Student Support and Advocacy Center (SSAC)

The scent of garlic and citrus filled Southside Dining Hall as students lined up to meet celebrity chef Jet Tila, who visited George Mason University’s Fairfax Campus on April 29. Hosted by Mason Dining, the event brought Tila—chef, television personality, and bestselling author—to campus for a day of food, conversation, and connections with students.

George Mason University received a grant of more than $1 million from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to support food waste prevention, food rescue, and composting programs on campus. The funding supports projects that reduce landfill methane emissions by reducing food waste, recovering surplus food, and composting any remaining food waste.

On January 20, George Mason University expanded one of its most essential student support services. The Patriot Pantry officially opened a new location at Mason Square, extending food security resources to a campus that primarily serves graduate and professional students.

Operated by the Basic Needs Services team at the Student Support and Advocacy Center (SSAC), the pantry provides nonperishable food and hygiene products to students experiencing food insecurity. The service is designed to reduce stigma and remove barriers that can interfere with academic success.

Mason Empty Bowls is supporting George Mason's Food and Housing Insecurity Fund through a delicious meal and handmade ceramics.

Mason graduate student Rebecca Leung is part of a team finding ways to use smart technology in order to help those who are struggling with or recovering from substance use disorder (SUD).

Mason alumna remembers special gift from esteemed journalist Barbara Walters.

Shayna Marlowe is assistant director for sexual and interpersonal violence and student support services at Student Support and Advocacy Center at Mason Square.

In response to the growing need, the Student Support and Advocacy Center recently launched the application for the Ukraine Crisis Student Support Fund, which is available to Mason students from Ukraine and Russia who are experiencing financial challenges and hardships due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

George Mason University’s Student Support and Advocacy Center received for the first time a $75,000 grant from the Virginia Department of Health to strengthen its peer education program and prevention efforts in the area of sexual and interpersonal violence.