computer science

Multidisciplinary team pioneers AI algorithms for robot navigation

Teresa Donnellan — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 13:59:38 +0000

Multidisciplinary team pioneers AI algorithms for robot navigation Teresa Donnellan Tue, 02/25/2025 - 08:59

In This Story

A multidisciplinary George Mason team is developing algorithms using artificial intelligence to improve how teams of autonomous robots operate in complex and uncertain environments. Their work, funded by a $1.7 million grant from the Army Research Lab, could benefit both military and civilian applications.

The team’s four researchers—Greg Stein and Xuesu Xiao from the Department of Computer Science, Xuan Wang from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Daigo Shishika from the Department of Mechanical Engineering— are each using unique expertise to address a technical challenges at varying levels of abstraction, including decision-making under uncertainty, game-theoretic engagement with adversaries, and safe traversal of rugged terrains.

Xuan Wang (upper left), Gregory Stein (upper right), Daigo Shishika (bottom left), and Xuesu Xiao (bottom right)

“The project is about how to gain an operational advantage, or at least mitigate operational disadvantages, when a team of robots are moving through territory that they do not themselves control," said Stein. While Shishika, Wang, and Xiao have been working on this topic since 2022, Stein, who focuses on machine learning and long-horizon decision-making, is a recent addition. Shishika applies game theory to team behavior in dynamic environments. Wang works on how to carry out the best coordinated team behavior, and Xiao focuses on preparing autonomous vehicles for off-road mobility and vertically challenging terrains.

Set to continue for four years, with an optional fifth year for integration, the team aims to develop a comprehensive framework of algorithms unifying their research, from high-level team coordination to low-level vehicle control. The project emphasizes the need for robust algorithms to handle incomplete information and dynamic environments.

While the primary focus of the project is on military applications, the research has broader implications for various non-military scenarios, such as search and rescue operations, said Shishika.

"The thing that we are really interested in is the decision-making and coordination component, to cooperate better and to make longer decisions over these extended periods of time while also behaving safely and mitigating risk," said Stein. "The framework that we're all collectively working towards is this thing that unifies all those ideas, to have a system that's capable of all of these novel capabilities together.”

Topics

robotics and autonomous systems

mechanical engineering

computer science

Electrical and Computer Engineering

George Mason robotics team showcases nine pioneering studies at international conference

Teresa Donnellan — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 16:00:26 +0000

George Mason robotics team showcases nine pioneering studies at international conference Teresa Donnellan Fri, 11/01/2024 - 12:00

In This Story

George Mason roboticists Xuesu Xiao, Xuan Wang, Daigo Shishika, and Gregory Stein presented nine papers at the 2024 International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS 2024) hosted by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the Robotics Society of Japan last month.

Roboticists Xuan Wang (upper left), Gregory Stein (upper right), Daigo Shishika (bottom left), and Xuesu Xiao (bottom right)

“Thanks to the hard work of our students and the support of our collaborators, we were able to present our research internationally at IROS 2024,” said Xuan Wang, who received the New Generation Star award at the conference, sponsored by Nokov, which he called, “a great encouragement for my career.”

“A few papers resulted from a joint project across George Mason’s departments of mechanical engineering, electrical and computer engineering, and computer science, funded by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory’s Tactical Behaviors for Autonomous Maneuver (TBAM) Collaborative Research Alliance (CRA),” said Xuesu Xiao.

The papers presented were as follows:

Active Information Gathering for Long-Horizon Navigation Under Uncertainty by Predicting the Value of Information

Authors: Raihan Islam Arnob and Gregory Stein.

