April 6, 2026

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Leslie Petrey Named Excellent Eagle for March 2022

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Congratulations to Leslie Petrey! Leslie is USC’s Excellent Eagle for the month of March.

Maxxx Dennis nominated Leslie for this recognition, noting her amazing hard work during the Kronos outage. So many folks across campus are hugely appreciative of Leslie’s knowledge, dedication, and assistance. Please join us in congratulating Leslie on this well-deserved recognition.

Do you have a co-worker you’d like to nominate for this award? It’s easy! Just complete the Excellent Eagle Employee Nomination Form on our website. Recipients receive a month-long reserved parking space in the lot of their choosing.

Death of a staff member

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We mourn the loss of Kenneth L. Steen, Associate Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Relations. During his 15-year tenure at Mary Washington, Steen led two successful capital campaigns and inspired ever-increasing alumni engagement.

A South Carolina native, he graduated from Wofford College. He worked in education throughout his career – at Brandon Hall in Atlanta, Baylor School in Chattanooga, and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, where he served as Vice Chancellor for Development.

Steen enjoyed mentoring students and new staff members and often helped connect them to appropriate networks and new career opportunities. He challenged all who knew and worked with him to be better tomorrow than they were yesterday, and to always strive and hope for the best.

At this time, no services are planned.

Introducing the New Director of Continuing & Professional Studies at UMW

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Teresa Segelken, UMW's new director of Continuing and Professional Studies

Teresa Segelken, UMW’s new director of Continuing and Professional Studies

Teresa Segelken has been named Director of Continuing and Professional Studies at the University of Mary Washington. In this position, Segelken will be responsible for aiding in the expansion of credit and non-credit programs and course opportunities, developing associated content, and evaluating the effectiveness and impact of new programs in the greater Fredericksburg region.

“As the region’s only four-year institution, this role is a critical component of our outreach. Teresa’s work will support our industry partners who need to equip their existing workforce with the skills necessary to maintain their competitive edge,” said Kimberly Young, Associate Provost for Career and Workforce.

Segelken comes to UMW most recently from Headquarters Marine Corps in Quantico, Virginia, where she served as a Training and Curriculum Senior Specialist responsible for designing, implementing, and evaluating training and programs for Marines and families. She worked to develop content in a variety of areas including personal financial management, mental wellness and self-care, recruiting, and new employee onboarding.

Segelken enters this role with a decade of experience as a community college instructor. She taught Psychology and Education courses to diverse student populations in New York, Nebraska, and North Carolina before coming to Virginia. She earned two degrees from the State University of New York at Albany (UAlbany) including a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with concentrations in marketing and management, and a master’s degree in Educational Psychology and Methodology, concentrating in learning and cognition across the lifespan and effective teaching and evaluation strategies.

Segelken is looking forward to settling down in Fredericksburg and at UMW. “I look forward to the opportunity to work within this institution to meet the needs of the Fredericksburg community. My heart is in education; I’m excited for the opportunity to effect change on behalf of UMW.”

Segelken’s office will be located on UMW’s Stafford Campus.

Farnsworth, Hanna and Seltzer Publish Book Chapter on Virginia Politics

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Vibrant Virginia: Engaging the Commonwealth to Expand Economic VitalityProfessor of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth, who is director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies; Professor of Geography Stephen P. Hanna; and Kate Seltzer, a 2021 graduate of UMW with degrees in political science and in communication and digital studies, are coauthors of a book chapter entitled, “Declining Rural Influence in Virginia Politics: Comparing Mark Warner’s 2001 and 2020 Elections,” which was published in the new book, Vibrant Virginia: Engaging the Commonwealth to Expand Economic Vitality, just published by Virginia Tech. Further information on the book is available here: https://www.amazon.com/Vibrant-Virginia-Engaging-Commonwealth-Economic/dp/1949373851/ref=zg_bsnr_11284_12/142-4848735-5157510?pd_rd_i=1949373851&psc=1

 

Rafferty Showcases Presidential Essay Book on ‘With Good Reason’

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Colin Rafferty's 'Execute the Office'Associate Professor of English Colin Rafferty appeared on the latest episode of With Good Reason, which was entitled, “The Highest Office.” Rafferty spoke about his recent book of experimental essays, “Execute the Office,” which was published last year by Baobab Press. The episode also featured faculty from UVA Wise, Northern Virginia Community College and Old Dominion University. Listen here.

Esports coming to UMW

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The following message is from the UMW Department of Athletics. 

The Department of Athletics is pleased to announce that the University of Mary Washington will launch a new program in esports (electronic sports) this summer. It will be a team sport, with competitive and casual programs in place by Fall 2023.

