Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, is co-author of a book chapter, “Partisan Trends in Late Night Humor,” published this month in Political Humor in a Changing Media Landscape, an edited volume from Lexington/Rowman & Littlefield.
Sushma Subramanian Featured in Storytelling Podcast
Sushma Subramanian, assistant professor of English specializing in journalism, recently appeared on a Story Collider podcast episode titled “Sense of Touch” telling a story about her experiments using haptic technology to communicate with her long-distance fiance. She performed the piece, which is adapted from a forthcoming book she is writing, at Busboys & Poets last spring. Story Collider is a nonprofit organization that promotes storytelling as a way of humanizing science.
You can listen to her story here: https://www.storycollider.org/stories/2018/8/24/sense-of-touch-stories-about-the-power-of-touch.
Hirshberg Presents Paper at International Seminar
Dan Hirshberg, assistant professor of religious studies and associate director of the Leidecker Center for Asian Studies, presented a new paper titled “Padmasambhava the Tibetan: Reflections on Memory and Cultural Identity” for the international seminar, “Perspectives on Padmasambhava,” organized by Columbia University and Skidmore College and held at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City (October 13-15, 2018).
Riffing on the cultural memory theory of Jan Assmann and others, the paper explores the ways in which this historically shady 8th ce. figure renowned as the “Second Buddha” represents the Tibetan construction of an enlightened other, and the ways in which this same figure is being adopted with similar functions in Western Buddhist communities.
The first international seminar focused on Padmasambhava organized in the US took place in conjunction with the exhibition, The Second Buddha: Master of Time, and took the form of a master class in which leading scholars discussed their ongoing research with colleagues, students, and attendees.
Hirshberg’s research is also featured on many of the museum labels for the exhibition.
Farnsworth Moderates Fifth Congressional District Debate
Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, recently moderated a Fifth Congressional District debate in Madison County, Virginia. The debate for the district, which stretches from northern Virginia to Danville, was sponsored by Rural Madison and held at Madison County High School.
Ghostwalk 2018 This Weekend
The Historic Preservation Club announces its 34th Annual Ghostwalk hosted at the James Monroe Museum from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19 and 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20.
Tours depart the museum every 10 minutes, and the last tour leaves at approximately 10 p.m. The approximately one-hour tour explores downtown Fredericksburg and takes you to some of the most haunted and notorious sites in the city. You’re bound to have a scary good time!
Tickets: $6 for the general public; $4 for students, military and UMW alumni; $3 for children ages 6-12. Tickets are free for children younger than 6.
For ticket reservations: Email umwghostwalk@gmail.com or call 540-654-1315.
Farnsworth to Talk about Presidential Communication on “With Good Reason”
Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington, will be speaking about the state of the Trump presidency and his new book, “Presidential Communication and Character” on “With Good Reason.” The public radio program airs in 99 cities around the nation starting this weekend.
The segment with Professor Farnsworth, who was named Outstanding Faculty of 2017 by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, will air at 2 p.m. on Sunday October 14 on 94.9 FM in Fredericksburg, 88.5 FM in Charlottesville and 92.5 FM in Richmond.
More information on the book can be found here:
Faculty/Staff Lunch Series: Talking with a Survivor
Join UMW Office of Title IX and Center for Prevention & Education on Thursday, Oct. 18 at noon in the Magnolia Room in the UC for an informal presentation and Q&A session on how to sensitively and effectively talk with a survivor of gender-based violence about their experience. Learn how to be a good ally. Presented by RCASA – Rappahannock Council Against Sexual Assault.
Please grab lunch in the dining hall or bring your own into the faculty/staff dining room.
Step Up! Facilitator Training Oct. 16
Step Up! Bystander Intervention teaches students and community members to participate in creating a safer community for us all by taking responsibility for their actions and the actions of their fellow Eagles. The Office of Title IX and Center for Prevention and Education is pleased to be able to offer Step Up! Bystander Intervention training to the student body this year – but we need your help to grow!
Do you need to be an expert in this field? No – you simply need to have enthusiasm and a commitment to community. After completing an hour and a half-long facilitator training session, you will be a certified facilitator and will be able to host your own Step Up! workshops throughout the year.
The next training session will be held Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 2 p.m. in the Colonnade Room of the UC. Please RSVP to DeAnna Absher at dabsher@umw.edu at your earliest convenience and include your t-shirt size!
James Monroe: Library of a President Exhibit Opening
The Papers of James Monroe and the James Monroe Museum are pleased to announce the opening of an exhibit exploring the contents and significance of the personal library of 5th president James Monroe.
This two part exhibit is located in the Hurley Convergence Center Gallery and Simpson Library’s Special Collections and will run through Jan. 8, 2019. It features previously unpublished research from the Papers of James Monroe and Monroe’s personal copies of books from the collections of the James Monroe Museum.
Elizabeth Larus Presents at Prague Conference
Elizabeth Freund Larus, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, presented her research findings on the new politics of naval diplomacy at the European International Studies Association conference on Sept. 15 in Prague, Czech Republic.