A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff
James Farmer Multicultural Center Assistant Director Chris Williams
James Farmer Multicultural Center Assistant Director Chris Williams received a commendation from the General Assembly. House Resolution No. 420, agreed to by the Virginia House of Delegates on March 8, 2024, highlights Williams and the City of Fredericksburg’s Victoria Matthews for spearheading the Fredericksburg Civil Rights Trail project. Read more.
UMW Campus Community,
FXBG Civil Rights Trail marker
On Tuesday, July 16, the University of Mary Washington, in partnership with the City of Fredericksburg, will unveil five campus markers for stops on the Fredericksburg Civil Rights Trail. These signs and the trail are already in place, with more details online at https://fxbg.com/civil-rights-trail/. The UMW-based markers start Part 2 of the Fredericksburg Civil Rights Trail.
You are invited to join the unveiling ceremony at 10 a.m. in Dodd Auditorium, George Washington Hall. Please note that parking will be reserved for guests in the GW lot and Jefferson Square lot. Parking for faculty and staff will remain available in all other designated and unreserved faculty and staff lots.
As a reminder:
For a calendar view of lot reservations visit the Parking Lot Reservations Calendar webpage.
For more information about the trail, contact Christopher Williams, assistant director of the James Farmer Multicultural Center, at cwilli27@umw.edu or 540-654-1044.
UMW Director of First Year Admissions Sarah Lindberg
UMW Director of First Year Admissions Sarah Lindberg shared her expertise and the essential actions schools should take to reach more families and make a positive impact in a July 11th webinar with CampusESP. Learn more at https://www.campusesp.com/webinars, or sign up for UMW’s very own Eagle Family Connection newsletter.
Department of Political Science and International Affairs Associate Professor Ranjit Singh
University of Mary Washington professor Ranjit Singh said he is looking forward to hosting Livia, a student from Fréjus for twelve days this summer. Read more in The FXBG Advance.
After four decades with the University of Mary Washington, Lucy Quann is retiring from the College of Business. A reception will be held in her honor on Tuesday, July 23, from 4 to 6 p.m., in the Red Room at Woodard Hall. We hope you can join us as we celebrate the beginning of the next chapter of Lucy’s life. We will be collecting stories, photos, and messages that you may wish to share with us. If you would like to contribute, please email brosales@umw.edu no later than July 8. Please also RSVP to brosales@umw.edu before July 15.
Amy Jessee ’06 is executive director of university communications.
UMW’s Executive Director of University Communications has joined the Board of Directors for the College Communicators Association of Virginia and D.C.
She has been a member of CCA since graduating from UMW in 2006 and working as assistant director of news and public relations and has also been a member of the College News Association of the Carolinas.
CCA was founded at the University of Mary Washington as The College News Association of Virginia and the District of Columbia (CNA) in 1990 and has continued to be hosted around the Commonwealth, with summer and winter conferences each year. Membership in the College Communicators Association is open to everyone who works in higher education communications at colleges and universities, including two-year institutions, throughout Virginia and the District of Columbia.
Professor of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth
Stephen Farnsworth, professor of Political Science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, recently presented a lecture, “The State of the U.S. Presidential Election,” at the British-American Studies Center of Maria Curie Skłodowska University in Lublin, Poland. The talk was derived from portions of Dr. Farnsworth’s recently published book, Presidential Communication and Character: White House News Management from Clinton and Cable to Twitter and Trump. Dr. Farnsworth served at the University of Warsaw in Poland as a 2024 Fulbright Distinguished Scholar.
Other recent media mentions for Farnsworth include:
2 Army veterans set for major House battle in Virginia (The Hill; Yahoo News; AOL.com)
“It’s going to be one of the marquee national races this fall,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political analyst at the University of Mary Washington.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/2-army-veterans-set-major-130751669.html
Kamala Harris, From Grey Vice President to Possible Biden Alternative (Sunday Vision)
“If she steps down, Harris would be the best alternative for Democrats to avoid starting a major internal battle just weeks before the convention,” Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, told EFE.
