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We rely on a countless number of signs each day, whether we are driving, walking through a neighborhood, shopping at the grocery store, or going from building to building on campus. John Forgy, environmental graphic designer and sign program manager at Â鶹ÊÓƵ, creates the wayfinding systems that guide students, faculty, staff, and visitors across the university’s campuses and sites.

Â鶹ÊÓƵ honored faculty and staff with significant service anniversaries at the University Day Service Awards ceremony on Monday on the Fairfax Campus. Honorees were recognized for years of state service ranging from 5-55 years.

As a professor in Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, Paul So is a theoretical physicist who specializes in dynamical systems analysis and its application to neuroscience. Alongside colleagues and students, he studies the behaviors that emerge from large populations of neurons, or nerve cells, which carry electrical and chemical signals through the brain and body. Outside his role as a physics professor, So is an artist. An avid painter, he also supports developing artists as a co-founder of Hamiltonian Artists, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit art incubator based in Washington, D.C.

As the anchor for Northern Virginia’s first Innovation District, Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Science and Technology Campus is going through a major growth spurt. The campus is powering new developments in high-tech industry sectors like life sciences, aerospace, and defense. A new, walkable Innovation Town Center is under construction near the front door of campus.
And George Â鶹ÊÓƵ employees now have the option to live in the center of it all.

For most people, planning for an emergency might only come to mind every now and then. But some Â鶹ÊÓƵ employees spend each day preparing for emergencies and planning how to protect the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Nation in a crisis. As director of emergency management and fire safety in the Office of Risk, Safety, and Resilience, Gregg Black, MPA’13, helps the university plan for the unexpected.

As executive director of academic strategies and senior executive producer for GMU-TV, Susan Kehoe leads an award-winning educational television team whose work reaches audiences throughout Northern Virginia and around the globe. Outside work, Kehoe opens doors and broadens the experiences of others in a different way. As a volunteer Puppy Raiser for Canine Companions for Independence, her family raises and trains service dogs.

As the academic manager in Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Global Education Office, Rachel Spence helps international students from partner universities worldwide with the transfer of classes, registration, and advising. In addition to helping students navigate their experiences in the United States and complete their George Â鶹ÊÓƵ degrees, Spence is also the chair of the Staff Senate, which represents the interests of all classified and non-student wage employees to the administration and Board of Visitors.

The Career Influencers Network at Â鶹ÊÓƵ empowers faculty and staff to provide career development support to students throughout their academic journey. University Career Services hosted a reception in early October honoring the network’s 10th anniversary.

Yali Pan, associate director for engagement and assessment in Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Office of International Programs and Services (OIPS), started at George Â鶹ÊÓƵ in 2020. For her contributions to supporting international students, dedication to fostering an inclusive campus culture, and commitment to student well-being, Pan is recognized as the October Employee of the Month.

Congratulations to the Â鶹ÊÓƵ faculty and staff retirees from May to August 2025. The list below includes retirees, the department from which they retired, and years of service.