A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff
On Thursday, Jan 15, , Professor of Communication and Director of the Center for AI and the Liberal Arts Anand Rao spoke to the student body at Fredericksburg Academy at the invitation of the school’s Honor Council.Rao’s talk focused on the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and academic integrity, offering students a nuanced framework for […]
UMW’s Center for AI and the Liberal Arts has named alumnus Sean O’Brien ’09 as its inaugural AI Expert-in-Residence. O’Brien currently leads AI initiatives at Internet2 — the technology consortium serving higher education institutions nationwide. He will return to Mary Washington this spring to mentor students, advise faculty research projects and share insights on AI’s […]
Associate Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds published a commentary in the Richmond Times-Dispatch on January 22nd on the need for greater transparency in data center water use. The column is titled “How Will the Data Center Boom Impact Virginia’s Waters. Secrecy on this Topic Doesn’t Bode Well.” Read the full commentary in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Tessa Howard has recently been appointed director of financial aid at UMW. Howard has had a progressive and comprehensive career at Mary Washington since 2011, when she began as a financial aid specialist administering and disbursing aid through the Federal Direct Loan Program. She later added state aid program management and financial aid counseling in […]
Professor of Spanish Jeremy LaRochelle was featured on the With Good Reason public radio show in an episode titled “Delicious Predator.” In a segment of the show, titled “Protecting The Water Spirits,” LaRochelle discusses how indigenous people throughout the Amazon basin understand themselves to be deeply connected to the more-than-human world. So the pollution of […]
Professor of Mathematics Julius Esunge was an organizer and presenter for the American Mathematical Society at the 2026 Joint Mathematics Meetings (JMM), which is the largest annual mathematics gathering in the world. The event took place in Washington, D.C. from January 4-7, 2026.At the American Mathematical Society’s Workshop for Department Chairs and Leaders on January […]
Professor of Psychological Science W. David Stahlman was quoted by Discover Magazine in an article titled “Do Animals Hold Funerals for Their Loved Ones Like We Do, or Are We Just Projecting Grief? In the article Stahlman said that while several species exhibit behaviors that seem ritualistic, such as holding funerals, few engage in characteristic forms […]
Director of Content Strategy and Marketing Courtney Swenson and Director of Design Services Maria Schultz are presenting a session at the Stafford Tourism and Business Marketing Summit, a one-day conference for local business owners and marketing professionals. The event will be held Tuesday, Jan. 27. If any of the topics align with your interests or […]
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 […]
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 […]
