Guest Author, Author at EagleEye

TIAA Offers Virtual and In-Person Retirement Counseling Sessions

January 15, 2026 by Guest Author

TIAA (Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America) offers flexible retirement counseling options for COV ORPHE and 403(b) participants.

In 2026, as we get more information regarding scheduling counseling sessions, additional information will be provided to you. However, for now TIAA is offering virtual appointments and if you need an in-person session, you will need to visit one of the local branch offices.

To schedule a virtual appointment:

Employees can visit www.tiaa.org/schedule or call 800-732-8353.
Employees will be prompted to login using their TIAA credentials or create a guest login if they are not currently a participant.
From there, select a date/time and confirm the meeting.

Be sure to have financial statements on hand, including investment, retirement and savings info.

graphic from TIAA with a QR code and info on scheduling that is also included in the text of this article

Alumni Program Updates

January 15, 2026 by Guest Author

UMW Alumni logo The alumni events calendar picks up quickly in the new year with several opportunities to connect, serve and celebrate. Unless otherwise noted, alumni events are open to parents, friends, faculty, and staff as well.

The latest local events include:

On Saturday, Jan. 24, from 1 to 4 p.m., Young Alumni: MLK Day of Service is scheduled providing a meaningful opportunity to give back to the community.
On Saturday, Feb. 7, alumni in the Roanoke and New River Valley area are invited to gather for a happy hour at Olde Salem Brewing beginning at 4 p.m., followed by a 7 p.m. hockey game at the Berglund Center.
On Wednesday, Feb. 18, there will be a Mary Talk featuring Dr. Andi Smith.
On Sunday, Feb. 22, the DC/NoVA Network will be bowling in Arlington.

Looking ahead, the Alumni team will also launch the Devil-Goat 100th Anniversary Alumni Engagement Challenge this month. More details about this fun, campuswide initiative—leading up to the 100th Devil-Goat Day in April—will be shared soon. Watch your email for updates and event information.

Art Openings in the UMW Galleries

January 15, 2026 by Guest Author

Please join us next week on Tuesday, Jan. 20, for the Opening Receptions of two exhibitions: Carolyn Marks Johnson: Woman, the Spirit of the Universe; and Origins: Samantha Van Heest. Receptions will take place in both Ridderhof Martin Gallery and duPont Gallery from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. All are welcome – please stop by!

In Ridderhof Martin Gallery, Carolyn Marks Johnson: Woman, the Spirit of the Universe features twenty-three collars, hand-stitched and cast in bronze, created by Texas artist and judge Carolyn Marks Johnson. Each collar honors the lifelong achievements of brave women who contributed to equality for all. In addition to the exquisite collars, this traveling exhibition includes ephemera and paintings that invite further exploration and conversation about the achievements of women such as Margaret Brent, Dorothea Lange, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, and Harriet Tubman, among others.

**Join us before the opening at 4 p.m. in Seacobeck 145 for Johnson’s artist talk in dialogue with gallery director Tracy Stonestreet. All are welcome to attend this special event.

In duPont Gallery, we are thrilled to host Origins, the first solo exhibition at UMW for Samantha Van Heest (UMW Class of 2020). Van Heest utilizes still life, found objects, and textiles to explore our relationships and rituals with the seemingly mundane, navigating patterns of collecting and preserving through unconventional means of presentation. Her hyperrealistic renderings of everyday domestic objects invite conversation around the politics of consumerism. Van Heest has been awarded several residencies and is currently an MFA candidate in Painting at Boston University. She will join us again on March 12 for a gallery talk. The Origins series highlights the work of UMW Art alumni.

These exhibitions will remain on view from January 20 to March 15. Admission is always free and no tickets are required. If you are interested in scheduling a tour for a specific group or class, please let a gallery team member know!

UMW Theatre Returning for 2025–26 Season with Hand to God

January 15, 2026 by Guest Author

Graphic with a hand-drawn puppet with red flames for hair and mixed up expersion and the words Hand to God above it in red

Performances of Hand to God begin Feb. 5–7 and 12–14 at 7:30 p.m., and Feb. 8 and 15 at 2 p.m. in Klein Theatre, duPont Hall.

