November 14, 2024

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

UMW Students Receive Fulbright, International Scholarships

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University of Mary Washington students and alumni will travel, teach, and explore new cultures thanks to prestigious grants and scholarships. Charlotte Johnson '13 has received a Fulbright grant to spend a year in Germany. Charlotte Johnson, a 2013 international affairs and German graduate, is the 14th student to receive a U.S. Fulbright grant in the university’s history. Her scholarship continues a tradition of Fulbright awards at UMW over the past seven years. As a Fulbright scholar, Johnson will work for one year as an English teaching assistant in Germany. She will leave for her placement at the end of August. “I spent a year in Germany as a high school exchange student, so I have been dying to go back ever since,” Johnson said. “I want to go back as a leader as opposed to a student. This time, I can bring what I’ve learned [at UMW].” Johnson, a native of Tyaskin, Md., was very involved during her time at UMW, including as president of the club swim team, co-president of the German Club and a member of both the political science and foreign language honor societies. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the largest U.S. exchange program offering opportunities for students and young professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and primary and secondary school teaching worldwide. The program currently awards approximately 1,900 grants annually in all fields of study, and operates in more than 140 countries worldwide. Shirley Martey '14 will spend one year in China thanks to two prestigious scholarship programs. Shirley Martey, a 2014 political science graduate, received a Boren Scholarship for a program in China. Boren Scholarships are funded by the National Security Education Program, a major federal initiative designed to build a broader and more qualified pool of U.S. citizens with foreign language and international skills.  NSEP’s Boren Awards program provides students with resources and encouragement to acquire language skills and experience in countries critical to the future security and stability of our nation. This year, 165 students were offered awards from a pool of  868 applications. Earlier this year, she was awarded the Department of State’s Critical Language Scholarship for an intensive language program at Suzhou University in China. She’ll spend two months in Suzhou after graduation, then travel to the Harbin Institute of Technology for nine months of study through the Boren Scholarship. “As a Ghanaian American woman, I hope to be able to contribute a unique perspective to the conversation about U.S.-China relations, helping to develop a mutual understanding of the differences in each other’s policymaking structures and processes,” Martey said. Shirley, a native of Centreville, Va., has served in leadership roles in multiple on-campus organizations, including as chapter president of the Pi Sigma Alpha and Mortar Board honor societies and as a peer mentor for underrepresented students. Students Zaire Sprowal and Katherine Hansen have received the Gilman International Scholarship for their summer studies in Guyana and China, respectively. The scholarship provides awards to U.S. undergraduate students who are studying abroad and receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university. Sprowal will study with the UMW Guyana program under the leadership of Laura Mentore to gain the unique experience of living in an indigenous community and rainforest environment while developing his qualitative research skills. Hansen will participate in a two-month internship in Shanghai, China through the College of Business led by Wei Chen. Senior Michael Crawford will travel to Leipzig, Germany later this year thanks to a competitive scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Services, known as DAAD. Crawford will work alongside scientists to study how cow grazing affects plant biodiversity of grasslands. Crawford will work from October 2014 until July 2015 at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in the Department of Ecological Modelling for a scientist named Volker Grimm. In working for Grimm, Crawford will work to simplify an existing ecological simulation that details how certain plants grow or do not grow in conjunction with cow grazing. DAAD is the largest German support organization in the field of international academic cooperation, and is a private, federally and state funded, self-governing national agency of the institutions of higher education in Germany. The scholarship is a similar award to a Fulbright scholarship, but is only for Germany. The organization awards competitive, merit-based grants for use toward study and research in Germany at any of the accredited German institutions of higher education.

UMW Students and Faculty Collaborate with Dahlgren Researchers

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Eight University of Mary Washington students have received hands-on guidance this semester from mentors at the Naval Surface Warfare Center at Dahlgren. The students shared the results of their undergraduate research projects during poster presentations on Wednesday, April 30 at UMW’s Dahlgren campus. UMW professors Debra Hydorn, Melody Denhere and Stephen Davies collaborated with the students and mentors on four projects:
  • Statistical modeling and analysis of counts in time – using social network data, students Kim Hildebrand and Candice Benshaw analyzed the number of Twitter messages sent within a county in the U.S. during a given hour.
  • Simulation of a social network graph – students Cody Reibsome and Benjamin Blalock established a model of the collection of individuals that a member follows and the collection of individuals who are followers on Twitter.
  • String edit distance for micro-blogging text – in order to follow trends on Twitter there is a need to be able to account for misspellings. Students Jonathan Blauvelt and Anthony Bell used a distance measure to determine the similarity of tweets.
  • Citation prediction and analysis – students William Etcho and Josiah Neuberger explored methodologies for predicting the number of citations a paper or patent receives or for identifying emerging technologies.
For more information about the projects, contact Hydorn at dhydorn@umw.edu.

Political Science Students Present Research at VSSA

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Three University of Mary Washington political science students presented research papers at the Virginia Social Science Association Annual Meeting at Richmond on Saturday, April 19.

