Two Washington Scholars and four Alvey Scholars will be among the thousand incoming Eagles at the University of Mary Washington this fall 2024. These students have earned full-ride scholarships, which are renewable for four years of undergraduate studies with GPA and residential requirements. In addition, they are admitted to the Honors Program and have access to funding for experiential learning opportunities such as study abroad and undergraduate research.

The Washington Scholarship is available for Virginia residents, with priority given to those who apply for admission to UMW by Nov. 15. UMW’s Alvey Scholars program recognizes out-of-state students, again with priority for applying by Nov. 15. Several Alvey Scholarships focus on STEM majors, with generous support from Irene Piscopo Rodgers ’59, who funded 12 Alvey Scholarships during her lifetime and through a transformational estate gift, leaving $30 million to the University of Mary Washington to fund scholars in science, technology, engineering and math through scholarships and undergraduate research. Applicants are automatically considered for UMW scholarship opportunities, including these top awards, which are equal to full tuition, fees, room and board.

This year’s scholars demonstrate a deep commitment to research through their academic excellence, as well as leadership experience as captains of athletics teams or community organizations, all while balancing their high school studies with service projects.

Meet the 2024 Washington and Alvey Scholars at UMW … Read more.

The University of Mary Washington is part of a $25,000 National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant aimed at helping public colleges and universities navigate the world of artificial intelligence.

The project, “Developing a Public Liberal Arts Humanities Curriculum: Empowering Students to Navigate an AI World,” is led by five public liberal arts institutions representing distinct regions of the country. Collaboratively, faculty from each school will develop classes, units or short modules in humanities courses focused on the positive and negative aspects of generative AI.

The funding was awarded to Miriam Wallace, dean of the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, and Emily Todd, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Eastern Connecticut University, through a partnership with the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC).

The grant will support collaborative curricular design by humanities faculty at UIS, Eastern Connecticut State University, the University of Mary Washington, Northern State University and Evergreen State College. Participants will form learning communities and share progress first on their own campuses, and then meet in the summer of 2025 to share insights and experiences during a COPLAC workshop at Innovate Springfield, UIS’ business incubator in downtown Springfield.

As part of the grant, the institutions will also create open-access AI teaching resources, such as syllabus modules, readings, activities and assignments for all COPLAC institutions to utilize. UMW’s Center for Teaching, directed by Victoria Russell, associate professor in the College of Education, will lead the effort at UMW.

The University of Mary Washington Board of Visitors has set tuition and fees for the 2024-25 academic year, as approved at their quarterly meeting in April.

Tuition will increase by 2% for undergraduate and graduate students. The auxiliary comprehensive fee at UMW will increase by 3%. This decision follows several years of keeping undergraduate in-state tuition flat, but a small increase, still below the rate of inflation, is needed to support state-mandated compensation actions for faculty and staff and the continued success of academic programs and the campus experience.

UMW stands out among Virginia schools, known for smaller class sizes, dedicated faculty who work side- by-side with students, and a smaller price point that still encompasses this personalized approach.  Starting this fall, UMW will offer a tuition promise for Pell-eligible Virginia students, closing any gap in tuition funding for in-state students who qualify for Federal Pell Grants. Pell-eligibility is determined when students and their families complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). UMW encourages families with an annual gross income (AGI) of $100,000 or less to complete the application process and add UMW to their list as an affordable option. Read more.

The Virginia Governor’s Office announced on Friday the appointment of two new members of the University of Mary Washington Board of Visitors. Christopher Newman, executive vice president, system chief operating officer and chief medical officer for Mary Washington Healthcare (MWHC), and Rachel Greszler ’03, senior research fellow for workforce and public finance in the Roe Institute of The Heritage Foundation will join the board this spring.

Dr. Newman has served as the executive vice president, system chief operating officer and chief medical officer for Mary Washington Healthcare in Fredericksburg, Virginia since 2019. He is responsible for managing the delivery of safe, high-quality healthcare in the fully integrated, regional not-for-profit medical system that provides emergency, inpatient and outpatient care through more than 40 facilities in the greater Fredericksburg region. The primary campus is a neighbor to University of Mary Washington’s Fredericksburg campus and a vital regional partner. Read more.

The University of Mary Washington will activate UMW Alerts and test its emergency notification system as part of the Virginia Statewide Tornado Drill on Thursday, March 7, at 9:45 a.m. The test may include text messages, emails, desktop alerts, phone calls and sirens or messages from the area warning system on campus. This spring semester test coincides with spring break and will reach devices on and off campus.

Students, faculty and staff are automatically enrolled in UMW Alerts with contact information registered with the University, including UMW email address and cell phone number. The University adds new community members weekly and resets the system with all current community members on the first day of classes for the fall semester. Community members can update their information at any time by visiting the Emergency Alerts website.

The March 7 exercise is part of Severe Weather Awareness Week, which is designed to refresh, remind and educate everyone about the seasonal threats from severe weather and how to plan and prepare for them. The Virginia Department of Emergency Management partners with the National Weather Service to promote Severe Weather Awareness Week. Each day of the week covers a different topic, including preparedness tips and ways to stay safe during severe weather. More information is available from the National Weather Service at https://www.weather.gov/akq/SevereWeatherAwareness.

For University of Mary Washington alumna Sarah Ritchie ’14, everything starts with kindness.

