April 30, 2026

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

A Message from President Paino – Risk Management and Internal Control Standards

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Dear UMW Faculty and Staff,

The Commonwealth of Virginia’s (CoVA) Agency Risk Management and Internal Control Standards (ARMICS) directive is a structured and disciplined approach to ensure fiscal accountability, compliance with laws and regulations, and safeguard CoVA assets.

Fundamental elements of ARMICS are management’s commitment to the University’s overall control environment and clear communication of that commitment.  This is often referred to as the “tone at the top.” As President of the University of Mary Washington, I consider the ARMICS Program a high priority for the University and I ask each of you to fully embrace this initiative to protect the University’s reputation as we work toward our established mission, strategic goals, and priorities.

I encourage you to review the University’s Ethical Business Practices and Principles and Values.  These documents describe management’s expectations of the University community to apply a daily risk management mindset, complete assignments within established policies and procedures, identify and address any challenges, take prompt and effective action to meet these challenges, and safeguard public assets from loss or inappropriate use.

Please expect a request, within the next week, to complete a Commonwealth required ARMICS all-campus survey that will assess your perceptions of internal controls, risk, and management integrity throughout the university. Your participation is highly encouraged.

Troy D. Paino, J.D., Ph.D.
President

Young Named UMW Associate Provost for Career and Workforce

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UMW’s Kimberly Young has been named Associate Provost for Career and Workforce.

UMW’s Kimberly Young has been named Associate Provost for Career and Workforce.

Kimberly Young has been named associate provost for Career and Workforce at the University of Mary Washington. The announcement was made Tuesday by Interim Provost Tim O’Donnell in an e-mail to the campus community.

For nearly five years, Young has served as UMW’s executive director of Continuing and Professional Studies, a role in which she has forged relationships across the region and around the Commonwealth. As associate provost, she will now also assume responsibility for the Center for Career and Professional Development.

“This move is strategic,” O’Donnell said. “As a University, we need to leverage the connections Young has made in order to create opportunities for our students to prepare for life and careers after Mary Washington. This will give students greater opportunities to pursue internships and other applied employment-based learning experiences while also meeting regional and statewide workforce needs.”

Young will focus on creating innovative partnerships that will lead to meaningful work experiences through which Mary Washington students can apply their academic knowledge and critical thinking skills.

“We want employers to know that our students – with their high-quality liberal arts and sciences background – are prepared to excel in the workforce upon graduation and to grow as leaders in their communities well into the future,” said UMW President Troy Paino.

Young added: “As an academic institution guided by the principles of critical thinking and the fearless exploration of knowledge, we are obligated to prepare our students to lead in life and in work.”

Young has more than two decades of industry and academic experience. Prior to joining UMW, she was at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where she oversaw the Executive MBA program and established the Executive Education Center. She was responsible for key collaborative relationships including an extensive multi-year partnership with a global healthcare organization.

Previously, Young worked for ARAMARK and Cap Gemini Ernst & Young. Her clients included global organizations, such as Coca-Cola Company, Eli Lilly, 3M Corp., Boeing and Garmin.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in public policy studies from Duke University and both an MBA and a master of management degree in hospitality from Cornell University. She is actively involved in the Fredericksburg region, serving on the Mary Washington Healthcare Citizens Council, the GO Virginia Region 6 Council, and as chair of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library Board of Trustees. She is also a senior fellow of the Institute for Learning Innovation, a teaching fellow for Leadership Fredericksburg, co-chair of the UMW Women’s Leadership Colloquium and a member of the Links Inc.

Asper Receives Distinguished Service Award from VA Section of American Chemical Society

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Chemistry Physics Chair and Professor Janet Asper works with several students.

Chemistry Physics Chair and Professor Janet Asper works with several students.

Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Physics Janet Asper was recently chosen as the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award by the VA Section of the American Chemical Society. She was nominated by a longstanding member, Jim Beck, who said the following:

Janet Asper joined the American Chemical Society in 1995 and has served as a member of the Executive Committee for the Virginia Section for 12+ years. She served as Chair of the Younger Chemists Committee from 2007 through 2011 and as an Alternate Councilor from 2011 through 2019. She is now a Virginia Section Councilor. She has arranged numerous meetings of the Section at the University of Mary Washington (UMW), and has been an outstanding ambassador for the ACS at UMW, encouraging and facilitating student participation in local, section, regional, and national meetings and activities.

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