A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff
Cedric Rucker, associate vice president and dean of student life emeritus
UMW Associate Vice President and Dean of Student Life Emeritus Cedric Rucker has been asked to serve as Interim Dean of Students at the University of Virginia, where he returned to work in 2022 after a 33-year career at Mary Washington. Read more.
The UMW Women’s Leadership Colloquium presents the August Coffee Talk: Emotional Intelligence by Barbara Gustavson
The event will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 15, from 8 to 9 a.m. at the Jepson Alumni Executive Center’s Kalnen Inn Living Room, 1119 Hanover St., Fredericksburg. Parking is available on Hanover Street. Register for the Coffee Talk.
Emotional Intelligence, the ability to understand and manage our emotions, is a crucial element in personal and professional success, and has proven to be an invaluable skill in our fast-paced, interconnected world. For women, cultivating Emotional Intelligence can empower us to thrive in every aspect of our lives. In August’s Coffee Talk, led by Barbara Gustavson, we will explore how Emotional Intelligence encompasses a range of skills vital to our emotional health, including empathy, self-awareness, and resilience. This discussion will aim to equip us with actionable insights and strategies to enhance our Emotional Intelligence, enabling us to navigate challenging situations with grace, forge meaningful connections, and foster an inclusive and supportive environment for ourselves and others. By embracing, honing, and growing this skill set, we can unlock our full potential, nurture authentic connections, and thrive in all aspects of our lives.
Barbara Gustavson, founder of Discover Next Step, works with helpers, professionals, and decision-makers who are ready to stop letting burnout take over the passion for their work. She guides them to develop new ways to think, respond, connect and influence, then map out a plan to take bold steps and use their experiences and talents to create a positive impact. She combines personal growth, leadership and brain-based techniques with her facilitation. She integrates a holistic approach to her leadership and professional development training through assessments and courses in leadership, resilience, wellness, and brain health. Her focus is working with community-minded helpers and leaders to take bold steps and impact their community without sacrificing their well-being. Barbara is a Certified Leadership Trainer and Amen Clinic Brain Health Coach, speaker and author of “Permission to Be BOLD.”
Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Larus
Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Freund Larus, who also is an adjunct fellow at Pacific Forum, commented July 27 to German broadcaster Deutsche Welle on Taiwan’s 2023 Han Kuang military exercise and Wan An drills. Professor Larus indicated that this year’s exercise included air raid drills in which residents were directed to shelters. Despite these attempts at readiness, Taiwan is still unprepared for a military attack from China. Professor Larus also indicated that Chinese fighter jets now regularly cross the unofficial median line in the Taiwan Strait in an attempt to influence the Taiwan 2024 presidential election campaign, which is currently in full swing on the island. Professor Larus’ comments begin at 3 minutes into the program.
Other recent news mentions for Larus include:
Larus Comments on Arabic News on Secretary Yellen’s Visit to Beijing (Asharq Arabic News)
Elizabeth Freund Larus, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science and International Affairs and Adjunct Fellow at the Pacific Forum, commented to Asharq Arabic news that US business is putting tremendous pressure on the Biden administration to improve relations with China. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is seen as the Cabinet member most favorably disposed to China. Despite her efforts, however, a trade war, tit-for-tat sanctions, investigation of foreign due diligence firms in China, civil-military fusion, and Biden’s reference to Xi Jinping as a dictator, mean that most US businesses will continue to face headwinds in China. Watch the segment.
Larus Discusses Taiwan with German Scholars
Elizabeth Freund Larus, Ph.D., Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs and Adjunct Fellow at Pacific Forum, discussed scenarios for the 2024 Taiwan presidential election at an invitation only roundtable in Munich, Germany on June 15, 2023. Professor Larus and the scholars agreed that the results of the elections, regardless of outcome, will significantly affect US-China relations.
Mark your calendars! The annual Women’s Leadership Colloquium is back!
Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023 | 8:30 am – 4:30 pm | University of Mary Washington Stafford Campus, 125 University Blvd, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22406
The 29th annual Women’s Leadership Colloquium @ UMW brings together professional women from all walks of life to learn and grow together. This daylong event will center on the theme of happiness and resilience. Be on the lookout for the keynote speaker announcement in August.
Early Bird Registration: Aug. 1 – Sept. 15: $159 per person
Early Bird Registration + Senior Leader Session: $199 per person
Senior Leader Session: $40
The Senior Leader Session will take place during the first breakout session of the day. It is designed to give senior leaders (Directors and Above) an opportunity to speak freely among peers as they gain tools and practice application of communications skills in working with leadership teams and boards as well as internal and external teams.
*Please email askornia@umw.edu if you are using a separate form of payment for the senior leader session.*
Standard Registration Sept. 16 – Oct. 20: $199 per person
Standard Registration + Senior Leader Session: $239 per person
Final Registration beginning Oct. 21: $219 per person
Final Registration + Senior Leader Session: $259 per person
Visit the 29th Annual Women’s Leadership Colloquium @ UMW webpage for more information.
Michelle Gielan, Founder, Institute for Applied Positive Research, has spent the past decade researching the link between happiness and success. She is the bestselling author of Broadcasting Happiness: The Science of Igniting and Sustaining Positive Change and was named one of the Top 10 authors on resilience by the Harvard Business Review.
