March 29, 2024

UMW Honors Longtime Supporters

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Julie Baxter, Paul Dresser Jr., BOV Rector Holly Tace Cuellar ’89, and President Richard Hurley unveil the new plaque for the President’s Box inside the Anderson Center.

UMW honored two members of the Mary Washington community during a dedication ceremony for the President’s Box held Nov. 15, 2014, at the Anderson Center. Paul A. Dresser Jr. and his wife Julie W. Baxter of Williamsburg, Virginia, were recognized for inspiring, supporting, and advancing UMW students and programs through service and giving.

Paul’s involvement with Mary Washington began in the early 1990s as the parent of an enrolled student. He served on the Mary Washington Board of Visitors from 1992 to 2000, including two years as Vice Rector and four years as Rector. He then served on the UMW Foundation Board of Directors from 2001 to 2014, leading as Chair of both the Audit Committee and the Investment Committee.

In addition to his dedicated work on the BOV and the UMW Foundation Board, Paul and his family are supporters of the Fund for Mary Washington, members of the UMW Heritage Society, and donors to multiple Dresser family scholarships.

In support of the Mary Washington First Campaign, Paul recently endowed the Julie Baxter Scholarship for BSN Completion and also specified the amount of his estate pledge to enhance endowment levels of other Dresser scholarships.

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Amanda Dresser Gada ’95 and her family prepare for the dedication ceremony in honor of Paul Dresser and Julie Baxter.

More than 40 guests attended the ceremony at the Anderson Center, including Amanda Dresser Gada ’95, Director of UMW Athletics Ken Tyler, and representatives of UMW’s Board of Visitors, Foundation Board, and Alumni Board.

A dedication plaque bearing Paul and Julie’s names will be placed inside the President’s Box. Donors who make significant Campaign gifts to create and enhance UMW program or scholarship endowments may be eligible for future naming opportunities.

The $50-million Mary Washington First Campaign began July 1, 2011, and went public April 26, 2014. As of October 31, 2014, Mary Washington alumni, parents, friends, faculty, staff, and businesses have committed more than $32 million in gifts and pledges. The Campaign is scheduled to conclude June 30, 2016.

Visit marywashingtonfirst.umw.edu or call 540/654-1024 for more information.

Winter Preparedness Week, Nov. 30-Dec. 6

Get ready for winter during Virginia’s Winter Preparedness Week, Nov. 30-Dec. 6. winter-prep-week-banner-update-2014

Recent Virginia winters have been cold and snowy, and many people had power outages. It’s so important to be winter-ready that the National Weather Service and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management have set aside Nov. 30-Dec. 6 as Winter Preparedness Week.

No matter the predictions, a significant winter storm is always possible. With an El Nino weather pattern expected this season, there could be a wetter than normal winter. And El Nino winters can be snowier if atmospheric conditions are right …just like the winter of 2009-10.

Remember: an important part of winter weather planning is being prepared to stay where you are until conditions improve. To be ready, take these steps:

Get a kit.  Basic emergency supplies include:

  • Three days’ food that doesn’t need refrigeration or electricity to prepare it
  • Three days’ water (a gallon per person per day)
  • A battery-powered and/or hand-crank radio with extra batteries
  • For businesses and offices, some bottles of water, food bars and a radio or TV to hear local information about whether or not it is safe to travel
  • A power pack for recharging cell phones and other mobile devices

Make a plan. Everyone needs an emergency plan:

  • Decide who your out-of-town emergency contact will be.
  • Where will you meet up with family members if you can’t return home?
  • Get an emergency plan worksheet at ReadyVirginia.gov.

Stay informed. Before, during and after a winter storm, you should:

  • Listen to local media for information and instructions from emergency officials.
  • Be aware of winter storm watches and warnings and road conditions.
  • Get where you need to go before the weather gets bad.
  • Get road condition information 24/7 by calling 511 or checking www.511Virginia.org 

Download the Ready Virginia app. Free app for iPhone®and Android™features:

  • Location-specific weather watches and warnings issued by NWS
  • Disaster news from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management
  • A customizable family emergency plan that can be easily shared
  • A checklist for gathering emergency supplies
  • Links to register for local emergency alerts, and more

Head Start Gift Box Drive

The holidays are coming which means it’s time for COAR’s annual gift box drive. Each year we ask students, faculty, and staff to fill boxes full of toys, hats and gloves for children 3-5 years old, for the government-funded Head Start Program. Want to fill a box in the season of giving? Stop by the COAR office (in the basement of Seacobeck at UMW) or email us at coarumw@gmail.com for more information! Keep an eye out for us and pick up some boxes at the Fac/Staff Thanksgiving lunch!

