Dear UMW Community,

With final exams, end-of-year projects, research papers, and most grading behind us, it’s time to reflect on our many accomplishments over the past year.

We recently celebrated this year’s Eagle Awards, recognizing primarily students and student organizations who have provided leadership and contributed outstanding service through involvement in activities and organizations. Congratulations to you all!  In addition, we’ve shared news of departmental honors, national honor societies, and individual awards, including our second Goldwater Scholar, the top honors student in the Virginias, and a Newman Civic Fellow. We’ve also learned of Fulbright awards given to our students, alumni, and faculty, and look forward to celebrating your achievements and sharing your adventures around the world.

At the last faculty meeting of the year, we celebrated our faculty, honoring colleagues who have served this University for decades, bringing their expertise to our classrooms and our community and defining our approach to the liberal arts and sciences.  We also reaffirmed our ASPIRE community values during a weeklong celebration.  I encourage you to carry these values of accountability, scholarship, personal and institutional integrity, inclusive excellence, respect and civility, and engagement in both your personal and professional life whether on campus or beyond.

Congratulations to our graduating seniors – the Class of 2023!  There is much to be proud of, including your perseverance and dedication needed to earn your degree despite many challenges and obstacles along the way.  You did it!  I look forward to celebrating your great achievements with your family and friends at UMW’s 112^th Commencement on Saturday, May 6^th.

And, to all of the grounds crew, Facilities Services crew, Events team, faculty, staff, students and many, many volunteers – thank you for your hard work, countless hours and sheer resolve in preparing for commencement.  Whether you assisted with setting up chairs, laying mulch, preparing parking spaces, finalizing the program, providing regalia, coordinating logistics, or anything in between – thank you for ensuring our campus is beautiful and welcoming.

Continuing students, I wish you great success in your summer endeavors which may include classes, study abroad trips, internships, jobs, etc.  I also encourage you to immerse yourself in special interests, hobbies, outdoor activities, service projects, and more – those positive, rewarding experiences that encourage personal growth and satisfaction, as well as professional exploration.

On campus, we’ll welcome another season of the Summer Science Institute, now in its 24^th year, and showcase the second Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Summer Institute. I extend a heartfelt thank you to all of you who work throughout the summer on important projects and programs.  Your leadership, energy, and dedication are invaluable to providing strong and impactful summer courses, programs like the Student Transition Program, the Summer Enrichment Program, and Orientation and New Student Programs, beloved events such as Reunion Weekend planned for June 1 thru June 4, and services including Admissions Office campus tours, varied sports camps, etc.

Thanks to each of you, our faculty, staff, and students, who have worked so hard to make this a successful year, and to those who continue to work to provide robust summer enrichment opportunities.  Have a great summer!

Sincerely,

Troy Paino

Dear UMW Community,

April is always a wonderful time of year, filled with end-of-semester showcases, celebrations, and ceremonies. We welcome the warmer spring weather, enjoying the return of many long-awaited outdoor activities, as well as some of our favorite campus traditions and the seeds of new ones.

Earlier this week, we celebrated UMW during our annual #MaryWashDay.  Our Mary Washington community stepped up with matching pledges, competitions, and tremendous support of our many academic, curricular, and co-curricular programs.  This support helps us enhance our programs, offer more enriching and holistic experiences for our students, and provide the resources needed to continue to forge ahead, test limits, explore new ideas and theories, collaborate with others, etc.  We thank the many donors from across all 50 states and around the world. We also appreciate the donors who shared in a meal and in learning more about our undergraduate research and creativity at the recent Scholarship Lunch. And, I can’t wait to see more of our students’ work at the 17th Annual Research and Creativity Day Symposium. I am always astounded at the exceptional results that represent hard work, determination, creativity, knowledge, and many hours of research. I encourage you to support your classmates and celebrate their accomplishments. 

