UMW Athletics will kick off its 2017-18 basketball season with Eagle Madness on Tuesday, Nov. 7, in Rosner Arena at the Anderson Center. The event, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., precedes the University’s basketball season opener on Wednesday, Nov. 15. Eagle Madness is a pep rally-style event with dance performances, fan contests, and prizes. Also, on […]
Belmont Hosts ‘Home for the Holidays’
Belmont, the historic home of artist Gari Melchers and his wife, Corinne, will celebrate the season, with decorations on view Nov. 25 through Dec. 30. In the 1920s, the Melchers took great delight in festively decorating their elegant country house during the holidays. Although Gari Melchers divided his time between his commercial headquarters in New York […]
Princeton Review, Washington Monthly Rank UMW Among Nation’s Best
The University of Mary Washington has been rated among the nation’s best by both The Princeton Review and the Washington Monthly. The Princeton Review featured the University in its 2017 edition of “The Best 381 Colleges,” which profiles only 15 percent of the nation’s 2,500 four-year colleges. The Washington Monthly ranked UMW 21st in the […]
UMW Student Wins Young Composer Award
University of Mary Washington sophomore Austin O’Rourke won the 2015 ASCAP Foundation Morton Gold Young Composer Award for his composition Hazel Colored Nebula.
“This is the most prestigious award a young composer can win,” said Mark Snyder, assistant professor of music.
O’Rourke, along with Morton Gould award winners from across the country, was recently recognized at an event in New York City by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).
The award is given to honor late Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and former ASCAP Foundation President Morton Gould’s lifelong commitment to encouraging young creators. Gould, an eminent and versatile American composer, was a child prodigy whose first composition was published by G. Schirmer Inc., when he was only six years of age, according to a press release about the award.
O’Rourke wrote the composition in an electronic music course at UMW taught by Snyder.
“Our class produced a piece of art that won this award,” said Snyder, exuding pride. “The evolution of the work can be traced over three drafts on UMWblogs…the critiques offered on the blog are not just by music students, but by a political science major and a geography major too.”
ASCAP, which is made up of songwriters, composers and music publishers of every kind of music, is the worldwide leader in performance royalties, service and advocacy for songwriters and composers, and the only American performing rights organization owned and governed by its writer and publisher members, according to ASCAP’s website.
Professors to be Featured on Radio Program
University of Mary Washington Professors Mara Scanlon and Mindy Erchull will be featured in upcoming episodes of the With Good Reason public radio program.
During Professor of English Mara Scanlon’s encore interview, to be broadcast June 27 to July 3, she discusses Walt Whitman and his time as a nurse during the Civil War in a show entitled “America the Beautiful.”
In a project that involved collaboration with three other universities, Scanlon worked on a digital humanities project, “Looking for Whitman: The Poetry of Place in the Life and Work of Walt Whitman,” which was funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The full interview will be available beginning the week of the show at http://withgoodreasonradio.org/2015/06/america-the-beautiful-2/.
Associate Professor of Psychology Mindy Erchull’s encore interview will be broadcast July 4 to 19. In this program, entitled “The Innocence Project,” she discusses love and jealousy and the link to abusive relationships. Based on findings from a recent survey, Erchull suggests that women who see jealousy as a positive thing may be more likely to find themselves in abusive relationships.
The full interview will be available beginning the week of the show at http://withgoodreasonradio.org/2015/07/the-innocence-project/.
With Good Reason is a program of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. The show airs weekly in Fredericksburg on Sundays from 1-2 p.m. on Radio IQ 88.3 Digital. To listen from outside of the Fredericksburg area, a complete list of air times and links to corresponding radio stations can be found at http://withgoodreasonradio.org/when-to-listen.
UMW and Germanna Partner for Business Transfer Agreement
The University of Mary Washington and Germanna Community College established a new direct transfer agreement for business administration on Tuesday, June 2.
The agreement will allow the transfer of credits by students with the Associate of Arts and Sciences degree in Business Administration at Germanna into the Bachelor of Science degree program in Business Administration at UMW, should they complete the five designated courses and meet the GPA requirements. The agreement also allows the transfer of credits by students with General Studies and Liberal Arts degrees at Germanna as long as the specified required courses are completed before the application is submitted.
The agreement was introduced following the creation of a B.S. in Business Administration degree offered at night by UMW’s College of Business. The partnership eases the transfer process and promotes coordination of academic courses, programs and degrees offered by both institutions.
“We expect that this will be an attractive option to traditional and non-traditional students,” said Lynne Richardson, dean of UMW’s College of Business. “Starting in Fall 2015, UMW’s College of Business will offer seven required courses and electives in each of the fall and spring semesters so students can get a B.S. in Administration by taking classes at night.”
This is the second partnership signed by UMW and Germanna within this year as the two institutions partnered with Mary Washington Healthcare for nursing education in August.
UMW already participates in co-enrollment and direct transfer agreements with Germanna that permit concurrent enrollment and automatic transfer for eligible students. The University also has a guaranteed-admission agreement with Virginia’s two-year colleges, including 23 branches of the Virginia Community College System and Richard Bland College. Students who graduate with an associate’s degree in arts, sciences, or arts and sciences and meet a minimum GPA requirement may obtain guaranteed admission to the University.
For more information about the agreements, contact the UMW Office of Admissions at (540) 654-2000 or Germanna’s Counseling Center at (540) 891-3021.
Virginia Education Specialist Named UMW Educator-in-Residence
Robert Fugate ‘02, an assessment specialist for the Virginia Department of Education, has been named the University of Mary Washington’s Educator-in-Residence. He will present the keynote lecture at the College of Education’s Graduate Research Symposium on Saturday, April 25.