We are accepting the following items for donations:

  • Toothbrush/toothpaste
  • Hat
  • Mittens/Gloves
  • Scarf
  • Small Toys
  • Crayons/Markers
  • Small Books

**Please do not include any food items, religious items, war related items, or any items not safe for a 3-5 year old child**

DEADLINE for donations and boxes: Dec. 1

Digital Knowledge Center is Open

Digital Knowledge Center, ITCC 408

Digital Knowledge Center, ITCC 408

UMW’s new Digital Knowledge Center is now open for business. The Center provides peer tutoring for students on digital projects and assignments. Students can schedule a tutorial in topics ranging from WordPress to Domain of One’s Own to media editing. Tutorials are scheduled in hourly blocks and typically last for 50 minutes.

The Center is located in ITCC 408 and is open during the following hours:

Monday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Tuesday: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. (from 6-8 p.m. we exclusively offer media editing tutorials in the Multimedia Editing Lab, ITCC 116)
Wednesday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Thursday: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. (from 6-8 p.m. we exclusively offer media editing tutorials in the Multimedia Editing Lab, ITCC 116)
Friday: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

We encourage faculty to share information about the Center with students who are working on digital projects. In addition, faculty are welcome to contact the Center’s director, Martha Burtis (mburtis@umw.edu | x1355) if they would like to discuss how the Center can best support their courses.

Appointments can be booked online at dkc.umw.edu; in addition, you can reach the Center at x5815.

 

Professors Hold Panel to Discuss U.S. Military Policy in Syria and Iraq

 

Map of Shared Boarder Between Syria and Iraq

Map of Shared Boarder Between Syria and Iraq

Professors Nabil Al-Tikriti, Ranjit Singh, Jason Davidson and Eric Bonds held a panel discussion on Nov. 11 entitled “OUR NEWEST WAR: UNDERSTANDING U.S. MILITARY POLICY IN IRAQ AND SYRIA.”  The panel participants provided an overview of this policy that, since September, has included bombing missions and missile strikes in both countries to “degrade and defeat” the Islamic State, while the U.S. government is also arming and training – or has plans to train – Syrian and Iraqi combatants.  The panelists went on to evaluate this policy from their own professional perspectives and to discuss how it might develop in the future.  There was a great student turnout, so the panelists would like to thank all faculty who announced this event in their classes.

College of Education Co-Hosts Kindergarten Transition Conference

The University of Mary Washington College of Education, Smart Beginnings Rappahannock Area and Germanna Community College came together Saturday, Nov. 8 to host the inaugural Smart Beginnings Rappahannock Area Kindergarten Transition Conference.

Early childhood educators, caregivers, kindergarten teachers and school administrators participated in the event with the theme “Peek-A-Who,” which focused on cultural diversity, self-reflection and enhancing school-family-community partnerships.

The event featured a keynote presentation by Ken Smythe-Leistico from the University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development. He is a nationally recognized early childhood education expert on transition best practices and developed the “Ready Freddy” program, which is being used by Smart Beginnings Rappahannock Area.

 

Staff Advisory Council Clothing and Food Drives

Coat and Winter Clothing Drive Nov. 3 – Nov. 21 and Dec. 1 – Dec. 18

Please donate gently used winter clothing:  coats, hats, scarves, gloves, mittens, snow boots, sweaters, sweatshirts, etc.

Donations will be distributed to the Red Cross and area shelters.

Food donations Nov. 3 – Nov. 21 and Dec. 1 – Dec. 18

We will have a holiday food drive again this year, continually giving throughout the months to Feed Fred, along with area shelters.

Both the Winter Clothing Drive and the Food Donation Drive will have donation locations in the usual locations.  If you’d like to set up a donation location in your area, please let Priscilla Sullivan know!

Current donation locations ~

  • Stafford Campus –South lobby
  • COAR/SAE Offices
  • Trinkle – Education Suite
  • Lee Lobby -2nd floor, Student Services
  • Lee 3rd and 4th floors, Admissions
  • Academic Departments (BLS, Music, etc.)
  • Facilities Lobby
  • Foundation – Eagle Village
  • Fairfax House – HR
  • JAEC – lobby
  • Mayre House, lobby

Both Drive dates reflect now until Thanksgiving Break, and then picking up again until our Winter Break.

