May 16, 2026

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Al-Tikriti Pens Editorial on Süleyman the Magnificent for ‘Great Lives’ Lecture

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Süleyman the Magnificent

Süleyman the Magnificent

Professor of History and Middle Eastern Studies Nabil Al-Tikriti penned an editorial on Ottoman Empire Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent in advance of his Great Lives lecture on Tuesday Jan. 26, at 7:30 pm on Zoom, as part of UMW’s “Great Lives” series. It can be accessed at umw.edu/greatlives.

IN 2011, Turkish television launched a new series, entitled “Magnificent Century / Mühteşim Yüzyıl.” An instant hit, this flashy soap opera offered a highly dramatized version of Sultan Süleyman’s palace personna, family drama, and harem dynamics.

Over four seasons this bodice ripper, centered largely on the rivalry between his wife, Hürrem, and his earlier prime concubine, Mahidevran, was screened by over 200 million viewers in over 50 countries.

Why were so many hooked on a fanciful dramatization of this celebrated sultan who died over 450 years ago?

The real Süleyman (d. 1566) ruled over the Ottoman Empire during what most consider the peak of its power. Even though the empire continued to expand for several decades after his death, and remained the most powerful force in Europe for well over another century, when denizens of Western civilization consider this empire at all, it is usually in the same breath as they contemplate the reign of its most famous ruler. Read more.

Richardson Column in The Free Lance-Star

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UMW College of Business Dean Lynne Richardson

UMW College of Business Dean Lynne Richardson

College of Business Dean Lynne Richardson’s column in The Free Lance-Star is entitled, “WHY IS THE ANSWER ALWAYS NO?”

YOU APPROACH a colleague with a request to do something in a new way. Your colleague responds immediately: “No. That’s not possible.”

Of course, it may not be possible, but perhaps it is, and your colleague just doesn’t want to investigate how it might be done. They want to keep doing it “the way it’s always been done.”

I have worked in four public institutions, each in a different state. While there are some state rules, along with some protocols from the governing groups for each state, many of the rules are just ingrained practices that each institution created. Read more.

Al-Tikriti Monitors Kazakhstan Parliamentary Elections

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Prof. Al-Tikriti and Mr. Emil Shakir Uluu

Prof. Al-Tikriti and Mr. Emil Shakir Uluu

From 11 December 2020 to 16 January 2021, Middle East History Professor Nabil Al-Tikriti served as a Long Term Observer (LTO) for the Organization of Security & Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Shymkent, Kazakhstan.

In the course of this five week deployment, Prof. Al-Tikriti interviewed local leaders of all five recognized Kazakh parties; met with civil society activists; discussed election administration with government officials at the rayon (district), oblast (province), and city levels; and administered fuel and financial logistics for his five person team. In addition, he was able to visit the Otyrar ruins (the first city destroyed by Çingiz Khan’s Mongol army in their westward drive), the Ahmed Yesevi shrine,and the Ahmet Yesevi Turkish-Kazakh International University (TÜRTEP) in Turkistan city.

Together with his senior LTO partner, Mr. Emil Shakir Uluu of Issyk Kul, Kyrgyzstan, Prof. Al-Tikriti completed several weekly reports, election observation forms, spot rally reports, and other observation requirements mandated by the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). Mr. Shakir Uluu and Prof. Al-Tikriti’s work contributed to ODIHR’s interim report, and final report, which will be released in a few weeks.

Prof. Al-Tikriti thanks the colleagues who served with him in Shymkent, as well as all the wonderful Kazakh officials, activists, and election colleagues whom he was fortunate enough to meet in the course of this election observation.

Spencer Appears on “Town Talk with Ted Schubel”

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Michael Spencer, associate professor and director for the Center for Historic Preservation

Michael Spencer, associate professor and director for the Center for Historic Preservation

Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Historic Preservation Michael Spencer joined Historic Fredericksburg Foundation President David James on “Town Talk with Ted Schubel” to talk about some of the issues being debated in the city over preserving history. Listen here.

Rafferty Publishes Essay Collection on the Presidents

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Execute the Office: Essays with Presidents book coverAssociate Professor of English Colin Rafferty’s forthcoming essay collection, Execute the Office: Essays with Presidents, will be released by Baobab Press in Reno, Nevada.

