The annual UMW Multicultural Fair was back in a big way on Saturday, April 13, with perfect weather, after rain and a pandemic dampened prior years. Performers, vendors, information tables, food trucks and children’s activities brought a spectrum of cultural sights, sounds and flavors that stretched across the Fredericksburg Campus from Jefferson Square to the edge of Palmieri Plaza. Read more.

Dozens of University of Mary Washington students are the newest members of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious academic honor society.

Thirty-eight UMW juniors and seniors were inducted into Phi Beta Kappa during a recent ceremony announcing the 2024 cohort of the University’s Kappa of Virginia chapter. They join an impressive roster of members, including 17 U.S. Presidents, 42 Supreme Court Justices and more than 150 Nobel Laureates. Read more.

When senior Sofia Taylor earned a full-ride Alvey Scholarship to attend the University of Mary Washington, she penned the first of many letters and cards she exchanged with her donor, Irene Piscopo Rodgers ’59.

“Irene often said that Mary Washington ‘opened worlds’ for her,” said Taylor, a psychology major and neuroscience and music minor. Because of Rodgers’ support, her own college experience comprised a semester abroad, singing with the UMW Choir, leadership roles in the psychology department and researching the minds of the world’s great composers. “She truly did that for me.” Read more.

Major League Soccer (MLS) executive Mark McClure ’96, vice president, technical operations, will be on his college turf when he returns to the University of Mary Washington as the 2024 Commencement speaker. The ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 11, beginning at 9 a.m. on Ball Circle, rain or shine. Tickets are not needed for the in-person event, and it’s also streamed online, something in which McClure is an expert.

For more than a decade, he has worked to bring sports fans to Major League Soccer via digital strategy and content and now manages a team that helps broadcast matches around the world on MLS’ streaming services on Apple TV. It’s a broad sports career that has focused on fans, players and their stories, something apt for the English major – McClure holds a B.A. in English from Mary Washington – who followed his love of reading and writing through epic college courses, with time for extra courses in classics and art history and teaching himself coding in the computer labs. Read more.

The University of Mary Washington has extended the enrollment deadline for admitted first-year undergraduate students to June 1, 2024, allowing an additional month for students and families to review financial aid. UMW has offered additional flexibility for incoming students to make their decision to enroll due to numerous delays in the filing and reporting process for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) from the U.S. Department of Education.

“We appreciate the patience of our admitted students and their supporters as we navigate this unprecedented situation,” said Dean of Admissions and Associate Vice President Melissa Yakabouski. “It is our goal to provide the best information to our students regarding need-based assistance so they are confident in choosing UMW for their four years of undergraduate education. We understand that students may need time to review, ask questions and make confirming visits once awarding begins, and we want to provide the opportunity to do all of these things. We encourage any student with financial concerns to connect with their UMW admissions or financial aid counselor to have a personal conversation.” Read more.