Michelle is an Executive Producer of “The Happiness Advantage” on PBS and a featured professor in Oprah’s Happiness course. She formerly served as anchor of The CBS Morning News, and her research has received attention from dozens of media outlets including The Washington Post, FORBES, and The New York Times.
Michelle holds an advanced degree in positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. from Tufts University in Computer Engineering.
SEE EMAIL FOR MORE INFO
Assistant Professor of Communication Adria Goldman
Associate Professor of Communication Adria Y. Goldman shared her expertise with NBC and MSN, following fashion comments making headlines. Recently, Goldman said, the pendulum has swung further to define some Black mothers negatively for their sexuality. Read more.
Antoinette Carter Jenkins
Antoinette Carter Jenkins has been named director of the Center for Career and Professional Development.
She has dedicated her career to supporting the enrichment of talent through service as a human resource and career development professional in the non-profit sector and academia. For the past 13 years, Jenkins has served the Commonwealth’s talent development initiatives as an adjunct business professor at Northern Virginia Community College, where she teaches a range of courses including Organizational Behavior, Principles of Management and Human Resource Management.
A native Washingtonian with ancestral ties along eastern Virginia, Jenkins completed all of her post-secondary education in the DMV. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from George Mason University and a master of business administration degree from University of Maryland Global Campus. She earned her doctoral degree in human and organizational learning from The George Washington University, where her research interests focused on the nexus between organizational culture and social impact.
Antoinette will be responsible for the effective operation of the Center for Career and Professional Development in service to our students as well as in administrative oversight of the $250,000 Virginia Talent + Opportunity grant recently awarded to the University of Mary Washington by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.
“We are pleased to have such an accomplished professional join our team in the Center for Career and Professional Development,” said Associate Provost for Career and Workforce Kimberly Young. “I’m confident that Antoinette along with the staff in the Career Center will effectively serve our student body as they explore what it means to live ‘Life After Mary Washington.’ ”
Spearheaded by UMW Assistant Athletic Trainer Katie Carnaghi, the Let’s Talk Eagles initiative lays out a full game plan, with monthly meetings, timely topics like nutrition and stress management, and most of all, a safe space for sharing concerns and conversation. Read more.
The following message comes from the Office of the Provost:
Dear Colleagues,
University Librarian Amy Filiatreau
On behalf of the search committee for the University Librarian, we are excited to announce that Amy Filiatreau will start in this role on August 25.
Amy has been working professionally in libraries and archives since 2001. She’s served as the library director at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida since 2013, and in that role, she originally developed and now oversees Lynn’s Digital Press, textbook program, institutional repository, Creative Services department, and OER projects, in addition to all the other strategic operations of the library. Before that, she served as the library director at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. She has a bachelor’s in anthropology and archaeology from the University of Chicago, an MLIS from the University of Texas at Austin, and an MBA in marketing from Lynn University. In her spare time, she enjoys listening to true crime podcasts, devouring the news, baking bread, and caring for her special-needs dog.
Thanks to everyone who joined the committee and engaged in the search process, particularly the open forums and feedback form, and thanks again to Carolyn Parsons for her many years of service to her alma mater and her recent leaders as interim university librarian.
We look forward to welcoming Amy to campus this fall semester!
Thank you,
Victoria Russell, Center for Teaching, Search Co-ChairJerry Slezak, Digital Learning Support, Search Co-ChairClaudine Ferrell, CAS-Department of History & American StudiesPhyllis Johnson, Simpson LibraryAngie Kemp, Simpson LibraryBrooks Kuykendall, CAS-Department of Music
The Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP), in collaboration with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, is pleased to announce the second annual Virginia Intern Day on July 27, 2023.
Mark your calendars for July 27 and help celebrate!
National Intern Day is an opportunity to recognize employers who have provided robust internship programs that benefit our future leaders of tomorrow and highlight interns’ pivotal contributions to our ever-changing workforce.
Governor Youngkin signed a proclamation recognizing the inaugural Virginia Intern Day on July 28, 2022, aligning with National Intern Day on the last Thursday of July every year.
UMW student ambassadors from the Center for Career and Professional Development, who serve as representatives and advocates for V+TOP and Virginia Intern Day, will highlight the event, along with a University-wide social media takeover.
Help spread the word and promote Virginia Intern Day by showcasing Virginia internships during the 2022-2023 academic year (including summer 2023).
Use hashtags:
#MaryWash
#VirginiaInternDay
#VID
#NationalInternDay
#NID
Students turned an unusual array of objects – a puffy pink pony, a giant nose, one wooden hoop – into charcoal sketches at the University of Mary Washington earlier this week.
“Awesome stuff, guys,” Assistant Professor of Painting and Drawing Ashe Laughlin said of the rising 10th- through 12th-graders’ still-life creations. “Really terrific!”
More than 100 high-schoolers converged on this week’s second annual Summer Enrichment Program (SEP), a six-day slice of college coursework and campus life. Laughlin’s course, “Exploring Art and Practice,” was one of 17 available to sample, with subjects ranging from writing to cybersecurity, business to pop culture, and mapping to physics. Read more.