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Jepsons Give $1 Million to Restore UMW Amphitheater

March 1, 2014 by Brynn Boyer

The University of Mary Washington amphitheater, a much-loved feature of the Fredericksburg campus, is preparing for its second act, thanks in large part to a $1 million challenge gift from Robert S. and Alice Andrews Jepson ’64.

Amphitheater Look Back [see the SlideDeck]

Originally constructed in 1913 and officially dedicated in 1923, the amphitheater – located in a grove of trees near Sunken Road – has been home to many UMW traditions at various points in its history. The amphitheater hosted commencement ceremonies from the 1930s until 1958, and Mary Washington’s unique Devil-Goat Day through the 1970s, in addition to May Day celebrations, numerous concerts and theater productions. And, on nice days, some professors have been known to relocate their classes to that area.

A rendering by Train & Partners Architects shows what the amphitheater might look like after renovation.

In 1997, the Board of Visitors allocated $40,000 to make the area safe, but not to modernize it. In recent years, the amphitheater has fallen into disrepair, yet it remains a cherished part of campus. Consultants recently examined the site, and concluded that the amphitheater must be restored now or it could be lost forever. They estimate the restoration to cost $3 million. “Students continue to enjoy the amphitheater, even in its current state, and they also care about preserving the history behind it,” said President Richard V. Hurley. “I am absolutely thrilled that Bob and Alice Jepson have agreed to help support this important restoration initiative.” The restoration would return the amphitheater to its 1952-1953 appearance by repairing and reconstructing damaged and missing pieces. It would provide seating for approximately 600 people on weather-resilient benches and chairs while incorporating accommodations for ADA accessibility. “I can’t wait to get back to see all the things that have happened since I was there and to take time to walk through the amphitheater,” said Alice Jepson. “When President Hurley told us that students still love the amphitheater, we decided our money would be well invested in helping to restore this area of campus that holds so many special memories for alumni and students alike.”

The restoration would return the amphitheater to its 1952-1953 appearance. Rendering courtesy of Train & Partners Architects

In addition to the gift from the Jepsons, two other couples have made significant gifts to support the amphitheater restoration: Elmer Morris Jr. ’50 and Marceline Weatherly Morris ’50 of King George, Va., and Laurie Mansell Reich ’79 and Henry E. Reich Jr. of Kittanning, Pa. Architectural renderings projecting the amphitheater’s appearance after restoration were prepared by Train & Partners Architects of Charlottesville, Va. “Currently, the amphitheater is just sitting in the woods degrading more and more every day. The longer it sits, the more difficult and more expensive it will be to restore, and that’s a shame,” says Design Architect Kirk Train. A timeline for restoration and additional fundraising opportunities will be available in the coming months.

New Director Brings Expertise to UMW’s Nursing Completion Program

February 21, 2014 by Brynn Boyer

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.

“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.

Peace Corps Ranks UMW Among Top-Producing Small Colleges

February 11, 2014 by Brynn Boyer

For the 10th year, the Peace Corps has ranked the University of Mary Washington among the nation’s top-producing colleges for alumni now serving as Peace Corps volunteers.

Taylor Parker ’11 (left) is currently serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ghana.

UMW ranks 10th on the Peace Corps’ list of small schools or institutions with less than 5,000 undergraduates. Currently, UMW has 13 alumni serving around the world, the Peace Corps announced on Feb. 11.

Mary Washington has been included in the top 10 of the Peace Corps’ list of top-producing small schools since 2005.

In all, more than 230 Mary Washington alumni have served the 27-month commitment around the world since the Peace Corps’ inception in 1961.

Taylor Parker ’11, a biology major with a pre-med concentration, is in her second year of service as a health, water and sanitation volunteer in Ghana. She works with the Ghana Education Service at the community level to incorporate health education into the curriculum, and is president of the Peace Corps Ghana HIV Committee.

Parker is in her second year as a health, water and sanitation volunteer.

“Everybody says that during your Peace Corps service you will learn a lot about yourself and experience a life-changing event,” she said. “They were right. Your Peace Corps service is a great time to reflect and decide what you truly want to do for your future endeavors.”

While a student, Parker had conversations with former Peace Corps volunteer and Professor of Biology Alan Griffith about his experiences in Senegal.

“It was one of his stories that sealed the deal,” Parker said. “I began my application the next day.”

