A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff
Assistant Professor and Archaeology Director Katherine Parker
Historians and officials with Washington Heritage Museums, which own the monument site along Washington Avenue, don’t know the precise location of Mary Ball Washington’s grave. Washington Heritage Museums is working with the University of Mary Washington’s Department of Historic Preservation to understand what lies beneath. Read more.
Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences Tyler Frankel
According to the study’s lead author, Tyler Frankel, who was quoted in Phys.org, coal ash contaminants increase in concentration as they work their way up through the food web, threatening a number of predatory fish and birds. “These waterways serve as important routes for several migratory fish species and sensitive nursery habitats for various endemic species,” Frankel said, per Phys.org. “Our work highlights the importance of considering this exposure pathway in conservation strategies.” Read more.
Adjunct Professor of Psychology Peter Thaxter
“There are a number of different ways of thinking about selfishness and where those messages come from,” said Adjunct Professor of Psychology Peter Thaxter. “I think sometimes that message on self-ish vs. self-care or self-preservation often can get misconstrued or conflated based on the messaging in our society.” Read more.
Professor and Chair of Political Science Rosalyn Cooperman
A rematch — this time with abortion at the forefront (Reckon News)
“I don’t know that there’s any real fidelity to any stance on an issue unless it’s perceived to be useful — abortion being one of a very long list,” said Rosalyn Cooperman, who studies Republican candidates and political leaders at the University of Mary Washington. “If you look at what he has said over time, it is what is politically expedient.” Read more.
Professor of Psychological Science and Department Chair Miriam Liss
“Increasing wealth does not make you happier, but the experience of poverty can definitely make you unhappy ,” says Miriam Liss , professor of psychology at the University of Mary Washington. That’s because basic needs for housing, food, clothing, security, health care and transportation are difficult to meet when people are not financially secure, she adds. Read more.
RICHMOND – Continuing Virginia’s role as the nation’s top leader in lab school development, the Virginia Department of Education is accelerating the momentum for educational innovation in the commonwealth with contracts for Germanna Community College’s Future Educators Academy (FEA) and University of Mary Washington’s Academy of Technology and Innovation (ATI) now completed and signed by all parties. Both lab schools received approval from the Virginia Board of Education in November 2023 and remain on track to open later this year at the start of the 2024-2025 school year.
“We are committed to giving Virginia’s students innovative options that spark their interests and expand their opportunities post-graduation,” said President of the Virginia Board of Education Grace Creasey. “These partnerships with the University of Mary Washington and Germanna Community College are mission-focused and designed to meet the unique needs of their students and local communities. We’re looking forward to both programs opening this fall.”
“The University of Mary Washington’s Academy of Technology and Innovation will provide opportunities for students to engage in hands-on learning experiences where computer and data science are applied across content areas, providing a unique model for high school education in the region,” said Rebecca Towery, Executive Director of the Academy of Technology and Innovation at UMW. “We are excited about this next step towards opening the doors for the first cohort of 9th graders during the 2024-2025 school year.” Read more.
Professor of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth
Lucas: Alexandria arena deal is dead as far as she’s concerned (Virginia Business)
Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor and director of the University of Mary Washington’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, said Monday that he thinks “greater deference and a sweeter deal are necessary to make this package happen. At some point, if Youngkin wants this deal, he will have to bend on important Democratic priorities, including more funding for education.” Read more.
In Virginia, 15 candidates are vying to replace Spanberger in Congress (The Washington Post)
“Open congressional seats don’t happen very often, and when they do, everyone who imagines themselves a congressman or congresswoman is going to be looking at that seriously,” said Steve Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington. “That’s happening for both parties because this is a really competitive district.” Read more.
Why did Virginia Democrats vote to advance an abortion restriction? (WVTF)
“It puts Republicans in a tough spot,” said University of Mary Washington Professor Stephen Farnsworth. “They either have to vote for this extreme position and then face whatever backlash might exist, or not vote for it and run the risk of losing a primary to someone who says they’re not conservative enough.” Read more.
How to Watch The Daily Show: Stream Season 29 Premiere Live, TV Channel (Sports Illustrated)
“The world has changed a great deal politically, and late-night comedy has changed along with it,” said Stephen Farnsworth, author of Late Night With Trump: Political Humor and the American Presidency. “It is a much darker and more cynical environment than it was before Donald Trump became president. Read more.
General Assembly reaches midpoint, with fights ahead over arena, cannabis, guns and taxes (Cardinal News)
“The midterm grade is an incomplete,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington. “So far Republicans have been doing what Republicans do, and Democrats have been doing what Democrats do, each side doing what they can to lock in their base voters, but the hard questions have yet to be answered.” Read more.
The Cost of the Potomac Yard Arena “Has Just Gone Up” for Youngkin (Washingtonian
“The odds of success right now are bleak, well under 50/50,” University of Mary Washington political science professor and longtime Virginia General Assembly watcher Stephen Farnsworth tells Washingtonian in an e-mail. “A deal often can be had across partisan lines, but the cost for the governor of securing the support of Democratic legislative majorities has just gone up.” Read more.
The Alexandria Arena Deal Was A Slam Dunk…Until It Wasn’t (DCist)
That’s the more likely scenario for this deal to get done, according to Stephen Farnsworth, a professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington. “I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s going to be a deal that it happens at the 11th hour in the budget bill, where Democrats get the things that they want in exchange for the governor getting what he wants,” Farnsworth says. Read more.
Dean Filiz Tabak brought a broad portfolio of expertise when she came to lead the University of Mary Washington’s College of Business (COB) last summer. It helped her guide the college through a successful reaccreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, or AACSB.
“This is a significant milestone signifying our commitment to academic excellence and the highest quality standards in business degree programs and in student success,” said Tabak in the announcement last week, thanking faculty, staff and administration for their collaborative efforts in achieving this prestigious honor. Only 6% of business schools worldwide have received this international recognition, she said, which COB first earned in 2018. Read more.
Assistant Professor of Biology Swati Agrawal
Bonnie Hall and Swati Agrawal, both faculty at teaching-focused institutions, recognize the challenges students face when presented with visually complex biomolecules. Both have looked for active-learning approaches to enhance student learning in this context.
One approach is having students explore printed three-dimensional models of biomolecules, such as proteins or DNA, which can provide a much better sense of the molecules’ structure than two-dimensional pictures in a textbook, thus helping them understand those molecules’ functions. Read more.
University of Mary Washington faculty and staff gathered on what turned out to be the first day of classes on Wednesday, Jan. 17, following the MLK holiday and a snow day. President Troy Paino led the semi-annual assembly, starting the spring semester with renewed energy.
From the Dodd Auditorium stage in George Washington Hall, Paino defended the value of higher education, particularly in the liberal arts; recounted challenges and successes from the previous year; and spoke of plans for the future.
He spent much time over the University’s two-week holiday break, he said, reflecting on Mary Washington’s core role, especially in the context of current events, in the United States and across the globe. Read more.