August 1, 2026

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Lorentzen Presents, Delivers Roundtable Discussion at Dickens Society Symposium

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Professor of English Eric Lorentzen

Professor of English Eric Lorentzen

Professor of English Eric G. Lorentzen presented a paper entitled “The Sights/Sites of Dickens in 2023: Literary Tourism, Cultural Studies, and the University Literature Classroom” at the recent Dickens Society Symposium in Rochester (RIT). The talk included research he conducted in museums and other literary sites across England, as well as the pedagogical methodologies involved with his recent new course on Dickens at UMW, “Dickens, Disney, and Popular Culture,” two sections of which ran for the first time during the fall 2022 semester. He was also one of six scholars to be invited to join the roundtable “Teaching Dickens,” at which he presented the talk “Wisdom of the Heart: Dickens and Cultural Studies.” Professor Lorentzen hopes to offer the course again during the fall 2024 semester.

Latino Identities Month Kick-Off Celebration, Sept. 15

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UMW’s Latino Identities Month Kick-off Celebration will take place Friday, Sept. 15, at 4 p.m., in front of Lee Hall. Rain location: Chandler Ballroom, Cedric Rucker University Center.

Join us for an exciting event filled with food, music, and craft vendors! Meet our vibrant community as we kick off this celebration of togetherness and cultural diversity. You will connect, celebrate, and support local artisans as you Indulge in a delightful array of delicious food, groove to the rhythm of lively music, and explore unique crafts from talented vendors. See you there!

Find more information and the entire Latino Identities Month schedule on the James Farmer Multicultural Center website.

UMW Theatre Box Office Opens Sept. 7

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The box office opens Thursday, Sept. 7, for UMW Theatre’s first production of the 2023-24 academic year, Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, which runs Sept. 21 through Oct. 1.

Hop on board and take your seat as the fastidious and quick-witted Hercule Poirot investigates a murder on the opulent Orient Express. As one-by-one the passengers on the train begin to fall under suspicion, Poirot must use his unrivaled powers of keen observation and precise deduction to uncover the truth and deliver the killer to justice. Expertly adapted by Ken Ludwig (Lend Me A Tenor and Moon Over Buffalo), Murder on the Orient Express is a must-see for even the most casual fans of Agatha Christie’s work and anyone who relishes the challenge of a whodunnit murder mystery, a hearty laugh, and a snowy night filled with glamour and intrigue.

Visit the UMW Theatre website for details.UMW Theatre presents Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express

Harris Named AAM Accreditation Commissioner

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University of Mary Washington Museums Executive Director Scott Harris

University of Mary Washington Museums Executive Director Scott Harris

Executive Director of Museums Scott Harris has been appointed one of six new accreditation commissioners by the American Alliance of Museums. Read more.

Harris also recently published a piece titled  “President William Howard Taft’s Wild Ride from Washington, D.C., to the Manassas Peace Jubilee” in White House History Quarterly. The article retraces Taft’s harrowing adventure from Washington, D.C., to Manassas, Virginia, for the 1911 Manassas Peace Jubilee. Harris details the many challenges President Taft encountered on this journey including his surviving Virginia’s muddy and flooded roads while making his way from the White House to the countryside to address Civil War veterans gathered at the 1911 Peace Jubilee. Read more.

Bales Covers Bases in Presentation About Baseball History

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Reference and Humanities Librarian Emeritus Jack Bales

Reference and Humanities Librarian Emeritus Jack Bales

Reference and Humanities Librarian Emeritus Jack Bales will present a virtual talk about baseball history and true crime on Tuesday, Sept. 26, at 6 p.m. central, at the LaSalle Public Library in Illinois. The presentation is titled “No Shrinking Violet: Violet Popovich and the Chicago Cub Shot for Love.” Bales’ lengthy career in librarianship included more than 40 years at UMW. Read more.

Studio Art Faculty Exhibition Opens at duPont, Sept. 7

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The University of Mary Washington Galleries is pleased to present a group exhibition featuring the current members of the Studio Art faculty. The quality, diversity and depth of the program is reflected in the artwork of the dedicated studio art faculty including:

UMW Faculty ExhibitionLindsey Arturo
Michael Dean
Carole Garmon
Aimee George
Larry Hinkle
Ashe Laughlin
Jon McMillan
Margaret Meehan
Chad Mundie
Miranda Reichhardt
Jason Robinson
Sarah Whit

Hours & Admission:

The exhibition will be on view from Sept. 7 to Oct. 8, 2023, in duPont Gallery, with the opening reception taking place on Sept. 7, from 5 to 7 p.m. There will be an artists’ lecture at 5 p.m. in duPont Gallery on Oct. 5. Admission is always free.

If you have any questions, please call (540) 654-1013 or email us at gallery@umw.edu. Visit us online at www.umwgalleries.org or in person at 1301 College Avenue, Fredericksburg, VA 22401.

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UMW Galleries’ ‘The Garden’ Opens Sept. 7

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The Garden art exhibitThe University of Mary Washington Galleries is pleased to present the group exhibition The Garden.

