A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff
James Farmer Multicultural Center Assistant Director Christopher Williams
Chris Williams, assistant director of the James Farmer Multicultural Center and a member of the Recording Academy, was featured in VPM discussing the use of campaign music by Virginia gubernatorial candidates. Williams noted that the music selected by Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears “signals that she has her own plans and own future,” reflecting strategic messaging through sound. Read the full story.
Director of the Office of TIX & ADA Compliance Ruth Davison
Director of the Office of Disability Resources Alex Ecklund
Director of the Office of TIX & ADA Compliance Ruth Davison and Director of the Office of Disability Resources Alex Ecklund had a program selected for the 2025 national conference of the Association on Higher Education and Disability in Denver, CO.
Their presentation entitled “One Campus’ Journey to Improve Accessibility Across Indoor and Outdoor Spaces” focused on UMW’s capital projects to enhance accessibility.
Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication and Digital Studies Anand Rao presented “Building Chatbots for AI Literacy” at the AI Ready RVA Teacher & AI Summer Workshop in Richmond. The two-day event brought together educators focused on integrating artificial intelligence into classrooms in responsible and engaging ways. Rao shared insights from his work with Playlab AI and praised the workshop for its commitment to supporting teacher development.
Professor of History and American Studies Krystyn Moon
Professor of History and American Studies Krystyn Moon was featured in an article in Style Weekly titled “Race and Place.” The article highlights Moon’s upcoming talk at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture on Thursday, August 7, where she will discuss her new book, Proximity to Power: Rethinking Race and Place in Alexandria, Virginia. The event explores how racial dynamics have shaped one of Virginia’s most historic cities. Read the full story.
Associate Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds
Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds was quoted in Arizona Luminaria in an article examining the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) by public officials in data center development projects. “Part of due diligence for elected officials is to know the company so they can scrutinize how it can behave elsewhere,” said Bonds, who has written extensively on data center transparency, particularly in Virginia. Read the full story.
Associate Professor of Economics Amrita Dhar
Associate Professor of Economics Amrita Dhar offered insight into Virginia’s rising unemployment rate in a recent interview with Channel 8 News, featured on MSN. “Is it a permanent move or temporary? That is something we have to keep an eye out for,” Dhar said, noting that more information is needed to determine the reason behind the increase. Read the full story.
Professor of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth
Professor of Political Science and International Affairs and Director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth was quoted in a TRT Global article titled “Losing message war: Why Democrats are struggling to challenge Trump.” In the article, Farnsworth said, “Republicans have been much better at painting the Democrats as out of touch than the reverse,” noting the GOP’s success in shaping public perception through messaging. Read the article from TRT Global.
Other media mentions for Farnsworth include:
Republicans are speaking out about gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears’ campaign (Virginia Political Newsletter)
“Ultimately unified beats divided anytime,” said Dr. Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. “And the Republican Party’s inability to really get together is yet another problem for a party that’s already looking at a difficult year.” Read more in Virginia Political Newsletter.
Virginia House in the balance: 5 key races to watch this fall (Virginia Mercury)
“It’s no surprise that the most competitive districts right now are in Republican hands,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington. “This is an environment where Republicans are facing significant headwinds for a bunch of reasons, and that’s creating a tailwind that would help Democrats who, in other years, might be more vulnerable.” Read more in Virginia Mercury.
Trump suggests he may endorse Earle-Sears for VA governor (Fox 5 DC; MSN)
University of Mary Washington political science professor Stephen Farnsworth pointed out that Trump often endorses candidates he sees as winners. “The polls are really unfavorable right now, and it might be a really difficult environment to get a full-throated endorsement,” he said. Read more in Fox 5 DC or in MSN.
Virginia House in the Balance: 5 Key Races to Watch this Fall (Williamsburg Yorktown Daily)
“It’s no surprise that the most competitive districts right now are in Republican hands,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington. “This is an environment where Republicans are facing significant headwinds for a bunch of reasons, and that’s creating a tailwind that would help Democrats who, in other years, might be more vulnerable.” Read more in Williamsburg Yorktown Daily.
Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Larus
Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elisabeth Larus, a China expert and adjunct senior fellow at the Pacific Forum, was featured in a BBC News article titled “Trump looks forward to visiting China: Will Rubio, sanctioned by Beijing, become an obstacle to his trip?”
Commenting on meetings between U.S. Senator Marco Rubio and top Chinese officials, Larus observed, “Rubio’s meetings with Beijing’s top brass were inevitably awkward, including a lack of eye contact and faces that looked grim rather than smiling. But their primary role was to pave the way for a meeting between Trump and Xi, not to engage in in-depth, substantive discussions.” Read the full story.
UMW Professor Emeritus of Physics Bulent Atalay
Professor Emeritus of Physics Bulent Atalay was recently featured in Smithsonian Magazine for his reflections on the interplay between art and science, as exemplified by Leonardo da Vinci.
“Just as the artist is restricted only by his imagination and his facility with his chisel or brush, the scientist is restricted only by his imagination and his facility with his mathematics,” Atalay writes. A former faculty member at UMW and UVA, Atalay continues to lecture internationally. Read the full story.
Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Surupta Gupta
Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Surupa Gupta published an op-ed in The Indian Express, a major Indian English-language daily. The column, titled “BRICS is China’s playground” was published in July and questions whether membership in the BRICS group furthers India’s foreign policy goals. Gupta discusses that given China’s dominant role in the BRICS group, as well as its deep pockets, trade and investment ties with other BRICS member states, it is likely that India’s voice and interests get drowned out. Read the op-ed.