Learning-informed Long-Horizon Navigation under Uncertainty for Vehicles with Dynamics

Authors: Abhish Khanal, Hoang-Dung Bui, Erion Plaku, and Gregory Stein

VANP: Learning Where to See for Navigation with Self-Supervised Vision-Action Pre-Training

Authors: Mohammad Nazeri, Junzhe Wang, Amirreza Payandeh, and Xuesu Xiao

DTG: Diffusion-based Trajectory Generation for Mapless Global Navigation

Author: Jing Liang, Amirreza Payandeh, Daeun Song, Xuesu Xiao, Dinesh Manocha

Bi-CL: A Reinforcement Learning Framework for Robots Coordination Through Bi-level Optimization

Authors: Zechen Hu, Daigo Shishika, Xuesu Xiao, Xuan Wang

Learning Coordinated Maneuver in Adversarial Environments

Authors: Zechen Hu, Manshi Limbu, Daigo Shishika, Xuesu Xiao, Xuan Wang

Team Coordination on Graphs: Problem, Analysis, and Algorithms

Authors: Yanlin Zhou, Manshi Limbu, Gregory Stein, Xuan Wang, Daigo Shishika, Xuesu Xiao

Terrain-Attentive Learning for Efficient 6-DoF Kinodynamic Modeling on Vertically Challenging Terrain

Authors: Aniket Datar, Chenhui Pan, Mohammad Nazeri, Anuj Pokhrel, Xuesu Xiao

D3G: Learning Multi-robot Coordination from Demonstrations

Authors: Yizhi Zhou, Wanxin Jin, Xuan Wang

Topics

robotics

mechanical engineering

Mechanical Engineering Faculty

Computer Science faculty

computer science

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Mason student presents on AI bias at international conference

Nathan Kahl — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 21:23:09 +0000

Mason student presents on AI bias at international conference Nathan Kahl Wed, 12/06/2023 - 16:23

Kevin Kuck, a George Mason University mechanical engineering senior, recently presented a paper on generative artificial intelligence (AI) bias at an international conference in Monterrey, Mexico. The paper was an off-shoot of work that Kuck completed for A Seat at the Table, a class examining diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) issues in engineering.

Kuck presented at the World Engineering Education Forum (WEEF) and Global Engineering Deans Council (GEDC) Conference, which is organized annually by the International Federation of Engineering Education Societies (IFEES, housed in the Mason College of Engineering and Computing). The conference attracted hundreds of engineering educators, administrators, students, and other professionals interested in engineering pedagogy and research.

Kuck said that being exposed to DEI topics got him excited about research possibilities. "It was very eye-opening, and for my final project, I did a case study on the over-sexualization of women who use a popular AI-powered TikTok filter that converts people into anime-stylized characters. I realized the filter was also unintentionally misrepresenting people's gender and race, and it made me see what a big problem this is across many AI systems." He was so fascinated by the topic and its pervasive problems that his paper, Generative Artificial Intelligence: A Double-Edged Sword, stretched to 80 pages, from the assigned two.

The critical issue that the paper identified was that bias stems from the datasets that AI developers use to inform their AI model's language and output, which are often culturally, ethnically, and racially biased. This is because the companies that create the datasets gather data through massive "scrapes" of the Internet, which are not adequately reviewed.

Professors Leigh McCue-Weil and Christopher Carr encouraged Kuck to submit his paper to the conference. After whittling it down to 10 pages, he was accepted and asked to present. "I originally had 10 minutes," he said. "But one person had to drop out, and the moderators didn't stop me, so I hit all my major points."

Kuck said that there was tremendous interest in AI bias among attendees.

The event was Kuck's first international trip. He enjoyed Monterrey's architecture and nightlife and found the city to be very attractive. "All the food was delicious," he added. The networking opportunities were also significant. "I approached Paul Gilbert, the CEO of Quanser, and he already knew who I was and said that he had read up on my paper. We had a great conversation about AI bias." Kuck also discussed his research with a panel of AI professionals and many attendees and presented a poster summarizing his research.

During the conference, Kuck befriended the leadership team of the Student Platform for Engineering Education Development (SPEED); he joined the organization and was appointed webmaster and photographer, a role which may potentially include an expense-paid trip to the 2024 WEEF and GEDC Conference in Sydney, Australia.

