Computers are complicated. But University of Mary Washington senior Owen Chong breaks them down into 12 simple words – what you get out of them depends on what you put in. The same could be said of his college career. A computer science major and data science minor who hoped to play soccer and study […]
Honor Council President Finds Moral of the Story at Mary Washington
When University of Mary Washington senior Hannah Lee bought her first pair of scrubs at the start of her college career, she couldn’t have known that – wash after wash – she’d be pulling them on four years later, for the same volunteer job. “Being able to provide care for people who are unable to […]
UMW Map-Makers Bring Lafayette’s Journey to Life
From left to right: UMW senior Brooke Prevedel, UMW Professor of Geography Steve Hanna and Fredericksburg Area Museum’s Gaila Sims
University of Mary Washington senior Brooke Prevedel and Professor of Geography Steve Hanna spent more than 100 hours making the map at the center of a new Fredericksburg Area Museum exhibit.
“I spent most of my time hunched over my drawing tablet looking at it in extra blown-up proportions,” said Prevedel, a historic preservation and classical archaeology double major who’s earning a certificate in GIS.
High-tech tools like her tablet, and computer programs and apps, helped the pair create the map, which shows the 1824 journey of the Marquis de Lafayette through America’s 24 states. But meticulous attention to detail – like the mountain ranges Prevedel cranked out by hand for a fountainpen feel – tell a story they hope will take visitors back to the 19th century. Read more.
Third Annual Innovation Challenge Produces High School STEM Stars
Ayla Zook (fourth from left, sitting) works with her teammates at UMW’s Dahlgren Campus during the third annual High School Innovation Challenge @ Dahlgren. The team, from King George County High School, took top prize, claiming $3,500 for STEM learning at their school. Photo by Dave Ellis.
Brainstorming, creativity and teamwork are some of the tactics that led a group of King George County high-schoolers to the top. “We overcame it together,” student Ayla Zook said of the last-minute coding issues that threatened to deter the team’s win at this month’s High School Innovation Challenge @ Dahlgren.
More than 100 students from public and private schools, from Stafford to the Northern Neck, turned out for the third annual robotics-style competition at the University of Mary Washington’s Dahlgren Campus on Friday and Saturday, March 1 and 2. The winning team from King George walked away with a cash prize of $3,500, a giant trophy and bragging rights … at least until next year’s event.
Westmoreland High School took second place, winning $2,500, and Fredericksburg Christian School came in third, claiming $1,500. The teams battled it out in lightning rounds, completing an “ENRG” mission that required them to engage by assembling robots to navigate challenging terrain on a quest to recover critical hardware while gathering intel and maintaining mission awareness. In addition to cash, winners took home robotics kits for their schools. Read more.
City, UMW Announce Addition of Fredericksburg Civil Rights Trail to U.S. Civil Rights Trail
The City of Fredericksburg and the University of Mary Washington on Thursday, Feb. 8, announced that the Fredericksburg Civil Rights Trail has been added to the national collection of landmarks that make up the U.S. Civil Rights Trail.
The U.S. trail, which spans 15 states, includes churches, schools, museums and other locations that played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement. Fredericksburg’s Civil Rights Trail, “Freedom, A Work in Progress,” is the only one of the four sites inducted this year to the U.S. trail that is not a single entity, adding 21 stops to the national narrative.
Community members – many of whom had gathered at the trail’s official launch a year ago – attended an announcement event, held at Shiloh Baptist Church (Old Site), the first stop on the three-mile journey that winds through parts of historic downtown and the UMW campus. Prominent Black citizens and pastors of the church, including the Rev. B.H. Hester and the Rev. Lawrence Davies, played critical roles in the struggle for civil rights and social justice. Read more.
Notable Concert Brings UMW Choirs, Community Members and High-Schoolers Together
A combo of choirs will come together for Sunday’s Two Roads Diverged: Fall Choral Concert at the University of Mary Washington. UMW students, faculty and staff will pool their voices and musical talents with Fredericksburg-area community members and local high-schoolers for the performance on Sunday, Nov. 12, at 7:30 p.m., in George Washington Hall’s Dodd Auditorium. Read more.