Heritage Newsletter Highlights Campaign Gifts

HeritageFall14_singles-FINAL_Page_1-for-TNRead the latest issue of the Heritage newsletter featuring stories about alumni and students, including Andrew and Lisa Rae Campbell Walker ’77, Betty Dobbins Talley ’68, Marjahn Goodman ’14, and Carlos and Carol Muldoon Martel ’68.

This publication is mailed to Mary Washington alumni, parents, and friends who have already made arrangements to include Mary Washington in their estate plans, as well as to those who may be considering giving options to support UMW students and programs through the Mary Washington First Campaign.

The $50-million Mary Washington First Campaign began July 1, 2011, and went public April 26, 2014. As of October 31, 2014, Mary Washington alumni, parents, friends, faculty, staff, and businesses have committed more than $32 million in gifts and pledges. The Campaign is scheduled to conclude June 30, 2016. Visit http://umw.edu/marywashingtonfirst or call 540/654-1024 for more information.

Teagan Young Named UMW Wagner Athlete of the Month

October-Teagan

Sophomore cross country champion Teagan Young (left) is the Wagner Wealth Management Student Athlete of the Month. She is picture here with Aric Wagner, senior vice president of Wagner Wealth Management.

Sophomore cross country champion, Teagan Young was named UMW’s Wagner Wealth Management athlete of the month for October.

Young, UMW’s top runner this fall, won the Capital Athletic Conference Championship(CAC) by a decisive 21 seconds on Saturday, capping a month where she was CAC Women’s Runner of the Week twice.

She began October by placing second overall, among more than 200 runners, at the Paul Short Invitational at Bucknell University. She went on to take third at the competitive Connecticut College Invitational, against some of the top competition in the northeast. She won first place at the Don Cathcart Invitational, prior to her outstanding run at the CAC Championship.

UMW Wagner Wealth Management Athletes of the Month

September – Jenna Steele (field hockey)
October – Teagan Young (women’s cross country)

wagner logoFor over 150 years, Davenport & Company has been a trusted financial advisor to generation of families. Senior Vice President of Investments Aric Wagner can help you with a range of investment services including: stocks and bonds, financial planning, investment management, insurance and more. Call Aric today to set up a complimentary consultation, (540) 373-1863 or awagner@investdavenport.com
Davenport & Company LLC Member: NYSE FINRA SIPC

Important Message about Ebola Preparedness and International Travel

The following message is from the Office of Administration and Finance:

To the University Community:

While Ebola is attracting a great deal of media attention and raising understandable concerns, it is important to note that the Centers for Disease Control has repeatedly stated that Ebola poses no significant risk to the general U.S. population. The most important thing to remember is how the disease is spread: NOT through casual interaction; only through close contact with the bodily fluids of someone who is actively exhibiting symptoms of the illness.

Even with such a remote threat, the University of Mary Washington remains ready to respond if necessary. Campus leaders, emergency team members, and health officials have been coordinating preparedness efforts for many months. Senior campus administrators and Student Health Services, in collaboration with Emergency Management & Safety and local and state public health officials, have taken measures to prepare for a potential case locally, including:

• Continual monitoring of CDC advisories on the Ebola outbreak

• Advising individuals traveling to and from areas of ongoing transmission

• Monitoring and evaluating any travelers who may be at risk

• Assessing and reinforcing infection control measures and equipment

• Planning proactively with local and state public health officials

As we approach the holidays and members of the campus community develop travel plans, please keep in mind:

• Anyone considering travel to high-risk areas must be aware of local conditions and take appropriate precautions.

• The UMW Center for International Education has applied the CDC Ebola-related guidance by creating a protocol covering pre-travel preparation. Go to http://international.umw.edu/business-travel  and complete a Voluntary International Travel Registration. If you have traveled to an affected country and develop a fever within three weeks of your return – the virus’ maximum incubation period – immediately contact a health care provider by phone and let the provider know of your travel history and current symptoms.

As the situation evolves, we will continue to post updates, or you can visit www.umw.edu/advisories/ebola-preparedness-notifications.  At the moment, a far greater risk exists for catching influenza. To avoid that risk, you are urged to take extra care with personal hygiene.

*   Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

*   Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.

*   Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.

*   Eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and get adequate rest.

Here are some important flu facts:

*   Flu spreads directly from person to person. Be courteous and isolate yourself from non-infected people even if it means missing class. The University will attempt to make accommodations.

*   CDC recommends a yearly seasonal flu vaccine as the first and most important step in protecting against seasonal flu.

*   If you get the flu, antiviral drugs can make the illness milder and shorten the time you are sick.