Regarding the future of AI bias, Kuck said, "Developers haven't been tackling it logically. They need to return to where the datasets are first implemented instead of trying to attack the problem after it's been embedded. For example, some AI developers have tried filtering the datasets to mitigate the problem. Still, those filters can cut out good examples of diversity and, in turn, have been shown to increase bias."

As part of his research, Kuck developed a novel framework for addressing bias in AI systems and proposed ways in which we can begin to solve the problems. "If we begin tackling these issues now and commit to changing how datasets are created and implemented, we can cut down on the severity and frequency of bias being exhibited by AI systems so that they can be more equitable and reflective of the diversity of our world."

Topics

Artifical Intelligence

algorithm bias

computer science

Tech Talent Investment Pipeline (TTIP)

TTIP

Tech Talent Investment Program

Mason teams shine at three major hackathons

Teresa Donnellan — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 13:46:19 +0000

Mason teams shine at three major hackathons Teresa Donnellan Thu, 06/22/2023 - 09:46

The Mason Nation’s strength was undeniable at several hackathons in spring 2023. George Mason University computer science, cybersecurity engineering, information technology, and mechanical engineering students won challenges on March 25 at the University of Virginia (UVA), on April 7-9 at the University of Maryland (UMD), and on April 29-30 at Drexel University.

What’s a hackathon?

Hackathons take place over a limited span of time, usually 24 hours. Teams comprising several students choose which “tracks” they want to compete in, with each track delineating a different challenge. Hackathons are generally free for participants, with travel, accommodation, and food provided, making them a relatively equitable opportunity for students.

At the outset of a hackathon, sponsoring or organizing bodies present on the different tracks and offer workshops on relevant tools for the challenges at hand. The events are thus valuable networking opportunities where participants meet not only industry professionals, but also like-minded entrepreneurial peers.

Over the course of the event, teams build a minimum viable product, submit their project through GitHub, and create a DevPost page to display their project before presenting to a panel of judges during an exhibition period. At the end of the event, prizes are awarded for many of the tracks.

HooHacks 2023 at the University of Virginia

HooHacks team. Photo provided

HooHacks, put on by a student group at the University of Virginia of the same name, comprises six levels of challenges and includes a special element sponsored by Fannie Mae. The event took place over 24 hours, starting at noon on March 25.

Two Mason teams, one comprising upperclassmen and one comprising freshmen, brought home wins including at least $500, respectively.

Seniors Jhonn Cardozo and Ronald Santos Garcia and junior Maya Crosby took home $500 and the pride of winning the primary challenge in one of the 50 biggest hackathons in the country. After being announced as winners, the team was approached by Fannie Mae staffers, who told them they were extremely impressed with their performance.

Snagging Best Overall prize at HooHacks was a team of Mason freshmen. Anthony Perry, Daniel Horvath, and Marco Zamora brought home more than $500 in prizes and an invitation to compete at Pinnacle, perhaps the most competitive collegiate hackathon worldwide. The team had been encouraged to participate in the event by their fellow Mason participants. Although only freshmen, the teammates had an existing relationship, as they had all been on a robotics team in high school.

The team’s project, Dangerous Audio Detection (DAD), is an Alarm System Network that uses machine learning algorithms to accurately identify the sound of gunshots and alerts community members.

“The idea for our project, DAD, stemmed from our desire to answer [Mason President] Gregory Washington’s call to solve the grand challenges in our world,” the team said.

“We are especially excited about participating in Pinnacle, often referred to as the Olympics of collegiate-level hackathons, as we have received a prestigious invitation. This experience has solidified our commitment to continuous learning and participation in hackathons as a means to push our boundaries and contribute to our community’s grand challenges,” the team said.

