A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff
UMW NAACP CC, Women of Color, and the Latino Student Association are sponsoring a month-long drive with a local non-profit organization aiming to collect basic resources for women in the greater Fredericksburg area. We are asking for your donations for basic necessities including: food, clothes, and feminine hygiene projects. All donations will be given to the Empowerhouse, a local shelter and resource for victims of domestic violence.
DONATION LOCATION: James Farmer Multicultural Center
Start your morning with meaningful conversation, fresh perspectives, and connections that energize your professional journey. The Women’s Leadership Colloquium Coffee Talk this March will be on Affirming Health and Restoring Balance.
Anyone is welcome to join Tuesday, March 10 from 8 to 9 a.m. at 718 Venue on 718 Caroline Street in Fredericksburg.
This session will explore how stress disrupts the natural harmony between mind, body and spirit and how reconnecting through the time-honored practice of simplicity can help restore calm and clarity.
The speaker is Katrina Dill a holistic health educator, Master Medical Qigong practitioner, and co-founder of Yes to Holistic Health in Fredericksburg.
The Department of History, American Studies, and Sociology is sponsoring a public lecture with Kate Haulman, author of the book The Mother of Washington in Nineteenth Century America.
Talking History with Kate Haulman
Wednesday, March 11
3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Monroe 210
Questions? Email wmackint@umw.edu.
From noon on March 25 to noon on March 26 something big is happening! Save the date for Mary Wash Day 2026 and get ready for 24 hours of generosity and Mary Washington spirit! Learn more at givingday.umw.edu.
UMW Summer Enrichment Program is back this summer; registration is open now and there is a $100 discount for faculty and staff families
The UMW Summer Enrichment Program is back this summer, offering rising 10th, 11th, and 12th graders a week-long residential experience focused on hands-on learning, exploration and connection. Students live on campus, take engaging courses taught by UMW faculty, participate in enrichment activities and field trips, and experience the UMW community firsthand.
The program runs July 12–18, 2026 with courses spanning STEM, arts, humanities and more. Faculty and staff families are eligible for a $100 registration discount and tuition assistance is available for select courses. The program fee includes tuition, housing, meals, course materials and activities. Spots are limited. Learn more and apply at umw.edu/summer/sep.
Associate Professor of Religious Studies Jennifer Barry
Associate Professor of Religious Studies Jennifer Barry participated in a Soul Speak Press webinar titled What We Inherit: Gender, Faith, and Violence Across Time on January 15, 2026.
This 90-minute roundtable brought together Barry, a child sex trafficking survivor, and a domestic violence survivor for a wide-ranging conversation about the historical roots and contemporary realities of gender violence. The discussion examined how religion, history, and structures of hegemony shape the ways societies understand — and at times silences — experiences of violence.
Drawing on her scholarship in late antique Christianity and gender studies, Barry explored how narratives of power, silence, sanctity, and suffering were constructed in early Christian texts and how those frameworks continue to reverberate today. The conversation emphasized storytelling as a form of witness and intervention, highlighting how historical analysis can illuminate patterns of repeat victimization while also opening space for critique and transformation.
Hosted by Soul Speak Press, the webinar invited participants from across the United States to consider how faith traditions both challenge and sustain gendered harm, and how revisiting these inherited narratives can deepen contemporary conversations about accountability, healing, and justice.
Barry’s participation reflects her ongoing commitment to public scholarship that bridges academic research and pressing social concerns.
Executive Director of University Museums Scott Harris
UMW Museums Executive Director Scott Harris joined News Talk 1230 WFVA’s Town Talk this month to talk about a special Valentine’s Day weekend at two historic sites — a Saturday evening dinner at Gari Melchers Home and Studio and a unique Sunday program at the James Monroe Museum–Tea and Trifles. We’ll also discuss federal funds for the Papers of James Monroe and what it means for preserving history. Plus, a preview of upcoming Great Lives lectures. Listen to the episode on WFVA.
Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication and Digital Studies Anand Rao
Professor of Communication and Digital Studies Anand Rao shared his AI expertise this month on the World XP Podcast in an episode titled, “Is Society Ready For The AI Revolution, Integrating AI In Education, Preparing Students For The Future.”
In the episode, Rao shares his journey into higher education, staying on the cutting edge of technology as a professor and ensuring he incorporates these lessons into his classes to prepare future generations. The podcast delves into the future of AI in business and society, and what those potential implications are. Learn more and listen to the podcast from World XP Podcast.