The symposium will be held from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the North Building of UMW’s Stafford campus. Following Fugate’s 12:45 p.m. remarks, recognition and celebration of the 2014-2015 College of Education graduates will take place at 1:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
Fugate’s talk will focus on his role as an LEP and how his experience at UMW, where he received a post-baccalaureate certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2003, influenced his career.
As an assessment specialist in limited English proficiency (LEP), Fugate manages the statewide administration of the English language proficiency assessment testing program and provides technical assistance regarding LEP students’ participation in the Standards of Learning assessments.
Fugate played an integral role in representing the Virginia Department of Education as part of the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) Consortium by serving on the WIDA Executive Committee. Fugate currently serves on the Steering Committee for the new online ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 test and as chairperson of a subcommittee for developing the score report for the new ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 test.
Before he accepted the position as the LEP assessment specialist in 2007, Fugate received a master’s degree in writing from Bowling Green State University. Fugate also taught middle school in the gifted and talented education program in Berkeley County, W.Va., and English as a second language to elementary school students in Chesterfield County, Va.
For more information about the symposium and keynote address, contact the College of Education at (540) 654-1034.
UMW to Host Pianist Michael Feinstein, March 14
Legendary crooner and pianist Michael Feinstein will perform for the University of Mary Washington Philharmonic’s annual Celebrity Concert Series on Saturday, March 14 in George Washington Hall’s Dodd Auditorium. Tickets are still on sale.
A multiplatinum-selling, two-time Emmy and five-time Grammy Award-nominated entertainer, Feinstein is one of the premier interpreters of American standards. Performing more than 200 shows a year, his most notable concerts have included Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House and Buckingham Palace.
The Celebrity Series was established in 2002 as a vehicle for attracting major artists to UMW to perform with the orchestra. Past artists in the series have included Marvin Hamlisch, Kenny Rogers, Sir James Galway, and Itzhak Perlman.
The Philharmonic will celebrate Frank Sinatra’s 100th birthday with Feinstein by performing a Sinatra show.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit philharmonic.umw.edu or call 540-654-1324.
UMW Student Athletes Team with Local Children’s Program
The University of Mary Washington basketball game didn’t start until the afternoon, but by 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14, the action at the Anderson Center had already started. The basketball stadium was filled with shouts of laughter, as children and college students alike raced up and down the court in relay races, shooting basketballs and giving out high fives.
A grant has partnered UMW Athletics and UMW Center for Honor, Leadership and Service with Stafford Junction, a nonprofit, faith-based enrichment program that works to empower children and their families residing in Stafford County. The grant provides youth from Stafford Junction the opportunity to visit and interact with UMW student athletes to engage in physical activity and skill building.
“We are thrilled and feel blessed to be partnered with the University,” said Gladys Castellanos, Stafford Junction program director. “We are always happy to see that the kids enjoy their time there.”
Each month during the school year, children from Stafford Junction visit a different UMW sports team and spent time with student athletes, experiencing some of college life and learning about staying active and healthy.
On Saturday, the men’s and women’s basketball teams visited with Stafford Junction before a game against Penn State Harrisburg. The children saw how the team prepares for the game and discovered what it’s like being a student athlete.
“The kids look up to them, and they send a positive message to kids in the community,” said Philip Pierce, director of athletic development and promotions. “It makes you feel like sports aren’t just about wins and losses. Student athletes have the ability to change lives and put smiles on kids’ faces”
So far, Stafford Junction has met with the UMW swimming, soccer, baseball and basketball teams.
“At UMW we pride ourselves on being a Fredericksburg team. It’s always nice to give back to the community.” said Senior Biology Major Claire Haeuptle, as she takes a break from leading a dribbling game. “It shows the kids we take pride in not only our athletics, but also our academics.”
Before the big game started, Head Men’s Basketball Coach Marcus Kahn sat the team and kids down together for a pre-game pep talk.
“Don’t ever let anybody else tell you what you can or cannot do,” said Kahn, encouraging the kids to take lessons they learned back to their schools, friends and communities. “Stay active, confident and positive every day. Don’t let people put boundaries on you.”
EagleWorks Gives Small Business Opportunity to Shine
The University of Mary Washington’s Center for Economic Development is taking steps to help small businesses in Fredericksburg succeed. Its small-business incubation program, EagleWorks, took its first client in 2014.
Koji Flowers, owner of online marketing company Big Cloud Media, came to EagleWorks after moving from Texas. In the nine months Flowers has worked at EagleWorks, Big Cloud Media has tripled sales and doubled the average scope of project services. In addition, the company has clients in Mexico, Canada, India and Israel.
EagleWorks is a collaborative entrepreneur-centered program through the Center for Economic Development that focuses on small businesses to promote their growth and sustainability.
Currently, EagleWorks has 13 partners that support clients in the program, including the U.S. Small Business Administration and Cardinal Bank.
EagleWorks provides services for small business owners, including office space, a conference room for client use, and business training programs.
Flowers credits EagleWorks as a large proponent to Big Cloud Media’s success. Flowers, who had operated Big Cloud Media from his home for several years before coming to EagleWorks, was looking for a place where he could separate work from home.
EagleWorks, in addition to providing an area solely for business, also gives Flowers a venue where he can meet with potential clients.
The Executive Director of Economic Development Brian Baker and others in the department have been especially valuable to Flowers. They helped Flowers create Limited Liability Company status for his business. In addition, they helped improve his business in ways Flowers had never considered.
“It’s been a wonderful program for me,” Flowers said.