The students and their papers are:

Mariah Young, “Social Construction of Target Populations: Testing the Media’s Framing during Disasters;”

Amber Reeves, “I Think This Is From the Onion: A Study in Media Credibility Using the AP Logo;” and

Colin McElhinny, “Beyond the Water’s Edge: Public Opinion and U.S. Foreign Policy.”

The students began working on these research projects in the political science research methods classes offered by Professors Chad Murphy and Stephen Farnsworth.

UMW Sophomore Receives Barry Goldwater Honorable Mention

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University of Mary Washington sophomore Juliana Laszakovits is the recipient of an honorable mention from the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation. Juliana Laszakovits Her work focuses on understanding how dead plant life, known as dissolved organic matter, and pharmaceuticals and personal care products, known as PPCP’s, degrade. An accurate estimation of how quickly PPCP naturally degrade will provide a better estimate of the actual concentrations of pharmaceuticals entering the environment. During her research process, Laszakovits, a chemistry major, collaborated with research groups from Ohio State University and the University of Connecticut. Charles Sharpless, UMW associate professor of chemistry, will present their research findings at the Gordon Research Conference this summer. The Barry Goldwater Scholarship Program, established by Congress in 1986 to honor longtime Senator Barry Goldwater, is designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering. The Goldwater Scholarship is the premier undergraduate award of its type in these fields. It aims to foster and encourage excellence in the STEM disciples and to education and train new generations of U.S. leaders. This year, the Goldwater Foundation awarded 283 scholarships from more than 1,100 STEM students across the country. In addition to the scholarships, the foundation also recognized several students from each state with the honorable mention distinction. Laszakovits, a member of the UMW Honor’s Program, has been named to the Dean’s List. In August, she will attend the Biennial Conference on Chemical Education to present findings on the effectiveness of Peer Assisted Study Sessions at UMW.

Admissions Updates

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Admissions Hosts Washington Scholar Interviews and Destination UMW Event

On Friday, March 14, Admissions will host a banquet honoring the 14 finalists for the prestigious Washington Scholarship. The Washington Scholarship is awarded to an entering freshman who is a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia, who is accepted to the University of Mary Washington Honors Program. Preference is given to National Merit Scholar semi-finalists and above. All Washington finalists receive a renewable Presidential scholarship and two winners will receive awards for full tuition, room, board, and fees for up to four academic years. Peyton Kremer, a senior Biology major and Chemistry minor from Mechanicsville, Virginia, will speak at the banquet. The other seven current Washington Scholars (Claire Merenda ’16, Claire Harrington ’15, Alexandra Hoenscheid ’16, Hannah Morgan ’17, Nathan Slater ’15, Cooper Lawton ’14, and Rebekah Selbrede ’16) will also attend, as will some faculty and staff representatives.

The finalists will interview with the Selection Committee, chaired by Jeffrey McClurken, professor and department chair, history & American studies, on Saturday. Other members of the Selection Committee are Carole Garmon, Professor and Department Chair, Art & Art History; Neil Tibert, Associate Professor, Earth & Environmental Sciences; Mara Scanlon, Professor, English, Linguistics, and Communication; Patti Kemp, Alumni Association Board President; Sarah Lindberg, Assistant Director of Admissions; and Cindy Snyder, Director of National Alumni Engagement.

In addition to the Scholar finalists, about 180 additional admitted students and their families will visit UMW on Saturday for Destination UMW, a high-profile event welcoming admitted students to campus with the goal of yielding them for the 2014-2015 academic year. This Destination UMW especially aims to attract students admitted to the University Honors Program, who are invited to begin the day with a breakfast hosted by Kelli Slunt, director of the Honors Program. President Hurley will welcome all then visitors will participate in an interactive student life program, attend a sample lecture, dine in Seacobeck, tour a residence hall and other campus facilities such as a research lab, ceramics studio, and/or the fitness center, and likely opt for a downtown trolley excursion, a softball game, and/or other campus events.

Visitor parking has been reserved on Saturday in the George Washington (GW) lot as well as along Double Drive. Expect to see increased foot traffic on campus and curious newcomers in Seacobeck. Help them know their presence is a pleasure by anticipating the crowds and responding warmly, especially in the dining hall where crowds will peak between 12:30-1:30 p.m. Their impression and decision to attend UMW depends on how they feel while they are here, so thank you for your commitment to perpetuating our brand, our mission, and our sense of the UMW family. One way to show your support is to tweet to @UMWAdmissions and/or post to Instagram and tag @UMWAdmissions. We would like to see #DestinationUMW trending throughout the day.

Saturday is the second of three Destination UMW events this spring. The final one will be April 5. Please contact the Office of Admissions (540) 654-2000(540) 654-2000 with any questions or to participate in an upcoming event.

Admissions Sponsors Programs for High School Counselors

On March 25-26, 2014, UMW will host 53 high school and independent counselors from across the United States for our Campus Connections for Counselors program. The guests will be arriving in Fredericksburg on the evening of March 25, taking a trolley tour of historic Fredericksburg, attending a reception at Brompton, and dining with dean, department chairs, and other University representatives. On March 26, they will engage with faculty and students through interactive panel discussions, enjoy a campus tour, and learn about UMW points of distinction. Two goals of the program are to elevate the University’s visibility among out-of-state populations and to share the UMW story with a network of professional partners.