https://www.sundayvision.co.ug/kamala-harris-from-grey-vice-president-to-possible-biden-alternative/
Virginia House, Senate reach agreement on military education program (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
“It’s never a good idea to anger voters, particularly military families,” said Steve Farnsworth, director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, in the heart of the 7th Congressional District. “The failure to pass something hurts the two Democrats facing the toughest campaign terrain in November.”
https://richmond.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/virginia-military-education-benefit-youngkin-lucas-vindman-anderson-kiggans-smasal/article_b70fa6f2-388f-11ef-a061-aba27012d6aa.html#tracking-source=home-top-story
Virginia analysts weigh in on Supreme Court’s presidential immunity ruling (The Daily Progress)
Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, said the Supreme Court “further reduced the slim chances” of a federal trial before the election stemming from Trump’s actions relating to Jan. 6, 2021.
https://dailyprogress.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/virginia-trump-presidential-immunity/article_475a2a63-e0b0-5132-8384-d091d3455cce.html
Not with a bang, but a whimper (Virginia Business)
“The only thing that the legislature really did is the one thing they have to do: Pass a budget,” says Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington who has tracked the state legislature for decades. “This is a session that would qualify as one of the more forgettable ones.”
https://www.virginiabusiness.com/article/not-with-a-bang-but-a-whimper/
Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Larus
Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Freund Larus indicated that the debate was “revealing.” Watch the interview.
The following message is from the Chief of Staff:
It is with great sadness that we share the passing of H. Conrad Warlick, senior vice president emeritus and professor emeritus of education. From the first days he was hired in admissions, to the day he retired in 1997 and beyond, Conrad was deeply committed to Mary Washington, helping many students and employees find their home here.
Conrad moved to Fredericksburg with his wife Anne in 1974 coming from the University of Virginia to serve as associate dean for admissions, just as Mary Washington College became a separate institution from UVA. He earned his Ed.D. at the University of Virginia, following a M.A. from the University of North Carolina and a B.A. from Wake Forest College. He also served as an officer in the U.S. Navy.
At Mary Washington, Conrad also served as an executive assistant to the president for President Anderson and was the first person appointed to be the senior vice president for administrative and student services in 1990, a job that incorporated some of the duties previously assigned to the executive vice president. In his retirement, he served on the UMW Foundation Board and numerous civic organizations in Fredericksburg.
Through his tenure, he had a leadership role in connecting campus to the community and the world. The University of Mary Washington A Centennial History 1908-2008 notes how “the gregarious Warlick had been instrumental in a number of notable changes on campus.” Notable were the fiber-optic system, building the Phi Beta Kappa key beside Campus Walk, and playing a pivotal role in establishing FRED, the city’s bus service, as he served as the MWC liaison with the transportation system.
Constantly mindful of the image and excellence of Mary Washington, Conrad’s enthusiasm never faltered, and many of us still remember his work and his lasting impact on our campus today. We extend our sympathies to his family and remember his impact on campus and all who had an opportunity to work with him.
A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, July 12, 2024 at Trinity Episcopal Church. Interment will follow in Oak Hill Cemetery. Following the burial, a reception will be held at 1 p.m. at the Jepson Alumni Executive Center, 1119 Hanover St., Fredericksburg. For more information about Conrad’s life and impact, where to make donations or to sign the guest book, please see his obituary online.
Jeff McClurken
Chief of Staff
With the new academic and fiscal year, the University of Mary Washington Foundation (UMW Foundation), an institutionally-related, independent 501c3 organization, is making updates to strengthen operations and their organizational framework.
Katie Turcotte, UMW’s VP for Advancement and Alumni Engagement, has taken on an additional role as the Executive Director of the Foundation creating greater efficiencies in both the short-term and the long-term for foundation operations, including relocating the Foundations offices to the Jepson Alumni Executive Center in late fall. The offices remain in the Eagle Village Executive Offices until then.
Please note that UMW Foundation team members have new email addresses and phone numbers:
UMWF Executive Director, Katie Turcotte kturcotte@umwf1908.org
Phone: (540) 654-1372
UMWF Interim CFO, Dale Lachniet
dlachniet@umwf1908.org
UMWF Controller Shannon Williams: swilliams@umwf1908.org
Phone: (540) 654-2053
UMWF Senior Accountant Ann Hodges: ahodges@umwf1908.org
Phone: (540) 654-2080