UMW’s Lee Hall
The University of Mary Washington is among 16 Virginia colleges to make Princeton Review’s Best 388 Colleges: 2023 Edition. Read more.
UMW Makes Princeton Review’s 2023 Best List
Move-In Week News From Dining Services
Students dining on campus
A message from UMW Dining Services:
University Dining is excited to welcome everyone to campus for the fall 2022 semester! Please visit the Campus Dining website for the latest updates or read the Welcome Letter for more information.
* Food options and serving hours during move-in week
* The Dining Welcome Tent hours with free lemonade, prizes, and dining information
* The time meal plans go active
* Dining gift packages, jobs, and lots more!
Stull on “With Good Reason” Radio, Aug. 6-12
Professor of Theatre and Chair of Theatre and Dance Gregg Stull
Professor and Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance and Producing Director of UMW Theatre Gregg Stull is interviewed on With Good Reason radio this week, Aug. 6-12. In the episode titled “Set the Stage,” Stull shares how some industries came to a slow crawl at the dawning of the pandemic, with curtains closing quickly for theatres across the country. Now we are returning to the stage, but theatre may be changed forever. Hear more online.
President Paino Announces Climate Action Task Force
To all students, faculty, and staff,
I write today to announce that over the last three months, a presidentially appointed Climate Action Task Force has begun work to produce an actionable plan aimed at significantly reducing UMW’s carbon footprint. Their full charge is attached.
Co-chaired by Sustainability Coordinator Sean Morrow and Professor of Biological Sciences Dr. Alan Griffith, the task force includes representatives from the UFC and USC, as well as a number of other units at the University. The plan will identify specific actions and policies, provide measurable objectives, and include timeframes for implementation.
This work is incredibly important, both for ourselves and for future generations. The grave threats posed by global climate change must be recognized and addressed by individuals and institutions alike. Knowing that success in this area requires the cooperation and commitment of all of us, I’ve asked the task force to reach out and work with students, faculty, and staff across the University as they develop this Climate Action Plan to be delivered to me by July of next year. And so, I also ask each of you to be responsive when the task force reaches out and supportive of their work.
Thanks to Sean and Alan and the other members of the committee for their work now and in the months to come.
University Center Naming Celebration Honors Rucker
Upon the retirement of Dean of Student Life Cedric Rucker next week, the University Center will officially bear the name “Cedric Rucker University Center.”
Mary Washington’s University Center is four stories and 100,000 square feet, but a new name is about to make it even bigger.
“Today we are celebrating two giants,” Vice President for Student Affairs Juliette Landphair said Sunday at UMW. “One of the giants is behind me, the University Center. The second giant, of course, is Cedric Bernard Rucker.”
The structure’s new moniker becomes official when Rucker retires later this month as associate vice president and dean of student life. That means the central campus building dedicated to student success will bear the name of the man who’s devoted his life to that goal.
It’s a story decades-long in the making. Arriving on Double Drive as an undergrad in 1977, just as institutions of higher education began accepting more students of color, Rucker was the first African-American male graduate to live in a residence hall. He quickly became an integral part of campus culture, immersing himself in clubs, activities and organizations.
“All these doors opened, and Mary Washington just felt like mine,” said Rucker. Read more.
Davidson Weighs in on Ukraine for Voice of America
Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Jason Davidson
Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Jason Davidson talked with Voice of America News for the feature, “Ukraine Faces Challenges as Russian Forces Advance.” “At this moment what we are really seeing is primarily an artillery war, particularly from the perspective of Ukraine,” Davidson said. “What Ukraine can do…is mostly artillery as a means to counter the Russians.” Hear more.
Update from the President: Student Conduct Review
Dear UMW Community:
I am writing to follow up on my April 22, 2022, email calling for “an outside review of our entire system of student conduct.” We have engaged two expert evaluators to oversee this work: Karen Belanger, Director of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity at Virginia Commonwealth University, and Alyssa Reddy, Director, Center for Honor Enrichment and Community Standards, at Christopher Newport University.
My charge to the reviewers calls for a comprehensive evaluation of our conduct system, including the code of conduct; the process through which cases are heard; and the impact of the process on community members. The evaluators will review specific aspects of the system as well, including transparency and the rights and responsibilities of all students involved in the process.
Our goal is for the review to be completed by the beginning of August. At that point we will update the community on the review’s outcomes.
Dr. Juliette Landphair, Vice President for Student Affairs, will be organizing and overseeing the review. Feel free to contact her with questions.
Troy D. Paino, J.D., Ph.D.President
Rycroft and Kinsley Bring Home Book Awards
Inequality in America: Causes and Consequences, edited by Professor of Economics Robert S. Rycroft and College of Business Senior Lecturer Kimberley Kinsley, received both the 2022 IPPY Award Bronze in the Current Events II (Social Issues/Humanitarian) category and the Library Journal Best Reference of 2021 Award.
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- Professor of Economics Robert Rycroft
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- College of Business Senior Lecturer Kimberley Kinsley
In addition, a paper they edited won the 2022 Albers Faculty Student Research Collaboration Award from Seattle University.
Inequality in America: Causes and Consequences consists of 35 essays written by 50 authors. Three essays were written by Rycroft, Kinsley and College of Education Assistant Professor Christy Irish. One was written by UMW alum Lauren DiRago-Duncan. The book’s introduction was written by UMW President Troy Paino.
Computer Science Pathway Program Celebrated
From left to right, UMW students Steven Deverteuil, Arsalan Ahmad, Meghan Cooke,
Dylan Meyers and Suad Parvez gathered in Farmer Hall Tuesday for an event recognizing students either accepted to or interested in a master of engineering in computer science pathway agreement between UMW and Virginia Tech.
Dannette Beane, assistant vice provost of enrollment management for strategic initiatives at Virginia Tech, visited UMW’s Computer Science department on Tuesday, March 29, to recognize students accepted to or interested in a partnership program in computer science and applications.
Part of Virginia’s Tech Talent Pipeline, the “4+1 pathway” pairs foundational and dual-credit coursework, preparing UMW students for early admission to grad school and the possibility of earning a master’s degree from Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering in less than two years. As many as six Mary Washington credits count also toward the master’s degree.
Senior Stephen Deverteuil, the first UMW student admitted to the computer science pathway program, joined fellow students Arsalan Ahmad, Meghan Cooke, Dylan Meyer and Suad Parvez for the event. UMW College of Arts and Sciences Dean Keith Mellinger and Assistant Dean Betsy Lewis, as well as Computer Science Chair Karen Anewalt, also attended.
From left to right, Virginia Tech’s Dannette Beane, UMW senior Steven DeVerteuil, UMW College of Arts and Sciences Dean Keith Mellinger, UMW senior Meghan Cooke and UMW Department of Computer Science Chair Karen Anewalt.
The group gathered in Farmer Hall to pose for photos wearing Virginia Tech T-shirts!
Conversations With President Paino
Dear UMW Faculty and Staff,
President Paino invites you to join him for Conversations with President Paino, formerly known as Coffee with the President. These sessions will offer informal opportunities to share insights and engage in candid discussions that are aligned with our community values and in support of making University of Mary Washington the best it can be. Occasionally, the sessions may focus on a particular issue facing us or may include other leaders who represent areas critical to institutional progress.
Sessions will be offered at the following dates and times:
- Wednesday, February 23 10:30-11:30 a.m.
- Monday, March 21 1:30-2:30 p.m.
- Monday, April 11 3-4 p.m.
Thank you.
Office of the President