April 7, 2026

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Advisory Group’s Public Health Reminders for September

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Dear UMW Community,

This week the COVID-19 community level is low, as reported on the CDC tracker. Based on this level of transmission, the CDC’s recommended action is to “stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines. Get tested if you have symptoms. Wear a mask if you have symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19, and wear a mask on public transportation. You may choose to wear a mask at any time as an additional precaution to protect yourself and others.”

Read the entire update on the Return to Campus – Fall 2022 web page.

Sincerely,

UMW’s Public Health Advisory Working Group

Friday Features: Read the Latest CAS News

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From processing the impact of war by visiting the lands on which they were fought to serving as curators for transformative art exhibits, UMW’s College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) students are immersed in hands-0n, real-world learning experiences. Check out the Beyond the Classroom Blog to follow the adventures of CAS’s students and faculty, learn about initiatives and excursions, and more.

ODR Opportunities for the Fall Semester

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Happy Start of the Fall 2022 Semester!

ODR has a variety of events to share with our community that are in store for the upcoming months. We hope that you take a moment to review this information, RSVP to the opportunities of interest (if required), and to see you throughout the semester!

Disability Etiquette Training

This presentation is offered to the UMW community and open to faculty, staff, and students as an opportunity to learn more about current and best practices related to language about disability, general tips on interacting with people with disabilities, and tips on supporting individuals with specific disabilities. RSVP for Disability Etiquette Training

  • Tuesday, September 13th
  • 3pm-4pm
  • Colonnade Room (315), Rucker University Center

Digital Accessibility: Top Things to Know

This training will focus on quick tips and tricks for anyone in the UMW community interested in learning more about digital accessibility. This is a great opportunity for students, faculty, and staff involved in sharing any information with a wide range of individuals. General information for Word and Powerpoint accessibility, tips for social media, and closed captioning will be shared! This presentation will be limited to 15 participants to allow time for interactive discussion and questions. Come, learn, and ask questions in a judgment free environment with training provided by ODR’s Assistive Technology Coordinator, Danielle Smith. RSVP for Digital Accessibility Training

  • Tuesday, October 12th
  • 3:00pm-4:00pm
  • Capital Room (314), Rucker University Center

Assistive Technology Demo Day

Assistive Technology (AT) changes lives, and many of us use it every day! See how high-tech and low-tech devices can support learning and every day activities. Come check out Assistive Tech Demo Day to play with and see AT in action at UMW. This event does not require an RSVP and will be held as part of Disability Awareness Month programming during October.

  • Thursday, October 13th
  • 1pm-3pm
  • Office of Disability Resources, Suite 005 Seacobeck Hall

Disability Awareness Month Major Speaker – Rachel Loria

Rachel Loria is a Disability Rights Advocate at the disAbility Law Center of Virginia, where she has been working for over 8 years. She works particularly on cases involving vocational services, Pre-Employment Transition Services, and assistive technology. She was born and raised in Richmond where she also began her journey as a self-advocate. She had the privilege of working with both Virginia Board for People with Disabilities and the Partnership for People with Disabilities in her 15 year career as a self-advocate working to help individuals who have disabilities.

  • Thursday, October 13th
  • 7pm
  • Chandler A/B Ballroom, Rucker University Center

Disability Awareness Month Table Fair

A table fair will be held to share information about both on- and off-campus disability organizations. There will also be a tye-dye table set up for students who would like to tye-dye a t-shirt with the month’s theme: “Amplifying Voices, Empowering Access.” There are a limited number of t-shirts available so come early to join the fun! In the event of inclement weather, the table fair will be moved inside and the tye-dye activity will be rescheduled for another date. No RSVP required.

  • Friday, October 14th
  • 11am-1pm
  • Campus Walk

Accessibility 101

Accessibility 101 is a campus-wide workshop designed as an opportunity to build awareness and understanding of how our practices, policies, attitudes, language, and interactions impact individuals with disabilities. As a group, we will review and discuss what it means to be accessible.

Individuals will be recognized for completing the Accessibility 101 Workshop as “UMW Accessibility Partners.” We hope to create our own transformative movement- one to promote accountability, accessibility, and inclusivity at UMW that aligns with our ASPIRE Values and Principles on Diversity and Inclusion.

