April 30, 2026

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Farnsworth Comments in the News

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Professor of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth

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 commented on the following news stories:

Virginia’s gas tax and the effort to reach a balanced budget (WVTF)

A General Assembly rejection of a cabinet pick isn’t without precedent (WVTF)

State lawmakers must work out a $3 billion difference between House and Senate budgets (WVTF)

Partisanship marked a 2022 session without any major accomplishments (WVTF)

Biden to meet with NATO leaders in Europe (CTV News)

Zelensky addresses U.S. Congress (CTV News)

‘Don’t Say Gay’ Law (CTV News)

Gari Melchers Home and Studio to Host Spring Symposium, April 2

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The grounds at Gari Melchers Home & Studio, which are overseen by Garden Manager Jody Wilken.

The grounds at Gari Melchers Home & Studio, which are overseen by Garden Manager Jody Wilken.

Gari Melchers Home and Studio will host its Spring Symposium event, “Made for the Shade,” on April 2.

Bryce Lane will give two talks, “Heads Up: The Importance of Light in Plant Growth” and “Shade Tolerant Plants That Add Color and Texture.” The public is invited to learn how to measure light outside and how to choose plants suited to different intensities. Lane, who lives in North Carolina, hosted an award-winning TV show “In the Garden with Bryce Lane” for 11 years.

Jenny Rose Carey, senior director at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Meadowbrook Farm, will give a talk on “Designing Glorious Shade Gardens.” Carey will share time-tested techniques to turn shady yards into cool, inviting retreats. She will sell copies of her book “Glorious Shade.”

Geoff Rinehart’s presentation, “Shade Tolerant Lawn Options,” will share the best techniques and management practices for a shady lawn, current information on lawn seed choices for shade, and “lawn-like” plants that are good choices for a shady lawn.

Doors open at 8:30 a.m., talks begin at 9 a.m., and conclude at 3:30 p.m. Tickets are $65–$75. The price includes parking, light breakfast, morning break coffee, buffet lunch and an afternoon snack.

To register and pay, go to mgacra.org/2022-symposium. The schedule and speaker information are on the registration form. Contact Laura Westermeier at Laura.Westermeier@gmail.com for more information.

Pi Mu Epsilon inducts new members for spring 2022

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The following students have been inducted into Pi Mu Epsilon, the national mathematics honorary society, for spring 2022.

 Marianne N. Beaulieu

 Amya R. Bland

 Kayla M. Kippes

 Jermaine L. Mason

 Sabrina K. Mikeal

 Catherine T. Nguyen

 Matthew E. O’Cadiz

 Kolby A. Register

 Madeline M. Slunt

 Kalista A. Soto

Abigail G. Swanson

 

3rd Mid-Atlantic Ottomanist Workshop, April 1-2

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We are pleased to announce that the University of Mary Washington will host the third meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Ottomanist Workshop on April 1-2, 2022. This workshop, co-sponsored by the Harrison R. Tyler Department of History at the College of William & Mary, will provide an opportunity for scholars of Ottoman studies to gather, discuss their research, and receive substantive feedback. This initiative aims to bring together scholars of all stages based in the mid-Atlantic region who are working to advance the study of the Ottoman Empire and its interactions with the wider world from the late 13th century through the early 20th century. See the event schedule here.

The theme of the 2022 workshop will be “Continuity and Change Throughout the Ottoman Longue Durée.” We hope to promote interdisciplinary dialogue among academics whose scholarship is focused on transregional and transimperial connections, situating the Ottoman Empire and its study within broader discussions. Works in progress are specifically welcomed.

Logistics: The conference will be held in a hybrid format at the Digital Auditorium, Hurley Convergence Center (HCC), at the University of Mary Washington, in Fredericksburg, VA. The HCC address is: 1801 College Ave, Fredericksburg, VA 22401

Workshop webpage: https://maow.umwblogs.org/

Zoom Registration: https://umw-sso.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcqfuuqqzMjHtc0XVQZ8S1bSdoMY7TUKcHN

Please contact Nabil Al-Tikriti (naltikri@umw.edu) if you have any questions.

Aminrazavi quoted in FLS on Jefferson Descendent Speaking at UMW

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Race and Religion flyerProfessor of Philosophy and Religion Mehdi Aminrazavi was quoted in a Free Lance-Star article entitled, “Jefferson descendent to speak at UMW” that ran in advance of Shannon LaNier’s keynote address on Tuesday to open UMW’s Race and Religion Conference, sponsored by the Khatib Program in Religion and Dialogue. A Houston-area news anchor and social media influencer, LaNier is the sixth great-grandson of the third U.S. president, descended through Sally Hemings, one of the founding father’s enslaved workers.

Mehdi Aminrazavi, director of the Khatib Program and professor of philosophy and religion at UMW, said he is excited to have LaNier speak at the event.

“I like what he had to say,” Aminrazavi said. “(There’s a) perception of our founding fathers and the reality of the (lives) they lived and I thought it would be good for our students to learn different understandings and narratives of Thomas Jefferson.”

Read more.

Save the Date for the Celebration of Dr. Gwen Hale’s Life, April 6, 4 p.m.

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From UMW Academic Affairs and Student Affairs:

 

Dear UMW Community:

Please mark your calendars for a campus celebration of the life of Dr. Gwen Hale, Director of the UMW Writing Center from 2011 until her death from cancer in October 2021. The celebration will take place on Wednesday April 6 starting at 4:00 p.m. in the University Center’s Chandler Ballroom.

Many of us at Mary Washington deeply admired Dr. Hale for her generous and empathetic spirit. In addition to teaching and mentoring dozens of students, she helped launch UMW’s First in Family initiative and the Eagle Resource Closet. Dr. Hale also won Student Activities and Engagement’s Giving Tree Award for a faculty or staff member who demonstrates tremendous care and support for students.

The celebration is open to anyone wishing to celebrate Dr. Hale’s significant imprint on our university. If you have any questions about the celebration, please email Dr. Wes Hillyard at rhill5ch@umw.edu. If you have any photographs or other mementos of Dr. Hale that might be included in the celebration, please share them with Heather Guhl, Academic Support Centers Manager, by March 24..

Chichester Interviewed for FLS story on Spring Gardening

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UMW Director of Landscaping and Grounds Holly Chichester was interviewed for a story in The Free Lance-Star entitled “Gardeners gear up for veggie-planting season.”

Holly Chichester, director of landscaping and grounds at the University of Mary Washington, said backyard gardeners have a better chance for success if they build raised garden beds, where they can more easily control the quality of the soil within the garden and the amount of nutrients that go into it.

“Great soil makes great plants, so it definitely starts from the ground up,” Chichester said.

She said a blend of compost or manure can be mixed with gardening soil, but said there may be a need to add lime, alkaline, slow-released fertilizer or acidifiers after a soil sample is taken and its results are analyzed by experts.

“If (the garden) has been successful in the past and suddenly it’s not, or if it’s been waning over the last couple of years, a soil sample is going to tell you everything you need to know,” Chichester said. Read more.

Barrenechea Publishes Enclopedia Entry on Literature of the Americas

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Professor of English Antonio Barrenechea

Professor of English Antonio Barrenechea

Antonio Barrenechea, Professor of English, recently published “Literature of the Americas” in The Encyclopedia of Contemporary American Fiction, 1980-2020. Ed. Leslie Larkin, Stephen Burn, and Patrick O’Donnell. London and New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2022: 835-44.