A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff
Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences Pamela Grothe
Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences Pamela Grothe’s research appeared in a recent article titled “How we know past climate without thermometers” in The Richmond Times-Dispatch. A picture of Grothe drilling into 5,000-year-old coral with help from Florida State University Assistant Professor Alyssa Atwood, as part of their research in 2018 on Christmas (Kiritimati) Island, ran with the article. Read more.
Former ‘CBS Morning News’ anchor and bestselling author Michelle Gielan will deliver the keynote address at the 29th annual Women’s Leadership Colloquium @ UMW. The event is set to take place on Thursday, Nov. 2, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the University of Mary Washington’s Stafford Campus.
Happiness – it’s one thing everyone could use more of in their lives.
Former CBS Morning News anchor and bestselling author Michelle Gielan will bring loads of the feel-good emotion to the 29th annual Women’s Leadership Colloquium at the University of Mary Washington next week.
A beacon of empowerment for professional women from diverse backgrounds for nearly three decades, the Colloquium features Gielan’s keynote address on resilient optimism, plus breakout sessions with area experts, networking and more. The event will take place Thursday, Nov. 2, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at UMW’s Stafford Campus.
Renowned for her groundbreaking research on the relationship between happiness and success, Gielan will kick off the day with her presentation, “Resilient Optimism: Strengthening a Mindset that Fuels Well-Being and Success.” The talk will explore how optimists face challenges, the science of cultivating a positive and optimistic mindset, and practical habits grounded in research for enhancing resilience and happiness. Read more.
Do you have questions about your benefits as a UMW staff member? Has it been a while since orientation and you don’t quite remember what’s available to you? University Staff Council is hosting Denise Frye, Benefits Administrator, for three Zoom sessions to provide a refresher on available staff benefits and to answer your questions.
These sessions will occur:
Each individual session is intended to address the benefits and invite targeted questions pertaining to one of the three staff employment classifications. All staff members are welcome to attend any session, but you may wish to attend only the session most relevant to your employment.
Please contact Sarah Appleby at sappleby@umw.edu to receive a link to the session. In your message, please indicate which session(s) you’d like to attend. Hope to see you in November!
Professor of Communication and Chair of the Department of Communication and Digital Studies Anand Rao
Professor of Communication Anand Rao spoke to With Good Reason radio for a segment titled “The Age of AI: AI in the Classroom.” Many teachers are scared about the impact AI will have on cheating. But Anand Rao of the University of Mary Washington says most of his students will be using AI in the workplace once they graduate. So he encourages them to use AI on assignments and coaches them on how to use it appropriately. Listen to the segment.
The following update is from the Student Health Center.
Virtual visits for the Student Health Center continue through the end of the week as repairs to the office will be needed through the weekend. We anticipate resuming in-person care on Monday, Oct. 30. As previously communicated, the SHC remains open for phone calls at 540-654-1040 and available by email at healthcenter@umw.edu. In addition, students who prefer to seek in-person care may also be referred to local urgent care providers, with a list available online. Afterhours services are also available via Fonemed, by calling the same SHC number and pressing 2 to register your health concern with Fonemed.
If you are experiencing an emergency, please contact UMW Police: 540-654-1025 regular calls or 540-654-4444 emergencies (X4444 from any campus phone).
Dean of Admissions and Associate Vice President Melissa Yakabouski and Director of First Year Admissions Sarah Lindberg
shared their college admissions expertise in an article called “Go-to Guide: Experts peel back the layers of the college application process” in The Free Lance-Star. Between them, University of Mary Washington’s Melissa Yakabouski and Sarah Lindberg hold a half-century of college admissions experience. Read more.
Sammy D. Eagle
Just a quick heads-up – Virginia College Application Week is happening from October 22 to 28, 2023. If you know any future college students, help us refer them to apply to Mary Washington! During Virginia College Application Week, high school seniors can apply for free to the University of Mary Washington by using code “VCAW” on the Common App.
Associate Professor of Marketing Kashef Majid
Associate Professor of Marketing Kashef Majid served as an expert source for “Nationwide Insurance Review 2023” by WalletHub. When asked how valuable he’d say the “Nationwide is on your side” jingle has been for Nationwide, Majid said, “Very valuable. It is memorable and easily recognizable.” Read more.
Looking for a frighteningly fun time this Hallo-weekend? Come join the Historic Preservation Club for our annual Ghostwalk! 🙂 The event is haunted ghost tours through downtown Fredericksburg. Oct. 27 and 28, 5 to 10 p.m. For any questions please contact umwghostwalk@gmail.com. For the ticket form, you can click here.
Celebrate fall with a new pair of Mary Wash socks!
Haven’t gotten your socks yet?
There are only a few days left to get your socks and support student clubs!
Make a gift of $25 or more* to the Fund for Mary Washington, and we’ll send you a pair of these cozy argyle-inspired socks via campus mail or have them available for pick up at the Jepson Alumni Executive Center. Showcase your Mary Washington pride while supporting UMW’s students, mission, and programs. Get yours today at fund.umw.edu/umwsocktober.
Rock them in the office, at the grocery store and especially at Homecoming!
Post a photo rocking your socks! Tag @umw_alumni with your #UMWSocktober posts!
*The tax-deductible portion of your donation is the amount of your gift minus $10.