In the show, “It’s a Jungle Out There,” Mentore discusses her research with the Waiwai, an indigenous people of Guyana, and how she discovered the path of a special songbird from the rainforest to New York City.
Mentore has been conducting ethnographic research with the Waiwai and Makushi people of Guyana since 2002, focusing on their perceptions of the environment and emerging relations with urban Guyanese as well as conservation and development NGOs in the region.
One thread in her research began upon observing the Waiwai trapping and selling a particular species of seed-finch, which she discovered was being transported to urban areas in coastal Guyana and smuggled into Guyanese diasporic communities in New York. She found that they are key players in a favorite pastime among coastal Guyanese men, a singing competition between birds known as ‘birdsport.
“Birdsport is far more than recreational,” said Mentore, whose research sheds light on the complex economic and environmental connections between indigenous communities and urban centers in 21st century Amazonia. “For the men of all backgrounds who participate, it provides an alternative means of social achievement in one of the poorest countries in the Western hemisphere.”
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 athttp://withgoodreasonradio.org/when-to-listen. Audio files of the full program and its companion news feature will be available online at http://withgoodreasonradio.org/?p=25912.
Mentore is an expert in environmental transitions and critical development theory, with regional specializations in Amazonia and the Caribbean.
Since joining UMW in 2010, Mentore has launched a summer study abroad course in Guyana called Ethnographic Field Methods. She also teaches anthropology courses relating to economics, food, medicine and gender, in addition to classes on Amazonian societies, environment and development narratives and ethnography.
Mentore has been published in The Social Life of Achievement, Anthropology and Humanism and the Journal of Cultural Geography. She is currently waiting publication for her paper titled “The Force of the Imaginary: At Play in the Field of Conservation Economics and Amerindian Sociality.”
Mentore is a member of the American Anthropological Association, the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America Society and the Society for Humanistic Anthropology. She is also a board member for the journal Environment and Society.
She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and her doctoral degree from Cambridge University.UMW Anthropology Professor Featured on With Good Reason
August 13, 2015 by
University of Mary Washington Assistant Professor of Anthropology Laura Mentore will be featured on the With Good Reason public radio program that airs beginning Saturday, August 15.
In the show, “It’s a Jungle Out There,” Mentore discusses her research with the Waiwai, an indigenous people of Guyana, and how she discovered the path of a special songbird from the rainforest to New York City.
Mentore has been conducting ethnographic research with the Waiwai and Makushi people of Guyana since 2002, focusing on their perceptions of the environment and emerging relations with urban Guyanese as well as conservation and development NGOs in the region.
One thread in her research began upon observing the Waiwai trapping and selling a particular species of seed-finch, which she discovered was being transported to urban areas in coastal Guyana and smuggled into Guyanese diasporic communities in New York. She found that they are key players in a favorite pastime among coastal Guyanese men, a singing competition between birds known as ‘birdsport.
“Birdsport is far more than recreational,” said Mentore, whose research sheds light on the complex economic and environmental connections between indigenous communities and urban centers in 21st century Amazonia. “For the men of all backgrounds who participate, it provides an alternative means of social achievement in one of the poorest countries in the Western hemisphere.”
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 athttp://withgoodreasonradio.org/when-to-listen. Audio files of the full program and its companion news feature will be available online at http://withgoodreasonradio.org/?p=25912.
Mentore is an expert in environmental transitions and critical development theory, with regional specializations in Amazonia and the Caribbean.
Since joining UMW in 2010, Mentore has launched a summer study abroad course in Guyana called Ethnographic Field Methods. She also teaches anthropology courses relating to economics, food, medicine and gender, in addition to classes on Amazonian societies, environment and development narratives and ethnography.
Mentore has been published in The Social Life of Achievement, Anthropology and Humanism and the Journal of Cultural Geography. She is currently waiting publication for her paper titled “The Force of the Imaginary: At Play in the Field of Conservation Economics and Amerindian Sociality.”
Mentore is a member of the American Anthropological Association, the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America Society and the Society for Humanistic Anthropology. She is also a board member for the journal Environment and Society.
She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and her doctoral degree from Cambridge University.
In the show, “It’s a Jungle Out There,” Mentore discusses her research with the Waiwai, an indigenous people of Guyana, and how she discovered the path of a special songbird from the rainforest to New York City.
Mentore has been conducting ethnographic research with the Waiwai and Makushi people of Guyana since 2002, focusing on their perceptions of the environment and emerging relations with urban Guyanese as well as conservation and development NGOs in the region.
