A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff
For National Authors Day on Nov. 1, the University of Mary Washington is sharing a few of the latest books from faculty authors.
From fields as diverse as English, physics and political science, these professors have penned a new collection of poetry, an exposé about the most brilliant of minds and a text that traces the evolution of late-night political humor.
On its final stop before it heads back to Korea, the calligraphy-laced paintings of a celebrated contemporary artist are on display at the University of Mary Washington Galleries in Park Dae Sung: Ink Reimagined. Read more.
Eighty high-schoolers from Prince William County fanned out across the University of Mary Washington’s Seacobeck Hall earlier this month on a field trip for future educators.
The Teachers for Tomorrow participants controlled mini-robots in the makerspace, put their heads together in collaborative classrooms and tapped into the minds of current UMW College of Education (COE) students in the Weatherly Wing.
If the freshly renovated building, now home to COE, made a statement, the experiences of Mary Washington students already on their way to bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education spoke volumes, helping encourage the next generation of educators to step into the classroom. Read more.
Fredericksburg neighborhoods can be welcoming and whimsical, contrasting history with a modern vibe, accessibility with obstacles, and well-tended spaces with wildscapes.
Those are some of the perceptions UMW’s Honors Program students shared this week as a culminating activity in their City as Text (CaT) activities. Since late summer, they’ve explored sections of the city under the trademarked CaT program, an experiential learning curriculum that challenges incoming honors students to observe, research and reflect on their urban surroundings. Read more.
UMW faculty and students frequently go beyond the classroom in their work, from undergraduate research projects that tackle food waste to service-learning that leads to history-preserving trails. They take on challenges in the lab with new recipes and solutions, find perspective in art and music with mathematical precision, and dream up a makerspace and imaginarium fitting for 21st-century educators.
That’s just a few of the projects and pursuits that made headlines in 2022-23, airing on With Good Reason, a public radio program produced by Virginia Humanities to make academic research accessible to and entertaining for the general public. Throughout the past 14 months, With Good Reason has featured UMW faculty experts in 10 separate shows, covering topics that provide more than food for thought (although food is a frequent theme). Read more.
Gary Richards
Dr. Gary Richards, who has led many previous sessions since One Book, One Festival began in 2008, returns to moderate the discussion. Richards is a professor of English and former chair of the Department of English and Linguistics at the University of Mary Washington. This will be the 11th time he’s led the One Book, One Festival discussion. Read more.
Dear Colleagues,
Please mark your calendars for Career Week, taking place October 23–27.
The Center for Career and Professional Development is hosting a series of events to prepare students for the Fall 2023 Career & Internship Fair on October 26. Attached please find the flier for all events scheduled for the week.
I encourage you to post this to your Canvas course and encourage your students to visit Handshake to register immediately for the fair and its supporting events. Registering in advance ensures a smooth check-in process. Additional features in Handshake allow students to research employers confirmed to attend the Career Fair.
Please contact the Career Center at ccpd@umw.edu or 540-654-5646 with any questions.
Thank you for all that you do to support our students as they pursue their lives after Mary Washington!
Kimberly C. Young
Associate Provost for Career and Workforce
University of Mary Washington
My first thought was to head for the door,” she said of the 1966 experience that ended up charting her course. Instead, “I said, ‘Good morning, I’m Mrs. Olsen,’ and my life began.”
She shared her longtime relationship with service last week with students at the University of Mary Washington’s College of Education (COE) in Seacobeck Hall. Plucking tales from her lengthy career, including her time as Peace Corps director amid the COVID-19 pandemic, she wove a theme. International experiences – especially teaching abroad with the Peace Corps – can build the foundation for richer careers in the classroom. Read more.
Sally Brannan Hurt ’92 with a giant tortoise in the Galápagos Islands
on a Mary Washington Alumni on the Road trip in 2011. The experience
led her to establish the Sally Brannan Hurt ’92 Study Abroad Scholarship
in Biology to support students going on faculty-led trips to the islands. Photo courtesy of Sally Brannan Hurt.
Growing up in rural Southwest Virginia, Sally Brannan Hurt ’92 dreamed of travel. She finally got her chance to go abroad to the Bahamas during a spring break trip in college. Yet, she realized she yearned to see rainforests and savannas more than she wanted to sunbathe in the sand. Read more.
“Being in nature brings me joy,” said Hurt, who has since visited some of the most biodiverse places on the planet through the University of Mary Washington’s Alumni on the Road trips. “I love seeing plants, insects and animals that aren’t in my neck of the woods.” Read more.
Between them, University of Mary Washington’s Melissa Yakabouski and Sarah Lindberg hold a half-century of college admissions experience.
Both recruited as admissions counselors upon earning their own bachelor’s degrees, they work together to break the often-perplexing college application process into bite-size pieces prospective students and their parents can easily digest. Take, for example, their “pizza” analogy, where the crust, sauce and cheese are fundamental ingredients for students vying to get into the school of their dreams, and the toppings add flavor and flair. Read more.