Please be sure to RSVP for Accessibility 101 so that we can share the presentation and plan for your attendance.

  • Wednesday, November 9th
  • 3:00pm-4:30pm
  • Capital Room (314), Rucker University Center

Additional information is available on the ODR News/Events page.

Let us know if you have any questions or require disability accommodations by emailing odr@umw.edu.

Have a great start to the semester!

Psychology Grad-in-Residence to Discuss Veteran-Related Mental Health, Sept. 15

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Psychology Graduate in Residence Robyn Shepardson

Psychology Graduate in Residence Robyn Shepardson

Psychology Graduate in Residence Robyn L. Shepardson, a clinical research psychologist with the Syracuse Department of Veterans Affairs, will deliver a public lecture titled “Increasing Access to Mental Health Treatment: Clinical Research Evaluating a Brief Anxiety Intervention for Primary Care Behavioral Health Settings” on Thursday, Sept. 15 at 4 p.m., in the Hurley Convergence Center’s Digital Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

During her visit to UMW, Dr. Shepardson will also present about her work on developing, testing and implementing interventions for veterans with anxiety and depression in relevant psychology courses. In addition, she will have lunch with students who are interested in pursuing graduate school or careers in related fields.

Coffee Talk: Fall Into Change – Growth and Transformation, Sept. 13

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Women's Leadership Colloquium presents Coffee Talk

Women’s Leadership Colloquium presents Coffee Talk on Sept. 13, 8 to 9 a.m.

The Women’s Leadership Colloquium presents a Coffee Talk titled “Fall Into Change: Growth and Transformation,” on Tuesday, Sept. 13, from 8 to 9 a.m., in the Jepson Alumni and Executive Center Board Room.

Even though many of us desire to expand and grow, sometimes we unknowingly create resistance and wonder why we aren’t seeing the effects of our hard work. Barbara Gustavson, owner of Discover Next Step, will walk you through a different path to understand why your nervous system often fights change and how to hack your brain to embrace the fear that invariably accompanies change in order to experience true growth and freedom.

Gustavson works with helpers, professionals and decision-makers who are ready to stop letting burnout take over the passion for their work. She guides them to develop new ways to think, respond, connect and influence, then map out a plan to take bold steps and use their experiences and talents to create a positive impact. She combines personal growth, leadership and brain-based techniques with her facilitation. Barbara is a Certified Leadership Trainer, Amen Clinic Brain Health Coach, speaker and author.

Register online for this event.

DHRM Financial Wellness Events and Resources

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Dear State Employees:

Virginia Credit Union Webinar. Your Credit Score. A great credit score can make your life almost immeasurably easier. This session is going to show you just what goes into building, managing, and maintaining the kind of credit score you want. Join us for 30 minutes on September 14 at 12 p.m. for the “Your Credit Score” webinar, where we’ll talk about how to make that possible. Register Now!

VRS. Cultivating money mindfulness can offer a wide range of benefits, including reducing stress and building positive financial habits. Explore the myVRS FinancialWellness Money Mindfulness section to find guided money meditations, prompts for financial journaling and a personality quiz to discover your money personality type. Log in to your myVRS account and select Financial Wellness to get clarity around your financial thoughts, feelings and plans.

Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign (CVC). The 2022 campaign season begins on Wednesday, October 5 celebrating “25 Years of Giving & Volunteerism” and will re-introduce the DHRM in-person kickoff event and charity fair in downtown Richmond, starting at 10 a.m. Please support your local CVC engagement opportunities such as bake sales, chili-cookoffs, golf tournaments, silent auctions, turkey shoots and other peer-to-peer opportunities that get colleagues together! CVC is the only annual workplace giving program for the Commonwealth’s workforce and provides employees with a selection of approximately 700+ carefully screened charities you can support. Did you know that all monetary donations donated through the CVC are 100% tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law? Learn More About CVC Here!