For any interested students currently enrolled at UMW, representatives from the Peace Corps will attend the Spring Career Day on Thursday, March 20 and will hold information sessions on campus on Monday, March 24 from 4 to 5 p.m. and from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The Peace Corps ranks its top volunteer-producing schools annually according to the size of the student body. The rankings are calculated based on fiscal year 2013 data as of September 30, 2013, as self-reported by Peace Corps volunteers. A complete list of colleges and universities can be viewed at Peace Corps’ Top Colleges.

UMW Continues Season with “Always…Patsy Cline”

January 29, 2014 by Julia Davis

The University of Mary Washington Department of Theatre & Dance will continue its 2013-2014 season with a production of “Always…Patsy Cline.” Performances will be Feb. 6-8, Feb. 13-15 and Feb. 20-22 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 9, 15, 16, 22 and 23 at 2 p.m. in duPont Hall’s Klein Theatre.

Taryn Snyder as Patsy Cline.
Photo by Geoff Greene.

Written by Ted Swindley, “Always…Patsy Cline” is based on the true story of Louise Seger, a fan of 1960s country singer Patsy Cline. Louise gets the chance to meet Cline when the singer comes to her hometown of Houston for a show. The two become fast friends and continue to keep in touch through letters until Clines’s tragic death.

The musical features many of Patsy Cline’s original hits, including “Crazy,” “Walkin’ After Midnight” and “I Fall to Pieces.”

Junior Taryn Snyder of Henrietta, N.Y., will play the role of Patsy Cline and junior Emily Burke of Fredericksburg will play the role of Louise Seger.

Emily Burke as Louise Seger.
Photo by Geoff Greene.

Patsy Cline was the first female solo artist to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1973. She died in 1963 in a plane crash coming back from a benefit concert in Kansas City at 30 years old. Her plaque in the Hall of Fame reads: “Her heritage of timeless recordings is testimony to her artistic capacity.”

The performance is directed by Gregg Stull, professor and chair of the Department of Theatre & Dance and Department of Music, with musical direction by Christopher Wingert. Scenic design is by associate professor Julie Hodge and costume design is by associate professor Kevin McCluskey. Lighting and sound designs are by guest artists Catherine Girardi and Anthony Angelini. For more information or to purchase tickets, call the Klein Theatre Box Office at (540) 654-1111 or visit http://umw.tix.com/.

Freedom Rider to Share Story and Documentary at UMW, Feb. 3

January 27, 2014 by Brynn Boyer

More than 50 years ago, a 19-year-old college student named Joan Trumpauer Mulholland bought a flight to Mississippi and joined the front lines of the Civil Rights Movement. It was 1961, the year that dozens of sit-ins occurred in diners and drugstores and the same year that the Freedom Rides challenged segregated interstate bus travel in the Deep South. Mulholland, a white teenager raised in the South, was arrested and sent to prison for two months for her involvement in the protests.

Joan Mulholland, shown during a trip to UMW in 2011, will be a part of UMW’s Black History Month celebration on Feb. 3.

Mulholland will share her story at the University of Mary Washington on Monday, Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. in Lee Hall, Room 411 as part of the Black History Month celebration. The evening will begin with a showing of the new documentary, “An Ordinary Hero,” which chronicles her unlikely journey. After the documentary, Mulholland and the film’s director will lead a discussion and answer questions.

Mulholland was among the former Freedom Riders who joined UMW as it commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Rides in 2011 with a three-month celebration. The centerpiece of the celebration was a 1960s-era bus and exhibit of historical photos on Ball Circle.

UMW’s Black History Month celebration also will feature the following events:

Saturday, Feb. 1 – Black History Month Kickoff Celebration: Gospelfest
- 3 p.m. in George Washington Hall’s Dodd Auditorium
Tuesday, Feb. 4 – Great Lives Lecture: Martin Luther King Jr.
- 7:30 p.m. in George Washington Hall’s Dodd Auditorium
Thursday, Feb. 6 – Civil War to Civil Rights: Trail to Freedom Teacher Resources Toolkit
- 7 p.m. in Lee Hall, Room 411
Wednesday, Feb. 12 – Black History Month Keynote Speaker: Angela Rye, principal at IMPACT Strategies and the youngest woman to serve as executive director and general counsel of the Congressional Black Caucus
- 7 p.m. in Lee Hall, Room 411
Wednesday, Feb. 26 – An Evening of Jazz: A Tribute to America’s Great Black Artists
- 7:30 p.m., Lee Hall, the Underground

All events are free and open to the public. For more information and a detailed list of events, visit http://students.umw.edu/multicultural/programs/black-history-month-celebration/.

