July 28, 2026

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Office of Sustainability Weigh the Waste Week

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UMW’s Office of Sustainability partnered with Dining Services for Weigh the Waste Week recently to help students see how everyday food choices add up. Throughout the week, they were weighing post-consumer food waste in the dining hall and engaging students in conversations about practical ways to reduce waste.

The Weigh the Waste activity helped make food waste visible and sparked great conversations with students in the dining hall. Many students participated by taking the Food Waste Pledge, committing to simple actions like taking smaller portions, going back for seconds only if needed and being more mindful about leftovers.

Seeing food waste weighed in real time helps show how quickly waste adds up even in a short period. These conversations are a key part of building a campus culture of sustainability and encouraging long-term behavior change.

A huge thanks goes to student volunteers and Dining Services for supporting this effort. Together, we’re taking meaningful steps toward reducing food waste and advancing Zero Waste goals on campus!

Reminder: Strategic Action Plan Feedback Due Jan. 30

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We hope you have had time to review and reflect upon the January 2026 release of the initial complete draft of UMW’s Strategic Action Plan for 2026-2031, which is again attached to this email (see employee email from Jan. 8). As we continue this work this semester to refine ideas, assess resources and map out the timelines, milestones and measures for each action item, we appreciate your feedback.

If you have comments on the plan at this stage, please complete the UMW Strategic Action Plan – January 2026 Campus Community Feedback Form by January 30.

You can also provide feedback through the University Faculty Council, University Staff Council, or Student Government Association if you prefer, as the plan will be on agendas of upcoming meetings.

Thank you for your engagement in the planning process and for sharing your perspectives.

To learn more about the planning process and the priority groups, visit the strategic plan website.

On behalf of the steering committee,
Chief of Staff and Vice President of Strategy Jeff McClurken & Provost Tim O’Donnell, co-chair

Guest Lecture on AI, Feb. 2

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In the Company of Strangers: AI and the Value of Estrangement
Dr. Alexa Alice Joubin, Professor of English at George Washington University

Monday, Feb. 2, weather permitting
4 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Combs 139
Reception to follow

Flyer with info on the lecture, all of which is in the tex of this article.

About the talk: AI makes us strangers to ourselves in a productive manner. AI can produce uncertainties, but AI also compels us use estrangement as cognitive and affective intervention. We put our embodied perception and emotions on the line when we interact with human and more-than-human entities. This hands-on workshop addresses two of the challenges in our era: (1) data poverty despite informational abundance due to AI’s inequitable filtration, and (2) disempowerment through exclusion, which is caused by technological opacity. The solution to information inequity is open culture, which transforms us from mere consumers of AI to informed participants in the digital world. The antidote to opacity and exclusion is participatory justice through meta-cognition (the ability to reflect on one’s own thought processes). 

About the speaker: Alexa Alice Joubin is a leading voice on AI, social justice, and higher education. She is Director of the Digital Humanities Institute and Professor of English, Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Theatre, International Affairs, and East Asian Languages and Literatures at George Washington University. She is a faculty of the Trustworthy AI Initiative and an affiliate at the NSF’s Institute for Trustworthy AI in Law & Society. In 2024, she was named the inaugural Public Interest Technology Scholar.

Rao Speaks About AI and Academic Integrity at Fredericksburg Academy

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Photo of Professor of Communication and Chair of the Department of Communication and Digital Studies Anand Rao

Professor of Communication and Chair of the Department of Communication and Digital Studies Anand Rao

On Thursday, Jan 15, , Professor of Communication and Director of the Center for AI and the Liberal Arts Anand Rao spoke to the student body at Fredericksburg Academy at the invitation of the school’s Honor Council.

Rao’s talk focused on the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and academic integrity, offering students a nuanced framework for understanding both the opportunities and the risks associated with emerging AI tools. Drawing on current research, Rao addressed concerns about student overreliance on AI technologies and emphasized the importance of maintaining agency, judgment and accountability in academic work.

During the presentation, Rao outlined the skill sets students will need to thrive in an AI-rich future, including critical thinking, communication, ethical reasoning and the ability to collaborate effectively with intelligent tools rather than defer to them. He also discussed practical strategies for using AI responsibly in academic settings, highlighting transparency, attribution and intentional use as core principles.

A central theme of the talk was the “jagged frontier” of artificial intelligence—the idea that AI capabilities are uneven and context-dependent, excelling in some tasks while failing unexpectedly in others. Rao encouraged students to approach AI neither with fear nor blind trust, but with informed skepticism and reflective judgment.

The event aligned closely with Fredericksburg Academy’s commitment to academic honesty and student leadership, reinforcing the Honor Council’s role in fostering ethical decision-making within the school community.

