Seeds of Promise
Andrew Shipman ’13 cultivates his love of food with a history degree.
Conversation and Culture
Weekly sessions bring together Arabic and English speaking students.
Click Here for Video of Commencement Speaker Steve Pemberton’s Address on May 11
Business executive, motivational speaker and noted author Steve Pemberton reminded graduates of their power to change the world during the University of Mary Washington’s 2013 commencement address on May 11, 2013.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Virginia Psychology Group Recognizes UMW Students
University of Mary Washington psychology majors Drew Hickey and William “Heath” Sharp were recognized for their outstanding undergraduate research at the Virginia Psychological Association’s spring conference April 25 in Richmond.
They received the Frederick Rowe Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Research Paper,
the highest award given for undergraduate research by the association. The honor is determined by a panel of judges who examined nearly 50 presentations by undergraduate researchers from Virginia colleges and universities, including Virginia Tech, James Madison University and Old Dominion University.
Their research, entitled “Does Gender Classification of Faces Benefit from Right Hemisphere Presentation?” looks at the role gender plays when recognizing a face. The duo, under the supervision of Associate Professor Steve Hampton, studied more than 100 people during their yearlong research project. “They determined that deciding the gender of a face is a much slower process than determining if a face is human (versus, say, a monkey),” said Hampton. “Their research suggests that processing a face proceeds from the primitive, such as ‘what is it?’ to the complex, such as ‘who is it?’. In between these two decisions is the decision about the gender of the face. All of these decisions are made in well under a second and are automatically computed by the brain.” “It’s important to understand how we process faces,” said Hickey, a senior from Stafford County. At UMW, he helped organize SAVE, a student antiviolence education club aimed at bringing awareness to domestic violence. He also works part-time at Snowden, a mental health facility operated by Mary Washington Healthcare. Sharp, a senior from Arlington, is pursuing a double major in psychology and Spanish. He has been treasurer of UMW’s club basketball team and plans to pursue graduate school after he graduates.Educator-in-Residence Shares Teaching Advice
Barbara Bishop Mann ’66 taught University of Mary Washington College of Education graduates a lesson at the annual Educator-in-Residence program May 1.
“You’re going to change the world. Why? Because you have to,” said Mann, who spent more than 35 years in the classroom. “Do what you have to do to get through to the kids. It’s all for them.”
Mann, or Mrs. Mann as her students referred to her, earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Mary Washington and began teaching elementary school in Alabama. She retired from teaching 10 years ago from Chesterfield County Public Schools.
She offered sage tips to the graduating class of future teachers: “Protect your teacher voice. Suck on menthol, eucalyptus cough drops” . . . “Build relationships and support who and what you believe in. . . You can’t teach in an isolated classroom.”
And Mann heeds her own advice. She served on the Virginia Education Association (VEA) Board of Directors for 12 years and as president of the Chesterfield Education Association (CEA). She remains active in the VEA Retired Council, the CEA Board of Directors and the local chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. Of course, she sucked on a cough drop during her remarks.
“Be bold, be brave, communicate, advocate for education,” said Mann, who also is an active member of the UMW alumni community, serving on the UMW Alumni Association Board and its executive committee. In addition, she is a member of the College of Education’s first advisory board and supports UMW education students through two endowed scholarship funds.
“If you work hard and you love what you do, the kids can feel it and they’ll learn,” said Mann.
The daylong event at the Stafford campus also featured graduate presentations ranging from using graphic novels in the classroom to employing computer games to teach math, hands-on time in the new makerspace on the Stafford campus, and a ceremony celebrating graduates with a number of COE awards.
“You’re going to change the world. Why? Because you have to,” said Mann, who spent more than 35 years in the classroom. “Do what you have to do to get through to the kids. It’s all for them.”
Mann, or Mrs. Mann as her students referred to her, earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Mary Washington and began teaching elementary school in Alabama. She retired from teaching 10 years ago from Chesterfield County Public Schools.
She offered sage tips to the graduating class of future teachers: “Protect your teacher voice. Suck on menthol, eucalyptus cough drops” . . . “Build relationships and support who and what you believe in. . . You can’t teach in an isolated classroom.”
And Mann heeds her own advice. She served on the Virginia Education Association (VEA) Board of Directors for 12 years and as president of the Chesterfield Education Association (CEA). She remains active in the VEA Retired Council, the CEA Board of Directors and the local chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. Of course, she sucked on a cough drop during her remarks.
“Be bold, be brave, communicate, advocate for education,” said Mann, who also is an active member of the UMW alumni community, serving on the UMW Alumni Association Board and its executive committee. In addition, she is a member of the College of Education’s first advisory board and supports UMW education students through two endowed scholarship funds.
“If you work hard and you love what you do, the kids can feel it and they’ll learn,” said Mann.
The daylong event at the Stafford campus also featured graduate presentations ranging from using graphic novels in the classroom to employing computer games to teach math, hands-on time in the new makerspace on the Stafford campus, and a ceremony celebrating graduates with a number of COE awards.Around the Globe in a Semester
More than 100 students are discovering geography as Professor Donald Rallis experiences it.
Weight Watchers: New Session Begins March 13
Shannon before WW@W
Shannon now
Celebrities aren’t the only ones reaping the benefits of Weight Watchers. Here’s what our own Shannon Finley has to say about her accomplishments with Weight Watchers @ Work on the Fredericksburg campus:
“When I started Weight Watchers in May 2012, I was nervous, excited and anxious all at once,” said Shannon, who works in the purchasing department. “Not only did I have a long road ahead of me, I was not sure if I could even stick with Weight Watchers long enough for the program to make a difference. I had tried Weight Watchers before on my own, with very little success. But this time was different, I had the at-work group to help encourage and support me along the way. Having the support of the group made all the difference. With WW@W, not only have I been able to stick with the program, I have been able to lose over 60 pounds and am well over half way to my healthy weight goal. I am excited to continue the WW@W program and reach my goal, and with the support and encouragement of my peers, I know I will!”
Want to experience your own success? Check out the next meeting at noon Wednesday, March 13 in the Red Room of Woodard Campus Center. Enjoy some snacks and join your coworkers in some fun and the key to a healthier way of life. Want more information? Contact Shannon at sfinley@umw.edu or 654-1382.
Join Weight Watchers at Work
Need help with that New Year’s resolution? No need to wait. Join Weight Watchers at Work now and take advantage of special pricing for state employees. Curious about the program? Visit a meeting for free:
When: Wednesdays, noon to 12:30 p.m.
Where : Red Room, Woodard Campus Center
Contact Pam Taggert (ptaggert@umw.edu) or 654-1018 with any questions.
Chad Murphy Op-ed in Richmond Newspaper
An opinion article “Redistricting Plan Encourages D.C.-type Dysfunction,” written by Chad Murphy, assistant professor of political science, appears in the January 31 edition of The Richmond Times-Dispatch.