January 7, 2026

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Foss Publishes Article in Canadian Journal of Disability Studies

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Professor of English Chris Foss

Professor of English Chris Foss

Professor of English Chris Foss published an article in the Canadian Journal of Disability Studies, titled “I am not this, not here, this time: Claudia Emerson’s Infusion Suite as a Compelling Account of the Lived Experience of Cancer.”

In the article, Foss explores how Claudia Emerson’s Infusion Suite section within her poetry collection Impossible Bottle is a significant contemporary literary representation of cancer. In this twelve-poem sequence, Emerson dispenses with the typical martial metaphors so often used to represent this lived experience. Instead, she focuses on more mundane everyday moments in a way that acknowledges and respects the humanity of all those at the treatment center—especially that of the patients. Emerson refuses to airbrush out the daunting, debilitating aspects of cancer, but she also preserves space for light and life. Learn more or read the full article in the Canadian Journal of Disability Studies.

Barrenechea Publishes Book on Latin American Gothic Cinema

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Photo of Professor of English Antonio Barrenechea

Professor of English Antonio Barrenechea

Professor of English Antonio Barrenechea will publish a new book this year on Latin American gothic cinema with Bloomsbury Publishing. The book can be pre-ordered and will be available January 8, 2026.

In the book, Studies in Groovy Gothic Cinema, Barrenechea launches an inquiry into inter-American exploitation cinema-a horror cinema which captured the rise of ’60s counterculture and youth-oriented lifestyles-as it harnessed the cultural zeitgeist through gratuitous depictions of sex, blood, and music.

Despite the genre’s cultural impact, Barrenechea argues, its association with vulgar taste, shoestring budgets, and cheap thrills makes it often overlooked in existing cinema history and scholarship. This book places film studies and comparative American studies into a new conversation involving exploitation cinema, targeting an American hemispheric tradition and considering how art and trash intersect in undisciplined ways.

Barrenechea examines low-budget cinema produced in filmmaking capitals of the Western Hemisphere, including Mexican monster films, Brazilian psychedelia, Argentine sci-fi, Canadian splatter, and Hollywood grindhouse, ultimately yielding a new cinema history that is both messier and more inclusive.

Learn more about or order Barrenechea’s book Studies in Groovy Gothic Cinema.

Johnson-Young Contributes to Panel at National Communication Convention

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Associate Professor of Communication Elizabeth Johnson-Young

Associate Professor of Communication Elizabeth Johnson-Young

At the National Communication Association’s Annual Convention in Denver Associate Professor of Communication Elizabeth Johnson-Young contributed to a peer-reviewed panel regarding alternatives to traditional reading assignments in the college classroom. Along with colleagues from Hope College and University of Cincinnati Blue Ash, the panel explored the issues with traditional texts, long reading assignments, and faculty frustration with engagement with these formats.

The panel presented alternatives to traditional readings, including, but not limited to videos, podcasts, use of Google Notebook LM, and OER sources. Panelists also discussed strategies for engagement and completion in order to encourage better class preparation, meet our students’ unique needs, and foster both a rigorous and interactive classroom.

Davidson Meets With Spanish Foreign Ministry as Member of Atlantic Council Delegation

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Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Jason Davidson

Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Jason Davidson

Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Jason W. Davidson, who is also a nonresident senior fellow with the transatlantic security initiative for the Atlantic Council, was recently part of a five person delegation the organization sent to the Spanish Foreign Ministry in Madrid for two days of discussions on Spain, the U.S. and NATO. Davidson also recently presented his book, NATO After Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine, at an invitation-only conference at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

Adult men and women standing posed in a conference room

An Atlantic Council delegation, including Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Jason Davidson, met with Spanish Foreign Ministry to discuss Spain, the U.S. and NATO.

Kahn and Applebury Talk Hoops and DIII Athletics on WFVA

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Marcus Kahn and Deena Applebury sit at a table in front of a speaker

UMW men’s basketball coach Marcus Kahn and women’s coach Deena Applebury

Men’s basketball coach Marcus Kahn and women’s coach Deena Applebury appeared on News Talk 1230 WFVA’s Town Talk this month to talk about what makes Division III athletics unique. With no athletic scholarships, they say players truly compete for the love of the game, balancing academics with a high level of competition.

The coaches discuss their recruiting approach, focusing on student-athletes who are the right fit both on the court and in the classroom, and who embrace the culture of UMW.

Kahn also highlights the success of the men’s program this season, with the Eagles currently ranked sixth nationally in Division III, underscoring the level of talent and commitment in the program despite the absence of scholarships. Listen to the full episode from WFVA.

Bonds and UMW Students Share Research on Administrative Segregation

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Sociology Professor Eric Bonds

Sociology Professor Eric Bonds

Sociology Professor Eric Bonds and two UMW students worked together to publish a commentary in the Virginia Mercury urging greater public transparency in the use of isolated confinement in regional and local jails. The students—Aaliyah Anderson, an English creative writing and American studies double major, and Tabitha Van Doren, currently studying sociology—helped research for the article, titled Could increased transparency reduce the use of solitary confinement in Virginia’s local jails? The work is based on research the team conducted over the fall semester. Read the full piece published in the Virginia Mercury.

