George Meadows, associate professor in the College of Education, and Tim Owens in the Division of Teaching and Learning Technologies were featured in Campus Technology for their work with 3D printing in an article titled “Making Stuff: 3D Printing on Campus.” Meadows and Owens are in the process of exploring the technology and documenting the process at UMW Blogs in preparation to integrate the device as a curriculum component to a freshman seminar course in the fall. 3D printing technology allows students to build 3-dimensional models on a computer using free and easy-to-use software and then “print” them by extruding plastic in layers to create an object.
Senior Student Exhibition Starts Today
The Galleries and the UMW Department of Art and Art History traditionally host three student exhibitions during the spring semester: two for senior art students and one annual student exhibition, open to all interested students in the department.
“Markers’ Make,” the first senior student exhibition opens Thursday, Feb. 16 and runs through Sunday, Feb. 26 at the duPont Gallery.
The exhibition features the work of Kyle Anderson, Alanna Betts, Lauren Gottschlich, Erin Kenderish, Erin Kohler, Claire McKinley, Minta Smith, Suzanne Stewart and Emilia Sanchez.
The duPont Gallery is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. For more information, contact the UMW Galleries at (540) 654-1013.
Shawn Humphrey Serves as Mentor for National Conference
Shawn Humphrey, associate professor of economics, has been chosen to serve as one of 30 commitment mentors for the fifth annual Clinton Global Initiative University (CGIU) meeting.
The meeting, to be held Friday, March 30 through Sunday, April 1 at The George Washington University in Washington D.C., will bring together approximately 1,000 students from around the world for working sessions, skills sessions and a large-scale service project. As a commitment mentor, Humphrey will facilitate discussions, share resources and build networks among his assigned group of 50 students. He also will help the participants craft their personal commitments to action, plans to address challenges on their camuses, in their local communities or around the world.
For more information about the conference, read the news release from Monday, Feb. 13.
Political Science Students Collaborate on Book Project
As a political science and pre-law philosophy double major, Michael Behrens figured he would spend much of his senior year writing extensive research papers. He never expected to collaborate with his professor on writing a book.
Behrens and three fellow seniors — Chris Blough, Ian Huff and Eric Stortz — have teamed up with Assistant Professor of Political Science Chad Murphy to research and write chapters for a book on presidential rhetoric.
The project is one of more than dozen research initiatives in the university’s innovative undergraduate research program. This semester’s undergraduate projects delve into such issues as women in Islam; statistical consulting for after-school programs; stress, guilt and eating; the effects of Atrazine in zebra fish; and the effects of exercise and estrogen on mouse hearts.
Still Behrens isn’t surprised to be part of such a challenging project at UMW.
“That’s just the environment that the school’s attitude cultivates,” he said. “If you have a professor who has a common interest, there’s no harm in asking if there is a project you can work on.”
Murphy had no qualms about teaming with his students.
“The undergraduates here are really strong, they can pull off something like this,” said Murphy, who has published articles on the effects of political rhetoric and the media in numerous peer-reviewed journals. “This is the chance to do professional-quality research as an undergraduate. When you go to the bigger state schools, you don’t get that.”
The idea for the book project grew from a thesis written by former student Anne Morris, who graduated in 2011. Her year-long research for a paper about presidential rhetoric addressed some compelling issues.
“She answers the question in a really creative, interesting way,” Murphy said. “I think it has such promise.”
Murphy invited all students from his upper-level political science research methods class last semester to participate in the project. He assigned the students chapters based on the subjects he believed would be most compatible with their interests.
Others in the class tackled a myriad of other political issues that range from social media’s effect on voter turnout to how scandals impact of politicians’ prospects for re-election, with many continuing their projects as independent studies this semester.
One of the students who is continuing her thesis, junior political science and education major Erin Hill, agreed. She said that at other schools, undergraduates typically gather statistics and do the grunt work of the project.
“You aren’t really exploring the question,” she said. “Here, you’re doing the complete thing all by yourself. If I went to grad school, I would know how to fully explore a question.”
Blough, who has applied to several graduate schools to study urban planning, feels more prepared by working on the research for the book.
“You really have a lot of opportunities to do one-on-one research here,” he said. “You have a lot of guidance. It really helps you if you’re applying to grad school. It shows that you have the experience.”
Stortz also believes his research and writing project will give him credibility after graduation.
“It’s one thing to say ‘I’m a good writer;’ it’s another to say, ‘I’m published,’” Stortz said.
But Stortz is most impressed with the amount of faith Murphy has placed in his group of students.
“I think this project shows that Professor Murphy has a lot of faith in Mary Washington students in general,” he said. “The opportunities are out there if you put the effort in.”
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By Anne Elder
Jason Davidson Publishes Commentary in The Diplomat
Associate Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Jason W. Davidson’s article “Ignoring Allies in Afghanistan,” was published in the Feb. 15 issue of The Diplomat. The article discusses U.S. policy and strategy in Afghanistan.
Chris Kilmartin Featured in Chicago Tribune
Chris Kilmartin, professor of psychology, is featured in the article, “Pendulum Swings Against Men-Only Golf Clubs” in the Saturday, Feb. 11 issue of the Chicago Tribune. The article explores the trend toward the inclusion of females at traditionally all-male golf clubs.
Mark Snyder Performed at National Conference
Mark Snyder, assistant professor of music, performed his composition “Copenhagen” for processed tuba, electronics and video at the 2012 Society for Electro-Acoustic Musicians in the United States national conference. The conference was held at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin on Feb. 10.
The conference featured 115 music, video, paper and installation submissions. More about the conference can be found here: http://blogs.lawrence.edu/seamus2012/schedule
Three students from the music department, Becky Brown, Paige Naylor and John White), traveled with Snyder to attend the conference.
Steve Farnsworth Lectures for State Department; Appears on D.C. Television Program
Stephen J. Farnsworth, professor of political science and international affairs and director of the university’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, recently delivered a lecture entitled, “Journalism and U.S. Foreign Policy,” in Washington to leading reporters and editors from the Middle East and North Africa as part of the U.S. State Department’s Institute for International Education Visitor Leadership Program.
On Wednesday, Feb. 15, Farnsworth was a featured guest on NewsChannel 8’s program, “Capital Insider.” In the interview, he discusses the presidential election cycle.
Charles Shields Publishes Article and Speaks to Committee
Charles J. Shields, associate director of the Chappell Great Lives Lecture Series, has an article appearing in the March/April issue of Writer’s Digest magazine. The article, “Research like a Pro,” is a step-by-step guide to finding and organizing information for a fiction or nonfiction writing project.
On Tuesday, Feb. 21, Shields will speak to the President’s Community Advisory Committee about the Chappell Great Lives Lecture Series. The committee serves as a resource to the University of Mary Washington President and administration on issues relative to the university and the minority community. The committee is comprised of a diverse group of minority citizens of the greater Fredericksburg region, including professionals in the fields of higher education, secondary education and administration, the ministry, business, real estate, government and law.
On Saturday, March 31, Shields will appear at the Maine Festival of the Book with Chip Bishop, author of “The Lion and the Journalist,” about the friendship Theodore Roosevelt and Joseph Bucklin Bishop. The author is Bishop’s great-grandnephew. The topic of the panel is ” The Quick and Dead: Writing about Someone You Knew or Admired.”
Holly Schiffrin Presents at Conference
Holly Schiffrin, associate professor of psychology, will present the talk “Positive Psychology: The Science Behind Being Happier” at the Tidewater Physicians Multispecialty Group CME Conference on Saturday, Feb. 25.