[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 145 (Friday, November 4, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2276-E2277]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF 
                      INFORMATION AND ENGINEERING

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TOM DAVIS

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, November 4, 2005

  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate 
the 20th anniversary of George Mason University's School of Information 
Technology and Engineering.
  2005 is a year of great significance for the School of Information 
Technology and Engineering. On October 28, 2005, George Mason

[[Page E2277]]

University invited alumni and friends to join in celebrating the 
school's many accomplishments and its exciting plans for the future. 
This event also served as the commencement of the school's first-ever 
fund-raising campaign, the ``2010 Campaign.'' Through this campaign, 
George Mason aims to raise more than $20 million in private funds by 
June 2010. This funding will enable the School of Information 
Technology and Engineering to continue its path of national prominence 
and leadership and to create new programs in the area of information 
technology in the biosciences including bio-informatics, bio-
technology, and bio-engineering.
  Led by Dean Lloyd Griffiths, George Mason's School of Information 
Technology and Engineering is the first engineering school in the 
United States to focus on information technology rather than the 
traditional engineering science, and is also the first engineering 
school to offer a doctoral program in information technology. It was 
also one of the first engineering schools in the country to be named as 
a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education by 
the National Security Agency and the White House Complex. Additional 
research areas of expertise within the School of Information Technology 
and Engineering include genetic algorithms, robotics, learning agents, 
air transportation, infrastructure protection, and data visualization.
  Indeed, while many other colleges are experiencing a decrease in 
engineering enrollments, student enrollment at George Mason's School of 
Information Technology and Engineering continues to grow. To compliment 
the increase in enrollment, George Mason University has committed to 
raising the quality of the program to an even greater degree by making 
changes such as hiring a substantial number of new faculty members, 
leveraging research and donor funding, and enhancing its participation 
in high school mentorship programs, among others.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in commending and 
congratulating George Mason University's School of Information 
Technology and Engineering on 20 years of excellence. I look forward to 
applauding its continued growth and success for many years to come.

                          ____________________