Bitcamp at the University of Maryland

The BitTales team. Photo provided

An undergraduate and a graduate team garnered acclaim at the University of Maryland’s Bitcamp hackathon, the largest collegiate hackathon on the east coast. The event had five primary tracks, varying from machine learning to quantum computing, and included more than 1,000 students, packed into the Xfinity Center on the College Park campus.

The upperclassmen team from HooHacks—with the addition of Mason alum Katherine Horvath, a information technology graduate and freshman Daniel’s sister—was one of two teams to win awards in two different challenges, including taking first in the Bloomberg Industry Group challenge. The Bloomberg project involved using any public/government data to showcase a specific application highlighting data insights and intelligence. The team’s solution elicited praise from Bloomberg representatives, with the sponsors noting how impressed they were with the product.

A team of international graduate students studying computer science also won two tracks with their project BitTales, a natural language processing-based web application that turns meaningful conversations into personalized bedtime stories. Master’s students Janit Bidhan and Aabha Bothera and doctoral candidate Saurabh Srivastava won both the Best Use of CockroachDB Serverless and the Best Machine Learning Hack awards at the event, bringing home more than $400 in prize money.

DragonHacks 2023 at Drexel University.

Perfect Application for Plant Assistance (PAPA) team. Photo provided

Two members of the victorious HooHacks 2023 freshmen team, Daniel Horvath and Anthony Perry, joined a member of the successful upperclassmen team from the same event, Jhonn Dalton Cardozo, to participate in DragonHacks 2023 at Drexel University. The hybrid team won Best Environmental Hack for their project Perfect Application for Plant Assistance (PAPA). The project “aimed to help solve food insecurities through encouraging sustainable botany practices,” said Horvath and Perry. Mason’s Patriot Pantry inspired the team to use competition as a means of incentivizing efforts to end food insecurity, the team wrote in the project description.

“Our decision to pursue the best environmental hack track at Dragon Hacks stemmed from a desire to explore new territories, engage in a hardware–software integration project, and the enticing prospect of winning some TVs,” Cardozo recalled. “But beyond the prizes, our team was fueled by a genuine commitment to make a difference and create a solution that would contribute to the well-being of the environment.”

Reflections on Three Hackathons

Jhonn Dalton Cardozo gleaned lessons from his experience in each of these hackathons.

“During the UVA hackathon, I discovered that teamwork is the backbone of any successful project,” he noted.

“At Bitcamp, I realized that commitment and dedication to a project can take you far,” he added.

“At Dragon Hacks, the importance of team management became even more apparent,” he said. “Having a talented team is fantastic, but knowing how to leverage their strengths and expertise is the real key to success. Recognizing the value of different perspectives, interests, and potential within each team member was a crucial aspect of creating our final project. While this might sound like common knowledge, I never fully appreciated the challenge and gratification of managing a team while doing the actual work. I am truly grateful for the exceptional group of individuals in my team and deeply appreciate their efforts in bringing our collective vision to life.”

Topics

computer science

information sciences and technology

mechanical engineering

Department of Cyber Security Engineering

Hackathon

Students

From ChatGPT to Tesla’s Autopilot, Mason professor Missy Cummings isn’t afraid to call out bad tech

Melanie Balog — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 19:01:27 +0000

From ChatGPT to Tesla’s Autopilot, Mason professor Missy Cummings isn’t afraid to call out bad tech Melanie Balog Fri, 02/03/2023 - 14:01

In This Story

Missy Cummings

Missy Cummings.
Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

Missy Cummings made her name as one of the United States’ first female fighter pilots. But it is also in her current career researching artificial intelligence, human-autonomous system collaboration, and the socio-ethical impact of technology, that she has made headlines.

Cummings, a George Mason University professor in the computer science, electrical and computer engineering, and mechanical engineering departments of the College of Engineering and Computing, calls herself a “tech futurist,” whose job is to “make tech work. It’s not to stop tech, it’s to help it get better.”

One of the ways she does that is to call it as she sees it, such as her take on ChatGPT.

