Mason’s Mortarboard

The new Engineering Building will officially open its doors (even though the building is already fully operational, and has been for months) at the grand opening ceremony this Friday, October 2.

The event takes place at the south (atrium) entrance at 3 pm.  Dr. Merten, Dr. Ernst Volgenau, and Dean Griffiths will all be there to say a few words about the new building’s significance and what it adds to our campus. Everyone is welcome to attend. There’ll be free food and drink, gifts and student-led building tours.

As the largest academic building on the Fairfax Campus, the Engineering Building combines academic space with 20,000 square feet of corporate lease space, making it the only building of its kind throughout Virginia’s public university system.

It’s also Mason’s first building on campus to be certified by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. LEED is a certification program that sets the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-tech, environmentally conscious buildings.

I’m hearing rumors that the Washington Nationals mascots (Abe, George, Tom and Teddy) will be making an appearance at the RAC grand opening on Wednesday, Sept 2, at 11 am. All students, staff, faculty and friends are invited.

I’m not sure what the mascots will be doing, but I think they’re challenging OUR president, President Alan Merten, to something.  One way or another, I know there will be free food and drinks, games, and gifts.