December 22, 2024

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Gari Melchers Home and Studio Hosts Beeping Egg Hunt

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Gari Melchers Home & Studio will host its eighth annual Beeping Egg Hunt on Sunday, April 14 from 2 – 4 p.m.

The egg hunt provides an opportunity for visually impaired and blind children, along with their families, to participate in an accessible audible egg hunt. Sighted siblings can also participate by wearing a blindfold.  This free event will run from 2-4 p.m.

Gari Melchers Home & Studio holds its Beeping Egg Hunt on April 14.

Gari Melchers Home & Studio hosts its Beeping Egg Hunt on Sunday, April 14.

“Every spring I look forward to organizing and planning the Beeping Egg Hunt and related activities,” says Education and Communications Manager Michelle Crow-Dolby.  “I enjoy seeing familiar faces and welcoming new families.  I am especially thankful for volunteer event assistance from James Monroe High School students and the Lions Club and for Wegmans’ food donation.”

The specially designed plastic eggs, donated by Stafford County-based International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators, emit a beeping sound that allows children to retrieve the eggs using their hearing. The event also includes a miniature animal petting zoo, sensory crafts, gallery activities, and Wegmans-sponsored healthy snacks.

During the 1920s and 30s, Corinne Melchers, with her husband’s encouragement, hosted Easter parties for area children at their Belmont home featuring egg rolls, puppet shows, and plenty of favors.

Gari Melchers Home and Studio is a 28-acre estate and former residence of the artist Gari Melchers and his wife, Corinne. The property, which is operated by the University of Mary Washington, is both a Virginia Historic Landmark and a National Historic Landmark. Located at 224 Washington St. in Falmouth, Va., a quarter mile west of the intersection of U.S. 1 and U.S. 17, it is open daily with an admission charge.

For more information or to RSVP, contact Michelle Crow-Dolby at mdolby@umw.edu or 540-654-1851.

Kuykendall Links Shakespeare and Bach at Society for Textual Scholarship Conference

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Kuykendall found that these two works borrow interludes from Bach settings, as indicated.

Music Department Chair Dr. Brooks Kuykendall combined text-critical theories about Shakespeare with Bach sources at the interdisciplinary Society for Textual Scholarship conference in New York City, March 20-22.  His paper, entitled “The sources of Bach’s passaggio chorales:  all ‘bad quartos’?” reconsidered traditional views of copyists’ manuscripts of Bach organ works in light of theories which have developed around the early editions of some of Shakespeare’s plays–editions which are markedly different from the standard texts as performed today.  Early Bach sources reveal that his works were similarly contested from the start.

Subramanian Publishes Story in Hakai Magazine

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Assistant Professor Sushma Subramanian, Department of English

Sushma Subramanian, Assistant Professor of English teaching journalism, has published a story in Hakai Magazine about the Bajau, a people of Indonesia known for their special swimming and diving abilities, and how they might reveal something about our evolutionary past. The story is available at https://www.hakaimagazine.com/features/born-to-swim/​.

McMillan and Students Present Research

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Lauren McMillan

Assistant Professor Lauren McMillan, Department of Historic Preservation

Lauren McMillan, assistant professor in the Department of Historic Preservation, and five students presented at the Middle Atlantic Archaeological Conference on March 22 and 23. McMillan presented a paper entitled: “Native Pipe Making and Use in the Rappahannock River Valley.”

Student papers included:

  • Shannon Bremer, “A Soldier’s Words: Literacy and Writing at Sherwood Forest Plantation (44ST615) during the Civil War.”
  • Delaney Resweber, “Stratford Hall: An Analysis of Yard Space at the West Field and Oval Site.”
  • Olivia Larson, “Debitage Analysis and Interpretation of a Prehistoric Site in Burlington County, New Jersey.”
  • Elizabeth O’Meara, “Personal Adornment in the 17th Century at Nomini Plantation (44WM12).”
  • Ethan Knick, “Facing a Mystery: Exploring the Presence of a Lone Native American Anthropomorphic Effigy from a 17th-Century Virginia Plantation.”

McClurken Presents on Digital Humanities and Southern History at University of Alabama

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Professor Jeff McClurken, Department of History and American Studies.

Professor Jeff McClurken, Department of History and American Studies.

In early March, Professor of History and American Studies Jeff McClurken, who also serves as the Chief of Staff and Clerk of the Board of Visitors, was invited to present on Digital Humanities and Southern History at the University of Alabama, as well as to talk with graduate students about how to integrate digital tools into their teaching and research.

See https://cw.ua.edu/51322/news/mary-washington-professor-lectures-on-southern-history-digital-humanities/ for more.

Sign Up for Upcoming April Safe Zone Workshops

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The UMW Safe Zone program offers workshops that are designed to educate members of the University community about lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ+) issues to increase the safety and inclusion of all campus citizens. At the end of each workshop, participants have the opportunity to become a Safe Zone ally for our campus.