One thread in her research began upon observing the Waiwai trapping and selling a particular species of seed-finch, which she discovered was being transported to urban areas in coastal Guyana and smuggled into Guyanese diasporic communities in New York. She found that they are key players in a favorite pastime among coastal Guyanese men, a singing competition between birds known as ‘birdsport.
“Birdsport is far more than recreational,” said Mentore, whose research sheds light on the complex economic and environmental connections between indigenous communities and urban centers in 21st century Amazonia. “For the men of all backgrounds who participate, it provides an alternative means of social achievement in one of the poorest countries in the Western hemisphere.”
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 athttp://withgoodreasonradio.org/when-to-listen. Audio files of the full program and its companion news feature will be available online at http://withgoodreasonradio.org/?p=25912.
Mentore is an expert in environmental transitions and critical development theory, with regional specializations in Amazonia and the Caribbean.
Since joining UMW in 2010, Mentore has launched a summer study abroad course in Guyana called Ethnographic Field Methods. She also teaches anthropology courses relating to economics, food, medicine and gender, in addition to classes on Amazonian societies, environment and development narratives and ethnography.
Mentore has been published in The Social Life of Achievement, Anthropology and Humanism and the Journal of Cultural Geography. She is currently waiting publication for her paper titled “The Force of the Imaginary: At Play in the Field of Conservation Economics and Amerindian Sociality.”
Mentore is a member of the American Anthropological Association, the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America Society and the Society for Humanistic Anthropology. She is also a board member for the journal Environment and Society.
She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and her doctoral degree from Cambridge University.UMW Establishes Center for Economic Research
August 3, 2015 by
The University of Mary Washington has established the Center for Economic Research in partnership with the Fredericksburg Regional Alliance and the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce.
From left: Curry Roberts, President of the Fredericksburg Regional Alliance; Susan Spears, President and CEO of the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce; and Richard Hurley, President of the University of Mary Washington
A local source for regional economic analysis and expertise, the center was strategically created as a part of UMW’s Department of Economics to capitalize on access to highly regarded faculty and opportunities for student engagement. Through internships and employment opportunities, the center will provide hands-on learning opportunities for students to assist the center’s faculty in the research and preparation of reports on the regional economy.
“The center will produce reports generated by faculty experts who actually live and work in the region,” said UMW President Richard Hurley. “This allows for a better understanding of the nuances of the data collected and thereby enhances the validity and usefulness of the information.”
Tim Schilling will lead the center as the newly appointed director. Previously an adjunct professor of economics at UMW, Schilling has taught economics at a number of educational institutions. He also has served as the associate director for programs at the Powell Center for Economic Literacy in Richmond and as director of economic literacy programs at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago for 16 years. Schilling has a master’s degree in economic history from Central Michigan University in history.
The center will appoint an advisory board to assist in prioritizing the region’s needs for research and reports. The board will be comprised of UMW faculty in addition to representatives from the Alliance and the Chamber.
“This type of collaboration demonstrates that we are serious about our region’s competitiveness,” said Curry Roberts, president of the Alliance. “As Virginia’s rapidly emerging fourth metropolitan area in the Urban Crescent, the Fredericksburg region faces stiff competition for economic development projects. UMW is a phenomenal asset for our area and can clearly assist us with timely, accurate and unbiased information we critically need.”
During its first year, the economic research center plans to complete a study on the nearly 70,000 commuters who live in the Fredericksburg region in order to better inform regional business decisions. The center also will establish the framework for the completion of semi-annual regional economic reports, with the first report expected to be disseminated in the spring of 2016.
“It is imperative that we gain a better understanding of our current population’s job trends and capabilities so we can create even better local employment opportunities, said Susan Spears, Chamber president and CEO. She noted that the region has grown more than 400 percent since 1970 and is projected to nearly double again by 2040. “More than 40 percent of our workforce leaves the region daily, she said. “The time is right for this partnership. Together, we will strengthen our business base and add to our community’s overall quality of life.”
The establishment of the center within the College of Arts and Sciences is made possible through major gifts from the Alliance and the Chamber with support from UMW. The college is one of seven priorities of the $50-million Mary Washington First Campaign which is expected to conclude June 30, 2016. For more information on ways to support the sustainability of the center, go to marywashingtonfirst.umw.edu or call 540-654-1024.
For more information about the center, contact Tim Schilling at (540) 654-1515 or tschilli@umw.edu.
Students to Celebrate Research and Creativity, April 24
April 20, 2015 by
Do polymers provide a cure for cancer? Should college be free? Is recycling plastic environmentally friendly?