Many additional accomplishments have filled our recent weekends. UMW’s Honors Program recently celebrated its milestone tenth anniversary with an alumni panel that exemplified how their “be more” mantra adds up to an experience that yields benefits in college and well beyond. High school students stepped up to the Innovation Challenge @ Dahlgren on April 1, where 125 students programmed robots for a simulated exercise and put collaboration, ingenuity and their STEM-related acumen to the test to compete for a $7500 prize purse.

In addition, UMW hosted the 33rd annual Multicultural Fair, a beloved event that promotes multicultural awareness by showcasing the diverse ethnic customs, cultures, food, music, and more of the UMW and greater Fredericksburg communities. This event demonstrates how we can appreciate and respect various cultures by watching, listening, and learning, as well as expand our view of the world and those around us.

Also, we are proud to announce that, in partnership with Germanna Community College, UMW has established the Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program.  Current and future UMW students and Germanna transfer students – whether majoring in education or not – can be considered for the program.  In return for scholarships, Noyce Scholars commit to two years of teaching STEM-related courses in qualifying schools.  This program directly addresses the serious teacher shortage in these subject areas, as well as promotes community service and enrichment, impactful teacher-student learning experiences, exceptional work experience, and more.

Today is an exciting day as we welcome prospective students and their families to campus for an Admissions Open House.  This is one of my favorite campus events as it gives me an opportunity to publicly showcase the terrific accomplishments of our faculty, staff and students and welcome guests to our inviting, positive and vibrant campus.  Please join me in welcoming future Eagles and their families by sharing a smile, offering help navigating to a campus building, or answering their questions.  The heart of our beautiful campus is each of you and our guests will have a richer experience because of your participation.

Likewise, our ASPIRE values are the foundation of our close knit community.  Next week, I encourage you to dive into UMW’s inaugural ASPIRE Week as developed by Student Government Association Vice President, Jaylyn Long.  The week-long activities and events highlight our shared community values that guide us in our daily goals and interactions.  In addition, UMW athletic coaches and student-athletes are hosting Flip the Field which will provide immersions, clinics and friendly contests for faculty, staff and students in sports ranging from swimming to tennis to baseball to esports.  The event not only supports ASPIRE Week, but it also highlights the positive impact DIII athletics and student-athletes have in our community and the surrounding community.

As we welcome spring, we also acknowledge Earth Week, April 16-22, and UMW’s Arbor Day Tree Planting event on Monday, April 10^th from 2 to 3 pm.  Join me for a ceremonial planting of sycamore trees on the streamside of Willard Hall.  In addition, at 4:15 p.m. that afternoon in the Digital Auditorium of the HCC, SGA is hosting a forum for UMW students.  I invite you to join me, Craig Erwin, VP for Administration and Finance, and Joey Zeldin, SGA President, to learn more about the state budget process and its impact on tuition and fees.

There is so much happening on and around our campus and it’s difficult to acknowledge everything.  Although there is much to do as the semester closes, it’s also important to take time to rest, recharge, and refocus.  Whether you enjoy running, yoga, bench sitting, watching movies, drawing, etc., take the time you need to balance your commitments, assignments, and work schedules.  

To UMW faculty, staff and students, I wish you the best of luck in preparation for final exams, research projects, grading papers, etc. To our seniors, I encourage you to remain steadfast and positive as you enter the final stretch of this semester.  And, I look forward to the many wonderful events and celebrations culminating in UMW’s 112^th Commencement on May 6 when we welcome UMW alumna Jennifer Clift ’00 to deliver the commencement speech.     

Troy Paino

Colleagues,

Commencement is fast approaching, and plans are in place for our ceremony on Saturday, May 6, 2023, at 9 a.m. on Ball Circle. The full schedule of events and related information may be found on the Commencement website.

Full-time teaching faculty are to be robed in their regalia and in two equal processional lines on Campus Walk starting at the Phi Beta Kappa Key no later than 8:45 a.m. The ceremony will conclude at approximately noon. Any teaching faculty who cannot be present must inform the dean of their respective college by Wednesday, April 26.

