May 12, 2026

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Rao Appears on WFVA Town Talk to Talk AI

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Photo of Professor of Communication and Chair of the Department of Communication and Digital Studies Anand Rao

Professor of Communication and Chair of the Department of Communication and Digital Studies Anand Rao

Professor of Communication and Director of the Center for AI and the Liberal Arts Anand Rao appeared on News Talk 1230 WFVA’s Town Talk last month to discuss why the Center was created and why this kind of work is so important right now.

The program digs into how UMW students are using AI, how the technology is already shaping everyday life in the Fredericksburg region, and Rao’s practical tips for anyone who wants to get started with AI. Listen to the full episode from WFVA.

 

Segelken Highlighted in Virginia Business

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Photo of Director of Continuing and Professional Studies Teresa Segelken

Director of Continuing and Professional Studies Teresa Segelken

Director of Continuing and Professional Studies Teresa Segelken was highlighted by Virginia Business in an article titled “100 People to Meet in 2026: Educators.” The profile includes details on Segelken arriving in Fredericksburg in 2020 as a training and curriculum specialist for the Marine Corps, a job that had her focusing on family members of Marines who needed workforce training. The pandemic wasn’t an easy time to move to a new town, but Segelken has learned to appreciate the community and history of her city. In 2022, she started at the University of Mary Washington, where she is director of continuing and professional studies.

In July, her office received a GO Virginia grant to start a new health care practice management certificate program — in essence, training health care workers how to be effective medical practice managers. “They’re usually not trained in management,” Segelken explains. “They’re nurses leaving the bedside.” Launching in the first or second quarter of 2026, the new program will teach leadership, communication and human resources skills that these job pivoters need. Segelken’s office also will host free seminars this year focused on artificial intelligence tools for small- and medium-sized businesses. Read the full article in Virginia Business.

Harris Publishes Article on Soviet Hero Cults and Spirituality

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Steven E. Harris, professor of Russian and Eurasian history in the Department of History, American Studies, and Sociology, has published the peer-reviewed article, “The Martyrdom of Nadezhda Kurchenko: Soviet Hero Cults and the Spiritual Turn in Late Socialism,” in The Russian Review.

This article examines the martyrdom of Nadezhda Kurchenko, a flight attendant killed by hijackers on an Aeroflot airplane in 1970, and how its production intersected with the spiritual turn in Soviet atheism, which allowed propagandists to update hero cults for the era of mature socialism. This project was made possible through funding from the University of Mary Washington and the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Read the full article in The Russian Review.

Finlayson Shares Geography Expertise on ‘With Good Reason’

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Picture of Professor of Geography Caitie Finlayson

Professor of Geography Caitie Finlayson

Professor of Geography Caitie Finlayson was featured on the With Good Reason public radio show in an episode titled “The Food That Makes Us.”

In a segment of the show, titled “Gumbo, BBQ, and biscuits” Finlayson discusses the fusion of cultures – African food brought by enslaved people, British and French food brought by early European colonists – that created a mouthwatering Southern cuisine. Listen to this episode of With Good Reason.

Farnsworth Lectures on Virginia Elections, Quoted in the Media

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Picture of Professor of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth

Professor of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth

Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth recently presented several public lectures reviewing the 2025 Virginia Elections, including presentations before the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce, the  American Association of University Women (Fredericksburg, VA chapter), the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Fredericksburg.

Media mentions for Farnsworth include:

Field of candidates growing in DC mayoral race (WJLA)
Steve Farnsworth, PhD, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, describes Bowser’s agenda as “full” throughout her time in office. Read the full article from WJLA.

Midterm election warning signs stoke Trump lame-duck talk (Washington Examiner)
“In politics, it seems like there’s always buyer’s remorse about a year into a presidency, there’s often a great deal of dissatisfaction with what the voters decided a year earlier,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. “A year in is when the opposition tends to be energized.” Read the full article from the Washington Examiner. 

Trump’s warm embrace of Mamdani complicates 2026 GOP messaging (Washington Examiner)
“I imagine Republicans will continue to run against the specter of Mamdani in special elections and the midterm elections to come,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. “His vision of the Democratic Party is the vision that energizes the Republican base.” Read the full article from the Washington Examiner.

U.S. Congress Votes to Force Release of Epstein Files (CTV News)
“Well, I don’t think that this signature is going to necessarily amount to all that much to be honest. There is a good chance that many of the documents that people are interested in will be withheld by the Justice Department,” said Stephen Farnsworth. Watch the full segment on YouTube.

