March 20, 2026

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Crawley Pens New “History on the Hill” Column for The Free Lance-Star

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Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus Bill Crawley

Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus Bill Crawley

Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus Bill Crawley penned a new “History on the Hill” column for The Free Lance-Star entitled “Making Haste Slowly: Racial Integration at Mary Washington.” In the column he discusses racial integration at the University in the 1960’s and beyond. Read the article.

Majid Comments on Driver’s License Points for WalletHub

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Associate Professor of Business Kashef Majid

Associate Professor of Business Kashef Majid

Associate Professor of Business Kashef Majid was featured by WalletHub in an “Ask the Experts” piece entitled “Points on Driver’s License.” In the article Majid was asked about what advice he would have for people who are worried about the number of points on their driver’s license, saying “Points can impact your insurance premiums, but different insurers weigh the points differently. This is why you can shop around to see what the impact of the points will be and choose the insurer who places the least amount of weight on points. If switching insurers is not an option, raising your deductible can sometimes offset higher costs.” Read the article.

Crawley Pens Article on UMW Traditions for The Free Lance-Star

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Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus Bill Crawley

Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus Bill Crawley penned an article for The Free Lance-Star entitled “History on the Hill: Junior Ring Week: from romantic to rowdy.” In the article he discusses how student life at the University of Mary Washington was enlivened from its earliest days by a number of annual events that evolved into traditions. Read the article. 

 

Linda Catullo Named Associate Director of Employer Engagement

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Associate Director of Employer Engagement Linda Catullo

Associate Director of Employer Engagement Linda Catullo

Linda Catullo, Ph.D., is the new associate director of employer engagement in the UMW Center for Career and Professional Development. Catullo is a seasoned and dedicated professional with a strong commitment to leadership, community engagement and education. She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Florida Atlantic University.

Catullo started her career in student affairs and is excited to bring her expertise to the Center for Career and Professional Development in a role that is responsible for connecting and engaging employers with students and faculty. She has contributed to multiple departments at the University of Mary Washington, including University Advancement, Events and Conferencing and the Center for Prevention and Education.

Prior to joining the Center for Career and Professional Development, Catullo served as the project director for the Office on Violence Against Women grant at UMW’s Center for Prevention and Education. She has also been a successful realtor in Fredericksburg for over eight years.

“We are so thrilled to have Linda in this role. It is a perfect fit, and I know that our students and employers will have a more cohesive experience as a result of her strategic approach to engagement,” said Associate Provost for Career and Workforce Kimberly Young. “Linda has the right mix of experience in higher education, business development and community engagement to proactively connect employers who are looking to hire our graduates.”

With her extensive background in advancement and fundraising at both UMW and Fredericksburg Academy, coupled with her experience in real estate, Catullo has built strong relationships within the regional community. She plans to leverage these connections to further engage regional stakeholders to create valuable opportunities for students to gain real-world experience, expand their professional networks and enhance their career prospects.

“I am excited to work with students and to help them build meaningful connections with employers and alumni. I believe in taking a proactive approach to employer relations, and I’m focused on expanding opportunities for students through strategic networking, alumni engagement and strong collaboration with faculty and employers,” said Catullo. “Strengthening these connections will provide students with the knowledge, experience and relationships they need to transition to Life After Mary Washington.”

Catullo thrives on building and nurturing relationships, managing large-scale projects and driving meaningful change within communities. She is enthusiastic about joining the Career and Professional Development team and supporting students as they transition to Life After Mary Washington.

Cooperman Quoted by AP in Article on Virginia Women in Congress

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Professor of Political Science Rosalyn Cooperman

Professor of Political Science Rosalyn Cooperman

Professor of Political Science Rosalyn Cooperman was quoted by the Associated Press in an article entitled “Two Virginia women who came to Congress on a mission prepare to leave at a critical moment.” The article stated,”Wexton, previously a state senator and prosecutor, developed a reputation for taking care of her district, said Rosalyn Cooperman, a professor at the University of Mary Washington. Cooperman said she vied for funding opportunities and committee assignments that helped bring tens of millions of dollars in federal investments to northern Virginia.” Read the article.

Other media mentions for Cooperman on this same topic include:

GW Lot and Double Drive Parking Changes for Dec. 19

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On Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, the George Washington parking lot and 19 spaces on Double Drive will be reserved from 6:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. for the Rappahannock Regional Criminal Justice Academy Graduation.

