June 27, 2026

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Davidson Discusses International Affairs on WWL First News Podcast

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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 Davidson shared his international affairs expertise with WWL First News with Tommy Tucker–a daily morning news-talk radio show on New Orleans’ WWL (870 AM/105.3 FM) and on Audacy. The podcast is titled “Why does President Trump want to take over Greenland?” Davidson, author of the book, NATO After Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine, joins the host to discuss the issue. Listen to the episode.

Farnsworth Shares Political Expertise With Newsweek, Virginia Business, WTOP & More

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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 shared his political expertise recently with a variety of media outlets, including Newsweek, Virginia Business, WTOP and more.  In an article titled “Five Senate Seats Most Likely to Flip from Republicans to Democrats in 2026,” Farnsworth told Newsweek the Senate “seems more likely to remain in Republican hands than not.” “Democrats have good pickup opportunities in NC and ME—and perhaps an outside chance in Ohio. Even so, a very good election night for Democrats in the upper chamber would only bring the Senate to 50-50, with a Republican VP serving as the tie-breaker,” he said. Read more in Newsweek. 

Other media mentions for Farnsworth include:

Who will replace Kenyan McDuffie on DC Council? Here’s what we know so far (WJLA)
“You’re not going to see a lot of overlap perhaps with a Republican elected in the District and the Republican majority in the House, but it will be an entree potentially that would be greater than say, the Independent choice if the District goes in that direction,” explained Stephen Farnsworth, PhD, a University of Mary Washington professor of political science and international affairs who also heads the university’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies. Read more in WJLA.

Youngkin’s term as governor marked by economic wins, political division (Virginia Business)
“Youngkin did what he had to do to win the governor’s election four years ago: Be somewhat … not critical of Trump, but also not full MAGA,” says Stephen Farnsworth, director for the University of Mary Washington’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies. “As a candidate, he successfully threaded that needle. As governor, Youngkin became much more conservative than his campaign narrative would have suggested.” Read more in Virginia Business.

Best of 2025: Elections (FXBG Advance)
Abigail Spanberger ran away with the governor’s race in 2025, winning by a double-digit margin — rare in a state that is often considered “purple.” Stephen Farnsworth, a nationally recognized political observer and a professor at the University of Mary Washington, wrote in the Advance that the victory was the result of so-called second-wave suburbanization. Read more in FXBG Advance.

Who has Virginia’s Governor-elect appointed to her cabinet? (WTOP)
“You do see a range of representation across the geographical and political diversity of Virginia,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. “You see a vision that is consistent with the centrist messaging of the campaign.”

Virginia Gov. elect Abigail Spanberger fills cabinet, taps northern Virginia lawmakers (WSET)
Political scientists Stephen Farnsworth and Larry Sabato said it’s smart for Spanberger to have people from the legislature on her team. “Which is really, really important for a governor who didn’t serve in the legislature herself,” said Farnsworth. “The challenge of dealing with the House of Delegates and the Senate of Virginia has vexed many governors of both parties over the years, and so the more you can bring some of that expertise and connection in-house, the better off you are.” Read more from WSET.

What to watch as Virginia’s 2026 General Assembly returns to Richmond (Virginia Mercury; Yahoo News)
“This is not a normal opening act for a legislative session,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington. “Spanberger is setting the stage for an aggressive year one.” Read more from Virginia Mercury.

Tight money, big Democrat majority in House will shape 2026 General Assembly (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
In Virginia, Speakers of the House have a lot of power in the way they steer bills to particular committees, and the way bills they don’t like can land before one of the gatekeeping subcommittees that meet at 7:30 a.m., according to Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington. “You ignore your 10 extremists and just govern,” just as former Speaker Bill Howell, R-Stafford, did when he had super- and near-super majorities, Farnsworth said. Read more from the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

The GOP Senate seats most likely to flip (MSN; Knewz)
According to Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, the Senate “seems more likely to remain in Republican hands than not.” Read more from MSN.

Polls show likelihood Dems will flip the House (MSN)
Stephen Farnsworth of the University of Mary Washington said Democrats are “very likely to take over the House,” citing strong candidate recruitment and Republican retirements. Farnsworth added that while Republicans may gain advantages through redistricting in some states, Democrats have countered those efforts in blue states, limiting the overall effect. Read more from MSN.

Va. Republicans split over extending Va. Republicans split over extending health care subsidies (The Free Lance-Star; Insurance News Net)
“The government has opened, but the Democratic narrative is still driving Washington politics,” said Steve Farnsworth, director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington. Read more from The Free Lance-Star.

Anti-“ICE” Protests Spread Across the U.S. (CTV News)
“It doesn’t seem that the Trump administration is looking at these protests as anything other than a reason to increase the efforts that ICE and other federal agencies are engaged in,” said Stephen Farnsworth. See on CTV News.

What to watch as Virginia’s 2026 General Assembly returns to Richmond (FXBG Advance; Williamsburg Yorktown Daily; Northern Virginia Daily)
“This is not a normal opening act for a legislative session,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington. “Spanberger is setting the stage for an aggressive year one.” Read more from FXBG Advance.

US Alliances and Rivalries (BFM 89.9)
Philip See sits down with Dr. Stephen Farnsworth, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, University of Mary Washington to talk about the state of US foreign relations in the wake of the attack on Venezuela and the capture of its President Nicolas Maduro, especially how the White House is viewing its alliances and rivalries. Read more from BFM.

Abortion, redistricting, data centers: What Va. lawmakers will prioritize during 2026 GA session (WTOP)
The focus, according to University of Mary Washington political science professor Stephen Farnsworth, could be on making it easier to buy a house and increasing the minimum wage. “There are key issues with respect to what the legislature can do, though, because of the financial challenges Virginia faces,” Farnsworth told WTOP.

Virginia Republicans split over extending health care subsidies (Insurance News Net)
“The government has opened, but the Democratic narrative is still driving Washington politics,” said Steve Farnsworth, director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington.

Larus Shares International Affairs Expertise With BBC News

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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 was quoted by the BBC News in an article titled “Venezuela today and Taiwan tomorrow? How Trump’s raid on Maduro sparked heated debate on both sides of the strait.” Larus, who is also a senior fellow at the U.S. think tank Pacific Forum, disagreed with the idea that the U.S. action this time gave Beijing a green light. She explained that China regards Taiwan as an internal affair and will take action against Taiwan when the PLA is ready, ‘regardless of what international law dictates.’ Read more in BBC News.

Other media mentions include:

Philippine leadership puts ASEAN at center of South China Sea rivalry (UPI)
“Having the Philippines as chairman, particularly under the U.S. friendly Marcos administration, is useful to the U.S. agenda in the region,” said Elizabeth Larus, adjunct senior fellow at the Pacific Forum. She also underscored the critical importance of Trump-Marcos security accord in preventing China from displacing the United States as the dominant maritime power in the region. Read more in UPI.

Maduro’s downfall deals China new cards in US rivalry (DW)
“China didn’t give a hoot about international law,” said Elizabeth Freund Larus, adjunct senior fellow at the Pacific Forum, pointing to China’s military assertiveness in the South China Sea and its reluctance to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Read more in DW.

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.

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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.