Throughout history, artists have viewed the natural world and the garden setting as an ever-evolving and fertile metaphor for life colored by contrasts – a space that protects and provides as much as it provokes and stimulates. The Garden rediscovers the sensual dichotomies in nature, offering a much-needed refuge and heartening reprieve.

Featuring the perceptually tactile and expressively verdant interdisciplinary works of eight artists – Jorge Benitez, Ruth Bolduan, Sally Bowring, Cat Crotchett, Reni Gower, Chris Gregson, Melissa H. Potter, and Javier Tapia – The Garden compels the viewer to look to nature to refresh the spirit and renew the soul.

The Garden is organized by Wylie Contemporary Inc. and co-curated by Reni Gower and Jorge Benitez. Artwork is lent by the artists.

Hours & Admission:
The exhibition will be on view from September 7 to October 8, 2023 in Ridderhof Martin Gallery, with the opening reception taking place on September 7 from 5-7pm. Admission is always free and tours are available.

A gallery talk with the artists will be held on September 21, 2023 at 5pm in Ridderhof Martin Gallery.

If you have any questions, please call (540) 654-1013 or email gallery@umw.edu. Visit us online at www.umwgalleries.org or in person at 1301 College Avenue, Fredericksburg, VA 22401.

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Instagram – UMW_Galleries

Larus Comments on WION News About BRICS Summit

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Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Larus

Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Larus

Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Freund Larus, an adjunct fellow at Pacific Forum, commented to WION News that the expansion of the BRICS club of emerging economies benefits China. Most of the new members are participants of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, who are likely to support China in any initiatives Beijing favors. Larus also stated that Chinese leader Xi Jinping desires to turn the club into an intergovernmental forum able to challenge the G7 group of Western governments. Watch the segment.

Other recent media mentions and professional highlights for Larus include:
  • Larus Comments to BBC Chinese on Arms Transfers to Taiwan: Elizabeth Freund Larus, Ph.D., Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs and Adjunct Fellow at Pacific Forum, commented to BBC Chinese on Biden’s transfer of US military arms to Taiwan using Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA). Professor Larus indicated that providing Taiwan with defensive weapons is consistent with the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, which legally requires the US to help Taiwan defend itself. However, this is the first time that a US president has transferred arms to Taiwan using PDA, allowing the US to pull weapons directly from Department of Defense inventories. Professor Larus claimed that China certainly will retaliate against Taiwan for Biden’s move. August 1, 2023. Read more.
  • Is it time for the US to abandon its one China Policy?: Elizabeth Freund Larus, Ph.D., Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs and 2022 Pew Davis Fellow for Peace at Middlebury College, offered the bilingual guest lecture “美國取消一個中國政策的時候到了嗎？” (“Is it time for the US to abandon its one China Policy?”) to faculty and students at the Middlebury College Chinese Language School, August 1, 2023. Professor Larus explained the origins of the policy, taking care to distinguish it from Beijing’s one China principle. The difference between the US policy and China’s principle has been the cause of much confusion and disagreement between the two countries. Professor Larus also explained why it is becoming harder for Washington and Beijing to agree to disagree over the status of Taiwan.

Women’s Leadership Colloquium Coffee Talk, Sept. 12

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Assistant Professor of Management Alexandra Dunn

Assistant Professor of Management Alexandra Dunn

University of Mary Washington Women’s Leadership Colloquium presents the September Coffee Talk on Tuesday, Sept. 12, from 8 to 9 a.m. in the Kalnen Inn Living Room at the Jepson Alumni Executive Center, 1119 Hanover St. Street parking is available. Register for the September Coffee Talk.

Join us at September’s Coffee Talk as we delve into Imposter Syndrome – the condition of feeling anxious and not experiencing success internally, despite being high-performing in external, objective ways. Discover how this psychological phenomenon affects many accomplished women, undermining their self-confidence and hindering professional growth. Together we’ll explore practical strategies to overcome Imposter Syndrome, empowering each other to embrace our achievements, unlock our full potential, and thrive in our diverse endeavors.

September’s Coffee Talk will be led by Assistant Professor of Management Alexandra Dunn.

Dr. Dunn is an organizational scientist who teaches management, human resources, and organizational behavior in the undergraduate and MBA program. She is a member of the Fredericksburg SHRM chapter and SHRM-CP certified. She enjoys collaborating on research projects with undergraduate and graduate students, professors from UMW and other universities, and local businesses.

Her research focuses on creating supportive work environments, recruiting and onboarding, high-reliability organizations (e.g., firefighters, police officers), and how to design effective surveys. Dr. Dunn’s work has been published in numerous academic journals including the Journal of Business and Psychology, Human Relations, and the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology. She also has co-authored work that appears in The Cambridge Handbook of Meeting Science and has contributed to The SAGE Encyclopedia of Industrial Organizational Psychology.

Dr. Dunn’s work has been quoted in multiple media outlets including Men’s Health, the Charlotte Business Journal, and Fredericksburg.com. She has received fellowship awards from the National Science Foundation and P.E.O. International and was recently awarded the Waple Professorship at UMW.