April 20, 2024

Coffee Talk, Feb. 13

January 25, 2024 by

Tuesday, February 13, 2024 | 8:00 – 9:00 a.m.

IN PERSON

LOCATION: Jepson Alumni and Executive Center | Kalnen Inn Living Room

1119 Hanover St, Fredericksburg, VA 22401

Street parking is available on Hanover Street.

Register for the February Coffee Talk

Join us at February’s Coffee Talk as we delve into The Power of Writing.

There are numerous benefits to writing things down. Writing helps you remember but it can also help you take a deeper dive into your feelings and make more informed decisions. This session will focus on the science behind the power of writing as well as some helpful tips on how to make the power of writing work for you.

February’s Coffee Talk will be led by Ms. Kimberly Young, Communications and Community Engagement Specialist for Caroline County Public Schools.

Filed Under: Announcements

A Conversation with Major League Baseball’s Jin Wong ’97, Jan. 18

January 11, 2024 by

A Conversation with Jin Wong ’97

Jin Wong ’97 is a Major League Baseball (MLB) executive with decades of experience working in MLB administration, most recently with the Kansas City Royals. Soon, he will join the Chicago White Sox as Vice President and Assistant General Manager.

Jin is returning to campus for a series of events with students and UMW Athletics, so we’ve arranged an opportunity for him to share his experiences with alumni, parents, and friends. Join us in Monroe Hall Room 116 on Thursday, January 18 from 7-7:45 p.m. Following the program, we will enjoy a light dessert reception.

There is no cost to attend this event, but registration is requested, as space is limited.

Register now.

Filed Under: Announcements

Towery Speaks at VASS Conference

January 11, 2024 by
Educator and administrator Rebecca Towery has been named director of the University of Mary Washington and Stafford County Public Schools’ proposed lab school.

Academy of Technology and Innovation Executive Director Rebecca Towery

Last month, Executive Director, Rebecca Towery, participated in a panel at the winter Virginia Association of School Superintendents (VASS) conference.

The VASS conference highlighted a breakout session focusing on lab schools in the commonwealth, featuring panelists from all three state-approved lab schools. It provided an excellent platform for sharing and collaborating with colleagues.

 

Filed Under: Professional Notes Tagged With:

Matthews Talks Holiday Traditions on With Good Reason Radio

January 11, 2024 by

Have you ever wondered what the holidays looked like 50 years ago? Now you can get a glimpse. Mary Beth Mathews (University of Mary Washington) walks us through how the American traditions of Hanukkah and Christmas have changed over the years. Read more.

Filed Under: Professional Notes Tagged With:

UMW Senior Shines ‘Light of Awesomeness’ on Accessibility

January 10, 2024 by
UMW senior Adrianna Giddings is this year’s Citizenship Award for Diversity Leadership winner. Now legally blind, she began losing her sight at age 16. As president of UMW’s Delta Alpha Pi honor society for students with disabilities, Giddings has become a force for enhancing accessibility at UMW.

UMW senior Adrianna Giddings is this year’s Citizenship Award for Diversity Leadership winner. Now legally blind, she began losing her sight at age 16. As president of UMW’s Delta Alpha Pi honor society for students with disabilities, Giddings has become a force for enhancing accessibility at UMW.

Adrianna Giddings leaves her white cane behind and makes her way to the front of the room.

Drip-drop, drip-drop … Tasha Page-Lockhart’s Tears flows through the University of Mary Washington’s Chandler Ballroom, and Giddings breathes it in. “It’s like I’m in my own bubble,” she said of the performances she delivers with UMW’s Praise Dance Team, of which she is president. “I close my eyes and the words become movement in my mind.”

When she opens them, Giddings, a UMW senior who is legally blind, cannot see the audience.

Adjusting to a world with limited vision is a journey she began at age 16, just two years before she arrived at Mary Washington. Since then, she’s pushed for improvements in accessibility for people with blindness and other disabilities on campus. This year’s Citizenship Award for Diversity Leadership winner, she’s used her voice to make her own college career a success, but she’s focused on lighting the way for others long after she graduates.