Virginia governor-elect Spanberger aims to use carrots, not sticks to build support for new housing (Homes.com)
“Particularly in urban areas of the state, there’s been this rapid escalation in home prices,” Stephen Farnsworth, who teaches political science at the University of Mary Washington, told Homes.com. “That creates all kinds of economic uncertainty for people who want to buy a house and wonder if they’ll ever be able to.” Read the full article from Homes.com.

Virginia youth vote helped spark largest Democratic win since 1961 (The Commonwealth Times)
Stephen Farnsworth, director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington, said it can be a challenge for candidates to connect with young people as the world changes rapidly. He said Spanberger was effective in connecting with younger voters by speaking about economic anxiety. Read the full article from The Commonwealth Times.

Money Shouts (The New Energy Crises)
“There’s an old saying that money talks–the big contributions that are possible in Virginia means that money shouts,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a professor at Mary Washington University. Read the full article from The New Energy Crises.

Several Virginia Election Day outcomes smashed polling, pundit predictions (The Virginian-Pilot; Daily Press)
Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor and director for the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington, explained surveys as snapshots in time rather than crystal balls. Read the full article in the Daily Press. Read the full article from the Daily Press.

Affordability Highlighted as Key Issue in Virginia Elections—and for 2026 (Loudoun Now)
The panel, moderated by VA FREE Executive Director and former delegate Chris Saxman, included McGuireWoods Senior VP of Infrastructure and Economic Development and Government Relations Services Tracy Baynard, University of Mary Washington Director for the Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth, RAMA International Director and former delegate David Ramadan and Sen. Kannan Srinivasan (D-32). Read the full article from Loudoun Now.

Larus Comments on Taiwan’s Use of U.S. Media in BBC Chinese

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Photo of Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Relations and Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Pacific Forum Elizabeth Freund Larus

Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Relations and Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Pacific Forum Elizabeth Freund Larus

Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Relations and Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Pacific Forum Elizabeth Freund Larus offered comments to BBC Chinese on the use of U.S. conservative media by Taiwan’s leaders. In the article, titled “Taiwan’s Counterattack on U.S. Right-Wing Media: Can Lai Ching-te and Hsiao Bi-khim’s New Diplomatic Strategy Succeed?,” Larus indicated that this is a strategic move by Taiwan President Lai Ching-te. She emphasized that although these podcasts are labeled as “right-wing,” the podcasts and programs where Lai and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim were interviewed reach about 80 million listeners, viewers, or subscribers daily. Read the full article from BBC Chinese.

Porter Receives NASPA-Virginia Outstanding Professional Award

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Assistant Dean of Students CJ Porter

Assistant Dean of Students CJ Porter

Porter received the Outstanding Professional Award from NASPA–Virginia, the state chapter of the national association for student affairs professionals.

Porter received the Outstanding Professional Award from NASPA–Virginia, the state chapter of the national association for student affairs professionals.

Assistant Dean of Students Chris “CJ” Porter has been recognized by NASPA–Virginia, the state chapter of the national association for student affairs professionals, with its Outstanding Professional Award. The honor was presented at the chapter’s annual November conference, which brings together student affairs practitioners from colleges and universities across the Commonwealth.

NASPA is the leading professional home for the field of student affairs, supporting evidence-based, student-centered practices nationally and globally. Its Virginia chapter annually celebrates professionals who demonstrate significant leadership, innovation and impact on student success.

Porter was honored for her work developing and advancing UMW’s pre-arrival and support programs for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a model now recognized by colleagues statewide. Her nominator wrote, “while the program itself is impressive, it is the obvious care and concern for her students and the effort she had to make to ensure its success that really stood out.”

Porter shared on social media that the surprise award “felt pretty good” after hearing her own program being described during the announcement. Congratulations to Assistant Dean Porter on this well-deserved recognition!

Rao Spotlighted Across Multiple Platforms Discussing AI and the Liberal Arts

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Professor of Communication and Chair of the Department of Communication and Digital Studies Anand Rao

Professor of Communication and Chair of the Department of Communication and Digital Studies Anand Rao

Professor of Communication and Director of the Center for AI and the Liberal Arts Anand Rao was recently spotlighted in wide-ranging AI coverage.

