Mason Korea faculty and staff gathered to honor Campus Dean Robert Matz at his farewell party, celebrating his five years of dedication and service to the campus. His term concludes at the end of the Spring 2024 semester, after which he will return to the College of Humanities and Social Sciences as a faculty member of the Department of English.
During his tenure as dean, Mason Korea student enrollment grew at an average rate of 12% annually, from 566 students in Spring 2019 to over 1,000 this spring. New degree programs, a new pathway program, development of the visibility and reputation of the campus, and improved retention drove this growth. The number of U.S. students studying at Mason Korea more than doubled during his tenure as well. In the past year, Mason Korea also launched two new graduate programs and has plans to open new research centers.
Dean Matz was the visionary behind Mason Korea’s 10th Anniversary Celebrations. Throughout the celebration week, which took place just before the farewell party, George Mason University President Gregory Washington repeatedly acknowledged Dean Matz's contributions to the successes of Mason Korea.
A special highlight of the farewell event was the unveiling of the renaming of Mason Korea’s largest lecture hall (G101), now named the “Dr. Robert I. Matz Event Hall.”
During the event, the Mason Korea community expressed their gratitude to both Dean Robert Matz and his wife, Mason Korea professor Dr. Teresa Michals, for their leadership, service, and friendship.