These quandaries are a sampling of issues that nearly 400 students from the University of Mary Washington will tackle at the Undergraduate Student Research and Creativity Day Symposium on Friday, April 24.
The event, which will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on students’ last day of class, will be located at the Information and Technology Convergence Center (ITCC), with related activities taking place in other academic buildings. The Ridderhof and duPont galleries displaying student artwork will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The symposium, now in its ninth year, represents students from 20 major disciplines, including natural sciences, humanities, modern and ancient languages, social sciences, visual and performing arts, mathematics and computer science. Students will present their works to other UMW students, faculty and the community.
According to Grant Woodwell, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and chair of the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department, the symposium gives students the outlet to present their semester-long research in a creative way.
“The day helps to highlight the best that we have to offer as an institution of liberal arts and sciences,” said Woodwell. “We are justly proud of the many students who engage in independent learning activities and have had the opportunity to work closely with a faculty mentor.”
The Research and Creativity Day Symposium, which began in 2007, has changed locations over the years, most recently taking place at Jepson Hall in 2014. The ITCC will serve as home to the symposium this year, and is projected to be a permanent location for the event in the future.
Woodwell, who also organized the event, is excited to bring students’ research to life utilizing the ITCC’s space and resources.
“We are looking forward to a spacious display of posters distributed throughout the ITCC,” said Woodwell. “The space will allow better interaction between the student authors and their visitors.”
These quandaries are a sampling of issues that nearly 400 students from the University of Mary Washington will tackle at the Undergraduate Student Research and Creativity Day Symposium on Friday, April 24.
The event, which will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on students’ last day of class, will be located at the Information and Technology Convergence Center (ITCC), with related activities taking place in other academic buildings. The Ridderhof and duPont galleries displaying student artwork will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The symposium, now in its ninth year, represents students from 20 major disciplines, including natural sciences, humanities, modern and ancient languages, social sciences, visual and performing arts, mathematics and computer science. Students will present their works to other UMW students, faculty and the community.
According to Grant Woodwell, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and chair of the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department, the symposium gives students the outlet to present their semester-long research in a creative way.
“The day helps to highlight the best that we have to offer as an institution of liberal arts and sciences,” said Woodwell. “We are justly proud of the many students who engage in independent learning activities and have had the opportunity to work closely with a faculty mentor.”
The Research and Creativity Day Symposium, which began in 2007, has changed locations over the years, most recently taking place at Jepson Hall in 2014. The ITCC will serve as home to the symposium this year, and is projected to be a permanent location for the event in the future.
Woodwell, who also organized the event, is excited to bring students’ research to life utilizing the ITCC’s space and resources.
“We are looking forward to a spacious display of posters distributed throughout the ITCC,” said Woodwell. “The space will allow better interaction between the student authors and their visitors.”
For more information on the Research and Creativity Day Symposium, visit the event’s website or contact Woodwell at gwoodwel@umw.edu.
UMW Students Win Art Awards
April 14, 2015 by
The University of Mary Washington Department of Art and Art History announced its student awards at the opening reception of the Annual Student Art Exhibition at the duPont Gallery on Wednesday, April 8.
Senior Taylor White of Stafford received the Melchers Gray Purchase Award for his video “A Lawful Order.” The work will become part of the university’s permanent collection.
Senior Marie Firth of Vienna received the Emil Schnellock Award in Painting for her painting “Peggy Childers.” The Department of Art and Art History presents this award each year to recognize excellence in painting.
Senior Khirstie Smith of Spotsylvania was presented the Anne Elizabeth Collins Award for her piece, “June Beach.”
The following students also received awards at the exhibition’s opening ceremony:
Senior Taylor White of Stafford received the Melchers Gray Purchase Award for his video “A Lawful Order.” The work will become part of the university’s permanent collection.
Senior Marie Firth of Vienna received the Emil Schnellock Award in Painting for her painting “Peggy Childers.” The Department of Art and Art History presents this award each year to recognize excellence in painting.
Senior Khirstie Smith of Spotsylvania was presented the Anne Elizabeth Collins Award for her piece, “June Beach.”
The following students also received awards at the exhibition’s opening ceremony:
- Maddox Palmer of Arlington received an award of excellence
- Christine Valvo of Stafford received an award of excellence
- Ashley Most of Front Royal received an award of excellence
- Katie Frazier of Lexington received the Art History Award for Outstanding Research
- Alyssa Hughes of Chesapeake received The Melchers Award for Excellence in Art History
UMW Environmental Science Professor Receives Fulbright Scholarship
April 13, 2015 by
Melanie Szulczewski, associate professor of Earth and environmental Sciences at the University of Mary Washington, has been selected to receive a prestigious 2015-2016 Fulbright U.S. Scholar grant. Szulczewski will use the grant to conduct research at the University of Agriculture in Krakow, Poland.