UMW Theatre resumes its 2025–26 season with Hand to God by Robert Askins, a darkly comic, Tony Award–nominated play that blends humor and discomfort to explore faith, morality, and human expression. Directed by School of the Arts Director Gregg Stull, the production brings to the Klein Theatre a story that begins modestly—with a grieving teenager joining a church puppet club—and quickly spirals into something far more provocative.

After the sudden death of his father, Jason turns to the puppet club, run by his mother, Margery, as a creative outlet. But as the group prepares to perform during a Sunday church service, Jason’s puppet, Tyrone, takes on a voice—and agenda—of its own. Tyrone’s increasingly outrageous behavior forces Jason and the other club members to confront uncomfortable truths about belief, repression, and personal responsibility. Since its Off-Broadway debut and subsequent Broadway and London runs, Hand to God has been praised for using sharp satire to examine deeply human questions.

Performances run Feb. 5–7 and 12–14 at 7:30 p.m., with matinees Feb. 8 and 15 at 2 p.m., in Klein Theatre, duPont Hall. A Pay-What-You-Can preview will be held Tuesday, Feb. 4, at 7:30 p.m., with tickets available beginning at 5:30 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis. A post-show AfterWords discussion with the cast will follow the Feb. 8 matinee.

The production features scenic design by Professor Michael Benson, costume design by Professor Kevin McCluskey, sound design by Marketing Director Jon K. Reynolds, and lighting design by guest designer Max Doolittle. Tickets are $30 general admission and $25 for students, seniors, and military, with group discounts available.

For tickets or more information, call the Klein Theatre Box Office at (540) 654-1111 or visit www.FredTix.com.

Faculty and Staff Yoga

January 15, 2026 by Guest Author

UMW Faculty Staff Yoga begin Jan 12th and ends Feb 25th. Each session will begin with a warm-up, followed by a series of yoga poses designed to move the whole body, and end with deep relaxation. You’ll leave feeling refreshed, relaxed, and ready for whatever the afternoon brings. This class is suitable for both beginners and those experienced with yoga. The Session fee is $35.

You can register here: https://campusrec.umw.edu/Program/GetProgramDetails?courseId=dde99e2e-2391-4a61-81f5-8bcc42df0b0f

Image of adult in yoga pose

Enterprise AI System Coming Soon in Spring 2026

January 15, 2026 by Guest Author

We’re excited to share that in spring 2026, we plan to launch UMW’s official generative AI platform, based on Cloudforce’s NebulaONE. As an enterprise solution, across all of UMW’s core functions, this platform will be developed deliberately to support broad access to AI, enable advanced academic and pedagogical innovation, and maintain clear governance and data protections.

We anticipate that there will be numerous applications and conversations about the AI tools as they become available, so we wanted to send this preview announcement so you can factor in the tools and the toolkit to your spring courses and projects. Our implementation of NebulaONE will provide a general-purpose learning and productivity tool, available to all current students, faculty and staff. We’ll update you when the log-in access is ready.

Once it’s launched, you’ll have access to a set of generative AI tools, available campus-wide, without the need for separate purchases or log-ins. We’ll have GPT types for a variety of projects, including documents, images, data analysis and more, all through a secure, campus-managed environment for teaching, learning, research, and administrative work within artificial intelligence tools and platforms. Through training sessions, you’ll be able to advance your skills in AI in this controlled environment, while expanding the resources available in your courses. These offerings will stem from Digital Learning Services, in coordination with the Center for AI and the Liberal Arts.

We appreciate the leadership of the AI working group in bringing this project forward. This group will continue to play a central role in refining how AI is used, identifying future expansion points, and shaping best practices, ensuring it adheres to our high standards of academic integrity.