“If you really pay attention, you can see very quickly how wrong and dangerous disinformation coming from something like ChatGPT could be,” she says. “Intelligence technologies are advancing so rapidly, what we’re not doing is keeping up with allowing people to get educated in how to think about the design frameworks behind when you should have these systems. Why should you have these systems? What requirements are they really meeting? And, then, how should I test these systems to make sure they are sufficient?”

As a safety advisor from 2021 to 2023 for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), she also has a good grasp on the evolution of self-driving cars, particularly when it comes to Teslas.

“I think they are great cars. I am not anti-Tesla. But I will tell you … I just really hate bad tech. And if you’ve got some bad tech that is really dangerous, I’m going to call you out on it. The problem is, do not drive your Teslas on Autopilot without paying full and absolute attention and keeping your hands on the wheel.”

The dangers:

“This phantom braking issue, where the car sees something and then decides to dramatically decelerate, that is not just a Tesla problem. We see it in many other kinds of autonomous vehicles. They’re just not reliable enough to ‘see’ the world in the way we do. We’ve done some testing with Teslas in my own lab where we can see a statistical correlation with the sun going behind clouds. Even that is enough to potentially trigger a problem with the vision system. That’s just one of the many problems, and that’s the tech problem.”

On safety features vs. convenience features:

“In automation, there are two different kinds of cars. There’s auto-emergency braking, the front collision warning, these kinds of safety devices. They are working and we can see that decreases [crashes]. But [GM’s] Super Cruise, [Ford’s] BlueCruise, these are convenience features that do latitudinal and longitudinal control for you. They’re doing acceleration for you and steering. The jury is very much out. Having come from NHTSA, I did the analysis myself on all the crash data we have, and I will tell you that if you are in an accident in a car with these convenience features, you are statistically more likely to be seriously injured or killed.”

On industry guardrails:

“There are so many good things to love about Tesla… but Tesla had some questionable design decisions about letting people be hands-free. But now all the other car companies are modeling after Tesla, and I do not think we should allow that. No car, not Tesla, not Ford, not GM, no car with any driver assist should allow you to be hands-free. Tesla’s a great car except for this bad Autopilot. When you have your hands free, it basically promotes you into complacency. So I can like the car, but not the feature.”

How long until the technology is ready for prime time:

“We’re not even close. We will see in the short term, small-mile delivery is probably where we’ll see that happen. But if you’re asking me, should I go ahead and start investing in self-driving cars because they’re going to start turning a profit next year, I don’t know when that year is going to be.”

Missy Cummings can be reached at cummings@gmu.edu.

For more information, contact Damian Cristodero at dcristod@gmu.edu or 703-993-9118.

About George Mason
George Mason University is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls nearly 40,000 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.

Topics

Tip Sheet

mechanical engineering

computer science

Electrical and Computer Engineering

College of Engineering and Computing

Research

Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center

Mason announces College of Engineering and Computing

Colleen Rich — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 12:40:00 +0000

Mason announces College of Engineering and Computing Colleen Rich Fri, 10/02/2020 - 08:40

Did you know?

Mason has nearly 5,000 undergraduate students majoring in computer science, computer engineering, information technology, information systems and operations management, cybersecurity and systems engineering—substantially more than Virginia’s other public universities. Mason also leads in master’s students with more than 1,100 enrolled in those disciplines. Including other computing-intensive fields, such as data sciences and game design, pushes the number up even higher.

Learn more

Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

The George Mason University Board of Visitors voted Thursday, Oct. 1, to house the new School of Computing and the existing Volgenau School of Engineering in a newly formed College of Engineering and Computing led by Ken Ball, the current dean of the Volgenau School of Engineering.

These organizational changes next need to be reviewed by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. The School of Computing and the Volgenau School will be led by two interim divisional deans until the search for permanent divisional deans is completed.