Parking for faculty and staff will remain available in all other designated faculty and staff lots.  For a list view of Parking locations please see the Lot Designation Page on the Parking Management website.

As a reminder:

  • Accessible parking spaces are available in all open lots to any vehicles with DMV-issued accessible placards or license plates.
  • The UMW Police Department provides escorts when needed and may be reached at ext. 1025.  Please visit the Safety Escort webpage for more information.

For a calendar view of lot reservations visit the Parking Lot Reservations Calendar webpage. Please contact Parking Management with any parking related questions: parking@umw.edu, 540/654-1129.

Farnsworth Quoted by Richmond Times-Dispatch on Spanberger

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Professor of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth

Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies, was quoted by the Richmond Times-Dispatch in an article titled “After six years in Congress, Spanberger looks for new role in Richmond.” Farnsworth is quoted as saying, “Congresswoman Spanberger has always been very effective at connecting with the district. Her vision of a more centrist Democratic identity connected well with the old 7th District and the newly drawn one.” Read the article.

In addition, recent media mentions for Farnsworth include:

What the candidates in Loudoun’s special elections are saying about the economy, education (WAMU)
But while some political watchers and voters may be tempted to look at the Loudoun contests for clues about November’s presidential election results or reading the tea leaves ahead of next year’s legislative and gubernatorial contests, University of Mary Washington political science professor Stephen Farnsworth cautions against doing so. “We’re talking about an individual sliver of Virginia, and an unrepresentative sliver at that,” he told WAMU.
https://wamu.org/story/24/12/17/what-the-candidates-in-loudouns-special-elections-are-saying-about-the-economy-education/

An early look at the 2025 off-year races (National Journal)
“A lot is going to depend on how those early months of Trump’s presidency go. The key issue for a lot of Virginians, particularly in these outer-ring suburban counties, is going to be whether the ‘Project 2025’ idea of dramatically shrinking the size of the federal government creates personal. challenges for those voters,” Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, told National Journal. “It isn’t just a matter of people who are working for a government agency,” Farnsworth added. “It’s also the people who sell them houses or refrigerators.”2025 Off-Year Races

Schapiro: Va.’s fearlessly fact-challenged governor (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
“Youngkin has been good at taking advantage of this moment that provides political reward and fewer negative consequences for a less-than-true narrative,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a professor at the University of Mary Washington and author of the 2018 book, “Presidential Communication and Character: White House News Management from Clinton and Cable to Twitter and Trump.”
https://richmond.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/schapiro-youngkin-is-fearlessly-fact-challenged/article_c8f19d24-b96a-11ef-b95d-ff1db7e15868.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share

Winsome Sears Would be a Great Candidate for Virginia Governor in 2025 (Life News)
An early survey from the University of Mary Washington’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies found Sears and Spanberger tied at 39%-39%.
https://www.lifenews.com/2024/12/12/winsome-sears-would-be-a-great-pro-life-republican-candidate-for-virginia-governor-in-2025/

Trump’s Cabinet (CHCH)
“Well, there are a lot of scandals involving this defense secretary. When you think about controlling the nuclear launch post, you probably don’t want to give it to somebody if they are credibly accused of having a problem with alcohol. DeSantis, a former member of Congress, would be an effective choice for the position,” said Stephen Farnsworth.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HbQCbaDoK1bURPy7FQcIlvmtASv8Oe2U/view

Virginia: 1st District drew more voters than congressional battlegrounds (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
“The higher voter turnout in the 1st District than the 7th demonstrates that a huge pile of money doesn’t always buy you high turnout,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, which currently is located in the 7th district but was in the 1st before the 2021 redistricting.

Timesheet Deadlines and Winter Break Info

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MyTime Employees and Supervisors,

Winter break is rapidly approaching. Due to payroll deadlines imposed by the State, Payroll has less time for processing timesheets.

It is critical for timesheets to be complete, accurate, error free, and approved by the deadlines stated below. Payroll strongly encourages employees to submit their timesheet in advance of the deadline, if they have finished working for the pay period, in order for their supervisors and Payroll to have sufficient time for review and processing.

Timesheet Approval Deadlines for Wage and Students

Pay Period 12/02/24 – 12/15/24, employee submission is due Monday, 12/16/24 no later than 9am and supervisor approval no later than 10am

Pay Period 12/16/24 – 12/29/24, employee submission is due Monday, 12/30/24 no later than 9am and supervisor approval no later than 10am

If the employee has completed working for the pay period and will not work during the holidays, we strongly encourage employees and supervisors to review and approve the timecards for the pay period(s) prior to leaving for break.