Execute the Office uses lyric prose and formal invention to explore the humanity, or lack thereof, in each of the forty-five American presidents. Whether these powerful individuals have been remembered for infamous deeds or heroism, or they have been forgotten as placeholders in the annals of America, too often presidents are commemorated by the sterility of simple fact. Execute the Office builds upon factual accuracy with essays that are equally invested in lyrical writing and experimental forms. To balance these factions, Execute the Office uses constraint, metaphor, allusion, and epiphany to explore not just the facts and artifacts of history, but describe the connections between those facts and human nature in thought-provoking and inventive ways. These essays discuss the modes in which we remember. Through screenplays, death songs, footnotes, infinite rooms, evacuation routes, and nomenclatures, to name a few examples, these diverse essays engage with history from fresh perspectives. Execute the Office contains histories in and of unusual objects. While unfamiliar at first, they soon become distinct, unforgettable, profound, human.

Farnsworth and Seltzer Deliver Research Paper on Political Humor

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Late Night with Trump book coverStephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, and Kate Seltzer, a UMW senior double majoring in political science and communication, are co-authors of a research paper, “Late Night Political Humor and the 2020 Presidential Nomination Campaign: A Democratic Field Competes with Donald Trump,” which was delivered (online) at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Political Science Association earlier this month. The paper is an update of Professor Farnsworth’s recent co-authored book, Late Night With Trump: Political Humor and the American Presidency.

Farnsworth also recently delivered an online lecture, “Reviewing the 2020 U.S. Election: The Challenges of Democracy in Practice,” to the University of Malaysia, Sabah. Professor Farnsworth was a Fulbright Specialist at Methodist College Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, during Summer 2019.

He also offered insight in a number of recent regional, national and international news stories:

Taking a Look at What to Expect from the 2021 General Assembly Session (WVTF)

After fueling a blue tide, Democrats in changing Virginia suburb aim high for more influence (The Washington Post; Stamford Advocate)

Big ideas face the hard reality of coronavirus as Virginia General Assembly prepares to convene (The Washington Post)

Trump supporters engage in historic attacks on U.S. democracy on a day reserved to celebrate it (The Globe and Mail)

U.S. Capitol on Lockdown (CTV News Channel)

Facebook Blocks Page of Virginia State Senator Who Spread Conspiracy Theories on Capitol Riot (dcist)

Analysis: What changes Republicans, Trump and Biden face after the storming of the Capitol (Globe and Mail, Toronto)

Divide deepens in Virginia GOP as Democrats renew calls for Trump’s early ouster (Virginia Mercury)

Democrats Unveil Articles of Impeachment (CTV News Channel)

Trump Faces Second Impeachment (CTV News Channel)

Can President Trump issue pardons while impeached? Experts at odds (ctvnews.ca)

“It will be very difficult for Biden to govern with the scenario that Trump leaves him” (La Razon of Spain)

“I didn’t see a focus on issues,” says Lee Carter in explanation of candidacy for Governor (Virginia Scope)

McAuliffe announces huge fundraising numbers (Virginia Scope; Henrico Citizen)

Saturday Night Live seeks fresh Biden as political comedy faces new era (The Guardian)

Viewpoints with Todd Vanderheyden (iheart.com)

3 Prince William Supervisors Walked Out Of Unconscious Bias Training In Protest (dcist.com)

Rettinger Comments in New York Times

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Professor of Psychological Science David Rettinger

Professor of Psychological Science David Rettinger

Professor of Psychological Science David Rettinger, who is also Director of Academic Integrity Programs at UMW, offered comments for a New York Times article entitled, “Backlash Over Leniency at West Point After 73 Cadets Are Accused of Cheating.”

“It’s a complex tug of war,” he said. “You have emerging adults who genuinely want to serve their country at the highest levels. It’s heartfelt and honorable. Some may say to themselves, ‘Am I going to allow calculus to be the thing that keeps me from being the patriot I am?’ or, ‘Am I going to let the fellow cadet fall behind?’ From that point of view, they don’t necessarily see cheating as an unalloyed bad thing.” Read more.

Al-Tikriti Speaks on Nagorno-Karabakh Ceasefire

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Middle East History Professor Nabil Al-Tikriti recently spoke at a virtual conference hosted by Western Caspian University of Baku, Azerbaijan.

Middle East History Professor Nabil Al-Tikriti recently spoke at a virtual conference hosted by Western Caspian University of Baku, Azerbaijan.