As a counselor at King George Elementary School, she envisioned a kindness club, recruited student ambassadors and invited global guest speakers who inspire others. She figured that with each individual she could reach, the kindness campaign would grow in the school and in the community.

Project KIND (Kids Inspiring and Nurturing Development) now spans King George County Schools as a comprehensive character education program teaching skills that will help students succeed in school and in life. A hub for student services, after-school clubs, and the snack and food program, it promotes helpful and healthy connections with teachers, students and families. And it’s earning statewide attention.

In 2023, Ritchie was recognized as the division-wide Teacher of the Year from King George County and named Elementary School Counselor of the Year by the Virginia School Counselor Association (VSCA). The annual award recognizes an elementary or secondary school counselor who has made a positive impact in their school community.

“The Kindness Crew has a positive presence in the community, even being established for only a few years,” Ritchie said of the after-school group she runs in a recent article about the power of high fives. “The development of the Kindness Crew has allowed a strong school-wide and community relationship to bloom. I have been honored to start and lead the club, and this has been one of the proudest moments of my professional career.” Read more.

The University of Mary Washington announces its fall 2023 President’s List and Dean’s List. More than 1,000 students achieved these honors during the fall 2023 semester.

To be recognized on these lists a student must carry at least 12 graded credits of new coursework. Students who earn a grade-point average of 4.00 on all work taken for graded credit in a semester receive a spot on the President’s List. Students who earn a grade-point average of 3.50 to 3.99 on all work taken for graded credit in a semester are placed on the Dean’s List.

Decisions regarding inclusion on the lists are based on a student’s record as it stands at the official close of the semester grading period. A temporary grade (I or G) postpones consideration; however, once this grade is converted to a permanent letter grade, the student’s GPA is calculated and, if appropriate, a list notation will be made on the student’s permanent record.

We congratulate the students earning these honors this semester and hope you will share in recognizing their academic achievements @MaryWash. Read more.

It’s been a big year for the University of Mary Washington. As the calendar year concludes, we take a look back at the prior academic year in our annual Year in Review 2022-23.

Read the online edition of the 2022-23 Year in Review.

Flip through the online publication to meet our most recent graduates, follow along with the research and teaching of Goldwater Scholars and Fulbright Fellows, and see how our community partnerships, generous gifts from alumni and friends, and the dedicated work of our faculty and staff defines an education and experience that matter.

This year, we announced a transformational gift – the largest in UMW history – bolstering undergraduate research in STEM fields and funding student scholarships. It was a record-breaking year in many ways, from the fundraising success to the soccer field, as we take a look back at the Final Four for men’s soccer. UMW celebrated annual aspirations and community values, shining a spotlight on service of our students and alumni.

And while this year’s publication is hot off the press in print and online, there’s one more award from the prior year not included. The 2021-22 edition of UMW’s Year-in-Review recently won the Best of CASE District III Award for Design in Publications. The award recognizes a single publication for overall design, including typography, organization, presentation, and use of photography and illustrations. UMW’s publication stood out in the southeast region from more than 4,000 entries from 583 institutions worldwide.

Read the award-winning 2021-22 Year in Review online.

UMW senior Nathan Francis, from Leesburg, Virginia, has been named to the 2023 cohort of the Newman Civic Fellows by Campus Compact, recognizing his work on campus, in the Fredericksburg community and ever-expanding around the world.

“I have always had a passion for community service, participating in Key Club in high school and being a part of an organization called PEER (Positive Experiences in Educational Relationships) my junior and senior year of high school. Getting to help the local community where you live, whether at home or at school, helps to provide a much more personal tie to where you are,” he recalled. “That’s why I ultimately decided to continue participating in it during my time at Mary Washington. Even in 2020, I still participated with COAR as a volunteer, and helped in participating in the events I eventually was helping to coordinate.”

Francis’ first-year experience at UMW was punctuated by the pandemic, making the typical four-year college tenure feel more like three, but he quickly jumped back in sophomore year volunteering for as much as he could. He sought connections with faculty in his major through the Department of Political Science and International Affairs, and in spring 2023 completed research with Assistant Professor Jared McDonald, resulting in a soon-to-be-published co-authored paper. Read more.

With the vote yesterday by the Virginia Department of Education, the Academy of Technology and Innovation at the University of Mary Washington (ATI-UMW) has been approved to open in fall 2024.

The regional high school and lab school could serve students from Stafford, King George and Caroline counties as well as Fredericksburg City Schools and potentially more areas. It pools the expertise of local school districts with the University of Mary Washington’s College of Education, creating a one-of-a-kind public high school focused on computer and data science, teaching excellence and career readiness.

“It’s exciting to be at the point where the school has been approved and is recruiting students. It’s a testament to the commitment and hard work of the many individuals across the region who have come together to create the vision for ATI-UMW, and we’re happy to be collaborating with them on this and so many other opportunities to improve K-12 education in the Fredericksburg region,” said UMW Provost Tim O’Donnell.

When the school opens in fall 2024, it will enroll up to 100 ninth-graders from the partner school districts. Students will be selected via a lottery in January. Applications opened Nov. 15 and close in early January. Current eighth-graders who are interested in computer science, data science, cybersecurity, digital design and related fields are encouraged to apply. No prior experience or courses are necessary. Read more.