Summer Camp Gives High School Students a Glimpse of College Life
Rappahannock High School rising senior Shaniyah Lanier participates in ‘Kitchen Chemistry’ during UMW’s Summer Enrichment Program, as Professor of Chemistry Kelli Slunt looks on. The residential program gives high-schoolers a glimpse of college life. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.
Holding tight to a video camera aimed at his face, high school junior Simon Young became a blur of motion earlier this month, whirling on a whimsical stool in the University of Mary Washington’s Hurley Convergence Center. The experience and its result – a panoramic portrayal of Simon’s dizzying ride on the curious chair – was part of a lesson in virtual and augmented reality.
Billed as an exploration of science fact rather than science fiction, the class was one of several – from kitchen chemistry to computational physics – available to rising 10th- through 12th-graders who took part in UMW’s weeklong Summer Enrichment Program (SEP). Packed with immersive instruction and high-impact activities, the unique residential program creates a microcosm of college, giving teens a taste of how it feels to live and learn on campus.
“I wanted a snapshot of college life,” said Zack Roland, a senior at Stafford’s Mountain View High School. “It’s the opportunity of a lifetime.” Read more.
UMW, Germanna Partner on Fast-Track Business Major
UMW President Troy Paino and Germanna President Janet Gullickson sign an agreement creating a pathway between the two schools to put students on a fast track toward a business major. Photo by BC Photography.
The University of Mary Washington and Germanna Community College signed an agreement Monday that creates a fast track to earning college business degrees in the Fredericksburg region. The pathway program allows students to complete both an associate’s and a bachelor’s degree online in about two-and-a-half years, saving time and money.
The ultra-accelerated route provided by the two schools starts with Germanna’s “College Everywhere” program, which gives students the opportunity to earn a two-year associate’s degree remotely in just 12 months. Those who transfer to UMW can then finish the major in business administration, also online, within an additional 18 months.
That’s great news for Cheryll Mosley, a 32-year-old single mother of two from Stafford County who’s nearing completion of a one-year associate’s degree at Germanna. Next, she’ll transfer to Mary Washington’s AACSB-accredited College of Business. “I know what I want, and I know how to get there. This program has really helped me grow,” said Mosley, who plans to start her own business.
“This is all about the students,” said UMW President Troy Paino. “This is about removing obstacles, creating access and opportunities, lowering costs, accelerating time to degrees. All of those things are really going to make a difference, not only in the students’ lives but in our community.” Read more.
UMW Grads Win Fulbright Awards to Teach Overseas
UMW grads (from left) Theresa Darroch ’20, Mary Cheney ’21, M.Ed. ’22 and Charlotte Kramer ’22 are all winners of this year’s Fulbright Awards to work and study overseas.
Charlotte Kramer ’22 was still absorbing the first piece of news – that she’d received semifinalist status for a grant to live and work overseas – when a second email came through.
“I thought I was seeing things,” Kramer said of the message that upgraded her standing and meant she’d get to spend nearly a year in Bulgaria. “I think I understood, even if I couldn’t fully process, how life-changing that moment was.”
Kramer, who earned a degree in anthropology in May, is one of three recent University of Mary Washington grads to win a Fulbright award this year. The transformative U.S. government-sponsored honor, among the world’s most highly regarded, aims to boost cultural connections around the globe. But the journey for these alums – among the nearly 60 Fulbright finalists and semifinalists Mary Washington has produced throughout the years – began with the support and inspiration they found among faculty.
“They helped me navigate the whole process,” Kramer said of UMW’s Fulbright Advising Committee (FAC). Kramer will leave for Ruse, Bulgaria, later this year. Mary Cheney ’21, M.Ed. ’22, will head to South Korea and Theresa Darroch ’20 will go to Taiwan. Read more.
Mission Complete: Innovation Challenge @Dahlgren a Strong Win for STEM
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.