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 appeared on NBC Washington News4 this month sharing his political expertise on Virginia’s redistricting battle. “By slicing up Northern Virginia as thinly as this plan would do, you are maximizing the chances that not only will Northern Virginia have more clout, but there will be more Democratic seats than is currently the case in Virginia,” Farnsworth said.
Other media mentions for Farnsworth include:
House subcommittee punts on data center bill, but hopes to ‘continue the work’ (Virginia Business)
Stephen Farnsworth, a professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Mary Washington, said data center policy was a priority of the Democratic majorities in the legislature last year. “But the gridlock in Richmond meant that the topic was down the road until this year,” Farnsworth said. Read more in Virginia Business.
Virginia House Democrats pass new gun laws, but not all Democrats voted for them (WVTF; USA Today)
University of Mary Washington political science professor Stephen Farnsworth said that can be beneficial for likely-vulnerable legislators like McAuliffe and Franklin, but it can cut both ways. “The big majority gives the speaker a lot more flexibility, not only to let individual lawmakers walk away from what a majority of what Democrats might want, it also gives the speaker the opportunity to kill bills from the far left that the governor doesn’t want to see on her desk,” Farnsworth warned. Read more in USA Today.
Affordability or tax hikes? Spanberger agenda caught in political crossfire (Yahoo News; Henrico Citizen)
Political scientist Stephen Farnsworth of the University of Mary Washington said that silence carries risks. “One of the things that we’ve learned in the world of social media is that the truth is a rare and not very highly valued commodity,” Farnsworth said. “You don’t need evidence to make a claim online, and increasingly, people don’t even care.” Read more in Yahoo News.
A 10-1 map turns Va. politics upside down — if voters agree (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
“There’s no doubt about it, if you slice Northern Virginia as thinly as they have done in these district maps, you’re going to create a lot of favorable environments for Democrats,” said Steve Farnsworth, director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg. Read more in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Affordability or tax hikes? Spanberger agenda caught in political crossfire (Virginia Mercury)
Political scientist Stephen Farnsworth of the University of Mary Washington said that silence carries risks. “One of the things that we’ve learned in the world of social media is that the truth is a rare and not very highly valued commodity,” Farnsworth said. “You don’t need evidence to make a claim online, and increasingly, people don’t even care.” Read more in Virginia Mercury.
Sound Familiar? ‘Moderate’ Dem Spanberger Became Virginia Gov by Promising ‘Affordability,’ But Leftists Immediately Push Radical Tax-First Agenda in Legislature (The Western Journal)
Political Science Professors Larry Sabato and Stephen Farnsworth believe most of the tax increase proposals will not pass the Virginia General Assembly. “I think it’s important to note that a lot of what gets proposed in the legislature never comes to pass,” said Farnsworth, a professor with the University of Mary Washington.
Mary Washington. Read more in The Western Journal.
Hey GOP! This News Report Is the Ad That Will Win the Midterms. (PJ Media)
Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, told the Mercury, “This is not a normal opening act for a legislative session. Spanberger is setting the stage for an aggressive year one.” Read more in PJ Media.
Virginia Democrats introduce flood of new tax proposals despite running on affordability (WJLA)
Political Science Professors Larry Sabato and Stephen Farnsworth believe most of the tax increase proposals will not pass the Virginia General Assembly. “I think it’s important to note that a lot of what gets proposed in the legislature never comes to pass,” said Farnsworth, a professor with the University of Mary Washington. Learn more from WJLA.
Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Freund Larus
Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Freund Larus was quoted by Diario De Cuba in an article titled “Corruption, attempted coup, or Taiwan: what is known about the military purge in China?”
In the article, Larus, who is a senior associate research fellow at the Pacific Forum, tells the newspaper that “military purges can mean one of two things for Taiwan.” “Either Xi discovered that he cannot take Taiwan by force within the timeframe he desires, or he wants to replace the veterans (too nervous about bold action against Taiwan) with younger, more energetic officers who will ensure his dreams come true,” Larus believes. Learn more in Diario De Cuba.
Other media mentions for Larus include:
New US strategy acknowledges China’s influence, expert says (RIA Novosti)
The new US defense strategy recognizes China’s influence in the Western Hemisphere and aims to counter it, Elizabeth Freund Larus, a senior fellow at the Pacific Forum think tank, told RIA Novosti. Learn more in RIA Novosti.