Szulczewski is one of two professors at UMW to receive the Fulbright Scholarship this year. Julius Esunge, assistant professor of mathematics, will be traveling to Buea, Cameroon to construct and compare predictive models for healthcare costs and to teach classes at the University of Buea.
The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international exchange program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau. The scholarship program gives professors the opportunity to conduct research and network with other professors from around the world.
While in Poland, Szulczewski will study ecosystem restoration on former mining sites with Marcin Pietrzykowski, professor and researcher of forest ecology at the University of Agriculture in Krakow. Pietrzykowski previously received a Fulbright Scholarship to work at Virginia Tech in the 2013-2014 academic year.
“This opportunity to work with him will enhance my field and analytical skills,” said Szulczewski. “It will benefit both of our research groups and add to the knowledge base for rehabilitating thousands of contaminated mining sites worldwide.”
Szulczewski, an environmental scientist who specializes in soil chemistry, came to UMW in 2008. Prior to teaching at UMW, Szulczewski received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and French literature from Cornell University. Szulczewski also received both a master’s degree in soil science and a doctorate in soil science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Szulczewski is one of two professors at UMW to receive the Fulbright Scholarship this year. Julius Esunge, assistant professor of mathematics, will be traveling to Buea, Cameroon to construct and compare predictive models for healthcare costs and to teach classes at the University of Buea.
The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international exchange program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau. The scholarship program gives professors the opportunity to conduct research and network with other professors from around the world.
While in Poland, Szulczewski will study ecosystem restoration on former mining sites with Marcin Pietrzykowski, professor and researcher of forest ecology at the University of Agriculture in Krakow. Pietrzykowski previously received a Fulbright Scholarship to work at Virginia Tech in the 2013-2014 academic year.
“This opportunity to work with him will enhance my field and analytical skills,” said Szulczewski. “It will benefit both of our research groups and add to the knowledge base for rehabilitating thousands of contaminated mining sites worldwide.”
Szulczewski, an environmental scientist who specializes in soil chemistry, came to UMW in 2008. Prior to teaching at UMW, Szulczewski received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and French literature from Cornell University. Szulczewski also received both a master’s degree in soil science and a doctorate in soil science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.Konieczny Publishes in the Israel Journal of Mathematics
April 2, 2015 by
Janusz Konieczny, professor of mathematics, co-authored a research article, The commuting graph of the symmetric inverse semigroup, published in the Israel Journal of Mathematics.
Journalists to Discuss Middle East Affairs at UMW
March 30, 2015 by
Journalists Jennifer Griffin of Fox News and Greg Myre of National Public Radio will speak at the University of Mary Washington on Thursday, April 9 about current developments and the state of affairs in the Middle East.
Journalists Jennifer Griffin of Fox News and Greg Myre of National Public Radio
The presentation, What’s Coming Next in the Middle East, will be held at 7 p.m. in the Rappahannock Grand Ballroom at the Jepson Alumni Executive Center, 1119 Hanover St. The event is free and open to the public.
The married couple will focus on the effects of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, in addition to discussing Afghanistan, Libya, the Israeli election and how developments in the region could impact the future of the Middle East.
Griffin and Myre met in 1989 while covering a rally staged by Nelson Mandela’s African National Congress at a soccer stadium in Soweto, South Africa. They would later report on Mandela’s release from prison and cover the last years of the apartheid.
The two began to cover Afghanistan in the early ‘90s, and were some of the first people to interview members of the Taliban in Kabul. They had traveled to more than 50 countries and reported on a dozen wars before moving to Washington, D.C. in 2007.
Griffin is currently the national security correspondent for Fox based at the Pentagon. Just last month, Griffin was given the journalism award from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society for her distinguished coverage of the military.
Myre is the international editor for NPR.org, covering global affairs and working closely with NPR’s 20 foreign correspondents around the world. Before joining NPR in 2008, he was a foreign correspondent with the New York Times and The Associated Press for 20 years.
Griffin and Myre will be selling and signing copies of their book, “This Burning Land.”
The lecture is sponsored by Ron Rosner, founder of the Rosner Automotive Group. For more information about the lecture, contact the College of Arts and Sciences at (540) 654-1052.