“She’s helped this University move the needle forward in a very thoughtful and inclusive way,” James Farmer Multicultural Center Director Marion Sanford said of Giddings, president of UMW’s Delta Alpha Pi honor society for students with disabilities. “And she does it in such a compassionate way.” Read more.

Filed Under: What's New @ UMW

UMW Gift Box Drive Helps ‘Open Hearts’ to Area School Children

January 10, 2024 by
Back row, from left to right, UMW students Khushi Constance, Jillian Vargas, Sarah Hybl, Ainsley Lord and Knox McKinley, along with Mary Wash alumna Tamara Garrett ’23, pose with a group of children from Fredericksburg City Public Schools Preschool Program. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

Back row, from left to right, UMW students Khushi Constance, Jillian Vargas, Sarah Hybl, Ainsley Lord and Knox McKinley, along with Mary Wash alumna Tamara Garrett ’23, pose with a group of children from Fredericksburg City Public Schools Preschool Program. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

A group of University of Mary Washington students donned elf hats this week for a special holiday delivery.

The COAR (Community Outreach and Resources) staff – and the entire UMW community – spent months filling gift-wrapped shoeboxes with winter hats, school supplies and toys for preschool students. The annual effort produced more than 300 packages specifically for youngsters in Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County schools, including students in the Head Start Program, which provides education and resources for eligible children ages 3 to 5.

“It’s heartwarming to see,” Center for Community Engagement Director Sarah Dewees said of the event, which calls on UMW students, faculty, staff and friends to provide supplies and fill boxes. “It kind of brings the campus community together.” Read more.

Filed Under: What's New @ UMW

The String Queens – Educators by Day, Musicians by Night – Perform at UMW, Dec. 1

November 29, 2023 by
The String Queens will perform at the University of Mary Washington’s Dodd Auditorium on Friday, Dec. 1, at 7:30 p.m.

The String Queens will perform at the University of Mary Washington’s Dodd Auditorium on Friday, Dec. 1, at 7:30 p.m.

A blend of violin, viola and cello, the Washington, D.C.-based trio The String Queens also blend together their careers, as educators by day and concert performers by night.

The ensemble will bring its signature sound to the University of Mary Washington’s Dodd Auditorium in George Washington Hall on Friday, Dec. 1, at 7:30 p.m. The concert is free and open to the community. Registration is required.

Praised for their authentic, soulful and orchestral sound, The String Queens pride themselves on bridging the gap between classical music and other styles, like R&B, hip-hop and pop, turning hits by such giants as Aretha Franklin and The Beatles into orchestral masterpieces. And the teachers credit some of their eclectic flair to their students, who’ve introduced them to music they might not have otherwise known existed.

The group – Kendall Isadore on violin, Dawn Johnson on viola and Élise Sharp on cello – creates musical experiences designed to inspire diverse audiences to love, hope, feel and imagine. With a repertoire spanning from the Baroque era to the Jazz Age to today’s Billboard Hot 100 Chart, they take listeners on a journey through time and musical genres. Read more.

Filed Under: What's New @ UMW

UMW Alumna Wins Volunteer of the Year Award for Civic Service

November 29, 2023 by
UMW alumna Meghan McLees ’23 received the Outstanding Young Adult Volunteer Award at last night’s 2023 Volunteerism and Community Service Awards ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion in Richmond. Pictured here are, from left to right: Chairman of the Virginia Governor’s Advisory Board on Service and Volunteerism Cliff Yee, Virginia First Lady Suzanne S. Youngkin, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and McLees. Official Photo by Christian Martinez, Office of Governor Glenn Youngkin.