UMW Safe Zone Training.

UMW Safe Zone Training  on April 17.

Safe Zone allies are individuals who will:

  1. Be understanding, supportive, and trustworthy if LGBTQ+ individuals need help, advice, or just someone to talk to.
  2. Not tolerate homophobic, transphobic, and heterosexist comments and actions and will address them in an educational and informative manner.
  3. Have received training and can provide information regarding on- or off-campus resources.

We offer two types of general Safe Zone workshops for faculty and staff. All faculty and staff are welcome and encouraged to attend these workshops, including adjunct faculty and part-time staff. The basic training focuses on terminology, issues related to privilege, increasing awareness and sensitivity, and how to support the LGBTQ+ population on campus. The advanced training is for faculty and staff who have already completed the basic training and covers more advanced topics, including bystander intervention.

For any interested faculty or staff, we are offering a basic training on Wednesday, April 17 from 11:00am to 2:00 p.m. We are also offering an advanced training on Wednesday, April 17 from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Registration is required to attend, and space is limited. Please email Laura Wilson at lwilson5@umw.edu to register for a training or if you have questions. If you would like more information about Safe Zone, please visit the website at bit.ly/UMWsafezone.

Farnsworth Discusses Legislative Session in Northern Virginia

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Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies

Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies

Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, recently discussed the recently concluded 2019 session of the Virginia General Assembly at a meeting of the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce.  At the chamber event, Farnsworth also moderated a panel that included House of Delegates Speaker Kirk Cox and Del. Mark Sickles, the House deputy minority leader.

Mary Wash Giving Day is March 19!

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Mary Wash Giving Day is March 19. Make your gift at givingday.umw.edu!

Faculty and staff are asked to go “all in” for UMW on our third annual Giving Day, to be held Tuesday, March 19.

On Mary Wash Giving Day, also known as #MaryWashDay, donors can make gifts to areas across the University from midnight to 11:59 p.m. at givingday.umw.edu. Challenges and matches funded by generous donors will be “unlocked” throughout the day, multiplying the impact of each gift.

Faculty and staff are encouraged to stop by the Giving Day Headquarters in the University Center between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. March 19 for free food, prizes, games, and a photo booth.

The University has set a Giving Day goal of 3,500 gifts, topping last year’s tally of 2,987. On March 19, each gift will be tracked on dynamic leaderboards on the Giving Day website, providing real-time updates on progress toward the participation goal.

Donors may choose any area of the University to support with their Giving Day gifts. Gifts made during the 24-hour celebration will benefit students by providing funding for academic, athletic, arts, leadership, service, career, and cultural programs. Donors who wish to support the University’s areas of greatest need are asked to give to the Fund for Mary Washington.

Sign up to be a Giving Day Ambassador to help spread the word on social media!

Please contact the Office of Annual Giving with questions: umwgift@umw.edu.

Free Health & Wellness Fair, March 20

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UMW's Health & Wellness Fair will be held March 20.

UMW’s Health & Wellness Fair will be held March 20.

Campus Dining and the UMW Department of Human Resources are again co-sponsoring a free Health & Wellness Fair that is open to our campus and Fredericksburg communities.  The fair will be held on Wednesday, March 20, between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. in the University Center.  The fair has grown so large that this year the vendors will be in the Chandler Ballroom and also on the second floor of the UC.

As in previous years, there will be representatives from area health care professionals; dance, fitness and athletic groups; massage therapists; vision and dental practices; senior care providers; food and beverage companies; and a multitude of support groups.  There will also be representatives present from our UMW partner financial and benefit planning institutions.

Free blood pressure and cholesterol checks, neck massages, and healthy beverage and snack samples will be available throughout the fair. There will be door prize drawings held every half hour beginning at 3:45 p.m. and continuing through 5:45 p.m. in the Chandler Ballroom.  Guests are asked to stop by the welcome desk in Chandler Ballroom first in order to pick up your door prize entry forms and guide on how to enter the drawings.

For additional information contact Rose Benedict in Campus Dining at 540-654-2169 or e-mail her at rbenedic@umw.edu.

Eagle Award Nominations will be open until March 18

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Nominations for Eagle Awards are now open! This ceremony highlights students, student organizations, staff, and faculty who have provided leadership and contributed outstanding service through involvement in activities and organizations. The Eagle Awards are an opportunity for the University community to recognize those who have made extraordinary contributions to the campus and greater community.

This year’s ceremony will be held on Thursday, April 18 at 6pm in the Chandler Ballroom. Light hors d’oeuvres will be offered and everyone is invited to attend!

Learn more about the 2019 Eagle Awards ceremony and description of the awards here.

We hope that you’ll consider nominating any outstanding students, organizations, or faculty/staff. The nomination form can be found here. If that link does not work, copy and paste the following link into your browser: www.bit.ly/EagleAwards2019

Nominations will be open until 5pm on Monday, March 18.

Thank you in advance for helping us recognize our outstanding student leaders!