Cedric Rucker, associate vice president and dean of Student Life

He’s been a big name on campus for nearly four decades. Now UMW’s Cedric Rucker joins other big names – tennis legend Arthur Ashe, former Virginia Sen. Henry Marsh III and opera singer Lisa Edwards Burrs – on Richmond Public Schools’ (RPS) Black History Month Influential list.

The honorees – all of whom attended Richmond schools, including Rucker, Mary Washington associate vice president and dean of Student Life – were recognized as African-Americans who have forged ahead and made a difference in their fields.

“We wanted to show our students that anything is possible, and Dean Rucker’s experiences are definitely a testimony to that,” said RPS’ Renee Carter, who shared the campaign on social media throughout the month. “Dean Rucker is the epitome of a successful black male as well as a trailblazer … He has shown that he is dedicated not only to his profession, but to the students he interacts with as well as his community.” Read more.

Stephen Farnsworth, professor of Political Science

Political Science Professor Stephen J. Farnsworth has received a prestigious 2019-20 U.S. Fulbright grant. He has been named a Fulbright Specialist and will spend much of the upcoming summer teaching American government at Methodist College in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

“With the fascinating Trump presidency well underway and with the 2020 presidential election season getting started, now is a great time to be talking with Malaysian students about American government and politics,” said Farnsworth.

This grant is the second Fulbright award for Farnsworth, who is director of UMW’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies. During the 2006-2007 academic year, he was a Canada-U.S. Research Chair in Public Policy at McGill University in Montreal where he collaborated on several research articles on Canadian and U.S. politics. He also began work on The Global President: International Media and the U.S. Government, one of the six books he has authored or co-authored.

The Fulbright Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, is the U.S. government’s flagship international exchange program. The scholarship program gives professors a unique opportunity as ambassadors of American higher education, pursuing research and teaching opportunities around the world. The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program sends American scholars, artists, faculty and professionals abroad to lecture and/or conduct research for up to a year. The Fulbright Specialist Program provides short-term opportunities for overseas universities to collaborate with U.S.-based scholars on education projects.

For more information about Farnsworth and the recognition, visit https://www.umw.edu/news/2019/02/26/umw-political-science-faculty-receive-prestigious-fulbright-awards.

Stephen Farnsworth, professor of Political Science

Political Science Professor Stephen Farnsworth continues to provide daily commentary in regional and national media on breaking news items. View a few of his current interviews: Trump’s Legal Battle Ahead on CTV News Channel; Virginia voters on Tuesday may provide insight into scandals’ election impact  in The Washington Post; and Despite Scandals, Virginia Politicians Refuse to Resign. Now What? in Governing.

Rosalyn Cooperman, associate professor of Political Science

Associate Professor of Political Science Rosalyn Cooperman was quoted in a recent interview, “How The Scandals In Richmond Could Affect Virginia Democrats This Fall,” on WAMU:

Political scientist Rosalyn Cooperman of the University of Mary Washington cautions not to oversimplify things. For example, Cooperman said most white women tend to vote Republican, while African-American women decidedly vote for Democrats. “Women are not monolithic in their political preferences,” she said. “You have many factors here that may play out differently for different groups of women voters.” But Cooperman said the issue of sexual assault — and the issue of racism — are particularly salient among Democratic-leaning voters. These scandals, she said, will likely lessen enthusiasm among these groups. Read more.