When one of the nation’s top spots in infectious diseases opened up last June, Candice Malone Long ’94 didn’t think twice. For the chance to help when the world was facing a raging pandemic and in need of vaccines and therapeutics? “It was an absolute ‘yes,’” said Long, who has spent 25 years with Johnson […]
First-Year Leadership Program Inspires Student Success
Stephen Covert ’93 sees information about all kinds of collegiate leadership programs cross his desk as principal of Pine View School for the Gifted in Osprey, Florida. An email from his alma mater stood out. It described a program that “will serve as a springboard for already stellar students to learn from leaders and use […]
Pastor, King Scholar Delivers MLK Keynote
Rev. Aaron Dobynes of Fredericksburg’s Shiloh (Old Site) Baptist Church, an expert on Martin Luther King Jr., presented UMW’s MLK Celebration keynote address on Tuesday.
Aaron Dobynes was 5 when word from a Memphis motel made it to his grandfather’s farm in Alabama. A family friend stopped by to relay the news of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, and as the young Dobynes looked on, the two men began to cry.
“I don’t know exactly how I was processing it, but it never left me,” he said.
Now a King scholar with double doctoral degrees, Dobynes delivered UMW’s Martin Luther King Jr. keynote address, presented by the James Farmer Multicultural Center, on Tuesday live via Zoom. A fourth-generation preacher who presides over Fredericksburg’s Shiloh (Old Site) Baptist Church, he wove his own personal civil rights story with words from the famous King speeches he’s studied for decades.
“King was shot and killed, but his spirit lay in all of us. We are the bearers of his dream,” Dobynes said. “We have to regularly and consistently, especially in this age in which we find ourselves, recognize what King said 40-some years ago. The work is never completed.” Read more.
2020 in Hindsight: A Look at the Top 10 News Stories
No one really wants to rewind to the past year. But through 10 months taken hostage by a pandemic, riddled with political strife and torn by racial unrest, the University of Mary Washington persevered. And we’ve got the stories to prove it.
From the launch of the James Farmer centennial celebration and the theatre department’s virtual performance of Much Ado About Nothing to the announcement of the new Great Lives lecture series and a pair of alumni weddings at Brompton, UMW news captured success. Of the more than 100 stories published at umw.edu/news in 2020, these comprise the Top 10. Read more.
Alumni Couples Wed Beneath Brompton Oak
From more than 8 feet away, President Troy Paino officiated the socially distanced wedding of UMW alumni Caroline Deale and John Bentley, who wed at Paino’s home at Brompton last month.
It had been seven years since they’d met on this very spot, new Mary Washington first-years eating sherbet and mint chocolate chip on the president’s lawn. That day, during the annual ice cream social for freshmen, Caroline Deale ’17 made a wish. Last month, it came true.
“Your youth may fade away, but your smile will always remind me of the time I first saw you on that sunny day,” she promised John Bentley ’17, MSGA ’19, as they wed beneath the weathered and wise Brompton Oak.
The tree that had seen so much Civil War suffering “got to witness pure love and joy,” UMW President Troy Paino posted on social media that afternoon. As a rare favor during an unprecedented season, he officiated the socially distanced wedding outside his front door.
The event was among two sets of alumni nuptials at Brompton this fall – Isabelle Perrin ’17 and Nathan Dawes ’14, MSGA ’17, married on the seldom-available historic site in October. Both ceremonies were reimagined, with shrinking guest lists and pandemic-related gifts. But COVID-19 couldn’t stop them.
May these UMW love stories – and all the magical bonds formed at Mary Washington throughout the decades – shine a beacon of light on the end of a tumultuous year. Read more.
Partnerships Lead Students to Engineering Master’s Degrees
New partnerships with Virginia schools give University of Mary Washington students a jumpstart on master’s coursework in engineering.
Sophomore Justin Daniels is part of a group building a virtual campus tour where users can order – and “drink” – Katora coffee. Junior Zoe Rafter put her knowledge of voltage and wavelengths to work this semester using a circuit board.
New partnerships with Virginia schools give University of Mary Washington students like Daniels and Rafter a jumpstart on master’s coursework – and futures – in engineering. Pathway agreements with George Mason and Virginia Tech offer early grad-school admission, five-year master’s degree possibilities and résumés ready for lucrative positions across the region, all while students complete their bachelor’s degrees at Mary Washington.
“Our students will be able to enjoy all that is special about UMW – our smaller student body, being able to work more closely with faculty and the rich foundation of a liberal arts education – while being able to pursue careers in engineering,” said College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Assistant Dean Betsy Lewis.