Center for AI and the Liberal Arts Public Debate, Feb. 4

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The Center for AI and the Liberal Arts invites you to a Public Debate on the question:
Should the University of Mary Washington be an AI University?
Wednesday, Feb. 4  at 3:30 p.m.
Weatherly Wing, Seacobeck Hall

Arguing for the resolution: Anand Rao (CDS)
Arguing against the resolution: Stefan Bauschard (Adjunct CDS; Berkeley Prep Debate Coach)
Moderator: Tim O’Donnell

This debate will explore what it might mean—academically, institutionally, and culturally— if UMW were to define itself as an “AI University.” Following the debate, there will be time for audience questions and discussion. Please encourage your students to attend. We will have attendance sheets available and will share copies with instructors after the event.

We also invite you to send us suggested lines of argument or key questions in advance, especially issues you would like to see addressed in the opening speeches. This is meant to be a fun and engaging debate with a provocative topic. I would like to follow the debate with an open forum in the coming weeks for a more deliberative conversation of AI initiatives, including curricular proposals. I hope this public debate prompts ongoing discussion about the university’s future, and I welcome suggestions for how the Center can support those discussions.

This event is sponsored by the Center for AI and the Liberal Arts and is open to the public. We hope you will join us for what should be a thoughtful and engaging conversation about the University’s direction.

Panel Discussion “Trump & the World, One Year Later” Feb. 5

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The Department of Political Science and International Affairs is hosting a panel discussion on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 4 p.m. in Monroe 116: “Trump and the World: One Year On.” The panel will feature regional expertise and analysis of the Trump administration’s foreign policy from Professors Jason Davidson, Surupa Gupta, Guan-Yi Leu, Melissa Martinez, and Ranjit Singh. There will be ample time for questions from the audience.

flier with info from this article

O’Brien Named Expert-in-Residence at Center for AI and the Liberal Arts

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adult male giving presentation in classroom

O’Brien gives a presentation last fall at UMW in DGST 301N: AI in Society

Photo of adult male

UMW’s Center for AI and the Liberal Arts has named alumnus Sean O’Brien its inaugural AI Expert-in-Residence

UMW’s Center for AI and the Liberal Arts has named alumnus Sean O’Brien ’09 as its inaugural AI Expert-in-Residence. O’Brien currently leads AI initiatives at Internet2 — the technology consortium serving higher education institutions nationwide. He will return to Mary Washington this spring to mentor students, advise faculty research projects and share insights on AI’s impact on education and the workforce.

“Coming back to UMW in this capacity is incredibly meaningful,” said O’Brien, who earned a BA in political science at UMW and a MA in communication and leadership studies at Gonzaga University. “The liberal arts foundation I received here shaped how I think about technology’s role in society. I’m excited to help current students develop that same thoughtful approach to AI.”

O’Brien will make two campus visits during Spring 2026:

  • a public talk on March 10
  • student research presentations during Research and Creativity Day on April 24

Human Trafficking Education, Feb. 7

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January is human trafficking awareness month – this invitation is from the Fredericksburg area branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and all are welcome

Please join us:
Human Trafficking in Our Area
Saturday, Feb. 7 at 2 p.m.
Combs Hall 139
Event is Free and Open to the Public
ZOOM link

AAUW* Fredericksburg Area Branch, invites you to attend our monthly education program & annual meeting for the VA AAUW Northwest District. Our program, open to all, will focus on the impact of human trafficking on individuals, as well as the critical role the community plays in addressing this issue. Trafficking does not always appear as people expect — it can occur in neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, hotels, online platforms and through individuals who may seem trusted or familiar. Lieutenant Colonel Delbert Myrick and other members of the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Department will join us to discuss human trafficking in our area.

How can you help? The local branch of AAUW is putting together emergency kits for the Sheriff’s Office to give to women who are rescued from human trafficking. If you like, please bring your contributions of travel-sized toothpaste, lotion, deodorant, toothbrushes, lip balm, etc.

*AAUW is a national organization that since 1881 has been advocating for equity for women and girls. The University of Mary Washington is a university partner of AAUW; UMW staff, faculty, and students can join the local branch for free. For more information on the program and/or to learn more about AAUW, contact Kristin Marsh at kmarsh@umw.edu or Janet Hedrick at jhedrick815@gmail.com, President of AAUW Fredericksburg Area Branch.

 

 

Bonds Publishes Column on Need for Transparency in Data Center Development

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Associate Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds

Associate Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds

Associate Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds published a commentary in the Richmond Times-Dispatch on January 22nd on the need for greater transparency in data center water use. The column is titled “How Will the Data Center Boom Impact Virginia’s Waters. Secrecy on this Topic Doesn’t Bode Well.” Read the full commentary in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.