Farnsworth Presents Research Paper on Political Humor

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Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth

Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth

Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth recently presented a research paper, “Political Learning, Gutfeld! and the Audience for Late-Night Comedy,” at the annual meeting of the Northeastern Political Science Association in Philadelphia.

Media mentions for Farnsworth include:

LISTEN: Town Talk/Dr. Stephen Farnsworth (B101.5)
The University of Mary Washington’s Dr. Stephen Farnsworth joins us to break down the latest developments in Virginia politics, including the ongoing redistricting debate and what it could mean for future elections. We also examine Governor Youngkin’s political legacy and the challenges and opportunities facing Governor-elect Spanberger as she prepares to take office and more. Listen to the episode from B101.5.

New photos released from Epstein’s estate showing Trump, Bannon, Bill Clinton and other high-profile people (CTV News)
Political analyst Stephen Farnsworth says the photos show ‘further evidence’ that Trump and Epstein were friends, but do not guarantee acceleration of the case. Read the full article from CTV News.

Political Analyst: Environment good for Dems as Warner announces reelection campaign (MSN)
“This environment is going to be a favorable one for Democrats, all indications are, and Mark Warner is one of the people who’s going to benefit, given the timing of when his term is up for reelection,” said Stephen Farnsworth, Director of the University of Mary Washington’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies. Read the full article from MSN.

Larus Speaks at Polyglot Conference

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Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Freund Larus

Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Freund Larus

Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Freund Larus, who is also adjunct senior fellow at the Pacific Forum, offered the bi-lingual presentation “Public Speaking in a Foreign Language – Lessons from Learning to Speak Mandarin​【外語公開演講：從學習中文得到的啟發​】at the 2025 Polyglot Conference in Taipei, November 10-12, 2025. Larus engaged with conference participants in discussing challenges to articulating difficult constructs in a public setting.

Larus also traveled to southern Taiwan to meet members of the Kaohsiung American Chamber of Commerce, with whom she discussed changes in Taiwan’s political environment, the effect of U.S. tariffs on Taiwan’s economy and U.S.-Taiwan relations, and recent flare-ups in cross-Strait tensions. She is currently studying Taiwanese (Tai-gi), a language widely spoken in southern Taiwan.

Larus also flew to Kinmen, a Taiwan administered island only 16 miles off China’s southern coast that had been invaded and bombarded by China in previous attempts to occupy it, to conduct preliminary research on military resistance and civilian emergency preparedness. She will conduct further research on this topic in 2026.

Wells Publishes Article on Liszt’s Rhythms and Premieres Piano Piece

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Photo of Music Professor Robert Wells

Music Professor Robert Wells

Associate Professor of Music and Associate Director of the Honors Program Robert Wells recently published an article in the open access journal College Music Symposium: Journal of the College Music Society.

The article, titled “Diabolical Dances and Rhythmic Poetry: Interpreting and Performing Franz Liszt’s Metric Conflicts,” investigates rhythmically/metrically complex writing in Franz Liszt’s piano music and develops a series of specialized performance strategies for such music.

This research stemmed from a 2023–24 Jepson Fellowship that allowed Wells to present Liszt-focused lecture-recitals and performances at UMW, Randolph-Macon College, Furman University and the College of William and Mary. Audio excerpts from the performances at UMW and Furman appear in the article. Read the full article in the College Music Symposium journal.

Screenshot of College Music Symposium article referenced in first paragraph

Excerpt from College Music Symposium article

Additionally, at the recent 2025 Society for Music Theory/American Musicological Society Joint Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, Wells was invited to premiere Nigerian composer Ayọ̀ Olúrántí’s solo piano work Eré Ayò: A Study in African Pianism (2025).

This performance was part of an African Pianism session featuring works by composers from across the continent of Africa. Eré Ayò was one of two pieces commissioned by the American Musicological Society for this year’s conference.

Wynn and UMW LaunchPad Program Featured by Inside Higher Ed

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Photo of Associate Professor of Biological Sciences and Director of the First-Year Experience April Wynn

Associate Professor of Biological Sciences and Director of the First-Year Experience April Wynn

Associate Professor of Biological Sciences and Director of the First-Year Experience April Wynn was quoted by Inside Higher Ed in an article titled “First-Year Program Teaches Students Executive Functioning Skills.” The article features the UMW program LaunchPad, which aims to help ease students’ transition into higher education, providing them with life-management skills and connect them with peers and supportive staff.

The article highlights UMW’s four-week program that helps incoming students hone their planning and social skills, with details from Wynn, including  “many students struggle with organization, time management and involvement, especially post-pandemic,” said April Wynn, director of the first-year experience. “LaunchPad provides structured support in these areas.” Read the full article from Inside Higher Ed.