We look forward to sending the official announcement of the launch of our instance of NebulaONE in the spring semester and offering initial training sessions, access instruction and FAQs. If you have interest in being an early adopter as you return from winter break, please contact Chief Information Officer Jonathan Piersol at piersol@umw.edu or Center for AI and the Liberal Arts Director Anand Rao at arao@umw.edu.

U.S. Diplomat Ambassador Pamela Bridgewater Lecture, Jan. 20

January 15, 2026 by Guest Author

The Beta Eta Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma International is excited to host an American diplomat Ambassador Pamela Bridgewater for a presentation at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan 20 in the Weatherly Wing (Room 145) of Seacobeck Hall.

Ambassador Bridgewater will discuss her journey in the diplomatic corps and her efforts to construct a medical clinic in Prince’s Town, Ghana, as well as her memoir Bridging Troubled Waters.

Copies of Ambassador Bridgewater’s book will be available for purchase and for signing. Please invite your students and anyone else who might be interested in attending Ambassador Bridgewater’s lecture!

Photo of a book cover with an adult woman in front of an American flag

Howard Appointed Director of Financial Aid

January 15, 2026 by Guest Author

Director of Financial Aid Tessa Howard

Tessa Howard has recently been appointed director of financial aid at UMW. Howard has had a progressive and comprehensive career at Mary Washington since 2011, when she began as a financial aid specialist administering and disbursing aid through the Federal Direct Loan Program. She later added state aid program management and financial aid counseling in her role as senior assistant director for nearly a decade, followed by a focus on operations and Banner systems as associate director of systems and processing. For the past six months, she has served as interim director of financial aid.

In the ever-changing world of financial aid, Howard brings deep knowledge and engagement to ensure continuity of resources through compliance while also advancing strategic planning to best support students. She is invested in creating a customer-focused financial aid office and team. In her most recent role as interim director, changes in structure, process and philosophy are already underway to better serve students, their supporters and university stakeholders involved in the financial aid process.

Howard is a University of Mary Washington alumna, earning her undergraduate degree in English in 2007 and her MBA in 2017.

Summer Enrichment Program Application Now Open

January 15, 2026 by Guest Author

The UMW Summer Enrichment Program is now accepting applications for its 2026 session, offering rising 10th–12th graders an immersive, weeklong residential experience designed to spark curiosity and build academic confidence. The program will be held July 12–18, 2026, and provides students with a firsthand look at college life through engaging coursework and enrichment activities led by UMW faculty.

Participants explore a range of hands-on courses, take part in organized activities throughout the week, and spend time discovering UMW’s campus and the city of Fredericksburg. The program also emphasizes connection and community, giving students the opportunity to meet peers from across the region and create lasting memories.

The program cost is $1,200, which covers tuition, room and board, course materials, field trip transportation, and recreational activities. Fee reductions may be available for eligible students. Applications are open now and close March 20, and interested students are encouraged to apply early. If you have – or know – a high school student that’s interested, please let them know! The application for this exclusive residential program is NOW OPEN and closes March 20th.

To learn more, visit the Summer Enrichment Program website. Questions may be directed to Professor Michael Stebar or Dr. Elizabeth Johnson-Young at enrichment@umw.edu, and updates are shared on the program’s Facebook page.

Photo of student in a science lab with the dates of the summer program

Larochelle Shares Expertise on ‘With Good Reason’

January 15, 2026 by Guest Author

Professor of Spanish Jeremy LaRochelle

Professor of Spanish Jeremy LaRochelle was featured on the With Good Reason public radio show in an episode titled “Delicious Predator.”

In a segment of the show, titled “Protecting The Water Spirits,” LaRochelle discusses how indigenous people throughout the Amazon basin understand themselves to be deeply connected to the more-than-human world. So the pollution of waterways and loss of biodiversity is not just an environmental loss, it’s a loss of spiritual protection and livelihood.

Larochelle says that indigenous amazonian people honor poets as much as they honor the fishermen. And poets like Juan Carlos Galeans and Ana Varela Tafur are sounding the alarm about the urgent need to save the Amazon by honoring it. Listen to the Delicious Predator episode of With Good Reason.

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