jarrouj, ajarrouj@gmu.edu.

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