Dr. Gregory Washington
President of George Mason University
Gregory Washington became George Mason University’s eighth president on July 1, 2020. Since then, he has led the institution through a period of significant growth and innovation—expanding access to a college education, accelerating research, and deepening George Mason’s influence as a talent pipeline for the region and state. The Wall Street Journal ranks George Mason in the Top 35 public universities nationally.
George Mason, with campuses in Fairfax, Arlington, Manassas, and Songdo, South Korea, is Virginia’s largest and most diverse public university, and one of only five such institutions nationwide to be classified as both an R1 and a Higher Access Higher Earnings university by the Carnegie Foundation and the American Council on Education.
Under President Washington’s leadership, the university has grown enrollment, graduated its largest classes in history, and launched the Grand Challenge Initiative—a $15 million commitment over five years to tackle pressing global issues across education, climate resilience, digital innovation, human health and well-being, space exploration, and peace and democracy.
Why Us? Why George Mason University?
Explore George Mason’s Grand Challenge Initiative addressing the greatest threats to humanity’s ability to live a peaceful, healthy, prosperous, and just existence.
“If you set out to construct what a great public research university should be, you’d come up with a university like the one we have. George Mason is one of the greatest human development initiatives in the history of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Who has greater impact? The university that helps the few, or the university that helps the many?”
— Dr. Gregory Washington
President's Reports & Campus Communications
University Leadership
History of the Office
Engage with Dr. Washington
Guiding Northern Virginia’s growth through innovation and partnership
Under President Gregory Washington’s leadership, George Mason University is driving a new era of innovation and
economic vitality in Northern Virginia. Anchored by the 345,000-square-foot Fuse at Mason Square, the university has created a collaborative hub that connects students, faculty, industry, and government in the shared pursuit of digital innovation. Fuse houses faculty and students working with the Institute for Digital Innovation (IDIA) and its partners, and graduate programs from George Mason’s Long Nguyen and Kimmy Duong School of Computing—the first of its kind in Virginia.
"The most surefire way to strengthen an innovation ecosystem is for a top-tier research university, local industry, and the community to join together in partnership. George Mason University catalyzes our region like no other entity. Whether it’s the I-66 corridor or any other avenue of progress in Northern Virginia, all roads lead through George Mason."
— Dr. Gregory Washington
The Science and Technology Campus (SciTech) in Manassas anchors Virginia’s new Innovation District, which is jointly led by George Mason, Prince William County, and the City of Manassas. The university has developed partnerships that have led to simultaneous groundbreaking for the new Life Sciences and Engineering Building, the Innovation Town Center, and the University Village at Innovation.
The Life Sciences and Engineering Building, a 132,000-square-foot facility that opened in 2025, supports students enrolled in STEM-H majors, including kinesiology, materials science, forensic science, bioengineering, and mechanical engineering. It also enhances research collaboration with the Forensic Science Research and Training Laboratory—commonly known as the “body farm”—a nationally distinctive facility that enables hands-on forensic research and training for George Mason students and law enforcement professionals.
Expanding Opportunity Through Access, Innovation, and Impact
Under President Gregory Washington’s leadership, George Mason University is redefining prosperity by ensuring that all Virginians—regardless of background—have access to opportunity. Through a student-first, innovation-driven approach, George Mason is strengthening the commonwealth’s tech workforce, driving economic mobility, and preparing graduates to lead in a rapidly evolving world.
As part of the commonwealth’s Tech Talent Investment Program (TTIP) launched in 2019, George Mason is committed to graduating nearly 16,000 students in computing by 2039—advancing the commonwealth’s goal of adding 25,000+ tech-degree graduates and strengthening Virginia’s position as a national hub for technology and innovation.
To expand educational access and economic mobility, President Washington created the Mason Virginia Promise (MVP), a bold commitment to provide every Virginian with a pathway to a George Mason degree or the support to launch a business. MVP, which partners with community colleges around the state, is an extension of the ADVANCE Program, a nationally recognized transfer partnership with Northern Virginia Community College. The university also offers direct admission to qualified students from select high schools in six Northern Virginia school divisions.
This long-standing commitment to access begins well before college. For nearly four decades, the university’s Early Identification Program (EIP) has prepared middle and high school students from seven local public school systems for higher education. Today, EIP serves more than 1,000 students annually, offering mentorship, academic resources, and leadership training to help them thrive in college and beyond.
Mason Enterprise, the university’s statewide hub for entrepreneurial support, further expands this ecosystem of opportunity. In 2024, its services generated $3.7 billion in economic impact providing:
-
40,000 entrepreneurs, small business owners, students and research faculty with 900+ workshops and educational programs and a variety of support
-
Services include individual counseling, assistance with product development, residence in one of five incubators and intellectual property advice
-
George Mason also plays a vital role in Virginia’s national reputation as the top state for education (CNBC, 2025). About 85% of our 2024 graduates are employed in the Washington, D.C., metro area, including 73% in Virginia, and more than 40% of degrees are awarded in high-demand STEM and health fields. George Mason is delivering on its promise to fuel the state’s workforce and future.
Access to Excellence
George Mason University is a comprehensive research institution powered by thought leaders across disciplines. In conversations with these experts, President Gregory Washington explores ideas that highlight the groundbreaking work of George Mason faculty, examine emerging trends in higher education, and engage the broader community in discussions that shape our shared future.
The modern grid: the intersection of energy and the environment
On this episode of Access to Excellence, Leah Nichols (left) and Liling Huang join President Gregory Washington to discuss George Mason’s capabilities as a living laboratory for students, faculty, and staff to find solutions to our Grand Challenge of preserving and protecting humanity's ability to build the future of its choosing. Listen now.