A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff
Associate Professor of Political Science Rosalyn Cooperman
A study co-authored by Rosalyn Cooperman, associate professor of political science, was featured on the London School of Economic’s U.S. Centre blog. The study found that “Compared to Democrats, Republicans are more likely to disagree on whether their party should pursue policy goals or win elections at any cost.” Read more.
Assistant Professor of History Erin Devlin
Erin Devlin, assistant professor of history and American studies, was interviewed in an article on OutsideOnline.com entitled “Shenandoah National Park Is Confronting Its History.” She discussed her research into sites in national parks in Virginia that were associated with segregation during the first half of the 20th century.
“‘Basically, the park was segregated on an ad hoc basis,’ says Erin Devlin, associate professor of history and American studies at the University of Mary Washington, who is leading the study of the five national parks in Virginia. African American visitors wrote letters of complaint both to the park and the Department of the Interior, reporting that rangers told them certain areas of the park were off-limits to them. Some white visitors also wrote letters to the National Park Service, arguing that this kind of race-based practice was un-American. But the policies continued.” Read more.
College of Business Dean Lynne Richardson
College of Business Dean Lynne Richardson’s weekly column in The Free Lance-Star discusses bad behavior in the workplace. Read BELIEVE THEM.
IT HAS taken me six decades, but I have accepted something recently that perhaps you also might need to accept.
When people show you who they are by their actions and words, believe them.
So many times in our workplaces, homes, communities and friend groups, people say or do things that are unkind. But we make excuses for them, saying things like, “He’s having a rough day,” or, “He didn’t mean that.” You might hear: “I know he shouldn’t be saying/doing this, but he’s so valuable to our team that I cannot do anything about him.” Read more.
Elizabeth Freund Larus, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs
Elizabeth Freund Larus, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, commented on the effect of the Hong Kong protests on the 2020 Taiwan presidential elections. Professor Larus indicated that the “one country, two systems” formula applied to Hong Kong after 1997 was never a popular concept in Taiwan. China originally offered the formula to Taiwan in the 1980s as an incentive to join the mainland. She indicated that it would be political suicide for the Taiwan government, whether it be DPP or KMT, to support it in Taiwan now. She indicated that the response by the HK government to protests against a proposed extradition law there killed any chances of Taiwan accepting the “one country, two systems” formula. Dr. Larus also indicated that the HK protests and the HK government’s response has forced Kaohsiung mayor and KMT presidential candidate to step away from his earlier advocacy of “one country, two systems” and to be more cautious in advocating closer relations with China. She indicated that a crackdown on protesters in HK could also change the political dynamics on Taiwan.
The Middle East Report Online (MERO) published an article by Associate Professor of Middle Eastern Studies Nabil Al-Tikriti, entitled “Autopsy of Erdoǧan’s Istanbul Defeat.” In the course of this article, Professor Al-Tikriti analyzed the political and economic dynamics driving the results of the June 23, 2019 Istanbul special elections, which proved a landslide defeat for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
“Certainties that had defined Turkish politics for a generation were thrown into doubt by the overwhelming victory Istanbul voters handed the opposition CHP party’s mayoral candidate Ekrem İmamoǧlu on June 23, 2019,” Al-Tikriti said. “Voters responded with righteous and smoldering fury to the ruling AKP party’s blatant tampering with the democratic process after it had annulled İmamoǧlu’s previous, and much closer, victory over the AKP’s candidate Binali Yıldırım on March 31, forcing a new election for mayor of the Greater Istanbul Municipality. While not the first electoral setback Turkish President and AKP party leader Recep Tayyip Erdoǧan has faced, it was the first time his own actions boomeranged so pointedly against his own agenda…”
For the full article see: https://merip.org/2019/09/autopsy-of-erdo%C7 %A7ans-istanbul-defeat/
Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies
Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, recently presented a lecture, “The Competing Visions of the American Political System: Building Public and Private Spheres,” at the Norwegian Washington Seminar in Washington, D.C. The program brings roughly 20 mid-career professionals from Norway for a two-day program on American politics and culture.
Farnsworth has also been quoted in several regional and national news stories:
Professor of English Antonio Barrenechea
Antonio Barrenechea, Professor of English, recently presented “Fear and Loathing in São Paulo: Trash Metaphysics in the Cinema of Jose Mojica Marins” at the Literature/Film Association’s annual conference, entitled “Reboot Repurpose Recycle” this year and held in Portland, Oregon.
Lance Gentry, Professor, College of Business
Lance Gentry, a professor in the College of Business, will present a session with Rappahannock United Way President Janel Donohue, ”Understanding the Region: Who are we and what are our opportunities?” on Oct. 17 at UMW’s Stafford Campus. The session will be one of three free sessions presented by the George Washington Regional Commission as part of its new program, Good Jobs Here.
According to an article in The Free Lance-Star, Gentry and Donohue will “discuss some of the key demographics and opportunities related specifically to Planning District 16. This will include a look at new data on the region’s workforce, including those who commute, and some unique opportunities that the region has to develop and grow economically.”
“The session will also take a special look at the portions of the region’s population that are working but struggling, so they can be included in the program’s long-term plans for success.”
College of Business Dean Lynne Richardson
College of Business Dean Lynne Richardson’s weekly column in The Free Lance-Star discusses why a job might be the best fit, or not, for your personal life. Read WORK AND PERSONAL LIVES.
How often do you consider the personal side of your life when you consider job opportunities?
I have lived and worked in a variety of locales: a mid-sized city, two smaller cities, and one fairly rural college town. As a person who blooms where she’s planted, I have no issues assimilating into any of the communities. But that’s not true for everyone. Read more.
Assistant Professor of Communication Adria Goldman
Adria Goldman, Assistant Professor of Communication, is one of three guest editors of a special issue of The Journal of Hip Hop Studies devoted to Kanye West. According to the abstract, “The goal of this project, ‘I Gotta Testify: Kanye West, Hip Hop, and the Church,’ is to add a new perspective to the scholarly discourse on Hip Hop and Christianity within classrooms, religious institutions, and popular culture by focusing on Kanye. We chose to focus on Kanye because he has been one of Hip Hop’s most influential artists in the past decade. Furthermore, Kanye is one of the most polarizing celebrities in America and across the globe. His music, fashion, political views, and family (which includes the Kardashians) dominate discourse on social media, blogs, television, and other forms of mass media. With the exception of Julius Bailey’s 2014 edited book, The Cultural Impact of Kanye West, there has been little scholarly work published on Kanye. Bailey’s book contained just one essay, written by Monica R. Miller, dedicated to the theme of Kanye and religion. We intended to produce a nontraditional journal issue, partly because Kanye has never adhered to traditional boundaries. We also chose this method because we wanted to provide a document suitable for both academic and popular audiences. Kanye West identifies as a Christian and primarily uses Christian themes in his music, videos, concerts, and messaging.” For more information, please see: https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/jhhs/vol6/iss1/1/.