College of Education and Human Development

How do you know a community values your involvement? It steps up financially to keep your program running. That is what happened in Prince William County, Virginia, which this academic year budgeted $180,000 to continue a George Mason University program that provides athletic trainers to nine of the county’s 16 public middle schools with athletic programs. Read more...

Patricia Kelshaw has been immersed in George Mason University’s Athletic Training Education Program for as long as she has been at the university. Kelshaw’s research endeavors to establish more specific baseline measures for children participating in sports to better manage concussions. Those measures could also enhance the Child Support Concussion Assessment Tool, a standardized evaluation instrument that helps assess whether concussions have occurred and informs care throughout recovery. Read more...

When Callie Brownson became quality control coach for Dartmouth’s football team, she had no idea she was making history as the first full-time female Division I football coach. Even now, after all the attention, including stories by the Associated Press, Sports Illustrated and The Washington Post, Brownson said the whirlwind is still difficult to believe. “To me, it was kind of crazy there hadn’t been another female coach at this level,” she said. That Brownson was the first did not surprise those who knew her at George Mason University, from where she graduated in 2016 with a degree in Health, Fitness and Recreation Resources. Read more...

Fred Schack’s colleagues at the College of Education and Human Development described him as “steady,” “consistent,” and “dependable.” If there was work to be done, he would volunteer to do it. He was also remembered for always being on time, pitching in with colleagues, and always supporting students. Basically, “he was there,” says Rich Miller, a professor of kinesiology at Mason. Schack, who retired from his position as a professor of kinesiology and physical education this past June, died in September following a short illness. He was 76. More than half of his life was spent as a faculty member at George Mason University. Read more...

George Mason University was ranked as one of the nation’s top institutions for diversity, innovative learning and a campus atmosphere that allows its students to thrive, in U.S. News & World Report’s 2019 rankings, released Monday. For a second consecutive year, Mason is the top-ranked institution in Virginia for campus diversity and tied for 25th nationally. Mason also tied for 28th nationally for educational innovation and was one of only 96 national institutions listed as an “A+ School for B Students,” a category that identifies universities that create an atmosphere in which spirit and hard work fosters student success. Read more...

When the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture began planning its sports gallery, the first call museum director Lonnie Bunch made was to Dave Wiggins. Wiggins, a professor of sport history at George Mason University, is Bunch’s longtime friend. But he is also an acknowledged authority on the African American experience in American sport. Read more...

When the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture began planning its sports gallery, the first call museum director Lonnie Bunch made was to Dave Wiggins. Wiggins, a professor of sport history at George Mason University, is Bunch’s longtime friend. But he is also an acknowledged authority on the African American experience in American sport. Read more...

George Mason University’s Kate Dunn had just begun high school when she first realized that coaching football was what she was always meant to do. Her passion for the game runs deep. “I love the teamwork and the dedication that is required,” she said, “and that you never know everything. You can always get better.” Dunn joined a panel of accomplished women who coached men in sports during the “Breaking Gender Roles: Women Coaching Men” Symposium on April 18, hosted by Mason’s Division of Sport, Recreation and Tourism and the Center for Sport Management. Read more...

One of the College of Education and Human Development’s youngest programs has completed the accreditation process, providing further proof that the new classes are equipping students with the tools they need to succeed in the field of athletic training. The Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) program at Mason, housed on the Science and Technology campus, recently received accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education, or CAATE. Read more...

The power of sport is what Jiordan Carter says she’ll remember most about being in South Korea, attending the Winter Olympic Games and volunteering for the Paralympics in PyeongChang, as part of George Mason University’s inaugural Olympic Study Abroad Program. “Being able to go to the Olympics was amazing,” said Carter, a junior sport management major. “I love that sports can bring people together from all walks of life. I wanted to be able to work in an industry that all people can relate to and enjoy.” Read more...