Virginia Department of Treasury’s Unclaimed Property Division. Searching for your missing money is now easier than ever! Our new, improved website is more intuitive and also offers a secure document upload feature, making claiming your funds quicker than ever before. Unclaimed property can include dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, stocks and dividends, insurance proceeds, refunds, and more. One in four Virginians has missing money. Visit our free search site to check your name and start the claims process. Do your search now!

Employee Discounts. Theme park tickets, vacation packages, entertainment, flowers and so much more! Be sure to check back often for updates on discounts for you and your family! **Limited Time Only! NFL’s Washington Commanders “Commonwealth of Virginia Employee Appreciation Day! **THE FIRST 50 PEOPLE TO BUY THEIR GIANTS TICKETS WILL GET TO HOLD THE FLAG ON THE FIELD DURING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM. Learn More!

Employee Assistance Program. All health plans offered to state employees and their dependents have employee assistance programs (EAPs). Included are up to four sessions at no charge for such services as mental health, alcohol or drug abuse assessment, child or elder care, financial, grief counseling, and legal services such as estate planning. EAP

Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. State employees may be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Keep reading to see whether you might qualify. The PSLF Program forgives the remaining balance on your Direct Loans after you have made 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time for a qualifying employer. Click Here to Learn More.

Truist Bank. All About Banking. This webinar will assist employees with banking basics, monetary instruments. Join us on September 15 at 6 p.m. to learn how you can create your personalization for better budgeting and alerts. Register Here Now!

Thank you,

Employee Financial Wellness Program

A Welcome Message From President Paino

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Dear UMW Community,

Welcome back! For those returning to campus, we look forward to catching up where we left off and sharing the tremendous work that has continued through the summer. And for our newest members of the UMW community, we are eager to meet and get to know you.

As with every new academic year, we are excited about all of the learning opportunities, both in and out of the classroom, that our deeply committed faculty provide. Sharing knowledge and encouraging critical thinking, curiosity, and collaboration are fundamental to our approach to learning. And, our staff provide essential services to help students navigate housing, student life, books and supplies for classes, dining options, financial aid, academic advising, registration for classes, and so much more.

Returning students, we encourage you to continue to enhance your relationships with faculty, advisors, and staff who genuinely want to help you succeed.  Consider new challenges; learn new skills; develop new friendships, and expand your knowledge and grow through internships, research projects, study abroad programs, student employment opportunities, etc.

New students, we are ready to share this journey with you. Our ASPIRE values of accountability, scholarship, personal and institutional integrity, inclusive excellence, respect and civility, and engagement provide a diverse, accepting, and supporting environment for everyone — faculty, staff, and students alike.

We encourage you to immerse yourself in all aspects of campus life by asking questions, introducing yourself to others, joining clubs, participating in activities and events, and exploring all that Mary Washington and the Fredericksburg area have to offer. And, I personally invite you to join me this weekend for some cherished Mary Washington traditions such as Honor Convocation and the President’s Ice Cream Social.

As a community and as individuals, it’s important that we prioritize wellness and well-being, seeking out the many, varied resources on campus as needed and taking care of ourselves and one another. And, by means of this monthly message, I’ll share news, updates, and important announcements to keep you informed about the many things on which I am working. If there are topics or issues you would like for these messages to address, please submit suggestions to president@umw.edu.

There is much to look forward to this year, and I have great hope that it will be one filled with abundant learning opportunities and personal accomplishments. I look forward to seeing you at Eagle Gathering this weekend and on campus!

Sincerely,

Troy Paino

Eagle Gathering Rescheduled for Sunday, Aug. 28

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Due to rainy weather and potential thunderstorms, Eagle Gathering, originally scheduled for Aug. 21, was rescheduled for Sunday, Aug. 28.

All members of the University Community are invited to participate in Eagle Gathering on Sunday, Aug. 28, at 8:30 p.m., on Ball Circle. One of our first traditions of the year, Eagle Gathering is a time to welcome our newest Eagles into the community with the lighting of the “Torch of Knowledge” and the singing of the Alma Mater.

Faculty, staff and upperclassmen should report to Ball Circle by 8:15 p.m., and the incoming first-year and transfer students will begin to process down Campus Walk at approximately 8:30 p.m.

Contact Director of Student Activities and Engagement Sandrine Sutphin at ssutphin@umw.edu with questions.