On two Fredericksburg-based podcasts Rao discussed UMW’s leadership in AI education and the evolving role of the liberal arts in a rapidly changing technological landscape.

He joined UMW alumnus Kevin Hughes of Stack Infrastructure on The New Dominion Podcast for an episode titled “AI and the Future of UMW.” The conversation explored the rise of data centers in Virginia, the accelerating impact of generative AI, and why the liberal arts are increasingly essential in shaping ethical, responsible innovation. Listen here. 

Podcast1-Rao-FXBG-Free-PressHe was also a guest on Coffee Talk, the monthly podcast of the Fredericksburg Free Press, hosted by Joey LoMonaco. The discussion highlighted the Center for AI and the Liberal Arts, how UMW is preparing students to navigate and shape AI-driven workplaces, and what emerging technologies mean for human creativity, communication, and culture. Listen here.

Other media mentions and events for Rao include:

How to Cultivate AI Literacy in the Classroom (Oxford University Press)
Rao joined Stefan Bauschard, AI education policy consultant and adjunct instructor at UMW, as a featured presenter in a national masterclass hosted by Oxford University Press (OUP) titled “How to Cultivate AI Literacy in the Classroom.” The free, one-hour session brought together educators from across the country who are navigating the growing influence of generative AI on teaching and learning. Rao and Bauschard discussed strategies for helping students critically evaluate AI-generated content, integrate AI constructively into coursework, and maintain academic integrity in an environment where powerful tools are widely available. Listen here. 

AI Data Press Article about UMW's Center for AI and the Liberal ArtsAt Univ. of Mary Washington, an AI-Relevant Curriculum Gives Both Students and Faculty an Upper Hand (AI Data Press)
UMW’s leadership was featured in AI Data Press, a national publication covering innovation in artificial intelligence and workforce development. The article highlights insights from Rao on preparing students for a rapidly changing professional landscape shaped by generative AI. Rather than aiming to make curricula “AI-proof,” Rao advocates for making them “AI-relevant,” emphasizing the importance of critical thinking, communication, collaboration, research and ethical reasoning — skills that help graduates adapt throughout their careers. The piece showcases UMW initiatives, including AI literacy programs, partnerships with local schools and classroom practices that integrate AI responsibly. Rao also notes that understanding AI’s societal implications — such as environmental costs and data bias — is essential for informed decision-making. Read more.

Cooperman Weighs in on the Government Shutdown for DW News

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Professor of Political Science Rosalyn Cooperman

Professor of Political Science Rosalyn Cooperman

Professor of Political Science Rosalyn Cooperman was featured by DW News, a German public broadcast service, in a segment titled “How severely has the shutdown affected the American people and the broader economy?” In the segment, Cooperman responds to a question about the shutdown, saying “I’m here in Virginia and we have two Democratic senators. One who is up for reelection in 2026  who is still voting no. He was not among that group that crossed over to try to find a deal, a way back to end the government shutdown. The other senator was elected in 2024 and so is not facing voters until 2030.” Throughout the piece she continues to add her expertise in response to questions from an interviewer. Watch on Youtube.

Paino Pens Column on Virginia’s Position as Top State for Talent for The Virginian-Pilot

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President Troy D. Paino

President Troy D. Paino

University of Mary Washington President Troy Paino wrote a column for The Virginian-Pilot titled, “Virginia leads the nation in pathways from learning to earning.” In the column Paino discusses Virginia’s position as the “Top State for Talent.” Read more.

Other media mentions for Paino include:

Virginia Business honors trailblazing leaders at inaugural ICON Awards luncheon (WTVR)
The red carpet was rolled out inside the historic Jefferson Hotel in downtown Richmond on Thursday as some of Virginia’s most influential business, education, and government leaders were honored at the inaugural ICON Honors Awards luncheon hosted by Virginia Business magazine. Icon 2025 honorees included Troy Paino, University of Mary Washington. Read more.

The 2025 Virginia Icon Honors Awards (Virginia Business)
Since 2016, Troy Paino has served as president of the University of Mary Washington, where he has overseen major construction projects and the growth of academic course offerings. Paino has also raised the university’s profile. This year, the school ranked No. 131 on U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best National Liberal Arts Colleges list. Mary Washington also made several 2026 Princeton Review lists, including Best Value Colleges. Additionally, under Paino’s tenure, the university in 2023 received a $30 million bequest from a 1959 alumna — the largest financial gift in its history. Read more.