Timesheet Approval Deadlines for Classified staff and A/P faculty

Pay Period 12/10/24-12/24/24, employee submission is due Wednesday, 12/25/24 no later than 9am and supervisor approval no later than 10am

Supervisors

  • It is critical for you review timesheet exceptions, resolve missing punches, and change requests prior to the approval deadlines. Reviewing timesheets in advance, before the pay period ends, allows you time for resolving issues.
  • Change requests must be approved or rejected (if the changes were manually done on the timesheet) before the timesheet can be approved.  Please refer to the Approve Change Requests quick guide for instructions.
  • Missing punches and unapproved timesheets prevent the entire payroll from being processed.

Manager Delegation

Supervisors that are unavailable to approve timesheets or time-off requests may Delegate their approval to another MyTime supervisor. Please refer to the Delegation quick guide for instructions.

Time-off Requests

Many employees and supervisors will use leave prior to and/or after break. Please ensure leave requests are processed and approved prior to timesheet approval deadlines.

Please contact the Payroll Office at payroll@umw.edu with any questions.

Larus Featured by Global News Taiwan

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Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Larus

Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Larus

Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Larus was featured by Global News Taiwan in a video entitled “Trump’s ‘tariffs’ are dancing wildly, countries vow to retaliate.” Larus was featured for commentary on Trump’s defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth’s Senate confirmation troubles. View video here.

 

Greetings – and Tips – from Facilities Operations

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A message from Executive Director for Facilities Operations Brian Gorham.

Facilities Operations is a multidisciplinary group comprised of mechanical, electrical, carpentry and plumbing teams, a grounds and landscape division, housekeeping and warehouse operations. The team also provides project management services and contractor management for myriad infrastructure and facility maintenance projects across campus. Here I’ll outline some tips about how to successfully request service from Facilities Operations and how you, as the customer, play a pivotal role in the process!

Plan Early

Expecting a retirement and want to take the opportunity to refresh an office? Expanding into new space due to programmatic changes? Anticipating interior construction work?

  • These are only some of the scenarios that we help facilitate. Projects requested by departments generally include possible painting, flooring, space modifications and changes to lighting.
  • These types of projects generally require planning well in advance of the desired completion date.
  • The first step is always a work order submitted via the UMW work order system. This will place your request in a queue. You can expect a response to a project request within a few weeks. This initial response is intended to establish a good time for your team and Facilities Operations to meet and discuss the project scope, determine the necessary resources and confirm that adequate funding has been established by the requestor. (A FOAP will be requested at this stage. Projects without a FOAP will be placed in a deferred status until the requesting organization is able to provide the budgetary information.)
  • Please note that Facilities Operations begins planning summer projects in January. The department has a finite capacity for projects during the summer months. Project requests for summer work must be received by March 15 in order to be considered for review and resourcing. Summer project requests are unlikely to be fulfilled if they are not requested early enough.

Expect to be Involved

Successful projects happen when Facilities Operations has a primary point of contact for the project.

  • This person should be well-versed in the project scope and capable of approving invoices and potential changes.
  • Facilities will need rooms cleared of belongings and furnishings. Depending on your situation, this may necessitate moving heavy furnishings or critical files. It is the department’s responsibility to manage this.
  • If furnishings or belongings need to be moved, the department may engage contract moving services at their expense or consult with our warehouse staff (via work order) to better understand if there are internal resources capable of meeting your expectations.
  • At various stages of the work, Facilities Operations will need to consult with the department during the project. An individual who will be off campus for the majority of the summer is not a good candidate for this role.

Finish Strong

A lot of work will go into restoring your space during a project. Please consider your role in reinstalling furnishings that were moved to facilitate the project, scheduling cleaning support (beyond the project final clean), replacing furnishings, upgrading IT infrastructure and generally keeping your internal stakeholders abreast of the work being performed.

  • Facilities Operations is unable to expand upon an approved project while the project is underway. Our team is juggling the completion of many projects, and it is critical that we stay on schedule to the best of our ability.
  • We ask that the department establish a process for responding to the inevitable internal requests from stakeholders in your department. Early communication of this expectation is critical and helps avoid difficult discussions.

Facilities Operations works to meet the evolving needs of the entire UMW community. We look forward to hearing from you about your next project!