Freedom Rider to Share Story and Documentary at UMW, Feb. 3

January 27, 2014 by Brynn Boyer

Joan Mulholland, shown during a trip to UMW in 2011, will be a part of UMW’s Black History Month celebration on Feb. 3.

Mulholland will share her story at the University of Mary Washington on Monday, Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. as part of the Black History Month celebration. The evening will begin with a showing of the new documentary, “An Ordinary Hero,” which chronicles her unlikely journey. After the documentary, Mulholland and the film’s director will lead a discussion and answer questions.

UMW’s Black History Month celebration also will feature the following events:

Saturday, Feb. 1 – Black History Month Kickoff Celebration: Gospelfest
- 3 p.m. in George Washington Hall’s Dodd Auditorium
Tuesday, Feb. 4 – Great Lives Lecture: Martin Luther King Jr.
- 7:30 p.m. in George Washington Hall’s Dodd Auditorium
Thursday, Feb. 6 – Civil War to Civil Rights: Trail to Freedom Teacher Resources Toolkit
- 7 p.m. in Lee Hall, Room 411
Wednesday, Feb. 12 – Black History Month Keynote Speaker: Angela Rye, principal at IMPACT Strategies and the youngest woman to serve as executive director and general counsel of the Congressional Black Caucus
- 7 p.m. in Lee Hall, Room 411
Wednesday, Feb. 26 – An Evening of Jazz: A Tribute to America’s Great Black Artists
- 7:30 p.m., Lee Hall, the Underground

All events are free and open to the public. For more information and a detailed list of events, visit http://students.umw.edu/multicultural/programs/black-history-month-celebration/.

McClurken Receives Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award

January 16, 2014 by Brynn Boyer

University of Mary Washington Professor of History Jeffrey McClurken is the recipient of a prestigious 2014 Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education of Virginia (SCHEV).

Jeffrey McClurken, professor and chair of history and American studies

The awards are the Commonwealth’s highest honor for faculty at Virginia’s public and private colleges and universities, recognizing superior accomplishments in teaching, research and public service. This year, 12 faculty members were selected from a highly competitive pool of candidates. In February, the recipients will each receive a $5,000 cash award underwritten by Dominion Foundation.

McClurken, who joined the UMW faculty in 2001, has been instrumental to the university’s digital history efforts and has been on the forefront of incorporating technology in the classroom. He also serves as chairperson of the history and American studies department.

He has presented numerous lectures and presentations across the country on teaching with social media, digital history and 19th-century American social and cultural history. His 2009 book “Take Care of the Living: Reconstructing Confederate Veteran Families in Virginia” examines the long-term consequences of the Civil War for veterans and their families in Southside Virginia.

McClurken, named to the Princeton Review’s inaugural list of “300 Best Professors,” received the Mary Washington Young Alumnus Award in 2003 and the J. Christopher Bill Outstanding Faculty Service Award in 2012.

In addition to his work in the history department, McClurken has served as chair of numerous university committees, including the Campus Academic Resources Committee, the Race and Gender Curriculum Advisory Committee and the Provost’s Ad Hoc University Committee on Digital Initiatives. He also has been active in countless university-wide initiatives, including the Teaching and Learning Technologies Roundtable, the Monroe Hall Renovation Planning Committee and the College of Arts and Sciences Strategic Planning Committee.

Outside of UMW, McClurken frequently lends his time to local public school systems, as well as to the Central Rappahannock Regional Library.

A 1994 graduate of Mary Washington, McClurken received a master’s degree and doctorate from Johns Hopkins University.

The General Assembly and Governor created the Outstanding Faculty Award program in 1986. Since the first awards in 1987, more than 300 Virginia faculty members have received this high honor. For more information about the program, visit http://www.schev.edu/AdminFaculty/OFA/OFAprogramOverview.asp.