UMW alumna Meghan McLees ’23 received the Outstanding Young Adult Volunteer Award at last night’s 2023 Volunteerism and Community Service Awards ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion in Richmond. Pictured here are, from left to right: Chairman of the Virginia Governor’s Advisory Board on Service and Volunteerism Cliff Yee, Virginia First Lady Suzanne S. Youngkin, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and McLees. Official Photo by Christian Martinez, Office of Governor Glenn Youngkin.

When the elementary school student she was tutoring via Zoom appeared on the screen, Meghan McLees ’23 sensed something was wrong. So, she quickly switched gears, replacing the scholarly lesson she’d planned for the day with an educational game.

“We just did that the whole time, and we talked about his day,” she said of the session with a student from Stafford Junction, a nonprofit dedicated to helping families struggling with poverty. “He was having a hard time at school.”

The call was just a small part of the volunteer work she completed as a University of Mary Washington student, but it created a career path for McLees, who enrolled in a master’s program for school counseling at the University of Maryland after graduating from UMW in May. Now, in addition to a chosen profession, her penchant for giving her time to others has earned her something else – the 2023 Outstanding Young Adult Volunteer Award from the Virginia governor’s office. Read more.

Filed Under: What's New @ UMW

Updates From the Center for Community Engagement

November 9, 2023 by

We have a few updates from the Center for Community Engagement as we enter the holiday season.

  1. COAR’s Gift Box Drive: COAR’s annual Head Start Gift Box Drive is back this year! You can check out a gift box from COAR and fill it with small toys and necessities for 3-5 year old students in the Head Start program in Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania schools. The boxes will be delivered to the Head Start programs by COAR staff during finals week. Head Start is a national child development program for children from birth to age 5, which provides services to promote academic, social, and emotional development for eligible families. In order to check out a gift box, grab a box when COAR students come by your office or stop by COAR’s table when they are tabling in the CRUC in the next few weeks. There will also be a friendly competition between buildings – visit this website to learn more. No time to fill a box? Donate to COAR’s foundation account, or take a look at COAR’s Amazon wish list.
  2. Red Cross Blood Drive: The Red Cross Club will be sponsoring a Blood Drive on campus on Nov. 9th.  Use this link and enter the code “UMW” to sign up to donate. The drive will be held in Chandler Ballroom in the CRUC from 11:00-4:00.
  3. Election Day with UMW Votes: UMW Votes and their partners will be providing free rides to the polls in Fredericksburg from 9:00am – 6:00pm on Election Day, Tues. Nov. 7th. The Fredericksburg Trolley will be on campus from 9:00am – 6:00pm to provide rides to Dorothy Hart Community Center and students can stop by an Info table at the Bell Tower to get a sample ballot or check their registration status.

Filed Under: Announcements

Upcoming Cultural Events, Nov. 9 and 10

November 9, 2023 by

Native American Cultural Celebration Major Speaker: Victoria Ferguson | Thursday, November 9 | 7 pm | Chandler Ballroom A/B, Cedric Rucker University Center

Victoria Ferguson is an enrolled member of the Monacan Indian Nation of Virginia. She is a graduate of Marshall University and has a background in researching science methodologies to support historical information. Ferguson has spent 25 years seeking first-person documentation and archaeological information to help explain and support theories on the daily living habits of the Eastern Siouan populations up through the early European colonization period. She has written and presented work at Virginia Tech, Washington and Lee University, Sweet Briar College, James Madison University, and at a number of archaeological conferences (Credit: Virginia Tech)

 

Feather Painting Experience | Friday, November 10 | 5 p.m. | The Underground, Lee Hall

This event will be a collaboration between Native American Student Association and Latino Student Association to provide an opportunity on how to paint feathers to foster community creativity.

 

For more information, contact the James Farmer Multicultural Center at (540) 654-1044 or umwjfmc@gmail.com. You may also visit https://students.umw.edu/multicultural/. Please email us at umwjfmc@gmail.com if you have any questions regarding disability-related accommodations.

Filed Under: Announcements
« Previous Page
Next Page »