A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff
ORIENTATION SESSIONS ARE OPEN TO NEWLY ENROLLED STUDENTS
First-Year Sessions:
Transfer Sessions:
Combined First-Year and Transfer Sessions – August 18
NEST – August 15-19
New Student Welcome – August 19-23
Learm more and find details on the orientation website. If you have any questions, contact Lillian Lester at llester@umw.edu for orientation information.
Moon speaks with News4’s Jummy Olabanji tracing Italian immigrants’ roots in Potomac Yard prior to this year’s Winter Olympics in Italy
Professor of History and American Studies Krystyn Moon appearing in studio on NBC Washington News4
Professor of History and American Studies Krystyn Moon appeared in studio on NBC Washington News4 sharing her expertise for a segment titled “Italian Immigration to Potomac Yard.” We might know Potomac Yard for the shopping, but it has a deeper connection to Italian immigrants in the 1900s. News4’s Jummy Olabanji sat down with Moon to learn more.
In the segment, highlighted a connection between Potomac Yard and Milan-Cortina Italy, where the upcoming Winter Olympics will be held, Moon said, “In the late 19th century, groups of Italian immigrants came and built railroads in Northern Virginia. Potomac Yard, the largest transportation hub for trains on the Eastern seaboard, opened in 1906, and the immigrants came and they stayed.” See the segment on NBC News4.
Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Jason Davidson
Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Jason Davidson published an article in the Journal of Transatlantic Studies titled: Elite perceptions of the US’ commitment to NATO after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: “the direction of travel is clear”. The article seeks to explore elite perceptions of the US’ commitment to NATO in the leadup to the 2024 election, presenting findings from ninety-two interviews from 2023 and 2024 with policymakers and analysts from six leading NATO allies. Read the article in the Journal of Transatlantic Studies.
Other media mentions for Davidson include:
Trump said there’s a framework for a Greenland deal. Let’s break it down (WWL First News with Tommy Tucker on Audacy)
President Trump announced the framework of a deal concerning Greenland. We break it down with Jason Davidson, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at the University of Mary Washington and author of NATO After Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine. Listen to the episode on Audacy.
NATO in Times of Russia’s War Against Ukraine and Trump II (Center for Security Studies ETH Zurich)
Jason Davidson will be be featured in an upcoming Web Talk hosted by the Center for Security Studies at ETH Zurich, a leading international research institution focused on security and defense policy. The virtual event, titled “NATO in Times of Russia’s War Against Ukraine and Trump II,” will examine how shifting geopolitical dynamics are reshaping NATO, including evolving threat perceptions among key allies and the implications for alliance decision-making. The discussion will be moderated by CSS senior researcher Gesine Weber and will take place Monday, Feb. 23, from 3 to 4 p.m., via Microsoft Teams. Learn more or find registration information online.
Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation Katherine Parker
Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation Katherine Parker gave a recent paper entitled, “AI^2: Artificial Intelligence Applications for Archaeological Instruction,” at the 2026 Society for Historical Archaeology conference. An invited contribution to the organized symposium on Digital Historical Archaeology, the paper outlined different opportunities for preservation professionals to incorporate AI-centered curriculum in undergraduate and graduate education.
Parker’s presentation featured course materials developed in part through UMW’s 2024-2025 AI Learning Excellence Grant. One such assignment pushed students in HISP 207: American Archaeology to explore the connections between popular chatbots like ChatGPT and misinformation in popular pseudoarchaeology media, such as Ancient Aliens and America Unearthed. Another example featured in the presentation highlighted how Parker guided upper-level students in HISP 471: Archaeology Conservation Methods through the ethical considerations, practical capabilities, and prompt engineering for generative AI when working with sensitive archaeological site data for their term projects.
Access to these assignments and the materials developed by other participating UMW faculty from the grant program will be made available through the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC). Read the press release from UMW
Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Jared McDonald
Assistant Professor of Political Science Jared McDonald was quoted in an article titled “More Americans than ever are identifying as political independents, poll shows.” In the article by CBS News, McDonald says voters who identify as an independent are less likely to be engaged in politics. That leaves more political influence in the hands of “the most dissonant voices, the people who are on the furthest extremes of both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party,” McDonald said in an interview. Read article from CBS News.
Director of First Year Admissions Sarah Lindberg (left) and Dean of Admissions and Associate Vice President Melissa Yakabouski (right) at WFVA
Director of First Year Admissions Sarah Lindberg and Dean of Admissions and Associate Vice President Melissa Yakabouski appeared on News Talk 1230 WFVA’s Town Talk this month to share practical advice for students and parents as key college admission decisions are released. Listen to episode on WFVA.
As you heard during the fall semester and reiterated in the spring assembly, we are well into our year-long, campus-wide initiative to strengthen our digital presence and ensure that our digital spaces are accessible and welcoming for all. This work is prompted by federal guidelines through Title II of the American with Disabilities Act as well as state guidelines in VA HB 2541, which updates the VA Information Technology Access Act. Both have deadlines of April 24, 2026, and require all state and local government entities, including the University of Mary Washington, to ensure their websites, digital documents, social media, and mobile apps meet specific accessibility guidelines for web content.
An introduction to this effort was shared at the start of the fall semester, and we’ve added resources online, focused on course remediation for faculty, and web accessibilities basics. These resources include Panorama and Screenpal, as well as tools in our Microsoft Office Suite. If you need a refresher or a reminder of these tools and tactics, visit the Web Accessibility Work Group Website.