Any teaching or administrative/professional faculty seated on stage and related to a graduating student may assist with the presentation of the degree provided they have notified Ali Gauch Hieber at agauch@umw.edu no later than Friday April 28, so that the script can reflect their participation.

Full-time administrative/professional faculty are invited to process in the appropriate regalia. Those who wish to participate must contact Ali Gauch Hieber at agauch@umw.edu or 654-1276 by Tuesday, April 30, so a seat may be reserved on stage.

Regalia may be purchased or rented from Oak Hall online at or by phone (800) 456-7623. Rental pricing includes shipping charges: Master Ensemble ($39.98) or Doctor Ensemble ($65.98). Orders for rental regalia must be received by Oak Hall no later than Friday, March 31.

Tickets to the Commencement Luncheon are available to all full-time faculty and administrative/professional faculty participating in Commencement. They may be picked up from the Provost’s Office in George Washington Hall during normal business hours. For questions, email me and Amy O’Reilly.

I look forward to seeing you on May 6. 

Tim

The following message is from the Office of the Provost, with thanks to Reference and Humanities Librarian Emeritus Jack Bales:

Campus Colleagues,

It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Elizabeth “Beth” Perkins, who served as the Library’s Head of Circulation from 1984 until her retirement in early 2012.

Beth once commented that in her position, “every day is different” and “I get to do many, many things.”  During her 28 years at UMW, her main task among those numerous responsibilities was to ensure that the library provided “superior library service.”  Towards that end, she administered library programs, supervised both students and full-time employees, and planned for future library developments.

Beth was at the forefront of integrating technology into the library and in the late 1980s, assisted with the upgrade from a card catalog to a complex automated catalog system.  She was so proficient at pinpointing problems during the early stages of library technology that she was often referred to as “Beta-Test Beth.”

Beth was actively involved with the Virginia Library Association’s Paraprofessional Forum and received the organization’s first “Paraprofessional of the Year” award in 1996.  Four years later, the prestigious periodical Library Journal recognized her contributions to the field by presenting her with its inaugural “Paraprofessional of the Year” award, whose criteria included “contribution(s) enabling the library to best serve its constituents and/or its community.”

In its lengthy March 15, 2000, cover story about Beth and the award, Library Journal observed that “she displays deep professional commitment. Perkins has a record of outstanding job performance, solid managing, and effective mentoring.”

Beth’s passions included books and music.  A few years after she retired, she moved to her home state of Mississippi, where she enjoyed reading and collecting books—especially signed volumes—and going to concerts all over the South.  She died peacefully at age 78 on March 14, 2023, surrounded by her family.  A celebration of her life will be held later this spring in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Tim

Timothy M. O’Donnell
Provost
University of Mary Washington

UMW PRISM Day of Silence Vigil
Noon to 1 p.m. | Monroe Fountain

Join UMW PRISM as a we hold a moment of silence in honor of those in the LGBTQ+ community and stand against homophobia and transphobia. UMW PRISM e-board members will be handing out free shirts in the CRUC starting Monday the 10th for everyone to wear on Friday at the fountain.

Breaking the Silence: Open Mic
1 to 2 p.m. | The Underground

After UMW PRISM’s Day of Silence vigil, please join PRISM and the Aubade in our Breaking the Silence: Open Mic. All are welcome to come and share their poetry, stories, and music, or show support as an audience member. Free refreshments will be provided!

Extra extra! Read all about it! Local improviser banned from music!

Join the Undeniably Adjacent for some fresh improv comedy in their penultimate show of the year, where they say goodbye and bon voyage to one of their beloved seniors. It’ll be a hilarious night of improv comedy that’s sure to make the papers!

“Gabe Is Banned From Music: A Newsworthy Improv Comedy Show” is set to take place Saturday, April 15, from 7 to 9 p.m., in Monroe 116.