The School of Computing will provide a wide array of computing and related courses to students from all backgrounds and at all levels. Beginning with Computer Science, Information Sciences and Technology, and Statistics, the school will eventually include multidisciplinary programs created in collaboration with faculty in Mason’s other colleges who have an interest in teaching and conducting research related to computing.

“The Volgenau School of Engineering has greatly benefited over its history from its strong ties to computing,” said Dean Ken Ball. “The visionaries who founded the engineering school at Mason grounded in computing and information technology would be proud of its evolution and growth as it becomes the new College of Engineering and Computing.”

Many see computing and digital fluency as central to every other discipline and every aspect of business and society, and envision endless opportunities for collaboration with experts in the humanities, health care and business.

The launch of the School of Computing leverages investments from the Commonwealth of Virginia that were driven by Amazon’s decision to locate its East Coast headquarters in nearby Crystal City. With these investments, the university has an unprecedented opportunity to play a leadership role in shaping the future of computing regionally, nationally, and globally while also enhancing economic prosperity and the quality of life for residents in the region and beyond.

“Interdisciplinary collaboration in research and education is a key component of our vision and strategic plan for the future,” said Sanjeev Setia, professor and associate dean for computing programs and initiatives in the Volgenau School of Engineering. “The creation of the School of Computing will elevate the profile of computing both within Mason as well as externally. The School of Computing provides an opportunity to strengthen our rich portfolio of computing programs.”

Digital credential will prepare graduates for a technology-driven world

Melanie Balog — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 19:50:35 +0000

Digital credential will prepare graduates for a technology-driven world Melanie Balog Wed, 03/20/2019 - 15:50

George Mason University is among the first universities in the region to launch a digital certification program, which will ensure that all students—regardless of their major—have the digital skills needed to compete in today’s workforce.

The digital technology credential is being championed by the Greater Washington Partnership (GWP), a civic alliance of CEOs in the region, through its Collaborative of Leaders in Academia and Business (CoLAB) Consortium, a group of 12 universities and 14 leading companies who work together to position the Capital Region as a leading global hub for innovation. The curriculum will allow undergraduate students to develop the skills they need in today’s technology-driven economy while creating a broader talent pipeline for employers throughout the region.

The program emphasizes data analytics, visualization and cybersecurity, and is set according to standards defined by employers from across the region. The plan, which merges the humanities and social sciences fields with computer science, could become a national model for regional collaboration between universities and businesses.

“Our top priority is to make sure our students leave Mason prepared to thrive in the workforce,” Mason President Ángel Cabrera said. “No matter your major or career path, technology is necessary in every field, and everyone will need some level of skill and expertise here.”

Liza Wilson Durant, a professor and associate dean for strategic initiatives and community engagement within Mason’s Volgenau School of Engineering, said she’s been pleasantly surprised by how many humanities majors have already signed up. She envisioned others soon following suit, both at Mason and elsewhere.

“Companies realize that people who can write and speak and who understand cultural context and policy are vital to the success of the companies,” she said. “They see the need for students with this knowledge. But if [the students] can’t work around an Excel spreadsheet, or if they can’t analyze data, [companies] can’t effectively employ them. So, we’re on the right track here by merging these two concepts.”

Mason was already well equipped to meet the specific standards that regional employers were looking for. The Department of Statistics within the Volgenau School of Engineering already offers a data analysis minor and needed only to add a cybersecurity element to one of the five mandatory classes necessary for eligibility for a generalist credential.

Because it already had many of the necessary elements in place, Mason will become the first of the participating regional universities to bestow digital credentials to its graduates. Four students will have completed the program in time for this year’s upcoming Spring Commencement on May 17. Currently, there are 10 students enrolled in the program at Mason and roughly 200 enrolled in the data analysis minor, said Michelle Marks, Mason’s vice president for academic innovation and new ventures.

“I think it shows how Mason is poised to innovate faster than most universities,” Marks said, “and that—when our students graduate—they are ready for successful careers and are job ready.”

