Campus Rec Group Fitness Classes
Datapalooza Webpage Launches
Hello everyone!
Again, thanks to you for making Datapalooza 1.0 such a success.
We now have a webpage dedicated to the August event at https://in.umw.edu/datapalooza/. You should log in with your UMW Net ID and password to see the talks archived there.
A few of the individuals did not use a power point during their talks, but have said they will be happy to answer questions about Datapalooza if you ask them!
As always, let me know if you have questions or need data.
Debra Schleef
Associate Provost for Institutional Analysis and Effectiveness Professor of SociologyUMW President Opens Semester by Sharing Plans and Progress
A liberal arts and sciences education is more valuable than ever.
That’s what University of Mary Washington President Troy Paino confirmed to an auditorium full of faculty and staff during the annual welcome-back presentation ushering in the 2023-24 academic year. The state-of-the-university address, held August 21, 2023, in George Washington Hall’s Dodd Auditorium, covered record-setting fundraising efforts, campus construction, the student experience, life after Mary Washington and more.
“We have alumni, we have friends, we have donors who are so invested in the work we are doing here at Mary Washington,” said Paino, referencing record-breaking fundraising efforts, with more than $21.3 million in gifts and pledges raised during the 2022-23 fiscal year. That number was bolstered by a portion – $6 million – of a transformational $30 million gift from alumna Irene Piscopo Rodgers ’59, the largest donation in UMW’s 115-year history.
The funding will help ensure continued student success, Paino said. Among recent accolades, UMW students have received two prestigious Goldwater awards within the past three years and claimed last year’s honor scholar of the year award for both Virginia and West Virginia. The incoming fall 2023 class – numbering just over 1,000 with transfer students included, and boasting an average GPA of 3.75 and SAT score of 1244, and more honors students than ever before – promises to be just as successful. Read more.
UMW Recognized for Internships, Contribution to Virginia Businesses
The University of Mary Washington has been named a “Top Employer for Interns” by the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP).
All the award winners demonstrate a commitment to meaningful internships,” State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) Director Peter Blake said in a release this morning announcing 2023 honorees across the commonwealth. “High-quality internships enhance a student’s educational experience and strengthen our workforce.”
The timing of the announcement – Thursday, July 27, Virginia Intern Day and National Intern Day – is especially poignant for recognizing interns’ contributions to the workforce and honoring employers who offer programs providing valuable career-centered experience.
UMW hosts interns on campus year-round as part of its long-held mission to support working-learning opportunities that round out the classroom experience. The University also encourages students to seek off-campus internships with businesses and organizations that are looking to attract and retain exceptional employees. By the time they graduate, more than 30 percent of all Mary Washington students have completed some type of internship. Read more.
Student Research Heats Up at Summer Science Symposium
Harrison Miles fills six plastic cylinders with pieces of leaves from a soybean plant. He slips them inside a machine that resembles a kitchen blender and sets it awhirl. The vials spin so quickly they need time to cool before he begins his next task – extracting the RNA he’ll use for further investigation.
“We create a soup of the fungus,” said Miles, who earned a degree in psychology and elementary education from the University of Mary Washington in 2015, and returned to campus to study conservation biology. “I knew I wouldn’t be able to get this kind of experience anywhere other than Mary Washington.”
Working on Jepson Science Center’s third floor, he spent the summer working with beauveria bassiana harvested from spotted lantern flies shipped in from Pennsylvania. He injected the fungus into soybeans and measured toxin production as the plants grew. The work, done with guidance from Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Josephine Antwi, could help create more effective organic pesticides.
The project is one of more than a dozen that unfolded during the University’s 24th annual Summer Science Institute (SSI), focused on biology, chemistry, computer science, Earth and environmental sciences, physics and math. The 10-week event had students and faculty working closely together on research aimed at finding solutions to real-world concerns, like pesticides. Read more.
Charbel Medlej ’16 Named Head Men’s Rugby Coach at UMW
The University of Mary Washington athletic department is pleased to announce the hiring of 2016 alumnus and former UMW rugby standout Charbel Medlej as the new head men’s rugby coach.
“We are very excited to bring Charbel on in this capacity”, said Associate Director of Athletics Caitlin Moore. “His ability as a coach and mentor, as well as his familiarity with the league and team, will be a tremendous asset.”
Medlej was a four-year standout for UMW, earning the position of club president and captain from 2014-2016. After graduating from UMW, Medlej went on to pursue a Doctorate in Chiropractic at Palmer College, also while playing rugby, serving as club treasurer and eventually club president.
Medlej served as volunteer Assistant Coach position at the University of Alabama for their Men’s Rugby Club during the Fall 2019 season, and was appointed as head coach for the Palmer College women’s rugby program for the Fall 2021 season, which culminated in finishing in third place at the Women’s D2 National Championships.
After moving to Fredericksburg, he volunteered as an assistant coach for UMW Men’s Rugby this Spring.
Medlej holds a doctorate of chiropractic from Palmer College, gaining valedictorian honors, and holds a bachelor of science in Human Biology and Neuroscience from UMW in 2016.
Governor Appoints Three New Members to UMW Board of Visitors
The Virginia Governor’s Office announced last week the appointment of three new members of the University of Mary Washington Board of Visitors. John Anstey of Roanoke, Virginia, a 1993 Mary Washington alumnus; Nicole Neily of Arlington, Virginia; and Rev. Dean Nelson of Montgomery Village, Maryland, will serve four-year terms as members of the University’s governing board. They succeed Heather Crislip ’95, Deborah Santiago ’90 and Kerri Barile ’94, whose terms ended on June 30, 2023. Read more.
Four-Hour Leave for Classified and A/P Faculty Employees, May 9 to 14
Dear UMW Colleagues,
In recognition of Commonwealth employees’ dedicated service so far in 2023, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has permitted a half-day of leave. While many agencies granted the leave for Friday, April 7, we have decided to offer it the week following Commencement so our University’s essential services and academic mission continue at this critical time of the year.
Employees will have four hours of leave that can be used the week after Commencement, from Tuesday, May 9, through Sunday, May 14, in coordination with their supervisor. Note that Monday, May 8, also is a UMW holiday for Employee Appreciation Day.
Employees are encouraged to begin working with their supervisors to plan their time off as soon as possible. Note, this four-hour holiday may only be used May 9 thru May 14, 2023.
How to Log the Leave:
To use this leave, you must enter a time off request in MyTime using the pay code Floating Holiday. In the Time Unit section choose Hours, then enter the time of day you plan to start your leave. In Daily Amount enter up to 4.0 and click Submit. The leave may be used incrementally over several days from 5/9-5/14 or as a lump sum for one day, as approved by your supervisor.
Once submitted, the time off request is ready for supervisor approval. Once approved, the floating holiday will populate on the timecard.
If you’ve already requested leave during the week of 5/9 to 5/14 and would like to replace some of the leave with the floating holiday hours, you’ll need to submit a cancelation of the previous leave request, then enter a new leave request that includes the 4 hours of Floating Holiday.
Note that Monday, May 8, also is a UMW holiday for Employee Appreciation Day.
Lynda Worthy
Payroll Manager
University of Mary Washington
lworthy@umw.edu
Phone 540-654-1045