It looks like the George Mason University will drop the Prince William part of its name in the very near future. This rebranding will take place in order to expand the science and technology center of GMU. According to the Potomac Local:
In a matter of weeks, the campus will soon be known as the George Mason University Center for Science and Technology. The school will drop the Prince William moniker used since the campus opened in 1997.
“We want to send a strong message that every time people talk about this campus that is it known fro [sic] the cutting edge work that is being done here,” George Mason University President Angel Cabrera told Potomac Local. “It will always be our location in Prince William, outside of Manassas for sure, but is sending a message on what we do here, and it’s part of our strategic plan where we are going to make our science and technology programs grow.”
The name change also means more of Mason’s engineering programs, as well as the university’s more “lab intensive” classes, will move to the science and tech center in Prince William. There is more excess space at the Prince William facility house such classes than there is at the university’s main campus in Fairfax, added Cabrera.
Should Prince William County be insulted or should it celebrate the arrival of more lab intensive classes? Will this rebranding help Prince William’s image and attract new business to the area, despite the name change?
There is certainly room for growth at the Prince William campus and there is more than enough room at Innovation Park for new businesses. Innovation Park has one small problem. It’s out in the middle of nowhere. There are no restaurant to grab lunch and no Starbucks for that cup of coffee so many folks need throughout the day.
Businesses are attracted to areas that feature a park-like environment and near-by eateries. Innovation Park is sorely lacking these amenities. If I were part of the economic growth team for Prince William County, I would be trying to attract a couple of decent fern bars or coffee houses to the area. They sure aren’t going to want to come out to the middle of nowhere without some serious tax incentives.
Just something to think about, PWC.
This is what an investment in a community does – PWC needs to continue to invest into its own infrastructure.