Virginia Commonwealth University has also launched the program, and American University, the University of Richmond and Virginia Tech will launch their programs this fall.

Durant said the process began several months ago after regional employers decided they weren’t seeing the necessary kind of skills, knowledge and abilities in the talent they were hiring. They specifically cited deficiencies in cybersecurity, data analytics and machine learning.

The partnership came up with the idea of a credential that would serve as an affirmation of the specific skills that employers were looking for. That endorsement will give students preferential treatment for hiring consideration, internships and mentoring opportunities, as well as invaluable face-to-face time with company executives.

Future plans include making the generalist credential available online for working professionals seeking contemporary skills, and building out a specialist credential for students who already have an extensive background in engineering and computer science.

“I think this approach that we have is unique, it’s new, and I think it’s going to be very popular,” Durant said.

For more information, contact statistics@gmu.edu.

George Mason to support Amazon with large-scale expansion of Arlington Campus

Melanie Balog — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 16:06:05 +0000

George Mason to support Amazon with large-scale expansion of Arlington Campus Melanie Balog Tue, 11/13/2018 - 11:06

George Mason University is announcing a large-scale expansion of its Arlington Campus to grow its computing programs, advance research in high-tech fields and rapidly increase the number of highly skilled graduates for Amazon and other regional employers.

The university has pledged to invest more than $250 million over the next five years to grow programs, hire large numbers of new faculty and expand its campus in Arlington. The campus currently occupies 700,000 square feet adjacent to the new Amazon headquarters, but will grow to 1.2 million square feet.

Mason is Virginia’s largest public research university and currently enrolls more than 6,500 students in its computing programs. These initiatives are expected to grow Mason’s enrollment in these programs to 15,000 undergraduate and graduate students in computer science, computer engineering, information technology and other closely related fields by 2024.

Specific new initiatives include the creation of the Institute for Digital InnovAtion (IDIA), a university think tank and incubator to serve the digital economy. IDIA will be the center of innovation in Arlington, housing over 1,200 entrepreneurs, researchers, technologists and business leaders in the bustling Ballston-Rosslyn corridor.

The university is also planning to launch a new School of Computing to help meet growing demand for computing professionals. The school is the first of its kind and will bring the power of computing to a wide variety of fields. It will collaborate across the university to advance the application of computing technology and data sciences to fields ranging from government to business to education to health care.

“This is a significant moment for the region and the result of our tremendous collaboration with partners in the public and private sectors,” said Mason President Ángel Cabrera. “Our goal is to not only produce high-quality graduates who can take on big roles at existing companies like Amazon, but to also have graduates who can start the Amazons of the future. These initiatives will ensure that happens.”

Amazon’s decision to establish its headquarters in the D.C. region is expected to triple the number of students seeking degrees in computing majors.

“Mason’s role has always been to create a pipeline for talent and innovation that serves the region,” said Provost and Executive Vice President S. David Wu. “The School of Computing will help attract some of our most promising students and prepare them for success in the innovation economy.”

The Institute for Digital InnovAtion will be located in a new 400,000 square-foot building planned for the university’s Arlington Campus. The IDIA facility will house private and public sector entities and Mason’s thriving research and graduate education programs.

“This new Institute for Digital InnovAtion will bring together Mason’s diverse faculty and student community with partners in the public and private sectors,” said Mason Vice President for Research Deborah Crawford. “Together, they will learn, create, ideate and innovate, helping to strengthen Northern Virginia’s reputation as a global center for innovation in computing.”

The university’s strategic partnership with Northern Virginia Community College – through a new program called ADVANCE – will help develop future tech talent while also managing the cost of higher education for Virginia students and their families. Year-round, immersive internships with industry ensure that Mason graduates are well prepared to join Virginia’s world-class innovation workforce.

For more information, contact Michael Sandler at 703-993-8815 or msandle3@gmu.edu.