A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff
UMW Police Lt. Bill Gill and Chief Michael Hall receive the certificate of accreditation at a recent ceremony. At left is Jackson Miller, director of the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, and at right is Robert Mosier, Virginia secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security.
The University of Mary Washington Police Department was recently recognized for its overall professionalism and for the notable work of its leader, Chief Michael Hall.
This month the department was reaccredited for four more years by the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission (VLEPSC), which assesses agency operations for efficiency and effectiveness.
And Hall, the University’s chief law enforcement officer, has been named to the executive board of the Virginia Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (VACLEA). That’s the organization of police and public safety agencies primarily responsible for the safety and security of Virginia colleges and universities.
Accreditation is a labor-intensive undertaking that considers a department’s administration, operations, personnel, and training. Independent auditors consider departments’ adherence to about 190 standards recognized as best practices. Read more.
Kelly Paino, center, talks with, from left Ossie Furr, Brenston Furr Jr. and Brenston Furr Sr., during move-in day for daughter Jorja Furr, right. President Troy Paino, background, looks on. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.
By 9:15 Wednesday morning, resident advisor Max Steinbaum had already introduced himself a few dozen times, greeting the first-year students moving into Randolph Hall, their parents and a few wide-eyed younger siblings.
If a key lesson of college is efficiency, Max taught it by example on the University of Mary Washington’s first move-in morning – giving directions, answering questions and offering friendly encouragement as needed, all without breaking a sweat. Wednesday’s event was specifically for the more than 1,000 incoming students UMW welcomes this fall, including about 300 transfers; move-in for other students continues through the weekend.
Things went smoothly as carloads of families parked on the grass near the Randolph front door, unloaded bins and bags, then swept out of the way to make room for the next wave. Blue-shirted move-in helpers were there to lend muscle and knowhow.
President Troy Paino and wife Kelly greeted new Eagles, starting at Randolph and moving on to Westmoreland, Willard and Virginia halls.
It helped that August was on its best behavior, offering sunshine and 70s instead of the typical sweaty 90s. Read more.
Biology major Tessa Lanzafame inspects a leaf for evidence of insects. She worked with Assistant Professor of Biology Josephine Antwi to learn what herbivorous insects and host plants are present on the UMW campus. (Suzanne Carr Rossi photo.)
But on a hot July morning, biology major Tessa Lanzafame spotted something interesting, a tiny green caterpillar that appeared to be gnawing. With a snip of her scissors, Lanzafame collected the leaf and the insect, then marked the location on a Google map.
It was part of Lanzafame’s summer research with Assistant Professor of Biology Josephine Antwi, one project among 19 conducted during the 2022 UMW Summer Science Institute (SSI). The annual 10-week institute, in which students and faculty collaborate on research, concludes tomorrow – Wednesday, July 20 – with a public symposium. Student researchers will share their findings via poster or oral presentation from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Digital Auditorium of the Hurley Convergence Center.
It’s the 23rd year of the program at Mary Washington. Earlier this summer, UMW introduced the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Summer Institute (AHSSSI) inspired by the Summer Science Institute. Read more.
Students participate in UMW’s first ever Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Summer Institute.
Mentored undergraduate research has long been a staple of the summer for UMW students in science and mathematical fields. Now arts, humanities and social sciences students are reaping the benefits as well.
The first Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Summer Institute (AHSSSI) concluded yesterday with a symposium during which five teams presented the results of their monthlong research projects. The event, beginning at 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 15, in the Digital Auditorium of the Hurley Convergence Center, is open to the public.
The program is modeled on UMW’s Summer Science Institute, now in its 23rd year. Like the science institute, the AHSSSI provides a framework for intense scholarly inquiry into a specific topic proposed by a faculty mentor. Read more.
UMW welcomes new VP for Advancement Katie Turcotte
Who better to lead the University of Mary Washington’s development team than a “nonprofit and philanthropy nerd”? That’s how Turcotte describes herself 25 years into a career that has taken her through every aspect of fundraising for a variety of nonprofits.
She comes to Mary Washington from the consulting firm GG+A, where she is vice president of philanthropic analytics. Her résumé also includes positions at George Mason University, George Washington University, American University and Catholic University.
At UMW, she’ll bring all that experience to bear at a time when public universities are coping with changing demographics and shifting priorities in state budgets. At the same time, students are seeking a quality education with minimal debt – a need the university helps meet with donor-funded scholarships and other institutional aid. Read more.