The Campus Connections for Counselors program is the latest in a series of events aimed at hosting counselors on campus. Last summer, 25 international counselors (from 18 different countries) visited as part of the Overseas Association for College Admission Counseling (OACAC) Summer Counselor Tour. In November, about 70 high school guidance counselors from across Virginia attended a Counselor Day to focus on the admissions selection process and learn about the UMW experience.

Continuing this emphasis, UMW successfully bid to host the Potomac & Chesapeake Association for College Admission Counseling (PCACAC) Summer Institute in July 2014. PCACAC is a non-profit, professional organization for those who work with students in the transition between high school and college. We expect about 120 professionals to participate in the three-day conference, staying in the Randolph-Mason residential complex and attending events and activities throughout campus.

If you would like more information about any of these programs, please contact the Office of Admissions (540.654.2000).

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New Director Brings Expertise to UMW’s Nursing Completion Program

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Pamela McCullough has a nearly 35-year nursing career, a focus on patient-centered care, and a passion for the liberal arts. Now, she is taking the helm of the University of Mary Washington’s new bachelor of science in nursing completion program, which is slated to begin this fall. The program is designed for registered nurses who have graduated with an accredited associate’s degree or diploma nursing program. Pamela McCullough “Continuing your education to the bachelor level makes you able to see a more global picture of healthcare,” she said. “You are looking at populations instead of individuals. You are learning how to think using different models. It’s exposure to different ways of thinking.” McCullough pointed to recent studies that show patient outcomes are improved when at least 80 percent of nurses hold bachelor’s degrees. “Not only does the employer want it, but there is an advantage for the individual,” she said. “[The curriculum] focuses on how to think outside the box.” As an undergraduate, she started out as a theater major, then started her nursing coursework. Those connections between the liberal arts and healthcare drew her to UMW’s program. McCullough, herself a registered nurse and certified nurse practitioner, wants the degree program to be a good fit for working nurses. “I want to make it flexible and individualized,” she said. “Some nurses will want to go fast and some will go slow. I want to adapt our program to meet their needs.” The coursework will include classes that allow nurses to make connections between their everyday situations and liberal arts disciplines, including advanced writing techniques, sociology courses on global health and medicine, and medical ethics. McCullough has lived in the Fredericksburg area since 1998. Most recently, she spent more than two years as nursing program director at Stratford University in Woodbridge. She also spent a decade as a certified nurse practitioner at Pratt Pediatrics in Fredericksburg. She received a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and post-master’s certificate from the Catholic University of America and a doctor of nursing practice from Old Dominion University. She completed her doctoral capstone project at UMW’s Student Health Center from 2009 to 2011. For more information about the program, please contact McCullough at pmccullo@umw.edu.

UMW Accreditation Reaffirmed by SACSCOC

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The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) reaffirmed the accreditation of the University of Mary Washington to award bachelor’s and master’s degrees. The reaffirmation was announced at a meeting of SACSCOC in Atlanta on December 10.

Nicole Crowder, assistant professor of chemistry works with Karmel James '13 (right) in the lab.

Nicole Crowder, assistant professor of chemistry works with Karmel James ’13 (right) in the lab.

“It is another milestone in UMW history,” University President Richard V. Hurley said from Atlanta. “I am extremely proud of this accomplishment, which validates our commitment to delivering the highest quality of education to our students.”

What the reaffirmation demonstrates, Hurley continued, “is that UMW meets and surpasses the highest standards of peer scrutiny in every operational area.” The success is attributable, he said, to “much hard work on the part of many administrators, faculty, and staff.”

SACSCOC is the regional accrediting body for higher education institutions in 11 U.S. Southern states.

Coming a decade after UMW’s last reaffirmation of accreditation, the action concludes a comprehensive three-year review of the University’s operations. During that time, UMW has had to prove its compliance with requirements of the federal government and the regional accrediting body. As part of this process, UMW submitted its Compliance Certification Report in September 2012 and its Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) in February 2013.  In April, a 10-member team from peer institutions spent three days at UMW to assess its programs and services.

The University of Mary Washington was first accredited by SACSCOC in 1930, and its accreditation was last reaffirmed in 2003.

The University of Mary Washington is a premier, selective public liberal arts and sciences university in Virginia, highly respected for its commitment to academic excellence, strong undergraduate liberal arts and sciences program, and dedication to life-long learning. The university, with a total enrollment of more than 5,000, features colleges of business, education and arts and sciences, and three campuses, including a residential campus in Fredericksburg, Va., a second one in nearby Stafford and a third in Dahlgren, Va., which serves as a center of development of educational and research partnerships between the Navy, higher education institutions and the region’s employers. In recent years, the university has seen its academic reputation garner national recognition in numerous selective guidebooks, including Forbes, the Fiske Guide to Colleges and the Princeton Review’s 2012 edition of 150 “Best Value Colleges” and the 2014 edition of “The Best 378 Colleges.”

Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call (404) 679-4500 for further information about the accreditation of the University of Mary Washington.