Hyatt Place Fredericksburg To Open in Eagle Village

January 10, 2014 by Marty Morrison

The Hyatt Place Fredericksburg will open on Tuesday, Jan. 21

in the Eagle Village mixed-use development located across from the University of Mary Washington’s Fredericksburg campus. The hotel, built by the UMW Foundation, is the first boutique hotel of its kind serving the university, downtown Fredericksburg and the Mary Washington Health System, according to Jim Fournier, general manager of the hotel. “Hyatt Place Fredericksburg at Mary Washington is located in a very desirable and historic area, and we’re looking forward to creating a positive travel experience for each and every guest that walks through our doors,” Fournier said. The 93-room, five-story hotel blends historical and modern elements, and features 89 studios and three executive suites and one presidential suite. The facility also houses an indoor heated salt-water pool, a state-of-the-art fitness center, more than 1,500 square feet of flexible meeting space, an exterior courtyard with a fountain and fire pit bars, a gallery lobby with 24-hour food and beverage service, and 1,400 square feet of retail space. The Hyatt Place Fredericksburg began accepting reservations earlier this month and already has booked events, including weddings, reunions and meetings for associations and university-affiliated groups. Jeff Rountree, chief executive officer for the UMW Foundation, said the new hotel will bring additional meeting space, first-class lodging and new jobs to the area. The hotel is owned by the UMW Foundation and will be managed by Interstate Hotel and Resorts. “By partnering with Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, the UMW Foundation is bringing one of the most iconic symbols of hospitality to our region,” Rountree said. The Hyatt Place Fredericksburg is the first project to benefit from the commonwealth’s new Virginia Tourism Development Financing program, which provides economic incentives to developers of projects that benefit tourism. For reservations or more information about the Hyatt Place Fredericksburg, call (540) 654-3333 or email the hotel at Hyattplacefredericksburg.com.

UMW Philanthropy Class Promotes Social Justice through Grants

December 5, 2013 by Melina Downs

Students in a University of Mary Washington philanthropy class awarded more than $10,000 in grant money to three local nonprofit organizations that promote social justice through community development. Students Josh Bollinger, Lauren DiRago-Duncan and Dorothy Stanton presented the awards to Best Buddies, Sunrise For All and Rappahannock Council Against Sexual Assault in an awards ceremony on Tuesday, Dec. 3 at the university’s Jepson Alumni Executive Center.

UMW Students awarded more than $10,000 in grant money to three local nonprofit organizations as the culmination to their semester-long philanthropy class.

“We chose these three organizations because their programs most closely matched our mission,” said DiRago-Duncan. “They are programs that wish to help people by addressing the initial problem in order to prevent the negative outcome. They also combine many different areas of interest rather than just focusing on one.” This is the ninth year of the class led by Robert Rycroft, professor of economics. The class of 23 students received 43 applications for grants. The program is funded by philanthropist Doris Buffett’s Learning by Giving Foundation and students organized a 4K campus run to raise additional funds. Best Buddies, which operates a chapter at UMW, received $5,245.52 to further its mission to develop one-on-one friendships between students and Fredericksburg citizens with disabilities to develop essential life and social skills.

The UMW Chapter of Best Buddies received $5,245.52 to further their cause.

“This grant will allow us to strengthen our chapter at the University of Mary Washington,” said Karen Glasser, director of state operations and programs. “Best Buddies will recruit and match at least 40 adults in one-to-one friendship that typically would not occur, and an additional 20 students will participate in Best Buddies as associate members, for a total of 60 participants.” Sunrise For All, an organization that provides life-improving equine therapy to economically-challenged adults with disabilities, received $3,200. “The grant allows the organization to offer new and innovative programs to adults with disabilities,” said Kathleen Smith, Sunrise For All board member. “The new program will combine therapeutic horseback riding and recreation sessions with interaction/workplace sessions involving grooming, feeding, barn maintenance for eight adults with disabilities, ages 17 to 35. The organization is very grateful to be given the opportunity to provide new services to additional clients in our community!” Rappahannock Council Against Sexual Assault received $1,667 to purchase computer equipment. “This grant is not only a chance for us to expand the quality and impact of our community outreach, but it is truly a sign of goodwill from our community” said Bebe Santa-Wood, development associate with RCASA. “Receiving this grant helps remind us of the importance of working together in fighting sexual violence and improving the lives of individuals in our community.” Under Rycroft’s guidance, the philanthropy class has awarded more than $90,000 in grant money over the past nine years. “I want students to appreciate the size and significance of the nonprofit sector, to know what some of the contemporary issues are surrounding nonprofits and philanthropy, to experience the difficulties associated with making decisions about allocating scarce funds to competing vital needs, to learn to work together in a common enterprise, to think about the possibility of a career in the nonprofit sector, and to experience the joy that comes from helping others,” said Rycroft. This year, students began the semester by forming a foundation called the University of Mary Washington Philanthropic Society. They chose to award the money, provided by the Learning by Giving Foundation, to organizations based on their mission to foster community development by soliciting grant nominations, reviewing applications and determining grant recipients. For more information about the UMW philanthropy course, contact Rycroft at (540) 654-1500 or rrycroft@umw.edu.

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