David Farris

David Farris

David Farris

Associate Vice President, Risk, Safety, & Resilience

Instructor

organizational behavior; university governance; organizational citizenship behavior; university committees and teams

Dr. David Farris is the Associate Vice President for Risk, Safety, & Resilience at George Mason University.  David joined Mason 2004 and has held positions responsible for laboratory safety, environmental compliance, occupational safety, fire safety, and emergency management programs. Prior to working at Mason, David was employed at large environmental company where he served as a lead field chemist, regional manager, technical service specialist, sales representative, and project manager in the areas of business development, environmental compliance, emergency response, environmental remediation, and industrial services.

David’s academic interests revolve around organizational behavior, university governance, organizational citizenship behavior, university committees, and teams. He is the author of Understanding University Committees: How to Manage and Participate Constructively in Institutional Governance.

Selected Publications

  • Farris, D. (2020). Understanding University Committees: How to Manage and Participate Constructively in Institutional Governance. Sterling, VA: Stylus.  
  • Farris, D. (2018). Organisational citizenship behaviour in university administrative committees. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 40(3), 224–238. 
  • Farris, D., & Zobel, J. (2017). Strategies for Mitigating Risk Associated with University-related International Travel. University Risk Management and Insurance Association Journal. (Accepted for publication Fall 2017).   
  • Farris, D. (2017, June 6). Not another committee: Advice for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of committees. Inside Higher Ed (online). 
  • Farris, D., & McCreight, R. (2014). The Professionalization of Emergency Management in Institutions of Higher Education. Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 11(1), 73-94. 
  • Farris, D. (2014). The Still Divided Academy: How Competing Visions of Power, Politics, and Diversity Complicate the Mission of Higher Education by Stanley Rothman, April Kelly-Woessner, and Matthew Woessner (review). The Review of Higher Education, 37(3), 411-414. 
  • Farris, D., & Tracy, D. (2013, July 5).  School Shooting Preparedness Requires Complex Training. Emergency Management Magazine (online). 
  • Farris, D. (2012). Leveraging Organizational Structure in Safety and Emergency Preparedness Programs, Journal of Chemical Health and Safety, 19(4), 9-14.

Courses Taught

  • HE 792Compliance and Risk Management
  • HE 797 Higher Education Program Capstone
  • EDUC 896 Theories of Change in International Contexts
  • CTCH 722 Organization and Administration in Higher Education (co-instructor)

Education

David graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology, received a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Mason’s School of Business in May 2007, and received a Ph.D. in Education from George Mason University’s College of Education and Human Development in 2016. 

Recent Presentations

  • 2024 Virginia Emergency Management Symposium – Higher Education Emergency Management: Preparing Our Students and Communities for the Day After Tomorrow
  • 2024 Virgina Emergency Management Symposium: Institutions of Higher Education Symposium – Student Demonstrations
  • 2023 George Mason University Higher Education Program Keynote Speaker – Life After Graduate School
  • 2021 North Carolina Emergency Management Institutions of Higher Education Caucus - Managing University Committees for Success and Professional Development
  • 2018 Chesapeake Area Biological Safety Association – Emergency Management Overview – Columbia MD.
  • 2018 College Health Safety and Environmental Management Association Annual Conference –Fall Protection – Baltimore MD.