Mason Media Blog

A Facebook quiz that encourages Americans to find out how they feel about global warming has won the Environmental Journalism Innovation of the Year Award from the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism.

The application, designed by KQED Public Broadcasting in San Francisco, is based on research conducted by George Mason and Yale universities. The application asks 17 questions in order to determine which segment of the population the participant falls into. The results are shown in a chart graph and compared to the national study’s results.

Ed Maibach, director of the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University, published the study, “Global Warming’s Six Americas” with researchers at Yale University to determine the different attitudes Americans have about global warming. The report divides the American public into six unique segments that engage with the issue of global warming in their own distinct way: Alarmed, Concerned, Cautious, Disengaged, Doubtful and Dismissive.

The Facebook application was recognized because it utilizes academic research and social media to advance the national discussion of climate change.

“A key component of the success of this effort was the willingness of the researchers at George Mason University to condense their survey to 17 questions,” says David Poulson, associate director of the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism. “Anything longer and it never would have engaged the public.”

Please Note: Due to multiple scheduling conflicts, many speakers and attendees from the federal government and the entertainment and serious gaming and simulation industry were unable to attend the Business of Games Conference scheduled for Friday, Dec. 10.

Therefore, the Business of Games Conference has been tentatively rescheduled for Friday, April 15, 2011. Registration for the April 15 Business of Games Conference will open on Feb. 1, 2011. Please check the game.gmu.edu website for registration and speaker information.

However, the student ‘Green Light’ Game Business and Game Concept Pitch Session will proceed from 3 to 5 p.m. on Dec. 10, 2010, in Mason Hall, Room D3 and D4, on the Fairfax Campus. Anyone interested in viewing the presentation is welcome to attend free of charge.

Interested in learning how you can make a career out of playing video games? Join other student and local independent game developers and game industry leaders at the Business of Games Conference. The conference takes place on Friday, Dec. 10, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Mason Inn Conference Center and Hotel on Mason’s Fairfax Campus.

The $105 billion game design industry is expected to continue growing at a rapid pace, especially in the Washington, D.C., region. As the demand for game designers is rising, the conference features panel discussions that allows students from around the country to network with—and learn from—industry leaders about the evolving business of games.

Aspiring game developers will also have the opportunity to outline their ideas for game design concepts and new business proposals during the conference’s “green light” pitch session. A panel of local industry professionals will review submissions on-the-spot and winners will received a $1,500 prize and a free two-house business development consulting session at the Mason Enterprise Center.

Throughout the day, participants will also have the opportunity to attend the entrepreneurship and game exposition. The exposition will feature an array of booths representing local and national businesses in the game industry. Students and other interested participants are encouraged to visit the booths, drop off resumes and schedule interviews with these industry leaders.

The conference builds on the success of Mason’s computer game design program, the only such four-year degree program offered in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Washington, D.C., area. The degree prepares students for employment in the computer game design and development field, both in the commercial and government sectors.

More information about the Business of Games Conference, can be found here.

Are you part of a Mason couple? Did you lock eyes across the computer lab? Do you attend every Mason basketball game together? Did he propose on campus? Do you have dates at the Center for the Arts?

University Relations is launching the Sweetheart 16 contest — and they want to hear your story. One winning couple will receive a “Sweetheart’s Prize Package” to Mason’s 2011 Homecoming.

Couples can enter by telling their stories about how they met and what Mason means to them. A short online questionnaire is all that’s required, though spirited photos and videos are welcome. The deadline to enter is Friday, Dec. 3.

“We received an outstanding response from this past summer’s Mason’s Biggest Fan contest — more than 5,000 votes were cast in a heated race,” says Leah Kerkman Fogarty, senior writer in Creative Services, who is spearheading the contest.

“Many of the people who entered Mason’s Biggest Fan mentioned how they met their future spouses while attending Mason, and we thought some sort of ‘Mason Couples’ competition was a logical next step.”

In January, the stories of the 16 semifinalists will be featured on the Sweetheart 16 website, and the public can vote on their favorites.

The final four couples will compete to win a grand Homecoming prize package that includes a two-night stay during Homecoming Weekend at the brand-new Mason Inn Conference Center and Hotel, including breakfast and dinner; prime seats at the Homecoming men’s basketball game on Saturday, Feb. 5; and more.

“We hope to engage all of the Mason community — not just alumni, but also faculty and staff members. So many people have found the love of their lives here, and it deepens their connection to Mason in the process. We just want to be a small part of that,” says Fogarty.

More information about the contest rules and the prize package can be found online.

David M. Walker

As part of the 2010 Johnson & Strachan Distinguished Speaker’s Series, the School of Management will present David M. Walker, president and CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, on Monday, Nov. 8, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

In his talk, which will be presented at the Mason Inn Conference Center and Hotel, Walker will discuss current national debt issues and federal deficit policies and procedures.

Prior to assuming his position with the Peterson Foundation in 2008, Walker served as the seventh comptroller general of the United States and head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office for nearly 10 years.

This was one of Walker’s three presidential appointments by three different presidents during his 15 years of federal service. Walker also has more than 20 years of private sector experience, including approximately 10 years as a partner and global managing director of human capital services for Arthur Andersen LLP.

Tickets for this event are free but space is limited. For more information and to reserve tickets, visit somdss@eventbrite.com/.