On 18 December 2020, Middle East History Professor Nabil Al-Tikriti spoke at a conference entitled “XII-XV əsrlər Ön Asiya və Qafqaz bölgəsinin tarixi-etnoqrafik məsələlərinə baxış / Perspectives on Historical and Ethnographic Issues Concerning 12th-15th Century Western Asia and the Caucasus Region.” The international conference, offering presentations in Azerbaijani Turkish and English, was hosted by Western Caspian University of Baku, Azerbaijan, and took place entirely online.

The title of Al-Tikriti’s presentation was “Observations on the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict’s 10 November Resolution.” Addressing a mostly Azerbaijani audience, in the course of this talk, Prof. Al-Tikriti offered the following points about the recent conflict’s current ceasefire and steps for longer term resolution:

1) He has never seen as bitter a conflict as this one, and he has witnessed several well-known conflicts.

2) The mass hatred all around must be brought to an end, sooner rather than later.

3) The huge difference between what is said for international consumption and what is said for domestic consumption needs to be reduced.

4) Both sides are living in parallel realities, and the discrepancy between those parallel worlds must be reduced.

5) The weaponization of historical memory must be put to an end, and both sides must stop pretending like the other side doesn’t exist.

6) Azerbaijan should now act generously, because if they repeat Armenia’s earlier mistake of being content with triumphantly maintaining a frozen conflict, it will come back to haunt them some day, due to shifting factors domestically and internationally.

7) Both sides may have now opened themselves up to increased Russian-Turkish neo-imperialism — if they desire genuine independence, they must negotiate directly with each other.

8) War crimes are unacceptable, and must be prosecuted — otherwise, no good will is foreseen.

9) The 2006 Julfa destruction was unacceptable, and should be both punished and restored to the extent possible.

10) As a sign of good will, Azerbaijan should open up rail lines, transport links, etc.

11) Azerbaijan should negotiate granting Nagorno-Karabakh autonomy.

12) Both sides should secure external peacekeepers (i.e. not Russian or Turkish) to guarantee both the Lachin and Zangezur corridors.

Prof. Al-Tikriti’s thanks the organizers for this opportunity to present his reflections on the recent conflict, and hopes that a just peace will soon prove viable in the South Caucasus.

Larus Comments on Indus News on Changes to U.S. Taiwan Policy

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Professor and Chairman of the Department of Political Science Elizabeth Freund Larus.

Professor and Chairman of the Department of Political Science Elizabeth Freund Larus.

Elizabeth Freund Larus, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Political Science and International Affairs, commented on changes to U.S. State Department regulations on Taiwan on the Indus News television program In Focus South Asia, January 12, 2021. Her commentary begins at 15 minutes into the program at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdDkEwvhmdM&list=PL75uzXP3OUv0kX_KdFTmHTLgWqmZPZC1_&index=2

Subramanian to Release Book on ‘The Science and Meaning of Touch’

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Assistant Professor of Communication Sushma Subramanian

Assistant Professor of Communication Sushma Subramanian

Assistant Professor of Journalism Sushma Subramanian’s book “How to Feel: The Science and Meaning of Touch” will be released by Columbia University Press in February 2021.

We are out of touch. Many people fear that we are trapped inside our screens, becoming less in tune with our bodies and losing our connection to the physical world. But the sense of touch has been undervalued since long before the days of digital isolation. Because of deeply rooted beliefs that favor the cerebral over the corporeal, touch is maligned as dirty or sentimental, in contrast with supposedly more elevated modes of perceiving the world.

How to Feel explores the scientific, physical, emotional, and cultural aspects of touch, reconnecting us to what is arguably our most important sense. Sushma Subramanian introduces readers to the scientists whose groundbreaking research is underscoring the role of touch in our lives. Through vivid individual stories—a man who lost his sense of touch in his late teens, a woman who experiences touch-emotion synesthesia, her own efforts to become less touch averse—Subramanian explains the science of the somatosensory system and our philosophical beliefs about it. She visits labs that are shaping the textures of objects we use every day, from cereal to synthetic fabrics. The book highlights the growing field of haptics, which is trying to incorporate tactile interactions into devices such as phones that touch us back and prosthetic limbs that can feel. How to Feeloffers a new appreciation for a vital but misunderstood sense and how we can use it to live more fully. Learn more.