Mehdi Aminrazavi, professor of philosophy and religion, published the article “Religious Tolerance” in The Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Philosophy of Religion (279-287), edited by Graham Oppy and released April 2015.
Rafferty Publishes Essay in Anthology Devoted to Video Game
Colin Rafferty, associate professor of English, recently published the essay “Washington Bullets” in Enter Your Initials for Record Keeping, an anthology of essays about the video game “NBA Jam.” The collection was issued by Cobalt Books. Rafferty also read the essay at a book release event in Baltimore in July.
Class Act
Meet this year’s incoming freshmen, the largest in UMW’s 107-year history.
UMW Galleries Present New Exhibitions
The UMW Galleries will host two exhibitions to kick off the Fall 2015 semester. The Ridderhof Martin Gallery features “Breath That Fades Away,” an exhibition of new work by Joseph DiBella, Distinguished Professor of Art. In duPont Gallery, artist Jarod Charzweski has created an installation entitled, “Rat’s Nest,” constructed from donations of cable and wires made over the summer.
About the artists:
Joseph DiBella has served as chair of the Department of Art and Art History from 1990 to 1993 and 1996 to 1999 and Director of University Galleries from 1983 to 1988. Instrumental in the establishment of the gallery program and Ridderhof Martin Gallery at Mary Washington, he was Director of University Galleries from 1983 to 1988 and Interim Director in 1989 and 1997-98. From 1994 to 2003 he was co-director of the University’s program in Urbino, Italy. He has a BA in art history from Rutgers and MA and MFA degrees in painting from Northern Illinois University. A signature member of the National Watercolor Society and affiliated with other professional art organizations, he has exhibited in regional, national and international venues. The UMW Galleries are honored to exhibit his work.
Jarod Charzewski’s large scale installations are created from collections of everyday items from the community. The accumulations have included varied materials, such as buoys and denim jeans, and now cables. These installations make evident the desire and pleasure we have in collection that then manifests into compulsion. Charzewski holds a BFA in sculpture from the University of Manitoba, Winnepeg, Canada, an MFA in Sculpture from the University of Minnesota. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Sculpture at the College of Charleston in South Carolina.
UMW to Host Historic Concert
Legendary Three Tenors Singer Performs with Philharmonic
The UMW Philharmonic and Music Director Dr. Kevin Bartram announced that legendary tenor José Carreras has agreed to perform a rare concert with the orchestra on Saturday, October 17 in the William M. Anderson Center.
José Carreras is best-known for his record-breaking appearances with Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo in the Three Tenors. Now, for the first time in nearly a decade, and for the ONLY time tin 2015, this international superstar makes his triumphant return to America-at UMW!
Carreras is coming directly from Europe for this single performance. “I am thrilled to come to Fredericksburg for the first time and perform in this unmatched atmosphere,” Carreras said. “The program will contain great music from opera, operetta, musical, and song in an evening to remember!”
Tickets are now on sale at philharmonic@umw.edu or by calling (540)654-1324.
TIAA CREF Offers Individual Counseling, Friday, Sept. 11
Our TIAA-CREF Representative will be in George Washington Hall, Room 106 on Friday, Sept. 1 for individual counseling sessions.
This is a free session to discuss your account -ORP 401 or a 403(b)- or your personal financial situation with a Financial Consultant. A detailed evaluation tells you everything you need to know and what to do. RSVP as soon as you can at www.tiaa-cref.org/schedulenow or call 1-800-732-8353.
Accepting Larry Atkins Award Nominations
Friday, Sept. 11 is the last day for nominations for the Larry Atkins award. We have a few, but we want to make sure we have all of the deserving employees nominated and recognized.
True to the award’s former name, “We Couldn’t Do it Without” them!
Please ask an S.A.C. member if you have questions, or contact John Symonds at jsymonds@umw.edu.
Last Call for Back-to-School Donations
Please gather your donations for the Staff Advisory Council’s Back-to-School drive and bring them to a S.A.C. member or to the collection boxes in your departments by TUESDAY, Sept. 1. Our donations are being used in the Stafford county school system this year.
We appreciate all you have done to help the less fortunate students in our schools.
Cox Featured in Ultimate Subaru Spotlight
Each month, a UMW Athletics Faculty Liaison will be featured in the Ultimate Subaru Spotlight. The faculty liaison program partners a UMW faculty member with every UMW intercollegiate athletic team to strengthen support networks and increase resources for student-athlete success. Ultimate Subaru is committed to the growth and education of UMW Eagles, their hometown team and strives to foster the same values of community as the UMW Faculty Liaison program. Faculty Liaisons will serve as mentors and role models to student-athletes while being involved in team activities. For more information about the program contact Faculty Athletic Representative Dr. Lynne Richardson.
Faculty Liaison’s Name: Leah Cox
Faculty Liaison for: Field Hockey
Years at UMW: 14
Position/Title: Special Assistant to the President for Diversity and Inclusion
What was your favorite sport growing up? Briefly describe your favorite memory playing or watching it. I played volleyball in high school and for a short time in college. As someone who had not played until high school, I remember learning the true technique of playing the sport and realizing how difficult it was and how much physical conditioning and strength was needed to play well. The sport looked so easy, until you actually learned how to play. I realized nothing is ever as easy as it seems.
Where is your favorite place around town to get a bite to eat? I am a true ice cream lover… so any place that serves a good chocolate milkshake is where you will find me.
If you could pick one super power to have, what would it be and why? The ability to freeze or manipulate time. I could either prevent some things from happening, or create more time in the day to get more done.
Other than the sport you partnered with, what is your next favorite sport and why? I am a big baseball fanatic. Growing up, I lived just a few blocks from Memorial stadium, the first home of the Baltimore Orioles. As a young adult, I lived just a few blocks from Camden Yards where I could hear the roar of the crowd on any given evening. My father use to share stories of past baseball heroes and my godfather was a player in the Negro Leagues. It became even more fun as my son also played baseball from the time he was 5 until now.
If you were a Head Coach and could pick three words to motivate your team and hang in their locker room which words would you choose? Persevere, Teamwork and Respect.
What does a great leader look like to you? Great leaders are humble. They are strong and confident, and they know they don’t always have to be the one in front; they don’t have to prove that they are smart and talented. They know they will learn more and be able to lead better when they listen to others, exhibit patience, and wait for others to finish before speaking. These are individuals who not only exhibit humility, but they believe it. They don’t have to talk about the great things they have done, we see it. They don’t have to blame others for their mistakes, they accept them and they learn from their mistakes. A great leader will be the person whose confidence and strength will help others achieve their goals and lead their team to become successful.
What is a must read for UMW Student-Athletes? Ender’s Game.
What is the best advice you have ever heard given to a college graduate? Find what you love the most and then pursue it with all your heart.
Finally, if you were hanging out on Ball Circle picking the brains of four professional/famous athletes (living or deceased), who would they be? Jackie Robinson, Serena Williams, Cal Ripken and Gabby Douglas.
Ultimate Subaru, celebrating 10 years of service to the Fredericksburg community, is proud to be a supporter of UMW athletics. Call Ultimate Subaru today at (540) 898-6200 or come on in and visit us at 5160 Jefferson Davis Hwy, near Four Mile Fork. Find us online at www.driveultimatesubaru.com.
Mathur Publishes Article on Late-Sixteenth-Century Play
Maya Mathur, associate professor of English, recently published an article entitled “Rebellion from Below: Commonwealth and Community in The Life and Death of Jack Straw.” The article appeared in Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies 45.2 (May 2015): 343-365.