Start with recorded training sessions and web accessibility basics.
The Microsoft Office Suite that we use at UMW already has website checkers specific to the content platforms, typically located in the Review or Message tabs, for example. As you draft and send messages, documents, presentations, etc., pause to check accessibility and correct any errors.
Learn more on our Resources page and watch the training videos from Microsoft for everyday tips.
This month, we’ll offer reminders for web editors. If you currently have access to edit a umw.edu website, you’ll be contacted with scheduling opportunities. If you’ve recently been trained in the new web theme, you’ll have the digital accessibility tools as part of the introduction. In many cases, the best practices are provided as part of the theme. Training sessions begin Jan. 28 through Feb. 19.
Sign up for a web editor training if you have access to edit pages on umw.edu.
The scope of this work includes all of our websites and the systems we use daily such as umw.edu and Canvas and includes documents, digital tools and other electronic content, including social media, and we are working with departments to examine out digital footprint and share best practices.
The Web Accessibility Team will be providing training in the near future on additional tools which will assist with enhancing accessibility.
We look forward to collaborating with you as we focus on federal & state compliance and enhance the UMW digital experience for all.
On behalf or the Web Accessibility Team,
Ruth Davison, Co-chair
Director of Compliance, Title IX Coordinator, ADA Coordinator
See an overview of the accessibility programming coming your way with a quick look at what’s coming in February, March and April, followed by a deeper look at February’s sessions, and an answer to the frequently asked question: “What score should I be aiming for in Panorama?”
If you have questions you want addressed, please feel free to send them to the Title II Accessibility e-mail: t2access@umw.edu. Your input makes these resources more helpful and relevant.
Thanks for everything you do to support accessible learning!
Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth
Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth recently presented an online lecture, “The Second Trump Presidency: Reviewing the First Year – and Previewing the Years to Come,” to students at Maria Curie Skłodowska University in Lublin, Poland. Farnsworth served as a J. William Fulbright Distinguished Scholar in Humanities and Social Sciences in Poland during 2024.
Media mentions for Farnsworth include:
Virginia prepares for historic moment as Spanberger takes office in Richmond (WTOP)
In the article by WTOP, Farnsworth said “Virginia has known that it was going to have a woman governor for the last several months, but it will be a crowning moment for Virginia politics when that day comes to pass.” See the article from WTOP.
Mark Rutte is on collision course with European capitals over NATO (Politic; Bytes Europe)
But keeping Trump sweet risks emboldening the U.S. president to be still bolder in future. “Politicians around the world and in this country ignore Trump’s ego at their peril,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at Virginia’s University of Mary Washington. See article from Politic.
‘I meant what I said’: Carney tells Trump he stands by his Davos speech (CHCH – Hamilton, Ontario)
Stephen Farnsworth—an expert in U.S. politics and the presidency—says Trump was hoping for a more favorable experience at the World Economic Forum. Stephen Farnsworth offered further context for the president’s anger, saying the Trump administration is going through a difficult period, with polling suggesting challenges ahead of the November midterm elections, and widespread controversy over the behavior of federal officials in Minnesota enforcing the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation policy. See article from CHCH.
Rutte to Trump: “Your Allies Will Be With You” (CTV News)
“Well, I think one of the big questions is what are the red lines with Donald Trump? What are the things the president will not do,” said Stephen Farnsworth. See more from CTV News.
A lack of decorum at the White House (La Presse, Montreal)
“It’s astonishing how much the discourse surrounding the intervention in Venezuela has changed in just a few days,” notes Stephen Farnsworth of the University of Mary Washington in Virginia. “Initially, the focus was on combating drug trafficking, but attention quickly shifted to access to oil.” See article from La Presse.
Her Excellency (Richmond Magazine)
“I think one of the things that we’ll be seeing in this session is disagreements within the party rather than disagreements across party lines,” explains Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington. See article in Richmond Magazine.
Canada stands ‘firmly’ with Greenland, rejects tariffs over Danish territory (CHCH Hamilton Ontario Canada)
“President Trump always starts negotiations from a very extreme position. What you see here is a very, very aggressive effort to maximize what the US can get out of this impasse,” said Stephen Farnsworth. See more from CHCH Hamilton.
Governor Spanberger (WMAL)
“Their optimism may be very much limited by the painful fiscal reality that Virginia is facing right now,” said Farnsworth. “The big Democratic majority does not mean the Democratic Party is going to veer to the far left in Virginia,” said Farnsworth.
Glenn Youngkin positions himself for future with Vance endorsement (Washington Examiner)
“The painful reality of every Virginia governor is that they have an expiration date,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. “And that creates great pressure on creating the environment for the next job. Youngkin has been effective at supporting President Trump in a way that opens possibilities for him in Washington.” See article from Washington Examiner.
Trump threatening tariffs against European countries is an attempt at leverage (CTV News; BNN Bloomberg)
“The story that comes with the Trump administration about the utility of tariffs has really changed a great deal. Now, it really is a vehicle to try leverage outcomes politically that the president wants,” said Stephen Farnsworth. See article from BNN Bloomberg.
Mary Washington announced its fall 2025 President’s List and Dean’s List. More than 1,200 students achieved these honors during the fall 2025 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. Read more about the President’s and Dean’s lists.