The programs – partnerships with George Mason’s Volgenau School of Engineering (VSE), launched last fall, and Virginia Tech’s School of Engineering, available to students beginning this spring – provide accelerated pathways built on foundational courses. And students with liberal arts and sciences degrees – who’ve studied a diverse array of subjects, collected technical and practical knowledge, and learned to speak and write well – are prepared to navigate them. Read more.
Mental Health is Top of Mind at Mary Washington
As UMW students approach the end of an unprecedented semester, with final exams and holidays on the horizon, practicing self-care and inquiring about others’ wellbeing is important. Zen Garden photo courtesy of Dan Hirshberg.
Five short words can go a long way toward mental wellness: “How are you feeling today?”
“It’s something every single member of our community can do for our students,” said Tevya Zukor, director of University of Mary Washington’s Talley Center for Counseling Services. “That kind of check-in can mean the world to someone who’s feeling isolated and disconnected.”
And who isn’t feeling a little off-course and overwhelmed these days? Especially students. With final exams and the fuss of the upcoming holiday season upon them – not to mention a global pandemic and the aftermath of a divisive election – more first-time mental health service-seekers are turning to the Talley Center. Zukor sees a positive side to the uptick in visitors. Young people are discovering the world of mental health, beginning to build coping strategies and dissolving the stigma around asking for help.
“It’s OK to want support and seek feedback and guidance when we’re not feeling well,” he said. “There’s nothing shameful about seeing someone to help navigate the world. That doesn’t make us flawed; it makes us human.” Read more.
Fun Is Not Canceled: A Student To-Do List
Even with strict health guidelines in place, there is still plenty to do at UMW, including this “Halloweens” event. A special calendar and list contain a collection of activities and ideas for staying engaged.
The bell tower on Double Drive still chimes twice a day. Campus Walk clamors with students changing classes. Adirondack chairs continue to migrate all over Ball Circle – except for the space occupied by the white dining tent that went up this spring due to COVID-19.
In an unprecedented semester of health guidelines, there are plenty of do’s and don’ts. Time-honored Mary Washington traditions are still on track, but they’re looking more digital and distanced these days. In the midst of it all, University of Mary Washington students just want to have fun.
A calendar of scheduled events and “The List,” a growing document of brainstormed diversions – learn a TikTok dance, create a time capsule, grab a free Campus Rec Frisbee – show what students CAN do on campus.
“Fun is not canceled,” said Student Activities and Engagement Director Sandrine Sutphin, who’s working with other departments to push out ideas to keep students involved, connected and de-stressed. “You don’t have to sit in your room. There are still lots of things you can do.” Read more.
Virtual Leadership Colloquium Aims to Help Women ‘Level-Up’
University of Mary Washington’s 27th annual Women’s Leadership Colloquium @UMW will be held virtually this year.
The Women’s Leadership Colloquium @UMW is changing things up. The 27th annual event, held virtually this year, includes a new special session for senior leaders and puts a techy spin on tried-and-true offerings, with Zoom-room breakouts and an abbreviated agenda to accommodate the busy multi-taskers who typically attend.
“We’ve challenged ourselves to offer the same quality experience attendees have come to expect, but in a new way,” said UMW College of Business Dean Lynne Richardson, who chairs the colloquium board. “The day will be different, but it’s another terrific program.”
A staple of coaching and camaraderie for women who strive to reach new heights in their chosen careers, the colloquium provides tools, strategies and inspiration for “leveling-up” leadership skills, both professionally and personally. The morning-long event features a Rolodex of networking opportunities, breakout sessions and more, plus a motivational keynote address. Private timeslots with prominent Fredericksburg-area coaching professionals and a workshop for senior leaders are available in the afternoon for an additional fee.
“Everyone will have the best seat in the house,” UMW Executive Director of Continuing and Professional Studies Kimberly Young said of this year’s virtual format. “It’s shorter, so there’s less time away from work, and none of this will sacrifice networking.” Read more.
Camera Captures UMW’s Resolve During COVID-19
Bench-sitting looks a little bit different in the time of COVID-19, but UMW juniors Kira Frazee (left) and Allison Bliss find a way to enjoy the popular UMW pastime while seated separately. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.
Masks are typically worn on Halloween. Social distancing is practiced during flu-season physicians’ visits. COVID-19 has flung these phenomena into the mainstream and into microcosms of it, on college campuses everywhere. As the University of Mary Washington community perseveres through the pandemic – monitoring, masking, distancing, cleaning, testing and more – a rigorous liberal arts and sciences education remains the mission.
The Fredericksburg campus has been reimagined – classrooms reconfigured, athletic conditioning modified, residence halls re-arranged, dining options altered – with a focus on slowing the spread of the virus and continuing to provide a transformative college experience.
So what does UMW really look like these days? Here, in 22 photos, Mary Washington shares a snapshot of campus life during COVID-19. Read more.