UMW Associate Vice President and Dean of Student Life Emeritus Cedric Rucker

The following is a message from the Office of Student Affairs:

Dear UMW Campus Community,

I’m writing today to share news and congratulations for Associate Vice President and Dean of Student Life, Emeritus, Cedric Rucker, who has been named Senior Associate Dean in the Office of African-American Affairs at the University of Virginia. His role, expected to span 12-18 months, will surely leave a lasting impact just as it has at the University of Mary Washington.

Cedric spent more than four decades at Mary Washington – as a student, staff member, teacher and confidante. His college journey started in 1977 when he became the first Black male student to live on campus all four years before graduation, and this past summer 2022, we celebrated his retirement and the naming of the Cedric Rucker University Center. He’s recognized widely for his dedication to Mary Washington and the many students and families he’s helped throughout the years, from the first moments of Orientation to the straightening of an academic hood as they walk toward Commencement. His service extends through the Fredericksburg community and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

A Richmond native, Cedric earned a master’s degree from the University of Virginia and served briefly as UVA’s assistant dean of admissions before returning to Mary Washington as an administrator and a larger-than-life campus presence. Now he’s returning in service to his graduate alma mater, pausing plans to pursue the Peace Corps to remain close to his academic homes. More information will be posted to the UVA website soon, but we wanted to share the news first with our UMW community. We wish Cedric all the best in this next endeavor and know that his work in this pivotal moment will benefit all who have the opportunity to interact with him.

Dr. Juliette Landphair
Vice President for Student Affairs

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Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry Sarah Smith ’12 instructs biochemistry major Valerie Ebenki in a Jepson Science Center lab. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

Ever tried to drink a bottle of hot sauce? That’s what Ray Parrish of Maltese Brewing Company says his new Signal One beer tastes like. He teamed up with UMW Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Physics Sarah Smith and her student, Val Ebenki, to attempt to create the world’s spiciest beer. Smith shares the story, topping off a replay of the “Food is Family” episode of With Good Reason radio, which airs through Friday, Dec. 2. Listen to the episode.