From left, U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Virginia, and University of Mary Washington’s John Burrow watch as King George high-schoolers Samantha Jones, Susan Randall and Ashton Jones compete in the Innovation Challenge @Dahlgren. Back right are UMW Assistant Professor of Special Education Kevin Good and Dahlgren Campus Director Michael Hubbard. (U.S. Navy photo/Released)

Keegan Kearl tapped out calculations on his cellphone while Christopher Ashley and Rodrigo Alexander Veliz hunched over a laptop. All three, along with their Spotsylvania High School teammates, were intent on making a robot do their bidding.

The teens were among more than 70 students representing 12 districts – from Richmond to North Stafford, and throughout the Northern Neck – at last weekend’s début Innovation Challenge @Dahlgren, conceived as an annual event. Fredericksburg Christian School took home the top prize – $3,000, a ginormous trophy and a year’s worth of bragging rights – in the two-day robotics-style competition aimed at boosting STEM learning.

“This is an opportunity to show how important these skills and capabilities are,” University of Mary Washington College of Business Lecturer John Burrow told the competitors at the start of the contest, held at UMW’s Dahlgren Campus. “Your goals are important to the nation, the region and the community.” Read more.

Senior Jasmine Villanueva presents “Mastering English and a Home Language: The Truth Behind English as a Second Language Instruction” during last week’s Research & Creativity Day Symposium. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

Nearly 300 student presenters took part in the 16th annual University of Mary Washington Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium on Friday, the last day of classes.

Posters, oral presentations, creative writing – even an art exhibit and play – represented a year’s worth of work in science and math, education and business, history and foreign language, and everything in between. Students, faculty and staff, proud family members and friends gathered in the Hurley Convergence Center and other spaces throughout campus to share and discuss.

“It’s an opportunity for students to see our peers doing amazing work,” said senior Keegan Fredrick, a political science major. “It provides an avenue for students to share what we’ve been working on for all these months.” Read more.

UMW held its first in-person Devil-Goat Day since the pandemic. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

A uniquely UMW tradition brought an electric vibe to campus yesterday, with the revival of Devil-Goat Day.

“It’s the first time back since the pandemic,” said senior Carleigh Rahn. “There’s a new energy.”

Music was pumping on Jefferson Square, where a sea of students dressed in red (Devils, who graduate in odd years) and green (Goats, who graduate in even years) gathered for a high-energy, full-spirit competition that dates back to the 1920s. The event, which had been held virtually for the past two years due to COVID, returned in-person. And students were ready!

“Seeing everyone out here, it’s just so euphoric,” said senior Arianna Rodriguez, whose class hadn’t been able to gather for the end-of-the-academic-year ritual since 2019. Read more. 

The first episode of the ‘Shelby’s Sweets’ podcast, created by UMW student Shelby De Jong, features a tutorial on making mini-pumpkin pies. The YouTube video is part of a Podcast Kitchen assignment, giving marketing students real-world experience and a creation they can share with potential employers.

Something’s been cooking at the University of Mary Washington.

The Podclass Kitchen experience has marketing students whipping up their own online culinary productions and walking away with an appetite for more.

“It was basically like starting our own business, and we did it hands-on,” said UMW junior Florina Aliu, who launched Cook Boss on YouTube. The first episode walks viewers through the creation of a Margherita pizza made with stone-fired flatbread and her mother’s homemade mozzarella. “I learned a lot more actually doing it than just reading about it.”

The Podclass Kitchen curriculum management system takes students from theory to practice, as they complete a series of lessons on brand identity, marketing strategy and content creation. The final dish? A short video that’s the start of an actual podcast on the trendy topic of cooking, and a polished product they can share with prospective employers.

“It gives them direct experience with social media promotion,” said College of Business Professor Lance Gentry, who recently incorporated the educational interface into his Principles of Marketing course. “Some of them are really getting into it with professional quality output.” Read more. 

Washington & Lee High School Assistant Principal Wilfredo Hernandez (left) and the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division’s Director of Academic Engagement Michael Clark discuss the parameters of the Innovation Challenge @ Dahlgren. Washington & Lee High School in Montross was the first to accept the challenge, designed to highlight the importance of STEM education.

“STEM” learning – science, technology, engineering and math – has been a priority for decades. But fewer young people in the U.S. are pursuing these subjects, and that puts the nation at risk.

The Innovation Challenge @ Dahlgren represents a powerful partnership set to take aim at this critical need in the Fredericksburg region. The robotics-style competition pits teams of high-schoolers against one another in a race of Python coding, sensor integration, navigation, detection, and command and control. Its début on Friday, April 29, and Saturday, April 30, features students from public, private and governor’s schools – from Richmond to Stafford and throughout the Northern Neck – and puts a spotlight on the need for STEM programs.

Held at the University of Mary Washington’s Dahlgren Campus, the event is presented by UMW; the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division (NSWC); MITRE Corporation; and the Fredericksburg Regional Military Affairs Council.

“This collaborative effort offers an amazing hands-on learning experience for area high school students, demonstrating UMW’s commitment to the regional economy and development of talent for in-demand STEM jobs,” said Mary Washington President Troy Paino.

Future leaders in everything from software development and artificial intelligence to the environment and pharmaceuticals will gather for the two-day competition. Their mission? Establish communication with a tiny robot on wheels, program it to maneuver a mat – navigating through the “sea” and around “land masses” – then detect, acquire and act on a target . Winners will split a cash prize of $5,000. Read more.

Based in L.A., comic-book writer Marguerite Bennett ’10 – widely published in DC, Marvel and more – is known for her depiction of female relationships. She will deliver the Women’s History Month keynote speech at UMW tomorrow night.

Marguerite Bennett promises to spill as much or as little as a University of Mary Washington crowd wants to hear tomorrow night.

The 2010 grad – UMW Women’s History Month keynote speaker – is brimming with girl-power stories in all shapes and sizes, in her career as a comic book writer and in her personal life.

“I love women, in their infinite forms, their infinite power,” said Bennett, whose New York Times-bestselling, GLAAD-nominated work has appeared in DC, Marvel, Aftershock, Dynamite, Archie and more. She’ll dish about her colorful – yet sometimes stormy – journey Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the University Center’s Chandler Ballroom.

Bennett ka-pow’ed and sha-bam’ed her way through a glass ceiling in her writing career, crashing into the notoriously male-dominated comic book industry while still in grad school. Now, with an earned reputation for her particularly genuine portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters, she’s encouraging others to harness their own victories. Read more.

(Please note: Marguerite Bennett spoke at UMW on Wednesday, March 9. This article ran prior to the event.)