With UMW esports, Mary Washington will be providing a vibrant co-curricular experience that will be shaped and defined by students eager to grow and compete in a burgeoning sport. Having expanded globally over the last decade, esports involves teams competing against each other in video game tournaments both face-to-face and virtually.

“At this moment in time, we have an excellent opportunity to introduce a new team sport program that aligns well with University priorities and has high potential to attract and retain students,” said Director of Athletics Patrick Catullo. “We are really drawn to the inclusive nature of esports.”

He said that over the next several months, UMW will begin a search for an esports director and will work to identify appropriate venues on campus. He added, “We look forward to hearing from members of the Mary Washington community about their experience with and interest in esports.”

For more information, contact athletics@mail.umw.edu. Also, see the FAQ on the athletics website. And stay tuned for more information about the development and initiation of the program.

Additional Day Off

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Dear UMW Colleagues,

I’m happy to inform you that in appreciation for your continued hard work and dedication, President Paino and the Cabinet have elected to add March 3rd as an additional day off this year! In addition to the existing March 4th Spring Break holiday, UMW employees will also have off Thursday, March 3rd.

We hope you enjoy the four-day weekend and get some well-deserved rest and rejuvenation.

Many thanks for all you do,

Beth Williams
Executive Director for Human Resources
University of Mary Washington

Gupta Pens Editorial on Indira Gandhi for Great Lives Lecture

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Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Surupa Gupta

Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Surupa Gupta

Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Surupa Gupta penned an editorial for The Free Lance-Star entitled, “Indira Gandhi: Creator of the modern Indian State” in advance of her Great Lives lecture on India’s first and only woman prime minister, which was held on Tuesday, Feb. 22. The program can be accessed through the program website at umw.edu/greatlives.

INDIRA GANDHI is known as India’s first and only woman prime minister, and the world’s second democratically elected female head of government. These titles, however, mask a complex and fascinating personality. Gandhi, as prime minister, emerged as one of the most consequential and polarizing figures in Indian politics.

Derided initially as a “dumb doll,” Gandhi surprised her followers and detractors as a canny politician with a strong sense of realpolitik and an authoritarian bent. Her decisions helped both restore and tarnish India’s image in world politics.

She turned India from a food-scarce to a food-surplus country; her bold move to help establish Bangladesh strengthened India’s credentials as a major Asian power; and yet, her declaration of political emergency in 1975 delivered the first frontal attack to India’s democratic institutions since that nation gained independence from British colonial rule in 1947. Read more.

Cooperman Weighs in on State Funding on Moneygeek.com

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Professor and Chair of Political Science Rosalyn Cooperman

Professor and Chair of Political Science Rosalyn Cooperman

Department of Political Science and International Affairs Professor and Chair Rosalyn Cooperman was interviewed by Moneygeek.com for an article entitled, “Return on Statehood: How Much Value Every State Gets from the Federal Government.”

What role does federal funding play in state government finances?

The role of federal funding in state government finances varies widely from state to state. For example, federal funding of K-12 education is quite small — typically less than 10% — compared with funding from the states and their local governments. Of course, that federal funding represents billions of dollars, which is not an inconsequential sum of money for public schools and students. States and their localities receive federal funds to help implement programs like IDEA, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which ensures that children with disabilities and special education needs receive a free and appropriate public education. Read more.

Brand update

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*2025 UPDATE: See the newly updated UMW Brand Toolkit (which now combines the original 2022 Brand Toolkit and Supplemental Guide into one streamlined, easy-to-use document.)

We are pleased to announce the completion of the University of Mary Washington Brand Toolkit and Supplemental Guide. These documents provide campus communicators the elements they need to communicate UMW’s institutional brand correctly and consistently. It is important to create and maintain a consistent visual identity to strengthen our image, increase public awareness, and demonstrate a spirt of excellence across the University.

In addition to providing access to approved fonts and logos, the toolkit addresses the appropriate ways to incorporate the brand into your correspondence and promotional collateral. The supplement addresses guidelines for printed materials like business cards, stationary, and secondary logos. These are living documents that are updated periodically to reflect revisions, additions, and changes. Our goal is to keep them current, relevant, and useful.

Your support is critical to our success in maintaining the UMW brand. We ask that you phase out the usage of old materials with the column logo by the end of March 2022. In a few weeks, all University employees will receive a new nametag. Orders for new business cards may be placed through the eVA punch-out catalog (see your department buyer for assistance). Stationary orders may be placed through Design Services.

For your convenience, the toolkit can be accessed here: go.umw.edu/logo. If you have questions about UMW style and usage, please call or email us.

Malcolm T. Holmes
Director, University Marketing​
540-654-1617
mholmes3@umw.edu

AJ Newell
Director of Design Services, Brand Coordinator
540-654-1934
anewell@umw.edu